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

With NHL athletes preparing to return to the Olympics 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.

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

This situation creates the possibility that there may not be a game held in the primary venue until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

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 Fiera hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the games.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the prior year to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the playing surface and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed modern stadium.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is slated to become Italy’s largest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). This exceeds for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events cost more.

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

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