The annual Canadian Tire Toque and Teddy Toss game was a great success on Friday.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes welcomed the Medicine Hat Tigers to the VisitLethbridge.com Arena on December 6. The arena was packed with 5,362 fans in attendance and the Hurricanes felt the energy, picking up a 4-3 victory.
However, the bonus of the night was the collection of 4,207 stuffed animals and 1,085 toques, with those donations going to local charities, including the Chinook Regional Hospital Pediatrics Ward, Blood Tribe Police, Lethbridge Family Services and more.
Teddy bears rained down on the ice following a second period goal from Leo Braillard. His 11th goal of the season came at the 3:23 mark and as is tradition with the holiday game, the first Hurricanes goal is the sign for fans to toss their donations onto the ice.
“It’s a really nice feeling scoring this goal with all these people [in attendance],” said Braillard after his special goal.
The second period celebration gave Lethbridge a boost, as the team dominated the frame. Noah Chadwick and Logan Wormald scored goals to put the Hurricanes up 3-2 going into the contest’s final period.
Just over four minutes into the third, Braillard scored his second of the game to put the Hurricanes up 4-2.
Medicine Hat’s Mathew Ward scored at the 19:56 mark, but a last-second shot attempt by the Tigers moments later was unsuccessful, securing a 4-3 win for the home team.
With his two goals, including the Teddy Toss goal, Braillard was named the first star of the game, with Brayden Yager (three assists) named the second star and Wormald (one goal, one assist) receiving third star honours.
Lethbridge’s overall record improved to 14-10-1-1 on the season, putting them in seventh place of the WHL Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes host the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday, December 11 at 7 p.m. at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
