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

With NHL athletes preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a ten years, building work on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena originally planned for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

The issue raises the prospect that there may not be a match 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.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the start of the Olympics, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said in a recent update.

The competition that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been transferred to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a massive exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will stage secondary matches during the Olympics.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the rink is prepared and secure. It’s also about checking 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 the nation's largest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the postponements and concerns, high-priced passes are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the world’s top hockey league permitting its players to compete in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

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