’13 Winter Classic Festival set for Hockeytown, Thoughts?

Posted by Dan Cafiero.

The Detroit Red Wings will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in the 2013 NHL Winter Classic on January 1st. 

2013 Winter Classic to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Winter Classic has been the game for the National Hockey League ever since it began in 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman, could not have asked for a better event. There was a picture perfect atmosphere in Buffalo as snowflakes fell down on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins as they topped the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout. 

We have seen the Winter Classic break the NHL attendance record in 2008 with 71,217 fans in Buffalo. In 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks played host to the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field, which drew one of the highest television ratings in American hockey history. Since then, the Flyers and Bruins played at Fenway Park in 2010, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin went head to head at Heinz Field in 2011 and most recently, the Flyers and Rangers faced off in an original six matchup at Citizens Bank Park. Every game has been outstanding so far; will the trend continue in 2013?

There are certainly many factors that should make this a great event for everyone involved; and for those that will be watching from the comfort and warmth of their own couch. For one, Michigan Stadium will be the biggest stadium to hold the Winter Classic as Gary Bettman is expecting over 110,000 fans in Ann Arbor, which would set a new attendance record for any hockey game. The Big House set the current record in 2010 when 104,173 fans came out to watch Michigan take on Michigan State. 

Secondly, this is going to be a tremendous winter festival in Detroit, not just an NHL game. The annual Winter Classic Alumni Game will be played at Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers. One of the biggest events planned for the Hockeytown Winter Festival is the Great Lakes Invitational. This tournament will feature Michigan Collegiate hockey teams Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and Western Michigan. This tournament is held annually at Joe Louis Arena which home of the Red Wings. This is the first time the event will be held at an outdoor venue. In addition, there will be an AHL game and two OHL games along with high school and youth hockey games. This entire festival has the potential to produce something special and historic that will be hard to beat at any point in the future. 

There are also a few questions we can entertain. Will a Canadian team hurt the television ratings in America?  Should the Winter Classic count towards the standings or should it be an exhibition match like the All-Star game? What about the idea of an outdoor All-Star game? What do you think?