It is officially Teddy Bear Toss season, but like everything else the annual event held at many minor league hockey games had to look a little different this year.
Due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, with some pro sports leagues hosting no fans or very few and others not playing games at all, the Holiday Teddy Bear Toss turned into a drive-up event for many teams.
No one did it better than the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. The team set up “Teddy Bear Lane,” a massive Winter Wonderland complete with costumed characters like the Grinch and an inflatable ice rink to house the bears. Even Santa Claus made an appearance.
Workers removed the bears, which were then screened and donated.
In all, the Hitmen rounded up 18,063 stuffed toys for various charities.
In conjunction with the event (donations can be made online through Friday) the team also ran a bracket-style poll asking for fan’s favorite Teddy Bear Toss goals.
The team shared some of the best pictures from the event on its website.
The Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League held a Teddy Bear Toss of sorts, but instead of hurling stuffed animals from seats inside the arena, fans gave their arms a workout from inside their cars. The Condors reported that they collected more than 3,000 stuffed animals from the event.
A little rain didn’t spoil the Maine Mariners’ parade of gift givers. The ECHL team held a drive-through toss into the back of a pickup truck.
