Saturday, July 14, 2012

2009-10: Season in Review


 The 2009-10 season marked the last time a player had multiple Gordie Howe Hat Tricks in a single season, as Chris Stewart had two GHTs, including a natural GHT.  Overall, there were 18 Gordie Howe Hat Tricks.  Ian Laperriere got his 5th career GHT in his final season.  9 players got thier first career GHT, including enforcers Dan Carcillo, Jared Boll and Brian McGratton.   On March 9th, 2010, Ryan Getzlaf and Fedor Tyutin, fought each.  The fight gave Tyutin a Natural GHT and it kicked off Getzlaf's GHT.  Teams that had a player with a GHT, won 13 and lost 5.  There were 73 three goal hat tricks that season.





PlayerDateOppPlayerDateOpp
Chris Neil06/04/2010FLARick Nash23/01/2010MIN
Taylor Pyatt27/03/2010COLBrandon Dubinsky19/01/2010TBL
Fedor Tyutin09/03/2010ANAJason Chimera13/01/2010FLA
Ryan Getzlaf09/03/2010CBJIan Laperriere12/01/2010DAL
David Booth03/03/2010PHIZack Stortini09/12/2009TBL
Daniel Carcillo02/03/2010TBLChris Stewart02/12/2009FLA
Chris Stewart08/02/2010STLJared Boll23/11/2009NYR
Mike Knuble07/02/2010PITFrancois Beauchemin14/11/2009CGY
Jarome Iginla30/01/2010EDMBrian McGrattan16/10/2009VAN

Sunday, July 8, 2012

When a GHT isn't a GHT

  For a Gordie Howe Hat Trick to be official, a player needs to do three things in the same game; score a goal, get an assist and be accessed a fighting penalty. The first two tasks are subject to the decision of an official off-ice NHL scorekeeper. A goal could be given or taken away if the puck was tipped. Assists are often the subject of debate, especially those pesky second assists on a goal. Accessing a fighting major or not, is left in the hands of the on-ice officials. Review the video below and try to confirm if Claude Giroux scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick or not.


  It may seem pretty obvious. First he fights, then he scores and then he completes it with an assist. Except a quick review of the boxscore of that game and you may notice that Giroux had a total of 4 PIM in that game. He got all 4 PIM during the "fight" in the above video; 2 for elbowing and 2 for roughing.  Therefore, Giroux does not get credit for a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in that game.  In a way, Giroux, and the Flyers, are lucky Giroux didn't get a fighting major.  It would have been the second fight on the play and it would have resulted in a game misconduct for Giroux.  He would have left the game with no goals, no assists and one fight.  Giroux would have to wait almost three years before he'd get an official GHT.  Deja Vu.  It was game 3 in a 1st round play-off series vs the Pittsburgh Penguins, played in Philadelphia.