1)Sorry charitiy, no bears for you. Fans walk out of the arena with their bears?
2)Throw them after the game? Our team lost, lets throw them at the visiting team when they celebrate.
this happened i think both times i went to the teddy bear toss in sault ste marie. and the fans are patient enough to wait, until like the last 10 minutes of the game. then there is like a whistle and 1 brave person throws his teddy bear and then its just a shower of them
If there was a way to do it without the interminable delay to get them cleaned off the ice, sure. If you can square that circle, you should probably be in New York solving the lockout.
It'd be nice to see it's one game a year big deal, cut to a tv timeout for the clean up.
you wouldn't be able to get them all picked up in a tv timeout - not if they were thrown by an NHL-sized crowd.
i think it would be entertaining...but NHL crowds are bigger (as are the arenas) than in jr. hockey...I think it would create chaos if 20k people in Toronto or Montreal started throwing teddy bears around.
It's a soft, stuffed teddy bear...danger shouldn't be a concern. Maybe it's more of an issue of how it would come across during a televised event. The time it would take to clena up the ice, does the time out affect the momentum of the team that just scored? If there's any concern by the league to do something like this, I would think it would be more along those lines than it would be about danger - assuming we're talking about strictly throwing teddy bears.
I could see the NHL going for a "money toss". Bears though? Probably not. Calgary Hitmen had theirs just the other day actually.
Imagine what you just said in your head. Firstly, gold/platinum seat people getting money tossed at them from the nosebleeds. Secondly, the mad rush of people going after the money. Scratch that it would be hilarious
Or maybe the NHL could do a league wide promotion where they set up bins in all of their arenas for fans to donate unwrapped toys (or maybe just do strictly Teddy Bears). Sure, having all of those fans tossing teddy bears for a great cause looks awesome, but the cause is still more important than the visual.
Or maybe the NHL could do a league wide promotion where they set up bins in all of their arenas for fans to donate unwrapped toys (or maybe just do strictly Teddy Bears). Sure, having all of those fans tossing teddy bears for a great cause looks awesome, but the cause is still more important than the visual.
i am pretty sure all nhl teams do this is some fashion during the year (maybe not this year because they won't be playing around the xmas holidays)
i am pretty sure all nhl teams do this is some fashion during the year (maybe not this year because they won't be playing around the xmas holidays)
I'm pretty sure all NHL teams have their charitable events but I haven't really heard of teams doing something of this nature. If so, then not much would change. Just change it to a promotion that is both by league and players and have it during a set period of time in all the arenas. If all of them do it already, then that's great. Like I said, the cause is more important than the optics.
I understand the logistics why it likely wouldn't happen but I also think that doing things to get some positive PR for the league after the lockout might make them change their minds for a one time thing.
Even if you don't do the teddy bear toss, do something at the minimum for teams home openers. Develop a positive out of a negative situation. Set up bins to collected canned food and clothes for the needy, toys for children's hospitals or other charities, get the mobile blood bank out there for blood donations, and so on. Give people raffle tickets for prizes and coupons on concessions and merchandise to encourage donations. The sight of a teddy bear toss at the NHL level would get them some exposure on the news though.
All teams I'm sure do something. I know the Kings do a canned food drive typically before Thanksgiving, a toy drive at Christmas, they usually have the blood bank out several times a year. They were giving away playoff tickets to people donating platelets last year. Even during the lockout they have been collecting for charity. They set up a link on their website where they would match donations to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief and were able to raise $23,000. Last week they had the Stanley Cup, NBA championship trophies, and MLS Cups available for pictures and wanted people to bring toys to donate. That's the thing that people don't think about, the charities that aren't going to receive the donations from NHL teams that they usually get each year.
Doing things like that will only help the league's PR image. Getting the players involved will also help their image.
wouldn't it make more sense to have big bins to put the bears in so that it doesn't delay the game and none of the bears get waterlogged from lying on the ice?
Your don't seem to understand and fan experience promotion. Also you don't seem to understand the concept of ice.
If there was a way to do it without the interminable delay to get them cleaned off the ice, sure. If you can square that circle, you should probably be in New York solving the lockout.
10 people with large squeegees, 10 people with big shovels and big bins. Could have that all clears in less than 5 minutes.
Imagine what you just said in your head. Firstly, gold/platinum seat people getting money tossed at them from the nosebleeds. Secondly, the mad rush of people going after the money. Scratch that it would be hilarious
Hahaha maybe the league can disperse "Bettman Dollars" from the rafters.
Good for 1 small ice cream-cone.
*limit one per household. *Season ticket purchase required. *All lockedout games non-refundable.
The Hitmen had one this weekend (I think it was them). I read it took 30+ minutes to clean the ice from bears.
This answer is why the NHL won't allow it, after a goal is scored. This was from just shy of 17,000 fans, so it's a fairly close approximation of how long it would take for a cleanup from an NHL game.
Perhaps if they had the toss at the start of an intermission or something. Could even lower the netting to do it.
The Hitmen had one this weekend (I think it was them). I read it took 30+ minutes to clean the ice from bears.
They didn't prepare for it appropriately (probably because they didn't care about taking a half hour to clean it up). You just need more hands on deck and a few big bins.
The Teddy Bear toss is something the NHL should embrace.
Your don't seem to understand and fan experience promotion. Also you don't seem to understand the concept of ice.
I understand that giving a bear to charity shouldn't ever involve the words "fan experience promotion". Maybe your Canadian ice is different to ours (and it wouldn't surprise me as all ours comes from a freezer), but if you lay something fluffy on it, it tends to end up wet.
I understand that giving a bear to charity shouldn't ever involve the words "fan experience promotion". Maybe your Canadian ice is different to ours (and it wouldn't surprise me as all ours comes from a freezer), but if you lay something fluffy on it, it tends to end up wet.
As someone who works in events and promotions there is nothing wrong with it. A charities end goal is to help. If they can help while people enjoy themselves there is no issue with that (see: Galas, Dinners, Movember, Golf Tournaments, Runs, Rides etc).
The ice will only melt if the teddy bears are producing body heat, if not the freezing system will do a great job at keeping it frozen. Any if we are throwing live bears on the ice, things just got a whole lot more interesting.
