Notebook: Detroit rocks city on NHL opener
Thursday, 10.09.2008 / 9:09 PM
/ News
By Kevin Fitzhenry
- DetroitRedWings.com Intern
DETROIT -- On a night when the Sporting News announced Detroit as North America’s No. 2 Best Sports City, Hockeytown celebrated being No. 1.
In a ceremony that featured everything from a live orchestra playing, to the premier of Hockey Night In Canada’s new theme song, the Red Wings started off the 2008-09 campaign in grand fashion as the 2008 championship banner was hoisted to the rafters at Joe Louis Arena.
Surrounded by the seven trophies the Wings won last season (Jennings Trophy, Lady Bing Trophy, Norris Trophy, Selke Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Presidents’ Trophy and Campbell Bowl), Wings TV play-by-play announcer Ken Daniels and color analyst Mickey Redmond welcomed fans and provided highlights of the Wings’ championship season.
The Wayne State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kypros Markou, provided a beautiful musical backdrop as themes from “Jurassic Park” and “Remember the Titans” were played as the Red Wings front office, coaching and support staff and current players were announced. Queen’s “We Are The Champions” became the theme as the Stanley Cup entered the building.
The banner itself received special VIP treatment, being carried in by an honor guard composed of 85 individuals representing the “Citizens of Hockeytown,” as well as DRW alumni Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Dennis Hextall, John Ogrodnick and Doug Brown before being passed on to captain Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Kris Draper and retired teammates Dallas Drake and Dominik Hasek.
After the game, the party will cease to stop: band Def Leppard will be joined by seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette for a special concert; NHL Face-off Rocks! at the Fox Theatre a few blocks from JLA.
In a ceremony that featured everything from a live orchestra playing, to the premier of Hockey Night In Canada’s new theme song, the Red Wings started off the 2008-09 campaign in grand fashion as the 2008 championship banner was hoisted to the rafters at Joe Louis Arena.
Surrounded by the seven trophies the Wings won last season (Jennings Trophy, Lady Bing Trophy, Norris Trophy, Selke Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Presidents’ Trophy and Campbell Bowl), Wings TV play-by-play announcer Ken Daniels and color analyst Mickey Redmond welcomed fans and provided highlights of the Wings’ championship season.
| WINGS CORNER |
The Wayne State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kypros Markou, provided a beautiful musical backdrop as themes from “Jurassic Park” and “Remember the Titans” were played as the Red Wings front office, coaching and support staff and current players were announced. Queen’s “We Are The Champions” became the theme as the Stanley Cup entered the building.
The banner itself received special VIP treatment, being carried in by an honor guard composed of 85 individuals representing the “Citizens of Hockeytown,” as well as DRW alumni Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, Dennis Hextall, John Ogrodnick and Doug Brown before being passed on to captain Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Kris Draper and retired teammates Dallas Drake and Dominik Hasek.
After the game, the party will cease to stop: band Def Leppard will be joined by seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette for a special concert; NHL Face-off Rocks! at the Fox Theatre a few blocks from JLA.
