As Jets' playoff run starts, here's what you need to know about Winnipeg's whiteout parties

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 2:16 PM EDT | Last Updated: little than a infinitesimal ago

While temperatures are forecast to emergence implicit the weekend, a whiteout volition beryllium blowing done True North Square connected Saturday, arsenic the Winnipeg Jets look the St. Louis Blues successful Game 1 of their first-round NHL playoffs series.

Here's what you request to cognize if you're heading downtown for the crippled tomorrow. 

When does the puck drop? 

Puck driblet for Game 1 is astatine 5 p.m. CT connected Saturday astatine the Canada Life Centre successful downtown Winnipeg, with the sold-out thoroughfare party near the arena starting 2 hours before.

Tickets for the Game 2 whiteout party, scheduled to commencement 2 hours earlier the 6:30 p.m. contention connected Monday, are besides sold out. Game 1 and Game 2 tickets for the Party successful the Plaza, held in True North Square, are sold retired too.

The Jets volition question to St. Louis for Game 3 and 4 to look the Blues astatine the Enterprise Center. Game 3 is connected Thursday, with an 8:30 p.m. CT start, and Game 4 goes Sunday, April 27 astatine noon.

If needed, Game 5 volition spot the bid instrumentality to Winnipeg connected Wednesday, April 30, with a commencement clip TBD.

Are immoderate different jets coming retired for the party?

As the Jets deed the crystal connected Saturday, jets volition besides beryllium hitting the skies supra Winnipeg. 

Two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet combatant jets volition beryllium flying implicit the Canada Life Centre and the thoroughfare enactment extracurricular soon aft the 5 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, the Canadian Armed Forces says.

The RCAF is "proud to stock successful nationalist sporting events," similar the Jets' archetypal playoff location crippled this year, the Forces said successful a quality merchandise earlier this week. 

Which roads and sidewalks volition beryllium closed?

The City of Winnipeg is closing immoderate roads downtown aboriginal Saturday to hole for the archetypal whiteout party. Some roads volition stay closed done the Easter weekend until Tuesday, to let for cleanup aft Monday's whiteout party.

Southbound Donald Street betwixt Ellice and St. Mary avenues, volition adjacent astatine 6 a.m. connected Saturday and reopen astatine 7 a.m. Tuesday. The metropolis says the thoroughfare won't reopen betwixt games connected Sunday. 

Graham Avenue volition adjacent successful some directions betwixt Hargrave and Smith streets from 6 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. Graham volition beryllium unfastened Sunday, but volition adjacent again astatine 9 a.m. connected Monday for Game 2's whiteout party, reopening astatine 7 a.m. connected Tuesday. 

Sidewalks volition besides adjacent on these routes starting astatine noon connected Saturday and will reopen aboriginal Tuesday morning, the metropolis said.

Are determination immoderate changes to nationalist transit?

Winnipeg Transit buses that tally on Graham Avenue volition beryllium rerouted betwixt Kennedy and Smith connected Saturday starting astatine 6 a.m.

Service volition tally arsenic accustomed connected Sunday, but Graham buses volition beryllium rerouted again connected Monday starting astatine 9 a.m., returning to mean work Tuesday.

If your accustomed halt is on that agelong of Graham, the metropolis suggests hopping connected the autobus astatine Graham and Vaughn Street, oregon Graham and Fort Street. 

The Winnipeg Transit Plus loading portion connected Donald astatine Graham volition beryllium moved temporarily to eastbound Portage Avenue, adjacent to the Radisson Hotel, the metropolis said.

The Millennium Library Winnipeg Transit Plus loading portion is temporarily moving to the eastbound beforehand driveway of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters, and the City Place Winnipeg Transit Plus loading portion is moving to northbound Hargrave connected the northbound broadside of St. Mary.

The Millennium Library Parkade's entranceway astatine Donald Street volition adjacent astatine 6 a.m. connected Saturday, and again astatine 9 a.m. connected Monday. Regular hours commencement up again connected Tuesday.

The downtown room volition beryllium closing aboriginal connected Saturday, at 3 p.m., and again connected Monday, April 21 astatine 4:30 p.m. It is closed connected Easter Sunday.

How are section businesses preparing? 

Dwight Benson, wide manager astatine the adjacent Elephant & Castle connected St. Mary Avenue, said his edifice and pub is doubling its unit Saturday, arsenic it expects its accustomed measurement of customers to double.

"We're precise prepared this year, truthful we're excited," Benson told Radio-Canada successful an interrogation Friday.  

Game days are ever engaged astatine the bar, but during whiteout season, "it's an all-day party," helium said.

The pub is throwing its own party to observe the Jets' playoff run, starting astatine 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

"The longer they go, the amended for us. So hopefully we get done this archetypal circular with St. Louis — which I person nary uncertainty connected — but the longer we go, the better," said Benson.

"Go, Jets, go."