2023 NHL Global Series™ in Melbourne

Article posted by Coliseum, April 19^th, 2023

Image: Coliseum GSVA

The National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) recently announced that the Arizona Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings 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.

‘NHL’ stated that the preseason games between the Coyotes and Kings will be played on September 23^rd and September 24^th at the Rod Laver Arena in Victoria, Australia. This historic announcement advances the NHL’s commitment to grow the game globally, while furthering the league’s international strategy.

The NHL Global Series is part of the most prestigious hockey competition in the world, when two NHL teams play a regular season game in a non-North American continent.

Apply for membership

The 14,820-capacity Rod Laver Arena is a multipurpose arena located within Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The arena is the main venue for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year.

New York (US)-based the National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams – 25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top-ranked professional ice hockey league in the world, and is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

Toronto (Canada)-based the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) is the labor union for the group of professional hockey players who are under Standard Player Contracts to the 32-member clubs in the National Hockey League (NHL) located in the United States and Canada.

The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the 4,600-capacity Mullett Arena in Tempe Arizona, US.

The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, US. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. The 18,230-capacity Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, serves as their home pitch.

‘NHL’ further stated that 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.

Victoria (Australia)-based TEG Sport is a producer and promoter of live sporting events featuring the world’s biggest sporting teams and brands. The TEG Sport is owned by TEG, a leading global live entertainment, ticketing and technology business which operates worldwide out of seven country offices.

Richmond, Victoria (Australia)-based the Left Field Live (LFL) is a boutique sports marketing agency focused on helping elite sports teams and leagues break new markets using live events – including pre season matches or competition games for points. With a particular focus on rugby, football, baseball, basketball, and ice hockey, the team at LFL has taken global leading sports brands to Australia, Asia, North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Stated Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, “No one 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 the 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.”

Exulted Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner, “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 the 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 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 (UK) (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:

Maintained Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director, “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 of Kings and Coyotes look forward to introducing themselves to Australians this September and experiencing the excitement of their renowned sports fandom firsthand.”

Commented Xavier A. Gutierrez, Coyotes President-cum-head honcho, “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.”

Enthused Luc Robitaille, Kings President, “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 2023-2024 seasons in grand fashion.”

Added Geoff Jones, TEG head honcho, “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 the 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.”

Today’s (April 12^th) announcement was made from Federation Square in Melbourne at a presser attended by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos, NHL Senior Executive Vice-President of Media and International Strategy David Proper, Kings legend Dustin Brown, and Coyotes alumnus Darcy Hordichuk.

Arizona will be designated the home team for the September 23^rd matchup, and Los Angeles will be designated the home team for the game on September 24^th. Travel packages will be available to fans of both clubs. Additional details will be announced when available.

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 250 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue