🔗 Share this article

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

With NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in over a ten years, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Local organizers announced on Wednesday that the primary test event 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 creates the possibility that there may 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 highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia ice 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 exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the games.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and secure. It’s also about testing concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.

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

Despite the delays and worries, high-priced tickets are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the premier hockey league permitting its players to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to run from 11-22 February. Women's event runs from 5-19 February.