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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 more than a decade, building work on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Local organizers announced on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a more compact venue – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

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

The competition that was intended to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a giant convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will stage secondary matches during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the year before to holding medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not just about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern arena.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a commercial firm, is slated to become Italy’s largest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Tour Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the delays and worries, high-priced tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia venue. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies are priced higher.

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

The men’s Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's event occurs from 5-19 February.