A hat-trick in ice and field hockey is when a player scores three goals in a game. In ice hockey, fans throw hats onto the ice, a tradition believed to have started in the 1950s in Canada.
Wayne Gretzky leads the list with an unmatched 50 hat-tricks across his career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. He also has the record for the most hat tricks in a single season, achieving this milestone twice with 10 hat tricks each during the 1981-82 and 1983-84 seasons. His final hat-trick was recorded on October 11, 1997, against the Vancouver Canucks.
List of NHL All-Time Hat-Trick Leaders
As per the official website of the NHL, Wayne Gretzky leads the NHL's all-time ha- trick list. Mario Lemieux follows with 40, all scored with Pittsburgh, while Mike Bossy sits third with 39 for the New York Islanders. Brett Hull and Alex Ovechkin round out the top five, with Hull scoring 33 hat-tricks across multiple teams and Ovechkin securing 32 for Washington.
Several other notable players have left their mark on the list, including Cy Denneny (25), Jari Kurri (23), and Teemu Selanne (22). Modern stars like David Pastrnak (18) continue to climb the rankings, joining past greats like Steve Yzerman, Mark Messier, and Jaromir Jagr.
| Rank | Player | Hat Tricks | Teams Played For |
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | 50 | EDM, LAK, STL, NYR |
| 2 | Mario Lemieux | 40 | PIT |
| 3 | Mike Bossy | 39 | NYI |
| 4 | Brett Hull | 33 | CGY, STL, DAL, DET, PHX |
| 5 | Alex Ovechkin | 32 | WSH |
| 6 | Phil Esposito | 32 | CHI, BOS, NYR |
| 7 | Marcel Dionne | 28 | DET, LAK, NYR |
| 8 | Bobby Hull | 28 | CHI, HFD, WIN |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | 26 | MTL |
| 10 | Cy Denneny | 25 | SEN, BOS |
| 11 | Jari Kurri | 23 | EDM, LAK, NYR, ANA, COL |
| 12 | Teemu Selanne | 22 | WIN, ANA, SJS, COL |
| 13 | Glenn Anderson | 21 | EDM, TOR, NYR, STL |
| 14 | Rick Martin | 21 | BUF, LAK |
| 15 | Darryl Sittler | 20 | TOR, PHI, DET |
| 16 | Pavel Bure | 20 | VAN, FLA, NYR |
| 17 | Gordie Howe | 19 | DET, HFD |
| 18 | Mark Messier | 19 | EDM, NYR, VAN |
| 19 | Dino Ciccarelli | 19 | MNS, WSH, DET, TBL, FLA |
| 20 | Peter Bondra | 19 | WSH, OTT, ATL, CHI |
| 21 | Steve Yzerman | 18 | DET |
| 22 | Brendan Shanahan | 18 | NJD, STL, HFD, DET, NYR |
| 23 | Jean Beliveau | 18 | MTL |
| 24 | Mike Gartner | 18 | WSH, MNS, NYR, TOR, PHX |
| 25 | Bernie Nicholls | 18 | LAK, NYR, EDM, NJD, CHI, SJS |
| 26 | Gilbert Perreault | 18 | BUF |
| 27 | David Pastrnak | 18 | BOS |
| 28 | Joe Malone | 18 | MTL, QBD, HAM |
| 29 | Guy Lafleur | 17 | MTL, NYR, QUE |
| 30 | Alexander Mogilny | 17 | BUF, VAN, NJD, TOR |
| 31 | Peter Stastny | 17 | QUE, NJD, STL |
| 32 | Tim Kerr | 17 | PHI, NYR, HFD |
| 33 | Stan Mikita | 16 | CHI |
| 34 | Bryan Trottier | 16 | NYI, PIT |
| 35 | Lanny McDonald | 16 | TOR, CLR, CGY |
| 36 | Michel Goulet | 16 | QUE, CHI |
| 37 | Babe Dye | 16 | TSP, HAM, CHI, NYA, TOR |
| 38 | Jaromir Jagr | 15 | PIT, WSH, NYR, PHI, DAL, BOS, NJD, FLA, CGY |
| 39 | Joe Sakic | 15 | QUE, COL |
| 40 | Luc Robitaille | 15 | LAK, PIT, NYR, DET |
| 41 | Pierre Turgeon | 15 | BUF, NYI, MTL, STL, DAL, COL |
| 42 | Dale Hawerchuk | 15 | WIN, BUF, STL, PHI |
| 43 | Theo Fleury | 15 | CGY, COL, NYR, CHI |
| 44 | Newsy Lalonde | 15 | MTL, NYA |
| 45 | Joe Nieuwendyk | 14 | CGY, DAL, NJD, TOR, FLA |
| 46 | Norm Ullman | 14 | DET, TOR |
| 47 | Frank Mahovlich | 14 | TOR, DET, MTL |
| 48 | Eric Staal | 14 | CAR, NYR, MIN, MTL, BUF, FLA |
| 49 | Rick Tocchet | 14 | PHI, PIT, LAK, BOS, WSH, PHX |
| 50 | Marian Gaborik | 14 | MIN, NYR, CBJ, LAK, OTT |
FAQs on NHL All-time Hat-trick Leaders
A. The NHL has 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada.
A. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record with 25 championships.
A. The first NHL season took place in 1917–18.
A. The first team ever awarded the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893.
A. Wayne Gretzky led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories (in the 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, and 1987–88 seasons).
