History Of The Hat Trick In Hockey

The hat trick is a moment of celebration for hockey players and fans. When a hockey player gets a hat trick, it means he has scored three goals in a game. Scoring one goal in a game usually is considered an excellent achievement, so scoring three goals in one game is a sensational accomplishment.

Origin

There are several stories on how the term "hat trick" was introduced to the hockey lexicon. One of the best involves former Chicago Blackhawk Alex Kaleta. According to Joe Pelletier of Greatest Hockey Legends.com, Kaleta walked into Toronto tailor Sammy Taft's shop in 1946 and inquired about the price of a hat. Taft told Kaleta that if he scored three goals in the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the hat was free. Kaleta scored four goals in the game, got himself a free hat and the hat trick was born.

Most Hat Tricks

Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky is the most prolific scorer in the history of the game, and holds the career record for most games in a career with three goals or more, with 50. Gretzky also holds the record for most hat tricks in a season, with 10 in the 1981-82 season and the 1983-84 season. Both Joe "Bulldog" Malone and Mike Bossy had hat tricks in three consecutive games.

Gordie Howe Hat Trick

Gordie Howe was a hall of fame hockey player who spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Red Wings. He was the NHL's all-time leading scorer until his record was broken by Gretzky. Along with Gretzky and Boston's Bobby Orr, Howe generally is considered one of the three best players in NHL history. Howe was one of the toughest players of his era and the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick" was named after him: It means a player scores a goal and an assist and has a fight in the same game.

Mario Lemieux Hat Trick

Mario Lemieux was one of the most skilled players in NHL history and had one of the most amazing games when he scored five goals in a Dec. 31, 1988, game against the New Jersey Devils. In that game, Lemieux scored five different ways: a power play goal, a short-handed goal, an even-strength goal, a penalty shot and an empty-net goal. He is the only player in history to score five different types of goals in a game.