Australia was estimated to be the fifth-biggest market for the NHL in 2023, when the then-Arizona Coyotes and LA Kings played a Global Series game in Melbourne.
“We already know that NHL viewership and the fan base here in Australia punches above its weight,” Rachael Carroll from the promoter TEG Sport and Experiences said at the time.
“When you think about North America, Canada and the European countries, to have Australia there in the top five is pretty significant.”
One free National Hockey League (NHL) game a week is now available to watch on free-to-air television, courtesy of a partnership between the league and Nine, the publisher of this masthead.
The first game aired on Saturday, with the Detroit Red Wings taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 2-1 victory.
A game will air each weekend, bar a one-week break in December, until February when the league takes a break for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Top NHL players will compete in the games, which are also set to air exclusively on Nine.
“We are committed to growing the sport in Australia and giving fans the best possible coverage,” Nine’s director of sport Brent Williams said.
Australian teams will not participate in the next Winter Olympics, but do compete in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships.
The Australian women’s team swept Division II B earlier this year and was promoted to Division II A, while the men competed in the Division II Group A tournament and placed fifth out of six teams.
Every game of the NHL season can be watched in Australia through Disney+’s deal with ESPN.
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