The Windsor Express is a Canadian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team based in

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. The Express are an expansion team of the

National Basketball League of Canada The National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada; french: Ligue nationale de basketball du Canada) is a Canadian professional men's minor league basketball organization. The NBL Canada was founded in 2011, when three existing Premier Basketb ...

that began play in the 2012–13 season. The Express play its home games at the WFCU Centre.

History

On June 28, 2012, the NBL announced that Windsor had been awarded an expansion team for the 2012–13 season. As the eighth franchise, the league created divisions and placed the Express in the Central Division. On August 1, 2012 the team nickname was officially confirmed. The Express name is partially a tribute to the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. T ...

and to the rail yards on the banks of the Detroit River. The team compiled a 22–18 record in its inaugural year, placing second in the Central Division and being seeded 3rd in the playoffs. It lost its only post-season series, a semifinal against the

Summerside Storm The Island Storm is an inactive Canadian professional basketball team based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The team is a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada that began play in the 2011–12 season. The Storm plays ...

, three-games-to-two. On April 17, 2014, the Express won their first championship against the

Island Storm The Island Storm is an inactive Canadian professional basketball team based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The team is a charter member of the National Basketball League of Canada that began play in the 2011–12 season. The Storm plays ...

(formerly Summerside Storm), 121–106. The Express were named the 2015 NBL of Canada Champions on April 30, 2015 when the

Halifax Rainmen The Halifax Rainmen were a professional basketball team based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. They played in the Atlantic Division of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) and their home games took place at the Scotiabank Centre, form ...

forfeited game 7 after events that transpired earlier in the day. Halifax opted to forfeit the game and leave Windsor, where the game was set to take place, due to an on-court altercation between the two teams earlier in the day.

Home arenas

Originally opened in 2008, the

WFCU Centre WFCU Centre is an arena and entertainment centre in Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. WFCU Centre replaced the 84-year-old Windsor Arena as the primary home of the Windsor Spitfires. It opened on December 11, 2008, in the east end of the ...

is a sports-entertainment arena in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the souther ...

, Canada. The arena has a capacity of 7,000 when setup for basketball. The Express share the arena with the

Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975� ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...

. In 2019 The Express proposed a bid to renovate the

Windsor Arena Windsor Arena (nicknamed The Barn, because of its age, wooden construction, and its appearance of a giant barn) is an indoor arena located in Windsor, Ontario. Its capacity is approximately 4,400 with standing room. The arena's ice is an asymme ...

to become the new home of the Windsor Express and local recreational activities. In 2021, the proposal was denied by the City.

Current roster

Season-by-season record

References

External links

* {{Ontario Sports National Basketball League of Canada teams Sport in Windsor, Ontario Basketball teams in Ontario Basketball teams established in 2012 2012 establishments in Ontario