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Forget about thin ice. Currently, there’s no ice.

With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a decade, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller arena – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there may not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will be extremely tight to the start of the games, 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 intended to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will stage lesser games during the Olympics.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the year before 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 prepared and secure. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is scheduled to become Italy’s biggest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the postponements and concerns, expensive passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. 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 for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Only passes for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

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

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