MTS Center The MTS Centre is an indoor arena at 300 Portage Avenue in downtown Winnipeg , Manitoba , in Canada , at the former Eaton ' s site . It is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment Limited , at a cost of $ 133 . 5 million , and is 440 , 000 square feet 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 . 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 by Winnipeg Mayor Glen Murray and the True North Group . After a small , but emotional resistance to losing the Western Canadian landmark Eaton ' s building by some locals , which inspired a “ group hug ” of the “ Big Store ” by a reported 180 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 . 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 . The MTS Centre also hosted on September 17 , 2006 , an NHL pre - season game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Phoenix Coyotes in front of a sold - out crowd of 15 , 015 with the Oilers winning 5 - 0 . Later the arena hosted another NHL exhibition game with the former Winnipeg franchise , the Phoenix Coyotes , playing host to the Calgary Flames on September 24 , 2008 . Calgary defeated Phoenix 3 - 2 , in front of 12 , 621 fans ( 84 % capacity ) . On September 24 , 2009 , the MTS Centre welcomed the Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning to face off the year ' s NHL exhibition game . On 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 . A 2008 survey was made by the Pollstar Magazine . Through the first nine months of this year , the MTS Centre has sold 270 , 095 tickets . These ticket sales include only non - sporting events and do not include hockey games . It is now the 19th busiest arena in the world . Also the arena now sits 11th among facilities in North America , its highest ranking ever , and it remains in the 3rd spot in Canada , after the Bell Centre in Montreal ( sixth overall ) and the Air Canada Centre in Toronto ( fifth overall ) . NHL Tenants . The NHL currently has a franchise based in Winnipeg called the Jets , debuting their first NHL game in Winnipeg on Sunday October 9th , 2011 against Montreal .