SCOTT MELLANBY, NHL RW
ONE CAREER HAT TRICK: March 6, 2003
THE JUST RETIRED forward—he called it quits after his Thrashers got bounced from the playoffs—scored more than 20 goals in a season eight times and netted 364 goals in his 20-year career, but only once did he score three in a game. That day, 1,209 games into his career, Mellanby helped the Blues beat the Coyotes 6--3, and he didn't let up after the headgear rained down onto the ice: He also scored a fourth. "And I hit the post on a fifth one," says the Montreal native. "It was one of those nights where the puck just kept coming to me in good areas." That he managed only that single spectacular performance, Mellanby says, is fitting. "It's reflective of my career. I don't think there are a lot of players who have played as long as I have who won't be in the Hall of Fame—and I won't be, I know that. My work ethic and my desire were my strongest qualities. I'm not a guy who scores pretty goals."
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BILL GREENBLATT UPI (MELLANBY)
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