The Windsor Express are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, competing in the Basketball Super League. The Express play their home games at the WFCU Centre.
History On June 28, 2012, the National Basketball League of Canada 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 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, three-games-to-two.
On April 17, 2014, the Express won their first championship against the Island Storm (formerly Summerside Storm), 121–106.
The Express were named the 2015 NBL of Canada Champions on April 30, 2015 when the Halifax Rainmen 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.
On May 11, 2023 it was announced that the 3 other teams the Express competed with in the NBLC would be leaving the league to form the Basketball Super League along with The president of The Basketball League, David Magley. While the Express initially held off of joining the BSL in favor of exploring other options, it was announced on August 29, 2023 that Windsor would be joining the league for its inaugural season.
Home arenas Originally opened in 2008, the WFCU Centre is a sports-entertainment arena in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The arena has a capacity of 7,000 when setup for basketball. The Express share the arena with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League. In 2019 The Express proposed a bid to renovate the Windsor Arena 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 SeasonCoachRegular season Post seasonWonLostWin %FinishWonLostWin %ResultNational Basketball League of Canada2012–13Bill Jones2218.5503rd23.400Lost First Round2013–14Bill Jones2911.7181st116.647Won Championship2014–15Bill Jones2111.6561st117.611Won Championship2015–16Bill Jones2119.5252nd54.556Lost Division Finals2016–17Bill Jones22182nd34Lost Division Finals2017–18Bill Jones20203rd03Lost Division Semifinals2018–19Bill Jones17235thdid not qualify2019–20Bill Jones 11 11 3rdSeason curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic2020–21Bill Jones - - - Did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic2022Bill Jones 8 17 4th03 Lost in Round 12023Bill Jones 12 15 3rd55 Lost in Finals Basketball Super League2024Bill Jones 15 11 5thdid not qualify2024-25Bill Jones 19 9 2nd55 Lost in Finals2025-26Bill Jones 13 13 4th13 Lost in First RoundTotals230196 —424010 playoff appearances
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