The MTS Centre
is an indoor arena at 300 Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the former Eaton's site. It is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment Limited, at a cost of $133.5 million CAD, and is 440,000 square feet [1] (41,000 m²) in size. It opened on November 16, 2004, replacing the since-demolished Winnipeg Arena. It can seat 15,015 spectators for ice hockey and up to 16,333 spectators for concerts. It was formerly known as the "True North Centre" during planning and construction before Manitoba Telecom Services bought the naming rights for $7 million over 10 years.
The MTS Centre is home to the AHL's Manitoba Moose hockey team. This building is known for its excellent sound, which has made Winnipeg a more prominent location for concerts.
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MTS CENTRE TICKETS
| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
|---|
| Winnipeg Sea Bears vs. Calgary Surge Tickets 6/12 | Jun 12, 2026
Fri, 7:00 PM |  | | Winnipeg Sea Bears vs. Vancouver Bandits Tickets 6/18 | Jun 18, 2026
Thu, 7:00 PM | | | Winnipeg Sea Bears vs. Edmonton Stingers Tickets 6/20 | Jun 20, 2026
Sat, 3:00 PM | | | Ne-Yo & Akon Tickets 6/23 | Jun 23, 2026
Tue, 8:00 PM | | | Winnipeg Sea Bears vs. Saskatoon Mamba Tickets 6/30 | Jun 30, 2026
Tue, 7:00 PM | |
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History
With the bankruptcy of the iconic
Eaton's retailer, the
famed store in downtown Winnipeg was emptied in late 1999. Various alternative uses for the building (including residential condominiums) were suggested, but ultimately the arena was deemed to be the most viable and beneficial to the city's struggling downtown. After a small, but emotional resistance to change by some locals, which inspired a “group hug” of the “Big Store” by a reported 18 people in 2001, the store was demolished in
2002 to make way for the new
entertainment complex
.
In an effort to recognize the store's history, red bricks were incorporated into the design of the arena façade, evoking the memory of the Eaton’s store that had once graced Portage Avenue. An original store window and Tyndall stone surround is mounted in the arena concourse to house a collection of Eaton's memorabilia. The
Timothy Eaton statue that was once part of store is proudly housed in the MTS Centre.
Events Hosted
- 2005 Juno Awards
- 2006 AHL All-Star Classic
- 2008 Canadian Country Music Awards
Recent
In October 2006 the MTS Centre improved its washroom facilities to eliminate long lines and it installed 340 "demountable" seats in the lower bowl to replace 352 narrower "retractable" chairs, in a renovation priced at more than $120,000. They also created a "peanut-restricted" zone for allergic spectators.
Bon Jovi played the MTS Centre December 9th 2007 and was the largest event the centre has seen since its 2004 debut. 16,000+ fans enjoyed the
New Jersey rock band and
Jon Bon Jovi stated "We'll be back" during his performance. Upcoming Events include
Elton John,
Reba McEntire and
Kelly Clarkson,
Sheryl Crow,
David Copperfield, Winnipeg's own
Neil Young,
Great Big Sea,
Lenny Kravitz and
Celine Dion. The MTS Centre is, once again, hosting an NHL exhibition game with the former Winnipeg franchise, the
Phoenix Coyotes, playing host to the
Calgary Flames.
On Saturday
October 29, 2005, Mike Scott was the 1,000,000th customer through the door and received a pair of tickets to every event in 2006.
NHL Tenants?
Commissioner
Gary Bettman stated that Winnipeg is "a front-runner for an NHL team". The last team in Winnipeg was the
Jets.
Many naysayers believe that for the NHL to return to Winnipeg the MTS Centre would require a significant increase to the seating capacity (the current capacity of just over 15,000 is often cited as the biggest obstacle to Winnipeg's return to the NHL).
References
- Facility Information