For almost 40 years, Joe Louis Arena was the home of the Detroit Red Wings. A home that gave the Wings four Stanley Cups and had the word 'Hockeytown' emblazoned on the ice.

Yesterday, they said goodbye to the old tin barn down by the river.

It wasn't much to look at, and it certainly will never win any awards for creature comforts, but the arena holds a huge place in the hearts of Red Wing fans, who saw the team go from its 'Dead Wings' era to four Stanley Cup titles while calling Joe Louis Arena their home.

And so they said goodbye to place affectionately known as 'the Joe', with a 4-1 win over New Jersy and a boatload of memories.

Former heroes like Grind Line stars Darren McCarty and Kris Draper, and the guy known simply as 'The Captain', Steve Yzerman walked down a red carpet to the cheers of over 20 thousand fans prior to the game.

Afterwards, no one left for what seemed like forever as the fans hung, seemingly not wanting to let go of the final moments.

SportsNetCanada put together this tribute.

And here's the last minute of hockey from The Joe.

 

 

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