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Forget about poor conditions. For now, there’s no ice.

As NHL athletes gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the prior year to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the playing surface and making sure that the rink is prepared and secure. It’s also about testing food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities 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 covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

In spite of the delays and worries, expensive tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than for any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

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 Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

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