“Hat-Trick” was originally an English Cricket term used to describe the tremendous feat of a bowler’s taking three wickets on successive balls. The reward for this accomplishment at many cricket clubs was a new hat. Other clubs honored their heroes by “passing the hat” among fans and giving the scorer the proceeds. The term spread to other sports in which scoring is relatively infrequent- “hat trick” is also used to describe the feat of scoring three goals in soccer. According to Belinda Lerner, of the National Hockey League, the expression surfaced in hockey during the early 1900s: “There is some confusion about its actual meaning in hockey. Today, a “true” hat-trick occurs when one player scores three successive goals without another goal being scored by other players in the contest.” Submitted by Ron Fishman, of Denver Colorado |
