Detroit Red Wings say goodbye to the Joe Louis Arena

By Cody Rusan

Windsorites are reminiscing after 37 years at Joe Louis Arena as the Detroit Red Wings are in their final season of hockey there.

“I watched so many games with my grandfather, and those are some of the best memories that I have,” said Tyler Reidy, a life-long Red Wings fan.

The Joe Louis Arena proved to be filled with great moments and many Red Wings victories. The Red Wings have an on-going playoff run of 25 seasons, which is the longest in NHL history.

“I saw two Stanley Cup finals in that building,” said Reidy, highlighting the team’s success that he has witnessed.

The new arena the Red Wings will soon call home will be named the Little Caesars Arena. The $732.6 million project broke ground on Sept. 25, 2014. The arena will be located within the same district as Comerica Park and Ford Field, all of which are located within the city’s entertainment district. The new arena will hold 20,000 fans for Red Wing games with 60 executive suites.

“I think it will be very good for the city of Detroit,” said Pat Doyle, an employee at Pro Hockey Life, a hockey shop in Windsor.

But with all the history attached to the Joe Louis Arena, it is a location that will be hard to let go of for many fans.

“The Joe is legendary and it’s difficult to say goodbye,” said Reidy. “But it is time. Myself and other Red Wing fans will still have the memories, that’s all that matters.”