DETROIT — The Detroit Red Wings today announced details surrounding the team’s “Farewell Weekend at The Joe” to celebrate the final two Red Wings games at historic Joe Louis Arena on Saturday, April 8 against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 9 against the New Jersey Devils at 5:00 p.m.
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Red Wings will host the Chevrolet Season Finale starting at 2:00 p.m. outside the East Entrance of Joe Louis Arena, in which all current players and alumni in attendance will walk a red carpet to enter The Joe, giving fans a unique opportunity cheer on their favorite current and former players up close.
The celebration for the “Farewell Weekend at The Joe” will culminate with an hour-long “Farewell to the Joe Ceremony” immediately following Sunday’s game. The post-game ceremony will feature speeches, Q&A sessions and highlight videos with current Red Wings players and more than 50 Red Wings Alumni.
Additionally, fans in attendance for the “Farewell Weekend at The Joe” will have the opportunity to purchase commemorative “Farewell Season at The Joe” merchandise and Dual-Logo Warmup Pucks, collect one-of-a-kind giveaways, witness numerous historical highlights from the 38-year history of The Joe through in-game videos and testimonials and much more. Doors to Joe Louis Arena will open a half hour earlier than normal – two hours before puck drop – for both games.
“To conclude our year-long celebration of the ‘Farewell Season at The Joe,’ we have many special events, initiatives and giveaways planned to give Red Wings fans an opportunity to make a final memory at Joe Louis Arena and take home a piece of hockey history,” said Tom Wilson, President and CEO of Olympia Entertainment. “The ‘Farewell to The Joe Ceremony’ will feature Red Wings legends and revisit the iconic moments that helped make The Joe one of the most revered hockey arenas in the world, while the Chevrolet Season Finale will build off the success we witnessed for the red carpet walk during the Home Opener by including Red Wings Alumni and giving fans a chance to see their favorite players up close.”
“FAREWELL TO THE JOE CEREMONY”
Following the final game at The Joe on Sunday, April 9, the Red Wings will host a “Farewell to The Joe Ceremony” from approximately 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. on the ice at Joe Louis Arena. All fans in attendance are encouraged to stay for the post-game ceremony, which will welcome current players and more than 50 Red Wings greats to the ice. Hosted by FOX Sports Detroit commentator Ken Daniels, current and former players will participate in Q&A sessions and share their favorite memories of the iconic Joe Louis Arena. Highlight videos and testimonials from players, celebrities and local personalities will also be shown throughout the ceremony.
The “Farewell to The Joe Ceremony” will air live on FOX Sports Detroit following the game and can also be streamed live on www.DetroitRedWings.com and the NHL App®, the Official App of the Detroit Red Wings.
CHEVROLET SEASON FINALE – RED CARPET WALK
Red Wings fans will have an opportunity to cheer on current players and more than 50 Red Wings Alumni as they walk down a red carpet prior to the final game at The Joe on Sunday, April 9, for the Chevrolet Season Finale. The event will take place from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. near the East Entrance to Joe Louis Arena along Steve Yzerman Drive facing the Detroit RiverWalk.
Red Wings players and Alumni will arrive via Chevrolet Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe vehicles to the East Entrance of The Joe where they will be introduced by public address announcer Erich Freiny. The players will then walk the red carpet and enter The Joe through the Zamboni Entrance. Red Wings fans will be encouraged to line the red carpet to cheer on the team as they enter The Joe for the final game in the arena’s 38-year history.
The Chevrolet Season Finale is free and open to the public. Fans are encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot along the red carpet. All parking lots surrounding Joe Louis Arena will open at 11:00 a.m. and the doors to The Joe will open at 3:00 p.m. – two hours in advance of puck drop – to accommodate fans who arrive early for the red carpet event.
“FAREWELL SEASON AT THE JOE” MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE
Red Wings fans can commemorate their final trip to Joe Louis Arena by purchasing exclusive “Farewell Season at The Joe” merchandise. T-shirts, hats, pucks and lanyards will be available for purchase on the concourse featuring the “Farewell Season at The Joe” logo. Additionally, fans can purchase an official framed 8″x10″ panel of glass from Joe Louis Arena with an etching of the “Farewell Season at The Joe” logo. The framed panels of glass will be available for $125 each at the Hockeytown Authentics kiosk on the Joe Louis Arena concourse outside Section 104.
DUAL-LOGO WARMUP PUCKS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
The final game at Joe Louis Arena will mark the last opportunity for fans to purchase a puck used by both teams during warmups. The Red Wings logo and the New Jersey Devils logo will be featured on the one-of-a-kind puck to commemorate the final game at The Joe. The pucks will be protected in a display cube featuring the “Farewell Season at The Joe” logo. Warmup pucks will be available for $30 on the Joe Louis Arena concourse outside Sections 104 following warm-ups on a first-come, first-served basis.
EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAYS SET FOR “FAREWELL WEEKEND AT THE JOE”
All fans in attendance for Saturday, April 8, against the Montreal Canadiens will receive a mini replica of Joe Louis Arena, courtesy of Kroger and MotorCity Casino Hotel.
A “Farewell to The Joe” mini-stick, presented by Coca-Cola and Meijer, will be issued to fans in attendance for the final game on Sunday, April 9. The mini-stick will be used post-game to honor Joe Louis Arena with an arena-wide ceremonial stick raise to the rafters. Additionally, all fans in attendance for the final game will receive a certificate declaring they were part of the final Red Wings hockey game ever played at Joe Louis Arena. Both one-of-a-kind keepsakes will be placed on each seat prior to the game.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES DURING FINAL GAME AT THE JOE
Fans in attendance on Sunday, April 9, are encouraged to be in their seats for the National Anthem, as a Gigapixel photo will be taken prior to puck drop. Fans can then visit www.DetroitRedWings.com and zoom in to find themselves in the photo to commemorate the final game at The Joe.
Additionally, while the Red Wings players raise their sticks to salute the fans following the game, fans in attendance will also be asked to raise their mini-stick giveaway item for an arena-wide photo to memorialize the historic day. Fans can also utilize an exclusive Snapchat filter during the stick salute to capture a photo or video to share with friends and family commemorating the once-in-a-lifetime celebration at Joe Louis Arena. The Snapchat code to unlock the filter will be given to fans upon entry of The Joe and will also be posted online at www.DetroitRedWings.com.
EXTREMELY LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR “FAREWELL WEEKEND AT THE JOE”
An extremely limited number of tickets are available for the “Farewell Weekend at The Joe.” Tickets can be purchased at the Joe Louis Arena Box Office (313-471-7575), all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) or online at DetroitRedWings.com.