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

With NHL athletes preparing to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility originally planned for December has been moved to a smaller arena – 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 – one day before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the Olympics, the schedule 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 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 exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the prior year to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and making sure that the rink is ready and secure. It’s also about testing concession stands, restrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new modern arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become Italy’s largest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the delays and worries, expensive tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men's championship final on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Only tickets for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

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

The men’s Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to run from 11-22 February. Women's event runs from 5-19 February.