HERSHEY, PA — Vincent Iorio’s first Teddy Bear Toss with the Hershey Bears was memorable but not for the right reasons. Hershey was shut out by the Bridgeport Islanders 2-0 in the 2023 version of the event. With no clean-sheet plan in place for the crowd, Hershey watched helplessly as fans mutinied, hurling all their stuffed animals onto the ice with 5.4 seconds remaining. Referees called off the rest of the game. Afterwards, Iorio, the Capitals’ top defense prospect, cut an apology video on behalf of the team.
“It’s a pretty devastating defeat,” Iorio said then. “We’re pretty upset about it. We really appreciate all the support you’ve showed us.”
Those wounds remained fresh ahead of the 2024 Teddy Bear Toss game, turning what is usually an eagerness to score into nerves and pressure.
“I think if last year hadn’t happened it would have been a little less tense,” captain Dylan McIlrath observed.
So when the Bears did finally dent the twine midway through the second period — Bogdan Trineyev found a hole through the goaltender on a low-angled shot — the players really relished the experience. Especially Iorio.
VINNY IORIO INCOMING ⚠️🧸 pic.twitter.com/5tQf4uu2yy
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) January 7, 2024
For instance, in the opening moments of the Toss, an adult-human sized teddy bear was pushed over the glass. Iorio, not known for his physical play on the ice, excitedly skated across the ice to deliver a devastating Uso splash onto the plushie. “VINNY IORIO INCOMING ⚠️🧸” wrote The AHL on Twitter.
Bears’ cameras captured the entire interaction, which was delightfully clumsy.
After laying on the ice and laughing hysterically for a few seconds, Iorio tried to pick up the gigantic stuffed animal with the help of his teammates Hardy Häman Aktell and Pierrick Dube. But he was not successful. Vinny slipped and toppled over, watching helplessly as the gigantic teddy bear fell on top of him and enveloped his entire body. Häman Aktell again tried to get his teammate upright, but gave up quickly, forcing Iorio to crawl out himself.
“I felt like ‘Ooo! I am a kid,'” Iorio said. “I’ve got a little bit of a childish personality but it was a lot of fun. Obviously a lot different than last year. Last year was kind of a let down, but I’m happy Bogey scored. There was a lot of bears, I can tell you that. A lot of bears.”
During the over 50-minute stoppage to collect the tens of thousands of stuffed animals that were thrown on the ice, Iorio experienced every fluffy mound on the ice, eventually trapping himself in a massive mountain of children’s toys.
“How am I going to get out of here?” he said, becoming worried.
Same, Vin. pic.twitter.com/JCKQVsPhom
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 7, 2024
“There was a couple big, big piles of teddy bears so I thought I’d be a little kid and just kind of jump around,” Iorio said reflecting on his hockey recess. “There was the one time they kept piling them on top of me and I got buried but it was pretty fun.”
Iorio eventually ended his play time by climbing up on the team’s goal and taking in everything with center prospect Ryan Hofer. The two grabbed several large stuffed animals and posed for photos.
“It was just me having fun,” Iorio said. “Hockey takes its toll on a lot of guys and personally, I like to keep things light. I like to keep things positive and it’s just kind of how I am.”
In the end, Hershey collected 74,599 stuffed animals — a new record for a hockey game. The goodness in Hershey fans’ hearts had Iorio reflecting back to his youth.
“I had a teddy growing up, his name was Bear,” Iorio said. “I had him since as long as I can remember and he’s still hanging out in my bottom cabinet of my house back home. I don’t spend time with him now but when I was younger I always had to sleep with him and just little things like that. When you think of a teddy bear you think of caring-ness and loving-ness and I think it’s for a good cause.”
Photos: Ian Oland/RMNB
