Winter Classic 2013 Tickets: Gary Bettman Says '115,000 Or More' Seats Will Be Available

Read More: Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers

2013 Winter Classic tickets are likely going to be hard to come by, but playing the game at the largest stadium in North America isn't a bad way to ensure as many people get to see the game live as possible.

At the press conference announcing the details of the 2013 Winter Classic at the Big House, Michigan Stadium, Gary Bettman promised that the event would shatter the record for attendance at a hockey game.

"Even with 115,000 or more tickets available, we still won't have enough to satisfy the demand," Bettman said while lauding the 110,000 seat capacity of Michigan Stadium. "A capacity we expect to challenge and surpass when the Maple Leafs and Red Wings resume their historic rivalry."

At the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia, a very limited public sale of tickets -- brokered through an online lottery -- was made available following distribution to Flyers season ticket holders, New York Rangers ticket holders and league sponsors. The same was the case in Pittsburgh back in 2011, but the massive capacity of the venue in 2013 should make purchasing tickets at least slightly easier.

The only way to truly guarantee tickets is by purchasing Leafs or Red Wings season tickets, but otherwise, the NHL has set up a pre-sale website following Thursday's announcement. It crashed almost immediately due to a heavy traffic load.

For more on the 2013 Winter Classic, check in with Red Wings blog Winging It In Motown, Maple Leafs blog Pension Plan Puppets, SB Nation Detroit, and our SBNation.com StoryStream.