Jarome Iginla might be the last great Gordie Howe Hat Tricker. Jarome retired with 12 career GHHTs, which matches the number of three goal Hat Tricks he had during this career. His first career GHHT was against fellow GHHT Legend Brendan Shanahan. His GHHT against Vincent Lecavalier was in the Stanley Cup finals. On January 10, 2012, Jarome and Adam Henrique pulled off the rare double GHHT. They fought each other and also both had a GHHT that night. It was fitting that Jarome's last GHHT was against his old team, the Calgary Flames.
Darryl Sittler is best known for his NHL record 10 point night versus the Boston Bruins. Sittler, was also a HHOFer, scored 1121 career points in 1096 games. Over his career, he accumulated six Gordie Howe Hat Tricks. Three of them came in 844 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers, Sittler notched three in 191 games with the Flyers, including back-to-back games in November of 1983, both of which the Flyers lost.
Al Secord had ten career Gordie Howe Hat Tricks. Surprisingly, none during the 1981-82 season, when he racked up 44 goals and 303 PIM. The only player in NHL history to have a 40/300 season. Secord had his best years playing alongside Denis Savard in the early 1980s. Secord followed up his 44 goal season with 54 the following year. Of Secord's 10 GHHTs, all during the regular season, three times he fought multiple times , including three times in a game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, and in another game, both of the Bruise Brothers of the Detroit Red Wings, Joey Kocur and Bob Probert. Secord may also be the only player to record a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in his final regular season NHL game.
Gerald Gallant was a tough customer who was the early guardian of a young Steve Yzerman. Gerald had four consecutive 30+ goal and 200+ PIM seasons playing alongside Yzerman in the late 1980s. Gallant's career was stunted by back injuries, which eventually caused him to retire. Over his career, Gallant had nine Gordie Howe Hat Tricks, including one in the 1988 play-offs. He had three during the 1988-89 season.
Others that have researched Gordie Howe Hat Tricks have come up 10 GHHTs for Gerald Gallant. They do not list them. I could only come up with nine. The game I believe they may be counting is November 25, 1987. In that game versus the Jets, Gallant scored a goal, an assist and a roughing minor vs Doug Smail. The website DropYourGloves.com has it listed as a fight. While HockeyFights.com doesn't list it all. Based on my research, there was no fighting major accessed, so technically, this is not counted as a GHHT.
Updated 5/25/2019 - I have found multiple sites that claim Gallant has 10 GHHTs. My original research showed 9. Since NHL has made their official boxscores available, I decided to revisit my count. This added a GHHT (88-1-6) to his count, but also deducted a GHHT (87-2-20). The NHL.com boxscore lists Gallant as receiving a roughing minor and not a fighting major against Donnelly. The 3 minute difference corresponds to Gallant's total of 216 PIM in the 1986/87 season.
2015-16 was a slow season for Gordie Howe Hat Tricks. There were a total of seven. The previous low total I had researched was 10 in 2012-13, a lock-out shortened season.. Compared to 2014-15, fights per game was down to 0.28 from 0.32 and goals per game down to 2.71 from 2.73. So this was more a case of the stars not aligning for the GHHTs this year. Of note, Chris Neil notched his fourth career GHHT while playing in 900th career game. Alex Petrovic recorded a pair of Hat Tricks on February 9, 2006. One was the Gordie Howe Hat Trick, another was for fighting the same opponent, Evander Kane, three times during the same game.
Larry Robinson was not a prolific fighter, but he was a feared man. He built his reputation on bouts with Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Gary Howatt during his second season. Robinson, at 6'3, 200lbs, was a big man by 1970s standards but he also had skill. Robinson would win two Norris trophies and be a 1st or 2nd Team All-Star six times. He set a NHL record with a +/- rating of +120 in 1976-77. Robinson, a HHOFer, would only rack up two Gordie Howe Hat Tricks during his career. His reputation as a fighter, and value on the ice, would keep his gloves on and Larry out of the sin bin.
In a way it strange that we profile Larry Robinson, not because of his low GHHT count, but since it can be argued that there would have been many more GHHTs if it wasn't for Larry Robinson. The expansion Philadelphia Flyers of the late 1960s was a weak team, in the standings and on the ice. Fred Shero took over as head coach in 1971 and began to bring in physical players. The team would bring a new style of play, often relying on their fists, as opposed to skill to win games. By 1973, the team had acquired the nickname "The Broad Street Bullies". The Flyers won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 75. Success bread imitators and some look as the Flyers reign as the dark days of hockey.
Then in 1976, the Canadiens swept the Flyers in the Stanley Cup finals. The Canadiens were seen as a team of skill and finesse, led by names such as Lafleur, Shutt, Dryden and Cournoyer. Although with Robinson, it could be said, beat the Flyers at their own game, intimidation. Robinson already had a much publicized win in ab out with Flyers legendery tough guy/goon Dave Schultz under his belt, and then in game two of the 1976 Finals, Robinson dished out one of the greatest hits in NHL history. Instead of acting like the Broad Street Bullies and jumping Robinson, the Flyers left Robinson alone.
In "The Game", Ken Dryden wrote of Robinson "They (Bruins and Flyers) held him in such awe, treating him with an embarrassing, almost fawning, respect, that they seemed even to abandon their style of play when he was around, and with it any hope of winning." So in a way, Robinson, while not putting a stop to thugs and goons around the NHL, helped the Canadiens show the rest of the NHL that you can win with skill and without the violence and goonery.
Granted with the continued trend of expansion of the NHL in the 1970s, the talent level continued to get watered down and it was easier to find goons as opposed to the skilled players the 1970s Canadiens had stockpiled over the years. So the GHHTs would continue to mount throughout the 1970s and 80s, as goals and fights would continue to increase.
Gordie How Hat Trick were coming fast and furious early in the season. There were five in both October and November. Then only another six for the rest of the season. The 2014-15 Art Ross winner, Jamie Benn, also led the league in the Gordie Howe Hat Tricks. Benn might be the first player to led the league in points and Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in the same season. No, Jarome Iginla did not lead the league in GHHTs during his Art Ross season in 2001-02. I'd have to check on Stan Mikita. There were two night with two Gordie Howe Hat Tricks, November 13th and February 2nd, but both times they were in separate games. Steve Pinizzotto scored his first career goal during his Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Vladimir Tarasenko had his first career fight in this GHHT. Teams were 20-3-3 when having a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.
Cam Neely is regarded as one of the all-time best power forwards. Neely scored 50 goals in three different seasons including 50 in 49 games during the 1993-94 season. Neely slowed down in the fisticuffs department once he became a 50 goal scorer. He had 10 GHHTs in his first 6 season, but only two during the rest of his career. The rest of his career was marred by injuries. Neely had four GHHTs during the 1987-88 season. All four came within a 15 game span. Neely took on all comers in his fights, including heavyweights Chris Nilan, Ken Baumgartner and Dave Semenko. It is ironic that his last Gordie Howe Hat Trick was against Ulf Samuelsson, a player who cost Neely almost two seasons due to a dirty hit.
There were 21 Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in 2007-08, including one during the play-offs. Jarome Iginla extended his lead as the active leader with his eight and ninth career GHHTs. Jarome, and Sean Avery were the only players to have multiple GHHTs in 2007-08. Teams with a player having a GHHT went 14-7. Sidney Crosby earned his first GHHT, which included a fight against Andrew Ferrence of the Boston Bruins. Tom Kostopoulus completed his GHHT when he instigated a fight against Shane Hnidy of the Bruins with less than 10 minutes in the game. Rick Nash completed his GHHT with a fight at the end of the game.
By most accounts, mine included, Rick Tocchet accumulated the most career Gordie Howe Hat Tricks of any player, including Stan Mikita. Tocchet earned GHHTs with five different franchises, including nine with the Philadelphia Flyer. Tocchet's best year for GHHTs 1986-87, when he had three GHHTs. All 18 of Tocchet's GHHTs were during the regular season. He averaged a GHHT every 64 games but yet never got one during 143 play-off games. For his career, Tocchet scored 440 goals, 952 points and 2972 PIM. Tocchet was the quintessential power forward. A player who could score, but who would also physically intimidate the opposing team, just like Goride Howe.
There were 20 GHHTs in 2008-09. Corey Perry was the only player to have more than one. Perry had one in the regular season, and one during the play-offs. There were three nights with two GHHTs, twice by players in different games, and once by teammates. The teammates were Luke Schenn and Jamal Mayers, who both got a GHHT in a losing cause for the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Clarkson earned himself a GHHT and then a few weeks later was the fight opponent for Brent Seabrook`s GHHT. Teams with GHHTs were 16-4, including 2-0 in the play-offs.
Keith Tkachuk was one of the premier power forwards during the 1990s. Tkachuk led the league in goals in 1996-97 with 52. He also accumulated 228 PIM; making him the the fourth, and so far, last player to have over 50 goals and 200 PIM in a single season. Tkachuk had all of his 10 career GHHTs with the Winnipeg/Phoenix franchise. In 1998-99 Tkachuk had three GHHTs, including one during the play-offs. Twice, Tkachuk had his fight of his GHHT, immediately after assisting on a goal. Once versus Jayson More, and then a few years later against Petr Svoboda.
Brian Sutter is among the career leaders in Gordie Howe Hat Tricks. Sutter racked up 17 GHHTs in his career. He also had a rare Dual Hat Trick on November 16, 1982 against the New jersey Devils, scoring 3 goals, an assist and a fight - all in the same game. He had 2 GHHTs in a single play-off series, including one in game 5, in a best of 5 series, against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1982. Sutter's best season was in 1982-83, he scored 46 goals, 76 points, 254 PIM and 3 GHHTs. Sutter played his entire career with the St. Louis Blues, scoring 303 goals, 636 points, 1786 PIM in 779 games. He also added 21 goals, 42 points, 249 PIM in 65 play-off games.
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.
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.
Jarome Iginla might be the last great Gordie Howe Hat Tricker. Jarome retired with 12 career GHHTs, which matches the number of three goal Hat Tricks he had during this career. His first career GHHT was against fellow GHHT Legend Brendan Shanahan. His GHHT against Vincent Lecavalier was in the Stanley Cup finals. On January 10, 2012, Jarome and Adam Henrique pulled off the rare double GHHT. They fought each other and also both had a GHHT that night. It was fitting that Jarome's last GHHT was against his old team, the Calgary Flames.
