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

With NHL athletes preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will be extremely tight to the beginning of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said in a recent update.

The competition that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred 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 Olympics.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the prior year to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed modern stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become the nation's biggest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the postponements and worries, high-priced passes are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Seats for the men's championship game on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

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

Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to run from 11-22 February. Women's tournament occurs from 5-19 February.