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Put aside poor conditions. For now, there’s no ice.

As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in more than a ten years, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a more compact arena – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might 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.

“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the Olympics, the timeline is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia ice 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 exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will stage lesser games during the Olympics.

Usually, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the prior year to hosting medal events. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not just about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is ready and safe. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new contemporary arena.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is slated to become the nation's largest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

In spite of the postponements and worries, high-priced tickets are already being sold for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – 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 stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the premier hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

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