Calgary Hitmen Fans Throw 28,000 Teddy Bears Onto Hockey Rink

The Calgary Hitmen, a team in the Western Hockey League, hold an annual "Teddy Toss" every December. It goes as follows: fans bring a Teddy Bear as a complimentary plus one--Fans throw their complimentary plus one onto the ice after the home team scores its first goal. Typically, the Hitmen can expect up to 20,000 plus ones. However, this was no ordinary year. It was the best year. The Hitmen recorded a Teddy record of 28,815 bears, that according to the team's website. And yes, it was just as great as it sounds.

The Teddy Toss gives all the feels of a serene Christmas Eve snowfall. Play "Holly Jolly Christmas" by Michael Buble as the Teddy soundtrack while sipping a nice warm cup of hot chocolate filled with dozens of marshmallows--the big ones, too--and you have the makings of the best day ever.

What makes the Teddy Toss even better, though, is it's done for a good cause. Chris Peters of CBSSports.com explains:

"The goal of this is to get fans to come to the rink with a stuffed toy to donate to children less fortunate. Some teams offer discounted tickets with the donation. But they also try to make donation submission fun. Basically, once the home team scores their first goal, that's the fans' cue to start chucking the fluffy fellas to the ice."

Apparently, the "Teddy Toss" isn't exclusive to just Calgary. It's performed in a number of minor league and junior hockey markets, although, there's no place quite like Calgary. The Scotiabank Saddledome, the place where the Hitmen host their home games, holds just under 20,000 fans in full capacity. That means some holiday inspired fans brought more than just one Teddy. Needless to say, we thank them for it.

Oh yeah, the Hitmen went on to win the game.