ROME –

The organizing committee of next year’s Winter Olympics on Monday defended the size of ice hockey rinks for the Games after criticism from the sport’s governing body.

The Santa Giulia arena is set to host preliminary and knock-out games at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, which run between Feb. 6 and 22, but the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and North American media covering the NHL have voiced their concerns regarding the playing area.

The Milano Rho arena will be the home of some other preliminary matches.

Players from the NHL in North America, widely regarded as the best in the world, will compete at next year’s Olympics for the first time since 2014.

"The IIHF can confirm that the ice surfaces for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will measure 60.0 m x 26.0 m (approximately 196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft)," the Milan-Cortina Games organizers said in a statement.

"While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications.

"All involved, the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, NHL, NHLPA, IOC and the relevant venue authorities agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant, and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play.

"We look forward to welcoming the world’s best players for a best-on-best competition at the Games," they added.

Santa Giulia arena is set to open next month following delays in its construction.

The Santa Giulia arena will host seven games in the Italian league and cup from Jan. 9 to 11 in a test event.

The IIHF has yet to comment.