The history of Penn State men’s hockey as an NCAA Division I team may be short, but it is certainly storied.

Although Penn State didn’t become an NCAA Division I program until the 2012-13 season, it has since qualified for five NCAA tournaments, won a regular-season Big Ten Championship, and won a Big Ten Tournament Championship.

In addition to a storied list of accomplishments on the ice, Penn State men’s hockey has been contributing to a cause bigger than hockey since its second season after the program was promoted.

During the 2013-14 season, Penn State men’s hockey introduced the Teddy Bear Toss game, during which fans could throw stuffed animals from their seats at Pegula Ice Arena onto the ice.

The team collects each teddy bear tossed and donates it in support of THON, Penn State’s student-run philanthropy organization.

The event became an annual tradition, and fans look forward to supporting children in need through one of Penn State’s most exciting sports teams.

While the event is certainly bigger than hockey, let’s look at how the Nittany Lions have performed in these games each season.

In total, Penn State has a 6-6-1 record in Teddy Bear Toss games. The event has taken place every season since 2013-14, except 2020-21, when the toss was held virtually.

The first Teddy Bear Toss resulted in a close 5-4 loss to Union on December 1, 2013, at Pegula Ice Arena.

Fans tossed stuffed animals during the second intermission, but unfortunately for the Nittany Lion faithful, Penn State blew a lead by giving up two third-period goals en route to the loss.

The team’s first win in a Teddy Bear Toss game came against Michigan State on December 5, 2015, when the Nittany Lions beat the Spartans 6-1. Eric Scheid stood out for Penn State, scoring two goals in the win.

Recently, the Nittany Lions have amped up their opponents for the occasion, clashing with Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Notre Dame in crucial Big Ten matchups for the Teddy Bear Toss game.

Although Penn State was beaten by the Badgers, Golden Gophers, and most recently the Fighting Irish in charitable matchups, the Nittany Lions earned a signature 4-2 win against Michigan on November 15, 2025.

After fans rained stuffed animals onto the ice during the first intermission, Penn State came out flying, as Luke Misa scored roughly midway through the second period to break the deadlock. Nick Fascia followed that up with his first collegiate goal to extend Penn State’s lead.

Reese Laubach added a goal in the third off a pass from Dane Dowiak, and Nic Chin-DeGraves hit an empty net to give the Nittany Lions a huge victory on a night where the main goal was supporting children in need.

Penn State men’s hockey will certainly hope to see continued success on the ice, but sponsoring a cause more important than winning will always be a part of Happy Valley.

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