ROME (AFP) 

Winter Olympics organisers on Wednesday confirmed that the Milan-Cortina Games' main ice hockey arena will open in January following delays in its construction.

The Santa Giulia arena will host seven games in the Italian league and cup from January 9-11 in a test event for the venue, organisers said in a media statement. 

The dates for the test event were revealed in October, but the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and National Hockey League (NHL) have expressed their concerns about the rink and the lack of a backup plan.

The 16,000-capacity arena situated to the east of Milan is a multi-sport complex built by a private developer, EVENTIM, which plans to host basketball games and concerts there after the 2026 Winter Olympics.

A spokesperson for the site developer told AFP on Tuesday that the rink would be ready "in January" and that 580 people were working "on the site in two shifts".

The arena was initially scheduled to be tested during the under-20 world championships from December 8-14, but building delays forced those plans to be shelved.

Instead, that event has been moved to the Games' secondary ice hockey arena in Rho in the western suburbs of Milan.

Players from the NHL in North America, widely regarded as the best in the world, will compete at next year's Olympics for the first time since 2014.