The Hockey News’s Connor Eargood discusses the fact that Little Caesars Arena has yet to host an NHL playoff game some eight years into its existence, and the truth of the matter is that LCA has yet to host any playoff game eight years in thanks to the Pistons’ playoff drought as well.
Anyway, Eargood’s bloody thorough in terms of going through the NHL buildings struggling with playoff droughts over the years, Detroit’s various arenas included. At present:
Right now, the Red Wings are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets with seven seasons without hosting a playoff game in Nationwide Arena. The Blue Jackets technically went eight years without hosting a playoff game, but 2004-05 was the NHL lockout and no games were played that season.
In greater NHL history, Detroit could tie the Washington Capitals for the longest ever NHL playoff drought after opening a new arena. When the Caps joined the league in 1974-75, they went eight seasons without hosting a playoff game at the Capital Centre. The difference is, Washington was an expansion team, not one of the league’s most historic franchises.
Since Little Caesars Arena opened, three new arenas have joined the NHL circuit. The New York Islanders opened UBS Arena in 2021-22, while the Seattle Kraken joined the NHL while playing in their current Climate Pledge Arena in the same season. Both those teams went one season without playoff hockey to usher in their new homes. The Utah Hockey Club will add the third new arena this season when it plays its first season in Salt Lake City at the Delta Center.
Excluding newcomer Utah that has yet to play a game, Little Caesars Arena is the only current NHL arena to never host a playoff game.
Continued with some very thorough historical analysis; again, no playoff games at all for LCA. It won’t really get a reputation as a pumping Pizzarena or a Dough Joe until the Wings and/or Pistons get their stuff together.
