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Forget about thin ice. Currently, the surface isn't ready.

As NHL athletes gearing up to return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

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

This situation creates the possibility that there may not be a match held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the beginning of the Olympics, the timeline is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will stage secondary matches during the Olympics.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the prior year to hosting medal events. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not only about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and secure. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.

This new facility, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become the nation's largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.

In spite of the postponements and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – are going for as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The return of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the premier hockey league allowing its players to compete in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

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