Watch Over 28,000 Stuffed Animals Bombard an Ice Hockey Game

Last Sunday, a Calgary Hitmen ice hockey game against the Swift Current Broncos was interrupted by some rather unusual circumstances. After Calgary’s Jordy Stallard scored a goal two minutes and 41 seconds into the second period, fans bombarded the rink with thousands of stuffed animals. 

The incident was all part of the team's annual Teddy Toss, which has been a Hitmen tradition since the inaugural toss back in 1995. Each year on the big day, fans wait for Calgary to score their first goal of the game, after which they respond with what one sportscaster described as an "avalanche of fur." Of all the ice hockey traditions of littering the ice with unusual items, this one perhaps does the most good. Every toy is then collected and donated to a local charity. This year’s haul was split among 50 agencies including the Calgary Food Bank, the Salvation Army, and Siksika Children’s Services.

Over 300,000 toys have been donated to charity since the tradition began, and this year’s final count was especially impressive. A total of 28,815 plush items were tossed by the fans, beating out all the previous years. That night the stadium was also sold out, which likely added to the fluffy chaos. You can watch a video of the event above. 

[h/t: USA Today]