Boston Bruins shop for toys and bring Christmas cheer to kids spending the holidays in hospitals

WATERTOWN, Mass. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - The Boston Bruins are taking time off the ice to shop for toys and bring cheer to children who are spending the holidays in hospitals this winter.

It's something the team has done every year for the past 13 years.

Dashing through the isles of Target, in a one-man open cart, Boston Bruins players are trading their sticks for toys. Each one going through a list and checking it twice.

"Fidget toys, stress balls, kinetic stand, Lego's, they got everything, so I have some work to do," said Charlie McAvoy, Bruins player #73.

"Definitely testing my Santa Claus abilities," said Jeremy Swayman, Bruins player #1.

Scoring holiday cheer

Picking up a toy for kids in hospitals, no matter if they've been naughty or nice.

"If we can make a kid forget what they're going through for even a minute, it's worth doing," said Brad Marchand, Bruins Captain #63.

Their goal: to score holiday cheer, as they do every year, and give children a reason to smile this season, while they spend the holidays away from home.

"It's tradition and I like it," said Oskar Steen, Bruins player #62.

"I get to get up early and toy shop for kids in need, and what better way to start off your morning than that," said Linus Ullmark, Bruins player #35.

"Whatever little part we can do to give back and show them the support right back during the holiday season is one of my favorite things to do," Swayman expressed.

All the toys that were bought with money donated by the players and The Boston Bruins Foundation, and will later be delivered to hundreds of children at different hospitals.