Arizona Coyotes experience once-in-a-lifetime preseason in Australia
One thing the Arizona Coyotes know is how much a long trip can transform the chemistry of a team.
Last season, it was a grueling 14-game road trip.
This season, the team has taken its plane to the Southern Hemisphere.
A two-game exhibition series, set in Melbourne, Australia, marks the NHL’s first trip down under. The Coyotes and the Los Angeles Kings will kick off the league’s preseason at Rod Laver Arena, home of the Australian Open tennis tournament, on Saturday and Sunday.
Scheduling a trip to a place 17 hours ahead of Arizona time right at the beginning of training camp looks like it could be a disruption to the regimented flow of training camp, but management sees the early benefits.
“Coach gets his team right off the hop. Normally, there’s 50 guys and you’re tripping over each other and figuring out this and that,” General Manager Bill Armstrong said. “Right away, you’re down to the numbers and you’re off to Australia on a plane to bond together. I think just being together in that short period of time, traveling together, going through a little bit of adversity in 17 hours there and the way back, I think it will bond us.”
As part of the fun, the Coyotes participated in a team bonding exercise where players sectioned off into groups and chose Australian-themed costumes to wear for different activities.
Much to the benefit of the Australian fans, the Coyotes will roll with 25 players, most with NHL experience. Logan Cooley, the team’s highly anticipated prospect, made the journey as well.
“It’s going to be unique where you have the full team together for the most part off the bat,” forward Alex Kerfoot said. “Usually when you start in these camps, you’re in split groups. I think we can take advantage of that and get to know everyone quickly with the new guys being here.”
It’s one thing to go through an 8,000-mile flight together, it’s another to not have Wi-Fi. Players weren’t initially thrilled about that aspect, but much of the flight was focused on making sure the team would be ready to fight through jetlag.
The team’s medical staff oversaw sleep schedules and provided the right vitamins to get the team ready to hit the ice shortly after landing.
“We got to remember this is training camp too,” forward Jason Zucker said. “We got to make sure we go there and work. Yes, we’re going to have some fun on the team bonding side, but this is also training camp and we’re getting ready for our season and making sure we’re as prepared as we can be for that 82-game schedule.”
Everywhere all at once
It’s not a glitch that the Coyotes have three different games going on Saturday.
There are two domestic matchups against the Blues, one in St. Louis and the other Wichita, Kansas, both of which will feature a heavy number of prospects and Tucson Roadrunners players of the American Hockey League.
And then there’s the game against the Kings in Australia that begins at 9 p.m. Arizona time.
With the team traveling the globe and the continental United States, there’s a need for a lot of contracts. To fill those spots, the Coyotes' training camp roster features 75 total players, including 44 forwards, 23 defensemen and eight goaltenders.
The unique situation allows for prospects to get quality playing time against teams looking to figure out rosters.
“That’s how you have to look at it,” prospect Conor Geekie said. “I’m not going to take it for granted and I’m going to go out there and try to make a good impression and make it hard for them to say no.”
That number will be whittled down once the main group returns from Australia, but for now, there will be a lot of players in Coyotes jerseys.
Related: Coyotes have sunnier outlook coming into 2023 NHL training camp
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Coyotes among first to bring the NHL to Australia
