Hockey Fans Throw 28,000 Teddy Bears Onto Hockey Rink

CALGARY, Alberta — Fans rained a record 28,815 teddy bears onto the ice at a Western Hockey League game to celebrate the Calgary Hitmen’s first goal of the game.

The 21st annual Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss game, which calls on Hitmen fans to toss stuffed animals onto the ice when the team scores its first goal of the game, collected a record 28,815 bears Sunday when Jordy Stallard scored a goal against the Swift Current Broncos at the Scotiabank Saddledome. A video of the event posted to the team’s YouTube channel shows the bears raining onto the ice from the stands.

The previous record for a Petro-Canada Teddy Bear toss was in 2007, when fans threw 26,919 teddy bears onto the ice.

We cannot thank our fans enough as their support for this event continues to grow to unbelievable levels,” Hitmen general manager Mike Moore told Global News.  “The bears generously donated today will go a long way to helping many deserving charities this holiday season.”

The collected bears are being distributed to more than 50 charities.

UPI