NEW YORK – The Detroit Red Wings will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus in the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Tuesday, Jan. 1, the National Hockey League announced today.

Nicknamed “The Big House,” the stadium is the largest in North America.  It is anticipated that the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic could set an all-time world attendance record for a hockey game.  The game will be broadcast live on NBC in the U.S. and on CBC and RDS in Canada.

“The Red Wings’ tradition of excellence, Detroit’s passion for hockey and the glorious history of the Maple Leafs create a Winter Classic scenario for the ages,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The meeting of these two ‘Original Six’ rivals, at this iconic venue, will lift this Winter Classic to incomparable heights. The demand to be there will be so great that this event could only be held at ‘The Big House.’”

In concert with the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, beginning in mid-December Comerica Park in downtown Detroit will be home to a celebration of hockey titled the Hockeytown Winter Festival™.  The main attraction of the festival will be an ice rink built on the Comerica Park field where a special game between notable Red Wings and Maple Leafs alumni – the NHL Alumni Showdown – will be played.

The outdoor rink at Comerica Park will feature games between teams representing every level of hockey and opportunities for open skating for the public.  Over a quarter of a million fans are expected to watch youth games, high school hockey games, sled hockey games, AHL games, OHL games and more.  The Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Red Wings, will play the Toronto Marlies, the AHL affiliate of the Maple Leafs, on the Comerica Park rink.

For the first time in its history, the Great Lakes Invitational will be played outdoors as Michigan Tech, the University of Michigan, Michigan State and Western Michigan University will be part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival.  Also, the ballpark will host two OHL matchups: the Windsor Spitfires vs. Saginaw Spirit and the Plymouth Whalers vs. London Knights.

“Mike and Marian Ilitch are deeply committed to their beloved Detroit.  That commitment has never wavered,” Commissioner Bettman added.  “The Hockeytown Winter Festival is just the latest example of their passion for their city and for hockey.”

The 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic continues the tradition the NHL has established of hosting a regular-season game outdoors at the onset of the new year to celebrate the origin and traditions of hockey.  This season in Philadelphia, both the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® between the Flyers and New York Rangers and the alumni game two days prior attracted sellout crowds.  More than 100,000 fans visited Spectator Plaza, the official outdoor hockey festival adjacent to the ballpark.

Further details on the 2013 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, including the official event logo, ticketing information and uniform design for each team, will be released in the coming months.  Fans can visit www.NHL.com/winterclassic and www.Detroitredwings.com/2013winterclassic for the latest news.

- From NHL news release

What: Western Michigan (1-1-0) at Mercyhurst College (0-0-1)

When: Friday and Saturday, 7:05 p.m.

Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: www.wmce.com (Internet radio), www.b2livetv.com (Internet video)

Players to watch: Mercyhurst – So. F Phil Ginand (0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point), So. F Grant Blakey (1-0-1), Sr. F Brandon Coccimiglio (1-0-1), Sr. F Mike Gurtler (0-1-1), Fr. G Jordan Tibbett (0-0-1 record, 1.70 goals-against average, .957 save percentage); Western Michigan – Sr. C Max Campbell (2-1-3), Jr. F Greg Squires (1-1-2), So. D Matt Tennyson (1-1-2), Fr. F Chase Balisy (0-2-2), So. G Nick Pisellini (1-0-0, 1.91, .889)

Rick Gotkin (Contributed/USCHO.com)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers look to avenge a two-game series loss in Kalamazoo, Mich. last October (5-1 and 4-3). … They have won one of four career meetings with the Broncos, a 7-4 victory in 2003. … The Lakers begin their home schedule by hosting a school from a power conference for the first time since beating then-No. 7 Princeton (ECAC) 6-4 on Nov. 29, 2008. … The Lakers were 8-7-1 at home last season. … With a win, coach Rick Gotkin (399-272-53 record in 23 seasons) becomes the 36^th NCAA men’s hockey coach to reach the 400-win mark. He would be the 24^th coach to reach that plateau while spending 10 or more years at the Division I level and the 11^th to earn 400 wins at the same school. … Tibbett makes his first collegiate start in goal. He stopped 22-of-23 shots in relief of junior Max Strang in a 4-4 tie against then-No. 4 Michigan on Oct. 2. Tibbett stopped 12-of-12 shots a night later in an exhibition win against Queen’s (Ontario) University. … Senior goaltender Ryan Zapolski is serving a five-game suspension for violating team rules. He’s eligible to return for the Oct. 24 exhibition game against the United States National Team Development Program’s Under-18 team. … The Lakers are holding several fundraising events this weekend to benefit the Marley and Alexa Beaton Education Trust Fund. Their father, Aaron, a longtime Lakers and Erie Otters fan and a key sponsor of the Erie Lady Lions’ Timbit program, died on Sept. 25 because of complications from a stroke. Proceeds from ticket sales, raffles and donations will be placed into the fund. … Blakey faces his former teammates (Squires and freshman F Shane Berschbach) and coach/general manager (Jeff Blashill) from the United States Hockey League’s Indiana Ice.

Western Michigan – The Broncos split a season-opening, two-game series against Canisius, the Lakers’ rival in the Atlantic Hockey Association, on home ice last weekend. They lost the opener 5-3 before rebounding with a 3-2 overtime win. … Blashill takes over a program that finished 8-20-8 overall and last in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (4-17-7) last season. … The Broncos were picked to finish 10^th out of 11 teams in the CCHA’s preseason poll. … Their top three scorers (Squires, Campbell and junior F J.J. Crew return from an offense that didn’t have a double-digit goal scorer last season.

Up next: vs. Canisius (Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.), vs. U.S. National Under-18 Team (Oct. 24, 7:05 p.m.)

What: Mercyhurst College (0-0-0) at No. 4 Michigan (0-0-0)

When: Saturday, 7:35 p.m.

Where: Yost Ice Arena – Ann Arbor, Mich.

On the air: www.mgoblue.com (Internet radio)

Phil Ginand (Contributed/Mercyhurst College)

Players to watch: Mercyhurst – F Phil Ginand (15 goals, 19 assists, 34 points in 2008-09), F Mike Gurtler (14-16-30 in 2009-10), F Brandon Coccimiglio (14-14-28), G Ryan Zapolski (15-17-3 record, 2.79 goals-against average, .918 save percentage, 2 shutouts), D Jeff Terminesi (5-13-18, plus-17); Michigan – F Carl Hagelin (19-31-50), F Louie Caporusso (21-22-43), F Matt Rust (13-27-40), F Chris Brown (13-15-28), G Bryan Hogan (18-15-1, 2.33, .901, 4 SO)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers and Wolverines meet on the first official day of the NCAA Division I hockey season. Neither program has begun a season this early in their history. … They meet for the first time since the Wolverines’ season-opening 5-3 home win in 2003-04. The Lakers nearly upset Michigan in their only other previous meeting – in the 2001 NCAA Tournament – before losing 4-3. … Coach Rick Gotkin, who begins his 23^rd season at the school, needs one win to reach 400. … The Lakers begin a season on the road for the ninth straight year. … They have opened a season with Central Collegiate Hockey Association or Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams every year since 2002-03. They are 0-8. … The Lakers are picked to finish second in the Atlantic Hockey Association. … They return 17-of-24 lettermen from a team that finished 15-20-3 overall and 15-10-3 in the conference. … Coccimiglio and F Scott Pitt (7-18-25 in 2009-10) are co-captains. Gurtler and Terminesi are co-captains.

Michigan – The Wolverines return 19-of-25 lettermen from a 2009-10 team that had a 26-18-1 overall record and won the CCHA tournament title and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth after finishing seventh in the regular season (14-13-1). … They are picked to finish first in the CCHA by the media and second by coaches. … The Wolverines have 13 NHL draft picks on their roster, 13 more than the Lakers have produced in the program’s 24-year history. … Coach Red Berenson, who enters his 27^th season, could reach the 700-win mark tonight. … The Wolverines are 19-4-3 in season openers and 22-1-3 in home openers under Berenson. … Hogan and D Kevin Clare are former Erie Otters’ draft picks (2007 and 2008, respectively). … Brown, a Phoenix Coyotes prospect, has ties to Millcreek Township. His parents, Chris and Candy, graduated from McDowell High School in 1985. He still has family in town.

Up next: vs. Queens (exhibition – Sunday, 7:05 p.m.), vs. Western Michigan (Oct. 15-16, 7:05 p.m.)

- Victor Fernandes

Rick Gotkin (Contributed/USCHO.com)

Head coach Rick Gotkin of the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team released Monday the details of the Lakers’ 2010-11 schedule, highlighted by 18 regular-season home games, a date with perennial power Michigan and a possible meeting against defending NCAA Division I champion Boston College.

“We’re very excited and really looking forward to this season,” said coach Gotkin, who is sitting on 399 wins entering his 23rd season at Mercyhurst. “We want to have a challenging schedule to prepare our players for the road ahead. Playing teams such as Michigan and Boston College gives us the experience to tackle the teams in our conference. Our league has gotten better and better over the years, and with the addition of Robert Morris and Niagara this season, it’s probably the toughest it’s ever been.”

The Lakers will play 34 regular-season games and two exhibition contests in their 24th season of intercollegiate play. Twenty-seven of those games will be against teams from Atlantic Hockey Association, while the remaining seven put the Lakers up against foes from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC Hockey), and possibly Hockey East (HEA).

Unlike previous years, Gotkin and his squad won’t have an opportunity to get a tune-up in before their first game as they head straight to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face Michigan on Oct. 2 at Yost Ice Arena. It will be the season opener for both squads and the first time the Lakers and Wolverines faced off against each other since a 5-3 loss in the 2003-04 season.

After the bout with the Wolverines, the Lakers return home to open the doors to the Mercyhurst Ice Center with a five-game home stand, beginning with an exhibition contest against Queens University, a Kingston, Ontario, school, on Oct. 3. A two-game series against Western Michigan (Oct. 15-16) follows before Canisius comes to town on Oct. 19 and the United States Under-18 National Team for another exhibition on Oct. 24.

The Lakers resume league play for the next 11 games, beginning with consecutive road singles at Niagara (Oct. 29) and Air Force (Nov. 5). The next five contests feature a pair of two-game home series against Army (Nov. 12-13) and American International (Nov. 26-27) sandwiched around a game at Robert Morris on Nov. 19. A trip to Sacred Heart (Dec. 3-4) and a home series against Rochester Institute of Technology (Dec. 10-11) close out the stretch and lead the team into non-conference action for the rest of the month.

Following a series against former Division II rival Alabama-Huntsville (Dec. 16-17) at home, the Lakers will have two weeks off before taking part in the 2010 Ledyard Bank Classic in Hanover, N.H., where they will face Dartmouth (Dec. 30) in the opening game and either Boston College or Colgate, depending on the outcome, the next day.

Mercyhurst has not faced Boston College since a 5-4 setback in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division I Tournament.

Atlantic Hockey play then heats up again as the Lakers open up the second half of the season on the road at Connecticut (Jan. 7-8), followed by a home series against Holy Cross (Jan. 14-15) and a trip to Bentley (Jan. 21-22). Mercyhurst closes out its three-game season series with RIT in Rochester, N.Y. on Jan. 29, taking the team into the final month of the regular season.

Back-to-back home-and-home series kick off the month of February with the Lakers facing Niagara (Feb. 4-5) and Robert Morris (Feb. 11-12). Both series will have Mercyhurst on the road for the first contest. Air Force (Feb. 18-19) then closes out its series with a pair at the Mercyhurst Ice Center before the regular-season finale against Canisius on Feb. 25 on the road and Feb. 26 in Erie.

- From Mercyhurst news release