"It just blew a seal in the main ice chiller," Hurricanes president Don Waddell said. "We knew it right away. It's just a matter of how much fluid. It's a big hose that blew. It's the first time in 18 years, first time it's ever happened."
The game was originally supposed to start at 7 p.m. EST.
The Hurricanes provided periodic updates that the problem was being fixed but finally announced around 8:45 p.m. that the game was postponed.
"I've never been a part of it," Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "I think in the end the number one priority when you're dealing with ice conditions is the safety of the players, the safety of the referees, and I think it was determined we couldn't get the ice conditions to a point where we could have that safety in the amount of time needed because of the fact that we're playing tomorrow as well."
Captain Henrik Zetterberg said the players got undressed when they heard the news and then just stayed busy.
"Played a little different games, played some two-touch," Zetterberg said. "Just tried to keep our bodies warm. We had a feeling pretty early that it probably wouldn't be a game. But we have to wait to be certain, I guess."
Blashill said he and his coaches started preparing for the Tampa Bay game in case they did play the Hurricanes and got into Tampa late.
Waddell said the problem was fixed but the issue then was that they had to get the ice cold enough to play on and that couldn't happen very quickly.
"The way we were forecasting it, it would have been another hour," Waddell said. "It would have been 9:45 before we could have got it to ice that was acceptable for the league and both teams to play on."
The other factor is that the Wings were playing on a back-to-back and the league rule is that teams get 22 hours between start times.
"I think there were some deadlines obviously for us to get this game in and get to Tampa too," Zetterberg said. "I heard 9 o'clock or 9:30 was the latest we could have played. But I guess we didn't have to.
"When it goes this far, I don't think the ice would have been good enough for us to be safe out there. So it was the right call."
The two teams will have to find a suitable date to make the game up.
"We start looking at schedules immediately and seeing when we have an opportunity to slide a home game in and Detroit's schedule to see where they're at," Waddell said. "It'll happen hopefully in the next 24 to 48 hours. But it will be a (challenge) to get it in here in the near future."
Blashill said the decision on which goaltender will play will be made in the morning. Jimmy Howard was originally scheduled to play in Carolina.
The Wings, who originally would have had an optional morning skate in Tampa, now will hold their regular skate.
