A couple of days ago, the NHL and Detroit Red Wings released their 2012-13 season schedule. I took some time to look at it and came up with what I think five key games will be for them.

1. October 12th against Nashville at Joe Louis.

Besides being the first game of the season, this game could have a few other side stories to go along with it. Defenseman Ryan Suter may be playing in the game, however, it could be for the home team. The Red Wings will be looking to establish themselves as the power house in a strong Central Division once again. Also, it will be the first game with out defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom.

2. November 29th against the Los Angeles Kings at Joe Louis.

Obviously this game is important because it is the first game against the defending Stanley Cup champs. The Kings became the first eighth seeded team to win the Cup. On the other hand, the Wings will hopefully have a pretty good record by this point in the season and play well. It should be a test to see where they compare to the rest of the league.

3. November 21st against St. Louis at Joe Louis.

This should be another game to try to establish themselves in the Central. St. Louis won the division last season and should be a force again this up coming season. It is another early home game for the Red Wings, who are home often throughout November.

4. January 1st against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium.

This is a big game for the entire league. It might become the largest crowd in hockey history. The record now took place at the same stadium when Michigan and Michigan State played “The Big Chill” back on December 11th 2010. The announced crowd was 113,411. It will be interesting to see if this game can surpass that total. 

5. January 30th against the Montreal Canadians at Joe Louis. 

It has been two seasons the last time these two played in Detroit. Detroit won that game 4-2 back in December of 2010. The two teams faced off last season in Montreal and the Canadians won 7-2. It should be a great crowd for this Original Six game and it should be a fun game to watch as the two rivals go at it.

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