MapleMoose

Canadian Press

6/7/2006 6:41:33 PM

VANCOUVER (CP) - The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee announced Wednesday that the men's and women's ice hockey competition at the 2010 Games will be played on an NHL-sized ice surface.

The announcement came at the conclusion of a two-day visit from the International Olympic Committee.

Vanoc estimates that it will save $10 million by using the smaller NHL ice because it won't have to make changes to arenas like GM Place, the home of the Vancouver Canucks.

International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel attended the meetings and called it a ''tough decision'' but said he supports it.

NHL rinks carry dimensions of 200 feet by 85 feet. International ice surfaces carry an additional 15 feet in width.

It will be the first time the smaller surface will be used in Olympic competition.

RedMile

It's not just saving money, damn now the Canadians will own, it'll be almost like the NHL

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Adsfan

This may increase the chances of the US winning a medal in 2010.

Maple Leaf

Don't give me nightmares!!

subby13

Realistically, pretty much the entire rosters of the European medal contenders play in the NHL, so I really don't see it being that much of an advantage (if any) for the North American teams.

I imagine teams like Kazakstan and Germany will be hurt by this, but let's be honest: they're not going to win anyway.

cpo2dh22

i dont see any real advantage/disadvantage. the only problem is that all the European countries wont have as much open ice as they are used to.

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canadiancreed

ya its' not as big of an advantage as if it was say thirty years ago ro so. And ti makes sense, since the cost for retrofitting the arenas would be up there.