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When the Detroit Red Wings took the ice for Opening Night on Saturday, Oct. 14, a new sound reverberated through the award-winning Little Caesars Arena. 

Now possible due to technological advancements in the last several years, a new, classic Hockeytown goal horn has been installed in the arena. The horn was sounded for the first time on Saturday evening when the Red Wings faced the Tampa Bay Lightning at 7 p.m.

While the horn is the exact model that was used at Joe Louis Arena during the team’s four most recent Stanley Cup Championship runs – and the Little Caesars Arena horn has a slightly different sound based on being in a new arena environment – it has the same bone-rattling blare that fans and players remember from their time at “The Joe.” 

Joe Louis Arena Goal Horn
New Classic Goal Horn at Little Caesars Arena

“There’s nothing like the sound and feeling of a goal horn reverberating through a raucous hockey arena and we’re excited to debut a new, classic Hockeytown goal horn on Opening Night at Little Caesars Arena,” said Ryan Gustafson, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Ilitch Sports + Entertainment. “This specific model of goal horn is a distinct part of our identity as Hockeytown, harkening back to Joe Louis Arena and paying homage to legendary performances of the past.”

When Little Caesars Arena opened ahead of the 2017-18 season, technology and equipment didn’t allow for the safe storage of compressed Nitrogen gas at the top of the building. In the years since, a method of normal air compression has emerged for safer use in horns, allowing for this installation to be made. For the first six seasons in the new building, a three-blast recording of the nostalgic Joe Louis Arena horn was played following Red Wings goals. The revered Joe Louis Arena goal horn is on display at the Red Wings team offices at Little Caesars Arena. 

Red Wings fans and Little Caesars Arena guests with sensory sensitivities are reminded that KultureCity sensory kits are available at the Guest Services offices near Portals 10, 20, and 67. Little Caesars Arena was named the 2021 KultureCity Sensory Inclusive Venue of the Year for making all events hosted at the venue sensory inclusive, promoting an accommodating and positive experience for guests and fans with sensory needs.