The NHL hat trick, a celebrated moment in hockey, represents a single player scoring three goals in one game. This feat is met with a shower of hats thrown onto the ice by enthusiastic fans, a tradition steeped in history and a testament to the excitement the sport generates.
The exact origin of the hat trick tradition is debated. One popular story dates back to 1944 when a Chicago Blackhawks player, Alex Kaleta, admired a hat in a Toronto shop but couldn't afford it. The shop owner promised him the hat if he scored three goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs that night. Kaleta achieved the hat trick and claimed his prize, thus sparking the tradition. Another account credits the Biltmore Hat Company in Guelph, Ontario, which in 1946, offered a free fedora to any player on the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters junior team who scored a hat trick. Regardless of the precise origin, the hat trick tradition gained momentum in the 1950s and has since become an integral part of hockey culture.
There are also variations to the standard hat trick. A "natural hat trick" occurs when a player scores three consecutive goals without any other player from either team scoring in between. Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Blackhawks holds the record for the fastest natural hat trick, scoring three goals in just 21 seconds in 1952. Another variation is the "Gordie Howe hat trick," a tongue-in-cheek term for scoring a goal, recording an assist, and getting into a fight in the same game, named after the legendary Gordie Howe. Rick Tocchet leads the NHL in Gordie Howe hat tricks with 18.
Wayne Gretzky, "The Great One," holds the NHL record for the most career hat tricks with an impressive 50. Mario Lemieux follows with 40, and Mike Bossy with 39. In the 2024-25 season, Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche led the league with three hat tricks. In a memorable game on April 9, 2025, the NHL witnessed a season-high of four hat tricks. Joel Eriksson Ek of Minnesota and Macklin Celebrini of San Jose traded hat tricks in the same contest, while Matthew Knies of Toronto and Tyson Foerster of Philadelphia also recorded three-goal games. Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars had an exceptional playoff performance in May 2025, recording back-to-back hat tricks, joining Doug Bentley (1944) and Jari Kurri (1985) as the only players in NHL history to achieve this feat in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The rarity of a hat trick adds to its allure. In the 2023-24 NHL season, there were 115 hat tricks in 1,312 games. This is actually up from 96 hat tricks in the 2022-23 season, showing how scoring ebbs and flows within the league. The achievement is rarer than a shutout or a shorthanded goal. This is what makes it so exciting when a player is on two goals – fans eagerly anticipate the possibility of witnessing a hat trick and participating in the ensuing celebration.
Beyond the statistics, certain hat tricks become etched in memory due to their significance. Mark Stone's hat trick in Game 5 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, which clinched the victory for the Vegas Golden Knights, stands out as particularly memorable. Jonathan Marchessault's natural hat trick in Game 6 of the Western Conference Second Round in 2023 also stands out.
Whether it's the thrill of witnessing a rain of hats, the historical significance, or the exceptional skill required to score three goals in a game, the NHL hat trick remains a cherished tradition that embodies the passion and excitement of hockey.
