The "Iron D" trophy will be on the line for the winner of the "Duel in the D" after Michigan State claimed the trophy in its debut with a 3-2 overtime victory over Michigan last season on Feb. 5, 2016 at The Joe. The "Iron D" trophy features a forged iron "D" at its center to symbolize the city of Detroit, while the skyline of Hockeytown wraps around the base, including an image of Little Caesars Arena placed at the center. A large cup rests atop the trophy and hockey sticks, a red glass puck and the logos of Michigan and Michigan State line the sides of the trophy.
The "Duel in the D" features the most-played rivalry in college hockey, as the annual clash at The Joe will mark the 313th meeting between Michigan and Michigan State, with the Wolverines leading the all-time series, 160-132-20. The rivals have met at least once per season at Joe Louis Arena since 1990, with the Wolverines holding the series advantage at The Joe with a 15-11-4 record.
"It's another opportunity for us to play at Joe Louis Arena this year and it's a special year there with it being the final season," said Michigan head coach Red Berenson. "It's going to be an important game for us, as it always is against Michigan State. It's always exciting playing against them in maybe the final game of this rivalry at The Joe."
"This is a game we look forward to every year," said Michigan State head coach Tom Anastos. "The rivalry, sellout crowd and 'Iron D' trophy make for a one-of-a-kind college hockey atmosphere. We're excited to play for the 'Iron D' trophy at one last 'Duel in the D' at The Joe and are grateful to the Red Wings and Ilitches for their continued support of college hockey."
Three of the last five meetings between the in-state rivals have gone to overtime, including the last two meetings between the teams at The Joe. Michigan and Michigan State met for a home-and-home series last weekend (Jan. 20-21) with the Spartans claiming a 3-0 victory on Friday in Ann Arbor and the two teams skating to a 2-2 tie before the Wolverines earned the extra point in the conference standings with a shootout victory on Saturday in East Lansing.
Michigan's roster features nine NHL draft picks, including defenseman Joseph Cecconi, who was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. National Junior Team at the 2017 World Junior Championship. Leading the way for Michigan State is sophomore forward Mason Appleton, who has 19 points in 22 games this season. Michigan currently has an 8-12-3 record (1-6-1 Big Ten) while Michigan State sits at 5-15-2 (1-6-1).
TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE "DUEL IN THE D"
Tickets for the "Duel in the D" are now on sale at the Joe Louis Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) and online at
www.OlympiaEntertainment.com
:
- Little Caesars Family 4-Packs featuring four tickets, four slices of pizza or hot dogs and four soft drinks start at $49.
- Individual tickets start at $18.
- Group rates for 10 or more tickets are available by calling the Red Wings Ticket Sales Office at 313-471-7575.
- Student rates are also available for $12 per ticket by providing a valid student ID at the Joe Louis Arena Box Office on Friday, Feb. 10.
