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Put aside thin ice. For now, the surface isn't ready.

With NHL players gearing up to return to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than a ten years, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a more compact venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

This situation raises the prospect 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 – one day before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The event that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey venue, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will host secondary matches during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the playing surface and making sure that the playing surface is prepared and secure. It’s also about checking concession stands, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed contemporary arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become the nation's largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the postponements and concerns, high-priced passes are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men's championship game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Only passes for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

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

Men's Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to run from 11-22 February. The women’s event runs from 5-19 February.