Detroit Red Wings Say Goodbye to the Joe

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:33 a.m. ET

Fansided, Jeff Hawkins/FanSided via Puck Prose

After Years of Success and Some of the Best Memories in Hockey, the Detroit Red Wings Finally Say Good-Bye to the Joe Louis Arena.

During the 1980s, in Detroit, there was Joe Louis Arena, home to the Detroit Red Wings.

And …

Tiger Stadium.

And … well, Cobo Arena and the summer blues/barbecue festival at Hart Plaza were cool.

Beyond that … all roads led to the riverfront.

The Joe "is the legacy of Detroit," former Red Wings forward Darren McCarty told the NHL Network Sunday as he walked the red carpet into the arena that hosted four Stanley Cup championship clubs.

"It has a soul, this rink," former goalie Chris Osgood said on the red carpet, strolling into the final Red Wings home game along with many of the franchise's dignitaries, including Steve Yzerman.

The Joe, which also hosted many marquee concerts, is scheduled for demolition as soon as September. Sunday, on the final day of the NHL regular season, was a time for Detroit to say goodbye to an era. They did it with style.

Red Wings new home

Opening in 1979, the Red Wings played their first game before construction on the facility was completed. There were no advertisements on the boards and some nights the attendance dipped below 5,000. When pizza chain king Mike Ilitch purchased the floundering franchise in 1982, he raffled off a new car at each home game. Some nights the odds were great.

The initial opening face-off at the arena transpired on Dec. 27, 1979. The announced crowd of 19,742 booed whenever the building's name was heard over the loudspeakers. Strange, yes, but like a lot of lasting love affairs, the relationship started on shaky ground.

Thanks for everything.

✌???? Joe pic.twitter.com/UTeycS18xD

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 10, 2017

[VIA Twitter]

Moving from Olympia, the Old Red Barn which hosted the Red Wings for 52 years, fans immediately appreciated the absence of pillars that blocked certain sight lines. Absent also were the beloved balconies, including the $7 mezzanine. It took a while for the fans to form an attraction to the Joe, especially with a $3 ticket increase across the board.

The Joe eventually earned a reputation for consistently providing one of the NHL's most consistent sheets of ice. But during the opening practices and game, however, the players complained of mushy ice. The boards, also, were coated with plastic and played much faster than the wooden boards at Olympia. The lively boards, over the years, provided a series of funky bounces and dramatic plays.

A season ticket holder for 27 years at the time of the move, Clair Sass offered her post-game critique of the new arena to the Detroit Free Press: "This is too large. We don't hear the puck, we don't hear the sticks, anything. But you can see OK as long as people don't walk up and down the aisles."

Wonder what opinion Sass would offer of Little Caesars Arena, the new multi-faceted mecca currently under construction and will open before next season?

The Joe's Swan Song

When Scotty Bowman walked the red carpet Sunday, the former coach was asked what he'll take away from experiencing the Joe for the final time. He replied: "The people."

For the record, the Red Wings claimed Sunday's Swan Song, 4-1, over the New Jersey Devils. Riley Sheehan, who had failed to score the entire season, netted two goals, including the historic final goal scored at Joe Louis Arena.

As the final 10 seconds wound down Sunday, fans stood and passionately cheered. Some shed tears.

"It's like you are putting down your 15-year-old golden retriever," McCarty told the Free Press. "You don't want to see it suffer."

In the 1980s, Detroit was suffering – big time. But at least there was this magnificent little corner of the riverfront. One hundred and eight playoff wins later, the Wings are moving to glitzy digs in a recovering city.

Thanks, Joe.

Where's the dynamite?