Season in Review; 1980-81

   There were 49 regular season Gordie Howe Hat Tricks plus another 13 during the play-offs in 1980-81.  Bob Bourne, Tim Higgins, Rick Middleton, Dave Taylor and Ryan Walter each had two during the regular season.  Rick Middleton was a finalist for the Lady Byng in 1980-81 and had a total of 16 PIM.  Tim Higgins had two in three games.  Dave Taylor had both of his against the Colorado Rockies.  Brian Sutter had two during the play-offs, both during a five game series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Ron Flockhart and Michel Galarneau scored their first career goal during their GHHT.  During the play-offs, on April 9, 1981, the Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars combined for three GHHTs, with Brad Maxwell and Bobby Smith of the Stars, along with Brad Park of the Bruins notching GHHTs.  Park and Smith fought each other during the game.  It was the only time in 1980-81, players earning a GHHT had the fight against each other in the same game.  In another play-off game, Michel Goulet and Peter Stastny both each had a natural GHHT during the third period.  In that game, the Quebec Nordiques beat the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0. The Detroit Red Wings were the only team without a GHHT, while the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks were the only teams without a GHHT against them.  The record of teams with a GHHT was 47-12-3, for a .782 win percentage.

Player	Date	Tm		Opp		G	A	PTS	PIM	Opponent	Order
Rick Middleton	09/10/1980	Bos		NYR	W	1	1	2	7	Mario Marios	GAF
Anders Hedberg	11/10/1980	NYR	@	Tor	W	1	3	4	7	Laurie Boachman	GFA
Orest Kindrachuk	11/10/1980	Pit		Win	W	2	2	4	7	Al Cameron	GFA
Dave Taylor	18/10/1980	LAK		Clr	W	1	1	2	5	Merlin Malinowski	GAF
Laurie Boschman	18/10/1980	Tor		Phi	W	1	2	3	20	Paul Holmgrem	GAF
Ryan Walter	19/10/1980	Wsh	@	Chi	L	2	1	3	5	Dave Hutchinson	AFG
Dan Geoffrion	31/10/1980	Win		Pit	L	1	1	2	7	Mike Bullard	AGF
Wilf Paiement	09/11/1980	Tor	@	Win	W	2	1	3	7	Morris Lukowich	GFA
Paul Coffey	16/11/1980	Edm	@	Chi	W	1	1	2	7	Rich Preston	AFG
Tom Rowe	16/11/1980	Har	@	NYR	L	1	1	2	7	Dave Maloney	GAF
Glen Sharpley	19/11/1980	Min	@	Pit	W	1	1	2	5	Ross Lonsberry	GFA
Ted Bulley	22/11/1980	Chi	@	Min	W	1	1	2	5	Paul Shmyr	GAF
Michel Galarneau	28/11/1980	Har		Edm	W	1	2	3	5	John Hughes	AFG
Danny Gare	30/11/1980	Buf		Clr	W	1	1	2	5	Rob Ramage	GFA
Perry Turnbull	02/12/1980	Stl		Que	W	1	1	2	17	John Wensink	AFG
Rick Vaive	06/12/1980	Tor		Que	W	1	1	2	7	Normand Rochefort	FAG
Rob Ramage	06/12/1980	Clr	@	Wsh	L	1	1	2	7	Paul Mulvey	GFA
Bob Kelly	07/12/1980	Wsh	@	Bos	L	1	1	2	5	Al Secord	GFA
Larry Patey	13/12/1980	Stl		Clr	W	1	1	2	5	Rob Ramage	GAF
Denis Maruk	21/12/1980	Wsh	@	Phi	W	1	1	2	25	Frank Bathe	GAF
Jean Pronovost	21/12/1980	Wsh	@	Phi	W	2	1	3	25	Bill Barber	AGF
Mario Trembley	27/12/1980	Mtl		Wsh	W	1	1	2	11	Jim McTaggert	GAF
Tiger Williams	28/12/1980	Van		Stl	L	1	1	2	5	Wayne Babych	GAF
Tom McCarthy	30/12/1980	Min		Phi	W	1	2	3	5	Bob Dailey	GAF
Paul Holmgrem	04/01/1981	Phi	@	Wsh	W	1	1	2	7	Yvon Labre	AGF
Pat Boutette	10/01/1981	Har	@	Win	W	1	1	2	7	Dave Babych	FAG
Eric Vail	15/01/1981	Cal		Det	W	1	2	3	5	Willie Huber	AGF
Tim Higgins	15/01/1981	Chi		Bos	W	1	1	2	11	Brad McCrimmon	GFA
Blair Chapman	17/01/1981	Stl		Edm	W	1	1	2	5	Dave Hunter	GAF
Paul Gardner	17/01/1981	Pit		LAK	W	1	1	2	25	Jay Wells	AFG
Tim Higgins	18/01/1981	Chi		Que	W	1	1	2	7	Andre Dupont	FAG
Al Secord	22/01/1981	Chi		Mtl	W	2	1	3	7	Chris Nilan	AFG
Terry Martin	22/01/1981	Tor	@	LAK	T	1	1	2	5	Jay Wells	GAF
Keith Crowder	26/01/1981	Bos		Clr	W	1	1	2	5	Ed Cooper	AGF
Doug Lecuyer	29/01/1981	Win	@	Bos	L	1	1	2	5	Brad Park	AGF
Peter Stastny	07/02/1981	Que		Phi	W	1	1	2	7	Mel Bridgman	AGF
Larry Robinson	14/02/1981	Mtl		Wsh	W	1	2	3	19	Alan Hangsleben	AGF
Ken Houston	25/02/1981	Cal		NYI	W	1	1	2	7	Clark Gillies	AFG
Ray Bourque	26/02/1981	Bos		Min	W	1	1	3	7	Al MacAdam	FAG
Rick Middleton	26/02/1981	Bos		Min	W	2	1	3	5	Ron Zanussi	GFA
Darren Veitch	28/02/1981	Wsh	@	Stl	L	1	1	2	5	Brian Sutter	AFG
Ron Flockhart	28/02/1981	Phi	@	Min	W	1	1	2	9	Al MacAdam	GFA
Mark Messier	04/03/1981	Edm	@	NYR	T	2	1	3	5	Chris Kotsopoulos	FGA
Bob Bourne	11/03/1981	NYI	@	Win	W	2	1	3	5	Dan Geoffrion	AGF
Bob MacMillan	21/03/1981	Cal	@	Bos	L	1	1	2	7	Stan Jonathan	FGA
Bob Bourne	22/03/1981	NYI	@	Chi	W	1	1	2	9	Tim Higgins	GAF
Don Maloney	28/03/1981	NYR	@	Mtl	W	1	1	2	5	Chris Nilan	AGF
Ryan Walter	29/03/1981	Wsh		NYI	L	1	1	2	7	Bob Nystrom	FAG
Dave Taylor	04/04/1981	LAK		Clr	T	2	1	3	7	Randy Pierce	AGF

	Date	Tm		Opp		G	A	PTS	PIM	Opponent
Paul Holmgrem	08/04/1981	Phi		Que	W	1	1	2	19	Kim Clackson	AGF
Brad Park	09/04/1981	Bos		Min	L	1	3	4	9	Bobby Smith	GFA
Marcel Dionne	09/04/1981	LAK		NYR	W	1	1	2	5	Ed Hospodor	GFA
Brad Maxwell	09/04/1981	Min	@	Bos	W	1	1	2	7	Stan Jonathan	FGA
Bobby Smith	09/04/1981	Min	@	Bos	W	1	1	2	7	Brad Park	GAF
Ulf Nilsson	09/04/1981	NYR	@	LAK	L	1	1	2	9	Dan Bonar	FAG
Peter Stastny	11/04/1981	Que		Phi	W	1	1	2	5	Ken Linseman	AGF
Michel Goulet	11/04/1981	Que		Phi	W	1	1	2	5	Paul Holmgrem	GAF
Brian Sutter	11/04/1981	Stl	@	Pit	W	1	1	2	11	George Ferguson	FGA
Brian Sutter	14/04/1981	Stl		Pit	W	1	1	2	5	Randy Carlyle	FGA
Hector Marini	16/04/1981	NYI		Edm	W	1	2	3	5	Mark Messier	FGA
Steve Vickers	20/04/1981	NYR		Stl	W	2	1	3	7	Larry Patey	FAG
Glen Cochrane	22/04/1981	Phi		Cal	W	1	1	2	14	Jim Peplinski (x2)	GFA

  I researched the 1980-81 season using the hockey summary project, along with hockeyfights.com and dropyourgloves.com.  On some specific GHHTs, or non-GHHTs, I gather information via google searches.

Update:
Special thanks to trottiertobossy and Eric Hornick for helping me research a potential GHHT by Dennis Potvin.  On December 16/1980, an altercation occurred between Denis Potvin and Tim Trimper.  It was listed as a fight by Hockeyfights.com but Trimper was noted as not receiving a fighting major.  Any newspaper articles I found on the game didn't mention the actual penalties.  I had already removed 2 GHHTs when researching altercations between two players where one doesn't receive a major and this one became the third.  trottiertobossy posted a fan's scorecard from the game that lists Potvin's major as a butt-ending major.