Step Inside: Canada Life Centre – Home of the Winnipeg Jets

Home of the Winnipeg Jets

Canada Life Centre is home to the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. The arena is located at 300 Portage Avenue in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. Taking up an entire city block of the main thoroughfare between Donald Nearby and Hargrave Street, nearby landmarks include the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the main branch of the Winnipeg public library, RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg and more.

In addition to the Winnipeg Jets, Canada Life Centre has been home at various times to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, the Winnipeg Alliance of the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League, the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League and Western Hockey League expansion team the Winnipeg Ice. The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame is also housed on the main floor of the arena.

Below, take a step into Canada Life Centre, including the stadium’s history, parking and admission, and capacity and seating options, as well as food and beverage options inside the arena.

Canada Life Centre History

Canada Life Centre opened as MTS Centre on November 16, 2004 in order to replace the now-demolished Winnipeg Arena. Upon opening, the arena was home to the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League, as the Winnipeg Jets were not an NHL team at the time. Two years after opening, the venue hosted the 2006 AHL All-Star Classic.

The Manitoba Moose played in MTS Centre through 2011 before transferring to St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador to make way for the return of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL after a 15-year absence. The Jets played their first game of the 2011-2012 season at the arena on October 9, 2011.

Since the Winnipeg Jets’ reintroduction to the NHL, the venue has been the smallest permanent arena in the league. Previously, MTS Centre had hosted a number of NHL preseason games — dating all the way back to 2006 — as the possibility of a team returning to Winnipeg gained momentum and eventually came to fruition.

The Manitoba Moose returned to Winnipeg, and the arena, at the start of the 2015 AHL season and have shared the venue with the Jets since. In 2017, its name was officially changed to Bell MTS Place after Bell Canada acquired Manitoba Telecom Services. Then, in 2021, the naming rights were purchased by Winnipeg-based insurance and financial services provider Canada Life Assurance Company.

Canada Life Centre tickets other events besides NHL games. The arena has hosted multiple iterations of the Grand Slam of Curling’s Canadian Open, the pretournament games of the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, the 2007 IIHF Women’s World Championship, the 2008 Tim Hortons Brier, the medal round of the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, UFC 161, numerous broadcasts of WWE Smackdown and more.

Parking and Admission at Canada Life Centre

Attendees are able to purchase parking in advance using either ParkMobile or ParkWhiz, with over 1,700 stalls available through Platinum Parking and Impark — the preferred parking providers of Canada Life Centre.

Accessible parking is available at several nearby lots, with accessible pick-up and drop-off points located immediately east of the stadium in the west lane of Donald Street.

Canada Life Centre can also be reached via public transportation on Winnipeg Transit, with 58 different routes servicing the arena. For a complete list of public transit routes going to and from events at Canada Life Centre, visit the venue’s official website or call 311.

Canada Life Centre Capacity & Seating Options

Canada Life Centre has a total capacity of 15,321, divided between a lower bowl, upper bowl and premium level, which includes loge, centre ice and on the glass seating, Ticketmaster lounges, suites and more. For concerts, the stadium’s capacity grows to 16,345 with additional seating on the floor.

Food & Beverage Options at Canada Life Centre

Food vendors inside Canada Life Centre include Aviators’ Grill, Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons, Jumbo Jet Dog, Donald & Hargrave St. Bars, The Sweet Spot, YWG Burger, Burrito 204, Carvery Sandwiches, Market Kitchen, Chef’s Corner, Fan Fuel concessions stands and more.

The arena also has numerous bars and beverage options including Crown Royal Whisky Hangar, The Budweiser Red Light Bar, Centre Ice Bar, Michelob Ultra Fan Deck, Craft Beer Corner and more.