What happened at Joe Louis Arena?
Nobody said for sure, but some speculated people within the Red Wing organization saw the crowds the Jr. Wings were drawing and felt Detroit OHL team was beging to get too big. Some say it was strictly business – that the Red Wings saw the crowds being generated by the Jr. Wings and hoped the same crowds would follow JLA-endorsed college hockey, indoor soccer, concerts and other events. To be fair, people at the JLA also sold a championship Arena Football League team and a successful lacrosse team at the same time. Whatever the reasons, the Whalers’ eviction from Joe Louis Arena ripped out the heart of a recognizable, growing fan-base for an OHL team hungry for acceptance in the Detroit area. In terms of a fan-base, the team would have to start over. Oak Park Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills were a long way from the Whalers’ established fan base in “Down-river” Detroit, Western Wayne County and even into Windsor. According to Maurice, he left the Whalers in capable hands. “I told m
