Leafs, Wings confirmed for Winter Classic: report

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings will face off in next year's Winter Classic in front of a record NHL audience, according to a Detroit Free Press report.

An unnamed source told the newspaper the outdoor game between the Original Six rivals has been confirmed, and will take place Jan. 1, 2013, at Ann Arbor's Michigan Stadium, which can hold more than 110,000 fans.

An official announcement will be made next month, according to the report.

In an interview Wednesday, University of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon told the Associated Press the school and the NHL are in discussions to bring the Winter Classic to the university's football venue.

The NHL said it has nothing to announce regarding the 2013 game, AP reported.

No one from the Red Wings or Maple Leafs has commented on the report.

In addition to the NHL game, an alumni game featuring past Maple Leafs and Red Wings players would likely be held.

For weeks, speculation pegged the Red Wings as the likely host of the annual outdoor game, and whispers about the Maple Leafs as a potential opponent surfaced recently.

This would be the first time a Canadian team has participated in the Winter Classic.

What remains to be seen is if HBO's "24/7" sports documentary series will continue to cover the Winter Classic. HBO cameras have followed the teams involved in the NHL's last two outdoor games, bringing viewers exclusive coverage of players and coaching staff in the locker room and in their daily lives. The show has been a hit with fans on both sides of the border, brought plenty of attention to the league and transformed some players and coaches into fan favourites.

The Red Wings asked to host a Winter Classic after participating in a 2009 clash with the Blackhawks at Chicago's famed Wrigley Field, a baseball stadium.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Detroit was an easy selection for the NHL and NBC, which broadcasts the game in the U.S., because of the Red Wings' rich history and Detroit's wintry location.

One thing that had to be negotiated was the venue.

Michigan Stadium was the preferred location because of its rectangular layout and the appeal of setting an attendance record, but there was also talk of using Comerica Park, a downtown baseball stadium owned by Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, the newspaper reported.

This won't be the first outdoor hockey game to be held at Michigan Stadium, a University of Michigan football stadium known as The Big House.

In December 2010, more than 104,000 people watched the University of Michigan and Michigan State University clash in a game dubbed "The Big Chill."

The game set a new attendance record for a hockey game.

Guinness World Record, counting scanned tickets, announced the attendance as 104,173, while the announced attendance during the game was announced as 113,411.