# True North Sports + Entertainment

> True North Sports + Entertainment is the privately held Winnipeg company behind the NHL's Winnipeg Jets, the AHL's Manitoba Moose, Canada Life Centre, the Burton Cummings Theatre, hockey for all centre, Jets Gear, venue hospitality, live-event production, youth programs and a growing downtown real-estate portfolio. Its operating trick is vertical integration: own the teams and places, produce the nights out, sell the tickets and merchandise, run the concessions, then use that foot traffic to support larger bets on Winnipeg's core.

- **Founded:** 1999
- **Headquarters:** Winnipeg, Canada
- **Founders:** Mark Chipman (Founder and Executive Chairman)
- **Team size:** Approximately 2,300 employees in the supplied company estimate, including a large event and casual workforce; public company materials describe a 300-plus core team.
- **Products:** Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, Canada Life Centre, Burton Cummings Theatre, hockey for all centre
- **Notable:** Built the C$133.5 million downtown arena that opened in 2004 before Winnipeg regained an NHL franchise., Acquired and relocated the Atlanta Thrashers in a reported US$170 million transaction in 2011, restoring the Winnipeg Jets name., Developed the 1.5-million-square-foot, five-tower True North Square mixed-use project.

## Products & services

- **Winnipeg Jets** — NHL franchise acquired as the Atlanta Thrashers and relocated to Winnipeg; the company's flagship sports property.
- **Manitoba Moose** — AHL hockey franchise and Winnipeg Jets affiliate, originally brought to Winnipeg in 1996.
- **Canada Life Centre** — Downtown arena hosting Jets and Moose games, concerts and more than 140 events in a typical year.
- **Burton Cummings Theatre** — Historic 1,579-seat live-performance venue managed since 2014 and owned since 2016.
- **hockey for all centre** — Four-rink community multiplex and official Jets and Moose practice facility with roughly 12,000 annual ice hours.
- **Jets Gear** — Branded apparel and merchandise sold through stores and e-commerce.
- **TN Hospitality** — Food-and-beverage operations across True North venues, brought fully in-house in 2024.
- **True North Real Estate Development** — Mixed-use downtown development arm behind True North Square and the Portage Place redevelopment.
- **True North Youth Foundation** — Self-operated charitable arm supporting youth through hockey, camp and mental-wellness programs.

## Achievements

- Built the C$133.5 million downtown arena that opened in 2004 before Winnipeg regained an NHL franchise.
- Acquired and relocated the Atlanta Thrashers in a reported US$170 million transaction in 2011, restoring the Winnipeg Jets name.
- Developed the 1.5-million-square-foot, five-tower True North Square mixed-use project.
- Reinvested more than C$85 million in Canada Life Centre by 2023, including a C$13 million renovation that year.
- Helped draw more than 120,000 people to nine Whiteout Street Parties during the Jets' 2018 playoff run.
- Grew the Burton Cummings Theatre to 115 performances, 27 sellouts and 122,000-plus attendees in 2025, earning a top-five Canadian theatre ranking by ticket sales through October.
- Raised C$234,890 through 2025 Whiteout Street Parties for four downtown community organizations.
- Recognized as one of Manitoba's Top Employers for 19 consecutive years through 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-02** — True North and the Winnipeg Football Club announced Mötley Crüe as the headliner for the second annual Rockin' Thunder stadium event in July 2026.
- **2025-12** — The Burton Cummings Theatre reported a record 2025 with 115 performances, 27 sellouts and more than 122,000 attendees.
- **2025-12** — The NHL announced a 2026 Heritage Classic in Winnipeg between the Jets and Montreal Canadiens.
- **2025-10** — True North and TSN extended their regional Winnipeg Jets media-rights partnership on a multi-year basis.
- **2025-06** — Whiteout Street Parties generated C$234,890 for four downtown community organizations.
- **2024-11** — True North Real Estate Development completed its acquisition of Portage Place mall for a planned C$650 million redevelopment.

## Links

- Website: https://www.tnse.com/
- LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/tnse

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/true-north-sports-entertainment
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-23