DETROIT – Joe Louis Arena is being torn down from the inside out.
Detroit Red Wings photographer Dave Reginek posted photos from inside the vacant building on Instagram this week, giving everyone a look at how the iconic structure is being demolished.
UPDATE: And it looks like he took down the post. The photos showed the ice rink gone, the stands torn down, walls being demolished, etc. Now the post is gone.
The post included:
"I got to spend a few hours inside the the old Joe Louis Arena. Sad day but fun at the same time. Sad to see her go but also looking forward to the future of the Red Wings at the new Little Caesars Arena. #lgrw #lca #jla #demolition"
"The Joe," as hockey fans affectionately called it, first opened in 1979. The Red Wings played their final game at the Joe on April 9, 2017, then moved to the new Little Caesars Arena that fall.
The Red Wings enjoyed a dominant run for nearly three decades while tenants at the Joe, winning four Stanley Cups as a perennial championship contender.
The arena definitely holds a special place in the hearts of Detroit sports fans and hockey fans around the world.
But beyond hockey, Joe Louis Arena was the venue for countless legendary concerts and events. It was a go-to spot despite it's awkward position along the riverfront, disconnected by a freeway from the rest of Downtown Detroit.