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

As NHL athletes gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a decade, building work on the main hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.

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

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

“The timeline will be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The event that was supposed to test 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 convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to hosting medal events. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s also about checking food outlets, bathrooms 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 largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the delays and worries, expensive passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship game on 22 February – the closing day of the games – 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. Solely passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the world’s top hockey organization permitting its athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to take place from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament occurs from 5-19 February.