As one of the modern jewels of downtown Winnipeg, MTS Centre stands as a testament to the perseverance and vision of a handful of men and women who wanted to bring Winnipeg to the forefront of the sports and entertainment industry. That handful of people began in 1996 with a concept in their heads and a drive in their hearts, which developed that concept into the dynamic and successful True North Sports & Entertainment Limited (True North). As a group of limited partnerships established in 1999, True North now employs more than 175 full-time staff and operates two state of the art facilities, MTS Centre and MTS Iceplex.
True North’s mandate was to develop, finance, and operate a new 15,000-seat multi-purpose sports and entertainment facility, with the Manitoba Moose hockey team being the primary tenant under common ownership. Despite a variety of challenges, that are typical with a project of this magnitude, the building was completed on time and on budget in the fall of 2004.Since opening its doors, MTS Centre has acted as a major catalyst in the redevelopment of downtown Winnipeg.
The vision of True North expanded with the development of MTS Iceplex. That vision was realized in September of 2010 when MTS Iceplex opened its doors to the public. MTS Iceplex is an advanced hockey facility equipped with four regulation sized ice sheets, training centre, and a licensed restaurant and lounge among other features. True North Sports & Entertainment hosted the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge at the brand new MTS Iceplex last hockey season setting attendance records for the Hockey Canada event.
On May 31st 2011, True North Sport & Entertainment made an announcement that would result in the Winnipeg Jets becoming the primary tenant of MTS Centre. The return of the NHL to Winnipeg after 15 years created an incredible amount of excitement in the city which was displayed by the success of the subsequent ‘Drive to 13’ season ticket drive. With 13,000 season ticket holders in place for at least the next three hockey seasons, True North and the Winnipeg Jets ensured a packed MTS Centre for years to come.
MTS Centre is True North’s marquee entertainment facility and has hosted a variety of premier sports, music and entertainment events. From Winnipeg Jets hockey, Cirque de Soleil, and headline concert tours, to professional bull riding and Monster Jam, MTS Centre is Winnipeg’s busiest entertainment venue with the ability to accommodate 15,004 passionate Jets fans or up to 17,000 concert-goers.
