Photo Shows 'Hole in the Ice' at Winter Olympics Hockey Test Event

The first test event at Santagiuliana Arena for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics was delayed on Friday due to a "hole in the ice," per Chris Johnston of The Athletic.

The first test game was scheduled to be played on Friday despite construction still taking place earlier in the day:

Ice hockey action for the 2026 Games is set to begin on Feb. 5.

A spokesperson from the Milan Cortina organizing committee revealed that ice master Don Moffatt, who also works for the Colorado Avalanche, was happy with the ice and explained that the hole was a normal occurrence that can happen the first time the ice is skated on, according to Daniella Matar of the Associated Press.

Concerns with the condition of the Olympic rink were previously expressed by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

"If the players believe that ice isn't safe, then we're not going to play," Daly said Dec. 8, via ESPN's Emily Kaplan. "It's as simple as that."

NHL players are set to compete in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The league has sent its own experts to Italy to observe the test matches and ensure the ice is safe.

International Olympic Committee sports director Pierre Ducrey remained steadfast in his belief that NHL players would still compete in the event.

"I'm very confident they will be here and it's going to be extremely exciting," Ducrey said, per Matar. "We're very excited they're coming back; 12 years, there was a lot of work from a lot people to make sure this happens.

"So, yeah, you will have NHL players here in February and it is going to be amazing."

Test events for the ice will also take place on Saturday and Sunday.