For those that ask "What happens to all those hats?"

[Bizzle McDizzle]

Nice to see a good, positive story every once in a while...
I guess Eric could have worn a new hat every day for a year and a half, or this....


Friday, 08.13.2010 / 7:55 PM / Blog
By Katharine Kelley

Staal’s Hat Trick Hats
No one would have thought that Eric Staal’s hat trick during the April 8, 2009 game would impact the community, but it did. During the April 8th game of the 2009-2010 season, the first 14,000 fans received a Carolina Hurricanes hat courtesy of Chevrolet. When Eric Staal scored a hat trick, over 500 brand new hats were thrown on the ice in celebration. Staal was able to choose the end recipient of the hats, and he chose to donate the hats to children at our local hospitals.

This past Wednesday, Stormy and members of the Eye Care Associates Storm Squad distributed 350 hats to child outpatient clinics and deserving hospital staff at UNC Children’s Hospital and Duke Children’s Hospital. Inpatients received bobbleheads and posters. At UNC, we were able to really interact with the patients in the play atrium where Stormy dominated on the Rock Band drums (see above). The community relations staff, along with Stormy and a member of the Eye Care Associates Storm Squad, will wrap up the hat giving on Monday when they visit the children’s wing at Rex Hospital. A feature story and video will be coming out next week, but I wanted to give you all a taste of the joy that so many hats brought to children at local hospitals who were in need of a distraction and a smile

 

[Bizzle McDizzle]

this is kind of cool, too... highly appropriate for hats thrown to the ice...

"The hats, which were frozen for three days to meet the hospitals’ sanitary standards, feature the Hurricanes’ primary logo on the front and the Chevrolet logo on the back."

 

[dash]

That's a very nice story, biz...I think the PGA tour leads the way in charitable donations, but hockey players and teams definitely make a difference in their respective cities.

 

[beantownmaniac]

Cool story Biz. I always did wonder what happened to them. It's nice to see it's something good

 

[Comeds]

So I guess the rumors of a 'giant island of hats' floating in the middle of the Pacific is incorrect.

Nice story.

 

[TOX1]

Cool story Biz. Thanks.

 

[mbhhofr]

This isn't about a "hat trick," but the story does remind me of a hat incident back in the old Western Hockey League. Gus Kyle, who had played in the NHL and was now coaching the Calgary Stampeders, always wore a fedora when he was behind the bench. Protesting a referee's call, during one game, he took his hat off and threw it across the ice at him. The hat landed on the ice and Bill Burega, who played defense for the Winnipeg Warriors, skated up to the hat and proceeded to shred it with his skate blade. The look on Kyle's face was priceless.

 

[IPostedWhat]

Cool story Biz.

Cool story Biz. Thanks.