Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings go Outside on New Years for Centennial Classic

The National Hockey League announced on Wednesday the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs will participate in a new outdoor game on New Year’s Day in addition to the Winter Classic. 

The Maple Leafs will host the Red Wings at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario in the Centennial Classic, on January 1, 2017.  The game will be part of the NHL’s year-long Centennial celebration that will feature ceremonies, celebrations, observances and recognitions highlighting 100 years of the league. 

The Centennial Classic is a rematch of the 2014 Bridgestone Winter Classic between the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs at “The Big House”, Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. A record crowd of 105,491 fans filed into the stadium on the University of Michigan campus to watch the two “Original Six” teams rekindle their rivalry. The Leafs defeated the Wings 3-2 in shootouts with snow falling throughout the game to provide that perfect backdrop. 

NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman said, “This meeting of the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs offers an ideal launch for a fantastic 2017 -- the year in which the National Hockey League will celebrate its Centennial, Toronto will commemorate 100 years of NHL play and Canada will observer the 150^th anniversary of Confederation.”

 

Bettman added, “Since the Red Wings and Maple Leafs made NHL outdoor history drawing more than 105,000 people to ‘The Big House’ in 2014, this unique rematch provides a perfect beginning to a historic year for our league, our clubs and our fans.”

 

Maple Leafs President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan said, “The Toronto Maple Leafs are thrilled to host the 2017 NHL Centennial Classic and what will be a signature moment in our club’s 100^th anniversary celebrations next season to share with all Leafs fans.”  

He added, “BMO Field has been undergoing an impressive two-year long transformation and will make a wonderful site for this historic matchup with the Red Wings. We look forward to working with the NHL to help create what will be an important and memorable occasion for the game of hockey.”

 The Centennial Classic will continue the tradition that the league has established in hosting a regular season outdoor game at the onset of the new year and celebrate the origin and history of hockey. Both organizations began their history with each other when they first played on January 4, 1927 as the Toronto St. Patrick’s defeated the Detroit Cougars 2-1 in a game near Detroit. 

In 655 regular season games between each other, Detroit has captured 662 points to Toronto’s 656. The two teams have met in the post season 170 times, second to Boston and Montreal in the NHL.

Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager, Ken Holland said, “It is an honor to participate in the first Centennial Classic and celebrate the rich storied history of both the rivalry of the Red Wings and Maple Leafs and the history of our great league. The opportunity to play outdoors against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on New Year’s Day will certainly be a memorable experience for our entire organization and our fans”

The league will announce additional details regarding the 2017 NHL Centennial Classic from ticketing to broadcast information within the upcoming months.