A hat trick in hockey is when a player scores three goals in a single game. When a player accomplishes the feat, fans celebrate by tossing hats onto the ice. No NHL player has had hats thrown at his skates more than Wayne Gretzky.
The Great One finished his 20-year career with an NHL-record 50 hat tricks. That's 10 more than any other player in NHL history.
In March 2026, Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin had his 34th career hat trick, passing Brett Hull for fourth most in NHL history. Take a look at the players with the most career hat tricks below:
Wayne Gretzky, 50
Mario Lemieux, 40
Mike Bossy, 39
Alex Ovechkin, 34
Brett Hull, 33
Phil Esposito, 32
Marcel Dionne, 28
Bobby Hull, 28
Maurice Richard, 26
Cy Denneny, 25
Jari Kurri, 23
Teemu Selanne, 22
Glenn Anderson, 21
Rick Martin, 21
Darryl Sittler, 20
Pavel Bure, 20
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