Teddy Bear Toss

[hangman005]

I know the Teddy Bear Toss seems to be big in the Junior leagues, and judging by yesterday the AHL too, at least in Hershey. Is there a reason it is not done in the NHL?

I ask this here rather than the main boards as I feel it would be be a cold hard business decision, than anything else.

Personally I enjoy the Teddy Bear Toss and wouldn't mind seeing it in the NHL, but would the broadcasters be happy to break for 10+ minutes while the ice is cleared? Would the PA have issues with it?

It does interrupt the game a bit, though I feel it would disadvantage the home team more than the visitors, and I guess there is the optics and the time wasted especially if the goal is called back.

So I'm just curious as to what our Business minds thinks for or against the NHL doing the Teddy Bear Toss. As I assume there would be more to it than just "We don't feel like it"

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[TheLegend]

The Coyotes have held teddy bear tosses following their intrasquad scrimmages at the end of pre-season camps.

 

[cheswick]

The jets have a game where they collect toys for the Christmas cheer board every December. Not sure what benefit it is to have the toys be launched onto the ice instead.

 

[Dr Pepper]

The jets have a game where they collect toys for the Christmas cheer board every December. Not sure what benefit it is to have the toys be launched onto the ice instead.

My guess would be the viral video that would come from it. Everyone likes seeing hats rain down after a hattrick, but this would be so much bigger.

 

[LadyStanley]

Broadcasters -- 5-10 minutes of air time to fill during clean up. (Can't think that folks at home watching would be thrilled by having most of that time filled with ads. Probably would change the channel instead.)

Sponsors - One would get a boost by sponsoring the event but more than that? Probably not much.

Logistically -- need a big(ger) crew to grab all the bears and get them off the ice. Then where are you storing them (in the arena)? How are you getting them to the charities to be distributed?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

For a lot of minor league and junior teams, it's a big event that draws a lot of people and sells a lot of tickets. The NHL attendance figures, for the most part, aren't hurting bad enough that they need to have this sort of theme night. If you look at the schedules for a lot of teams in the AHL and on down, there are theme nights for anywhere up to 1/2 of their home dates.

 

[hangman005]

The jets have a game where they collect toys for the Christmas cheer board every December. Not sure what benefit it is to have the toys be launched onto the ice instead.

My guess would be the viral video that would come from it. Everyone likes seeing hats rain down after a hattrick, but this would be so much bigger.

Pretty much this, I think it looks amazing watching them cascade out of the stands.

Broadcasters -- 5-10 minutes of air time to fill during clean up. (Can't think that folks at home watching would be thrilled by having most of that time filled with ads. Probably would change the channel instead.)

Sponsors - One would get a boost by sponsoring the event but more than that? Probably not much.

Logistically -- need a big(ger) crew to grab all the bears and get them off the ice. Then where are you storing them (in the arena)? How are you getting them to the charities to be distributed?

Have to say, I think the Broadcasters is probably the biggest issue. One would hope though that viewers would sit through. It would be akin to a disrupted play due to injury and I'm wondering using that as a baseline if you there is a drop off in viewers because of the delay that could be quantified.

Logistically, I'd think a major league team would be better suited to deal with it than a minor or junior league team. Maybe I'm wrong. I know they usually brings trucks onto the ice to load them up and take them away and wonder how negatively this could affect the ice.

 

[BattleBorn]

It's just minor league.

They're trying to sell tickets and do stuff for the community. An NHL team likely makes a monetary contribution that eclipses the value of the world record amount of teddy bears via a 50/50 contest with two home games.

 

[Gnashville]

Liability the first person that gets hit with a bear tossed from the Upper Deck will claim some injuries and call thier lawyers

 

[StreetHawk]

Nhl attendance is 18k. Chl and Ahl is like 5k.

Plus there might be possible liability issues if people are tossing bears from the upper bowl and landing in people in the lower bowl. Never know about a tag left on the bear, how hard the nose could be, possibly the eye. Don’t want to risk someone getting something in the eye since lots of people don’t pay attention during the game.

 

[Newsworthy]

The world famous "Teddy Bear" has an interesting history already.

 

[Brodeur]

Liability the first person that gets hit with a bear tossed from the Upper Deck will claim some injuries and call thier lawyers

The San Diego Gulls quietly changed their teddy bear toss to a pre-game teddy bear drive this year. I can't help but think somebody got hurt last year and lawyered up.

I went to the Portland Winterhawks' teddy bear toss last weekend. I was recording a video of it and a thrown bear hit the hand that I was holding my phone which caused it to get dropped a couple rows below. Thankfully no damage to my phone.

As others said, it's hard to build in an extra intermission for a TV audience. The teddy bear toss is great for everybody in attendance but not as much for the fan sitting at home.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I know the Teddy Bear Toss seems to be big in the Junior leagues, and judging by yesterday the AHL too, at least in Hershey. Is there a reason it is not done in the NHL?

I ask this here rather than the main boards as I feel it would be be a cold hard business decision, than anything else.

Personally I enjoy the Teddy Bear Toss and wouldn't mind seeing it in the NHL, but would the broadcasters be happy to break for 10+ minutes while the ice is cleared? Would the PA have issues with it?

It does interrupt the game a bit, though I feel it would disadvantage the home team more than the visitors, and I guess there is the optics and the time wasted especially if the goal is called back.

So I'm just curious as to what our Business minds thinks for or against the NHL doing the Teddy Bear Toss. As I assume there would be more to it than just "We don't feel like it"

Here in the UK they have teddy bear tosses in the Elite league as well

 

[LT]

Just so that everyone can see the absolute madness that spawned this thread

This set the record for most teddy bears collected in a single toy drive.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Just so that everyone can see the absolute madness that spawned this thread

This set the record for most teddy bears collected in a single toy drive.

The real madness is the ones that first took it viral, The Calgary Hitmen



2015 Teddy Bear Toss Goal

 

[JMCx4]

IMO if the NHL were to adopt the Teddy Bear Toss from lower level leagues, it would spoil the long-established tradition & annual anticipation at those lower levels. If the event proved to be a revenue generator for the NHL (directly by ticket sales & sponsorships, or indirectly by recognition of charitable goodwill), I'd fear the League would milk it beyond dry as they have with outdoor hockey games. That would leave images like those seen above seeming as ho-hum as an NHL All-Star Game. Don't encourage the NHL ruin one of the few pleasures that all of us junior & minor pro hockey fans have to call our own.

 

[LadyStanley]

NHL Live interviewed Hershey player Monday. He said it took about 45 minutes to pick up toys. (I hope that's an exaggeration.)

 

[tony d]

They do it in St.John's as well. It's a worthwhile event. To me the NHL could do it in all 31 cities prior to 1 home game for each team a year.

 

[Cacciaguida]

I could see Carolina or Arizona doing it, but not Montreal or Boston.

 

[Dolemite]

I know the Teddy Bear Toss seems to be big in the Junior leagues, and judging by yesterday the AHL too, at least in Hershey. Is there a reason it is not done in the NHL?

I ask this here rather than the main boards as I feel it would be be a cold hard business decision, than anything else.

Personally I enjoy the Teddy Bear Toss and wouldn't mind seeing it in the NHL, but would the broadcasters be happy to break for 10+ minutes while the ice is cleared? Would the PA have issues with it?

It does interrupt the game a bit, though I feel it would disadvantage the home team more than the visitors, and I guess there is the optics and the time wasted especially if the goal is called back.

So I'm just curious as to what our Business minds thinks for or against the NHL doing the Teddy Bear Toss. As I assume there would be more to it than just "We don't feel like it"

TV Contracts.

 

[GuelphStormer]

NHL Live interviewed Hershey player Monday. He said it took about 45 minutes to pick up toys. (I hope that's an exaggeration.)

wow.

 

[Dolemite]

NHL Live interviewed Hershey player Monday. He said it took about 45 minutes to pick up toys. (I hope that's an exaggeration.)

Well it was nearly 35,000 bears that they tossed.

 

[powerstuck]

NHL Live interviewed Hershey player Monday. He said it took about 45 minutes to pick up toys. (I hope that's an exaggeration.)

I doubt being it an exaggeration. They do it here for the Remparts games (QJMHL) and they get far far far less than 30k toys but it takes a good 10-15 mins to clear the ice...usually both teams go and help gather toys into big bins.

 

[HisIceness]

Even going back to the ECHL days, some of the Checkers biggest draws were the Teddy Bear Toss games.

As someone else mentioned, it's more for the minor-league teams to get more people to come and also to give back to their communities.

 

[PositiveCashFlow]

Good opportunity to use specialty jerseys