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Put aside thin ice. Currently, the surface isn't ready.

As NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena originally planned for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The competition that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being set up inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the prior year to hosting medal events. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the rink is ready and secure. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a newly constructed modern arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the postponements and worries, high-priced passes are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Only passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the premier hockey league permitting its players to compete in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is set to run from 11-22 February. The women’s event runs from 5-19 February.