15,324 stuffies rain onto ice throughout Calgary Hitmen’s Teddy Bear Toss

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Calgary Hitmen defenceman Tyson Galloway by accident obtained the fur flying on the Enmax Teddy Bear Toss recreation on the Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

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Galloway triggered a mini-avalanche of stuffed toys onto the ice at 12:35 of the primary interval when a number of followers thought he scored.

Alas, the puck hit the submit behind Lethbridge Hurricanes goalie Bryan Thomson earlier than bouncing vast. The deluge of plushies lastly ceased when public tackle announcer Bruce Ritchie requested followers to cease and wait till they hear the sound of the aim horn earlier than tossing their toys.

“It was sort of cool and peculiar in a means that we had the misfire early,” mentioned Hitmen supervisor of enterprise operations Rob Kerr, whereas including that had by no means occurred earlier than within the earlier 25 years of holding the annual vacation spectacle. “We most likely had about 1,000 bears hit the ice prematurely and we tried our greatest to get them again within the crowd within the first intermission.”

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When ahead Cael Zimmerman lastly scored Calgary’s first good aim of the sport at 6:53 of the second interval, the 13,038 followers in attendance resumed chucking their stuffies onto the ice and so they weren’t requested to cease this time.

“As bizarre as this sounds, this complete factor is about folks attending to toss stuff onto the ice and collaborating within the recreation,” Kerr mentioned. “It’s particular in that means. It’s one of many few ways in which a fan can immediately be concerned within the recreation. It felt nice and it was good to be again, however it additionally felt sort of distinctive in a means.

“It was simply so good for a lot of causes, largely to have the folks come again within the constructing. It’s our signature recreation. It’s what we’re recognized for world wide.”

Though the full of 15,324 stuffed toys was decrease than earlier years, Kerr mentioned that was to be anticipated.

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“As we sort of navigate our means by way of this post-COVID world, we’re nonetheless constructing the arrogance again up and nonetheless working arduous to get folks again into the constructing,” he mentioned. “We’re actually completely satisfied. We had a giant crowd, not our largest by any stretch of the creativeness, and we’ll proceed to work on that.”

The entire stuffed toys that had been collected will likely be shared amongst greater than 55 native businesses together with the Salvation Military, Calgary Meals Financial institution and Siksika Nation. Hitmen gamers and employees will likely be available to help that course of exterior the Saddledome beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

“It’s an early morning, however you stand up and go to work and make a enjoyable day trip of it,” mentioned Hitmen captain Jackson van de Leest, whereas noting it was bittersweet collaborating within the recreation for the ultimate time as a 20-year-old participant. “It’s all the time a good time.”

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“It makes us really feel superior inside with the ability to give these bears out,” Zimmerman famous.

After the final Enmax Teddy Bear Toss recreation in December 2019, greater than 70 native organizations benefited from receiving donations of stuffed toys.

“The pandemic sort of lower into the charitable organizations and the charitable teams which are on the market,” Kerr mentioned. “Hopefully there’s extra of them subsequent yr after which they will get again on their toes and be a part of this and we’ll get extra followers and we’ll get extra bears and we’ll simply develop it again to what it was.”

Throughout Saturday’s recreation, Hitmen gamers wore particular red-themed jerseys with snow-capped numbers and a Santa hat on the first emblem. These jerseys will likely be strong in an internet public sale from Dec. 8 to fifteen. Followers can bid on them at elevateauctions.com.