4B - April 8, 2013

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

4B - April 8, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom

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Toron to

Winter Classic returns to Big House'

M
fa(
201

Red w ings, sity's Board of Regents has yet
to approve the Big House - the
aple Leafs will planned location for the game
- to be rented. The board has
ce off on Jan. 1, expressed its support to host the
event in earlier meetings, though,
14 in Ann Arbor and approved the decision to host
the Winter Classic a year ago.
By GREG GARNO Following a lockout during the
Daily Sports Writer first half of the 2012-2013 season
that cancelled the 2013 Winter
er being postponed for a Classic and moved the 2012 Great
the NHL's Winter Classic Lakes Invitational from Comerica
en the Toronto Maple Leafs Park to Joe Louis Arena, the NHL
e Detroit Red Wings is set to aims to set the record for largest
to the Ann Arbor on Jan. 1, attendance at a hockey game. The
t 1 p.m. old attendance record of 104,173
L commissioner Gary Bett- was set during the Big Chill at the
nade the official announce- Big House on Dec. 11, 2010, when
on Sunday morning at Joe Michigan defeated Michigan State
Arena. but the Tniver- 5-0.

"The history of the teams' you could ever get a hockey game
cross-border rivalry, the nobility at the Big House it would be magi-
of The Big House and the grow- cal. We had that experience play-
ing tradition of the NHL Winter ing Michigan State in 2010 and it
Classic will raise the anticipation was truly magical."
for this event to Detroit and
new heights," Toronto will
Bettman said meet as divi-
in a press con- "... the sion opponents
ference. "We after the NHL
are delighted dem and for announced a
to offer our ticketseta. e realignment
fans a spectacle W earlier this
at which the u c t year.
energy will he unprecedented. yThe Winter
unmatched and Classic will be
the demand for accompanied
tickets will be by the Hockey-
unprecedented." town Winter Festival at Comerica
Added Michigan coach Red Park in Detroit leading up to the
Berenson "I've said for vears if anme Amang 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' for-
mer greats capped with the GLI
located at the home of the Detroit
Tigers. Michigan, Michigan State
and Michigan Tech have tradi-
tionally been in the GLI with a
fourth team named at a later date.
"In addition to representing a
dramatic new step in the evolu-
tion of the NHL Winter Classic,
the Hockeytown Winter Festival
reflects the love (Red Wings own-
ers) Mike and Marian Ilitch have
for the City of Detroit and its
hoekev fans" Bettman said "The

scheduledactivitieswillbringtens
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 hock-
ey?" said former Red Wings star
Mickey Redmond. "For people in
my era, for everyone 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 he announced at alater date

Afte
year, t
betwe'
and th
return
2014 at
NH
man mr
mentc
Louis

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