How to Write a Hockey Game Recap

Writing a good hockey gamer can be a difficult process, because for most publications, you'll probably have to file your first copy within five minutes of the buzzer. You'll need to start writing your story during the game, and try to have it almost completely finished by the final few minutes.Be prepared for anything. Create multiple leads, have multiple storylines to run and bide your time properly. Have several extra paragraphs written and keep them at the bottom of the page, knowing that you'll probably only use one or two of them.Here are some steps you can take in order to write your article quickly and effectively.

Instructions

    • 1

      Your lead: After you have all your quotes and you have some time, you can use spice up your lead. But, at first, you'll need a quick straightforward lead. Pick one stat to fixate on and make it your lead. Every lead should have a stat or player's line, score, and the day.Ex: “Alex Ovechkin had a hat trick and added an assist in a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay lightning on Friday.”You can also focus your lead on a trend in the game or multiple players statistics.“The Red Wings received goals from six different players and Chris Osgood made 19 saves in a 6-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.”

    • 2

      Second and Third Grafs: Elaborate on your storylines a little before you get into the “play-by-play”. Elaborate on why the Blackhawks only mustered 18 shots. Were they shorthanded a lot? Which Detroit defenseman logged the most minutes?Also mention in the first few grafs what the implications are for the teams involved.Ex: “The win was the first on the road for the Wings (22-9-2) since December 18.” or “The Caps (19-13-7) have now won four of their last five against the Lightning (14-20-4)..”Remember that it's okay to use various nicknames to refer to a team, like the “Pens”, “Caps” or “Habs”. Also be sure to put the teams record in parentheses the second time you mention them in the article (The lead should be uninterrupted).

    • 3

      Play-by-play: Then get into telling the story of the game. Describe a few of the goals in chronological order.Make sure to enhance this part of the article with lots of stats and mention other players with notable lines, or star players with sub-par statistics.With hockey, you'll probably want to mention power play statistics, although sometimes they aren't relevant, as well as any eye-catching team stats.

    • 4

      Goalies: Make sure you give the stats for both goalies and their records. The first time you mention them, unless it's in the lead, put his record after it and make sure you mention the number of saves and shots faced.

    • 5

      Writethrus: After you turn in your first copy, you can get your quotes – make sure to talk to those featured in your lead and brighten up your article.Put a softer lead in front of your original one, that will help lead into the stats. So instead of going directly into Alex Ovechkin's stats, ease into it.Ex: “The last time the Washignton Capitals met the Tampa Bay Lightning, Alex Ovechkin had no points and only one shot on goal.The 22 year-old Russian made up for it on this time.Ovechkin had a hat trick and added an assist in a 5-2 win over the Bay lightning on Friday.”