MELBOURNE, Australia — The Nationwide Hockey League’s first preseason sport within the Southern Hemisphere went forward Saturday after officers apparently solved some points with the standard of the ice at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Area.
Forward of Saturday’s International Sequence sport between the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes received by the Coyotes 5-3, there have been studies and pictures on social media of the state of the ice floor — puddles, ruts and uneven coloring of the painted traces.
After a scoreless first interval, the groups scored seven objectives within the second earlier than Arizona clinched the sport with an empty-net objective within the ultimate minute.
A second sport between the groups was scheduled for Sunday in the identical enviornment.
On Friday, each groups had been scheduled to carry an open observe for followers desirous to see NHL “ice” hockey in Australia for the primary time. Though the Kings held their observe, the Coyotes had been reported to have needed to cancel their session.
The NHL was requested for remark.
It is early spring in Australia and the game-time temperature in Melbourne on Saturday was 16 Celsius, or 61 Fahrenheit.
Lots of the gamers on each groups attended an Australian guidelines soccer playoff sport on the Melbourne Cricket Floor on Friday evening with practically 98,000 followers in attendance.
Rod Laver Area seats about 15,000 spectators and sellout crowds had been anticipated for the 2 video games. The venue is extra well-known as the house of the Australian Open tennis match in January, the primary Grand Slam occasion every year.