The NHL has announced that the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will face off in the 2014 Winter Classic on January 1.
The two teams were slated to play in the Winter Classic this season, but the lockout erased the meeting. The match will take place at the Michigan stadium and Comerica Park in downtown Detroit will also be converted into a rink for the SiriusXM Hockeytown Winter Festival.
"We've been excited about going to The Big House, and we're glad that the plans are falling into place to do everything we originally planned to do and more," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "In terms of the ancillary events, I think we have the ability to do more and do some better planning. We want to make sure that this event is as strong and as solid and as big as it can be. Everything we're doing is in pursuit of that."
According to NHL.com, "The NHL anticipates setting a world record for attendance at a hockey game as upwards of 110,000 people are expected to pack The Big House on the campus of the University of Michigan for the Winter Classic game. An estimated 250,000 are expected to descend on downtown Detroit for the Hockeytown Winter Festival."
The website also notes that over 100 alumni from both teams have been asked to participate and there is a likelihood of two alumni matches taking place on New Year's Eve. The Winter Festival will also showcase games of all levels of hockey (American Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, NCAA, high school and youth); all these matches will be played at Comerica Park from mid-December into the New Year.
Furthermore, the return of the Winter Classic will also re-institute the popular HBO 24/7 series which will follow the two teams in weeks leading up to the encounter.
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