“The Skinny” on Young Mr. Barzal : All I want for Christmas is a #MatTrick

Last night I showed the following in The Skinny:

Youngest Isles Hat Tricks by a Rookie (revised)

1. Pat LaFontaine (19 years, 10 days on 3/3/84 vs. Maple Leafs)
2. Bryan Trottier (19 years, 86 days on 10/11/75 vs. Kings)

3. Brent Sutter (19 years, 237 days on 2/2/82 vs. Caps)

4. Mathew Barzal (20 years, 211 days on 12/23/17 vs. Jets)

John Tavares had two hat tricks as a "younger" 20-year-old than Barzal, but both were in his sophomore season.

With help from an "Elias Says" note today, I can now remove the "by a rookie" qualifier as follows:

Youngest Hat Tricks by an Islander (revised)

1. Pat LaFontaine (19 years, 10 days on 3/3/84 vs. Maple Leafs)
2. Bryan Trottier (19 years, 86 days on 10/11/75 vs. Kings)

3. Brent Sutter (19 years, 237 days on 2/2/82 vs. Caps)

4. John Tavares (20 years, 33 days on 10/23/10 vs. Panthers)

5. John Tavares (20 years, 117 days on 1/15/11 vs. Sabres)

6. Mathew Barzal (20 years, 211 days on 12/23/17 vs. Jets)

7. Bryan Trottier (20 years, 260 days on 4/3/77 vs. Rangers)

(Mike Bossy's first NHL hat trick came in his 48th NHL game, on February 4, 1978 vs. Washington – it was 13 days after his 21st birthday)

Barzal was also named the NHL's 2nd Star of the Week.  He is the first Islander rookie to be one of the NHL's Three Stars of the Week since Michael Grabner, who did so in the week ending February 13, 2011.  Grabner completed a hat trick on February 13, 2011 in overtime – it was the last hat trick by an Islander rookie until Barzal turned the trick on Saturday.

Hat Tricks by Islander Rookies (birthdate in parenthesis):

·        Mathew Barzal 12/23/17 vs Winnipeg (5-26-97)

·        Michael Grabner 2/13/11 at Buffalo (10-5-87)

·        Niklas Anderson 2/4/96 vs Dallas (5-20-71)

·        Pat LaFontaine 3/3/84 at Toronto (2-22-65)

·        Mats Hallin 3/19/83 vs. Philadelphia (3-19-58)

·        Brent Sutter 2/2/82 vs. Washington (6-10-62)

·        Mike Bossy 2/4/78 vs. Washington (1-22-57)

·        Bryan Trottier 10/11/75 vs. Los Angeles (7-17-56)

·        Bob Nystrom 1/31/74 at Los Angeles (10-10-52)

·        Bob Cook 3/3/73 vs. Vancouver (1-6-46)

·        Germain Gagnon 11/1/72 vs. California (12-9-42)

Bob Cook’s hat trick will always have a special meaning to me – it came in the first NHL game I ever saw – Stick Night at the Coliseum!  I wrote more about that night here:

http://www.nyiskinny.com/2015/03/it-happened-at-coliseum-on-march-3rd.html

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MARCH 3rd

It Happened at the Coliseum … on MARCH 3rd All the numbers on the New York Islanders from the team's long-time television statistician.

Enjoy the break!   MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(This post was revised to correct Pat LaFontaine's birth year)

Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since January 21, 1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various sources.  Follow Eric @ehornick on Twitter & on his blog www.nyiskinny.com.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick