With the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players Association still working on a new collective bargaining agreement, we regret to inform our fans the NHL has cancelled the 2013 Bridgestone Winter Classic and the 2012 Sirius XM Hockeytown Winter Festival events, which were to include an OHL Doubleheader featuring a game between the Windsor Spitfires and Saginaw Spirit on December 29th at Comerica Park.

PHOTO CREDIT - Tim Cornett, OurHometown.ca

Windsor - November 2, 2012 - With the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players Association still working on a new collective bargaining agreement, we regret to inform our fans the NHL has cancelled the 2013 Bridgestone Winter Classic and the 2012 Sirius XM Hockeytown Winter Festival events, which were to include an OHL Doubleheader featuring a game between the Windsor Spitfires and Saginaw Spirit on December 29th at Comerica Park.

The NHL has confirmed that the next NHL Winter Classic and Hockeytown Winter Festival will take place at the University of Michigan and Comerica Park, respectively.

We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused our fans.

In a statement release earlier today, National Hockey League Deputy Commisioner Bill Daly outlined reasons for the move.

"The logistical demands for staging events of this magnitude made today's decision unavoidable. We simply are out of time. We are extremely disappointed, for our fans and for all those affected, to have to cancel the Winter Classic and Hockeytown Winter Festival events.”

"We look forward to bringing the next Winter Classic and the Hockeytown Winter Festival to Michigan."

Spitifres President and Head Coach Bob Boughner says the club remains optimistic and grateful for the possible opportunity to participate in the event next year.

"We aren't looking at this as a disappointment," said Boughner. "The Detroit Red Wings are a first class organization. We know they were prepared to put on an outstanding Winter Classic event. The positive here is, if we are invited to participate again next season, we will have an extra year to prepare to play a role in making this event something that our great fans and hockey fans across our regions will remember for a lifetime.”

“The Spitfires organization looks forward to that opportunity and the chance to showcase our club in partnership with the Red Wings. We sincerely hope the National Hockey League, the Red Wings and the Ontario Hockey League once again chose to include us in their plans for this event going forward.”

The Saginaw Spirit vs Windsor Spitfires game originally schedule for this event will now be played at The Dow Event Center on December 29th, at 7:11pm.