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Forget about poor conditions. For now, the surface isn't ready.

As NHL players gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in more than a ten years, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller venue – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a match 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 start of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The event that was intended to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the Olympics.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the prior year to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s also about checking concession stands, restrooms 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 the nation's largest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Tour Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the delays and worries, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the opening and closing ceremonies are priced higher.

The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the premier hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to run from 11-22 February. The women’s event runs from 5-19 February.