JC Reindl

Detroit Free Press

The Ilitch organization has yet to reveal the future name of the Detroit Red Wings' new arena.

But records show that the $627-million venue could officially be the "baddest" in all of hockey.

The Ilitches' Olympia Entertainment recently acquired two trademarks that could be applied to the arena that is under construction and scheduled to open by fall 2017: "The Baddest Bowl" and "The Baddest Bowl in Hockey," according to records with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The trademarks were applied for in 2014 and approved late last year. And their applications show that either phrase can be applied to a wide range of athletic pursuits: pro hockey games, basketball games, ice-skating competitions, curling, wrestling, boxing, martial arts, track and field, gymnastics, tennis, weightlifting and indoor football.

On Tuesday, Chris Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, caused a stir when he disclosed during a lunch event how the organization has a sponsor to purchase naming rights to the arena and that the formal announcement could come in a month or two.

"I’m not breaking any news," Ilitch said. "But we’re excited."

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Olympia representatives did not return messages Tuesday night seeking comment for this article on its "bad" trademarks. But logic suggests that the "Baddest Bowl" is more likely a nickname of sorts than any formal designation for the arena.

The Ilitch organization has made no secret of its aim to build a venue loaded with bells and whistles, including a giant concourse and an unique exterior "skin" capable of changing colors and displaying video and graphics.

Tom Wilson, president and CEO of Olympia Entertainment, used a variation of the now-trademarked phrases in a September 2014 Free Press interview, saying how "We have a bowl that is intimate. They're calling it the baddest bowl in town."

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There was more "bad" language in an arena planning document issued last April. There, project planners described how "the proposed bowl is steeply pitched to create a loud and intimate environment that puts every event participant on top of the action, and to make this the 'baddest' bowl in the National Hockey League."

More recently, a moderator on the Red Wings' page on the Reddit website said last fall that the organization challenged the project's architects "to create the 'baddest bowl' in the league, an environment any visiting team will feel."

As construction progresses, hockey fans may hear more exciting "bad" news on the new arena.