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

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

Local organizers announced on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a more compact arena – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there may not be a match 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.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will stage lesser games during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the prior year to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s also about testing concession stands, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new modern arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italy’s biggest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

In spite of the delays and worries, high-priced passes are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

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

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