"HOCKEYTOWN" Limited Edition Print
This piece captures the feeling of being a Red Wings fan on game day as fans walk toward both the Olympia Stadium (left) and the Joe Louis Arena (right). I merged the two arenas to capture the complete history of the team. Ghosted in the sky above the arenas are eight of the many great players that have captured the hearts of Wings' fans since their inaugural season in 1926. From left to right: Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, Alex Delvecchio, Sergei Fedorov, Niklas Lidstrom, Steve Yzerman, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. Fan jersey numbers pay tribute to these players as well as many more, while also representing all incarnations of jersey design throughout Wings' history, including their early years when they were known as the Cougars and then Falcons. Head Ice Manager and Zamboni Driver at Joe Louis Arena, Al Sobotka, welcomes fans to the game on the right while swinging an octopus over his head in celebration of a tradition that dates back to 1952. A young fan in the center also carries a toy "Al" octopus, the Red Wings unofficial mascot. I included two octopus (16 tentacles) in this artwork to symbolize the 16 playoff wins an NHL team needs to win the Stanley Cup. In final tribute to the octopus tradition, the fan wearing #8 is also wearing a cap bearing the logo of Superior Fish Company, a fish market store that carries the O-Fish-Al Octopi Supply. The fan wearing legendary tough guy, Bob Probert's #24 also sports a cap bearing a skull & crossed-hockey sticks logo found on one of Probert's game worn t-shirts. RIP Mr. Probert. The fans wearing Yzerman's #19 and Konstantinov's #16 jerseys bear the "Believe" shoulder patch the Red Wings wore during the 1997-1998 season in honor of Vladimir Konstantinov & Sergei Mnatsakanov's tragic accident. The fan wearing Gordie Howe's #9 is also sporting a "Mr. Hockey" cap. Another fan is wearing a Journey cap in tribute to their song, "Don't Stop Believin". This song is played during the final minutes of Detroit Red Wings home games when it seems evident that the team will win. Played over the PA system, the song is muted so the crowd can sing the verse, "Born and raised in South Detroit." The large flag on the left, in front of Olympia Stadium bears the logo of the Detroit Cougars while the large red flag on the right in front of the Joe bears the current logo of the Red Wings. The billboard in front Olympia Stadium announces the first game the Red Wings (bearing that name) played at the Olympia Stadium.
The Original Sized 18"x24" Limited Edition prints are individually signed and numbered out of ONLY 926 to commemorate the inaugural year of the Detroit Red Wings (1926).
The 12"x16" Limited Edition prints are individually signed and numbered out of ONLY 1926 to commemorate the inaugural year of the Detroit Red Wings.
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