Special DElivery: Hockeytown lives up to the name

February 13, 2012February 13, 2012 MiHockey Staff

By Darren Eliot –

Quite a week of hockey here in the D. The NHL announces the Winter Classic will come to Ann Arbor and Mr. Ilitch adds to the festivities by opening up Comerica Park for a hockey winter festival leading up to the NHL event. All levels of hockey will participate downtown from the Great Lakes Invitational, to OHL and AHL games to youth events as well – with a cross-border feel and appeal throughout as a build-up to the Red Wings taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 1 at the Big House.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings took the ice at the Joe and tied the NHL record for home wins at 20 against the Philadelphia Flyers. The fact that the Wings did it against the Flyers, who tied the record in 1975-76 originally set by the 1929-30 Boston Bruins, only added to the intrigue. This has been a special season for the Red Wings with so many contributors, including Joey MacDonald coming up from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and stepping up to perform admirably while Jimmy Howard’s superb all-star campaign stalled with a broken finger. Howard should be back in goal this week, possibly even for the potential record-setting game Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars. More likely, though, he will return Friday night when the Nashville Predators visit the Joe.

jla instagram — College hockey was on full display at Joe Louis Arena Saturday night, as Michigan and Michigan State battled in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,066.

Before Sunday night’s Red Wing exploits, Saturday night at the Joe saw a packed house witness college hockey at its finest. The U of M Wolverines won in overtime over rival MSU Spartans, 3-2, in a game that was breathtaking on every level. The pace, skill level, intensity, discipline, officiating and goaltending were of the highest caliber making for a fabulous game. The crowd was raucous from the outset and added to the atmosphere. I know “Hockeytown” began as a marketing slogan, but the Saturday/Sunday CCHA-NHL “doubleheader” proved once again that the catchy moniker continues to live up to accurate description status.

For good measure, there was a High School Showcase event downriver featuring over 30 teams that was well run, well attended and packed with scouts looking at those sometimes overlooked prep players. The quality of play and competitive balance was excellent. All of which leads to this Saturday and Hockey Day in Michigan and another opportunity to celebrate our great game.

Hockeytown indeed.