Officials can receive a bit of a hard time from sports fans but everyone was cheering when a furry boy walked out to centre ice with a puck in his mouth.

Duke the therapy dog from Toba Centre for Children and Youth was selected for the ceremonial puck drop ahead of Monday night's Winnipeg Jets game against the St. Louis Blues. Monday was Child Abuse Awareness Day, part of the larger Child Abuse Awareness Month throughout October.

Jets alternate captain Adam Lowry took the faceoff for the Jets, a perfect fit as the St. Louis-born Lowry has become an ambassador for the Toba Centre. The organization advocates for young people who are victims of abuse.

The Jets presented the centre with a cheque for $50,000 before the game got underway.