Teddy bear toss

2005 Calgary Hitmen teddy bear toss
Spokane Chiefs teddy bear toss.

The teddy bear toss is a popular Christmas season promotion at ice hockey games. Fans are encouraged to bring teddy bears or other stuffed toys to the game, and to throw them onto the ice when the home team scores its first goal. The toys are gathered up to be donated as presents to hospitals and charities. In many cases, the players themselves personally donate some of the bears to children at area hospitals.[1] The concept originated with the Kamloops Blazers in 1993, thanks to marketing director Don Larson.[2] The first recorded teddy bear toss occurred on December 5, 1993, when a goal by Brad Lukowich prompted fans to throw a few hundred bears onto the ice.[1] The tradition spread quickly through the Canadian Hockey League, and around the world; excluding the National Hockey League, which discourages anything thrown on the ice.[1] The Calgary Hitmen claim the world record of 28,815 stuffed toys in a single game.[3]

Notable games

On December 6, 2015, in front of a sell-out crowd at the Scotiabank Saddledome, the Calgary Hitmen set the world record, when 28,815 stuffed toys hit the ice following Jordy Stallard’s second period goal against the Swift Current Broncos in their 2–1 shootout victory.[4][5]

On December 3, 2017, the Hershey Bears broke their own record with 25,017 stuffed animals thrown on the ice after Liam O'Brien scored in the second period of the Bears game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.[6]

The teddy bear toss began in Australia on June 28, 2014 at the Medibank Ice house in Melbourne. The Melbourne Ice collected 306 toys as part of the Canada Day celebration events.[7]

On December 27, 2017 Luleå HF brought the tradition to Sweden, with a 3–1 over Mora IK.[8] Bears were donated to a hospital in Södra Sunderbyn, the Woman's Journal in Lulea, and other charities.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pinchevsky, Tal (2016-12-21). "How the teddy bear toss became hockey's furriest -- and most fun -- phenomenon". ESPN. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  2. ↑ Donnelly, Adam (2016-12-05). "Kamloops Blazers teddy toss tradition for local fans". CFJC Today. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  3. ↑ "The Brick Teddy Bear Toss". Calgary Hitmen. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  4. ↑ Parker, Lisa MacGregor and Brendan. "Hitmen fans break records in annual Teddy Bear Toss". Global News. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  5. ↑ Pirie, Jason (2015-12-05). "Stallard goal makes teddy confetti, Hitmen down Broncos". hitmenhockey.com. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  6. ↑ Cantlon, Kyle (2017-12-04). "Fans make it rain teddy bears in Hershey". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  7. ↑ Brook, Eric (2014-07-02). "Sydney Bears Crash Melbourne Ice's Teddy Bear Picnic". Hewitt Sports. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
  8. 1 2 Jonathan Larsson (28 December 2017). "Oväntade bilderna – det regnar in nallar" (in Swedish). Expressen. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
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