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

With NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers announced on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility originally planned for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no additional trial has been arranged 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 – one day before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will be extremely tight to the beginning of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The competition that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a giant exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the Olympics.

Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to holding medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and ensuring that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a newly constructed modern stadium.

This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become Italy’s largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.

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

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the world’s top hockey league allowing its athletes to compete in the Winter Games for the initial occasion 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.