The NHL will pay the Univ. of Michigan $3M to "lease Michigan Stadium from Dec. 1 until the middle of January" to host the '13 Winter Classic as part of an agreement unanimously approved yesterday by the school's Board of Regents, according to George Sipple of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. The NHL also "has agreed to donate an undisclosed amount for student scholarships." The NHL will stage the outdoor game featuring the Red Wings and Maple Leafs at the stadium on Jan. 1 with an "alternate date set for Jan. 2." UM AD Dave Brandon said that the NHL "was 'hell bent' to break the world record for hockey attendance set there" for a Michigan State-Michigan hockey game in '10 (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/9). Sipple notes UM "does not sell alcoholic beverages at the Big House, but it will sell them on New Year's Day for the game." UM's Board of Regents agreed to "use one of the university's 12 special licenses per year to obtain a one-day liquor license." The NHL also "will have advertising and sponsorship agreements throughout a stadium well-known for its lack of advertising signage" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/9). ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein noted by leasing the stadium to the NHL, UM "gives up control of ticketing and parking." The "only thing Michigan likely will have control over is game operations, on which the university will work with the NHL" (ESPN.com, 2/8). USA TODAY's Kevin Allen reports the '13 Winter Classic plan "calls for a second rink to be constructed" at Comerica Park. The alumni game, an AHL game and games from the Great Lakes Invitational college hockey tournament are among the events "being planned for the week leading up to the Winter Classic" (USA TODAY, 2/9). In Detroit, Angelique Chengelis writes it is believed Red Wings and Tigers Owner Mike Ilitch "wanted the Winter Classic to be at Comerica Park" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/9).

TURNING TO THE LEAFS: In Toronto, Kevin McGran notes the NHL "intends to draw on the population of Leaf Nation -- the main reason a Canadian team has been invited to what has been an exclusively American event -- to help reach its record crowd levels at the college football stadium" (TORONTO STAR, 2/9). Also in Toronto, Damien Cox wrote, "That there's finally a Canadian team involved is, at least, somewhat of a good thing, as NBC is forced to recognize the existence of teams in Canada." But the game "had to turn to the Leafs because they're one of the few franchises that offer a real opportunity to sell the record number of seats this game will try to sell" (THESTAR.com, 2/9).

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: In Detroit, Helene St. James notes as part of the Winter Classic, HBO crews "go behind the scenes with teams in the weeks leading up to the main event for the show '24/7.'" With the Red Wings hosting the Maple Leafs, that means "hello to strangers-with-cameras come next fall" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/9). Maple Leafs President & GM Brian Burke said that he "would welcome the network's cameras into his club's inner sanctum." Burke in an e-mail said, "I believe HBO has done a marvellous job with the series -- '24/7' gives fans a look at the guts of the game, and at the same time the breadth of its players and coaches. It's must-see TV for hockey fans" (TORONTO STAR, 2/9). Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, whose team was featured in "24/7" this season, predicted that Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson "will become the star of the show." Laviolette: "I know Ron -- he'll have fun with it. He's got a good personality (for the show)" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/9).

OUTDOOR VOICE: In Winnipeg, Ed Tait reports the NHL is "doing its homework as to the viability of Winnipeg playing host to a Heritage Classic outdoor game at the new Investors Field." A source said that the league "has taken the next step in their study by contacting Environment Canada seeking data on weather patterns in Winnipeg for January and February" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 2/9).

The first Davis Cup tie to be held in Vancouver in 20 years will be played this weekend at the Univ. of British Columbia's Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, with many questioning why the France-Canada matchup "isn't being played in a major-league venue that would maximize tennis's exposure to a blossoming fan base," according to Cam Cole of the VANCOUVER SUN. The venue will seat "just under 6,000" for the tie, and Tennis BC CEO Ryan Clark said of selecting the on-campus venue, "Could we sell more? Absolutely.  But if you go through it logically, where else could it be? Rogers Arena would have been awesome, and Rogers is a huge supporter of tennis in Canada and would have loved it to be there -- but we need the venue for 12 days, including setup, practice and teardown, and the Canucks play Monday night." Canadian Davis Cup player Daniel Nestor said, “There was a little bit of a dilemma leading up to this. I think Rogers Arena is a little bit too big, and 5,000 seems like it's a little bit small. Something in the 10,000 range would have been perfect, but I don't know if you had that choice. I think in Davis Cup, the intimate atmosphere is going to be to our advantage. It's going to feel like the crowd is really close and vocal and in (France's) face - at least that's what we hope. And 5,000 is a pretty good-sized crowd." Fellow Canadian Davis Cup player Milos Raonic added, “The right venue was picked for the event. Obviously, ticket sales you probably could have filled up a bit more, but ... I played an exhibition this year at the ACC (Air Canada Centre) -- it was done great, but in a big, big stadium, you don't have that echo, that full-on force.” He added, “Especially at a Davis Cup tie, you want to have intimacy that's not only for the (fans) but for the players" (VANCOUVER SUN, 2/8).