As the economic situation in Michigan continues to be tenuous, the inevitable impact on the Red Wings is beginning to be felt. There have been chronic problems with the Detroit economy for some time and the Joe Louis Arena, now 30 years old is much like the Chicago White Sox' stadium and perhaps the Toronto Blue Jays' Rogers Centre in that it was built outside of the trends of stadium renewal in their respective leagues.
Before exploring this further, the fact that the Red Wings have continued to put the product they have on the ice over the last 15 years and remained one of the most valuable franchises in the NHL is an incredible credit to ownership and management, with the facilities that they play in, the location of their arena and the local economy.
The Red Wings request to renegotiate their lease at Joe Louis Arena is the first sign that it may get tougher for the Red Wings to maintain their position as one of the most valuable franchises in the league. The team has also said that it is investigating its options for building a new arena. While a new arena might inject some money into the economy during construction and some life into Detroit's moribund downtown area, state and city governments might not have the means to contribute to a new arena. A retrofit of JLA might be possible but it is probably quite difficult to design and build in an amenity-laden layout without cramping the Red Wings and their fans in the interim.
This will certainly be a difficult transition for the Red Wings ownership and management. Hopefully they will be able to manage this situation with the same expertise and professionalism they have demonstrated in running the franchise throughout the Ilitch era.
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