Windsor Arena, nicknamed “The Barn” by generations of local fans, opened in 1924 in Windsor, Ontario, making it one of the oldest hockey venues ever built in North America. The rink briefly made NHL history in 1926-27, when it served as the home ice for the Detroit Cougars (the franchise that later became the Detroit Red Wings) while their permanent arena, Olympia Stadium, was still under construction.
For most of its life, though, the arena belonged to junior hockey. The Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League called it home from 1975 until 2008, packing the small, steep-sided building for three decades of OHL action before moving into the larger WFCU Centre. The Windsor Lancers university hockey team used the rink for a few more seasons until it closed for good in 2013.
- Detroit Red Wings played here 1926–1927. See every Red Wings arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Windsor Spitfires (OHL, 1975-2008); Detroit Cougars (NHL, 1926-27)
- Location: 334 Wyandotte Street East, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Opened: 1924
- Closed: 2013
- Capacity: About 4,400 for hockey; up to 6,264 for concerts
- Notable fact: Briefly served as the Detroit NHL franchise’s home rink before Olympia Stadium opened
A Birthplace of NHL History
Long before it became synonymous with junior hockey, Windsor Arena had a brush with the NHL. When the Detroit Cougars joined the league for the 1926-27 season, their new Olympia Stadium wasn’t ready, so the team crossed the river from Michigan and skated its inaugural NHL campaign out of the Windsor rink. That franchise would go on to become the Detroit Red Wings, giving the modest Ontario barn an outsized footnote in NHL lore.
The arena settled into its more familiar role from the 1950s onward, hosting the Windsor Bulldogs and then, starting in 1975, the Windsor Spitfires. For 33 seasons the tight, loud building was one of the toughest buildings to play in across the OHL, until the Spitfires departed for the newly built WFCU Centre after their final game there in December 2008.
Closure and an Uncertain Future
After the Windsor Lancers’ university hockey program moved on, Windsor Arena closed permanently in 2013. The city briefly used the building for salt storage, and over the following decade a series of redevelopment and demolition proposals, including a plan to put a Catholic high school on the site, came and went without being built. As of the mid-2020s, the arena remains standing and city-owned, with local groups periodically pitching plans to revive it rather than tear it down.
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Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
Windsor Arena FAQs
Is Windsor Arena still standing?
Yes. The building has been closed since 2013, but as of recent reporting it has not been demolished, and the City of Windsor has fielded several proposals to redevelop or reopen it.
What NHL team played at Windsor Arena?
The Detroit Cougars, the franchise that became the Detroit Red Wings, played their 1926-27 NHL season at Windsor Arena while their home rink, Olympia Stadium, was being finished.
Why did the Windsor Spitfires leave Windsor Arena?
The Spitfires moved to the larger, more modern WFCU Centre in December 2008 after 33 seasons at Windsor Arena, which had grown outdated compared to newer OHL facilities.
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Photo: Mikerussell / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.