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Report: Red Wings trying to call dibs on hosting next Winter Classic

Michigan Stadium

While we’re focused on this year’s Winter Classic, the debate as to who will play in and host the next one is waiting to be had. The Detroit Red Wings are hoping to settle that debate before it even begins in earnest.

Ansar Khan of Mlive.com reports that Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch is in talks with the league to try and host the Winter Classic in either 2013 or 2014. Working in Detroit’s favor here is that there are a couple of places they could host the event. The NHL could either keep the event in downtown Detroit and play at Comerica Park, home of baseball’s Tigers, or head out to Ann Arbor and play at Michigan Stadium and make a run at breaking attendance records at the 110,000+ seat stadium.

Having it at Comerica Park is what the Wings owner prefers and that’s thanks to him also being owner of the Tigers. Keeping that money earned from the event in house is nice to do. The spectacle that could be had at Michigan Stadium, depending on who the Red Wings’ opponent was, could be too alluring for the NHL to avoid.

With Detroit and New York as the next two logical cities to host the Winter Classic and New York being in this year’s game, Detroit seems all too logical to be the next city to host the game. We’re a long way off from getting that figured out, but Detroit trying to make a claim now makes all too much sense.