The hat trick is one of hockey's most famous traditions, and in a sport that has been using the same trophy since 1892, tradition means a lot.
In hockey a hat trick is when a player scores three goals in one game, not an easy feat. I've only done it once or twice, though I'm not that good anyway. According to the Old English Dictionary, the term originated from the sport of cricket, but it is unclear exactly how the phrase “hat trick” became associated with hockey. Researching the origin of the hat trick yields several conflicting stories but seemingly the most creditable is the story involving the Montreal hat store, “Henri Henri.”
Back in the day, when there were only six teams in the NHL, the store's owner promised to give a free hat to any player who scored three goals in a game. Nowadays when a player scores three goals it is customary for fans to throw hats onto the ice. When it's a home game you can expect to see hundreds of hats, when it's a sold-out home game on free hat night – thousands.
The hats start raining down at 1:50
I've heard the players will usually autograph all the hats then donate them to be sold for charities.
Some teams take it further than hats. In Florida they used to throw rubber rats onto the ice, and fans of my favorite team, Detroit, like to throw dead octopuses onto the ice during the playoffs -- though they have to sneak them in. Weird right? That's hockey.
Haha, I'm learning more than I ever thought I would know about hockey! Those are really neat stories and interesting facts.. I think it's so cool to see how everyone has his or her own niche and all the cool things that go along with different legends and traditions. My brother used to have huge tournaments with his hockey team in Montreal (We grew up in the north) and he always came home with the most fascinating stories.
ReplyDeleteI had heard of a hat trick before, but never really knew what it was. Now I know! I bet it doesn't happen very often, since hockey is a generally low-scoring game (unlike basketball, for instance). I also thought the traditions of throwing hats (or whatever else) on the field was interesting. The whole concept seems totally random but completely normal at the same time.
ReplyDeleteThrowing hats on the ice is one of the funniest parts of hockey. I love seeing everyone fling their caps onto the once once someone scores three goals. But here's something I don't understand: what's up with throwing squids? Every once in a while some dead squid will get thrown onto the ice in the middle of a game. What is the significance of that? Is it just a silly tradition that hockey has, or does it mean something more? Either way, it is always pretty funny watching the zamboni guy scoop it off the ice.
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