MTS Centre - NHL Returns

NHL Returns

From 1972 to 1996, the Winnipeg Jets played home games out of the now-demolished Winnipeg Arena. Facing mounting financial troubles, the franchise relocated to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes for the 1996–97 NHL season.

In the interim, the idea of Winnipeg one day returning to the NHL gained momentum, especially after the MTS Centre, constructed entirely with private money, opened. In response to this, many questions were raised about the MTS Centre's potential suitability to host an NHL team. At its current hockey capacity of 15,004, it is the smallest home arena in the NHL, well below the next-smallest—the New York Islanders' Nassau Coliseum, which seats 16,234. In 2015, the MTS Centre will be the second smallest home arena next to the Barclay's Center located in Brooklyn, which seats 14,500.

After the building of the MTS Centre, the owners of the arena, David Thomson and True North chairman Mark Chipman, began to be floated as the potential owners of an NHL team. Chipman stated that the arena's current size was sufficient for an NHL team due to its unique economics. Further supporting the viability of the arena was the reported attendance figures of many struggling teams averaging below the MTS Centre's capacity. Eight teams, or over 26% of the league, had lower attendance than the MTS Centre's capacity through the 2010-11 NHL season.

After two failed attempts to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes, on May 19, 2011 the Globe and Mail reported that the Atlanta Thrashers would be moved to Winnipeg. These reports were at the time denied by True North saying, "It's simply not true, it's not a done deal." Twelve days later, however, a deal was completed and announced May 31, 2011 at a press conference at the MTS Centre. The sale and relocation was formally approved by the NHL Board of Governors at their meeting on June 21. As part of the transition to the NHL, the arena went through some minor renovations to bring it in line with the league's standards.