Local businesses proud to outfit fans for the Winnipeg whiteout during Jets' playoff run
From towels to T-shirts, there's no shortage of local flavour when it comes to Winnipeg Jets gear
It's all hands on deck for the team at Dreamcatcher Promotions, who are hard at work printing whiteout gear for the Winnipeg Jets during the team's playoff run.
The Winnipeg company has already printed 90,000 of the signature whiteout towels for the Jets' first-round series against the St. Louis Blues, and thousands more pieces of apparel like hats and shirts, according to owner Michelle Cameron, who calls the project a "dream come true."
"I was there in attendance for the first game, and I cried really happy tears because it was nice to see the fruits of our labour," she said. "It was a proud moment for not just me, but for our entire company and everyone who makes this come to life."
Cameron, a member of Peguis First Nation, also said there's a lot of pride in the opportunity for her local and Indigenous-owned business to work with the hometown team during the most important stretch of the year. It's not just a win for the company, but the Indigenous community, Cameron said.
"It's hope that we can do this, and there's opportunities that we've never seen before," she said. "That's why this is such a proud moment for me, because … we're setting the bar and we're setting up a path for other Indigenous entrepreneurs to have the same opportunities I had."
She encourages other Indigenous business owners to set their goals high.
"Believe in that, believe in yourselves, because what you don't think is possible is possible when you set your sights high."
No shortage of local options for fans
Printing all of that product isn't easy either, she said.
It takes about eight people to ensure all the orders come together on schedule, with days that can stretch to 18 hours sometimes needed to get the job done, Cameron said. She's also been working to help out with production of the whiteout gear in her free time.
Cameron said her company tries to source as much of their material from Manitoba businesses as possible, but sometimes they do have to buy directly from manufacturers.
With four other Canadian teams in Round 1 of the NHL playoffs this year, businesses like hers are "all fighting for the towels," she said, laughing.
"We're trying to support local, we're trying to support Canadian companies, so that it all comes from Canada," said Cameron.
Another local business, the apparel company Zueike, is selling a whiteout collection in collaboration with the team.
"[It's] important that we're allowed to work with them on a unique playoff run and they trusted us to be able to come up with some apparel, [along with] some other local companies," said Zuieke co-owner Ogo Okwumabua.
"We're pretty pumped to be involved in the hype and the journey of our quest for a Stanley Cup," he said.
Okwumabua said it feels great to see people wearing the company's clothing in the sea of white.
"Nothing better when you know it's not [just] your mother wearing some of your merchandise," he joked. "It's great, it's awesome that people are wearing with pride, and we're seeing people of all ages wear it."
Rishi Chandar, manager of retail operations for Jets owner True North Sports & Entertainment, also pointed to crewnecks designed by Winnipeg artist Kal Barteski that have been popular during the post-season as an example of a local collaboration.
Items from other Winnipeg businesses like Voak Sportswear and the streetwear brand Far From Ordinary also continue to be a hit with fans, he said.
Having local product is important to the community and to the team's fans, he said.
"I think they want to connect with local brands and local attire too," said Chandar. "It just makes it unique and different."
At Dreamcatcher Promotions, Cameron hopes to be outfitting Jets fans all the way to the Stanley Cup final.
"It's pretty meaningful and we're pretty proud," she said. "That's why we want to knock it out of the park, because we don't get opportunities like this, and for the Jets to give us this chance, we want to do a really good job."
The Jets' series with the Blues is now tied 2-2. The series returns to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Wednesday, with an 8:30 p.m. CT puck drop.
