After being postponed for a year, the NHL’s Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings is set to return to Ann Arbor on Jan. 1, 2014 at 1 p.m.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made the official announcement on Sunday morning at Joe Louis Arena, but the University’s Board of Regents has yet to approve the Big House — the planned location for the game — to be rented. The board has expressed its support to host the event in earlier meetings, though, and approved the decision to host the Winter Classic a year ago.
Following a lockout during the first half of the 2012-2013 season that cancelled the 2013 Winter Classic and moved the 2012 Great Lakes Invitational from Comerica Park to Joe Louis Arena, the NHL aims to set the record for largest attendance at a hockey game. The old attendance record of 104,173 was set during the Big Chill at the Big House on Dec. 11, 2010, when Michigan defeated Michigan State 5-0.
“The history of the teams’ cross-border rivalry, the nobility of The Big House and the growing tradition of the NHL Winter Classic will raise the anticipation for this event to new heights,” Bettman said in a press conference. “We are delighted to offer our fans a spectacle at which the energy will be unmatched and the demand for tickets will be unprecedented.”
Added Michigan coach Red Berenson: “I’ve said for years if you could ever get a hockey game at the Big House it would be magical. We had that experience playing Michigan State in 2010 and it was truly magical.”
Detroit and Toronto will meet as division opponents after the NHL announced a realignment earlier this year.
The Winter Classic will be accompanied by the Hockeytown Winter Festival at Comerica Park in Detroit leading up to the game. Among the events included in the festival are an American Hockey League game between the Toronto Marlies and the Grand Rapids Griffins, an OHL game, youth and high school games, two alumni games featuring both Maple Leafs’ and Red Wings’ former greats capped with the GLI located at the home of the Detroit Tigers.
Michigan, Michigan State and Michigan Tech have traditionally been in the GLI with a fourth team named at a later date.
“In addition to representing a dramatic new step in the evolution of the NHL Winter Classic, the Hockeytown Winter Festival reflects the love (Red Wings owners) Mike and Marian Ilitch have for the City of Detroit and its hockey fans,” Bettman said. “The scheduled activities will bring tens of thousands of fans downtown to connect with the NHL Winter Classic excitement, to enjoy the festival experience and to share their passion for the sport.”
Bettman also noted that HBO will follow both teams in its 24/7 series, which will air episodes in December.
“Why do we love outdoor hockey?” said former Red Wings star Mickey Redmond. “For people in my era, for every one time I played under a roof, I played 50 times underneath the sky and it doesn’t get better than that.”
Ticket information, a list of Great Lakes Invitational teams and members of the Alumni Game will be announced at a later date.