The Red Wings joined the NHL in 1926 as the Detroit Cougars, became the Falcons in 1930 and the Red Wings in 1932. They have had four homes: a first season across the river in Windsor, Ontario, the Detroit Olympia, Joe Louis Arena and, since 2017, Little Caesars Arena.
Here is every home in order, with the years the Red Wings played there, what made each one matter and what stands on the site today. Each arena with a ThrillZing guide links to it.
Every Red Wings Arena, 1926 to Today
- Windsor
- 1926–1927
Border Cities Arena
Detroit had no arena yet, so the new Detroit Cougars played their first season across the river in Windsor. The arena was expanded from 6,000 to 9,000 seats for them. Later renamed Windsor Arena.
Today: Still standing as Windsor Arena, unused for hockey since 2013
- Detroit
1927–1979The Old Red Barn opened in October 1927 at Grand River and McGraw. The team became the Red Wings here in 1932 and won seven Stanley Cups in its Olympia years. It moved downtown in December 1979.
Today: Demolished in 1986; the Michigan National Guard's Olympia Armory occupies the site
Stadium history →- 1979–2017
Joe Louis Arena
Opened in December 1979 on the Detroit River after the city countered a move to suburban Pontiac with lower rent. The Red Wings won four Stanley Cups in its era, clinching 1997 and 2002 at home.
Today: Demolished in 2019–2020; the Residences at Water Square opened on the site in 2024
- 2017–presentCurrent home
Opened in September 2017 in Midtown, shared with the Pistons. The original OLYMPIA letters from the Old Red Barn were installed here.
Visiting guide →
Red Wings Arena FAQ
Where did the Red Wings play before Little Caesars Arena?
At Joe Louis Arena on the Detroit River, from December 1979 through the 2016–17 season. Before that they played 52 years at the Detroit Olympia, and their first season, 1926–27, at the Border Cities Arena in Windsor, Ontario.
Why did Detroit’s NHL team start out in Canada?
Detroit had no suitable arena in 1926. While the Olympia was being built, the new Cougars played their home games at the Border Cities Arena in Windsor, which was expanded from 6,000 to 9,000 seats for them. They moved into the Olympia in November 1927.
Why did the Red Wings leave the Olympia?
By the late 1970s the neighborhood around the Olympia had declined, especially after the 1967 riot. In 1977 the Red Wings announced a move to a proposed arena in suburban Pontiac, and the city of Detroit answered with a new riverfront arena at much lower rent. The team moved into Joe Louis Arena in December 1979.
Are the Olympia and Joe Louis Arena still standing?
No. The Olympia was demolished in 1986, and the Michigan National Guard’s Olympia Armory now occupies the site. Joe Louis Arena closed in July 2017 and was demolished in 2019 and 2020; a residential tower opened on the site in 2024. The Windsor arena, later called Windsor Arena, still stands but has not hosted hockey since 2013.
Where do the Red Wings play now?
At Little Caesars Arena in Midtown Detroit, shared with the Pistons since it opened in September 2017. It seats 19,515 for hockey, and the original OLYMPIA letters from the Old Red Barn hang inside.