Arena is filled with history

The Ducks went off the beaten path for their practice Sunday as they visited a hockey rink with deep roots that extend back for decades.

For players and coaches who played at Windsor Arena, it was a trip back in time to their days in junior hockey. Currently the home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires, the 3,600-seat arena is aptly nicknamed “The Barn” because of its wooden structure and distinct roofline.

Built in 1924, it was home of the Detroit Red Wings for one season while Olympia Stadium was being built. It is among the oldest arenas in North America.

“It’s an opportunity for the players to reconnect with some of the junior buildings these guys have played in,” Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said. “I can remember playing my first game in this building against what was then a new OHL franchise. The press box wasn’t even built at that time. Not a lot has changed, other than they improved the lighting.”

Corey Perry was greeted warmly by several locals after the workout. The reception was much different when he was a junior star with the London Knights two years ago.

“There’s a lot of memories,” Perry said. “I always get a kick out of the fans, especially the ones that sit behind the penalty box. They were always yelling and hollering at me. It’s fun, it gets crazy here. That’s what junior hockey is all about.”

Like many old facilities, Windsor Arena is facing an uncertain future.

The Spitfires, who are co-owned by former NHL players Warren Rychel and Bob Boughner along with longtime friend Peter Dobrich, are scheduled to move into a new 6,000-seat arena in 2008.

Left wing Brad May, an OHL alumnus from the early 1990s, recalled the wild atmosphere at Spitfires games while playing for the Niagara Falls Thunder.

“They used to have fences in the end zones,” May said. “It was crazy loud. They were a pretty tough crowd. I remember somebody once taped together four or five nails and threw them at our bench.”

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Dustin Penner may rank third among NHL rookie goal scorers with 26 but the big left wing hasn’t escaped the prodding of Carlyle, who benched Penner from the middle of the second period in Friday night’s 3-2 overtime victory over Dallas.

On Sunday, Carlyle kept May on a line with Perry and Ryan Getzlaf for practice and didn’t indicate where he would play Penner tonight.

“He’s been a player that’s made a huge contribution and shown a tremendous amount of growth,” Carlyle said. “And in the situation that we’re in right now, we need more from Dustin Penner than what we were getting. If he wasn’t realizing it, he realizes it now.”

When asked if Carlyle was sending a message, Penner said, “It would appear that way. There’s nothing I can say.”

TONIGHT

at Detroit, 4 PDT, Versus

Site -- Joe Louis Arena.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 44-19-12; Red Wings 45-19-11.

Record vs. Red Wings -- 2-1-0.

Update -- Ducks center Todd Marchant received a cortisone shot in his stomach muscle to accelerate recovery and is expected to skate today but probably won’t play. Marchant said he is hoping to be ready for Wednesday’s game at Chicago.

eric.stephens@latimes.com