By Jim Hagarty
A hat trick in hockey occurs when a player scores three goals in one game.
For the feat to qualify as a true hat trick, those three goals need to be back to back to back, with no goals scored by the players’ teammates in between. True hat tricks are so hard to come by, modern hockey recognizes three goals in a game, in whatever order and uninterrupted or not, as the real deal.
The term hat trick started in hockey’s early days when a team owner started presenting a hat to any player who could score those elusive three goals.
Gordie Howe had a few hat tricks in his day. But he was an all-round, aggressive player, and eventually, he inspired what became known at the “Gordie Howe Hat Trick.”
A Gordie Howe Hat Trick occurred when a player got a goal, an assist and a penalty for fighting.
When you went into a corner to get the puck and looked up to see Gordie Howe about to join you, you started saying your prayers. He became known for being super efficient with his elbows.
Gordie Howe left it all on the ice, every game. Sometimes, the result was a player rolling on his back, clutching a broken nose.
Yet somehow, he was never known as a goon. Or particularly dirty.
Just very, very tough. He never needed to look around him for a team enforcer to finish off his fights for him.
