Winter Classic Game Draws Record Crowd Of More Than 105,000

Yesterday's Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Red Wings-Maple Leafs game at Michigan Stadium drew a crowd of 105,491, topping a crowd of 104,173 that attended the Michigan-Michigan State hockey game there in '10. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, "I don't know if we set the official Guinness attendance record, but I know we set our own record, because this was the most well-attended game that we ever had" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/2).

The 3-2 Maple Leafs win was "sure to be a memorable game just with that Big House scene alone, the monster crowd splitting the stadium down the red line with blue on one side, red on the other." It was a "moment for fans more than anything else" (CBSSPORTS.com, 1/1).

Tuesday's issue of USA Today featured an eight-page Winter Classic preview section with full-page ads from NHL partners Coors Light, SiriusXM Radio, Verizon and Honda (THE DAILY).