LAS VEGAS -- The Winnipeg Jets are excited to see the whiteout.
No, they weren't talking about the foot of snow that fell on the city Thursday, but rather the raucous Stanley Cup Playoff tradition that sees the fans of the Jets dress in white and wave white towels in a blizzard of noise.
The whiteout will be unleashed for Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round against the Vegas Golden Knights at Canada Life Centre on Saturday (4 p.m. ET; TBS, CBC, SN, TVAS, ATTSN-RM).
It could be a difference-maker in this best-of-7 series, which is tied after Vegas won 5-2 at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday. The Jets won 5-1 in Game 1 on Tuesday.
"It's incredible, the experience, the atmosphere is like nothing else I've ever played in," said defenseman Josh Morrissey, who is in his eighth season with the Jets and has experienced the whiteout in four Stanley Cup Playoff series. "It's electric, an electric atmosphere and it's a ton of fun to play in. It's been a while since we've been able to do that. I know the fans are ready and so are we. We couldn't be more excited."
The last time Winnipeg played at home in front of fans in the playoffs was in 2019, when it lost to the St. Louis Blues in six games in the Western Conference First Round.
The Jets missed the playoffs last season after playing the 2020 and 2021 postseasons in front of no fans due to COVID-19 restrictions.
"We're looking forward to going home to our crowd," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "That rink last night was very loud and our rink in Winnipeg is going to be very loud. It's going to be fun to go home and play with the whiteout and play before our fans again, get the emotional level up where it needs to be when you're competing at this time of the year."
The Jets were 26-13-2 at home during the regular season, seventh-best in the NHL. But the Golden Knights went 26-7-8 on the road, third-best in the League.
Winnipeg forward Pierre-Luc Dubois knows that the atmosphere could provide the springboard to get off to a fast start.
"To have that energy on our side is going to be really fun, I'm really excited," Dubois said. "A lot of us have never experienced the whiteout [because of] COVID and then last year not making the playoffs. To get a good start, it's a cliche, but it's a cliche for a reason."
Vegas captain Mark Stone, who scored two goals and had an assist in Game 2, was in the building in 2018 for the second round of the playoffs. The Winnipeg native was there to see his good friend, forward Kyle Turris, who was playing for the Nashville Predators.
He called the atmosphere special. The Jets won that series in seven games, then lost to the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final in 2018 in five games.
Defenseman Zach Whitecloud is one of six players remaining from Vegas' inaugural NHL season, though he did not play in the 2018 playoffs.
Whitecloud, from nearby Brandon, Manitoba, says he has watched the whiteout from afar. He is excited to embrace the opportunity to be in the midst of it.
"It is exciting. I grew up watching playoff series there," Whitecloud said. "You take a minute to let it sink in a little and then you get to work."
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