|
|
A hat-trick (or hat trick) in sports means to achieve a positive feat three times during the course of a game typically, or other achievements based on threes. For example, in ice hockey a player might score three goals during the game, while in cricket a hat-trick is achieved if a bowler takes three wickets with three consecutive deliveries.
The term hat trick became popular to use in sports during the mid 1940s in NHL hockey. In Toronto, Canada, a local businessman named Sammy Taft offered a free hat to the player who could score three goals in a single game. When Alex Kaleta played against the Toronto Maple Leafs one night, Kaleta scored the first 'hat trick', winning a hat as promised by Taft. From then on, three goals in a hockey game became referred to as a hat trick. NHL hockey tradition sees fans throw their hats on the ice after the third goal by any player. The term has expanded from hockey to many other sports including soccer (three goals), baseball (three strikeouts or hits), and even rugby.
|