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Put aside poor conditions. For now, the surface isn't ready.

As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials 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 arranged yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the Olympics, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being set up inside a giant convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will stage secondary matches during the games.

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 making sure that the playing surface is prepared and safe. It’s also about checking food outlets, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become Italy’s biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Tour Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced passes are already being sold for events 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 (over $1,600). That’s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

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

Men's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to take place from 11-22 February. Women's event occurs from 5-19 February.