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

With NHL players gearing up to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.

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

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the start of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

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

Typically, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not only about the playing surface and making sure that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, restrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed modern stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become the nation's largest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and worries, expensive tickets are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are going for 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. Only passes for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the premier hockey league allowing its athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

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