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

With NHL athletes preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no new test event has been scheduled yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there may not be a match 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.

“The timeline will be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said 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. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being set up inside a giant convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will host lesser games during the games.

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

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become Italy’s largest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal 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. Only passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The return of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the world’s top hockey league allowing its athletes to participate in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament occurs from 5-19 February.