REGINA – It was raining bears, and other stuffed animals, onto the ice Saturday night at the Brandt Centre.
It was the 29th annual Teddy Bear Toss game for the Regina Pats, hosting the Kelowna Rockets. While it ended up a high scoring contest that saw the Rockets on the winning end of a 8-5 final score, it was the first Pats goal that provided the biggest highlight.
With Kelowna up 2-0, an unassisted goal from #44 Matt Paranych at the 10:58 mark of the first period set loose the multitude of stuffed animals from the stands.
Play was halted for several minutes as the Pats and several volunteers took their time picking up the teddy bears from all over the ice.
When play resumed the Pats rode the momentum to score twice more and take the lead, before the Rockets eventually tied the game and took the lead for good in the second period.
The Pats announced that a total of 2,182 stuffed animals were collected in this year's Teddy Bear Toss. The Pats said in a news release that a large portion of the stuffed animals will be donated to the Salvation Army and to several local charities, to then be distributed to children and families in Regina feel the warmth.
“The Teddy Bear Toss is one of the most special nights of our season,” said Regina Pats CEO Gordon Pritchard in a news release. “It’s a tradition our fans have embraced for nearly three decades, and their generosity continues to make a meaningful impact in our community. Seeing thousands of stuffed toys hit the ice after that first Pats goal is a moment that never gets old.”
