1st Intermission - Famous Canadian Arenas

Windsor Arena

The Windsor Arena was built to house the city's Ontario Hockey Association club and opened in 1925. With seating for six thousand, it was the Biggest rink in the OHA loop. The next major tenant in the building came from just south of the border - the NHL's Detroit Cougars, later known as the Red Wings. The Cougars had been transferred to Detroit in 1926 were supposed to play out of the brand new Olympia but building delays forced the owners to scramble for an alternate location. The new Windsor Arena, with three thousand additional seats added, was more then adequate. The Cougars intended to play just a handful of games at the Arena but slow construction meant that the Arena was home to the Detroit franchise for its entire inaugural season. When the NHL left, the Bulldogs moved in and later the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires followed suit. They continue to play out of the building.

The link to the Olympia continued when the Detroit building closed its doors following the 1979 season. The Windsor Arena is now home to the seats, front doors and sound system that previously were part of the Olympia.

While the exterior has been redone a few times, the Windsor Arena is essentially the same rink it was when it opened in 1925 and it is currently one of the longest serving hockey buildings in Canada.