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For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation)

"The Cold War" had the highest attendance of any hockey game in history

The Cold War was an ice hockey game played between U.S. college rivals Michigan State University and the University of Michigan on Saturday October 6, 2001. It set the world record for the largest crowd at an ice hockey game.^[1] The attendance was so high because instead of hosting the game in East Lansing's Munn Ice Arena, Michigan State decided to set up an ice rink in the middle of the much larger Spartan Stadium, which they filled to 103.4% of capacity. This meant that 74,544^[2] packed the Big Ten football stadium to watch the MSU Spartans and the U-M Wolverines skate to a 3-3 tie.^[3][4] Two 300-piece marching bands were present on field and the game was internationally televised. Country artist Shannon Brown sang during the second intermission.

The Cold War set off a wave of outdoor ice hockey games in large stadiums. In November 2003, the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens dropped the puck on the Heritage Classic - the NHL's first regulation outdoor game. An NHL record 57,000 fans braved -18 °C temperatures was also treated to Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier returning as an Oiler alumni in the preceding Alumni Game. In February 2006, Ohio State and Wisconsin attracted 40,890 fans to Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers.

The Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will play the AMP NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium near Buffalo on January 1, 2008. This game could easily break the NHL record for attendance with Ralph Wilson Stadium seating 73,967 people. With additional field-level seats likely, the world record of 74,544 set by the "Cold War" game is well within reach. Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller played for Michigan State in the "Cold War" game and is expected to play in the Winter Classic game as well. [1]

There are tentative plans to have another outdoor game featuring Boston College, Boston University, Michigan and Michigan State held at Fenway Park. Talks are also underway to determine whether a game at Yankee Stadium between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders would be possible. As well, Michigan and Michigan State have discussed an outdoor rematch at Michigan Stadium and the Detroit Red Wings have looked into hosting a game at Detroit's Comerica Park.

The effects of this event were felt in Europe, where local rivals SC Bern and SC Langnau held their 100th meeting at Bern's Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf in front of 30,076 spectators on January 14, 2007. The game was sold out within 53 hours of going on sale. These two teams regularly fill one of Europe's largest ice hockey arenas, the Bern Arena, with 16,000+ fans. The attendance was the largest in European ice hockey history, and broke a 40-year old mark set in Sweden.

The name "Cold War" is a fun reference to the longstanding athletic rivalry held between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, paying homage to the nonviolent conflict that occurred between the United States of America and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Interestingly enough, the "Cold War" advertising device was significantly lessened after the events of September 11, 2001, seen as promoting violence in the time of national uncertainty immediately following the attacks. The event remained known as the Cold War, but it was no longer emphasized as it was previous to the terrorist actions.

• FSN Detroit broadcasted the game, but it was available nationally. The announcers were Matt Shepard, Billy Jaffe and Shireen Saski. John Keating hosted a pregame show.