I’ve attended a decent number of Blues games over the years and I’ve witnessed my fair share of exciting moments. From big comeback victories to huge fights and exciting playoff wins, there’s only a select few things I’m hoping to see before my imaginary hockey bucket list is complete.
One of those items is the Blues winning the Stanley Cup (a tall order) and the other is the elusive NHL hat trick. Thanks to Vladimir Tarasenko, one of those items was just crossed off my list.
Though I write about the Blues (and hockey as a whole) fairly extensively, I’m not a season ticket holder. I don’t make as many treks down to Scottrade as you might expect. Still, regardless of the volume of games I’m able to attend, I’ll still make sure to wear a hat to each and every game just for the possibility of a hat trick and the opportunity to chuck my hat on to the ice. I’ve returned with my hat on every occasion – until Tarasenko buried his third against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
When Tarasenko scored his third, it was almost a surreal moment. Are we sure it wasn’t tipped? Are we all positive the goal is going to count and that the officials won’t overrule it for some minor infraction? If this hat is leaving my head, I want to make sure the hat trick actually happened, damn it.
As hats started to hit the ice, I realized that finally – after all of these years – I had seen a hat trick in person.
My seats weren’t too close to the glass, so unfortunately my dream of being the one to toss on the ice would have to wait for a different time. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to try. I frisbee-styled it as far as I could (for the record, hats are not very aerodynamic) and hoped that other fans would assist the hat on the rest of its journey.
Thankfully, a guy reached down and gave it a second heave. This toss sent it to within maybe eight or nine rows and it nailed some lady in the back. She picked it up and looked pretty confused until she realized what was going on and flung it down a bit closer before finally some folks in the first or second row completed its journey.
Mission accomplished.
The hat was scooped up by the ice crew, placed in a large bin and skated off the ice.
And that’s that. I don’t like the term “bucket list item” as it has kind of lost all meaning with its overuse, but this was something I’ve always wanted to do at a game and it finally happened.
The hat trick is truly one of hockey’s best oddities.
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