After watching yesterday's Winter Classic it became quite apparent that Detroit will host next year's Winter Classic. Though who their opponent will be and where the event will be held is still up for debate.From the NHL's stand point they would like to have the event at the University of Michigan's Michigan Stadium (aka The Big House). The Big House held the largest hockey game* in 2010 with over 100,000 attendance. However, this means Detroit owner Mike Ilitch might have to share the profits from the game. If it were held in Ilitch's Comerica Park (home stadium to the Detroit Tigers) he could stand to gain more. The capacity of Comerica Park is only about 40,000 though so The Big House's 100,000 capacity might still net the highest profits for the Red Wings.
The more interesting question though, is who will the Red Wings face. Some teams rumoured to be Detroit's opponent include The Toronto Maple Leafs, The St. Louis Blues, or the San Jose Sharks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs would be appetizing to the NHL's Original Six fetish but it might lose out on the Winter Classic's American target audience. Though The Maple Leafs seem to start the season hot they seem to cool down by late December and this match-up could lack a real grudge between the two teams. The Leafs Nation is the largest fan base in hockey and with Detroit bordering Southern Ontario they should have no problem finding 100,000 fans to come watch the game.
The St. Louis Blues have been a divisional opponent for Detroit for some time and will remain so with next year's realignment so this game could have some heavier implications if both teams are sitting in a similar spot come Winter Classic time. However The Blues lack an exciting franchise player that HBO's 24/7 series could latch on to.
The San Jose Sharks have forged a real rivalry with the Wings over the last few years and could be the most exciting match-up for Detroit fans. Unlike with The Blues, Sharks Captain Joe Thornton could be easily become the star of HBO's 24/7 making the lead up to the game more enjoyable. However, San Jose is quite far away from Detroit and finding 100,000 fans to come to the game might be a bit trickier than if The Leafs were the opponent.
The Leafs and Sharks both have some interesting match-ups and 24/7 episodes and could be the leading candidates for opponents in next years Winter Classic. If The Big Chill is booked as the venue look for The Leafs to be the opponent, but if it ends up at the smaller Comerica Park look for the San Jose Sharks lacing up against the Red Wings.
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