2009-10: Season in Review

 The 2009-10 season marked the last time a player had multiple Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in a single season, as Chris Stewart had two GHTs, including a natural GHT.  Overall, there were 18 Gordie Howe Hat Tricks.  Ian Laperriere got his 5th career GHT in his final season.  9 players got thier first career GHT, including enforcers Dan Carcillo, Jared Boll and Brian McGratton.   On March 9th, 2010, Ryan Getzlaf and Fedor Tyutin, fought each.  The fight gave Tyutin a Natural GHT and it kicked off Getzlaf's GHT.  Teams that had a player with a GHT, won 13 and lost 5.  There were 73 three goal hat tricks that season.

Player	Date	Opp		Player	Date	Opp
Chris Neil	06/04/2010	FLA		Rick Nash	23/01/2010	MIN
Taylor Pyatt	27/03/2010	COL		Brandon Dubinsky	19/01/2010	TBL
Fedor Tyutin	09/03/2010	ANA		Jason Chimera	13/01/2010	FLA
Ryan Getzlaf	09/03/2010	CBJ		Ian Laperriere	12/01/2010	DAL
David Booth	03/03/2010	PHI		Zack Stortini	09/12/2009	TBL
Daniel Carcillo	02/03/2010	TBL		Chris Stewart	02/12/2009	FLA
Chris Stewart	08/02/2010	STL		Jared Boll	23/11/2009	NYR
Mike Knuble	07/02/2010	PIT		Francois Beauchemin	14/11/2009	CGY
Jarome Iginla	30/01/2010	EDM		Brian McGrattan	16/10/2009	VAN

When a GHT isn't a GHT

  For a Gordie Howe Hat Trick to be official, a player needs to do three things in the same game; score a goal, get an assist and be accessed a fighting penalty. The first two tasks are subject to the decision of an official off-ice NHL scorekeeper. A goal could be given or taken away if the puck was tipped. Assists are often the subject of debate, especially those pesky second assists on a goal. Accessing a fighting major or not, is left in the hands of the on-ice officials. Review the video below and try to confirm if Claude Giroux scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick or not.

  It may seem pretty obvious. First he fights, then he scores and then he completes it with an assist. Except a quick review of the boxscore of that game and you may notice that Giroux had a total of 4 PIM in that game. He got all 4 PIM during the "fight" in the above video; 2 for elbowing and 2 for roughing.  Therefore, Giroux does not get credit for a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in that game.  In a way, Giroux, and the Flyers, are lucky Giroux didn't get a fighting major.  It would have been the second fight on the play and it would have resulted in a game misconduct for Giroux.  He would have left the game with no goals, no assists and one fight.  Giroux would have to wait almost three years before he'd get an official GHT.  Deja Vu.  It was game 3 in a 1st round play-off series vs the Pittsburgh Penguins, played in Philadelphia.