Teddy Bear Toss
The Teddy Bear Toss (English for Teddy Bear Toss ) is an action within the framework of hockey games, which is organized usually in the Christmas season and where spectators are encouraged to throw teddy bears onto the ice. The most widespread is the tradition in North American minor and junior leagues.
Expiration
Spectators are encouraged to bring along for the Teddy Bear Toss teddy bears into the stadium and throw them at the first gate of their team or by the sounding of the final buzzer on the ice. Following the stuffed animals are collected and donated to hospitals and other nonprofit institutions. Often handed the players, even the teddy bears.
History
As origin of the custom applies Kitchener, Ontario, where fans threw onto the field during a game of Kitchener Rangers Teddy. Today the tradition is most prevalent among the teams of the Western Hockey League from Calgary, Alberta and Portland, Oregon.
On 25 November 2006, the fans of the Portland Winter Hawks broke the previous record in the WHL and CHL with 14,361 stuffed animals that were thrown by the 7,485 spectators on the ice. The record was less than a month later broken by the fans of the Calgary Hitmen, as on December 10, landed 15,540 teddy bears from the 16,380 spectators on the ice during the game against the Prince George Cougars. On 24 November 2007, the record went back to the Portland Winter Hawks, whose fans managed to get at a number of audience of 6,343 at the tenth overall action of the franchises to throw 20,372 teddy bears onto the ice at the Memorial Coliseum. The gate, which led to the union, but was denied, which was first noticed by the audience. Six days later questioned the fans of the Lethbridge Hurricanes with 22,736 bears on a new brand. The current record dates back to December 2, 2007, when the Calgary Hitmen fans of the 26 919 teddy bears tossed onto the ice.
Gallery
Teddy Bear Toss the Spokane Chiefs (2006)
Teddy Bear Toss the Calgary Hitmen (2006)
Ice after the Teddy Bear Toss the Vancouver Giants (2006)