What is a Gordie Howe hat trick? Landeskog’s playoff example
A goal, an assist and a fight in one game. Gabriel Landeskog’s 2021 playoff opener against St. Louis shows how a Gordie Howe hat trick works.
A Gordie Howe hat trick consists of a goal, an assist and a fight by the same player in one game. It does not require 3 goals. Gabriel Landeskog recorded one in Colorado’s 2021 playoff opener against St. Louis, finishing with 1 goal, 2 assists and a fight.
What qualifies?
All 3 elements must occur in the same game, in any order. More than 1 goal or assist is allowed. Landeskog’s second assist did not prevent the performance being described as a Gordie Howe hat trick.
It is an established hockey expression, rather than a separate scoring category. A goal and an assist earn 2 points. The fight earns no additional points and is penalised under the rules.
Why is it named after Gordie Howe?
The expression takes its name from Gordie Howe, associated with both scoring and physical play. It describes that combination of events in a game. It does not mean the player scored a conventional hat trick, which requires 3 goals.
Goals, points and penalty minutes are separate statistics. Adding them together does not produce a meaningful points total. Our guide to G, A, P and PIM explains the abbreviations.
Why are 5 penalty minutes insufficient evidence?
A major penalty need not be for fighting. A line containing a goal, an assist and at least 5 PIM is therefore a reason to check the report, rather than proof of all 3 elements.
Landeskog’s case has both the scoring line and an explicit fighting event. Colorado also identified the performance as a Gordie Howe hat trick in its preview of the next playoff round.