"Welcome to Hockeytown, eh?

Those are fighting words.

Or at least they used to be, as Ted Lindsay and Red Kelly and other former NHL greats were more than happy to remind us all Thursday.

And that, to me, was the best part of the league unveiling its plans for next year's Winter Classic, with the marquee game between the Maple Leafs and Red Wings scheduled for Michigan Stadium and a whole host of events on tap at Comerica Park.

With so much rich history shared between these hockey franchises — and so much passion for the game in these cities — it didn't take long to rekindle the old rivalry."