The Winnipeg Jets host the St. Louis Blues tonight at Bell MTS Place. (TYLER WALSH / TOURISM WINNIPEG)

A sea of white will cover downtown Winnipeg tonight as the Jets open the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell MTS Place.

The St. Louis Blues are in town for a 7 p.m. puck drop and excitement is building throughout the city.

Gates to the #WPGWhiteout Street Party open at 5 p.m. and tickets are $5 through Ticketmaster. All proceeds are being donated to United Way Winnipeg.

Street closures

The following streets are closed as of 10 a.m. today until 6:30 a.m. on Thursday and again from 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 12 until 6:30 a.m. Saturday, April 13:

• Southbound Donald Street between Portage Avenue and St. Mary Avenue
• Graham Avenue between Carlton Street and Garry Street
• Northbound Smith Street will be closed to through traffic between St. Mary Avenue and Portage Avenue; however, access to the Millennium Parkade entrance from St. Mary Avenue and the Radisson Hotel Parkade from the back lane south of Portage Avenue will be maintained

Fighter jet flyby

Four Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CT-155 Hawk training jets from two Canadian Forces Flying Training School at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan will conduct a flyby over Bell MTS Place and the Winnipeg Jets Whiteout Street Party. The flyby will take place at approximately 7 p.m.

For more information on the street parties, visit economicdevelopmentwinnipeg.com or see the map below.

The Jets and Blues face each other again Friday in Game 2. Puck drop is at the later time of 8:30 p.m. due to television scheduling. Gates to the street party open at 6:30 p.m. that night.

Winnipeg Transit

Winnipeg Transit buses will be rerouted off of Graham Avenue from Carlton Street to Garry Street beginning 10 a.m. on Wednesday until 2 a.m. on Thursday, April 11, and again at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, April 12 until 2 a.m. on Saturday, April 13.