Wings and Leafs to Meet Outdoors in 2013
Thursday · Feb 9 · 2012 | 10:21 AM PST
The rumors are true. The Detroit Red Wings will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium — known as The Big House — in the 2013 NHL Winter Classic. There's no logo yet, but the graphic above was provided by the league and used during today's announcement.
The game returns to New Year's Day — January 1 — which will fall on a Tuesday next season. The event will also mark a couple firsts. It's the first time a Canadian team will be involved in what has traditionally been a TV event between popular American-based franchises. It's also the first time Winter Classic opponents have been from different conferences.
In addition, the Winter Classic event itself will actually be much bigger than it's been before — requiring two separate venues for all of the planned festivities. Comerica Park (home of the MLB's Detroit Tigers) will host the alumni game and more ahead of the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium (home of the University of Michigan's Wolverines football team).
In the NHL's press release there was no specific mention of the specialty uniforms for the big game. And as you can see, the current primary logos for both teams were on display. But it's still early. We'll keep an eye on it. Perhaps we'll get a summer press conference to unveil the jerseys.
But then, predicting when the NHL will make announcements about the Winter Classic has become difficult lately. Here's how the timing has worked out in the past.
- 2008 Sabres/Penguins: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo — Game announced Sept. 17, 2007. Jerseys for both teams unveiled in early November.
- 2009 Blackhawks/Red Wings: Wrigley Field, Chicago — Game announced July 16, 2008. Jerseys for both teams unveiled Oct. 25, 2008.
- 2010 Bruins/Flyers: Fenway Park, Boston — Game announced July 15, 2009. Flyers jerseys unveiled Sept. 11, 2009; Bruins jerseys unveiled Sept. 17, 2009.
- 2011 Penguins/Capitals: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh — Game announced July 27, 2010. Capitals jerseys unveiled Oct. 2, 2010; Penguins jerseys unveiled Oct. 28, 2010.
- 2012 Flyers/Rangers: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia — Game announced Sept. 26, 2011. Flyers jerseys unveiled Nov. 21, 2011; Rangers jerseys unveiled Nov. 28, 2011.
- 2013 Red Wings/Maple Leafs: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor — Game announced Feb. 9, 2012. Jerseys to be announced.
So basically, until this season, we could expect the game to be announced in the summer (July) followed by jerseys in the fall, right before the season or just after the start of it. With the Flyers/Rangers game, everything got pushed back. Today's announcement threw everything off again. So, while we can presume the jerseys will still have to wait for the fall, it's really anyone's guess.
Reader Comments (25)
For the Maple Leafs, I expect a white version of the Maple Leafs' alternate jersey to be the Winter Classic jersey.
Just stupid. We are going to see the worst Jersey Combo ever this game.
I can think of about 15 better US team vs. Canada team matchups than this. It's 2012.
Okay, so this means the Rangers will get to host two or three years from now. Here's hoping they play the Isles, Devils, or Habs and not yet another repeat entrant.
They gotta be kidding with this. How could this be going on for 6 years and there still not be a game in the Metro NY area yet? We have two brand new stadiums that are just screaming for Rangers vs. anyone (like the above mentioned...the Isles or the Devils would be great)
They should just wear there regular home/aways and market it as throwback.
My bet is on Detroit wearing a modified version (or hell a home version of their WC from Chicago) of the 92 striped jersey, and Toronto will wear a blue version of the old 3rd from last year (hopefully with red lettering in the leaf).
Heres to color v color!
I don't think it this can get any bigger. The Big House is the 3rd largest stadium IN THE WORLD. So unless there is a WC in India or North Korea or somebody builds a 110000 plus stadium, this is as big as it is going to get.
$20 says we'll see Washington vs Some Unused NHL Team in 2014's Winter Classic
@Nick- I believe you are completely wrong. Although neither of these teams have had many jersey changes over their history which lasts probably twice as long as your life, to presume that the jerseys will be the "worst Jersey Combo ever" is wrong. The teams and the league will come up with something that will (most likely) make you eat your words.
Where would they play the game in NYC? The only viable place to play it would be Citi Field. Yankee Stadium is taken up by the stupid New Era Cap Bowl and with two teams sharing MetLife, there is no way that stadium could be empty enough to give the NHL enough time to prepare.
Montreal v Colorado at Sports Authority Field in Denver. The Avs could where their pre-Rebok sweaters or old Quebec sweaters. Montreal can pick something...
No dirty whites... No dirty whites... No dirty whites... fingers crossed
Hey in the days leading up to the game at the Big Houes. The AHL will have a outdoor game at Comerica Park. Toronto Marlies Vs Grand Rapids Griffins. This is all part of the Winter Classic.
http://www.marlies.ca/news/news.asp?story_id=2039
I wonder if they will have special jerseys for that game too.
NHL needs to stop repeating the same teams and spread the WC around a bit more, i know there are limits to where it can take place, but surely the NHL should use as many teams as possible before re-using the same teams?? Rangers Vs Devils should have been this years WC in my opinion......
hey NICK are you kidding me? this is an original 6 match up! who the eff really cares about the jerseys? they will be old school and they will be great
but i agree i am a die hard leafs fan and our jerseys are NOT the best
i really like the D detroit jersey from last year
will be interested to see what comes of this but you are right, jersey wise, pretty boring! game wise will be awesome
Can't wait to see who the NHL picks to play against the Penguins next year.
A lot of people cosmogony for the Rangers but they were just in one so I don't see it happening. How about the Blues vs the Avs for the sake of variety. Lord knows both their WC jerseys would be better than what they wear now.
JERSEYMAN: "stop repeating the same teams"??? Detroit's been in the WC once, Toronto none. Your proposal calls for a team (the Rangers) that JUST played in the WC this year!!! And Rangers vs. Devils in Queens wouldn't feel right. Yankee Stadium and MetLife are no-gos for a few years thanks to football.
Washington will be hosting it in 2014, then New York in 2015 once Yankee Stadium is available.
They should just come out and say that this is the NHL Big Market Classic because they aren't fooling anybody.
Wow, another reason for me to get my passport....
As far as the jerseys go, I'm actually hoping Detroit recycles their jerseys from the 2009 game. Quite frankly, there's not much else they can go with, as since the team became known as the Red Wings, their jerseys have gone virtually unchanged in their history.
The Leafs, on the other hand, this could go in a number of directions, and I'm excited to see which one they go in.
Now, and I know this is really getting ahead of myself, how about the 2014 game in Molson Percival Stadium in Montréal v. the Bruins. That environment might be a bit more intimate compared to the massive venues that the league has been using (and keep in mind, that's a CFL field they'll be on.)
Yeah, and CFL fields are huge, so it'll look even more big and empty than it did at Heinz Field and Ralph Wilson Stadium. I preferred the atmosphere of the winter classics that happened at the old ball fields of Wrigley and Fenway.
It's too bad San Fransisco's climate doesn't fit. Can you imagine a snowy seaside Pacific Bell Park for the Kings and Sharks wearing expansion-12 era uniforms. It'd be beautiful! Quick, everyone grab some aerosol cans! Let's get some global cooling up in this b***h.
Ben, does it ring a bell that the first winter classic was played in Buffalo which is the fourth smallest NHL city. Yeah big market game.
'ANON', if you read what i said PROPERLY, you'll see that i said that THIS YEAR'S (thats 2012 by the way) winter classic game should have been NYR vs NJD and not NEXT years!!! 2013 will be detroit's 2nd game, so why pick them again instead of someone else?? pen's and flyers have already been picked twice and now detroit, that makes no sense to me......
I actually took a look at previous Winter Classics and the teams involved with them before this was rleased and concluded...
Sabres: 1 Appearance, home
Penguins: 2 Appearances, away and home
Blackhawks: 1 Appearance at home
Red Wings: 2 Appearances, away and now home
Bruins: 1 Appearance, Home
Flyers: 2 Appearances, Away and Home
Capitals: 1 Appearance, away
Rangers: 1 Appearance, away
Facts:
Only 2 Western Conf. Teams have played in a WC
Only 1 inter-conf. match-up
3 teams have been in multiple classics
No team has played at home 2
Notable Western markets capable of hosting a classic:
Flames
Blackhawks
Avs
Red Wings (This year)
Wild
However none of those I feel would be good for the league...With the exception of the Blackhawks and Red Wings
With that I say...Bruins v.s Rangers at one of the many New York Stadiums...Ruling out Bos v.s Mtl at Gillete considering no team has been at home twice and I feel there are no Canadian v.s Canadian match-ups
Can't wait for the Leafs' Winter Classic unis and if the Wings go the way of the '92 retro unis theirs will look spectacular too. Also pumped to see a new Jets alt and the Stars hopefully back in green.
On a side note, site looks outstanding aside from those advertisements, but hey, what do you do? Also nice to see some updates.