Tens of thousands of soft toys were thrown onto the ice rink of a hockey match during a game in Pennsylvania on Sunday.

A record-breaking 74,599 teddy bears were launched onto the rink during the game between the Hershey Bears and Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the Giant Centre.

The initiative aims to collect toys for local charities, with fans told to bring cuddly animals to the arena to throw onto the rink after the Bears score their first goal.

Footage of the event shows players buried under piles of toys, with play being paused for 50 minutes as volunteers assisted in clearing the ice.

Since the annual Teddy Bear Toss first began in 2001, over 464,107 toys have been donated to local and regional charities across Pennsylvania.

This year’s sold-out match surpassed the existing record of 67,309 toys thrown during the 2023 event.