In 234 games as a professional hockey player, Logan Stankoven had never scored a hat trick.

Despite being a prolific scorer in juniors and multiple games where he potted two early, it had just never been in the cards for him.

But in Game 235, a Thursday night showdown at Lenovo Center where the Carolina Hurricanes routed the Vancouver Canucks in a 7-2 stomping, the Kamloops native finally did it, scoring three goals all in the same game.

"It feels awesome," Stankoven said. "I think it's just the preparation and work I've done over the summers. Each year I try to come back and just be a bit more of a better version of myself. I think goal scoring and finishing is something that's not easy to do in this league, so I'm going to continue to try and work on that."

The last time Stankoven scored a hat trick was March 31, 2023, when the then 20-year-old helped lift his hometown Kamloops Blazers to a 8-0 win over the Vancouver Giants in Game 1 of the WHL Playoffs, so while he hadn't gotten the professional one yet, it wasn't a foreign concept to him.

Stankoven didn't just score any old hat trick either. It was a natural hat trick, meaning all three goals came directly one after the other, and each of his three goals also came in different situations.

The 23-year-old centerman first scored shorthanded, his first ever shorthanded point mind you being that he's only spent five games as a penalty killer, finishing off a 2-on-1 rush with Sean Walker, then he netted both a power play and even strength goal off of sick feeds by Taylor Hall.

"Some great plays by my linemates," Stankoven said. "It was a fun night."

"It’s great," Walker said on Stankoven's hat trick. "Stank works his ass off every night and he's a guy that deserves to get rewarded. I'm pretty surprised that was his first hat trick. I thought he would have one already. A really cool night though. Special for him and I'm happy to be on the ice for some of his goals."

Stankoven is the fourth player in franchise history to score a hat trick with all three goals coming in different situations, joining Sebastian Aho (2019 x2), Erik Cole (2002) and Sandis Ozolinsh (2001).

It's been essentially a tale of two seasons for Stankoven in his Hurricanes tenure.

From perhaps one of the most snake bitten players I've ever seen, to one of the league's most prolific goal scorers. 

In fact, over his last 32 games, counting both the regular season and playoffs, Stankoven has scored 22 goals.

"I think a lot of it is just confidence and preparation as well as sticking to my little details that I do," Stankoven said on his goal scoring uptick.

"It's impressive," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "We know he's very talented. We've talked about him a lot, and I think he his the willingness to just keep getting better. Can't say enough good things about him, so it's not surprising."

Expanding things out a little further, from joining the Carolina Hurricanes to last year's Olympic break, Stankoven had 20 goals in 91 games. 

Since the Olympic break, Stankoven has 26 goals in 48 games.

It's an incredible scoring pace for a player many were starting to sort of write off in the doldrums of January and February.

"I think it's just growth as a player and as a person," Stankoven said. "It's the little things you do away from the rink. Taking care of your body and making sure you're getting enough rest because it is a long year. I think it was tough sledding up until the Olympic break there and then we kind of started to roll and our line got better and better. That's what we want to do again this year.

And not only was there a hat trick to celebrate for Stankoven, but the center also earned his 100th career NHL point with that third tally as well.

"I didn't really realize it until a couple of days ago," Stankoven said. "Then I was like, 'Oh wow. I'm pretty close,' Honestly, it didn't even key in tonight when I scored the third one that that was 100, but it's awesome. Hopefully a lot more to come."

"He’s a good hockey player," Brind'Amour said. "I think we’ve talked about his willingness to do whatever you ask him to do. He wants to do it because that makes him a better hockey player. He’s a great Hurricane."

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