DETROIT — It's been known for some time that the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs would meet in the 2013 Winter Classic. On Thursday, it will become official.
The National Hockey League has called news conferences to make a major announcement Thursday at Comerica Park and at Michigan Stadium.
Shacks' Take: Seriously? Detroit and Toronto? Detroit – Chicago, yes. Detroit – Pittsburgh, definitely. Detroit – Toronto? Yuuch. I thought this game was meant to attract new audiences in the States, how will this match-up do that? Is Toronto really a big draw down south? If this rivalry even remotely compelling to any one outside of Ontario? The last several Winter Classics have featured marquee US markets with natural rivalries. I would have watched Pittsburgh play Washington or New York play Phillie whether they were playing a big game of pond hockey or not. But Toronto – Detroit? The last time this rivalry had any feeling was when there were conferences named Wales and Campbell. Couple that with the fact Toronto hasn't been a notable team since before the turn of the century and we have the potential for a real disappointment this time around. It's possible this game could feature one of the league's elite versus a team that hasn't made the playoffs in seven seasons. Even worse, we'll get an HBO 24/7 special featuring Brian Burke and Ron Wilson. That special has been fantastic up until now but listening to those two blowhards will certainly give me pause when I decide whether to watch that game. It's unfortunate the money the Leafs bring to the league bought them an appointment on the league's biggest regular season stage they don't deserve at all. On the bright side there should be a college football bowl game we can watch.
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