True North Sports & Entertainment Limited True North Sports and Entertainment Limited ( TNSE ) is a Winnipeg , Manitoba based company that owns and operates the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . The company also owns the Jets ' minor league affiliate , the St . John ' s IceCaps of the American Hockey League ( formerly the Manitoba Moose ) . Aside from hockey , TNSE is also active in bringing high - profile concerts and shows to Winnipeg . History . TNSE was founded in 2001 by Manitoba Moose co - owner Mark Chipman and several local investors . Their goal was to build a new entertainment and sports venue in downtown Winnipeg to help revive the city ' s downtown area and possibly one day bring an NHL franchise back to Winnipeg . The original Winnipeg Jets played in the city from 1972 to 1996 before relocating to Phoenix , Arizona . Ownership of the Moose was transferred to TNSE in 2003 . The 15 , 004 - seat MTS Centre was completed in fall 2004 and became the new home of the Moose , replacing the Winnipeg Arena . The arena was built at a cost of $ 133 . 5 million on land acquired from Osmington Incorporated , a real estate firm owned by Toronto billionaire David Thomson . In exchange for the land , Osmington took a minority share in TNSE . Since its opening , the new arena has also hosted numerous concerts and other non - hockey events , and become one of the busiest entertainment venues in North America . Chipman and Thomson ( through Osmington ) gradually bought out TNSE ' s other shareholders to gain sole ownership of the company . Chipman ' s shares are held through his family ' s holding company , Megill - Stephenson Co . , of which he is president . Megill - Stephenson also owns the Birchwood Automotive Group in Winnipeg . In summer 2010 , TNSE opened the MTS Iceplex , an arena and training complex located on the western edge of Winnipeg , just north of the Birchwood dealerships . The Iceplex features four ice surfaces and is used by several amateur teams , local minor hockey , and recreational leagues . The Jets also use it as their training and practice facility . The Iceplex has also hosted major events , such as the 2011 World Under - 17 Hockey Challenge . In May 2011 , TNSE purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and relocated the team to Winnipeg , subsequently renaming them the Winnipeg Jets . As a result , TNSE relocated the Moose to St . John ' s , Newfoundland and Labrador for the 2011 - 12 season , renaming them the St . John ' s IceCaps . The IceCaps are the top minor league affiliate of the Jets . Bringing the NHL back to Winnipeg . In January 2007 , Chipman was invited to meet NHL executives , including commissioner Gary Bettman , in New York to make a presentation about bringing an NHL team to Winnipeg , either through expansion or relocation . TNSE wasn ' t alone — the NHL also met with interested parties from Houston , Kansas City , Seattle , and Las Vegas - - but were most impressed by the presentation by the Winnipeg group . In 2009 , Bettman approached Chipman about the possibility of taking over the struggling Phoenix Coyotes . The Coyotes were on the verge of declaring bankruptcy and were purchased by the league out of bankruptcy court later that year . In October , Chipman made a second presentation to the league about relocating a team to Winnipeg . The Coyotes ownership issue remained unresolved in May 2010 . As the league was not prepared to cover the team ' s losses for another season , the league executive reached a tentative agreement to sell the Coyotes to TNSE , allowing them to relocate the franchise back to Winnipeg . This was intended as a back - up plan , as the league ' s first choice was to keep the team in Arizona . With no other investors in place , the league asked the City of Glendale to cover the Coyotes losses for the 2010 - 11 season . Facing a tight deadline , city council voted in favor of the deal rather than risk losing the primary tenant of their arena . According to Chipman , TNSE came " within ten minutes of acquiring ( the Coyotes ) " . After a failed bid to sell the team to Matthew Hulziser , the NHL and TNSE resumed their negotiations in spring of 2011 . Glendale city council decided to cover the teams losses for another year , so TNSE shifted their focus on another opportunity — to acquire the Atlanta Thrashers from the Atlanta Spirit group . On the morning of May 31 , 2011 , the sale was finalized and announced at a press conference held at the MTS Centre . The sale and relocation of the team to Winnipeg was approved by the NHL Board of Governors on June 21 . Mark Chipman confirmed that the team would be known as the Jets at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on June 24 . The Jets played their inaugural game on October 9 , 2011 in front of a sold - out crowd at the MTS Centre , losing 5 - 1 to the Montreal Canadiens .