What is a hat trick in hockey?
A hat trick is when one player scores three goals in a game.1 Fans often throw hats onto the ice to celebrate a hat trick, especially for a home-team player.1 A natural hat trick is three goals in a row by the same player in one game.1
The details
The term comes from cricket: in an 1858 match, a bowler who took three wickets with three straight balls was given a hat bought with money collected for him.1
The Hockey Hall of Fame credits a Toronto businessman who gave a hat to players who scored three goals in a Toronto NHL game; Chicago's Alex Kaleta won one in January 1946.1
A Montreal hat store also gave free hats to players who scored three goals at the Forum between 1950 and 1970.1
A Gordie Howe hat trick is a goal, an assist and a fight by the same player in one game. It is an informal term, not an official NHL stat.2
More hockey rules
Hockey terms and slang · Hockey positions explained · How the NHL points system works · All hockey rules
Sources
- NHL.com: Hockey's 'hat trick' traces roots to cricket (2017) · accessed 2026-10-23
- NHL.com (Utah): Top 10 moments from 2024-25 season (Gordie Howe hat trick definition) · accessed 2026-10-23
Rules are paraphrased, not quoted; the rulebook wins wherever wording matters. NHL rules unless a league is named.