Detroit Olympia

[Morris Wanchuk]

It seems as though many of the old Barns get talked about frequently (and as well they should) but it seems like the Olympia is talked about the least. I know about the chicken wire, but thats about it. Maybe its because, as a Bruins fan, there has not been many interactions between the two teams and I havent heard about it much.

But even here on HF you hear about the Band Box Boston Garden, the Ghosts of the Montreal Forum, the Mad House on Madison, etc. but not too much about the Olympia. Was it just not as impressive as the other buildings? I did notice it was the first of the group to close, which was in 1979.

[HabsByTheBay]

Hardly the first to close, the MSG never made it to expansion after all.

[tarheelhockey]

Originally Posted by Morris Wanchuk

I did notice it was the first of the group to close, which was in 1979.

I think that's the biggest reason why it isn't talked about. The other arenas survived farther into the TV era, for one thing. Also the Olympia was closed at a time when people were a little less sentimental (or less appreciative) of older buildings and their cultural significance. Detroit in particular thought nothing of tearing down historic structures for surface parking lots. Olympia was swept aside in that culture with less sensitivity than the other O6 arenas received.

[Big Phil]

Originally Posted by tarheelhockey

I think that's the biggest reason why it isn't talked about. The other arenas survived farther into the TV era, for one thing. Also the Olympia was closed at a time when people were a little less sentimental (or less appreciative) of older buildings and their cultural significance. Detroit in particular thought nothing of tearing down historic structures for surface parking lots. Olympia was swept aside in that culture with less sensitivity than the other O6 arenas received.

It ended at a weird time, 1979. The Red Wings were an awful team for a decade by then. They didn't earn the nickname the "Dead Wings" for nothing. Lots of great hockey was played at the Olympia, don't kid yourself, but I guess with the other classics lasting 15-20 years longer there is this feeling that in the Forum you had Morenz, Richard, Beliveau, Lafleur, Roy etc play there all into the 1990s. Heck, Pierre Turgeon captained the team while they were at the Forum. The Leafs have the same thing with all their legends. Gilmour shared the same ice as Syl Apps. So did Sundin. So did Cujo. Ditto for Chicago and Boston. Players into the 1990s could say they shared the same ice as Orr or Hull, or the same dressing room.

But not the Wings. Sure, Howe, Lindsay, Kelly, Sawchuk, etc. all shared the Olympia ice. But then who? Mickey Redmond? Gary Bergman? That's how far it goes. Yzerman, Fedorov, Lidstrom, Shanahan, etc. never shared the same ice as Howe. That's what makes the other ones so special.