The fur flew at the Scotiabank Saddledome Sunday, as 21,453 colourful plush animals hit the ice and are now awaiting new homes for very deserving kids.

It was the annual Teddy Bear Toss at The Calgary Hitmen game as the team took on the Kootenay Ice, which the home team won 4-1.

Often the best-attended game of the season, fans arrived with stuffed toys in hand, anxious for the teddy bear “shower” from the stands.

It took less than seven minutes for the toys to pile up before swiftly being swept up to continue the game-time action.

Since 1999, nearly 200,000 teddy bears have been collected and distributed to local charities.

For partners Lauren and Rob, coming back to this year’s toss was a given and the family of three said they plan to keep coming back.

Aside from the good cause, Lauren added it’s a great excuse to get in some much missed hockey time.

“We’re missing hockey with the Flames not playing.” she said. “It’s for a good cause and the kids like throwing bears, and, quite honestly, it’s amazing to see the avalanche of “stuffies” go down to the ice.”

As for Rob, he was a big kid at heart.

“It’s indescribable, it’s a waterfall, like watching water come out of the stands,” he said. “It’s amazing, they have to drive trucks out to the middle of the ice to pick up all the bears. They’ve got like four or five pick-up trucks circling in and out.”

Friends Charles and Curry came with their animals in tow, except Charles seemed to have missed the memo that Sunday was all about the bears.

He brought a stuffed brown dog.

“Maybe he’ll be the one that’ll be loved the most, it was a last-minute purchase,” he said.