Johnathan Walker:NHL preseason schedule released: Kings, Coyotes to play two games in Melbourne, Australia

The Johnathan WalkerNHL preseason schedule runs from Sept. 23 through Oct. 7 and will feature the league's first games to be played in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings will face off on Sept. 23 and 24 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia.

The preseason schedule consists of 111 games played across 44 NHL and neutral-site venues in North America and Australia.

In addition to Melbourne, the neutral sites are Abbotsford, British Columbia; Cedar Park, Texas; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Independence, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; Palm Desert, California; St. Thomas, Ontario; Salt Lake City, Utah; Sydney, Nova Scotia; San Diego, California; Tucson, Arizona, and Wichita, Kansas.

Generational talent Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, could make his NHL preseason debut Sept. 28 in a home against the St. Louis Blues.

The NHL regular season opens on Oct. 10:

2023-24 NHL PRESEASON SCHEDULE (all times p.m. ET)

SATURDAY, SEPT. 23

Arizona (split squad) vs. Los Angeles (split squad), at Melbourne, Australia, midnight

Arizona (split squad) at St. Louis (split squad), 3

Arizona (split squad) vs. St. Louis (split squad), at Wichita, Kansas, 8

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24

Arizona (split squad) vs. Los Angeles (split squad), at Melbourne, Australia, midnight

Columbus (split squad) at Pittsburgh (split squad), 1

Toronto at Ottawa, 2

Buffalo at Washington, 2

Minnesota at Colorado, 3

NY Rangers at Boston, 5

Winnipeg at Edmonton, 6

Arizona (split squad) vs. Dallas, at Cedar Park, Texas, 6

Pittsburgh (split squad) at Columbus (split squad), 7

Vancouver at Calgary, 8

Vegas at San Jose, 8

Los Angeles (split squad) at Anaheim, 8

MONDAY, SEPT. 25

Nashville (split squad) at Florida (split squad), 2

Nashville (split squad) at Florida (split squad), 6

New Jersey (split squad) at Montreal, 7

Philadelphia at New Jersey (split squad), 7

Ottawa at Toronto, 7

Edmonton at Winnipeg, 8

Vegas at Colorado, 9

Seattle (split squad) at Calgary (split squad), 9

Calgary (split squad) at Seattle (split squad), 10

TUESDAY, SEPT. 26

NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7

Boston at Buffalo, 7

Pittsburgh at Detroit, 7

Tampa Bay at Carolina, 7

Columbus at St. Louis, 8

Minnesota at Dallas, 8

Anaheim at San Jose, 10

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27

Buffalo vs. Toronto, at St. Thomas, Ontario, TBA

Ottawa at Montreal, 7

Philadelphia at NY Islanders, 7

Florida at Carolina, 7

Tampa Bay at Nashville, 8

Calgary at Winnipeg, 8

Vancouver at Edmonton, 9

Los Angeles at Vegas, 10

San Jose at Anaheim, 10

THURSDAY, SEPT. 28

New Jersey at NY Rangers, 7

Detroit at Washington, 7

Buffalo at Pittsburgh, 7

Colorado at Minnesota, 8

St. Louis at Chicago, 8:30

Vancouver at Seattle, 10

FRIDAY, SEPT. 29

Carolina (split squad) at Florida, 6

Carolina (split squad) at Tampa Bay, 7

Toronto at Montreal, 7

Philadelphia at Boston, 7

NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7

Winnipeg at Ottawa, 7

Edmonton at Calgary, 9

Arizona at Vegas, 10

Anaheim vs. Los Angeles, at San Diego, California, 10

SATURDAY, SEPT. 30

Columbus at Buffalo, 3

Nashville at Tampa Bay, 5

Toronto at Montreal, 7

New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7

Washington at Detroit, 7

Chicago at Minnesota, 7

Dallas vs. St. Louis, at Independence, Missouri, 7

Edmonton at Vancouver, 9

Los Angeles at San Jose, 10

SUNDAY, OCT. 1

Florida vs. Ottawa, at Sydney, Nova Scotia, TBA

Anaheim vs. Arizona, at Palm Desert, California, 6

Chicago at Detroit, 7

Dallas at Colorado, 7

MONDAY, OCT. 2

Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, 6

Montreal at Toronto, 7

NY Islanders at New Jersey, 7

Boston at Philadelphia, 7

St. Louis at Columbus, 7

Winnipeg at Calgary, 9

Edmonton at Seattle, 10

TUESDAY, OCT. 3

Washington at Boston, 7

Florida vs. Tampa Bay, at Orlando, Florida, 7

Colorado at Dallas, 8

Detroit at Chicago, 8:30

Anaheim at Los Angeles, 10

San Jose at Vegas, 10

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4

NY Rangers at New Jersey, 7

Buffalo at Columbus, 7

Detroit at Pittsburgh, 7

Calgary at Edmonton, 9

Seattle vs. Vancouver, at Abbotsford, British Columbia, 10

THURSDAY, OCT. 5

Boston at NY Rangers, 7

NY Islanders at Philadelphia, 7

Florida at Tampa Bay, 7

Washington at Columbus, 7

Carolina at Nashville, 8

Ottawa at Winnipeg, 8

St. Louis at Dallas, 8

Minnesota at Chicago, 8:30

Los Angeles vs. San Jose, at Salt Lake City, Utah, 9

Colorado at Vegas, 10

Arizona at Anaheim, 10

FRIDAY, OCT. 6

Detroit at Toronto, 7

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 7

New Jersey at NY Islanders, 7

Nashville at Carolina, 7

Seattle at Edmonton, 9

Calgary at Vancouver, 10

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

Vegas at Los Angeles, 4

Tampa Bay at Florida, 6

Dallas at Minnesota, 6

Anaheim vs. Arizona, at Tucson, Arizona, 6

Montreal at Ottawa, 7

Toronto at Detroit, 7

Columbus at Washington, 7

Chicago at St. Louis, 8