Jets fans expected to 'blow the roof off' MTS Centre for playoffs

Winnipeg has been waiting 18 years, 11 months and 21 days to watch an NHL playoff game at home.

Tonight, that changes.

Even though the hometown Jets have already played two playoff games against the Anaheim Ducks — and now trail 2-0 in the best-of-seven series — tonight's contest is the one Winnipeg fans have been waiting for since the NHL returned to the city in 2011.

Kimberly Weihs says there was a debate in her family about who would get the two tickets they have.

"In our household we had two tickets and I have two little boys who wanted to go too. But we told them yesterday, we finally told them, 'you know what? Mummy and Daddy have been waiting a little bit longer than you've even been alive for this playoff game, so we're going to be the ones going. You guys get to go next time'."

Weihs was at the Jets Store buying Whiteout gear for her whole family.

Andrew Lussier was also at the store. He was buying Whiteout shirts as a surprise for his six year old son. Lussier did the near impossible—he got two tickets to tonight's game.

"I put an ad on Kijiji and I said wanted tickets for the game. I want to take my six year old son, he's a AAA Mustang, and he wanted to go to the game.So I found them on Kijiji. Some guy called me and said meet me in an hour. Paid three hundred bucks for two seats. I can't wait to go," he said.

The pent-up excitement has the potential to explode decibel readers, say fans, former players and hockey insiders.

But not everyone was on the bandwagon. At least one Minnesota Wild fan was feeling a bit jealous.

And another has just had enough of the Winnipeg chatter.

But for those who can't get enough, here's a throwback to the last time the NHL playoffs were in Winnipeg, April 28, 1996.

After being eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings, the franchise was moved to Phoenix and rebranded as the Coyotes.