🔗 Share this article

Put aside poor conditions. For now, there’s no ice.

As NHL players gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a ten years, construction on the primary hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena originally planned for December has been moved 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 puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the beginning of the games, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was intended to test the Santagiulia playing surface 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 exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled 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 safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed contemporary arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is slated to become Italy’s biggest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the postponements and worries, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship game on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (more than $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 stars at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the world’s top hockey league permitting its players to participate 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 tournament occurs from 5-19 February.