Stadium Series at ‘Horseshoe’ evokes outdoor memories for Michigan alums on Red Wings, Blue Jackets

J.T. Compher and Dylan Larkin watched from the stands when the Detroit Red Wings hosted the Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium on January 1, 2014. At the time, Compher was an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Michigan, while Larkin, just 17, was preparing to join the team the following season. It was a memorable experience, not for a Michigan football game, but for a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory by the Toronto Maple Leafs in front of an NHL-record crowd of 105,491.

Fast forward to today, and they are set to play for the Red Wings in front of a massive audience at Ohio Stadium, home of Michigan’s archrival, Ohio State. The Red Wings will face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2025 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN, TVAS-D, FX-CA).

More than 80,000 fans are anticipated at the Horseshoe. While the attendance won’t break the record, it is expected to rank among the top three or four in NHL history.

“It’s exciting to have the bragging rights,” Compher said. “But that’s a lot of people to play hockey in front of.”

As the Stadium Series approaches, several Michigan-related storylines are emerging, highlighting the intense Michigan-Ohio State rivalry and celebrating the Buckeyes’ football tradition.

Michigan played in the first modern outdoor hockey game at a stadium, which took place at the home of another rival: Michigan State. The Wolverines faced off against the Spartans in the Cold War, resulting in a 3-3 tie in front of 74,544 fans at Spartan Stadium on October 6, 2001. This game set a precedent for outdoor hockey events in both college and professional leagues. The NHL followed suit with its first modern outdoor game on November 22, 2003, when the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in the Heritage Classic, attended by 57,167 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton.

“I always thought it was a great idea,” said Red Berenson, a former Michigan player from 1959-62 and coach from 1984-2017. “I’m glad it’s evolved. I love these games.”

Michigan also triumphed over Michigan State 5-0 in the Big Chill at the Big House on December 11, 2010, before the NHL brought the Winter Classic to Michigan Stadium in 2014. During that game, Luke Glendening, who played high school football in Michigan and hockey for the University of Michigan, took the opening face-off for Detroit in temperatures of 13 degrees Fahrenheit with snow falling.

Berenson opted to watch the game outside rather than in a suite. “I dressed for it,” he said. “I’m from Saskatchewan. If I can’t handle it, then nobody can. I loved it.”

In that matchup, the home team wore red, and the visiting team donned blue—opposite to the typical Michigan-Ohio State game colors. Fans were evenly divided in their support.

“It was cold, but it was really cool,” Compher recalled. “You could see the divide at the 50-yard line between the red and the blue. It was super fun to watch. It was a great day.”

Larkin described the experience as “awesome.” “It was just a great day, beautiful, with the snow at the Big House,” he said. “It was picturesque. I’ll remember that. It was a cold day, but the setting for hockey was perfect, with the jersey matchup and the Winter Classic logo. It was great.”