Detroit Red Wings Could Be Leaving Joe Louis Arena

The Joe Louis Arena in Detroit has been around since 1979 and is currently the third oldest arena in the National Hockey League behind Rexall Place in Edmonton and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New York. And this season may be the last time the Red Wings call it home, as they appear to be in talks with Palace Sports and Entertainment, the group who runs the Palace at Auburn Hills, about finding a temporary home for the Red Wings.

The lease between the Red Wings and the Joe Louis Arena ends at the end of the season and the team will have to put $10 million in renovations into the arena for next season if they want to play there. Due to the age of the arena, it makes sense for the Wings to work with Palace Sports to get both the Pistons and the Red Wings a new arena downtown. Chris McCosky from the Detroit News has this to say about their options:

So, in the end, it makes sense for the Pistons and Wings to partner for two critical reasons:

• In addition to the Wings needing a new home, the long-term plan at Palace Sports and Entertainment has been to build a new arena before 2020.

• With both organizations needing arenas in this economically-bereft region, it's hard to imagine either being able to raise the money alone any time soon.