Arizona Coyotes forwards Liam O’Brien and Jack McBain each scored a Gordie Howe hat trick in Monday’s 8-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The hat trick named after the Hall of Famer is when a player collects a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game.
In a league where fighting has significantly curbed over the last decade, it’s become a rarity to earn this hat trick.
Why is it named after Gordie Howe?
Howe’s career spanned decades as he retired from the NHL at age 51 following 26 years in the league. Prior to that, he played six years in the now-defunct World Hockey Association.
Aside from his nickname of Mr. Hockey, one of his lasting legacies comes from the hat trick named after his all-around game. Howe had 801 career goals and 1,049 assists, but he also averaged nearly a minute in penalties per game during the regular season.
The term caught on from a 1950s New York sportswriter even though Howe himself only accomplished the feat twice in nearly 1,800 games.
How it happened
O’Brien completed the hat trick at 15:26 in the second period after the initial call of no goal was overturned. Prior to that, O’Brien fought Nick Foligno at 15:59 in the first period. He tallied an assist on McBain’s goal earlier in the period.
McBain earned an assist on Josh Brown’s goal in the first period. He scored the first of his two goals during the second period and completed the hat trick at 19:00 when he went up against Jarred Tinordi.
Keeping it in the family
While the hat trick isn’t tracked down like other feats in hockey, McBain’s father, Andrew, was a part of the last duo to complete the hat trick in a single game for the Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. McBain and Peter Taglianetti both had the hat trick in the Jets’ 9-0 win against the Calgary Flames on Feb. 3, 1988.
“It’s pretty crazy, but I’m sure I’ll go check my phone and he’s texting me about that, but it was a great comeback after a tough series,” McBain said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gordie Howe hat trick explained following Arizona Coyotes’ rare feat
