First impressions of the Pistons’ new home at Little Caesars Arena

For the first time, we at Piston Powered got a look behind the curtain at Little Caesars Arena, the new home of the Detroit Pistons.

Just a days ahead of the official opening of Little Caesars Arena with a series of Kid Rock concerts, members of the media got the opportunity to tour the new home of both the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Pistons.

While it’s not quite finished, it’s an impressive venue for both basketball and hockey, and it’s well-designed for concerts and shows as well.

What we saw on Wednesday featured the Red Wings facilities most heavily, including the Comerica Players Club, a section through which Red Wing players will cross from the locker room as they enter the ice surface.

There may be a similar access point for the Pistons from their own locker room, but at this point Tom Wilson (president and CEO of Olympia Entertainment) didn’t have definitive word on that. The Pistons’ locker room is not yet finished, but the Red Wings’ room is complete.

Adjacent to the locker room is the players’ lounge, where the Red Wings players will eat. The Pistons have their own lounge, albeit smaller.

Nearby is the Red Wings’ training facility, complete with a practice rink.

You will note there is a heavy Red Wing influence and presence in these pictures and clips, but there’s a reason for that. The Pistons’ team offices and headquarters are still in Auburn Hills, as is their practice facility, and they will be until next season when both headquarters and practice facility will be moved to a new structure on the Henry Ford campus in New Center.

Among all the Red Wing accoutrements, we did see a familiar face:

We toured the state of the art control room:

We also checked out the Chevy Plaza, with a massive video board, multiple restaurants and an expansive spot for outside concerts and seating.

Back inside, Little Caesars Arena’s concourse is impressive, complete with the original letters from the Olympia Arena.

Next up was one of the 60-plus suites, complete with a great view.

Finally, we got a look down at the concourse from above, complete with a spectacular view of downtown.

My first impressions of Little Caesars arena thus far are that it’s clearly a Red Wings arena, but the Pistons are far from an afterthought. It’ll be interesting seeing how the gameday experience varies with the Detroit Pistons’ floor is laid down and how the digital experience is altered.

Next: Reggie Jackson's best and worst case scenarios

All in all, this is a stunning venue and we’re excited to see both the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons defend their new home.