The love for the JLA isn’t about the crumbling stairs or maintaining playoff streaks, but the history that has been made since the Joe first opened. It’s the smell of stale beer and crisp air. It’s the stories we have, like scalping tickets in standing room only during the ’98 playoff championship, just to be a part of the magic. Watching our boys go to battle against rivals such as Colorado, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. Sometimes we’d win, sometimes we’d lose but maybe, just maybe, we’d get to see Vernon or Ozzy leave the crease. It was our hockey heroes that made up The Grind Line and the Russian Five being led by a fearless stone-faced coach. We loved (and most importantly) trusted Scotty to guide the team and seeing him smile was one of my favorite parts about winning a cup.

Detroit’s relationship with this sport goes beyond new arenas and fancy entertainment districts. While all those bells and whistles are great and make the city prosper, hockey fans went to JLA because they believed in the spirit of Hockeytown. Wings fans don’t need luxury and grandeur. We are hard-working, nose to the grindstone fans and the JLA reflected that. At a time when the city wasn’t named “Best Food City” or “Best Travel Destination”, hockey fans were there supporting this city and going to walking distance establishments like Tommy’s, The Post Bar, and Cobo Joes. Places where as soon as you’d walk in, you knew you were among friends.

For as long as I have been alive we have always been a hockey town and even though our young boys now might not be “perfect every night”, we still believe in them and we believe in this team. There’s an unspoken sense of pride Red Wings fans have as we watch four Michigan natives defend our name, like in some special way, we the fans were a part of that. Like Abby, Larkin, Glennie and DK understand how truly special it is to put on the jersey and will fight that much harder to bring honor to the Red Wing name.

We have been blessed to have amazing talent take the ice with the winged wheel and it means so much more than just an arena. I could never see the JLA as a dump and believe it deserves way more respect than that. To me, Joe Louis is like a village elder, through the grey hair and wrinkles it is filled with a rich history and stories to be passed down to generations. While the building may be gone, its legacy will live on as Tiger Stadium’s place still has; sacred ground to those who had so many great memories in its place. I look forward to welcoming the Little Caesars Arena and think of it as a testament to the legacy of the Illitch family who loves this city, this team and the sport of hockey.