The NHL's Winter Classic has become a bigger event with every year, and in 2013 it gets bigger than ever as the Detroit Red Wings will host the Toronto Maple Leafs in front of an expected 115,000 fans at the Big House at the University of Michigan.
Commissioner Gary Bettman officially confirmed the news which had been rumoured for months during a press conference at Comerica Park in Detroit on Thursday morning.
"So I suppose it is imagination that brings us all here today," Bettman said. "It is what brought us to Edmonton in 2003 and to Buffalo in 2008 and to five other cities since. It is to take a daring concept and turn it into reality. The reality of a National Hockey League regular season game freed from the limits of an arena and let loose under the open sky."
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed 'The Big House', is the largest stadium in North America. The Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2013 is expected to set an all-time world attendance record for a hockey game. The previous record was set at the Big House, when 104,173 fans attended an NCAA game on Dec. 11, 2010 between the Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans.
In a statement following the announcement, Maple Leafs president and general manager Brian Burke said that the spectacle in Detroit between two historic teams will be an exciting event in the history of the game.
"The Toronto Maple Leafs and our fans are extremely thrilled to be a part of the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic," Burke said. "The rich hockey heritage of these two Original Six hockey clubs will make an extremely memorable event played in front of the NHL's largest crowd ever. The atmosphere will be an outstanding spectacle for our sport."
"It's Hockeytown versus the centre of the Hockey Universe," Burke added at Thursday's press conference.
"That's humbly put." Red Wings general manager Ken Holland replied with a laugh.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment vice-president and chief operating officer Tom Anselmi added that the 2013 Winter Classic provides the Red Wings and Leafs, two historic original six teams, with a chance to settle the score.
"Hockey Town meets Leafs Nation. This is a classic rivalry almost as old as the league itself," said Anselmi in a statement. "It is going to be great to see two of the greatest hockey clubs in the world whose matchups have produced some of the greatest memories in hockey history battle it out in front of over 100,000 fans."
"The Leafs and Red Wings in fact have played each other 644 times," Anselmi added at the press conference. "The Leafs have won 276 of them, the Red Wings have won 275. So we'll see what happens early next year. This could be the ultimate rubber match of all-time."
The lead up to the 2013 Winter Classic will also see Comerica Park play host to the Hockeytown Winter Festival.
There will be a litany of events at the home of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers, including games played by three different leagues and an alumni game featuring the all-time great Red Wings and Leafs players.
Hockeytown Winter Fesitval Schedule December 27th: Great Lakes Invitational doubleheader (NCAA Hockey) December 28th: Great Lakes Invitational doubleheader (NCAA Hockey) December 29th: AHL game - Toronto Marlies vs. Grand Rapids Griffins December 30th: OHL doubleheader (London Knights vs. Plymouth Whalers, Windsor Spitfires vs. Saginaw Spirit) December 31st: NHL Alumni game - Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings
HBO is also expected to follow both teams leading up the 2013 Winter Classic for the third season of their critically acclaimed 24/7 series.
Asked about how Toronto got involved in becoming a part of next year's Winter Classic, Burke said he sold the league on the passion of Leaf Nation and that he expects there to be plenty of blue at the Big House.
"The league asked me originally if I thought we could sell 40,000 tickets and I said I need 48 hours," Burke stated. "They then called back and said 'what about 50,000 tickets', and I said I need 72 hours."
"Leaf Nation will show up in big numbers and in blue and they'll make a lot of noise. We have wonderful fans that have been loyal through some lean years and I think they're excited that we're going north finally."
For information on pre-sale ticket access, fans are encouraged to sign up at mapleleafs.com/winterclassic to be the first to receive ticket information as details become available.
For up-to-the-minute Leafs news and updates, be sure to follow Ken Beckett on Twitter: Follow @KenBeckett
2013 Winter Classic Announcement Video
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