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

As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a decade, construction on the primary hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

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 smaller arena – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there may not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

“The timeline will be extremely tight to the beginning of the games, the schedule is very tight. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The event that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 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 lesser games during the games.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the year before to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new contemporary stadium.

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

In spite of the postponements and worries, expensive passes are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final 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 tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The return of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the premier hockey organization permitting its players to compete in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

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