Mum’s the word on Jets whiteout parties

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This article was published 12/04/2023 (926 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fans are ready to throw on a jersey, grab the thunder sticks and bolt for downtown now that the Winnipeg Jets have clinched a playoff spot, but nobody in the know is ready to dish on whether whiteout street parties will be held this year.

The Jets clinched a National Hockey League playoff spot after beating the Minnesota Wild 3-1 Tuesday night. The team secured their place in the post-season for the sixth time since Jets 2.0 relocated from Atlanta in the 2011-2012 season.

Maya Dowson, an 18-year-old Jets fan who works downtown, was so giddy Wednesday she had to re-watch highlights of Tuesday’s game to make sure it was real.

“I was like, ‘OK, wait, was this a dream?’ But thank God it wasn’t,” she said.

She spent her lunch hour at the arena Jets store, and picked up a Mark Scheifele jersey and a “We are WPG” whiteout shirt. She said she plans to pick up more all-white gear to cheer on her team.

“It’s definitely bringing the city together — everyone’s excited for the whiteouts,” she said. “All over Instagram, it was the only comment, ‘Winnipeg whiteout.’”

The game-time street parties drew tens of thousands of fans downtown in 2018 and 2019 during the pre-pandemic playoff runs.

True North Sports and Entertainment, governments and downtown organizations were tight-lipped Wednesday on what public celebrations will be in place when the playoffs begin next week.

John Olfert, president and chief operating officer of True North Sports and Entertainment, told the Free Press it’s a busy time. In addition to launching a new season-ticket drive, the organization is just starting to plan public events in association with the playoff games, Olfert said.

The 2018 festivities, which were free, cost nearly $2.2 million. The 2019 parties were organized by Economic Development Winnipeg and True North, with support from the city and provincial governments and Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, at a cost of $5 a fan. The money was donated to charity.

On Wednesday, True North didn’t return a Free Press request for comment about whiteout party plans.

City of Winnipeg spokesman David Driedger wouldn’t comment and told the Free Press to contact True North.

Olivia Billson, press secretary for Premier Heather Stefanson, said “stay tuned” when asked if the province plans to help fund the cost of street parties, as it did in 2019.

Economic Development Winnipeg communications director Karen Viveiros issued an email Wednesday evening.

“We are very proud of our Winnipeg Jets, and excited for their journey ahead. Stay tuned for an announcement later this week,”

The premier said she looks forward to joining “the NHL’s loudest fans to cheer on the Jets in their quest for the Stanley Cup.”

Biz CEO Kate Fenske, who didn’t grant an interview request, issued a general statement to welcome “thousands of people” to the arena for the playoffs. She didn’t mention anything about street parties.

“This will give many downtown businesses a boost because we know Winnipeggers will be supporting the Jets both inside the arena and out in restaurants and bars. We can’t wait to cheer on the home team in the heart of our city,” Fenske said in the emailed statement.

For her part, fan Dowson said the city feels excited during a Jets playoff run.

“You have the whole city behind you, cheering them on. It’s a big rush of dopamine,” said Dowson. “It’s unbelievable… it’s amazing how the city can come together, just for one thing.”

Fan Murray Derksen, 58, also stopped into the arena’s store over the lunch hour to take a look at the goods.

“It’s important for the city. It’ll be good, post-COVID, to have, hopefully, a whiteout downtown,” said Derksen of the playoff spot. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s a passion.”

— with files from Martin Cash

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

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Erik Pindera
Reporter

Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020.  Read more about Erik.

Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.