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

As NHL players gearing up to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey arena 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 originally planned for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

This situation raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said in a recent update.

The competition that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia ice was a segment of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being established inside a giant convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the Olympics.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not only about the playing surface and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s also about testing food outlets, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new modern stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is slated to become Italy’s largest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the postponements and worries, high-priced passes are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men's championship final 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 athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the world’s top hockey organization permitting its athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion 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.