NHL players may play on untested ice at Milan-Cortina Olympics

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

With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller arena and that no new test event has been scheduled.

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The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round competition at the Olympics on Feb. 5 — one day before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the Games, the timeline is very tight, but we knew that,” Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman deferred to the International Olympic Committee and International Ice Hockey Federation when asked about the construction timeline after the league’s board of governors meeting Wednesday.

“We’ve had a concern for the last two years on the progress of the rink — both rinks but mainly the main one — but it’s the IOC’s responsibility,” Bettman said. “We’re invited guests, but they know of our concerns and we’re expecting that they’re going to make good on all the promises to have a facility that is, from a competitive standpoint, first class.”

Bettman stressed that it’s not his league’s event and will share any concerns with the Players’ Association if necessary.

“We are constrained in what we can and can’t do, request and demand and if it reached a certain point, we’ll have to deal with it,” Bettman said. “But I’m not speculating, and we’ve been constantly assured by the IOC and the IIHF that it will be OK.”

The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from Dec. 8-14. That event has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a giant convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the Olympics.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least a year before hosting medal events. With a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s also about testing concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a new modern arena.

Asked about the issue Wednesday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said concern about the rinks isn’t new.

“We’ve had a concern for the last two years on the progress of the rink — both rinks but mainly the main one — but it’s the IOC’s responsibility,” he said. “We’re invited guests, but they know of our concerns and we’re expecting that they’re going to make good on all the promises to have a facility that is, from a competitive standpoint, first class.”

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italy’s largest indoor arena. After the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men’s gold medal game on Feb. 22 — the closing day of the Games — are going for as much as 1,400 euros (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced in February, with the world’s top hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to run from Feb. 11-22. The women’s tournament runs from Feb. 5-19.