A natural hat trick is three consecutive goals scored by the same player without another player scoring for either team in between. The goals do not need to occur in the same period or on the same type of play.
A standard hat trick simply means that one player scores three goals in a game. The “natural” qualifier emphasizes that the player’s three goals occur in uninterrupted succession on the scoreboard.
The term is different from a Gordie Howe hat trick, which consists of one goal, one assist, and a fight in the same game. An empty-net goal can count toward a natural hat trick if it is the player’s third uninterrupted goal.
The NHL record for the fastest natural hat trick is 21 seconds. Bill Mosienko set that mark for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1952, scoring three times against the New York Rangers.