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

As NHL athletes gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the primary 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 originally planned for December has been moved to a smaller 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 – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.

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

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being established inside a massive convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will stage 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 venue, it’s not only about the ice and ensuring that the rink is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a newly constructed contemporary arena.

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

Despite the delays and worries, high-priced passes are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men's championship game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the premier hockey organization permitting its players to participate in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament runs from 5-19 February.