What is a hat trick in hockey?
Answer
three goals by one player
A hat trick in hockey is three goals scored by one player in a single game. The goals do not need to be consecutive, and they can be scored during regulation or overtime.
When a player completes the feat in ice hockey, fans traditionally celebrate by throwing hats onto the ice. The custom has several competing origin stories involving Canadian teams and hat manufacturers, but it became established in professional hockey during the twentieth century. The hats create a memorable visual tribute to the scorer.
A natural hat trick is a more specific achievement: the player scores three consecutive goals without another player from either team scoring between them. The goals can still occur across different periods. A hat trick therefore does not automatically mean the goals were consecutive.
The phrase itself originated in cricket. In 1858, bowler H. H. Stephenson took three wickets with three successive deliveries, and spectators reportedly presented him with a hat purchased from a collection. Hockey later adopted the term for its own three-goal achievement.