Detroit Olympia

Morris Wanchuk

.......
Feb 10, 2006
16,173
1,148
War Memorial Arena
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

Registered User
Dec 3, 2010
1,216
22
London
Hardly the first to close, the MSG never made it to expansion after all.

50489863.jpg
 

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,982
137,355
Bojangles Parking Lot
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

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
31,703
4,144
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.
 

EvilCoop

What year is it?
Nov 29, 2011
10,192
0
The Black Lodge
Sorry to revive the dead thread, but I was wondering if the Olympia could have survived into the 1990s like four of the other original six arenas had it been in a better part of town. Some guy posted on Youtube some games from the Olympia in the late 70s and it looks like a well built barn with good seating arrangements (better than say Maple Leaf Gardens).
 

ICM1970

Registered User
Jan 29, 2012
607
129
Ottawa, ON
I recall reading discussion somewhere that by 1979, Bruce Norris basically browbeat the Detroit city people into building a new arena (Joe Louis) with the faint threat of selling or even moving the franchise. I have a friend who lived in Windsor (nearby across the border, of course) and he told me that because it was also built for boxing, the Olympia had great sight lines and that there was not a bad seat in the house. As a Red Wings fan, I'd have liked to have seen the Little Caesar's Arena built as a replica of the Olympia (with the modern amenities, of course).

Agreed with Big Phil, because by 1979, Bruce Norris basically drank and gambled that great deal of his father's fortune both inside and outside of hockey, it was that sort of an odd time and basically no bridge between Howe, Lindsay, Delvecchio, and Sawchuk and Yzerman, Probert, Federov, Lindstrom, Datsyuk, Konstantinov, and the other 1990s early 2000s greats.
 

blood gin

Registered User
Jan 17, 2017
4,174
2,203
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.

I remember it always looked very solidly built. Just an imposing building. Like an armory

Sat about 15,000. Compact. Rink was slightly under regulation size at 200 x 83. I think if it survived into the 90's the legend about it would've grown but in 1979 there wasn't much pomp and circumstance and nostalgia especially when you consider the state of the team at the time and the decaying state of the city. The nostalgia and farewell tour $$$ had not become big business yet
 

scribe114

Registered User
Jul 12, 2005
98
23
Detroit, Michigan
Grew up in Detroit and went to High School about 2 miles west of the Olympia. The problem was it's location on Grand River and McGraw was in a declining urban neighborhood that was still burned out from the riots in 1967. It was about 3 miles NW of Downtown Detroit's business district with a declining infrastructure around it. Businesses were leaving, and logistically it was in a bad location. Excellent venue for Concerts, the Circus and the winter Ice Shows (Ice Follies, Ice Capades). It was the first O6 franchise to move to modern digs, so the Olympia does not resonate with the current Wings fans. They packed up shop and moved Mid-Season to Joe Louis Arena downtown.

Add in lack of parking and crime, and it was not the most desirable area to have a professional sports franchise. Not on the level of Chicago's "Skid Row" near Chicago Stadium, but it just made more business sense to have a Downtown arena and keep the franchise in the city. And unlike Chicago, Detroit had no desire to Gentrify. The Olymipia stood empty for 7 years until it was torn down in 1986.
 

ShelbyZ

Registered User
Apr 8, 2015
3,799
2,561
I recall reading discussion somewhere that by 1979, Bruce Norris basically browbeat the Detroit city people into building a new arena (Joe Louis) with the faint threat of selling or even moving the franchise.

I may be wrong, but I think the threat to move was to simply follow the Lions and Pistons north into the suburbs and not into a whole new market.
 

scribe114

Registered User
Jul 12, 2005
98
23
Detroit, Michigan
I may be wrong, but I think the threat to move was to simply follow the Lions and Pistons north into the suburbs and not into a whole new market.
They were threatening to move to Pontiac leaving only the Tigers in town. The Pistons had already pulled chocks on Cobo at that time.
 

Bondurant

Registered User
Jul 4, 2012
6,395
5,727
Phoenix, Arizona
Grew up in Detroit and went to High School about 2 miles west of the Olympia. The problem was it's location on Grand River and McGraw was in a declining urban neighborhood that was still burned out from the riots in 1967. It was about 3 miles NW of Downtown Detroit's business district with a declining infrastructure around it. Businesses were leaving, and logistically it was in a bad location. Excellent venue for Concerts, the Circus and the winter Ice Shows (Ice Follies, Ice Capades). It was the first O6 franchise to move to modern digs, so the Olympia does not resonate with the current Wings fans. They packed up shop and moved Mid-Season to Joe Louis Arena downtown.

Add in lack of parking and crime, and it was not the most desirable area to have a professional sports franchise. Not on the level of Chicago's "Skid Row" near Chicago Stadium, but it just made more business sense to have a Downtown arena and keep the franchise in the city. And unlike Chicago, Detroit had no desire to Gentrify. The Olymipia stood empty for 7 years until it was torn down in 1986.

Did you ever attend a game? My grandfather grew up in Detroit and my dad grew up in Garden City. Unfortunately, my cousin and I were the first in the family to care about hockey. My old man, uncle and grandpa never went there. The old sign is on display at Little Caesar's which might be my favorite aspects of the place.
 

scribe114

Registered User
Jul 12, 2005
98
23
Detroit, Michigan
Did you ever attend a game? My grandfather grew up in Detroit and my dad grew up in Garden City. Unfortunately, my cousin and I were the first in the family to care about hockey. My old man, uncle and grandpa never went there. The old sign is on display at Little Caesar's which might be my favorite aspects of the place.

Made it to a couple of games there during the 78-79 season before it was shut down. I was 10 then so I went with an older friend in the neighborhood.
 

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