The fur flew early at the GIANT Center on Sunday as the Hershey Bears hosted their world-famous GIANT Teddy Bear Toss. In a display of “sweet, cuddly mayhem,” fans rained down 81,796 stuffed animals onto the ice, continuing one of the most heartwarming traditions in professional sports.
The anticipation didn’t last long for the sold-out crowd of 10,550. Just 2:55 into the first period, defenseman Louie Belpedio fired a low wrist shot from the point that beat Rockford IceHogs goaltender Laurent Brossoit. The goal triggered an immediate avalanche of plush toys, covering the ice from boards to boards and causing a 40-minute cleanup delay.
“It’s pretty cool,” Belpedio said during an on-ice interview as bears continued to whistle past his head. “I just tried to get a shot through. To see the bears flying right away was awesome.”
Once the ice was cleared, the Bears ensured the celebration continued with a victory. Despite falling behind 2-1 early in the second period, Hershey stormed back with four unanswered goals to secure a 5-2 win over the IceHogs.
The true winners of the day are the children across Central Pennsylvania. Through the Hershey Bears Cares initiative, the nearly 82,000 toys will be sorted and distributed to local charities, schools, and hospitals in the coming weeks.
The GIANT Company had pledged a $100,000 donation to the Children’s Miracle Network at Golisano Children’s Hospital in honor of the late Jeff Sweigart, a beloved fan. Even though the world record wasn’t broken, the spirit of the event remains the gold standard for community engagement in hockey.
