Conor McDavid on tiny Olympic rink: ‘no big deal’

“I don’t care. No big deal,” he told reporters earlier Saturday Hockey night in Canada Showdown between his Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs (SportsNet, SportsNet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).

The arena for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics has become a story unto itself in recent weeks, with the IIHF confirming that the ice surface will be more than three feet shorter and slightly wider than NHL standards.

The changed dimensions have raised concerns for the NHL and NHLPA, which had hoped to play the tournament on regulation-size rinks.

The IIHF transitioned to the NHL dimension in the Olympics starting in 2018 and will be used again in 2022.

McDavid starred for Canada at the 4 Nations face-off in February at NHL rinks, scoring the OT winner against the U.S.

He is one of six athletes already named to the Canadian roster for the Olympics along with Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Kelly Meeker, Sam Reinhart and Braden Point.

The Olympic men’s hockey tournament runs from February 11-22, with NHLers participating for the first time since 2014.

With files from the Associated Press