Windsor Spitfires

Rink: WFCU Centre
Capacity: 6,500
Built: 2008
League: OHL
City: Windsor, Ontario
Home Of: Windsor Spitfires
Games Attended: 25
First Game: May 8, 2009 vs Brampton
Most Recent Visit: October 28, 2021 vs Guelph
Unique Arena: #24
OHL Arena: #20

The WFCU Centre sits in the ever-expanding east end of Windsor near the border of Tecumseh, and is surrounded by parking lots and Mickey Renaud Way, named after the late Spitfires captain who passed away in 2008. The place is just huge and dominates the area all around it; not just the 6,500-seat main arena but the other ice pads and halls attached to it as well. When the rink opened at the end of 2008 it felt really isolated, but as the years have gone by a new subdivision has popped up beside it as well as some apartment buildings. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of pre or post-game meet up spots within walking distance. One of my favourite spots for wings in the entire OHL is Average Joe’s Sports Bar on nearby Lauzon Rd, but it is a good 15 minute walk.

When the WFCU Centre opened it instantly joined the upper echelon of modern arenas in the entire CHL. The bowl itself has steeper seating than you see in most new rinks which puts the fans right on top of the action. One end of the rink sees the seats extend almost all the way to the ceiling, and having sat up there before its a pretty unique view you might be more used to seeing in the NHL cheap seats. I sat up there the night the Spits beat Brampton to win the 2009 OHL championship and when Taylor Hall scored the OT winner, I swear I felt the building shake under me, I know it’s a cliche but it’s what I felt… also pain and sadness.

The other end of the ice has a smaller section of seats, but does feature a large bar area at the top of the bowl. There is also a VIP Crown Royal Lounge in the concourse as well as a wide variety of overpriced concession garb. The concourse itself is pretty big, and when the crowds in Windsor are big, they get surprisingly tight.

The old Windsor Arena had perhaps the most hostile atmosphere in all of junior hockey, with fist fights on the ice, in the stands and sometimes crossing over to involve players and fans, with the odd D battery thrown at you for good measure. Thankfully by the end of the Barn that craziness had stopped, but Spits fans were still extremely loud and intimidating. When the team moved into the WFCU Centre it was at the start of the Spits’ most successful run in team history, as they won back-to-back league titles and Memorial Cups during the building’s first two years. The success meant the WFCU Centre was full every night like you see in London, but with rabid and loud fans that could make a difference to the game. As the years went on as the Spits fell back to the middle or bottom of the standings, the crowds got smaller, and some nights at the WFCU could feel quiet and unexciting. When the Spits are good they still get the crowds and they can still be loud, but it feels like the heyday of 2009-2010 is gone.

The above photo is from the night the Spits won the 2017 Memorial Cup on home ice, and the place was rocking. Spits fans are still among the loudest in the league but it’s not a guarantee you’ll get that on a random Thursday night anymore.