Winter Classic 2013: Red Wings To Take On Maple Leafs At Michigan Stadium

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.