Detroit — Joe Louis Arena certainly is past its prime.
That’s not to say it won’t be missed when the Red Wings pack their duffle bags and move into their brand new, $600-million-plus playground, Little Caesars Arena, in 2017.
“The smell of The Joe is the best,” longtime Wings goalie Chris Osgood said Friday night, before he was inducted into the 10-person Michigan Sports Hall of Fame class at Orchestra Hall. “The Joe smells like hockey, because it’s just a hockey rink.
“Stale beer and just hockey, like the old rinks in Canada.”
The smell stood out.