Ian CasselberryContributing writerTue, February 17, 2026 at 2:49 AM UTC·3 min readThe boards for ice hockey games at Milano Santagiulia Arena will have a different look for the remainder of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The International Ice Hockey Federation will change the color of the boards along the rink to a lighter color after getting feedback on the matter from various teams and national federations, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reports.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThough the IIHF usually does work on the boards to clean up dents, scuffs and other wear and tear at the midway point of a tournament, the change is being made in response to concerns that the darker turquoise color is different from what is typically seen in professional arenas throughout Europe and the NHL.
In particular, the issue is that the darker color has made it difficult to track the puck when it travels along, or even above, the boards. The boards in NHL and European professional hockey arenas are typically white, even if covered with banner ads.
The Milan Cortina tournament has seen several unexpected goals from long distances, in addition to closer shots traveling through the air or taking quirky bounces. One of the most notable was allowed by Team USA goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who let in a first-period slapshot taken by Denmark's Nick Jensen from center ice. Swayman appeared to lose sight of the puck as it left Jensen's stick.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSwayman also allowed another goal in the second period on a shot he didn't appear to see, but he was likely screened by teammate J.T Miller on that shot.
Following Team USA's 6-3 win over Denmark, Swayman told reporters that he couldn't track Jensen's shot, which was "the perfect height, right between the stands and the board level."
Asked if he lost the puck because of the dark boards, Swayman joked "I'm colorblind, so it doesn't matter to me."
Teammate Jack Eichel defended Swayman, saying he lost the puck up in the lights during the game. But if there were other such complaints, that apparently isn't a change that the IIHF is considering.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, Swayman didn't use the board colors as an excuse.
“It’s something all of us always have to face and we play in different arenas every night in the NHL," he said. "So this is just one, another one, and it’s a challenge that we have to embrace,” Swayman said.
Work on the boards in Milan began immediately after Monday's women's ice hockey match between Canada and Switzerland, according to The Athletic.
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