I’m not liking the news coming from the organizers for the 2010 Olympics.
Ice hockey will be played on the smaller North American-sized surface during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver in a bid to save money, organizers said on Wednesday.
Olympic hockey has traditionally been played on the larger ice surfaces used in European leagues, but officials said the change would save an estimated $10 million (Canadian) in construction costs and allow room for more seats. [espn]
For me, this goes further than being a hockey fan. I have this constant wonder about the planning and execution for the coming games. We are less than four years away now, and I am always looking around town for evidence that all will be in place for when the flame is lit. There is talk of not worrying about cost, then having to ask for more funding, that everything will be ready in time, and now cutting a few corners to allow for a lower cost. It makes me feel a little uneasy about it all.
Keeping the smaller rinks makes sense. It benefits Vancouver, and Canada for the matter, in the long run because there can be more done with the venues later once the games are over without having to de-renovate GM Place and so on. There’s also that slight feeling of taking the slow and steady inhale of air to hold your breath as 2010 approaches and more surprises pop up. I’m already crossing my fingers.
This is a huge expense savings but will make the hockey of the Olympic tourney quite different then Games past. In years past, players were chosen because of the ability to skate on the big ice – especially d-men who needed advanced mobility to deal with the extra rooms going into the corners. This will an interesting development to chronicle. Wonder if the European teams who are scant on NHL’ers will be ticked?