LeafsParadise.com

By Jeff Arnold Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon has been around business dealings long enough to always have a Plan B in mind. But if an NHL work stoppage leads to the cancellation of the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, Brandon won't fret. At least not too much. "Let's hope it happens, but if it doesn't life will go on," Brandon said Wednesday in a speech at the Detroit Athletic Club. The contract between the NHL and University of Michigan allows the league to cancel the Jan. 1 outdoor game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs as late as Jan. 1, according to a report earlier this month in The New York Times. When the deal was announced for the Winter Classic to be held inside Michigan Stadium, the league announced it would pay a $3 million rental fee for use of the venue. If lack of a collective bargaining agreement causes the cancellation of the Winter Classic, the league would only forfeit $100,000 of the $3 million fee. The contract also allows the NHL to hold the event even if a lockout delayed the start of the new season.