gold medal game, but lost to Russia in overtime. Other uses Aside from hockey, the Winnipeg Arena was often used for basketball, including home games for the Winnipeg Thunder, an independent professional team in the early 1990s; the inaugural Naismith Cup between the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies on October 21, 1995; and 1999 Pan American Games basketball and volleyball tournaments. In preparation for the Games, the portrait of the Queen was removed to make room for banners. It was placed in storage and never returned to the rafters. The arena was also a frequent concert venue and a stop for professional wrestling tours such as the American Wrestling Association and WWE. In television and film, the arena was used for the made-for-television documentary Inside the Osmonds and the ESPN film A Season on the Brink. The arena, along with its multiple hockey tenants, was a major plot point in director Guy Maddin's 2007 film My Winnipeg. Demolition The opening of the privately owned MTS Centre, now known as Canada Life Centre, in 2004 meant the end for the Winnipeg Arena. The arena's last official event was an American Hockey League game between the Manitoba Moose and Utah Grizzlies played before a capacity crowd on November 4, 2004. Several former Jets players, including Bobby Hull and Teemu Selänne, were present for a special ceremony as the banners hanging from the rafters were lowered before the game. Most of the memorabilia from the arena including the seats and the trough from the men's washroom were auctioned off to the public prior to the demolition. The Winnipeg Arena sat vacant until 2006, at which time the City of Winnipeg took on the $1.45 million expense of demolishing the arena. After the building was gutted, final demolition took place on March 26, 2006. On that morning, hundreds of hockey fans gathered to watch the building fall, while chanting, "Go Jets, Go!" However, the planned implosion failed to bring down the entire structure; construction vehicles later pulled down the remainder. The vacant site was purchased by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for $3.6 million and used as a parking lot for Canad Inns Stadium across the street until construction of new retail and office space began in 2011. The new complex, known as Polo Park North, opened in 2013. References External links Winnipeg Arena at Ballparks.com Winnipeg Arena photos at ManitobaPhotos.com Sports venues completed