NEW YORK – The National Hockey League (NHL) will launch the 2008-09 season with NHL Face-Off Rocks™ 2008, an opening day spectacular headlined by the world’s greatest arena rock band, Def Leppard, on Thursday, Oct. 9.  The multi-platinum selling rock band will open the night with a special performance of their arena-inspired hit single, “C’mon, C’mon” from Fox Theatre in Detroit, followed by the raising of the Detroit Red Wings’ 2008 Stanley Cup™ Championship banner prior to the start of their sold-out home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Joe Louis Arena.  VERSUS and CBC will air portions of the performance as part of their broadcasts of the Red Wings game in the U.S. and Canada, respectively.  NHL.com and CBCSports.ca will provide live streaming coverage of the concert, giving fans around the world the chance to take part in the season-opening festivities.

Starting Monday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. E.T., tickets to NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008 at Fox Theatre headlined by Def Leppard on Thursday, Oct. 9 will be available for purchase for $35 and $45 on-line at Ticketmaster.com and OlympiaEntertainment.com, at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Fox Theatre box office. To charge by phone, call 248-433-1515. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show.

Fans in attendance at Fox Theatre will be treated to a broadcast of the Red Wings game, including the championship banner-raising ceremony, an exclusive arena rock show performance from Def Leppard of the band’s smash hits and songs from their latest album, “Songs From The Sparkle Lounge,” and a performance from a soon-to-be-announced special guest. A deejay will entertain the audience throughout the event.
    
With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards to their credit, Def Leppard--Joe Elliott (vocals), Vivian Campbell (guitar), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass) and Rick Allen (drums) -- continues to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the sound for generations of music fans and artists. Renowned as Great Britain’s premiere arena rock band, the group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, have become synonymous with their name and they are an institution in the touring industry as they continue to sell out arenas worldwide.

“When Sav first played me “C’mon, C’mon,” I remember saying to him ‘I can hear this being played in every hockey arena all over the United States and Canada’,” said Def Leppard frontman, Joe Elliott. “Once we recorded it, I was even more convinced.”

The band's latest album, “Songs From The Sparkle Lounge” (Bludgeon Riffola/Island/UMe), debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200, earning Def Leppard their highest-charting debut since 1992. “Songs From The Sparkle Lounge” contains 11 new songs including the hit single "Nine Lives," featuring a groundbreaking collaboration with country music superstar Tim McGraw.