Joe Louis Arena

The home venue of the Red Wings NHL franchise is Joe Louis Arena, located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. The arena, known colloquially as "The Joe" by fans and sports media in and around the Detroit area, replaced the team's former home, Olympia Stadium. It opened on December 12, 1979. The first event ever held there was an NCAA basketball game between the University of Detroit and the Michigan Wolverines. Fifteen days later, the Red Wings played their first game at Joe Louis Arena, losing to the St. Louis Blues by a 3-2 margin. Many other events have been held at "The Joe" including Detroit Rockers soccer, the NBA's Detroit Pistons and the WNBA's Detroit Shock basketball clubs, the Arena Football League's Detroit Drive, concerts and even the 1980 Republican National Convention. Today, the facility is considered by many to be out of date, due largely to its lack of money-making luxury boxes, but it is still a fine place to watch a hockey game.

The Man For Whom Joe Louis Arena Was Named

Anyone even remotely familiar with the professional boxing scene knows full well about the man whose name Joe Louis Arena bears. Louis, a native of Detroit, is undoubtedly one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time. Nicknamed "The Brown Bomber," was born in Alabama but relocated to the Motor City as a youngster. He trained extensively and boxed as an amateur, turning pro in 1934 after winning the National AAU light heavyweight championship. Louis won his first 27 fights, knocking out all but four of his opponents, and went on to defeat James J. Braddock in 1937 to become the first African American heavyweight champion in nearly 30 years. He held onto the belt until 1948, winning a heavyweight-record 25 title defenses as part of a title reign that lasted nearly 12 consecutive years. In the process, Joe Louis became a hero to all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin.