Fur flies at annual Kitchener Rangers’ teddy bear toss

It was an intense matchup at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium as the Kitchener Rangers took on the Brantford Bulldogs for the annual teddy bear toss game.

Fans brought along donations of new stuffed toys and eagerly waited for their chance to fling them onto the ice when the Rangers put away their first goal.

However, it was a bit of a wait.

After a scoreless first period, Luke Ellinas finally found the twine to start the cascade of plushies.

“I was coming down the wing and saw a shot, so I thought I might as well take it,” said Ellinas. “It all went in, it's a pretty good feeling.”

Ellinas said he was happy to be the one to get the big shot of the night.

The game was briefly paused so staff could collect the donations, which will now be given to various charities throughout the community in time for Christmas.

It’s a tradition that’s been going on for 29 years.

Kitchener Rangers Chief Operating Officer Joe Birch was there to see it begin in the mid 1990s, when he was a player.

“It was amazing to be a part of then, it's amazing to be a part of now,” said Birch.

For some fans, getting a chance to chuck the stuffies is just as much fun as watching the Rangers win.

“I'm really excited when they score and we get to throw the teddy bears,” said one young fan.

“I'm excited, it's pretty fun,” said another.

A total of 10,409 stuffed animals were collected off the ice from Tuesday’s game. Over the years, the Rangers’ have collected more than 200 thousand.

But the fun didn’t stop there for the Boys in Blue.

Chris Grisolia and Alexander Bilecki both followed Ellinas’ lead and put away their own goals in the second.

But the Bulldogs didn’t go down without a fight.

Joshua Avery, Marek Vanacker and Cole Brown all scored for Brantford in the third period, but thanks to three more goals from Max Dirracolo, Trent Swick and Andrew Vermeulen, the Rangers ultimately came out on top.

With the win, the Rangers extended their streak to four in a row.

They are back on the ice on Friday night where they will face the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds at The Aud.