They don't happen very often these days and the fact that it was a rookie defenceman pulling it off made it all the rarer: the Gordie Howe hat trick.
Guelph Storm defenceman Cam Allen earned the badge Friday night at the Sleeman Centre, recording a goal, assist and fight as the Storm downed the Windsor Spitfires 7-1 at the Sleeman Centre.
It was Guelph's third straight win and its first win over the Spitfires in four tries this season.
"I thought we started off a little slow," said Allen, the third overall pick and first defenceman taken in the 2021 OHL draft. "I was just trying to get the guys going at the end of the first there," he said, referring to his fight.
"It's a big one. That's a good team they have. They take advantage of us a lot and I feel like we didn't have their respect, but after that game how could we not? We gave it to them pretty good and played a good all-around game."
Allen, who now has seven goals and 16 assists on the season, said the start of the second half was a bit of an adjustment for him.
"Coming back from the (holiday) break I don't think I was expecting the pace to rise that much, but I think now as these games go on I'm becoming more comfortable and improving my game every single game ... I'm getting in the rhythm now"
Storm coach George Burnett obviously knew he had a good one when he drafted Allen. But that doesn't mean he's any less impressed with the poise and composure he brings to the ice.
"I think he was a little off for a while. He was a little off from the first half of the season ... but he's back there now. He certainly has gotten better in the last number of games.
"The sky is the limit for a bunch of these guys," Burnett said. "They're finding their way as young players in this league and they've had some special nights for us. They still make mistakes but they work hard to make up for them.
"I'm excited to see where they are at 18 and 19 when they've had a few years under their belt."
Windsor actually struck first in this one, with Pasquale Zito scoring midway through the first period.
The highlight for the 2,500 fans in attendance in the first were a couple of scraps, as Allen took on James Jodoin and fellow rookie Ryan McGuire had a spirited scrap with Windsor's Michael Renwick.
But it was all Guelph in the final 40 minutes, started by Allen's point shot that hit something in front of Windsor goaltender Xavier Medina before finding the back of the net 2:47 into the middle frame.
Goals by Sasha Pastujov, Ben McFarlane, Danny Zhilkin and McGuire made it a 5-1 game heading into the third, with Pastujov's second of the night and a Valentin Zhugin breakaway goal finishing off the scoring.
Owen Bennett, making his fifth consecutive start in the Storm net, made 23 saves. Bennett has allowed just two goals over the three-game win streak.
Guelph is in Owen Sound Saturday night and at home Sunday afternoon against the Kitchener Rangers.
