The current struggles, though, are real. According to NHL insiders, the Wings’ season-ticket base has slipped from 18,000 in the glory days at Joe Louis Arena to just 10,000 inside the swanky state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017. The Ilitch family has taken heat for the lack of progress on the District Detroit project, which was supposed to spur development in the area surrounding the new arena. Vacant lots and vacated buildings remain prevalent in the neighborhood, and it’s this blight that is believed to be the reason why the Red Wings haven’t been awarded an NHL All-Star Game or NHL draft since opening the new rink.
