Puck-drop delay: Red Wings stall start due to Tigers' playoff game

Field Level Media|published: 10/08/2024, 2:47pm EDT

Oct 4, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider (53) skates with the puck in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Even in hockey-crazed Detroit, the season opener for the Red Wings can wait.

The team announced Tuesday that Thursday's scheduled season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins, set for a 7 p.m., start will be pushed back an hour because the Tigers are home and playing in the American League Division Series for the first time since 2014.

The Red Wings' home at Little Caesars Arena is less than a mile from Comerica Park, where the Tigers are set to host the Cleveland Guardians in Game 4 of their series at 6:08 p.m., and the delayed hockey start will give a chance for traffic to clear between events.

"With heavy traffic volume expected that evening in downtown Detroit, fans are encouraged to arrive early and to give themselves extra time by reserving parking in advance," the Red Wings said in a statement.

--Field Level Media