KATMAI, Alaska (WKRC) – An NHL mascot and player had a close call with a brown bear during a video shoot.
Buoy, Seattle Kraken’s blue-haired troll mascot, seemed to catch the attention of the bear while the team was filming a promotional video shoot in Alaska. The team’s forward, John Hayden, was also in the water when the bear made his charge towards the group.
“I want to blame it on Buoy,” said Hayden in a video posted on the mascot’s X account after the incident. “They were pretty interested in his look.”
Bouy wrote on the post “Troll narrowly escapes bear encounter” and “No trolls or bears were hurt in the making, always respect wildlife in their natural habitat.”
According to CBS News, the run-in happened on June 25 while Bouy and Hayden were fly-fishing in Katmai National Park as part of a trip promoting youth hockey.