Whiteout will return to Donald Street during the Winnipeg Jets home playoff games

A spring blizzard hits Winnipeg again during the NHL playoffs, with 5,000 people watching home games in white-knuckle parties on Donald Street outside the Canadian Life Centre.

“It's coming,” said Kevin Donnelly of True North Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Jets and the downtown arena.

Tickets for the Whiteout Street Party will go on sale for $10 starting April 17, with $5 from each ticket going to United Way Winnipeg, Donnelly said at a press conference at the Canada Life Centre.

Whenever the Jets play a home game during the playoffs, fans dressed in white, from t-shirts and jerseys to artist jumpsuits and some seriously creative clothing, pack the downtown arena and surrounding streets to cheer on their team.

“Uniquely Manitoban, Winnipeg's White Street Parties have brought our fans, their creativity and spirit to the national stage,” said Donnelly. “It's going to be the talk of the town and soon the talk of the nation.”

Licensed parties begin two hours prior to puck drop at each home game on Donald Street between Portage and Graham Avenues. The games will be shown live on three big screens in the street.

Game ticket holders are also encouraged to attend, with doors to the Canada Life Center opening 90 minutes prior to puck drop. Playoff tickets for one game of the 1st round of the playoffs go on sale on April 15.

Party on the Plaza also returns, with tickets for the outdoor event on the authentic North Square costing $20, with $5 going to the United Way. These tickets also go on sale on April 17.

The provincial government will provide $75,000 per playoff round to support the parties. Economic Development Winnipeg will provide $50,000 from its Special Events Tourism Fund.

“Every time the Winnipeg Jets make the playoffs, we add more money,” Premier Wab Kinew said with a laugh at a news conference.

“I don't want to upset anything, but I want to say that this is one area of ​​public funding where I don't mind seeing us go over budget.”

Kenew talked about going to a Jets playoff game with one of his sons in 2018 and called watching the games one of those experiences that “brings us together.”

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham also said the tradition of whiteness builds community.

“Everywhere you go, every school in town, every business, you're going to see people wearing white, and that's something you have to experience,” Gillingham said.

“The graduation parties are fun because it's one of those very rare times of the year, maybe one of the only times of the year when we get to hug complete strangers and complete strangers when the Jets score points.”

“I don't know who you are, but we're celebrating together.”

The Winnipeg Jets clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Calgary Flames 5-2 last week.

United Way will distribute the funds it receives from the white parties to organizations that help people facing homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges in Winnipeg, True North said in a press release.

The 2019 and 2023 street parties raised more than $212,000 for community agencies, including N'Dinawemak — Place of Our Kin, Main Street Project, Velma's House, Astum Api Niikinaahk and Bruce Oak Recovery Center.