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

With NHL athletes gearing up to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in over a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility originally planned for December has been moved to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there may not be a game held in the main arena 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 schedule is highly compressed. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The competition that was intended to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey venue, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will stage lesser games during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the year before to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not just about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, restrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new contemporary arena.

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

In spite of the postponements and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only passes for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The return of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the world’s top hockey organization permitting its athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to take place from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament occurs from 5-19 February.