Ice hockey-Olympic legacy brings ice hockey home to Milan

Oct 8 - Capitalising on the Winter Olympics' excitement that swept through northern Italy earlier this year, professional ice hockey returns to Milan this weekend when fans will flock to cheer on a new club at the new Fiera Ice Arena.

Milano Hockey Club have already played eight matches in the ICE Hockey League - which includes teams from Austria, Hungary and Slovenia, alongside two other Italian clubs - while waiting for their new home to be completed.

Two venues were used for hockey at the Olympics, but the Santagiulia Arena was repurposed for concerts and other sports, while the Milano Rho temporary arena inside an exhibition centre area on the outskirts of the city has been dismantled.

The new arena, where building began in July, is in the same exhibition centre and is also a temporary venue while plans for a permanent arena take shape.

Ice hockey drew the biggest crowds at Milano Cortina, helped by the return of NHL players to the Olympics, and the home supporters also had plenty to cheer.

Italy's women's team reached the quarter-finals while the men pushed Sweden and Slovakia close and the enthusiasm of the fans has been given an outlet with top-level ice hockey making a comeback in Milan.

HOCKEY HISTORY

Hockey has a long tradition in Milan, going back over a century to when Hockey Club Milano arrived on the scene in 1924, dominating the early years of the Italian championship.

Through the years, various clubs, some with links to soccer powerhouses AC and Inter Milan, have come and gone. Financial difficulties, and in more recent years a lack of infrastructure, had left the city without a top-flight team since 2019.

The city of Milan's Plans for the new arena and a possible ice hockey team were announced as the Olympics came to a close, and the newly formed club had their application to the ICE Hockey League accepted in June.

Diego Kostner was part of Italy's Olympic squad and, after playing his whole career in Switzerland, the 34-year-old returned home when he became Milano HC's latest signing less than a week ago.

"The Milan project intrigues me and I can't wait to start," Kostner said. "It's a city with an important history in hockey and I experienced its strong passion during the Olympics."

The wait is almost over for the city's hockey fans.

Tickets are going fast for Milano HC's home debut against HC Innsbruck on Friday, while and Sunday's home match against fellow Italian side HC Bolzano Foxes is a 4,000 sell-out. REUTERS