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

As NHL players preparing to return to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in more than a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a more compact venue – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

This situation raises the prospect that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“The timeline will be extremely tight to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The event that was intended to test the Santagiulia ice was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s also about checking concession stands, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new contemporary arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become Italy’s biggest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

In spite of the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are going for as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the world’s top hockey organization allowing its players to compete in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's event runs from 5-19 February.