ESPN's Scott Burnside Reports the '12-'13 Winter Classic to be Held in Detroit

Sounds like the Winter Classic will be headed to Motown next year, and rumor has it our friends from the North will be taking part as well. Details after the jump...

Scott Burnside is reporting that the NHL is finalizing details to host the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor next New Year. In what is the first of quite a few changes, the Red Wings will play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs, marking this as the first time the Winter Classic will not feature two American teams. In addition to the big game at the Big House, the NHL is apparently interested in building a second rink at Comerica Park downtown, likely as some form of appeasement to the Ilitch family, who own both the Wings and the Detroit Tigers. While nothing specific is planned yet for rink number two, thoughts have ranged from minor league games, like we saw this year, to the annual Great Lakes Invitational, which is normally held at the Joe. Personally, I think this is a great idea. As much as we don't like Red Wings fans here, Detroit is a hockey icon, and from watching The Big Chill at the Big House at home, the atmosphere is going to be rocking between the two Original Six franchises, and will almost certainly set a new attendance record in the League, as the stadium holds about 110,000. If the weather cooperates and the product on the ice delivers, this should be a pretty awesome Winter Classic.