Whiteout Street Party will be hot spot as 23,000 Jets fans expected in sweaty weather

The team is back in townandfans are raring to get rowdy in the streets of downtown Winnipegas the Jets try to finish off the Predators in Game 6 tonight at Bell MTS Place.

Economic Development Winnipeg, which organizes the whiteout street parties outside the arena, plans to start the elaborate party setup this morning.

"The energy of Jets fans so far, we've all seen it, and I think that you're going to see it in a really big way tonight," saidEconomic Development Winnipeg spokesperson MattSchaubroeck.

Bell MTS Place has space for about 15,000 fans inside. Organizers are making room for another 23,000 outside and expect the crowd to reach maximum capacity as forecast highs of 30 C could make for one sweaty gathering.

"We've certainly never had to play or watch hockey outside in 30 C weather in Winnipeg, so this is new for all of us," saidSchaubroeck.

"Pretty incredible number of Winnipeggers that we're expecting to come downtown and cheer on the Jets tonight."

To help the ice cope with the heat, True North Sports and Entertainment brought in two large dehumidifiers and two 80-ton air-cooled chillers.

"Having these units in place ensures we continue to provide some of the best ice conditions in the NHL, even during warm days like today," said True North spokespersonRob Wozny. "This is a common practice for arenas around the NHL during the playoffs as we head into the warmer months."

Water stations

Fans are allowed to bring their own water bottles, Schaubroeck said, but security may inspectthem to make sure they don't contain alcohol. There will also be water available at two stations where people can fill up for free.

Schaubroecksaid organizers aren't expecting conditions to be quite so "sizzling" come game time.

"People should still make sure they're taking precautions today and stay hydrated," he said, adding fans should come early to ensure they get a good viewing spot.

The Jets beat the Predators Saturday 6-2in Nashville to go up in the series 3-2 and tonight will have a chance at advancing to thefirstconference final in the city's history.

Before this playoff season, neither the current incarnation of the Jets nor the previous franchise had ever won a second-round NHL playoff game. The Gretzky-era Edmonton Oilers swept the Jets twice in the second round in the 1980s.

The Jets had the best home record in the league during 2017-18 regular season, but the Predators had the best record on the road.

This will be the11thJets playoff game andsixthWhiteoutStreetParty this playoff season.Between 5,000 and 12,000 people have attended each of the street parties so far.

The game gets underway at 8:30 p.m. CT.

Fans are encouraged to bring foodfor Winnipeg Harvest, which will have a donation bin on site. During the last street party, people donated 1,200 kilograms of food and $3,500 in cash, Economic Development Winnipeg said in a statement.

Jets try to finish off Predators in Game 6

7 years ago

Duration 1:05

The Jets can close out the second round playoff series and advance to the Western Conference final with a win tonight at Bell MTS Place.