Red Wings' Zetterberg on Joe Louis Arena: 'We're going to miss this place'

Henrik Zetterberg is excited about the future home of the Detroit Red Wings, but he can't help feeling nostalgic for Joe Louis Arena.

"The arena itself is going to be amazing, and just everything around it," the Detroit Red Wings captain told mlive.com. "It's going to be pretty cool when it's all said and done. We're excited to go there, but at the same time we're going to miss this place."

Joe Louis Arena played host to four Stanley Cup champion teams in its 35 years as the Red Wings' home, but its fate was sealed in July when franchise owner Mike Ilitch announced plans for a new arena and entertainment district. The Ilitch family broke ground on the $450 million arena on Thursday.

Joe Louis Arena does feel like an artifact of a bygone era if only due to its singular purpose. Zetterberg notes that - unlike modern facilities - it is unmistakably a hockey arena, which is a large part of its charm.

"All the new buildings are built for more than just hockey," Zetterberg said. "I think (The Joe) is basically a hockey arena, and when you come in here you just feel it, you smell it, and it's a special place to be in."

Goaltender Jimmy Howard believes the new arena will be "a special place for a lot of people," but still holds Joe Louis Arena close to his heart.

"I still love this place," Howard said. "I think most players you talk to love playing here with the history, the nostalgia of the building. So it'll be tough when the day happens when we move. But from what I hear the place is going to be second to none."

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall shares his teammates' nostalgia.

"There's something about this building, the history, the culture," Kronwall said. "I know there's a time for everything. It's real exciting with the new arena and all that goes with it. But at the same time I like the Joe and I hope we can stay here for a few more years."

The Red Wings are expected to leave Joe Louis Arena at the end of the 2016-17 season.