Calgary Hitmen Collect more than 25,000 Stuffed Animals in Annual Teddy Bear Toss

The Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League hosted their 19th annual Teddy Bear Toss game Sunday night. With more than 17,000 fans packing the Scotiabank Saddledome to participate in the cause, all were eagerly awaiting the Hitmens’ first goal of the game so they could let the stuffed animals fly.

Pavel Padakin lit the lamp at 3:42 of the second period to trigger the storm of over 25,000 stuffed animals, 25,591 to be exact. Padakin was also the goal scorer last season that initiated the toss. Players will visit Alberta Children’s Hospital today to hand out some of the bears, while the remaining stuffed animals will be distributed to charities throughout Alberta.