2011-12: 0, 2012-13: 0, 2013-14: 0
It was well documented for the first three seasons that this Jets team couldn’t get a hat trick. Many guys came close but it seemed like it would never happen.
2014-15: 2
It wasn’t until year four of this re-born franchise that Bryan Little scored the first Jets hat trick back on December 5th, 2014 against the Colorado Avalanche. Later that same season Mathieu Perreault actually had a four goal game against the Florida Panthers. (Of course poor Gail McDonald was one goal short of winning one million dollars from a Safeway contest).
Photo Credit: Rodney Braun
2015-16: 2
The following season would see another two players add hat tricks for this franchise as Nikolaj Ehlers put in three on January 26th, 2016 against the Coyotes and then Mark Scheifele also scored three on March 5th, 2016 against the Montreal Canadiens.
2016-17: 3
Remarkably Jets super rookie Patrik Laine had all three hat tricks for the Jets, two of which came against the Dallas Stars and one against fellow super rookie Auston Matthews and his Toronto Maple Leafs.
Photo Credit: Rodney Braun
Laine joined elite company becoming the first rookie in the NHL to score three hat tricks in a season since fellow Finn Teemu Selanne (5) and Eric Lindros (3) accomplished this feat back in 1992-93.
2017-18: 5
This season things got started by Nikolaj Ehlers setting a milestone for the franchise as he recorded the first ever away hat trick in game three of the season when he potted three (a natural) against the Oilers in Edmonton. Twenty days later Jets captain Blake Wheeler scored three at Bell MTS Place for his first hat trick with this organization and his first one since his rookie campaign with the Bruins back in 2008. Four days later Mark Scheifele got his second career hat trick as the Jets once again victimized the Dallas Stars, a team that had allowed three of the 10 hat tricks to that point. What would a season of hat tricks be without the inclusion of Patrik Laine as the Jets sniper potted his first of the season (and fourth of his career) when the Jets played the Rangers in New York.
Which leads us to the last one (to date) which of the 12 is likely the most improbable. I’m not sure how many people expected to witness Brandon Tanev score three as the Jets defeated the Bruins in a shootout. Unlike his six teammates Tanev is not a prolific goal scorer. In fact going into last night’s game, his 110th in the NHL, he had six goals…total. But he scored one in each period including a shorthanded goal to cap it off and make the hats rain down from the Bell MTS Place crowd.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Interestingly 10 of the 12 Jets hat tricks have happened at home which ties into the headline that folks around these parts are going to need to buy some more hats. Of course if you’re wondering what happens to the hat trick hats….
As always stay tuned for the latest Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose news by keeping it locked to our web site illegalcurve.com and on social media including Twitter | Facebook | Instagram. You can also follow me on twitter as well (@icdave).
