Canada Life Centre
Home of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose.
Canada Life Centre is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It serves as the home of the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, their AHL affiliate the Manitoba Moose, and the CEBL's Winnipeg Sea Bears. Opened on November 16, 2004, the arena replaced the since-demolished Winnipeg Arena and stands on the site of the former Eaton's Winnipeg store.
Quick Facts
- Address
- 300 Portage Avenue
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Elevation
- 236 m / 774 ft AMSL
- Groundbreaking
- April 16, 2003
- Built
- April 2003 – November 2004
- Opened
- 16 November 2004
- Owner
- True North Sports & Entertainment
- Surface
- Ice
Facts from the source article.
History
After the bankruptcy of the Eaton's retailer, various alternative uses for the building were suggested, but an arena was deemed most viable by Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray and True North. Some locals and the Save the Eaton's Coalition resisted the loss of the landmark, inspiring a reported 180 people to join a "group hug" of the store in 2001. The store was demolished in 2002. The arena opened on November 16, 2004. Red bricks were incorporated into the façade to evoke Eaton's history, and an original store window with Tyndall stone surround is mounted in the concourse to house Eaton's memorabilia. Two war memorials were included, and the Timothy Eaton statue from the store stands on the concourse one floor above its original location. During planning it was called True North Centre, then named MTS Centre under a naming rights agreement with Manitoba Telecom Services. It became Bell MTS Place on May 30, 2017, after Bell Canada acquired MTS. On June 15, 2021, naming rights were sold to Canada Life Assurance Company under a 10-year agreement, renaming it Canada Life Centre.
Events
The arena hosted the AHL All-Star Classic on February 1, 2006, where Team Canada defeated Team PlanetUSA 9–4. The original Winnipeg Jets played at the now-demolished Winnipeg Arena from 1972 to 1996 before relocating to Arizona. Prior to receiving an NHL team, MTS Centre hosted several NHL preseason games, the first on September 17, 2006, between the Edmonton Oilers and the Phoenix Coyotes, which the Oilers won 5–0. The annual exhibition game concluded in September 2010 when the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, led by Winnipeg-born captain Jonathan Toews, played the Tampa Bay Lightning before 14,092. On May 19, 2011, The Globe and Mail reported that Mark Chipman and True North were finalizing the purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers to move the team to Winnipeg; a proposal to return the Coyotes had been declined. Twelve days later, a press conference at MTS Centre announced the deal, approved by the NHL Board of Governors three weeks later. Minor renovations brought the arena to NHL standards, including additional press boxes, shuttered lighting, flexible rink glass, and an upgraded ice refrigeration system. The province reached a 20-year agreement granting True North up to $4 million per year in gaming revenue from designated video lottery terminals to subsidize the arena's mortgage. These VLTs were initially at the Tavern United sports bar next door, with an option for True North to build its own lounge at Cityplace mall, which led to a Shark Club sports bar and gaming centre opening there in 2013.
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