Insider reveals why the NHL ignored Detroit for the All-Star Game

The National Hockey League announced that the 2026 NHL All-Star Game will be held at UBS Arena, the new home of the New York Islanders that was completed in 2021. 

However, fans in the Motor City were understandably a bit perturbed given the fact that Little Caesars Arena is approaching a decade of age and has yet to be awarded an All-Star Game, or to host the NHL Draft. 

It's safe to assume that part of the delay in the All-Star Game and/or the Draft coming to Detroit is the embarrassingly slow, almost non-existent progress on what was called "District Detroit". Almost seven full years after Little Caesars Arena opened for business, there have been no neighborhoods, retail outlets, apartments, bars or restaurants constructed that were promised. 

Two years ago, an Ilitch spokesperson offered the following bland excuse: 

"It is not uncommon for the pacing of development projects throughout the country, including in Detroit, to change or alter over time," director of communications Ed Saenz said. "This is due to a variety of reasons, including community and market needs, demand, tenant interest, the need for additional planning, as well as general economic conditions."

You'll also recall that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that he would be glad to see Detroit host an All-Star Game, but that work would need to be done on District Detroit before that was possible; these comments were made in 2017. 

“We’re gonna wait until everything is up and running,” Bettman said. “I defintely see league events in the future and we’ve had preliminary discussions. We haven’t nailed down a date, but we want to make sure that everything, that the vision around the building and all the construction, that has to be done and completed so that everybody we bring to Detroit for the celebration will see the full experience and the full vision that Mike and Marian Ilitch have had for Detroit.”

Unfortunately, Chris Ilitch, the son of Mike and Marian, has turned what Bettman described as the "full experience and the full vision" into nothing but a collection of parking lots, excuses, and broken promises. 

According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, the lack of progress on the project is the source of why Little Caesars Arena has yet to host a major NHL event. 

One thing is absolutely for certain - Chris Ilitch is not his father. 

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