Brady Tkachuk will chase an unprecedented third consecutive NHL hat trick Saturday against Seattle—a three-peat that would give hockey another remarkable scoring milestone.
His first two came in natural fashion: three consecutive goals without anyone else scoring between them. That makes his run an ideal moment to explore one of hockey’s most celebrated achievements.
One goal brings fans to their feet. Two creates anticipation. The third sends hats onto the ice.
But how unusual is a hat trick—and what separates a regular three-goal performance from the much rarer natural variety?
What counts as a hat trick?
A hat trick occurs when a player scores three goals in one game. Those goals can come in different periods, on the power play, shorthanded, at even strength, or into an empty net.
An overtime goal can complete the achievement. A shootout attempt cannot: shootout conversions do not count toward a player’s individual goal total.
Scoring four or five times still produces one hat-trick game, rather than multiple hat tricks.
How often does it happen?
The NHL recorded 115 regular-season hat tricks in 2023–24, produced by 85 different players. That was the fourth-highest season total in league history at the time, according to the NHL’s season review. The following season, the total fell to 77.
That variation matters. There is no fixed number fans should expect each year, and a league-wide total says little about any individual player’s chances.
Even in a season with more than 100 hat tricks, they are spread across hundreds of players and more than a thousand games. Three goals from one player remain an exceptional night.
What makes a natural hat trick different?
A natural hat trick means one player scores three consecutive goals in a game, with no teammate or opponent scoring between them.
Imagine a player scores to make it 1–0, 2–0, and 3–0. That is a natural hat trick. If a teammate scores between the player’s first and second goals, the player can still complete a regular hat trick—but not a natural one.
The three goals do not have to come in the same period. An intermission does not break the sequence.
In its review of 2024, The Hockey News reported 21 natural hat tricks, a calendar-year record at the time, among 106 total hat tricks. That is approximately one natural for every five hat tricks that year. Those figures cover January through December, rather than a single NHL season.
Gretzky’s remarkable benchmark
Wayne Gretzky holds the NHL career record with 50 regular-season hat tricks. His single-season record is 10, achieved in both 1981–82 and 1983–84. The career figure includes all hat tricks, not just natural ones.
Across the league, 1981–82 produced 139 hat tricks, the highest season total listed in the NHL’s historical comparison.
Why the third goal changes the atmosphere
Once a player has two goals, every scoring chance carries an extra possibility. Fans watch more closely. A late empty net becomes an opportunity. A power play brings another surge of anticipation.
A natural hat trick adds something more: one player has supplied an uninterrupted stretch of scoring, potentially changing the direction of the entire game.
For Tkachuk, Saturday brings the opportunity to turn two extraordinary performances into a historic third. Any hat trick would complete the three-peat; the goals would not need to be consecutive.
That is why the celebration lasts. A hat trick gives fans a performance to remember—and, occasionally, a reason to go home without their hat.