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

As NHL players gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a decade, building work on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the games, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The competition that was supposed to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage secondary matches during the Olympics.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not just about the playing surface and ensuring that the playing surface is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about checking food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new contemporary stadium.

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

Despite the delays and worries, expensive tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men's championship game 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 for any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the world’s top hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament runs from 5-19 February.