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Forget about poor conditions. Currently, there’s no ice.

With NHL athletes preparing to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

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

The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a match held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The competition that was supposed to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey venue, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will stage lesser games during the games.

Typically, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s also about testing concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern arena.

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

Despite the postponements and worries, expensive passes are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

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

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