Detroit Red Wings Announce New Rink Named Little Caesars Arena

The Detroit Red Wings and arena officials announced Thursday the organization's new rink, which is scheduled to be opened before the 2017-18 season, will be named Little Caesars Arena, according to John Gallagher of the Detroit Free Press.

The new arena will include "five restaurants, seven clubs, a concourse area three times the size of Joe Louis Arena’s and several stories of glass enclosing a 'vibrant, urban experience,'" per Gallagher.

Chris Ilitch, the CEO of Ilitch Holdings, spoke about the new arena's name, per CBS Detroit:

"

This sponsorship is another major investment by the Ilitch companies in Detroit, its great people and its comeback story. It's a proud day for Little Caesars, the Detroit Red Wings, our community, and for my parents Mike and Marian Ilitch. To have their first business as the namesake of this building in their beloved hometown is an amazing tribute to their careers and their love for the people here.

"

The naming rights deal is worth $120 million over 20 years, according to Gallagher, and the new arena will include the largest Little Caesars logo in the world on the roof.

The Red Wings have played in Joe Louis Arena since 1979, winning four Stanley Cup titles in that time period. The arena is one of only two rinks left in the NHL that does not have corporate sponsorship in its name, joining Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Rangers.

And indeed, some of the fans weren't terribly pleased with the decision to use a corporate name on the new arena.

"What on earth does pizza have to do with hockey?" asked Detroit resident Mary Zawala, per CBS Detroit. "We are known as Hockeytown USA! They should've named it Hockeytown Sports Arena."

Nonetheless, the new rink will be a central feature of the city's new "District Detroit" area just north of downtown, an up-and-coming entertainment district.

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