Last year's teddy bear toss against the same Yorkton Terriers (File photo/northeastNOW staff)

By Ben Tompkins

Melfort Mustangs Home Weekend

Teddy Bear Toss, Calcutta shootout to highlight annual parent billet weekend

Dec 2, 2022 | 12:31 PM

The Melfort Mustangs will honour their parents and billets this weekend, as part of their annual tradition.

Friday night’s game against the visiting Yorkton Terriers will kick off the festivities. When the Mustangs score their first goal, fans are encouraged to ‘let those teddies fly’ for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Hamper Campaign.

According to Mat Barrett, director of marketing and business for the club, last year was the first time the team combined the two.

“The least we can do is help them out and be sort of a vessel for them to be able to get some teddy bears and things like that for their Christmas hamper campaign. Last year worked out amazing for us and was one of the best years we’ve ever had for the Teddy Bear toss, and we hope to kind of break it again this year,” said Barrett.

“You ask all the guys if they’re gonna make the teddy bears fly on Friday and they’re all like, yeah, that’s the goal. I think they’re all aiming for it, but at the same time, it’s all about the team winning, and usually, that’ll come with good play.”

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Prior to Friday’s contest, half the teams’ parents and billets are set to be announced and recognized, while the rest will be done on Saturday.

Barrett told northeastNOW it’s one of the best weekends for the club all year.

“It’s a lot of fun that these guys get to have all their parents in attendance, and we get to honour and thank the parents and the billets for what they do for our club. For the players, they get to show off in front of their parents and show off their skills and, hopefully, get four points out of that,” he said.

“We hope that home ice advantage helps us this weekend, with a few extra fans in the stands, that hopefully adds to the atmosphere and adds to the energy that’s in the rink and helps the boys and really kind of gives them an extra boost to play well. Usually, we end up playing pretty well this weekend.”

As for the shootout, that will happen after Saturday’s contest against the league-best and number-one-ranked team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), the Battlefords North Stars.

The shootout will raise money for the team and the winning bidder, with a pancake breakfast beginning tomorrow morning, with the auction to follow.

Draft picks will be bid on to select your player, coach, goalie or mystery player. It will be an elimination-style event, with one winning shooter and goalie.

Head Coach Trevor Blevins in last year’s shootout (Photo courtesy/Broad Leaf Media, Facebook)

“The shootout is really fun, we have everyone kind of bid on players and that type of thing, so you know, everyone’s kind of got a betting interest in it, you could say everyone’s got, their horse in the race,” Barrett added.

“It’s really fun, the guys get to show a little bit of personality more than they would in a regular game. Guys out there with cowboy hats and sunglasses and guys just get to go out and have fun and have a little competition with each other and their coaches and even some alumni as well.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8