City police leaned on the old saying ‘no news is good news’ following the season’s first Winnipeg Jets whiteout street party.

Roughly 5,000 fans packed Donald Street next to Canada Life Centre and spilled into True North Square Saturday evening to watch the Jets open their playoff series against the St. Louis Blues with a 5–3 win, taking a 1–0 best-of-seven series lead.

Despite the raucous crowd, police reported no major incidents as of Sunday. A full breakdown of Game 1’s festivities won’t be available until Tuesday, following Game 2.

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES The roughly 5,000 Jets fans who attended the whiteout party were well-behaved, said WPS Insp. Shaun Veldman.

“Overall, this was a positive community event, thanks to a well-behaved crowd,” said WPS Insp. Shaun Veldman. “No issues or concerns, including tickets.”

Officers maintained a strong presence at the party, donning white, Jets-friendly ball caps featuring the Winnipeg Police Service crest—fitting for the season.

“Our members are excited to be a part of these events and they are always eager to get an opportunity to wear the white hats,” Veldman said. “The hats are great for connecting with the community and allows our members to be part of a legendary Winnipeg playoff tradition.

“Our members are looking forward to many more like Game 1.”

The playoff buzz wasn’t confined to the official whiteout party — it rippled through downtown, packing bars and patios well into the night.

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar at 115 Garry Street opened at 2:30 p.m., 90 minutes earlier than they normally do on a Saturday.

“We were very busy from 2:30 to 4 p.m.,” said general manager Kevin MacKinnon. “It was great and everyone was wearing white. They headed off to their respective parties or to the game. Afterwards, we were extremely busy as well. It was a great night for us.”

MacKinnon said the smaller size of the parties has made things more manageable.

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Local businesses benefited from the influx of people before, and after Game 1 where the Winnipeg Jets defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-3 to lead the series 1-0.

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“When they started in 2018, it was a little bit out of control, just the size of those parties,” he said. “But since then, it’s been good for business downtown here.”

North on Garry at the Local Public Eatery, bar manager Dakota said the crowd rolled in early and didn’t let up until closing time at 1 a.m.

“It was great, it was a really good night,” he said. “It was just like the arena in here — a sea of white.”

Game days already bring in solid business, Dakota noted, but playoff nights? “They’re amplified by two times,” he said.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Scott Billeck Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott 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.