The Florida Panthers are officially in the NHL record books. With Carter Verhaeghe’s natural hat trick powering an 8-3 rout of the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, the Panthers became the first team in league history to have a player record a natural hat trick — three consecutive goals by one player — in three straight games.
Carter Verhaeghe (Credits: NHL)
Verhaeghe Keeps the Parade Going
Brady Tkachuk had delivered natural hat tricks in each of Florida’s previous two games, and Verhaeghe took the baton in Sunrise. He snapped a 1-1 tie late in the first period at 17:56, burying a one-timer over Joey Daccord’s shoulder. Just 71 seconds later, on the power play, Verhaeghe was wide open at the side of the crease and lifted Brady Tkachuk’s cross-ice feed into the net. He completed the trifecta at 6:02 of the second period, sliding home a rebound off a Niko Mikkola wraparound attempt.
It was Verhaeghe’s fifth career hat trick and his first since February 2, 2025 — and it rained hats in Florida for a record third straight night.
Bennett Adds One of His Own
As if one hat trick wasn’t enough, Sam Bennett recorded his own hat trick — his first goals of the season — to complete the historic night. Bennett scored at 1:05 of the first period, added another in the second off a cross-ice feed, and sealed his fourth career hat trick at 11:14 of the third. He and Verhaeghe became the first teammates in Panthers history to record hat tricks in the same game.
The supporting cast showed up too: Matthew Tkachuk dished three assists, Mikkola and Sam Reinhart each had a goal and an assist, and Jacob Markstrom made 20 saves. Remarkably, Florida is doing all of this without its best forward, Aleksander Barkov, who remains sidelined for several weeks with a leg injury.
Also Read: Patrick Kane Sets NHL Assist Record for U.S.-Born Players
Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
