Hat trick

A hat trick is three goals scored by one player in a single game, traditionally marked by fans throwing their hats onto the ice in celebration. The term didn't originate in hockey at all: it traces back to an 1858 cricket match, where a bowler who took three consecutive wickets was presented with a hat in recognition. Hockey borrowed the phrase in the early 1900s, and the modern hat-throwing tradition is usually credited to a 1946 bet between a Chicago Blackhawks winger and a Toronto hat-shop owner, who promised a free hat to any player who scored three that night. A natural hat trick, three unanswered goals in a row with no other scoring between them, is considered a rarer, more impressive version of the feat. Full history at NHL.com.