(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Detroit Red Wings are set to square off with the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday evening for their home opener of the 2023-24 regular season. While the home opener is exciting, the Red Wings have added another layer to it by reviving the classic sounding goal horn that fans became accustomed to hearing for all those fantastic seasons at Joe Louis Arena.
The Detroit Red Wings could not remove the exact horn from Joe Louis Arena and install it in Little Caesars Arena after it was built because the old horn was operated with nitrogen gas. The new horn with the old sound will be operated with standard air compression. It’s a recognizable sound, and Detroit calls it a new, classic Hockeytown” horn.
The original horn is retired and displayed at Little Caesars Arena but will never be functional again.
The Detroit Red Wings have added an old-sounding goal horn.
Ryan Gustafson, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment’s executive vice president & chief operating officer, mentioned that the “bone-rattling blare” Red Wings fans fondly remember will return on opening night.
The addition of the traditional goal horn, the Red Wings said, is a way to add “the bone-rattling blare” fans remember from The Joe.
“There’s nothing like the sound and feeling of a goal horn reverberating through a raucous hockey arena and we’re excited to debut a new, classic Hockeytown goal horn on Opening Night at Little Caesars Arena. “This specific model of goal horn is a distinct part of our identity as Hockeytown, harkening back to Joe Louis Arena and paying homage to legendary performances of the past.”
Let’s hope that horn gets a workout on Saturday evening, and for the entire 2023-24 regular season, for that matter, with the Detroit Red Wings finally poised to make a serious playoff push.
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Detroit fell short to the Devils in New Jersey 4-3 despite playing a very solid game in their season opener and will be looking for better results in front of what is sure to be a ruckus Detroit crowd against an Andrei Vasilevskiy-less Tampa Bay Lightning. The puck drop is set to drop at 7:00 PM EST.