White quite a sight, but city’s NHL playoff tradition kind of a scoreboard blight

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This article was published 25/04/2023 (868 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They’ve been a tradition for Winnipeg Jets playoff home games since the late 1980s, but fan whiteouts haven’t brought much luck to the National Hockey League club in recent years.

The Jets haven’t won a game in front of a full whiteout crowd since the 2018 Western Conference final, when they were eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights.

The 2020 post-season was played in “bubbles” without fans in the stands in Toronto and Edmonton due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two Jets home games — both losses — were staged in front of a small crowd of fully-vaccinated health-care staff in the 2021 playoffs, when fans weren’t allowed inside the building.

The team is on an 0-7 run in front of full crowds after dropping two home games to Vegas in this year’s opening round series, sparking a minor social media debate over whether the tradition should be tweaked.

As the Free Press quizzed fans of the injury-depleted Jets outside Canada Life Centre Tuesday, Chris Norquay said he’s among those who don’t believe in a whiteout curse.

“They should keep the whiteout and petition the NHL to wear white at home,” he said of Jets management.

When the tradition started with the original franchise, which moved to Arizona after the 1996 playoffs, NHL teams wore white jerseys in their home rinks.

They now wear dark uniforms at home. The Jets’ primary and alternate home jerseys are varying shades of blue.

Fan Rene Roy is open to shifting from a whiteout to something new and blue.

“Go with the blue,” he said. “I see it as being really bold.”

Mike Jack isn’t sure a blue wave, or whatever it would be called, would be as impactful as a whiteout.

“The white colour seems pretty dramatic when you’re in that arena,” he said.

Satnam Gill wants the Jets to stick with whiteouts because of the excitement they generate within the city during the team’s playoff appearances.

When it comes to fan attire, he’s not superstitious.

“I don’t think the win-loss record has anything to do with the colours we’re wearing,” said Gill.

If the Jets, who are currently down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, win Game 5 in Las Vegas Thursday night, Game 6 will be back at Canada Life Centre on Saturday, giving the home fans another chance to don white jerseys, painting overalls or other outfits and, perhaps, break the “curse.”

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching