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

As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the start of the Olympics, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia ice was a segment of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage lesser games during the Olympics.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the prior year to holding medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and ensuring that the rink is ready and safe. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed modern arena.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is scheduled to become the nation's largest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

In spite of the delays and worries, high-priced passes are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men's championship final on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

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

Men's Olympic hockey tournament is set to take place from 11-22 February. The women’s event runs from 5-19 February.