Fighting in hockey has definitely declined over the years as we’re witnessing fewer NHL fights year after year and certain teams abandon it from their game almost entirely.

With fighting in hockey declining over the years it also means that Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks have been on the decline and becoming a bit more rare year after year.

Even though we’re seeing less and less fights year after year, we were treated to our 10th Gordie Howe Hat-Trick of the season on Wednesday night and it was recorded by the 9th different player.
 

Brady Tkachuk - April 28 vs. Vancouver

On Wednesday night, Brady Tkachuk added his name to the short list of Gordie Howe Hat-Tricks this season as he became the 9th player to record one this season in Ottawa’s 6-3 win over the Canucks.
 

Tkachuk dropped the glove with Zack MacEwen in the first period and then picked up his assist and goal in the second period. It’s a little shocking that this is his first Gordie Howe Hat-Trick of the season considering he leads the league in fighting majors with 7 and leads the Sens in points with 34.
 

Erik Cernak - April 27 vs. Chicago & March 9 vs. Detroit

Erik Cernak is the only player to appear on this list twice, which is a little shocking because he’s has just four goals on the season, and he’s also just one of two defencemen on this list.

The Lightning defenceman scored his first goal of the season on March 9 against the Detroit Red Wings and went all out by recording a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick the same day as he dropped the gloves with Anthony Mantha that night. His second Gordie Howe Hat-Trick came earlier this week as he potted a goal and an assist against Chicago and dropped the gloves with Connor Murphy.
 

Cernak has only dropped the gloves two times this season and he’s gone on to record a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick both times.
 

Alex Killorn - April 19 vs. Carolina

The Tampa Bay Lightning sit second behind the Ottawa Senators for the most fighting majors in the NHL this season, so it’s not very surprising to see two of their players on this list and take up 30 per cent of it. However, it is a little surprising to see Alex Killorn on the list considering he’s only dropped the gloves a handful of times in his career.
 

Killorn recorded his Gordie Howe Hat-Trick two weeks ago when he dropped the gloves with Jake Gardiner and potted a goal and assist against the Hurricanes.
 

Nick Bjugstad - April 5 vs. Colorado

Nick Bjugstad only has three fights to his name and this is one of them. The Wild forward dropped the gloves with Colorado’s Kyle Burroughs in the Wild’s 5-4 loss, and also ended his six-game scoring slump in the same game.

Unfortunately for Bjugstad, he has been out of the Wild’s lineup ever since this game with an upper-body injury he suffered that night.
 

Marcus Foligno - February 22 vs. San Jose

The Minnesota Wild only have 11 fighting majors this season, with Marcus Foligno being responsible for three of them, and they’re one of two teams to appear on this list more than once.

Foligno scored a goal and an assist against San Jose on February 22 and dropped the gloves with Nikolai Knyzhov for the complete Gordie Howe Hat-Trick - which he's done multiple times now throughout his career.
 

Foligno matched his fighting total from last season with the bout and now has 41 fights to his name. As for Knyzhov, this was his first professional fight.
 

Givani Smith - February 7 vs. Florida

Givani Smith has spent more time in the AHL than the NHL this season and scored just one goal in 15 NHL games, but he managed to find a way on this list.

Smith scored his lone goal of the season and recorded two of his four points against the Florida Panthers on February 7. He also dropped the gloves with Aaron Ekblad that night to complete the Gordie Howe Hat-Trick.
 

The Red Wings have dropped the gloves 10 times this season and Smith is responsible for four of those bouts, including two in one night against Chicago on April 1.
 

Nicolas Deslauriers - February 2 vs. Los Angeles

The Anaheim Ducks are third in the NHL in fighting majors this season so it’s only right that they have a player on this list. Nicolas Deslauriers has dropped the gloves five times this season, but his first fight of the year might have been the most memorable night for him.
 


On February 2, Deslauriers recorded the third Gordie Howe Hat-Trick of the 2020-21 season with a goal and assist against the Kings and a tilt with Kurtis MacDermid. He’s now dropped the gloves 44 times over his 8-year career.
 

Oliver Bjorkstrand - January 18 vs. Detroit

This game featured some unlikely players dropping the gloves from Dylan Larkin to Oliver Bjorkstrand. The latter has only dropped the gloves twice in the NHL, including this one, and is someone who rarely gets penalties. But it’s just been one of those seasons in Columbus (even if this was one of their first games of the year).

Bjorkstrand dropped the gloves with Bobby Ryan and potted a goal and an assist in what ended up being Columbus’ first win of the season. A lot has changed since then, including the Red Wings leapfrogging the Blue Jackets in the standings.
 

Jake McCabe - January 14 vs. Washington

Pretty wild that the first Gordie Howe Hat-Trick of the season was recorded by a member of the Buffalo Sabres and a defenceman. Jake McCabe’s fight with Brenden Dillon on January 14 was Buffalo's first game of the season just the second fight of the 2020-21 NHL season. To date, it's also one of just six fights the team has been involved in all season.
 

McCabe has missed most of the season due to injuries and picked up his lone goal and two of his three points that night against the Caps, but at least he made the most of it and can say he recorded a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick and the first of the 2020-21 NHL season.