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

With NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a ten years, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility originally planned for December has been relocated to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the beginning of the games, 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. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the prior year to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s also about checking food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed contemporary stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is scheduled to become Italy’s biggest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the delays and worries, high-priced tickets are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than 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 stars at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the premier hockey league permitting its players to compete in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament runs from 5-19 February.