Kings to face Coyotes in 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne

We’re headed to the Southern Hemisphere – Melbourne, AustraLiA!

The National Hockey League announced today that the LA Kings will take part in the 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne. The Kings will take on the Arizona Coyotes in a pair of preseason games at Rod Laver Arena, within Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open, one of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year. The games will take place on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24. Rod Laver Arena is Australia’s second-largest indoor sports venue, the largest in Melbourne, and has previously hosted basketball events with more than 15,000 fans in attendance.

The Kings have played games overseas several times throughout the history of their franchise, dating back to 2007, when they opened their season in Europe. The Kings played a pair of exhibition contests in Salzburg, Austria against Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) and Färjestad Karlstad (Sweden), before they opened the regular season against the Anaheim Ducks in London, England at the O2 Arena, the first time that regular-season contests had been played in Europe. The Kings returned to Europe in 2011, as they participated in an exhibition contest in Hamburg, Germany against the Hamburg Freezers before playing their first two regular-season contests in Stockholm, Sweden (vs. New York) and Berlin, Germany (vs. Buffalo). Most recently, the Kings participated in the 2017 NHL China Games, as they faced off against the Vancouver Canucks in a pair of exhibition contests in China, one apiece in Shanghai and Beijing. They’ll add to their global footprint this fall with the two games in Australia.

Looking at the 2023 preseason schedule, the Global Series marks the second and third games we know of on the preseason slate. Last week, the Kings announced that they will return to Salt Lake City, Utah for Frozen Fury, the organization’s fifth game played in Utah since 2018. The current exhibition schedule is as follows –

Saturday, September 23 – Kings vs. Coyotes – Melbourne, Australia
Sunday, September 24 – Kings vs. Coyotes – Melbourne, Australia
Thursday, October 5 – Kings vs. Sharks – Salt Lake City, Utah

Kings defenseman Jordan Spence was born in Sydney, Australia, though he represents Canada at the international level.

Those interested in attending will have a variety of options in which to do so. Per the league, travel packages will be available to fans of both clubs. Ticketing information for the 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne is listed below. Additional details will be announced when available. Tickets are available with general admission seating from $79 for children and $99 for adults

Per the league, hospitality and travel packages are on sale now, available via Ticketek HERE. Fans can also join a waitlist now to secure early access to general admission tickets, which go on-sale at 1 PM Eastern on April 17. Join the waitlist HERE.

Kings President Luc Robitaille
The Los Angeles Kings are thrilled to be featured in the NHL Global Series in Melbourne. This historic event with both the Kings and Coyotes will represent the game of hockey at the highest levels, and Melbourne will be a tremendous host. The Kings embrace every opportunity to grow the game and expand our reach and we look forward to working with each of our partners to help make the event a success and to launch our 2023-24 season in grand fashion.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman
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. 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.

NHLPA Executive Director Marty Walsh
Melbourne is recognized worldwide for embracing anything and everything sports, making it the ultimate destination to host NHL players in the upcoming NHL Global Series games. The players on the Kings and Coyotes look forward to introducing themselves to Australians this September and experiencing the excitement of their renowned sports fandom firsthand.

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
Nowhere does major events like Melbourne and that’s why we are able to attract the biggest sporting spectacles from around the globe. Securing the NHL’s first-ever games in the Southern Hemisphere is not only a win for fans but will deliver big benefits for tourism businesses in our city. These games will also promote Melbourne to millions of potential visitors watching through global broadcasts.

Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez
The Arizona Coyotes are honored to represent the National Hockey League at the NHL Global Series in Melbourne. This is a tremendous opportunity for the Coyotes and Kings to introduce our great game to the incredibly passionate sports fans of Melbourne. The Coyotes are committed to growing our game and we look forward to interacting with all the tremendous people, partners, and fans-in-waiting in Australia.”

TEG CEO Geoff Jones
After many years of work, TEG Sport, together with our partners Left Field Live, are delighted to be promoting the first-ever NHL visit to Australian shores. The world-renowned Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne will be transformed into the ultimate NHL destination for this historic preseason series between the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings. We encourage fans to get in early with tickets, corporate and travel packages as demand is expected to be high. This event will be an incredible addition to Melbourne’s sensational major sporting events calendar and I thank our key partner Visit Victoria and the great support of the Victorian Government in making this event a reality.

From the NHL’s official release –

The National Hockey League announced today that the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes will face off in the first-ever NHL games in the Southern Hemisphere, as Melbourne, Australia will play host to the 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne. The preseason games between the Kings and Coyotes will be played on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24 at Rod Laver Arena.

The matchups in September will be the NHL’s first foray into the Southern Hemisphere, but not the first international trip for either the Kings or Coyotes. The Kings most recently played two preseason games in China in 2017. In addition, Los Angeles has played preseason games in Austria (2007) and Germany (2011), as well as regular-season games in England (2007), Germany (2011), and Sweden (2011). In 2010, Arizona played one preseason game in Latvia and two regular-season games in Czechia. A complete history of NHL preseason games and regular-season games played outside North America can be found by clicking the links below:
* Preseason Games Played Outside North America
* Regular-Season Games Played Outside North America

This historic announcement advances the NHL’s commitment to grow the game globally, while furthering the League’s international strategy. Supported by the Victorian Government through its tourism and major events agency – Visit Victoria – alongside event promoters TEG Sport and Left Field Live, the 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne will showcase Melbourne as the premier destination for sport in Australia.

Today’s announcement was made from Federation Square in Melbourne at a news conference attended by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos, NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Media & International Strategy David Proper, Kings legend Dustin Brown and Coyotes alumnus Darcy Hordichuk.

Arizona will be designated the home team for the Sept. 23 matchup, and Los Angeles will be designated the home team for the game on Sept. 24. Travel packages will be available to fans of both clubs. Ticketing information for the 2023 NHL Global Series – Melbourne is listed below. Additional details will be announced when available.