Today, we celebrate the birth of an organization. Sort of.
Ninety-nine years ago today, Detroit was awarded an NHL expansion team. However, the May 15, 1926, approval was contingent upon the team’s arena being ready before the 1926-27 NHL season.
The Townsend-Seyburn group of Detroit, the investors behind the new franchise, plowed forward and laid the foundation for the birth of a historic organization.
In September 1926, the group made significant investments by purchasing the Victoria Cougars and a plot of land at the intersection of Grand River Avenue and McGraw Street for a new stadium.
The Detroit Red Wings team, over its 99-year history, has seen its share of phenomenal stadiums
Acquiring the Cougars was a prudent business decision that gave instant credibility to a new franchise. At that time, the Stanley Cup was played in a tournament between multiple leagues, and Victoria won the Cup in 1925.
Ground had not been broken on the home arena, but they planned to have Olympia Stadium open by December 1, and the NHL rubber-stamped the final approval of the team that September. The stadium was not ready for that season, but the games needed to happen somewhere.
Detroit’s inaugural NHL season was underway, but not in Michigan. The Cougars found themselves back over the Canadian border, playing at the Border Cities Arena in Windsor, Ontario. As the name suggests, the arena was right over the border, under two miles from Detroit’s border.
The team's first-ever game took place on November 18, 1926, at Windsor. Transportation options were limited, and fans rode the ferry to and from the games. The Cougars dropped the game 0-2 to Boston at "The Barn" in Windsor.
In March 1927, ground was finally broken on Olympia with hundreds of spectators there for the official ceremony celebrating the occasion. The stadium had a beautiful Art Deco facade and seated 11,563 fans.
It was a rough season for the team, finishing last in the American Division with a record of 12-28-4. Johnny Sheppard, who was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Prairie Hockey League for cash, finished the season with 22 points.
Things were back on track for the following season, and Olympia Stadium opened in time for the 1927-28 season, and the Michigan fans could finally see their team in their home arena that eventually became known as the “Old Red Barn.”
By 1930, financial struggles took their toll. All of the expenses of opening a team and a stadium without capitalizing on the home-game revenue generated by home games were tough. They tried changing the team's name from the Cougars to the Falcons, but it did not help bring in new fans.
In 1931, the team was placed into receivership, and rumors began to circulate that grain magnate, James Norris was interested in buying the team.
Norris showed great interest in hockey and attempted to win one of the 1926 expansion franchises, but failed to do so. In 1932, he tried a second time to bring a new team to the league, this time in St. Louis, MO. The league rejected him. He made multiple plays to become a bigger part of hockey and Detroit's struggles presented an opportunity.
In 1932, Norris bought the Falcons and changed the team's name one final time to the Red Wings we know and love today.
