Red Wings End Traverse City Camp Tradition

For 28 years, the Detroit Red Wings made Traverse City their training camp home. That longtime tradition is coming to an end, as the team will no longer head to Northern Michigan's "Hockeytown North" for camp.

Red Wings Leave Hockeytown North

The Detroit Red Wings held training camp in Traverse City from 1997 through 2025, with the only exception occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual camp gave players a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of Detroit while providing a significant economic boost to Traverse City, which proudly embraced the nickname "Hockeytown North."

The idea for moving training camp to Traverse City came from former Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman, who envisioned a setting where players could build chemistry through golf, team dinners, and other off-ice activities. The annual camp was held at Centre ICE Arena, which expanded over the years to accommodate the thousands of fans, along with team executives, scouts, coaches, and support staff who flocked to Northern Michigan each fall.

Detroit Red Wings Move Camp Out of Traverse City

The Red Wings aren’t leaving Traverse City by choice. Instead, the completion of a new state-of-the-art training facility at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit has prompted the franchise to end its nearly 30-year training camp tradition in Northern Michigan.

After news broke on Facebook that the Red Wings would no longer hold training camp in Traverse City, fans quickly shared their reactions. Here are some of the comments posted in response to the announcement.

While the Red Wings are a multimillion-dollar franchise, they still have a budget to manage. With a new state-of-the-art training facility at their disposal in Detroit, it makes financial and logistical sense to hold training camp at home rather than travel elsewhere.

Sounds like there is a bond with fans in northern Michigan and the camp will be missed by fans.

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There are a lot more comments on the thread for you to check out or add to.

👇BELOW: Every Sweater Number in Red Wings History Worn Just Once👇

Every Sweater Number in Detroit Red Wings History Worn Just Once (Or Not At All)

For whatever reason, these numbers have either been worn just once or never at all in the nearly 100-year history of Detroit Red Wings hockey, according to Hockey Reference.

(Hockey Reference suggests that No. 6 was only worn by Cummy Burton, which is incorrect as Larry Aurie wore the number first and the number is pseudo-retired. Such inaccuracies are difficult to narrow down, so where they can be corrected they will be.)

Gallery Credit: Jacob Harrison