The National Hockey League, shut down for seven weeks in a money dispute between team owners and players, called off plans for its New Year’s Day “Winter Classic” outdoor game on Friday.
The game would have featured the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at the University of Michigan gridiron stadium on the school’s Ann Arbor campus, where a record hockey crowd of about 114,000 people was expected.
Also canceled was a Winter Festival of events in nearby Detroit at the home of Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers, who lost the World Series to San Francisco last month.
The league said the next Winter Classic to be staged would feature the Red Wings and Maple Leafs and be staged at the University of Michigan.
The NHL has canceled all games through November 30 but a shortened season might still be possible if the sides can reach a deal on how to divide $3.3 billion in annual revenues between players and team owners.
The league lost the entire 2004-2005 season in a similar money dispute.
The NHL, which would have owed the first $250,000 installment on a $3 million stadium rental fee on Friday if the event was not called off, said it was not in position to do everything needed “to adequately stage events of this magnitude.”
More than 400,000 people would have been expected in the area for the events, which would have included construction of two NHL-sized rinks outdoors.
“The logistical demands for staging events of this magnitude made today’s decision unavoidable. We simply are out of time,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. “We are extremely disappointed, for our fans and for all those affected, to have to cancel the Winter Classic.”
NHL Winter Classic outdoor game called off
