Sitting in Joe Louis Arena knowing it's the final season the Detroit Red Wings will play there is a bittersweet experience. As I glanced around me in the crowd, I couldn’t help but take it all in. The loud old lady who had probably been a fan since the old Olympia Stadium era now sat a row above me screaming for her team at the soon to be ex home of the Detroit Red Wings. The fan that couldn’t have been older than 6 sat just one row in front of me with his eyes glued to the ice. I couldn’t help but think about how his generation of fans will only faintly remember the Joe, as the former home of the Red Wings once they start attending more games at the new arena next season. For fans from my generation, they will remember the Joe as a part of their childhood. For die hard Wings fans and hockey players alike, the Joe was more than just a place, it was a dream. A trip to the Joe was a trip to see our Wings hopefully win another game on their journey to winning the Stanley Cup. It's called the farewell season, because each game a fan visits makes it easier to say goodbye. When a fan starts walking up or down those stairs to their seat, it’s like a trip down memory lane.

As fans look up to the pillars and see all the retired jerseys flying high above them, fans can’t help but to think of all the great players that once skated on that very ice in front of them. All those memories fans have gained throughout the years attending games at the Joe makes it a requirement for any fan, big or small, to attend one last game to relive and reminisce. Saying goodbye to the Joe won't all be bad though. For fans over 6 feet tall there is hope, that in the new arena, there will be enough leg room available. Therefore, fans' legs won't begin to cramp anymore towards the middle of the second period. The bigger arena will also make it possible for more fans to come cheer on the Wings, making the crowd get even louder when the sign on the video board reads, "Make Some Noise."

Looking back at the games I've been to at the Joe, I've made a lot of memories of my own. For instance, a game I went to with my family, the Wings lost but I still had an amazing time just being at the Joe. Why? The fans around me never failed to have a smile on their face and never lost hope. Oh, and my mom totally got her foot stuck in between the seats. Even at possibly my last game, I made a memory. For some odd reason, putting my North Face on got the attention of the Camera man. My awkward pose and reaction followed by the smirks and laughs from my friends is something I will never forget. With a Red Wings victory over the Vancouver Canucks, I left the Joe possibly for the last time with some great friends and a smile on my face. The wings may be moving to a new home, but the spirit of the Joe and its legacy will live on for anyone who has been a part of a game there. Even though we have a new arena our wings will still stay winning, and Detroit will still always be Hockey Town.