The cricket term hat trick appeared first in British print in 1858.
It refers to one player scoring three times in a row. In cricket jargon, one bowler takes three wickets with three balls in a row.
That player was then permitted to pass around his hat and collect a few modest "rewards" such as pennies. So runs one story.
Another says the cricket club bought the hat-tricking player a new hat. There are many versions of how the hat trick became connected to hockey, most of which don't have supporting evidence.
The most common, however, says that a Toronto haberdasher presented a new hat to any player who scored three goals.
It was also claimed that the Biltmore Hat Company, who sponsored the Guelph Biltmores of the Ontario Hockey League, began the free hat trick.