The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings will play two games in Melbourne, Australia, during the 2023 pre-season, the National Hockey League announced Tuesday.
The Coyotes and Kings will become the first NHL teams to play games in the Southern Hemisphere when they take to the ice at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Sept. 23 and 24, 2023.
“We are delighted to bring the excitement and passion of the National Hockey League to the dynamic city of Melbourne and the great sports fans of Australia with the 2023 Global Series games,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said.
“The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings are two of our League’s rising young teams and among our most innovative and adventurous franchises. We look forward to their two games at Rod Laver Arena and know this history-making visit will thrill our many avid fans in Australia and cause so many more throughout the sports-loving nation to be captivated by our great game.”
The NHL has a long tradition of staging games around the world in attempts to grow the game on an international scale.
At the start of the 2022–23 season, the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, and Columbus Blue Jackets played games in Czechia and Finland. The Predators and Sharks also played exhibition games against SC Bern and Eisbären Berlin.
Dating back as early as 1938, various NHL teams have played games in the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Russia, China, and Japan, among other nations.
The Coyotes and Kings are two teams in very different positions as the 2022–23 regular season draws to a close. While the Kings have already clinched a spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Coyotes are eagerly anticipating the results of the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery next month.
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