hockeyguy9125

December 1st, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^

I would much rather have the Red Wings play at Michigan Stadium since people who would have tickets would actually be able to watch the game...unlike in Comerica where a majority of the seats will be nowhere near the rink to actually watch the game.

However, I will not be that picky, I will take any winter classic in the Metro Detroit area for a Red Wings home game.

JClay

December 1st, 2011 at 12:05 PM ^

This gets talked about annually. It seems a foregone conclusion that the Wings will play in one of those January 1st outdoor hockey games at Michigan Stadium eventually so the NhL can get the publicity of setting a world record. Comerica gets floated because the Illitches own both the Wings and Tigers and they'd be able to collect 100% of the concessions at Comerica without splitting with UM.

Lionsfan

December 1st, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^

I actually think it would work better than Comerica. But I wonder if Dave Brandon wants to keep the Hockey attendance record for a Michigan event rather than have an NHL team in there

Tagg

December 1st, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^

I'm not so sure. Brandon talks about growing the Michigan brand and if you could put the words "Michigan Stadium" on a bunch of Maple Leaf gear he would be interested. Plus he could showcase the stadium to a whole new audience in Canada who does like football and if they tune in to a few Michigan games and maybe buy a shirt to two its good for Michigan. UofM could be Canada's college team! Ha ha!

jtmc33

December 1st, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^

I think Toronto and the Wings would be perfect for this game

And for my MGoWIngs pick:   Although the NHL would never allow for such a "low-profile" matchup, but, Columbus and Detroit in the Big House would be pretty cool.

 

WhoopinStick

December 1st, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^

I'm not a fan of the Wings playing at Michigan Stadium.  I went to the Big Chill game and thought it was great.  But an event like that can only be held once every several years if you want to keep attendance up.  Having the Red Wings play  at Michigan Stadium would reduce the uniqness of Michigan Hockey playing in the big house.

 

 

Seth9

December 1st, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^

For the record, I wasn't really making a serious suggestion here. A Wings-Leafs game at Michigan Stadium will sell out even if Michigan is playing a bowl game at the same time. Why? Because the game will attract Wings and Leafs fans, of whom there is a very large number, most of which are not Michigan fans. The Winter Classic has never had attendence problems with smaller fanbases, so two of the biggest fanbases in the NHL should have no problem filling the stadium, espcially when neither team is particularly far away.

dahblue

December 1st, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^

The Wings don't even sell out Joe Louis these days, so they should play in a 100K+ stadium? Maybe Comerica makes some sense (common ownership helps), but not in A2.  If any non-Michigan team were to play (a sporting event) in Michigan Stadium, it should only be Slippery Rock U.

dahblue

December 1st, 2011 at 3:36 PM ^

My bad.  It's for next thursday.  Of course, you probably saw that if you clicked the link.  Weird to see folks so up in arms over this...the Wings just aren't as popular as they used to be.  Maybe it's all the games against Columbus and Nashville?  Maybe it's the economy?  Maybe it's a shifting of interest/money to other teams who haven't had so much past success?

In any event, here's a story about empty seats (3-4K/game) at playoff games from a few years back:

http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/2007/10/empty-seats-hard-not-to-noti…

dahblue

December 1st, 2011 at 5:34 PM ^

Given my goof on noticing (or not noticing) the non-playoff angle of that article, one would think I was a giant Wings fan.  Alas, I have teeth and the ability to quickly post another link proving the point.  

But, don't take my word for it...here's a Yahoo sports article discussing a WSJ piece about the Red Wing's playoff attendance woes.  If you don't feel like clicking, here's the main point:

Yet the bottom line is that the best team in the NHL is struggling to sell out conference championship home games. That's embarrassing...

wmu313

December 1st, 2011 at 5:39 PM ^

in two posts. Clearly, getting the facts straight are not that important to you. Despite the economy, the Wings are still popular. Attendance has been fine this season. And as for this:" Alas, I have teeth and the ability to quickly post another link proving the point", you sure are a swell guy, a true asset to this board.

goblue20111

December 1st, 2011 at 6:56 PM ^

Thanks for the 2 year old article.

From the same article:

The tepid turnout is a reflection of both Michigan's sagging economy and the tough battle the NHL faces for fans. The Detroit area has been hit hard in the past few years as the Big Three auto makers and their suppliers slashed tens of thousands of jobs. The region ranks near the top in home foreclosures, too. Detroit's entertainment dollar is "severely stretched," says Comerica Bank chief economist Dana Johnson.

The article goes on to indentify the "too much of a good thing" factor, in which so much success creates fan "malaise" that deadens the arena and keeps fans away. (As a Devils fan, I've always felt there's some truth to this.) A touchier subject is the fact that his collection of Red Wings has a much more pronounced international flavor than previous championship teams:

Doctor Lou

December 1st, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^

It's almost as if they play 41 home games a year and therefore tickets are less valuable and there's less incentive for corporate ticket holders in the lower bowl to drive all the way downtown from their Oakland County homes to attend meaningless games in the middle of November. Surely you don't judge the popularity of baseball by the fact that there's a trillion empty seats at every regular season game in June?

Sorry for breaking character, but this is so fucktarded

Tagg

December 1st, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^

As for opponents for the Wings it's easy. Toronto. Maple Leafs fans travel like Nebraska to play Detroit and would make for a great atmosphere. For Michigan I would say it has to be sparty. There really isn't anyone else that would fill a 110,000 seat stadium and spartys like the Wings too. Wisconsin or OSU fans don't really care about the Wings so you couldn't sell tickets packages to both games.

Brendan

December 1st, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^

I would definitely be down with seeing the Wings play in Michigan Stadium.  I feel like football stadiums are much better venues to hold outdoor hockey games in than are baseball stadiums.  Plus who knows, maybe Datsyuk will leave some of his magic behind at Michigan Stadium.

Keebs

December 1st, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^

I can't see the stadium filling to capacity for a Red Wings game, as much as I love them. Without the power of the Michigan fan base, I just don't see 115,000 fans showing up for an outdoor hockey game. Or am I being naive?

Look Up_See Blue

December 1st, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^

I would be pleased with either venue, but would prefer Michigan Stadium.  I can see DB agreeing as well.  Any idea of who the opponent may be? Here's a short list of teams that I think would be a good fit.  

Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, 

Can anyone think of any other good match ups?