Part of becoming a great broadcaster is having a great vocabulary and finding ways to vary your verbs and nouns. That is why a regular feature on this site will be “Announcer Alterations” where we take short clip of pre-existing play by play synced to video and come up with five different ways to call the same sequence of events.
For this edition we bring hockey into the fold and since I know next to nothing about hockey we have our first ever guest contributor! Helping us build our hockey vocab is Alex Rawnsley. Alex is the play-by-play announcer of the Powell River Kings of the BCHL in British Columbia. He is also the operator of an excellent website dedicated to sportscasting sportscasterlife.com/
To learn more about Alex follow him on Twitter at @alexrawnsley. Everything from here on out is all credited to Alex.
Game Context: It’s a game between the Powell River Kings and Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League (Junior A) in March 2015. It’s game 6 of the Island Division Semi Final (first round of the playoffs). It’s also the third consecutive year that the teams have met in the playoffs, with Victoria winning the previous two series in 2013 and 2014. The call is midway through the second overtime period.
Original Verbiage: Lukosevicius, plays it to the blue line, Sandberg did well to hold it in. Gets it in deep too, Halagian tried to backhand flick about the goal line, Keats was waiting for it. Puck in the left corner, sent around the wall, Buono, draws a man in feeds right side, Sandberg, time, shot, SCORES! COLTON SANDBERG! IT’S AN OT GAME WINNER AND THE KINGS ARE THROUGH TO THE SECOND ROUND.
Five alternatives:
1. Lukosevicius moves up the boards, up to Sandberg who holds the line. Sandberg dumps to the right corner…Halagian is there and tries to hit Keats, puck deflects behind the net. Moved along the boards to the left corner, around the boards to Buono at the left point. Draws a man in, passes to Sandberg right side, loads up, SCORES!!!! COLTON SANDBERG SCORES THE SERIES WINNER AND THE KINGS MOVE ON TO THE SECOND ROUND!
2. Puck along the right boards. Lukosevicius dishes to Sandberg. Dumped into the corner for Halagian. Pass to Keats is blocked, puck trickles to the left corner. Lukosevicius works it from a crowd, passes to Buono at the left point. He controls, finds Sandberg right side. Time, space, SCORES!!! COLTON SANDBERG SENDS THE GRIZZLIES HOME AND THE KINGS MOVE ON TO ROUND TWO.
3. Lukosevicius skates up the boards, dodges the stick of Pickup. Finds Sandberg, pressure at the line but Sandberg gets the puck in deep. Halagian behind the net look for Keats but it deflects into the left corner. Lukosevicius gathers and moves to Buono at the blue line. Pickup’s all over him, Buono over to Sandberg. Settles, steps into one, HE SCORES!!! KINGS WIN! KINGS WIN! KINGS WIN!
4. Lukosevicius skates up the right wall, passes to Sandberg, it’s in his skates. Holds the line and gets it in deep. Halagian is waiting for it. Tries to pass to Keats in front but a Grizzlies stick is down. Puck rolls to the left corner, poked by Keats to Lukosevicius. Luko, up to Buono left side. Draws Pickup in, back to Sandberg right point, no-one’s around him, loads up, HE SCORES!!!! COLTON SANDBERG’S FIRST BCHL GOAL IS A SERIES WINNER! THE KINGS BEAT THE GRIZZLIES AND MOVE ON TO ROUND 2!!!
5. Kings cycle up the boards. Lukosevicius has it, moves to Sandberg at the blue line. Keeps it in by an inch, skate to stick, dumps it in deep. Halagian is in the corner, looks to flick to Keats but Kearey is in the way. Puck behind the Victoria net poked at by Keats, controlled by Luko. Feeds along the left wing to the blue line for Buono. Buono draws in Pickup, finds Sandberg right point. Has time, winds up, HE SCORES!!! COLTON SANDBERG WINS IT IN DOUBLE OVERTIME, THE KINGS MOVE TO ROUND TWO AND THE GRIZZLIES HEAD HOME!
