Stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes showered down onto the ice during Sunday’s match between the Calgary Hitmen and the Kamloops Blazers for the 23rd annual Teddy Bear Toss.
Just five minutes into the first period, forward Kaden Elder slipped one past Blazers’ goalie Dylan Garand, triggering the avalanche of animals.
While the official total hasn’t yet been confirmed, all the toys will be shared among 70 agencies in the city, including the Salvation Army, Calgary Food Bank, Siksika Nation and Hospice Calgary.
The Brick, the sponsor of the day’s event, will be donating 25 cents for every toy collected to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Since the inception of the Teddy Bear Toss in 1995, the Hitmen have provided 347,948 to local charities.
The Hitmen went on to win Sunday's game 6-3.
