Coyotes, Kings arrive in Australia, begin buildup to Global Series

MELBOURNE, Australia -- It was a busy Monday afternoon in Melbourne, and part of Spring Street was shut down in front of Parliament House, the heart of the government in the Australian state of Victoria.

One of the city’s iconic streetcars displayed placards promoting the 2023 NHL Global Series -- Melbourne, two preseason games between the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday and Sunday. The games will start at 12 a.m. ET and air on NHL Network and ESPN+ in the United States; Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ in Canada; and 9Go, 9Now, ESPN and the ESPN App in Australia.

The placards pictured Coyotes forward Clayton Keller and Kings center Anze Kopitar. And now, fresh off their 15 ½-hour, 8,000-mile charter flights, here were Keller and Kopitar in the flesh for a photo op. They smiled for the cameras, spoke to the media, and even stepped aboard the streetcar to ring the bell.

“Do you know much about Melbourne and Australia, Clayton?” an Australian TV reporter asked.

“No,” Keller said. “This is my first time here obviously. But I’ve heard great things and it looks amazing. So just super excited to be here and be able to grow the game and spend some time away from the rink too.”

This is the key of the 2023 NHL Global Series -- Melbourne, getting the word out about the event, the NHL and the game of hockey in Australia, while getting to know this city, state and country halfway around the world from North America.

After the Coyotes had a 40-minute skate and the Kings went through an off-ice workout, each sent a delegation to the photo op, with everyone dressed in matching black golf shirts with team and event logos.

Keller represented Arizona with general manager Bill Armstrong and coach Andre Tourigny. Kopitar represented Los Angeles with general manager Rob Blake and coach Todd McLellan. They posed for photos with Steve Dimopoulos, a Member of Parliament and the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events for the state of Victoria.

Dimopoulos played to the local TV cameras, highlighting that the NHL’s first event in the Southern Hemisphere is here and not, say, in the rival city of Sydney in New South Wales.

“Of course it’s going to be in Melbourne, because Victoria is the sports capital of the country,” Dimopoulos said. “We’re very excited to welcome our U.S. friends here for such an iconic game. It’s going to be amazing.”

When an Australian TV reporter asked for his message to people who don’t know too much about the NHL, Dimopoulos said he had seen a couple of NHL games on television.

“The message is, ‘Come,’” he said. “‘It’s a fast-paced, pretty action-packed sport. Come and watch it.’”

Hockey has a modest following in Australia. The country has 6,150 players and 20 indoor ice rinks, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation.

But the sport has been played here since the early 1900s. The country has been a member of the IIHF since 1938. It has a semi-pro league, the Australian Ice Hockey League.

ESPN broadcasts NHL games here. Australia accounted for 7.7 million visits to NHL digital platforms in 2022, seventh among countries outside of Canada and the United States. It ranked fourth among countries overseas in visits to the NHL App.

“It’s a sport that actually does capture public attention in Australia,” Dimopoulos said. “There’s multiple platforms you can watch it. But to have these guys here, the Coyotes and the Kings, up close and personal, is quite special.”

Asked if he felt hockey could grow here, he said: “It would be great. It’s a great sport. It’s fast-moving, and it’s exciting. The first time I watched it, I was hooked.”

That’s the whole idea behind this.

Meanwhile, it sounds like the first time Keller saw Melbourne, he was hooked.

“It’s amazing,” Keller said. “Super beautiful flying in, seeing the water. It’s been great so far. We kind of walked around earlier, did some shopping. It’s nice to do that. I’m sure we’ll get out and explore. I think we’re going to the zoo today, so that’ll be fun.”

“What do you want to see?” a reporter asked.

“Kangaroo,” Keller said.