Want to know why hockey has the greatest fans ever? This is why! It’s that time of the year again where minor hockey league teams host their annual Teddy Bear Toss. This video is from the recent Calgary Hitmen game last Sunday, where for 16 years the Hitmen, who were co-owned by and named after former WWF champion Bret Hart, have held a Teddy Bear Toss to benefit over 50 charities in Alberta that work with children.
Fans are encouraged to bring stuffed animals to the game and then wait for the first goal to be scored. Once that happens, the game is paused and fans can rain down stuffed animals onto the rink. Over 23,000 toys were donated and the mayhem lasted for 40 minutes while play was delayed.
This year’s total was an improvement on last season’s 16,755 bears. The Hitmen own the world record for the Teddy Bear Toss, which is now a minor league hockey tradition, with 26,919 in 2007.