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 November 2025, Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin had his 33rd career hat trick, to tie 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
Brett Hull, 33
Alex Ovechkin, 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
Check out the ESPN NHL hub page for scores, standings, stats, schedules and more.