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

As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the initial occasion in over a ten years, building work on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-seat 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 raises the prospect that there may not be a game held in the primary venue until the competition begins 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 start of the Olympics, the timeline is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said in a recent update.

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being established inside a massive exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage lesser games during the Olympics.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the playing surface is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about checking food outlets, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed modern stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is slated to become Italy’s largest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the delays and worries, expensive tickets are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the opening and closing ceremonies are priced higher.

The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the premier hockey organization allowing its athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to run from 11-22 February. Women's tournament occurs from 5-19 February.