DETROIT, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The University of Michigan football stadium, which seats nearly 110,000, will be the site for the NHL's Winter Classic next year, the league said Thursday.
The NHL said the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings have been selected to play in the annual outdoor game on News Year's Day, with the game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
"Since this outdoor matchup is so big, there is only one place it could be played," NFL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at a news conference. "Even with 115,000 or more tickets available, we still won't have enough to satisfy the demand."
Seating at Michigan Stadium, also known as The Big House, is listed at 109,901 but a record 114,804 tickets were sold for the Sept. 10, 2011, football game between Notre Dame and Michigan.
On Dec. 10, 2010, 104,173 people attended the Michigan State-Michigan hockey game at the stadium. That is a record attendance for a hockey game.
The 2013 edition will be the sixth NHL Winter Classic. Detroit played in the 2009 game, beating Chicago 6-4 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The New York Rangers were 3-2 winners over Philadelphia in this year's game, which was played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
