Calgary Hitmen happy to cap busy weekend stretch with annual Teddy Bear Toss game

It's a busy weekend for the Calgary Hitmen.

They're at home to Edmonton on Friday night, on the road in Medicine Hat on Saturday and then back home on Sunday to face the Moose Jaw Warriors in the annual Teddy Bear Toss game.

This is the 29th year for the Teddy Bear Toss game in Calgary.

For players, this is a game they mark on the calendar; there's nothing like watching the fur fly.

"I'm going to go to the hospital and hand them out, so I'm really looking forward to that," said Carson Wetsch, Hitmen captain.

"But the overall game, it's something special. I mean, scoring that first goal and getting to see the teddy bears fly on the ice, it's something really special."

For the past two years, London Hoilett was the player who scored the teddy bear goal.

With him traded, another player has the opportunity to do that, and Wetsch says he wouldn't mind if it was him.

"I think every guy wants to be the guy, but yeah, if I got to do that, I would have to think of some good celebration," he said.

Over the years, fans have thrown 459,459 stuffies onto the ice.

In 2018, a record 29,635 soared through the air.

The Edmonton Oil Kings already had their Teddy Bear Toss game and collected more than 15,000 stuffies.

The Hitmen would love to top that.

"It's that Battle of Alberta instinct in us, and we want Calgarians to come out and try to beat that number," said Cassandra Vilgrain with Hitmen communications.

"It's for the community, but you always want to kind of ignite that Edmonton-Calgary kind of competition."

For some players, this will be their first Teddy Bear Toss game.

Wetsch says his advice is to take it all in.

"I would say just enjoy the moment. … You get to pick up the teddy bears and everything, and that only lasts for about 25 or 30 minutes; then after that, it's back to Go Time," he said.

"So, kind of take a stop and look around and enjoy it."