Overview
- French organizers, who said Tuesday they cannot stage the men’s ice hockey tournament in Nice, began assessing arenas in Paris and Lyon as replacements.
- The committee found temporary rink plans at Nice’s Charles-Ehrmann and Arboras sites unworkable due to technical hurdles, high costs, and timing issues, and the mayor refuses to close Allianz Riviera to OGC Nice for months.
- Women’s hockey remains planned for Nice’s Palais des Expositions and other ice events there are unchanged, pending sign-off from the international federation.
- Venue operators have already bid to host, with Paris Entertainment Company offering Accor and Adidas arenas and Lyon’s LDLC Arena in contention, and the Auvergne–Rhône–Alpes leader said Wednesday he opposes sending the event to Paris.
- Organizers will present exploration results to their executive board on May 11 and need IOC approval in June, and the choice matters financially because ice events generate about 53% of ticket revenue.