The Atlanta Thrashers welcome the Colorado Avalanche to Philips Arena on Tuesday, March 11 for “White-Out in Blueland.” The first 13,000 fans in attendance will receive a white Thrashers t-shirt, courtesy of UPS.

The white-out tradition in the NHL is generally recognized as originating in 1987, when the Winnipeg Jets faced the Calgary Flames in the Smythe Division semifinals. The Jets sought a way to counteract the Flames’ “C of Red” campaign, which had fans at Flames home games all wearing red as a sign of unity. The Jets defeated the Flames in six games, and the tradition continued, with Jets fans wearing white to all subsequent playoff games.