Excellent hockey action and teddy bears for local children make a great combo!

The Whitecourt Wolverines were dodging teddy bears on Friday, November 15 at the Scott Safety Centre as fans took part in the annual Teddy Bear Toss. At 8:03 in the first period Ethan Green laced one past the Grande Prairie Storm netminder and within seconds, the ice surface was littered with furry buddies. Fans were invited to either purchase a bear and place it in a plastic bag or purchase a Brickley Bear from the Brick. Proceeds from the Brick bears support the Children’s Miracle Network while all the bears thrown over the boards are donated to the Whitecourt Christmas Hamper.

After several minutes of clean up, the game was back underway. The first period ended with three penalties for the guests and one for the home team, but the lone goal kept the Wolverines in the lead. One scary moment in the final minutes of the period saw #5 Joshua Corrow take a bad hit and slump down to the ice where he remained for several minutes. Brody Dale of the Storm ended up receiving a 10-minute game misconduct and two minutes for a blow to the head.

In the second period, the Wolverines capitalized on another powerplay opportunity when Cassidy Bowes from Ethan Leyer and Adam Sandstrom notched in the team’s second goal of the night. Five minutes later, also on the powerplay, the Storm managed to get on the board making in 2-1 at the end of the period. The third period was jam packed with action especially in terms of penalties. The Wolverines ended up with six while the Storm had five. Ranging from roughing calls to fighting and game misconducts, the final frame was on fire.

The hometown team kept their heads on straight as they scored three more goals for a final game tally of 5-1 for the Wolverines. The scorers were Bjorn Robinson from Cassidy Bowes and Kaleb Ergang, and a pair from Ryan Wallz. The next home game for the Wolverines isn’t until December when they open the month with three games at the Scott Safety Centre. On December 8, they will take on the Drayton Valley Thunder; on the 13th they play the Lloydminster Bobcats; and on Saturday, December 14 they rumble against the Brooks Bandits. To see the moment the teddy bears flew from the stands, check out the Whitecourt Press Facebook page.