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Forget about thin ice. For now, there’s no ice.

With NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller arena – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The competition that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was a segment of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage lesser games during the Olympics.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the prior year to hosting podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the rink is ready and safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new contemporary stadium.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is slated to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the postponements 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 closing day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

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

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