Below the goal line was also a bit different, as Olympic rinks had two more feet of space to work with at 13 feet from goal line to the boards compared to the NHL's 11 feet.

For the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, competition will take place at the Milano Santagiulia and the Milano Rho ice hockey arenas. They both house NHL-sized rinks measuring 200 feet long by 85 feet wide.