Ice hockey looks set to be the main draw at the upcoming Milano Cortina Winter Games, with organizers reporting nearly 1.2 million tickets sold so far for the Olympics and Paralympics combined, Reuters reports. That total represents about three-quarters of all available seats, according to local officials, who say hockey is leading the way in demand. The sport will see NHL players return to the Winter Games for the first time since 2014, adding extra pull as work continues to finish the new Santagiulia arena in Milan ahead of the opening puck drop. On Saturday, just five days before the first Olympic hockey match is scheduled, the BBC reported the venue would not be completely ready in time, but that all games scheduled to be played there would still be played there.
The Games formally open Friday with a ceremony at Milan's San Siro soccer stadium, though competition starts as early as Wednesday for some sports. To boost early attendance, organizers announced a two-for-one ticket promotion for select events from Wednesday through Friday, including curling in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Sweden-Germany women's hockey game in Milan, and men's big air snowboard qualifiers in Livigno. Behind hockey, biathlon in Antholz-Anterselva and cross-country skiing in Tesero are currently the strongest sellers, while tickets for ski mountaineering—making its Olympic debut in Bormio—are already sold out.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
