
A Gordie Howe hat trick is a variation on ice hockey's
hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechan ...
. It is accomplished when a player collects a
goal
A goal or objective is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan, and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines.
A goal is roughly similar to ...
, an
assist, and a
fight
Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...
in the same game. It is named after
Hall of Famer Gordie Howe
Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
.
The term was coined by a 1950s New York sportswriter, although Howe himself accomplished the feat only twice in his five-decade career. Howe's son
Marty once remarked, "The Gordie Howe hat trick should really be a goal, an assist and a cross-check to the face. That might be more accurate."
Incidents
The first known Gordie Howe hat trick was achieved by
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...
defenceman
Harry Cameron of the
Toronto Arenas on December 26, 1917, in a 7–5 win against the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
.
Howe himself accomplished his first Gordie Howe hat trick on October 11, 1953, when he scored a goal, assisted on
Red Kelly's goal, and fought the
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...
'
Fernie Flaman. The second occurrence was on March 21, 1954, once again versus the Maple Leafs. Howe scored the opening goal, assisted on two
Ted Lindsay
Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay (July 29, 1925 – March 4, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lindsay scored over 800 ...
goals, and fought
Ted "Teeder" Kennedy.
Multiples
The "Double Gordie", involving two players who each tallied a goal and an assist and fought each other, has occurred on five occasions:
* On April 9, 1981
Brad Park (who recorded 1G, 3A) fought
Bobby Smith (who recorded 1G, 1A)
* On March 9, 2010,
Fedor Tyutin (who recorded 1G, 2A) fought
Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf (born May 10, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Getzlaf played his entire NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and is the franchise's all-time leading scorer. A first-round selection, 19th overall, at the 20 ...
(who recorded 1G, 1A)
* On January 10, 2012,
Adam Henrique (who recorded 1G, 1A) fought
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (; born July 1, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), winger. He played over 1,500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Pittsbu ...
(who recorded 1G, 2A)
* On October 30, 2023,
Liam O'Brien
Liam Christopher O'Brien (born May 28, 1976) is an American voice actor, writer, and director. He is a regular cast member of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' actual play series '' Critical Role,'' playing Vax'ildan ("Vax"), Caleb Widogast, and Orym. ...
(who recorded 1G, 1A) fought
Nick Foligno
Nicholas Foligno (; born October 31, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey left winger and captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 28th overall by the Ottawa Senators dur ...
, and
Jack McBain (who recorded 2G, 2A) fought
Jarred Tinordi (the first time in 35 years that 2 players of the same team got a Gordie Howe hat trick)
* On October 9, 2024,
J. T. Miller (who recorded 1G, 1A) fought
Anthony Mantha (who recorded 1G, 1A)
In the April 9, 1981, playoff game between the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
and the
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
where Brad Park and Bobby Smith completed a Double Gordie,
Bryan Maxwell
Bryan Clifford Maxwell (born September 7, 1955) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 331 games in the National Hockey League and 124 games in the World Hockey Association. He played for the Cleveland Crusaders, Cincinna ...
also completed a Gordie Howe hat trick of his own. The North Stars won the game 9–6.
Debut variations
A Gordie Howe hat trick that included a player's first NHL goal occurred on November 19, 2014, when
Steve Pinizzotto was called up by the Edmonton Oilers and he made his 2014–15 season debut against his previous team, the Vancouver Canucks.
On December 29, 2018,
Tyler Lewington of the
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...
, playing in just his second career NHL game, against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...
, became the only player to complete a Gordie Howe hat trick with all three components being NHL career firsts, including his first assist on a goal by
Tom Wilson and his first fight against
Zack Smith.
Consecutive days
Doug Risebrough of the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
became the first NHL player to register a Gordie Howe hat trick on consecutive days, on February 15 and 16, 1975, both games against the
Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
.
Jacob Trouba of the New York Rangers became the second to do it on December 7, 2021, against the Blackhawks and the following night against the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
.
Women's hockey
Tereza Vanišová of the
Ottawa Charge
The Ottawa Charge (French language, French: ''Charge d'Ottawa'') are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa that competes in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They are one of the league's six charter franchises. The Charge p ...
was the first woman to record a Gordie Howe hat trick in the
Professional Women's Hockey League
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL; , LPHF) is a women's professional ice hockey league in North America. The league comprises eight teams, four each from the United States and Canada. The teams play a Season (sports), regular season ...
(PWHL). She recorded the feat in a game against the
Boston Fleet on February 20, 2025. Her fight against
Jill Saulnier only resulted in a
roughing penalty, but was considered to be the first fight in PWHL history. Vanišová's goal was is in the dying seconds of regulation, tying the game 2–2. The team went on to lose in overtime.
Leaders
Although he played a record 2,421 professional hockey games, Gordie Howe himself achieved only two "Gordie Howe hat tricks" in his NHL career.
The all-time leaders in Gordie Howe hat tricks are
Rick Tocchet with 18 and
Brendan Shanahan (who would later become the NHL's chief disciplinarian) with 17. Next is
Brian Sutter with 16, then
Tiger Williams
David James "Tiger" Williams (born February 3, 1954) is a Canadian former professional sports, professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1974–75 NHL season, 1974 to 1987–88 NHL season, 1988. He played ...
and
Wilf Paiement with 15 each.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howe, Gordie, hat trick
Hat-trick, Howe
Violence in ice hockey
Hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mechan ...