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Money & Power: Winnipeg Jets - Jan. 2 2025 - Vol. 78, Issue 06 - Jared Clinton
OWNERSHIP - MARK CHIPMAN
MARK CHIPMAN ISN’T averse to small talk. So, if you meet him, it’s not beyond Chipman to ask where you’re from. And if you tell him Winnipeg? Well, Chipman will want to know your neighborhood, local rink and your minor hockey team. It’s not a facade. Chipman loves the game down to its roots and takes pride in the sport and its impact on the community.
Born and bred in the ‘Heart of the Continent,’ as songsmith John K. Samson once called Winnipeg, Chipman has been part of the city’s hockey scene since long before the Jets 2.0 came. He was among a group of business leaders who tried valiantly to keep the original Jets from heading to Phoenix. Later, Chipman spearheaded the charge to bring the then-IHL’s Minnesota Moose to town. And it was with Chipman’s blueprints that True North paved the way for the NHL’s return to Manitoba. The construction of a downtown arena set the stage, and when the chance arose, Chipman – who struck up an alliance with media magnate David Thomson, the chairman of Thomson Reuters and one of the world’s wealthiest people – was able to snap up the Atlanta Thrashers and bring them north.
It would’ve been easy for the organization to rest on its laurels after the Jets returned to Winnipeg, but Chipman’s vision has expanded well beyond the confines of Canada Life Centre. Community work has been a fixture of True North, dating back to the Manitoba Moose Yearling Foundation, now called the True North Youth Foundation, which runs summer camps, hockey schools and youth-facing programming. Among its core offerings is Project 11, which promotes mental health and wellness education and is named after late NHLer Rick Rypien.
Chipman and Co. are also giving Winnipeg’s downtown a facelift. The arena remains the nucleus, but the nearby True North Square has reshaped the skyline with its four towers of residential, office and retail spaces, with a hotel still to come. True North’s real-estate arm also reached a deal to buy downtown shopping center Portage Place with the intention of converting it into a multi-use facility that will include a 265,000-square-foot healthcare center. As part of the redevelopment, True North partnered with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization to establish a residential tower with as much as 40 percent of rental units dedicated to affordable housing.
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TOP BUSINESS EXECUTIVE - JOHN OLFERT
NAMED PRESIDENT AND CHIEF operating officer of True North Sports and Entertainment in 2019, John Olfert has been with the organization since before its NHL days. Olfert was among those who helped lay the foundation to make True North’s dreams become reality, as he was integral to the development and opening of the then-MTS Centre, which was (and is again) the downtown home of the AHL’s Manitoba Moose before the NHL came back to town. So it’s only fitting he serves as one of the Jets’ alternates on the NHL’s board of governors.
Though Olfert’s responsibilities are wide-ranging, his work in aiding the expansion of True North’s portfolio has seen the company grow from a hockey-centric business to one with roots throughout downtown. That’s a common thread for Olfert, who is a fixture in the community. He serves on the True North Youth Foundation’s board and has a history of working with charitable and not-for-profit outfits in Winnipeg.
GOVERNOR & ALTERNATE GOVERNORS
MARK CHIPMAN
ALTERNATE GOVERNORS: Kevin Cheveldayoff, John Olfert, Patrick Phillips
TOP HOCKEY EXECUTIVE - KEVIN CHEVELDAYOFF
IT’S NO SECRET THAT Winnipeg doesn’t quite hold the same allure as the Sunbelt cities or major markets – the Torontos, New Yorks and Bostons – as a UFA destination. However, that hasn’t been a problem for Kevin Cheveldayoff, who has established himself as one of the NHL’s best front-office dealers and pitchmen. Over the past several seasons, Cheveldayoff has repeatedly found ways to keep top talents, most recently Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, and rare is the trade in which the Jets come out on the losing end.
Though Winnipeg’s strategy with young players has been called into question, it should come as no surprise that the team’s brass, led by Cheveldayoff, values the experience that players gain playing in the AHL before making the big club. Cheveldayoff, a two-time Calder Cup-winning GM, cut his teeth in the AHL and spent a dozen seasons with the Chicago Wolves. He knows it’s a great breeding ground, and that 11 current Jets have come up through the farm system before arriving in the NHL is proof positive the methodology is working.
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INSIDE THE ARENA
WHEN IT OPENED in November 2004, the Canada Life Centre shifted Winnipeg’s home for pro hockey right into the downtown core – and it has since become the hub of much of the city’s entertainment. Built on the site of the once-iconic Eaton’s store, the arena contains odes to the building’s history, the most notable of which is the statue of Timothy Eaton in the concourse area. Since its opening, however, the arena has developed its own history. It first housed the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, then later welcomed a series of NHL exhibition games, pre-tournament World Junior Championship games, the Brier (the Canadian men’s curling championship) and it became the go-to venue for touring musical acts.
Though the facade remains largely identical save a couple of changes to the sign out front – the arena was previously known as MTS Centre and Bell MTS Place – the interior has changed as the team has graduated from AHL standout to NHL newcomer and now major-league mainstay. The capacity remains the lowest of the league’s buildings at 15,321, though it’s an upgrade from when the Jets arrived in the NHL. Through tweaking the layout and reinvesting in additions such as loge seating, True North has managed to pack more bodies in the building. And the tight confines create one of the game’s most raucous atmospheres. A rowdy playoff game in Winnipeg, for instance, should be included as a bucket-list item for any hockey fan.
For those who’ve been around the building over the years, the upgrades are significant, from an updated scoreboard and sound system down to a complete reimagining of the fan offerings, with a particular focus on local vendors. Atmosphere has also been a focus recently, and the introduction of a house band – who play during intermissions – is one way the Jets have attempted to create and maintain the energy from pre-game through to the final whistle.
BIG 10 TEAM SPONSORS
(*listed alphabetically)
NHL VALUATIONS
$1.05B FORBES
$1.02B SPORTICO
$1.3B ROUSTAN