Hockey goal triggers nearly 26,000 teddy bears tossed to ice (VIDEO)

Despite the Calgary Hitmen's menacing name, the Canadian major junior hockey team has an old tradition that makes them downright cuddly.

The Teddy Bear Toss has been around for nearly two decades, benefiting many local charities but, over the last few seasons, it has become an amazing spectacle.

Sunday night, the Western Hockey League team — which shares the Scotiabank Saddledome as a home arena with the NHL's Calgary Flames — welcomed a crowd of 17,199 who were ready to toss the stuffed bears as soon as the Hitmen scored their first goal.

It took a little while, but forward Pavel Padakin triggered a torrential downpour almost 26,000 of the fuzzy friends at the 3:42 mark of the second period.

Padakin even makes teddy bear angels on the ice in a pile of the little guys.

The official count from the team for 2013 was 25,921 bears, which tops last year's number. The assorted bears will handed out to sick children at the Alberta Children's Hospital and to animal shelters as chew toys.

What a great tradition.

Check out a photo gallery of all the action from the @PetroCanada Teddy Bear Toss! http://t.co/3g45a4NVFk pic.twitter.com/UDQD3qMYhL
— Calgary Hitmen (@WHLHitmen) December 2, 2013