One of the few remaining hopes for Atlanta Thrashers fans in advance of the team's likely move to Winnipeg has been that Manitoba's government is stocked with more Ron Swansons than anybody realized. It's been reported that True North will need financial assistance from the Manitoban government with MTS Centre debt in order to facilitate the move; it's also been reported that such aid would be likely.
Not so fast, says Manitoba premier Greg Selinger, according to TSN. Well, sort of.
He says taxpayers won't subsidize the group's effort to import a NHL team and that the province hasn't been involved in negotiations between TNSE and the Atlanta Spirit Group. But then there's this part:
He says the province could help with any renovations that might need to be done to the MTS Centre to support a team.
So yeah -- that facility is owned and operated by True North. Consider this part of the story all but done.
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