First there was the Gordie Howe hat trick - 1 goal, 1 assist, and a winning fight.
Now there is an Alex Ovechkin hat trick - 2 goals in regulation, one goal in the shootout to win it - so as a player you have all three goals to win a game 3-2.
I like it.
An AO3 on the scorecard last night.
An Alex Ovechkin hat trick. Way to go Caps fans! Pitch perfect.
An Alex Ovechkin hat trick. We need it to be branded and memorialized now on Wikipedia just like this entry is. Go Caps!
Are you kidding me? Do you think OV was the first to do this? Holy hell, get a grip. How delusional can you be?
Yeah, I’d hate to rain on your parade, but a couple years ago, Erik Christensen did the same thing in Pittsburgh against the Flyers and hats rained down after his shootout goal.
I like the idea of an Alex Ovechkin hat trick, but the problem is that he usually isn’t that good at shootouts. Plus we usually don’t need a shootout to win when he scores twice. Then again, Howe didn’t actually get too many Howe Hat tricks.
Whoever said that 4 goals, assist and a broken nose is an AO hat trick has a better idea; Should I ever see that happen again, I will immediately think Ovechkin.
If you want to look at something he does fairly regularly: goal, assist, big hit.
On the actual issue: It seems to me very unlike hockey fans to worry about whether Gary Bettman counts it as an ‘official’ hat trick in order to celebrate a player’s accomplishment of getting three goals, no matter how he had to do it. The goal actually mattered a whole lot, and if it hadn’t been OV, but maybe someone like Bradley who has never had an NHL hat trick, wouldn’t we be happy to celebrate our fan favorite’s ‘pretty-much-a-hat-trick’? I don’t care about the official goal total, I care that this guy worked his ass off all game and managed to get that third one in for the team when he had the chance. If you have the shootout, you might as well enjoy what you see, and celebrate the cool moments that come from it.
Hats off!
No, Just NO! Your encouraging this is just beyond words. It is NOT a hat trick and encouraging this cheapens one of the great hockey traditions as real hat tricks are quite an accomplishment for a player. I’ll assume those throwing hats didn’t know it wasn’t a hat trick, but this is an opportunity for you to teach them the rules. If you really want DC to be taken seriously as a Hockeytown, then teach the actual rules to the newer fans. Sorry, but I can see an opposing team complaining about delay of game if the Caps shooter is NOT the last shooter and fans start throwing hats on the ice for a pretend hat trick because now they have been has been encouraged to do so.
Next we should retire every single Cap that ever strung together a few good seasons or just cause they played here 10 years… Puke
hah, “celebrate”, ignorance is universal
Seriously, not everything needs to be spun. It’s already bad enough that the Caps celebrate and encourage people to ring 160 dB cowbells for half the game.
Why educate the fans when you can celibrate ignorance
Uh, no Ted. This was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen from a fanbase.
Shame on you for supporting this.
It was great to see, I agree Ted – but I don’t know about having to wait until the shootout to see a win
It was a fun ending to a game that the Caps deserved to win in regulation. Mandy and Gavin, I think you and the others complaining on various message boards miss the entire point: It was a silly way for fans to celebrate what proved to be the decisive moment of the game. The only ones looking stupid are fans taking themselves so seriously that they cannot enjoy fun/silly moments during a game.
I’ve been a Caps fan my entire life and I threw my hat on the ice. I will so again – if only to tweak those fans taking themselves a bit too seriously. Anyway, what’s a hat trick? Go Caps!
It reaked of NooB fans who don’t know the game. The same morons who lean and try to get to/out of their seats while the puck is in play.
just to clarify my post… not trying to be a downer. I just think it that a (true) hat trick is something special and it diminishes that to toss hats for one that isn’t the real deal.
he doesn’t have three goals though. he has two. also the 3rd one (at the time) didn’t win anything so to celebrate it was uncalled for. I love the enthusiasm, but I think educating folks would be better.
This is possibly the worst idea yet. I was at that game, and I must say it was embarassing. It was a great play, and a game winner, but it does not count as anything in the score sheet. No shot, no goal, no nothing.
Cheer until your voice is gone, but for God sake do not throw your hat on the ice for something that never has been and never will be a “hat trick”.
The Caps have enough stupid gimmicks like yelling “RED” and “O” during the anthem. Lets not make this city look any more stupid than those gimmicks already do.
I’m sure this is not the 1st time someone has 2 game goals and a skills competition goal. Sorry but the shootout should be eliminated and the ignorance of some Cap fans should not be celebrated.
Looks like someone got there first — two regulation goals and a shootout goal is already a “Selanne Hat Trick.” (click my username)
Besides, Ovechkin has a much more impressive accomplishment. From now on, four goals, an assist, and a broken nose should be an “Ovechkin Hat Trick.” Sure, it’s possible that nobody will ever do that again, but doesn’t that make it even more impressive?
No No NO
The shootout goal doesn’t count, it’s not a hat-trick and I don’t think we need to gimmick up a gimmick.
I’m sorry Ted, but having Caps fans throw hats onto the ice last night is not really something for which you should be proud! I was at the game and all I could think was…”don’t these idiots know that’s not a hat trick?” It made Caps fans look stupid. Alex is an amazing player and the Caps are an amazing team, but it appears the a good number of fans need an education on the ins and outs of hockey.
I like it!!! I mean, how many AO3′s will there ever be?? Ovie’s got the first!!