Australian ice hockey fans, there’s reason to celebrate. The NHL (National Hockey League) is making a maiden trek down under; a chance for many sports lovers to see professional ice hockey in the flesh for the first time.
The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings are heading to Melbourne in September for two pre-season games in the 2023 NHL Global Series at Rod Laver Arena.
In addition to being the first time the NHL has journeyed down under, the fixture is also historic; it’s the first time a game has been played in the Southern Hemisphere.
“The intention would not be to come to Australia, play and never come back,” said David Proper, NHL senior executive vice president, media and international strategy in a press conference at Melbourne’s Federation Square. “The intention is to make this a recurring set of games and help continue to grow hockey in the market.”
When are the NHL games in Melbourne?
The Coyotes and Kings will play at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on September 23 and 24.
The Coyotes will be the home team in the first game, while the Kings will be the home team on September 24 for the second fixture.
GAME 1: Arizona Coyotes v Los Angeles Kings, Rod Laver Arena, September 23
GAME 2: Los Angeles Kings v Arizona Coyotes, Rod Laver Arena, September 24
Does Australia have an ice hockey fanbase?
While Australia’s ice hockey league doesn’t draw the same crowds as AFL, NRL or even football, there is no shortage of NHL fans in the country — particularly in Victoria.
Fans from Australia accounted for 7.7 million visits to the NHL’s social media and digital platforms last year, ranking seventh in the list of international NHL fanbases.
According to the NHL, Australians are also the fifth-largest international spenders when it comes to official merch, with Victorians being the biggest spenders.
How do I get tickets to the NHL in Melbourne?
Tickets to the two NHL fixtures in Melbourne go on sale on April 18 at 1pm AEST.
General admission tickets start at $79 for children and $99 for adults. There is also hospitality packages available from $603.60 and travel packages available via Keith Prowse Travel.
You can purchase tickets exclusively via Ticketek.
How is the NHL going to turn Rod Laver Arena into an ice rink?
Turning Rod Laver’s tennis court into an ice hockey rink is no easy task, and will take a whopping 12 days to complete.
The first hurdle to overcome is the size, with a tennis court — obviously — being much smaller than an ice hockey rink. But thankfully, Rod Laver’s seats retract just far enough to fit in a regulation-sized rink.
“It’s a very intimate setting,” NHL senior director of facilities operations Derek King said. “When I say we don’t have much room to play with, that’s an understatement. Our surface just fits.”
As for the surface itself, a layer of plywood will be laid over the tennis court before about 1 inch of ice is frozen overtop. From there, the NHL will prepare the rink much like it does for a regular outdoor game — by painting it white and adding lines and logos on top of that.
“It’s kind of like an outdoor game, but it’s an outdoor game in Australia,” King said. noting that shipping containers filled with supplies will take between 45 and 60 days in transit to get to Australia. “We’ll get there and unpack everything, build a rink, and then when it’s all over, pack it back up and ship it home. So, it’s exciting, right? To be involved in these games in Australia is pretty, pretty amazing.”
And, of course, it wouldn’t be an NHL game without the iconic centre-hung scoreboard — which will be temporarily added to Rod Laver in a mammoth effort that will take an extra day and a half to complete.
