why is it called a hat trick in hockey

In hockey, it is called a hat trick because the term was borrowed from 19th‑century cricket, where a bowler who took three wickets in a row was rewarded with an actual hat.

Quick Scoop

Where the term came from

• The phrase “hat trick” first appeared in cricket in 1858, when bowler H.H. Stephenson took three wickets on three consecutive balls and was honored with a collection used to buy him a hat.

• Because of that tradition, any sports feat involving “three in a row” started being called a hat trick, and the wording later spread from cricket to other sports.

How it landed in hockey

• Hockey adopted “hat trick” to describe one player scoring three goals in a single game, echoing the cricket idea of a special three‑part achievement.

• By the mid‑1900s, NHL usage was common, helped by promotions where local hat makers offered a free hat to any player who scored three goals in a game.

Why fans throw hats

• The modern custom of fans tossing hats onto the ice after a player’s third goal is a ritualized echo of that old “reward with a hat” idea.

• Today, the raining hats turn the player’s three‑goal game into a shared celebration between crowd and team, reinforcing the special status of a hat trick.

In short, it’s called a hat trick in hockey because a 19th‑century cricket bowler once earned himself a literal hat for doing something amazing three times in a row.

TL;DR: A player’s three goals in hockey are called a hat trick because the term comes from cricket, where a bowler who achieved three wickets in a row was rewarded with a hat, and that “three‑of‑a‑kind” idea carried over into hockey culture and fan traditions.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.