The Detroit Red Wings will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor in the 2013 Winter Classic outdoor game, the NHL said on Thursday.
The two clubs, members of the NHL’s “Original Six” will take the annual outdoor showcase to the iconic stadium – nicknamed “The Big House” – on the University of Michigan campus about 72km west of Detroit.
“The Red Wings’ tradition of excellence, Detroit’s passion for hockey and the glorious history of the Maple Leafs create a Winter Classic scenario for the ages,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman enthused, promising the venue and the history of the teams would lift the Classic “to incomparable heights”.
The Red Wings and Maple Leafs first played against each other on January 4, 1927 as the then Toronto St. Patricks defeated the Detroit Cougars 2-1 in a game near Detroit.
Little more than a month later, the Toronto club was re-named the Maple Leafs.
In NHL play, the Maple Leafs have faced only the Montreal Canadiens more often, the Red Wings only the Chicago Blackhawks.