The Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League are going full bore — or should we say full bear — with their latest Teddy Bear Toss uniforms.
On Monday, November 27, the Oil Kings unveiled the outfits they’ll wear for the 2023 edition of their annual Teddy Bear Toss game on Friday, December 1. The jerseys, socks and even the pant shells are covered in a sublimated print featuring stuffed animals of all shapes, sizes and colors. A few of the teddy bears are wearing crowns, while others look like the Oil Kings’ mascot, Louie the Lion.
The pants prominently feature a red foam finger on the front of the left leg. There’s even a teddy bear face in the insert at the front of the black V-neck collar.
The uniforms will be paired with the Oil Kings’ blue helmets and gloves. The WHL logo sits on the right chest, while manufacturer CCM’s logo appears in a black box on the left chest. The logo of sponsor The Brick, a chain of furniture stores, appears on the right shoulder, while a special The Brick Teddy Bear Toss logo appears on the left.
Numbers on the sleeves and back are blue with white outlines. Names on the back are blue on a white nameplate.
“The Brick’s Teddy Bear Toss is THE signature game of the season for the Edmonton Oil Kings,” said Kevin Radomski, the Oil Kings’ director of business operations, on the team’s website. “This game embodies a combination of family fun and thrilling hockey action all while supporting our community and those in need of a little help during the holiday season.”
Teddy Bear Toss games are a staple of junior hockey across Canada heading into the Christmas season. When the home team scores their first goal of the game, fans are encouraged throw teddy bears onto the ice, where they’re collected and donated to less fortunate kids through local charities.
The Oil Kings held their first Teddy Bear Toss game on January 20, 2008. Since then, fans have donated 146,930 stuffed animals and more than $187,000 to Santas Anonymous, a local Christmas children’s charity. The record number of bears donated came in 2019-20 with 16,491.
Game-worn Teddy Bear Toss jerseys will also be either auctioned or raffled off, with proceeds benefitting Santas Anonymous.
The Oil Kings’ 2023 Teddy Bear Toss takes place on Friday, December 1, when they host the Everett Silvertips at Rogers Place.
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