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

As NHL athletes gearing up to return 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 announced on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller arena – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“The timeline will be very close to the start of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being established inside a giant convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will stage secondary matches during the Olympics.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the playing surface is prepared and secure. It’s also about testing food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new modern arena.

This new facility, which is being constructed by a commercial firm, is slated to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and worries, high-priced passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds for any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies are priced higher.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the world’s top hockey league permitting its players to participate in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

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