DETROIT – It was announced today, in an official press conference hosted by the Comerica Park, that the 2013 NHL Winter Classic will have the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Detroit Red Wings in Michigan Stadium on January 1st, 2013.
Often considered the worst kept secret in the NHL since the 2012 Winter Classic ended, the 2013 Winter Classic will take on a new form. In addition to the outdoor regular season game, the NHL will build another outdoor rink in Comerica Park. It will be the first time in the history of this event that there will be two functioning standard-sized rinks for the league to use. And while the most important game will be held in the big house, there will be many college and possibly high school games that will take place on Comerica’s ice. The exact dates and times for all the events will be available, as we get closer to the event date. It is estimated that there will be around 115,000 tickets available for the main event.
The newly designated site for next year’s winter classic will also host what will be called The Hockeytown Winter Festival during the week leading up to the big game. Many of the details that surround the festival are unknown. However, Commissioner Gary Bettman as well as the Ilitch family have stated that this will be the biggest winter classic event that the league has ever hosted.
