Bruins star dons bear pelt after fan throws it for hat trick

Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) celebrates his goal with his teammates during the first period against the Ottawa Senators at TD Garden. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Bruins star dons bear pelt after fan throws it on ice for hat trick

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 3/19/24

Boston Bruins star forward David Pastrnak recorded the 17th regular-season hat trick of his career on Tuesday, lifting his team to a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. His third goal of the game, and 44th of the season, resulted in the traditional shower of hats thrown on the ice by the home fans.

However, there was one other oddity that made its way down to the playing surface.

A (fake?) bear pelt was casually handed to Pastrnak by one of the Bruins employees tasked with cleaning up the hats.

PASTA HATTY AND SOMEONE THREW A FAKE BEAR PELT pic.twitter.com/F5Zn7TgY1I
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 20, 2024

The Bruins posted a picture of Pastrnak after the game, donning the pelt and showing off a game puck to commemorate the accomplishment.

pic.twitter.com/NPPFk6wUyW
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 20, 2024

It seems unlikely that the fan who threw the pelt went into the game expecting to walk out of the arena without it, but when an opportunity presents itself, one has to take it to take it.

Hockey fans have been known to throw some pretty weird objects on the ice over the years (octopus in Detroit, catfish in Toronto, jerseys and waffles in Toronto as a form of protest to bad hockey, jerseys in Edmonton for the same reason). ... But a bear pelt?

That might be a first. Hopefully, Pastrnak gets to keep it as a souvenir from his big-game performance.

More must-reads: