Red Wings players react to cancellation of Winter Classic

Jimmy Howard and Ian White are disappointed that the Winter Classic was cancelled on Friday.

Winter Classic 2014 scheduled to feature Red Wings, Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium

Michigan Stadium will host the NHL's Winter Classic in 2014.

Winter Classic 2013 canceled by NHL

The NHL has decided to cancel the 2013 Winter Classic, which means the entire Winter Festival will be wiped out as well.

Winter Classic 2013 will reportedly be canceled on Thursday

The NHL will cancel the 2013 Winter Classic on Thursday, according to a report.

2013 Winter Classic set to be canceled with Monday announcement, according to report

The NHL lockout continues cancellations, now wiping out the Winter Classic and All-Star Game.

Winter Classic cancellation could cost Detroit/Ann Arbor $75-80 million, according to report

Decision on the NHL's New Year's Day event is quickly approaching deadline, and cancellation could cost the host city in a big way.

Winter Classic 2013: Decision on status of game 'rapidly approaching'

The Winter Classic has become a signature event for the NHL, but a contentious lockout scenario threatens to knock it off the schedule for 2013.

Winter Classic 2013: Cancellation rumors grow during NHL lockout

NHL staff have no future plans to visit Ann Arbor, making many fearful that the ongoing NHL lockout is threatening the 2013 Winter Classic.

Winter Classic 2013: 80-90,000 tickets already sold

There's little doubting the Winter Classic's popularity. The 2013 Winter Classic is set to be held in Ann Arbor, Mich., at Michigan Stadium, as the Detroit Red Wings take on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

According to the University of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon, at least 80,000 tickets have already been sold, and as many as 90,000 have been sold.

Michigan Stadium is the largest non-motor sport stadium in the United States, with a capacity of 109,901.

The NHL could end up selling even more than 90,000 tickets to the 2013 Winter Classic, but the NHL and NHLPA will need to resolve the latest NHL lockout. Unless the lockout is lifted within the next month, the league could cancel the game to avoid the NHLPA using it as leverage.

The Winter Classic has turned into one of the NHL's marquee moments, and certainly the highlight of the NHL's regular season. Hopefully, Red Wings fans will get to see their team take on the Maple Leafs on New Year's Day.

NHL Lockout: Winter Classic To Be Canceled In November?

The NHL's annual Winter Classic, played on New Year's Day, could be cancelled in November if the lockout is not resolved by then. Kevin Gran of the Toronto Star reports that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman plans to use the game as leverage in negotiations:

"Gary told (the board of governors) he was going to cancel the Winter Classic in November because he didn't want the players to use the game as leverage," the source said.

A source close to the players said the NHLPA had heard the same thing.

"It's a scare tactic," the union source said. "It just proves the NHL has no intention of negotiating any time soon."

The Detroit Red Wings are scheduled to play the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium. Previous reports indicated that the game was one hopeful sign the lockout could be resolved because of its importance to the league itself, the players and the fans.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

2013 Winter Classic Now Has A Logo

Winter Classic Alumni Game: Red Wings Add Red Berenson, Aaron Ward, Others

The Detroit Red Wings have been adding some very solid names to their Alumni Game for the Winter Classic festivities at the end of the year. Previously, they added in Vyacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov to unite one of the most explosive pairings in hockey's storied history, and now they've got some more solid names to add to the roster.

According to the official website, Dennis Polonich, who is notably the shortest drafted player to play for the Red Wings, has been added to the roster. On top of that, defenseman Aaron Ward and forwards Red Berenson (the University of Michigan's hockey coach) and Jimmy Carson have also been added to the game's roster.

Polonich had a storied career, and there's plenty of quotes on the official website, as well as some stories about his high-profile career in Detroit. He notes that it's a huge honor to be playing in the game with some of the names that have already been announced, and it's very clear to see that he's truly happy to come back and put on the Red Wings' colors once again.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic Not Immediately Affected By Potential NHL Lockout

An NHL lockout wouldn't necessarily mean the immediate cancellation of the Winter Classic, according to a report.

Winter Classic Alumni Game: Red Wings Add Vyacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov To Roster

The Detroit Red Wings are very excited for the 2013 Winter Classic, and everything pertaining to it is a big announcement for them. Of particular note is the Alumni Showdown on New Year's Eve -- always a big part of festivities. The game drew huge attendance in the last Winter Classic, and the Red Wings are doing their best to make the alumni roster exciting and interesting for fans.

According to the official website, the team has added Vyacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov, so they're doing just that: making things interesting. The pair, joined with players like Vladimir Krutov, Sergei Makarov and Alexi Kasatonov, took the Russians to five world championships and the 1981 Canada Cup. They were part of some of the most dominant lines in hockey history.

And that includes their time on the Red Wings. Detroit acquired Larionov in a trade during the 1995-96 season to unite him with Fetisov, Sergei Fedorov and Vladimir Konstantinov. There's plenty more on both guys and their achievements on the official website. For now, suffice to say that there's some exciting names on the Alumni Showdown roster already known and this should be a good one to watch, especially for nostalgia's sake.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic Alumni Game: Scotty Bowman, Pat Quinn To Coach Respective Squads

We've heard a lot already about the Winter Classic Alumni Game, including the preliminary rosters. The game itself is between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it seems like it's getting bigger and bigger every year. And on Thursday, the game got just a little bit bigger with the addition of two legendary coaches to take part in the game.

According to the Red Wings' official website, Scotty Bowman and Pat Quinn will be the primary coaches facing off against one another. Bowman is the former Red Wings coach who won three Stanley Cups with the organization (1997, 1998, 2002) and spent 11 years with the team. He's also the winningest coach in NHL history with 1,244 career wins.

Quinn is the NHL's fourth winningest coach of all time and has had some impressive wins outside of the NHL, with a Team Canada gold medal in 2002 and a 2004 World Cup of Hockey victory in 2004. Red Kelly will join Quinn, while Barry Smith will join Bowman.

These two have a big history together -- check the link from the official website for more -- but it's Quinn that holds the head-to-head advantage in this matchup, with a 14-12-4 record against Bowman's squads. The Alumni Showdown is scheduled for Dec. 31.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic Alumni Showdown: Preliminary Rosters Announced

During a Wednesday afternoon press conference at Comerica Park, the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs announced their preliminary rosters for the Alumni Showdown. The event will be held on Dec. 31 as part of the lead-up to the 2013 Winter Classic, and Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said that there could be two games in order to allow more former players to take part in the action.

For the Red Wings, Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay and Alex Delvecchio are going to be coaches and ambassadors. Here's a look at the players currently committed to play in the Alumni Showdown: Mark Howe, Chris Chelios, Chris Osgood, Darren McCarty, Dino Ciccarelli, Jiri Fischer, Joe Kocur, John Ogrodnick, Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Larry Murphy, Luc Robitaille, Mickey Redmond, Igor Larionov and Mike Vernon.

More players will be added at a later date, and Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson, who played for the Red Wings in the 1970s, is expected to be one of the additions.

You can check out the Maple Leafs' current roster here.

Tickets for the Alumni Showdown are going to be available via a lottery in mid-August. Tickets for the other Hockeytown Winter Festival events at Comerica Park will go on sale on Aug. 1.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic 2013: Preliminary Alumni Game Rosters To Be Announced Wednesday

The Detroit Red Wings are very excited to be taking part in the 2013 Winter Classic and have scheduled a press conference to announce a few details regarding many of the attractions and festivities that will be going on alongside the actual game. One of those attractions is the Alumni Game - the 2012 iteration of which drew 45,000 fans.

According to Helene St. James on Twitter, the Red Wings will have a press conference on Wednesday to announce a number of things, most notably the Alumni Game's preliminary rosters. Not much is known off-hand, but it was already mentioned months ago that Steve Yzerman would likely not be playing in the game, which is unfortunate. That being said, it should be a very fun game with two very storied franchises having a plethora of players to pick from.

Ansar Khan followed up on the press conference on Twitter, saying that it will be at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Comerica Park. He also mentioned the Alumni Game, lending more to the belief that the press conference will mostly focus on that announcement, though there should be other things of note as well.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic 2013: Start Time Set For 1 P.M.

With the Detroit Red Wings' 2012-13 schedule being released on Thursday, we now know the official start time for the 2013 Winter Classic. There had been rumors that it would begin as early as noon on Jan. 1, but its official start time, according to the schedule, is 1 p.m. ET.

On the one hand, with the Winter Classic starting at 1 p.m. ET, it should avoid a conflict with the Rose Bowl, which typically begins at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 1. The issue is that it will still conflict with college football bowl games. The Gator Bowl, Outback Bowl and Capital One Bowl all will likely start at 1 p.m. on New Year's Day, and it's possible Michigan and Michigan State could end up playing in those games.

This is nothing new, of course, but it reinforces the stupidity on the NHL's part of playing the game on New Year's Day. Around the holidays, it's tough to avoid conflicts with football, but going up against college football's most notable day of bowls is just not smart. As a sports fan, I'd much rather have the Winter Classic be played on the night of New Year's Eve rather than New Year's Day, especially this year. If it comes down to the Winter Classic or a bowl game involving the Wolverines and Spartans, it is going to be a tough choice for fans, and I have a feeling many will choose football.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic 2013: Alcohol Can Officially Be Sold

Back on May 24 a bill was passed by the Michigan House that would allow for the sale of alcohol to be served inside Michigan Stadium for the 2013 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The sale of alcohol has now been made official on Wednesday as the Michigan Legislature has approved the sale of alcohol at Michigan Stadium. The House passed the proposal three weeks ago, and it was on Wednesday that the Senate followed suit to allow for alcohol to be sold at the game.

The approval to sale alcohol at Michigan Stadium was given with a temporary 30-day liquor license to serve alcohol at the Winter Classic which takes place on Jan. 1, 2013.

Hockeytown Winter Festival Schedule Announced By Red Wings

The 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium is the main event, but there are a lot of fun events that will be held at Comerica Park on the undercard in the weeks leading up to the game. Specifically, the Detroit Red Wings are going to hold the Hockeytown Winter Festival in the month of December. Earlier this week, the schedule for the Hockeytown Winter Festival was announced.

We now know that the Great Lakes Invitational will be held on Dec. 27 and 28 at Comerica Park. Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan and Michigan Tech will compete in the GLI, and there will be two games on each day -- the semifinals on Dec. 27 and the third-place game and championship on Dec. 28.

On Dec. 29, a doubleheader featuring teams from the OHL will be held at Comerica Park. The Windsor Spitfires will play the Saginaw Spirit in one game, and the Plymouth Whalers will take on the London Knights in the other.

The action will continue on Dec. 30 with a game between the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toronto Marlies. These teams are the AHL affiliates of the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Finally, the action at Comerica Park will come to a close on Dec. 31 with the Red Wings-Maple Leafs Alumni Showdown. This should be a fun event with so many former players coming back to take part in the game, and it should be a nice lead-in to the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

2013 Winter Classic Ticket Prices, Seating Chart Released

An official announcement from the Detroit Red Wings has not yet been made, but a seating chart has been posted on the team's official website for the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. A seating chart has also been posted for Comerica Park, although it's not clear if the prices of the tickets on it are for the Great Lakes Invitational, the Red Wings-Maple Leafs alumni game or both.

The seating chart for Michigan Stadium (see below) shows a price range of $89-279 for tickets to the Winter Classic. The cheapest tickets are for the seats closest to the field since it'll be harder to view the action the farther you are down the bowl. The prices gradually go up to levels of $129, $149, $189, $219, $249 and $279. The most expensive tickets are in the luxury boxes on the east sideline.

For Comerica Park, the prices are much more affordable (see below). There are three price levels: $18, $28 and $38. The most expensive seats are in the upper deck, while the cheapest ones are in the outfield and around the first and third base lines and behind home plate.

Right now there isn't a specific date for when tickets will be made available to the public for the 2013 Winter Classic and other events.

(Via MLive)

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic 2013: Michigan House Passes Alcohol Bill For Game

Alcohol will be joining hockey inside the Big House for the Winter Classic. A bill passed in the Michigan House on Thursday that will allow alcohol to be served inside the Big House and alcohol companies to advertise on the premises of the university for the game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on January 1, 2013.

University of Michigan vice president Cynthia Wilbanks testified in favor of the bill on May 16.

"I’m sure there may be some who are not enthusiastic, but I didn’t experience a chilly reaction to the legislation," she said.

As part of the agreement between the NHL and the University of Michigan, a condition was that alcohol had to be sold inside the venue used for the game.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

Winter Classic 2013 Tickets To Go On Sale Soon?

The 2013 Winter Classic was announced almost three months ago, but so far there has been little information on when tickets for the event will go on sale. Demand for the event is extremely high, and Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs fans alike are anxious to find out when they will be able to buy tickets.

NHL COO John Collins provided an update on where things stand with Winter Classic tickets during an interview with Puck Daddy earlier this week. Here's what he had to say:

Have tickets gone on sale yet?

The clubs' [tickets] are going on sale in the next couple of weeks. The demand from sponsors is huge — at least twice as big as any previous Winter Classic. The demand from the clubs is off the charts. Everyone's calling the Detroit box office and the Toronto box office. So we're trying to figure out how many tickets the teams need or can use, and how many we can get into the general marketplace.

The fact that demand is so high is why the decision was made to hold the game at Michigan Stadium rather than Comerica Park. More fans will be able to attend, although Collins said "it's feeling as tight as Citizen's Bank was" a year ago in terms of the demand for tickets. Luckily, you can fit quite a few people into the Big House.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can check out more hockey news from around the league at SB Nation's NHL page.

'HBO 24/7' To Return For Season 3, Featuring Red Wings And Maple Leafs

The Detroit Red Wings will be featured on the newest season of HBO's 24/7. For more on the Red Wings, go to Winging It In Motown.

Great Lakes Invitational 2012 To Be Held At Comerica Park, Feature All-Michigan Lineup

The 2012 GLI will be played outdoors at Comerica Park and feature a lineup of four teams from Michigan.

Hockeytown Winter Festival To Feature Alumni, College, AHL, OHL, Youth Hockey Games

The 2013 Winter Classic will be played in Ann Arbor, but there will also be quite a bit of hockey played in Detroit at Comerica Park next December.

Winter Classic 2013: NHL Announces Red Wings Vs. Maple Leafs At Big House

The 2013 Winter Classic is officially headed to Michigan. The event will feature the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, as announced by the NHL in Detroit on Thursday morning. The announcement ended months of speculation surrounding the event and made it clear that the league has all its sights set on breaking the hockey attendance record with this game.

Although the game itself will take place at the Big House in Ann Arbor, the focus of the first announcement of the day was on the city of Detroit. There has been some criticism over the fact that Detroit won't get to host the game, but there will be a Hockeytown Winter Festival with several games featuring college, AHL, OHL and youth teams at Comerica Park in December.

As for the main event, the game between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium will take place on Jan. 1, 2013. More information, such as when tickets will go on sale, will be available at a later date.

Although New Year's Day 2013 is quite a ways away, already there is a lot of excitement and hype surrounding this event. Not only is it poised to break a record, but the fact that the Red Wings and Maple Leafs will renew their rivalry outdoors is very exciting. Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke promised that a lot of blue will be in the crowd, and you can bet there will also be a lot of red as two of the NHL's Original Six teams get together for the 2013 Winter Classic.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Winter Classic 2013: Michigan Stadium, Comerica Park Announcements Set For Thursday

More: On the Winter Classic heading to the Big House

Though it's already been reported that the University of Michigan's Board of Regents have approved a resolution that will allow the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs to play the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, the official word won't be out until Thursday. According to the Detroit Free Press, there are Winter Classic announcements set for 10:30 a.m. at Comerica Park, and 1:15 at Michigan Stadium.

And according to the official Red Wings Twitter account, the major announcements can be found on NHL.com, DetroitRedWings.com and the NHL Network. They're having an announcement for Comerica Park as there will be some events related to the Winter Classic that take place there, including the old-timers games and Great Lakes Invitational.

The Red Wings and the NHL expect to shatter the record for attendance at an NHL game, which is at 104,173 by playing at Michigan Stadium, which has seen more than 114,000 people at a football game. One can expect the NHL to make a big deal about this aspect during announcements.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Winter Classic 2013: Michigan Regents Approve Use Of Stadium For Event

The University of Michigan's Board of Regents met on Wednesday morning and approved a resolution that will allow Michigan Stadium to be used by the NHL as the host of the 2013 Winter Classic. The vote was a 5-0 decision. (Denise Ilitch, who is on the board and is the daughter of Detroit Red Wings owners Mike and Marian Ilitch, abstained from voting to avoid a conflict of interest.)

The 2013 Winter Classic, which will feature the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, could break the hockey attendance record set in December 2010 by The Big Chill at the Big House (certified at 104,173). The NHL is expecting to fill the Big House, which has seen more than 114,000 people cram into the stadium for football games before. Considering how big the fan bases are for the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, I think it's a safe bet that the record will be broken.

While Michigan will likely lose its attendance record, I don't think the school will mind considering the NHL is going to pay $3 million for use of the Big House. The league is promising a "significant contribution" to Michigan's scholarship fund, although I'm not sure if that's in addition to the $3 million or part of the $3 million. In any case, the exposure Michigan will get from the event will also be very worthwhile.

Because this will be an NHL-run event, the Regents requested that a liquor license be obtained for the game. This will allow the NHL to sell beer at Michigan Stadium, which normally prohibits alcohol on the premises. That doesn't stop some people from bringing it in, namely students, but people will be able to buy it at the Winter Classic. (Side note: There will not be any student tickets for this game since it's the NHL's event. There will be advertising present, unlike at Michigan football games.)

The one other piece of noteworthy news that came out of the meeting on Wednesday is that the game will start at noon. The Winter Classic has started around 1 p.m. in the past, although in recent years the start was delayed because of weather issues. For the Red Wings/Maple Leafs game, the start time is designed to allow people to watch bowl games later in the day. Of course, considering how many bowl games are in the afternoon, there's a very good chance there will be a conflict with Michigan and/or Michigan State, so people may be forced to choose between the Winter Classic and their school's bowl game.

Two announcements about the Winter Classic are scheduled for Thursday. There will be an announcement at Comerica Park at 10:30 a.m. and a separate one at 1:15 p.m. at Michigan Stadium.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

2013 Winter Classic: Press Conference To Be Held On Thursday, According To Report

The 2013 Winter Classic hasn't been made official quite yet, but the rumors indicate that things getting awfully close. The University of Michigan's Board of Regents planned a meeting for Wednesday and, if all goes as planned, an official announcement is scheduled for Thursday.

If everything happens like it's supposed to, the Toronto Maple Leafs will meet the Detroit Red Wings at the Big House. And, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie, that should be a done deal by Thursday.

Just a reminder, 2013 NHL Winter Classic (TOR vs. DET at U of Michigan Big House) will be made official at Thursday news conference(s).

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 7, 2012

It isn't going to be a surprise since SB Nation Detroit has been bringing the news about the 2013 Winter Classic since rumors began circulating the Red Wings might be involved late last year. It should be a relief, though, for everyone in Michigan who's been waiting to watch the NHL play outdoors in their own backyard.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

Winter Classic 2013: Michigan Regents To Vote On Winter Classic In Big House

The University of Michigan is getting closer to hosting in the NHL's Winter Classic in 2013. Though nothing has been specifically agreed upon as of yet, the school's Board of Regents is planning to hold a meeting regarding the possibility Wednesday.

If everything goes as planned at the meeting, it seems that the school will be one step closer to hosting hockey's annual outdoor game.

At this point, it seems all but official. Regents must approve, but after that there shouldn't be a hitch — Winter Classic at the Big House.

— Stephen J. Nesbitt (@stephenjnesbitt) February 7, 2012

This is likely good news for those hoping to see the Detroit Red Wings play the Toronto Maple Leafs -- as the rumor goes -- considering that the school was denying that it would be involved in the game just a few weeks ago:

"There's no change in status," Ablauf wrote in an email to The Detroit News. "We are still discussing the prospect of the NHL using our facility for the 2013 Winter Classic. We don't have an agreement in place. There are a lot of moving pieces that make this a very complicated process."

The scheduled Board of Regents meeting doesn't mean it's officially a done deal, but it seems everything will be a lot closer to being finalized if said meeting goes as planned.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

2013 Winter Classic: AHL Game, Great Lakes Invitational To Be Played At Comerica Park?

Planning for the 2013 Winter Classic is continuing, and it's becoming clearer and clearer that Comerica Park will be involved in the event even though the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs likely won't play there. That particular game is slated for Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, but Detroit will get plenty of hockey of its own, according to Bob Duff.

For starters, Duff reports that the AHL affiliates for the Red Wings and Maple Leafs -- the Grand Rapids Griffins and Toronto Marlies, respectively -- are set to meet at Comerica Park as part of the Winter Classic festivities. Also, there are plans for a doubleheader involving teams from the OHL to be played at Comerica Park. Earlier this month rumors swirled about the doubleheader taking place at Michigan Stadium, but it appears the Tigers' stadium will be the venue.

It also looks like the 2012 Great Lakes Invitational will be moved to Comerica Park. Joe Louis Arena is the home of the GLI, which features Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech and a fourth college team each year, but with a rink in Comerica, it would make sense for the tournament to be moved there.

Duff also reports that high school games will be played at Comerica Park, meaning there will be a whole lot of hockey in Detroit even though the main event will be played in Ann Arbor. As Duff said, it will essentially be a two-week-long hockey festival for Detroit.

An official announcement on the 2013 Winter Classic and the festivities surrounding it is expected to happen next week, according to Duff.

2013 Winter Classic: Michigan, Red Wings Deny Deal Is In Place

For the last week, news about the 2013 Winter Classic has gone back and forth from it being a done deal that it will be played at Michigan Stadium to there not being a deal in place just yet. The cycle continued on Wednesday with both the University of Michigan and the Detroit Red Wings denying several local reports that an agreement had been reached. Here's Michigan's denial (via the Detroit News):

"There's no change in status," Ablauf wrote in an email to The Detroit News. "We are still discussing the prospect of the NHL using our facility for the 2013 Winter Classic. We don't have an agreement in place. There are a lot of moving pieces that make this a very complicated process."

And here's the Red Wings' denial:

"There are still a lot of moving parts," one Wings source told The Detroit News.

The general consensus at this point is that the Red Wings will in fact take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in the 2013 Winter Classic. For now, though, the official comment from those involved in making the deal is that nothing has been agreed to, likely in part because the NHL wants to be the one to make an official announcement.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

2013 Winter Classic: Red Wings Vs. Maple Leafs At Michigan Stadium Reportedly Finalized

Comments from Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon over the weekend seemed to suggest that everybody should pump their brakes a bit on all of the talk about the 2013 Winter Classic coming to the Big House. Brandon suggested that while talks were continuing, there were some issues that needed to be solved before a finalized agreement could proceed.

Apparently all of the complications have been worked out in a matter of days, because MLive's Ansar Khan is reporting that the deal to bring the 2013 Winter Classic featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs to Michigan Stadium has been finalized. In fact, Khan has already heard details about when the announcement will take place (early February after the Red Wings return from a road trip). Here are more details:

The long-rumored matchup between the Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will take place on Jan. 1, 2013. The Red Wings lobbied to have the game at Comerica Park, but the NHL couldn’t pass up an opportunity to hold this annual outdoor spectacle at "The Big House," where it is expected to attract a record crowd in excess of 110,000.

To appease Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, a rink will be constructed at Comerica Park. The home of the Detroit Tigers will host other events leading up to the Winter Classic, including the alumni game and possibly the Great Lakes Invitational.

I know many are upset that the Winter Classic probably won't actually be played in Detroit, but this seems like the best compromise. You knew the NHL wasn't going to pass on a chance to potentially set an attendance record, even if it means the game will be played in Ann Arbor rather than the Motor City. At least having a second rink set up in Detroit will allow for some events to take place at Comerica Park so the city isn't completely left out of the picture.

2013 Winter Classic: Negotiations Between NHL, Michigan 'A Work In Progress'

Although several reports have indicated that the 2013 Winter Classic is essentially a lock to be played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, they might be a bit premature. Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said this past weekend that Michigan and the NHL are talking, but nothing has been agreed to yet.

"We’re still having conversations, and we’ll see if we can work something out. But it’s still a work in progress."

That is a stark contrast to reports suggesting the deal is in place. While it's entirely possible the Winter Classic will ultimately be played in the Big House, there are several obstacles that the NHL and Michigan need to get around right now. From Brandon:

"They play on Jan. 1st. It’s a holiday. It’s long after our stadium is closed up. Everybody is out of town, and in fact I hope a lot of people are at a bowl game and watching our football team. So there’s a lot of complications as it relates to that."

What's more, there is the issue of alcohol being sold. Currently, Michigan Stadium does not have a liquor license, so the NHL and Michigan would likely have to get around that before any deal is agreed to.

One other thing Brandon said that was interesting is that this would completely be the NHL's event even if it is played in Michigan Stadium. Brandon shut down the idea of Michigan having another game in the Big House to go along with the Winter Classic. He said that if Michigan were to hold another outdoor hockey game in the Big House, it would be on their terms, not the NHL's. Chances are another game will happen at some point in the future, but it won't be next season in conjunction with the Winter Classic.

Detroit Trying To Have Second Rink For Winter Classic Events

The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs are just about set to finalize all of the details regarding their Winter Classic matchup in 2013. The event will go down at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, but ESPN is reporting that another rink is being considered in downtown Detroit, for all events outside of the Winter Classic would be played. While the event itself will be in Michigan's "Big House", that's 43 miles west of Detroit, and the city wants to be involved in the event as much as possible.

So a second rink is being proposed for Comerica Park, where events similar to 2012's alumni game, which drew 45,000 fans. The rink was used for other things, like an American Hockey League game, and other hockey and skating events during the time frame. A rink in Detroit would have similar events, perhaps including the Great Lakes Invitational tournament, on top of that.

The negotiations are still underway, between the cities involved, the league and the Red Wings. Detroit just wants to make sure they're in on the action, and want the event associated with their city, not just Ann Arbor.

For more on the Detroit Red Wings, check out Winging It In Motown. You can also head over to SB Nation's main NHL hub at SBNation.com/NHL.

2013 Winter Classic: Michigan Stadium Will Likely Host Red Wings Vs. Maple Leafs

The University of Michigan is close to a deal with the NHL to host the 2013 Winter Classic.

2013 Winter Classic: Michigan Stadium A Possible Host For Event

With the 2012 Winter Classic in the rear-view mirror, speculation on where next year's edition of the game will be played is heating up. More specifically, the speculation revolves around if the game will be at Michigan Stadium or Comerica Park. All signs point to the Detroit Red Wings hosting the game, and right now the only question seems to be about which venue will actually host the event.

Right now it appears the NHL is in the early stages of gathering information about where to stage the event, as evidenced by what Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon had to say about the Winter Classic on Thursday.

"We have been approached by the NHL about utilizing our facility for the 2013 Winter Classic," Brandon said in a statement. "There are a lot of complex circumstances that need to be ironed out before anything moves forward. We will have more to say if/when something materializes."

There are factors working in favor of each possible site for the 2013 Winter Classic. On the one hand, Comerica Park makes a lot of sense because it's in Downtown Detroit and is the home of the Tigers, which are owned by Mike Ilitch, the owner of the Red Wings. On the other hand, Michigan Stadium holds a lot more people and could give the NHL a chance to break the hockey attendance record.

It remains to be seen where specifically the event will be played, but I think it's safe to say it's coming to Michigan in 2013. The Red Wings have been waiting for their chance to take part in the game as the host team, and it appears they are next in line.

Red Wings In Line To Host Winter Classic In Next 2 Years?

According to a report, the Red Wings are set to host the NHL Winter Classic in the next two seasons. The game could be played at Comerica Park or Michigan Stadium.