Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
The most recent installment of the NHL’s Stadium Series saw the Red Wings and the Blue Jackets face off in the building that’s usually home to Ohio State football games. There were plenty of nods to the Buckeyes during the contest, but there was one issue that reportedly caused some drama behind the scenes courtesy of the word “the.”
It’s been a little over a decade since the NHL kicked off The Stadium Series by having the Ducks and the Kings face off in an outdoor rink constructed on the field at Dodger Stadium in 2014. Since then, the league has held games at a number of other iconic venues that weren’t built for hockey, and they tend to draw massive crowds that generate the unique atmosphere that helps set those showdowns apart.
In 2014, The Big House at Michigan was the site of what remains the most-attended game in NHL history when around 105,000 people packed into the stadium to watch the Red Wings face off against the Maple Leafs (a game that technically fell under the “Winter Classic” umbrella).
This season, Ohio State finally got in on the action when it agreed to let the NHL use its football stadium for a Stadium Series game where the Blue Jackets earned a 5-3 win over the Red Wings in front of a friendly crowd consisting of the 94,751 people who flocked to The Shoe on Saturday for what is now the second most-attended game in the history of the league.
There was no shortage of Ohio State imagery at a game played in a rink surrounded by a giant “O” that also hosted its marching band in between periods, but according to The Athletic, the school did have some reservations when it came to the NHL’s efforts to promote the game.
None of them stand out more than the fact the learning institution was initially hesitant to let the league refer to The Stadium Series as “The Stadium Series” due to the first word in that phrase, as THE Ohio State University is apparently pretty protective of the “The” trademark it successfully secured in 2022 after it was widely mocked for going that route.
The school eventually got over itself on that particular issue, but the outlet notes Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was not allowed to rock buckeye leaves on his helmet due to similar concerns.
What a world.