🔗 Share this article

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

With NHL athletes gearing up to return to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in more than a decade, building work on the main hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Local organizers confirmed 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 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 main arena until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the Olympics, the schedule is highly compressed. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The event that was supposed to test 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 Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage secondary matches during the games.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the playing surface is ready and secure. It’s also 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 Italy’s largest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

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

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

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