Bye-bye, Hockeytown? Detroit Red Wings have scrubbed center ice logo

Kirkland Crawford | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Ice installed at Little Caesars Arena for first time The Detroit Red Wings unveiled the Little Caesars Arena ice rink for the first time Aug. 17, 2017. Video produced by Brian Manzullo, DFP.

For fans of a certain age, the "Hockeytown" moniker is synonymous with the Detroit Red Wings brand.

Beginning just before the team reeled off consecutive Stanley Cup championships in the 1990s, the team has been the launch point to songs, a sports-themed restaurant downtown and an identity that – along with winning – helped re-energize the base.

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But as time has passed, the Red Wings don't exactly feel like America's hockey epicenter. And so, it seems like the folks at Little Caesars Arena have turned the page.

Photos have surfaced on social media that show a revamped center-ice presentation with a bigger Red Wings logo, but without "Hockeytown" draped across it.

“The ice surface has been installed at Little Caesars Arena in preparation for the 2018-19 Detroit Red Wings season. At center ice, we will debut a fresh, new look: the Winged Wheel, one of the most iconic logos in professional sports, will be prominently featured," the team said in a statement late Friday.

I know tradition is tradition but this looks cleaner and no one can say otherwise imo. pic.twitter.com/efouOE1i5G — Tyler (@Sealdog91) August 24, 2018

Photo from inside Little Caesars Arena from a tipster, no HOCKEYTOWN across the Red Wings logo at center ice.



Other photo is from the home opener season with the HOCKEYTOWN script. #RedWings pic.twitter.com/jsHR8Ek4nT — Chris Zadorozny (@SentinelZads) August 22, 2018

"Also, in the coming days, several new initiatives that celebrate the fans and passion of Hockeytown are scheduled to be announced,” the team said.

That old design was one of the featured elements that carried over from Joe Louis Arena.

So, what do you think, Wings fans: was it time for a change, or are you annoyed with the new look?