The Christmas spirit was on hold, but the payoff was perfect. The 30th annual Calgary Hitmen Teddy Bear Toss saw the longest wait in the event's history before veteran forward Ethan Moore finally sent thousands of stuffed animals soaring onto the Saddledome ice.
A Goal Worth Waiting For
The festive tradition, where fans hurl donated teddy bears onto the ice after the Hitmen's first goal, was delayed until 12:55 into the third period of Sunday's Western Hockey League game against the Wenatchee Wild. The home team had struggled to find the net, but when Moore finally broke the seal, the eruption of joy and plush toys was immense.
"It feels amazing," said Moore, an overage player from Okotoks playing in his final Teddy Bear Toss game. "That goal is just super special, and to finally get it there in the third period, it felt really good. The amount of joy that runs through your body, it's pretty awesome."
Community Impact and a Record Goal
The magic of the moment extends far beyond the ice. With community requests for support at an all-time high, the Hitmen organization had set an ambitious goal: to break the event's record of 29,635 stuffed toys set in the 2018-19 season by collecting 30,000 donations this year.
The 16,538 fans packed into Scotiabank Saddledome did their part, arriving armed with bags of plush companions. The toys will now bring warmth and comfort to thousands of local families during the holiday season.
The charitable process began Monday morning with distribution day at the Dome. Representatives from 60 local agencies gathered to collect the stuffed animals. Following that, Hitmen players personally delivered bears to children at the Alberta Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House.
"It's super awesome for us to get out there and just hand those teddy bears out to the kids," Moore added. "I mean ... it's so awesome seeing those kids smile by something just as simple as a teddy bear."
The Magic Moment on Ice
Moore's historic, bear-triggering goal was a skillful display. On the power play, he received a pass down low from teammate Andrei Molgachev. In one swift motion, Moore moved the puck from his backhand to his forehand while pivoting at the top of the crease and slid it past Wenatchee goaltender Tobias Tvznik.
"Honestly, right before Moly gave me that puck, I totally thought in my head, 'I'm friggin' scoring this.' So it's pretty cool," Moore recounted.
While the teddy bear toss provided the unforgettable highlight, the game itself ended in a 3-2 loss for the Hitmen against the visiting Wild. However, the final score was secondary to the monumental community effort and the unique moment created by a veteran player in his last chance to be the hero of one of hockey's most heartwarming traditions.
