Will play preseason matchups on Sept. 23-24 at Rod Laver Arena
The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings are set to face off in the 2023 NHL Global Series™ - Melbourne, to open the NHL preseason, at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24. Both games will start at 2 p.m. AEST (9Go!, 9Now, ESPN Australia, NHL Network).
The 2023 NHL Global Series™ - Melbourne will mark the first-ever NHL games played in the Southern Hemisphere, but not the first international trip for either the Kings or Coyotes. The Kings’ most recent foray overseas was for two preseason games in China in 2017. In addition, Los Angeles has seen preseason action in Austria (2007) and Germany (2011), and has also played regular-season games in England (2007), Germany (2011), and Sweden (2011). Arizona traveled to Latvia for one preseason game, and to Czechia for two regular-season games, in 2010. A complete history of NHL preseason games and regular-season games played outside North America can be found by clicking the links below:
The games in Melbourne will feature some of the NHL’s top talent. The Coyotes’ roster includes forwards Clayton Keller, Jason Zucker and Nick Schmaltz, defensemen Matt Dumba and J.J. Moser, and goaltender Karel Vejmelka. The Kings counter with captain Anze Kopitar, fellow forwards Kevin Fiala, Adrian Kempe and Pierre-Luc Dubois, and defensemen Drew Doughty and Australian native Jordan Spence.
In addition to the Coyotes-Kings contests in Melbourne, the 2023 NHL Global Series will visit Stockholm, Sweden, where an unprecedented four NHL Clubs will play matchups in a single European city. The Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs will be featured in a slate of four regular-season games to take place Nov. 16-19 at Avicii Arena.
More information on the 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne is available on NHL.com, and on TikTok and Instagram at @nhlaus.