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MISSOULA - The Missoula Maulers are playing Santa Claus after fans helped with their Christmas shopping.

The team held its first ever teddy bear toss Thursday night at Glacier Ice Rink and fans waited until Chris Pontello scored the Maulers' first goal of the second period before throwing their teddy bears onto the ice - hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them.

"We're going to deliver all the stuffed animals to hospitals or any kids that maybe not have one," Maulers Goalie Andy DiCristofaro told us.

It took DiCristofaro, his teammates and Maulers staffers about five to 10 minutes to scoop them all up. The team will make now make the rounds and deliver the teddy bears to kids at St. Patrick Hospital, Community Medical Center, Watson Children's Shelter and other locations.