Tri-City Americans break Toyota Center Teddy Bear Toss record in massive win against Wild

The Tri-City Americans enjoyed a successful Saturday night last week, defeating one of the best teams in the Western Hockey League, while also hosting the 23rd annual Teddy Bear Toss.

A WHL tradition, the Teddy Bear Toss is held once a year by every team in the league to collect donations for local children. Fans bring a new or gently-used stuffed animal, and when the home team scores for the first time, the plushies are thrown onto the ice.

Not only did the Americans beat the Wenatchee Wild 9-3, but they also collected a record-breaking number of stuffed animals — with more plushies counted than attendees.

Good game for Tri-City Americans

The Americans came into the matchup ranked sixth in the WHL Western Conference Standings, four spots below the visiting Wild. But a dominant nine-goal performance from the Americans — a first for the team since November 2012 — produced a good mood in the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

It took just under 6 minutes for the ice to be littered with stuffed animals when 18-year-old defenseman and Seattle Kraken prospect Lukas Dragicevic fired home a slap shot after being cued up by forward Jake Sloan.

By comparison, fans of the Prince Albert Raiders, who also hosted a teddy bear toss on Saturday night, had to wait until the final two minutes of the hour-long game for their team to score a goal.

Just two years ago, Dragicevic claimed the primary assist that allowed the Americans’ current Captain, Alex Serraglio, to score his first WHL goal ever, with a Teddy Bear Toss goal.

It’s unfortunate stuffed animals weren’t thrown on the ice for every goal, with two goals each from Jordan Gavin, Parker Bell and Brandon Whynott, plus one goal each from Max Curran and Andrew Fan.

Teddy Bear Toss brings Tri-Citians together

Most Americans games have a turnout of between 1,000 to 3,000 people, with weekend rivalry games showing the highest attendance rates. But each year, the Teddy Bear Toss is a highly-anticipated event in Tri-Cities, and that was reflected in this year’s stadium count.

According to Mary Gates, the Americans’ communications and public relations director, there were 5,017 hockey fans in attendance. But there were even more stuffed animals, with a total of 5,118 plushies tossed onto the ice.

This surpassed the pre-pandemic record for most plushies collected during an Americans’ Teddy Bear Toss, which was last set at 4,920 in 2019, according to Gates.

Each year, the stuffed animals are collected by game staff and picked up by local organizations, who then distribute the toys to local kids. This year, Gates said some of the organizations include the Pasco School District (PSD) and Trios Hospital.

“The impact of this annual donation goes beyond the sheer number of stuffed animals; it brings joy and warmth to students, creating lasting memories,” stated the PSD Director of Public Affairs, Anna Tensmeyer, in an email to the Herald.

PSD has been a recipient for 11 years, this year yielding about 1,800 plushies. According to Tensmeyer, the stuffed animals are being distributed to recipients in:

• Rowena Chess Elementary

• New Horizons High School

• Stevens Middle School

• McLoughlin Middle School

• Multiple sites served by the district Migrant program (Pre-K programs, Virgie Robinson Elementary, Captain Gray STEM Elementary, Pasco High and Chiawana High)

Stevens Middle School also received Tri-City Americans sweaters.

“The Tri-City Americans’ support over the years has been instrumental in fostering a positive and caring environment for our students,” Tensmeyer stated. “Their generous donation not only brings smiles to the faces of our students but also serves as a testament to the strong community ties that enhance the educational experience in Pasco. We appreciate their commitment to making a difference in the lives of our students and the broader community.”