True North Sports and Entertainment announced today that the NHL is returning to Winnipeg.

True North Sports & Entertainment Limited is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with Atlanta Spirit, LLC with respect to the purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club.

The NHL was unable to find an owner who wanted to keep the team in Atlanta, and now this city is losing an NHL franchise for the second time. The Flames moved from Atlanta to Calgary back in 1980.

The Winnipeg NHL team will play at the MTS Centre. The MTS Centre is a 15,000-seat arena that has been home to the American Hockey League's Manitoba Moose.

Winnipeg had been without NHL hockey since the Jets moved to Phoenix back in 1996.

True North Sports and Entertainment was founded by chairman Mark Chipman. Chipman is also the president and chief executive of Winnipeg-based Megill Stephenson Co. Ltd. and director of the Hockey Canada Foundation.

True North Sports and Entertainment ownership also includes Canadian billionaire David Thomson.

This sale and move of the Atlanta franchise to Winnipeg is subject to the approval of the NHL board of governors on June 21, 2011.

True North Sports and Entertainment has launched the ‘Drive To 13000’ season ticket campaign to secure the NHL franchise in Winnipeg. 

The presale will officially start on Wednesday, June 1 at 1:00 p.m. and run to Friday, June 3 at 10:00 p.m. The general public on sale will commence on Saturday, June 4 at 12:00 p.m.

Go to www.driveto13.com for more details. 

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