A hat trick in hockey is when a player scores three goals in a single game. It is one of the most celebrated achievements in the sport, marked by fans throwing hats onto the ice in tribute to the scorer’s performance. This tradition creates one of the most electric atmospheres you’ll experience at any hockey game.
I have been following hockey for over 20 years, and I still get chills when I see thousands of hats rain down onto the ice. There is something magical about witnessing that third goal go in and watching the arena erupt.
In this guide, I will explain exactly what a hat trick is, where the term came from, the different types of hat tricks, and what actually happens to all those hats after fans throw them. Whether you are a new fan learning the terminology or a longtime follower looking to deepen your knowledge, this article will give you everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
What Is a Hat Trick in Hockey?
A hat trick occurs when a single player scores three goals during one game. All three goals must come during regulation time or overtime. Shootout goals do not count toward a hat trick, which is a detail that confuses many new fans.
The goals can come at any strength. Power play goals count. Empty net goals count. Even strength goals count. The only requirement is that one player finds the back of the net three times before the final horn sounds.
Scoring three goals in a game represents a significant offensive achievement. In the NHL, where goal scoring is difficult and goaltenders are elite, even the best players average only about 0.4 goals per game. To score three in one night puts a player in rare company.
Why Is It Called a Hat Trick? The Origin Story
The term “hat trick” did not originate in hockey. It actually started in cricket during the 1800s and made its way to ice hockey decades later through a combination of tradition and smart marketing.
The Cricket Beginning (1858)
The first recorded use of “hat trick” happened in 1858. H.H. Stephenson, a bowler for the All-England Eleven cricket team, took three wickets with three consecutive deliveries during a match. This was an extraordinary feat, and the crowd was so impressed that they took up a collection.
The fans passed a hat around the stands and presented Stephenson with the money they had collected. He walked away with the cash, and the term “hat trick” entered sports lexicon to describe any three-fold achievement in a single game.
How Hockey Adopted the Term (1940s)
Hockey’s version of the hat trick story centers on Sammy Taft, a Toronto hat store owner. In the 1940s, Taft offered a free hat to any Toronto Maple Leafs player who scored three goals in a game at Maple Leaf Gardens. This promotional tie-in helped popularize the term among hockey fans.
The most famous early hat trick recipient was Alex Kaleta of the Chicago Black Hawks. According to NHL historical records, Kaleta walked into Taft’s store in 1946 before a game against the Maple Leafs. He wanted to buy a hat but could not afford the one he liked. Taft made him an offer: score three goals that night, and the hat is free.
Kaleta scored four goals that evening. He got his hat, and the tradition was born.
The Henri Henri Connection
Another piece of hat trick lore comes from Montreal. The Henri Henri hat store on Sainte-Catherine Street had a similar promotion in the 1950s, giving free hats to Montreal Canadiens players who scored three goals at the Montreal Forum. This competing tradition helped cement the term across the Original Six era of the NHL.
Types of Hat Tricks in Hockey
Not all hat tricks are created equal. While any three goals in a game count as a hat trick, there are several variations that hockey fans recognize and celebrate differently. Understanding these distinctions will help you appreciate the nuances of scoring achievements.
The Natural Hat Trick
A natural hat trick is when a player scores three consecutive goals without any other player on either team scoring in between. All three goals must come uninterrupted by any other scorer.
This is considered more impressive than a regular hat trick because it represents a period of complete offensive dominance. The player literally carries their team’s scoring burden for a stretch of the game, sometimes shifting momentum entirely.
For example, if Player A scores at 10:00, 15:00, and 18:00 of the first period, and no one else scores between those times, that is a natural hat trick. However, if Player B scores at 12:00 between Player A’s first and second goals, Player A still has a hat trick, but it is not a natural hat trick.
The Gordie Howe Hat Trick
The Gordie Howe hat trick is completely different from a regular hat trick. Instead of three goals, it consists of a goal, an assist, and a fight all in the same game. This variation is named after Gordie Howe, one of hockey’s most legendary players, who was known for both his scoring touch and his physical play.
Ironically, Gordie Howe himself only recorded two official Gordie Howe hat tricks in his NHL career. The term was actually coined by hockey journalists years later to describe the perfect all-around game that Howe exemplified.
A Gordie Howe hat trick shows versatility: offensive production through the goal and assist, plus grit and toughness through the fight. It is a badge of honor for players who do more than just score.
The Texas Hat Trick
A Texas hat trick refers to scoring four goals in a single game. The name comes from the saying “everything is bigger in Texas,” though the term is used across hockey regardless of which teams are playing.
Scoring four goals in one NHL game is extremely rare. It happens only a handful of times each season across the entire league. When it does happen, fans often still throw hats for the fourth goal, though some purists reserve their hats for true hat tricks only.
The Double Hat Trick
Scoring six goals in a single game is called a double hat trick. This is one of the rarest achievements in professional hockey. It has happened only a few times in NHL history.
When a player scores six goals, you may also hear it called a “sock trick.” This alternate name comes from the idea that fans should throw their socks onto the ice instead of their hats since six is double three. However, in practice, fans still throw hats for these historic performances.
The last player to score six goals in an NHL game was Joe Malone in 1920. In the modern era, five goals in a game (a “quintella”) is the closest anyone has come.
NHL Hat Trick Records and Notable Players
Hat tricks have been part of NHL history since the league’s very first game. Understanding the records and the players who hold them gives you perspective on just how difficult this achievement truly is.
Most Career Hat Tricks
Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL record for most career hat tricks with 50. This is one of many records “The Great One” holds, and it may be among the safest given how rare hat tricks have become in modern hockey.
Mario Lemieux sits in second place with 40 career hat tricks. Mike Bossy is third with 39, followed by Brett Hull with 33 and Phil Esposito with 32. These five players combined for 194 hat tricks, a staggering number that illustrates their dominance.
To put this in perspective, an elite modern scorer like Alex Ovechkin has recorded hat tricks at a rate of roughly two to three per season over his long career. At that pace, reaching 50 would require nearly 20 seasons of elite production.
Fastest Hat Trick Ever
The fastest hat trick in NHL history belongs to Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Black Hawks. On March 23, 1952, Mosienko scored three goals in just 21 seconds against the New York Rangers. This record has stood for over 70 years and may never be broken.
Mosienko’s third goal came at 6:30 of the third period, capping a sequence that saw him score at 6:09, 6:20, and 6:30. The Rangers goalie that night was Lorne “Gump” Worsley, who went on to have a Hall of Fame career despite that difficult 21 seconds.
First NHL Hat Trick
Harry Hyland recorded the first hat trick in NHL history on December 19, 1917. He accomplished this feat playing for the Montreal Wanderers against the Toronto Arenas in just the second game ever played in the new National Hockey League.
Hyland actually scored five goals that night, making it the league’s first double hat trick as well. Unfortunately, the Wanderers folded after their arena burned down later that season, making Hyland’s achievement part of forgotten franchise history.
Active Leaders
As of 2026, Alex Ovechkin leads all active NHL players in career hat tricks. He has recorded over 30 hat tricks during his career with the Washington Capitals, passing multiple legends on the all-time list.
Other active players with impressive hat trick totals include David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. These players represent the current generation of elite scorers who make hat tricks look routine despite their difficulty.
Youngest and Oldest
Jordan Staal holds the record for the youngest player to score a hat trick in the NHL. He accomplished this at 18 years and 153 days old while playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007.
On the other end of the spectrum, Gordie Howe became the oldest player to score a hat trick at 41 years old in 1969. Howe’s longevity and consistency made him one of the most remarkable players in hockey history.
The Hat-Throwing Tradition: What Happens to All Those Hats?
When a player scores their third goal of the game, fans celebrate by throwing hats onto the ice. This tradition has become one of hockey’s most iconic rituals, creating an unforgettable visual of hundreds or thousands of hats raining down from the stands.
The Origin of Throwing Hats
The tradition of throwing hats onto the ice began organically in the 1950s and 1960s as the term “hat trick” became fully established in hockey culture. Fans who had attended games with the old hat giveaway promotions began throwing their own hats to celebrate the achievement.
By the 1970s, the tradition was firmly established across the NHL. Today, every fan attending a hockey game knows that if a home player scores three goals, hats are coming down. Many fans intentionally wear hats they would not mind losing just in case the magic happens.
The Cleanup Process
When hats hit the ice, play stops. The ice crew, often called the “ice girls” or “ice team” depending on the arena, skates out with large bags or nets to collect the hats. The crowd usually cheers throughout this process, giving standing ovations to both the hat trick scorer and the cleanup crew.
The time required to clear the ice depends on how many hats were thrown. A typical hat trick might produce 50 to 200 hats. For superstars in hockey-mad markets, that number can climb into the thousands. Sidney Crosby’s hat tricks in Pittsburgh have been known to carpet the ice in hats.
What Teams Do With Collected Hats
Most NHL teams donate the collected hats to charity after a game. Organizations like Salvation Army, local homeless shelters, and community centers receive these hats to distribute to people in need. This turns a fun tradition into a community benefit.
Some teams keep a few special hats for displays. The Minnesota Wild have been known to create art installations with collected hats. Other teams display notable hats in their team hall of fame or museum areas. One lucky hat is sometimes given to the player who scored the hat trick as a souvenir.
Road Team Hat Tricks
When an away player scores a hat trick, the tradition becomes complicated. Most home fans will not throw hats to celebrate an opponent’s success. However, visiting team fans in attendance often will throw their hats, creating a mixed reaction from the crowd.
Arena security sometimes discourages hat throwing for road team hat tricks, particularly in heated rivalries. However, many hockey fans believe that greatness deserves recognition regardless of jersey color, and they will throw their hats for any hat trick they witness.
Hat Trick Etiquette for Fans
If you are attending your first hockey game and want to participate in this tradition, here is what you should know. First, only throw hats for the home team unless you are willing to risk the wrath of nearby fans. Second, do not throw other items onto the ice. Only hats are appropriate.
Third, make sure your hat is actually yours to throw. Borrowed hats, expensive collectibles, and hats belonging to your seat neighbors are off limits. Finally, be prepared for the possibility that your hat will not be returned. Most are donated to charity, which is a good cause, but you will not get it back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a hat trick in hockey?
The term originated in cricket in 1858 when H.H. Stephenson took three wickets with consecutive deliveries. Fans passed a hat to collect money for him. Hockey adopted the term in the 1940s through Toronto hat store owner Sammy Taft, who gave free hats to Maple Leafs players who scored three goals in a game.
What are 6 goals in hockey called?
Six goals in a single game is called a double hat trick or sometimes a ‘sock trick.’ This extremely rare feat has only happened a few times in NHL history, with Joe Malone being the last player to accomplish it in 1920.
How rare is a hat trick in hockey?
Hat tricks are relatively rare in the NHL. During the 2023-24 season, there were approximately 80-90 hat tricks across 1,312 regular season games. This means you can expect a hat trick roughly once every 15 games. For individual players, even elite scorers average only 2-3 hat tricks per season.
What is a Gretzky hat trick?
There is no such thing as a ‘Gretzky hat trick.’ Wayne Gretzky recorded 50 regular hat tricks in his career, which is the NHL record. Some people confuse this with the Gordie Howe hat trick, which is a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game.
What are three goals in a row called?
Three goals in a row by the same player, uninterrupted by any other scorer, is called a natural hat trick. This is considered more impressive than a regular hat trick because it represents complete offensive dominance during a stretch of the game.
What’s the origin of ‘hat trick’?
The term ‘hat trick’ began in cricket in 1858. Bowler H.H. Stephenson took three wickets with three consecutive deliveries, prompting fans to pass a hat to collect money as a reward. The term spread to other sports, with hockey adopting it in the 1940s through hat store promotions in Toronto.
Do shootout goals count toward a hat trick?
No, shootout goals do not count toward a hat trick. Only goals scored during regulation time or overtime count. A player who has two goals in regulation and scores in the shootout has had an excellent game, but they have not recorded a hat trick.
What happens to the hats thrown on the ice?
Most NHL teams collect the hats and donate them to charity. Organizations like the Salvation Army and local homeless shelters distribute the hats to people in need. Some teams keep select hats for displays or give one special hat to the player who scored the hat trick as a souvenir.
Conclusion
Now that you understand what a hat trick in hockey is and why it matters, you will appreciate these magical moments even more the next time you see one. Whether you are watching from the stands or from your living room, there is nothing quite like witnessing a player etch their name into hockey history with three goals in one game.
If you are lucky enough to attend a game where a hat trick happens, do not hesitate to join the tradition. Throwing your hat onto the ice connects you to decades of hockey history and creates a memory you will never forget. Just make sure it is not your favorite hat.