Latest news with #PartyinthePlaza
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Spring whiteout hits downtown Winnipeg as thousands take to street for start of Jets' playoff run
NHL playoff fever had the streets of downtown Winnipeg buzzing on Saturday, with thousands of fans flocking to watch their home team in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. On the ice at the Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets are facing the St. Louis Blues in the first match of their best-of-seven series. Outside the downtown arena in the hours leading up to the 5 p.m. puck drop, Jets fans painted a stretch of Donald Street white for the first whiteout street party of the season, a sold-out event with a capacity of 5,000. Another 1,200 were expected for the Party in the Plaza at True North Square, which is also sold out for Game 1. The spring whiteout brought fans from near and far, including one who travelled roughly 15,000 kilometres to watch the Jets play. Rob Psaila, centre, travelled from Melbourne, Australia, to see Game 1 of the series. He's been a fan of the team since a visit to Winnipeg four years ago. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC) "To come to a Jets game — not only just a Jets game but one of the playoff games — gee, you couldn't ask for anything better," said Rob Psaila, a firefighter from Melbourne, Australia. He became a Jets fan during a visit to Canada four years ago, visiting through firefighter friends. Winnipeg was the first Canadian city he visited back then, and the warm welcome he got from locals made him feel like he was at home. So "it was just natural for me to start supporting the Winnipeg Jets," he said. "It's just like my home football team." But one thing was missing for him: a theme song for the team and about the team. So he adapted Melbourne's football fan song to the Jets. "A fighting fury, we're from Winnipeg/ In any weather you will see us with a grin/ Risking head and shin/ If we're behind then never mind/ We'll fight and fight to win!" Psaila sang, giving a rendition of the song he adapted for the Jets. Fans painted the streets around the downtown Canada Life Centre white ahead of the 5 p.m. puck drop. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC) For Winnipeggers, it comes as a surprise people in Australia follow ice hockey, he said, but in Melbourne, there are fans of every NHL team. "Melbourne is a sporting capital of Australia. We'll get 30,000 people out to two bugs racing up a wall," he joked. Psaila is planning to literally follow the Jets on their first-round run, staying in Winnipeg for Game 2 on Monday and then going to St. Louis for Game 3 on Thursday. "Let's hope the Jets get in there and give them a good smashing," he said. "We are going to do a fantastic job, I have no doubt at all." Though he didn't come quite as far, Calgary's Brad Yakiwchuck also said he was in town to see the Jets "beat the wheels off the Blues" on Saturday. Yakiwchuck, who has been a fan of the Jets since the team announced its return to Winnipeg, said this is the most excited he's seen the team's fans in a long time, in part after an impressive regular season that closed with a franchise record of 116 points and saw the Jets clinch their first Presidents' Trophy for top regular-season record in the league. "I think if there has ever been a year for us to win the [Stanley] Cup, this is the one," Yakiwchuck said. "I really hope this is the year."
CBC
19-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Spring whiteout hits downtown Winnipeg as thousands take to street for start of Jets' playoff run
Man who came from Australia among fans cheering on Jets during Game 1 of series against St. Louis Blues Image | Winnipeg Jets whiteout street party 2025 Caption: Winnipeg Jets fans celebrate as the team scores its second goal during Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the St. Louis Blues. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC) NHL playoff fever had the streets of downtown Winnipeg buzzing on Saturday, with thousands of fans flocking to watch their home team in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. On the ice at the Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets are facing the St. Louis Blues in the first match of their best-of-seven series. Outside the downtown arena in the hours leading up to the 5 p.m. puck drop, Jets fans painted a stretch of Donald Street white for the first whiteout street party of the season, a sold-out event with a capacity of 5,000. Another 1,200 were expected for the Party in the Plaza at True North Square, which is also sold out for Game 1. The spring whiteout brought fans from near and far, including one who travelled roughly 15,000 kilometres to watch the Jets play. "To come to a Jets game — not only just a Jets game but one of the playoff games — gee, you couldn't ask for anything better," said Rob Psaila, a firefighter from Melbourne, Australia. He became a Jets fan during a visit to Canada four years ago, visiting through firefighter friends. Winnipeg was the first Canadian city he visited back then, and the warm welcome he got from locals made him feel like he was at home. So "it was just natural for me to start supporting the Winnipeg Jets," he said. "It's just like my home football team." But one thing was missing for him: a theme song for the team and about the team. So he adapted Melbourne's football fan song to the Jets. "A fighting fury, we're from Winnipeg/ In any weather you will see us with a grin/ Risking head and shin/ If we're behind then never mind/ We'll fight and fight to win!" Psaila sang, giving a rendition of the song he adapted for the Jets. For Winnipeggers, it comes as a surprise people in Australia follow ice hockey, he said, but in Melbourne, there are fans of every NHL team. "Melbourne is a sporting capital of Australia. We'll get 30,000 people out to two bugs racing up a wall," he joked. Psaila is planning to literally follow the Jets on their first-round run, staying in Winnipeg for Game 2 on Monday and then going to St. Louis for Game 3 on Thursday. "Let's hope the Jets get in there and give them a good smashing," he said. "We are going to do a fantastic job, I have no doubt at all." Though he didn't come quite as far, Calgary's Brad Yakiwchuck also said he was in town to see the Jets "beat the wheels off the Blues" on Saturday. Yakiwchuck, who has been a fan of the Jets since the team announced its return to Winnipeg, said this is the most excited he's seen the team's fans in a long time, in part after an impressive regular season that closed with a franchise record of 116 points and saw the Jets clinch their first Presidents' Trophy for top regular-season record in the league. "I think if there has ever been a year for us to win the [Stanley] Cup, this is the one," Yakiwchuck said. "I really hope this is the year." Like Yakiwchuck, Jeff Baquiran said this is the best time to be a Jets fan after the team clinched the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy for more points in the regular season and rose to the top of the Western Division. "It is clicking on all cylinders, the time is perfect," Baquiran said. While he expects the road ahead in the playoffs to be tough, Baquiran is confident the team will win the series by the sixth game. "We got four good lines coming up on the ice, solid defence … this is the team to do it," he said. Mike McDonald went to about 35 Jets games during the regular season, where he has seen how team players have not only scored but also looked after each other's back in the ice rink. "They play the right way," McDonald said. "When one guy is not playing up … somebody comes up and gets that goal." He has been watching hockey for 55 years and said bringing the Stanley Cup to Winnipeg would be "unbelievable."
CBC
19-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Spring whiteout hits downtown Winnipeg as thousands take to street for start of Jets' playoff run
NHL playoff fever had the streets of downtown Winnipeg buzzing on Saturday, with thousands of fans flocking to watch their home team in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. On the ice at the Canada Life Centre, the Winnipeg Jets are facing the St. Louis Blues in the first match of their best-of-seven series. Outside the downtown arena in the hours leading up to the 5 p.m. puck drop, Jets fans painted a stretch of Donald Street white for the first whiteout street party of the season, a sold-out event with a capacity of 5,000. Another 1,200 were expected for the Party in the Plaza at True North Square, which is also sold out for Game 1. The spring whiteout brought fans from near and far, including one who travelled roughly 15,000 kilometres to watch the Jets play. "To come to a Jets game — not only just a Jets game but one of the playoff games — gee, you couldn't ask for anything better," said Rob Psaila, a firefighter from Melbourne, Australia. He became a Jets fan during a visit to Canada four years ago, visiting through firefighter friends. Winnipeg was the first Canadian city he visited back then, and the warm welcome he got from locals made him feel like he was at home. So "it was just natural for me to start supporting the Winnipeg Jets," he said. "It's just like my home football team." But one thing was missing for him: a theme song for the team and about the team. So he adapted Melbourne's football fan song to the Jets. "A fighting fury, we're from Winnipeg/ In any weather you will see us with a grin/ Risking head and shin/ If we're behind then never mind/ We'll fight and fight to win!" Psaila sang, giving a rendition of the song he adapted for the Jets. For Winnipeggers, it comes as a surprise people in Australia follow ice hockey, he said, but in Melbourne, there are fans of every NHL team. "Melbourne is a sporting capital of Australia. We'll get 30,000 people out to two bugs racing up a wall," he joked. Psaila is planning to literally follow the Jets on their first-round run, staying in Winnipeg for Game 2 on Monday and then going to St. Louis for Game 3 on Thursday. "Let's hope the Jets get in there and give them a good smashing," he said. "We are going to do a fantastic job, I have no doubt at all." Though he didn't come quite as far, Calgary's Brad Yakiwchuck also said he was in town to see the Jets "beat the wheels off the Blues" on Saturday. Yakiwchuck, who has been a fan of the Jets since the team announced its return to Winnipeg, said this is the most excited he's seen the team's fans in a long time, in part after an impressive regular season that closed with a franchise record of 116 points and saw the Jets clinch their first Presidents' Trophy for top regular-season record in the league. "I think if there has ever been a year for us to win the [Stanley] Cup, this is the one," Yakiwchuck said. "I really hope this is the year."
CBC
18-04-2025
- Climate
- CBC
As Jets' playoff run starts, here's what you need to know about Winnipeg's whiteout parties
Social Sharing While temperatures are forecast to rise over the weekend, a whiteout will be blowing through True North Square on Saturday, as the Winnipeg Jets face the St. Louis Blues in Game 1 of their first-round NHL playoffs series. Here's what you need to know if you're heading downtown for the game tomorrow. When does the puck drop? Puck drop for Game 1 is at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday at the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg, with the sold-out street party near the arena starting two hours before. Tickets for the Game 2 whiteout party, scheduled to start two hours before the 6:30 p.m. contest on Monday, are also sold out. Game 1 and Game 2 tickets for the Party in the Plaza, held in True North Square, are sold out too. The Jets will travel to St. Louis for Game 3 and 4 to face the Blues at the Enterprise Center. Game 3 is on Thursday, with an 8:30 p.m. CT start, and Game 4 goes Sunday, April 27 at noon. If needed, Game 5 will see the series return to Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 30, with a start time TBD. Are any other jets coming out for the party? As the Jets hit the ice on Saturday, jets will also be hitting the skies above Winnipeg. Two Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 Hornet fighter jets will be flying over the Canada Life Centre and the street party outside shortly after the 5 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, the Canadian Armed Forces says. The RCAF is "proud to share in national sporting events," like the Jets' first playoff home game this year, the Forces said in a news release earlier this week. Which roads and sidewalks will be closed? The City of Winnipeg is closing some roads downtown early Saturday to prepare for the first whiteout party. Some roads will remain closed through the Easter weekend until Tuesday, to allow for cleanup after Monday's whiteout party. Southbound Donald Street between Ellice and St. Mary avenues, will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday and reopen at 7 a.m. Tuesday. The city says the street won't reopen between games on Sunday. Graham Avenue will close in both directions between Hargrave and Smith streets from 6 a.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday. Graham will be open Sunday, but will close again at 9 a.m. on Monday for Game 2's whiteout party, reopening at 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Sidewalks will also close along these routes starting at noon on Saturday and will reopen early Tuesday morning, the city said. Are there any changes to public transit? Winnipeg Transit buses that run along Graham Avenue will be rerouted between Kennedy and Smith on Saturday starting at 6 a.m. Service will run as usual on Sunday, but Graham buses will be rerouted again on Monday starting at 9 a.m., returning to normal service Tuesday. If your usual stop is along that stretch of Graham, the city suggests hopping on the bus at Graham and Vaughn Street, or Graham and Fort Street. The Winnipeg Transit Plus loading zone on Donald at Graham will be moved temporarily to eastbound Portage Avenue, next to the Radisson Hotel, the city said. The Millennium Library Winnipeg Transit Plus loading zone is temporarily moving to the eastbound front driveway of the Winnipeg Police Service headquarters, and the City Place Winnipeg Transit Plus loading zone is moving to northbound Hargrave on the north side of St. Mary. The Millennium Library Parkade's entrance at Donald Street will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday, and again at 9 a.m. on Monday. Regular hours start up again on Tuesday. The downtown library will be closing early on Saturday, at 3 p.m., and again on Monday, April 21 at 4:30 p.m. It is closed on Easter Sunday. How are local businesses preparing? Dwight Benson, general manager at the nearby Elephant & Castle on St. Mary Avenue, said his restaurant and pub is doubling its staff Saturday, as it expects its usual volume of customers to double. "We're very prepared this year, so we're excited," Benson told Radio-Canada in an interview Friday. Game days are always busy at the bar, but during whiteout season, "it's an all-day party," he said. The pub is throwing its own party to celebrate the Jets' playoff run, starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. "The longer they go, the better for us. So hopefully we get through this first round with St. Louis — which I have no doubt on — but the longer we go, the better," said Benson.
