Today could see a new attendance record for hockey, as about 110,000 fans are expected to attend today's Winter Classic between the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The NHL says 105,500 tickets have been sold for Wednesday's game at Michigan Stadium, affectionately called the Big House.
If that many fans brave temperatures expected in the -10 C range, it will be a record for attendance at a hockey game, surpassing the 104,173 number of fans in 2010. In the same stadium, in an event called The Big Chill at the Big House, Michigan beat Michigan State 5-0, and the game set a hockey attendance record of 104,173 in December 2010, according to Guinness World Records.
An average of 53,045 spectators watched the first five NHL Winter Classics in different cities.
Reporting from the stadium Wednesday morning, CBC's Amanda Margison said fans began lining up early, and even took part in tailgating despite the frigid temperatures.
"This stadium is called the Big House and it's awe-inspiring, truly a modern-day coliseum," she reported. Many of the players say this game hearkens back to their roots, when they learned to play hockey."
One-hour waits were reported at border crossings between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit on Tuesday night and early Wednesday as thousands of Canadians headed to Michigan ahead of the game. Snow will be a challenge for players
The forecast is for snow, between five and 10 centimetres, something that isn't part of a normal hockey game, so players know this won't be close to normal.
"You have to keep it really simple if the wind and the snow starts coming down," said Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk. "That's something you kind of adjust to when you're out there a little bit and see what the weather brings."
If the puck drops amid snowflakes, the dynamics of the game could change. Watch the game online
If you can't make it to the game and are away from your TV, you can still watch the Winter Classic here. Puck drops after 1 p.m. ET.
"If it starts snowing, you simplify the game even more," said Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, who signed a $49-million US, seven-year deal that was announced Tuesday. "I think shoot from everywhere and chip pucks. I think if it snows too much, I don't know if we can actually play the game, so hopefully it doesn't snow too much. If it snows a lot, it's going to be tough to play through that."
Added Leafs winger Phil Kessel: "I think the puck won't slide as well, obviously. But who knows, right? I have no clue. Hopefully it's not too cold because I think the fans will be freezing because it was chilly."
Cold is ideal for an event like this.
"It adds to the atmosphere," said Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "It adds to the memory."
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