Report: 2013 Winter Classic at The Big House is a done deal

[leaffan]

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/...e-deal/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

According to a report from Ansar Khan of Mlive.com, the 2013 Winter Classic is all set to take place at Michigan Stadium.

Khan reports that the game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will be set to take place on January 1, 2013 at The Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He reports that Wings owner Mike Ilitch wanted to do the game at Comerica Park in Detroit, but the chance to have over 110,000 pack the stadium for the outdoor event was too alluring for the league to turn down.

To make things more Detroit-centric, a second rink will be built at Comerica Park to host the Winter Classic alumni game and possibly the Great Lakes Invitational, an annual college hockey tournament, as well.

Khan reports that the announcement of the game will be made official in February after the Red Wings return home from a four-game road trip through Phoenix and Western Canada.

If the report is true, and there’s no reason to think it will be disproved, the league would be better off making the announcement sooner than later. This past Winter Classic wasn’t made official until the season began and many of the facets of the game were poorly kept secrets, a fact Gary Bettman acknowledged when the game was made official.

This would be the first time a Canadian team played in the Winter Classic and given Toronto’s relative proximity to Detroit and Ann Arbor, holding the game at The Big House makes a world of sense because Leafs fans will crash the border in droves to attend the game.

Now the fun part. Trying to get tickets.

 

[Ravin]

+1 for ravin saying this.

 

[FirstTimer]

110,000+ seeing this game? What's the record for attendence at a hockey game? I would think this would have to set it or come close.

 

[killgod]

getting tickets wont be that hard IMO. they won't move 110K tickets that fast, you should have at least a week.

Didn't two college teams play there already? I know there was a college game with 100K plus already.

 

[nwfisch]

It seems silly to have the classic in Ann Arbor, and then have everything else that goes along with it in Detroit :dunno:

 

[Ravin]

113,411 at the big house for a Wolverines game.

 

[killgod]

What's seating like in that place? I imagine half the seats will be just like watching ants chase a pebble.

 

[Ravin]

From what someone said to me, the bottom bowl is like normal seats, and then up high you are just stuffed together.

Slap a rink in there. Shouldn't be too bad.

 

[FirstTimer]

What's seating like in that place? I imagine half the seats will be just like watching ants chase a pebble.

The seating there should be good. The seating is sloped more vertically then horizontally if that makes any sense so even in the last row of the stadium you won't feel that far away.

 

[wr50l]

I probably won't watch the game, but 24/7 would be good. Will 24/7 go ahead, given that 50% of the direct fan base of the Classic will be in Canada?

 

[RainboUnicorn]

I probably won't watch the game, but 24/7 would be good. Will 24/7 go ahead, given that 50% of the direct fan base of the Classic will be in Canada?

Your user title is 'hockey>football' and you have a Rangers avatar but you aren't going to watch the Winter Classic?

lol.

 

[BigHouseUSA]

What's seating like in that place? I imagine half the seats will be just like watching ants chase a pebble.

I haven't been to the stadium since they were in mid-construction, so this is going off that. But, it's bleacher seating all the way around, all seats are pretty decent even if your high up, for a football game at least. They've done hockey there before, I'm sure the atmosphere will be good enough for the people sitting at the top.

I'm glad they're at least keeping all the shit that comes with the Winter Classic in Detroit, this really should be Detroit's game, but you can't argue against the Big House when comparing it to Comerica Park.

 

[Fappin Raptor]

I probably won't watch the game, but 24/7 would be good. Will 24/7 go ahead, given that 50% of the direct fan base of the Classic will be in Canada?

I think Babcock said he was against 24/7.

 

[Fappin Raptor]

I haven't been to the stadium since they were in mid-construction, so this is going off that. But, it's bleacher seating all the way around, all seats are pretty decent even if your high up, for a football game at least. They've done hockey there before, I'm sure the atmosphere will be good enough for the people sitting at the top.

I'm glad they're at least keeping all the shit that comes with the Winter Classic in Detroit, this really should be Detroit's game, but you can't argue against the Big House when comparing it to Comerica Park.

We are going so we will probably be sitting up top. We can't pass up an experience like this.
:locker:

 

[JOHNNYTHECLOWN]

Winter classic is always fun to watch, anything with snow is usually pretty damn cool

 

[wr50l]

Your user title is 'hockey>football' and you have a Rangers avatar but you aren't going to watch the Winter Classic?

lol.

And your user title says no homo but you're a faggot.

 

[Obst]

We are going so we will probably be sitting up top. We can't pass up an experience like this.
:locker:

I said the same thing until I seen I had to pay $500 for nose bleeds.

 

[Fappin Raptor]

If any of you haven't seen these before.

 

 

[Fappin Raptor]

I said the same thing until I seen I had to pay $500 for nose bleeds.

Then I'll be going by myself.
:locker:

Well the Big House has 60-70k more seats than most baseball stadiums so hopefully that will reduce the cost a bit.

 

[leaffan]

I said the same thing until I seen I had to pay $500 for nose bleeds.

Our only debate at this point is where we are going to have new years because out of the group of us planning to go no one wants to drive haha.