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

As NHL athletes preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena originally planned for December has been relocated to a smaller arena – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

This situation raises the prospect that there may not be a match held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will 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 event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 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 stage secondary matches 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 ice and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s additionally about checking food outlets, bathrooms and everything else inside a newly constructed modern arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become the nation's largest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced passes are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia venue. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). This exceeds for any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the premier hockey league allowing its players to compete in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

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