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

As NHL athletes preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a decade, building work on the main hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a more compact arena – 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 initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the beginning of the games, the timeline is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said in a recent update.

The event 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 transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a massive exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage secondary matches during the games.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and ensuring that the playing surface is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern arena.

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

In spite of the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Seats for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds the price of any other athletic competition at the Milano 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 premier hockey league permitting its players to compete in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

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