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

With NHL players gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a more compact venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a game 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 beginning of the games, the schedule is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a giant convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will host lesser games during the Olympics.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the prior year to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not just about the playing surface and making sure that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, restrooms and everything else inside a newly constructed modern stadium.

This new facility, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italy’s largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.

In spite of the delays and concerns, expensive passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men's championship game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the world’s top 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 scheduled to run from 11-22 February. Women's tournament occurs from 5-19 February.