The Medicine Hat Tigers brightened the day of kids in the pediatrics ward at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Dec. 5, 2022. (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Tigers brighten the day with Teddy Bear Toss deliveries

Dec 5, 2022 | 4:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Tigers weren’t on the winning side of their game Saturday, but the real victory came off the ice on Monday when they visited the pediatrics ward at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.

Captain Owen MacNeil and the rest of the Tigers leadership team arrived at the hospital armed with a bag of stuffed animals each and more tucked under their arms. They were all collected at the annual Teddy Bear Toss game on Saturday.

MacNeil and four teammates were at the hospital to deliver the stuffed animals to kids who could use a smile.

“It’s awesome,” MacNeil said of making the deliveries. “I can’t imagine what some of the kids are going through so to be able to brighten their day a little bit. It’s awesome for us and really good for them as well, so I think when you see that it kind of makes your day.”

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Members of the Medicine Hat Tigers at the pediatrics ward at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Dec. 5, 2022. (Photo Courtesy Ross Lavigne)

MacNeil says you can be a hockey player all you want but you need to be a good person first.

He adds days like this are special for him and his teammates.

“Being able to give back and try and see what people are going through, it’s pretty humbling and I think for us we’re just trying to do the best we can and to bring a little brightness to their day,” he says. “And it’s pretty special that they let us come here and do this and I think we all value it a lot and hopefully they do as well.”

After all the counting was done, the Tigers collected 1,346 bears and 1,510 winter items from toques, mittens and scarves. The items will be dispersed at the Medicine Hat Health Foundation, The Santa Claus Fund, Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society and the Salvation Army throughout the holiday season

Oasiz Weisblatt scored the all-important goal at 14:27 of the third period.

The Tigers lost the Teddy Bear Toss game 2-1 to the Saskatoon Blades