DCHP-3

spinorama

DCHP-2 (Aug 2012)

Spelling variants:
spinnerama, spinarama, Spinorama, spin-o-rama

n. — Hockey

a move where a player evades an oncoming opponent by pivoting 360 degrees while maintaining control of the puck (see Video).

Type: 1. Origin — The term was reportedly popularized by Danny Gallivan, a Hockey Night in Canada commentator for the Montreal Canadiens from 1952 to 1984. He used the term to describe a move by Serge Savard (see Canada's Sports Hall of Fame reference, see the 1985 quotation). The term is currently most prevalent in Canada (see Chart 1). It has been generalized early to other sports, e.g. in 1980 to a field hockey context from UBC Vancouver. Until the mid-1980s, references to a Savardian spinarama are quite common, after which time the popularizer's name was dropped.
See also COD-2, s.v. "spinarama", which is marked "Cdn".
While the term is used in other sports contexts today, it derives from hockey contexts (see the earliest quotations).
The term has many spellings, but spinorama and spin-o-rama seem to be the most common ones today.

Quotations

1978
Eddie Shack will face Marlies' leading scorer Gary Dillon in a Shoot Out and Spinnerama contest between periods of tomorrow night's game at the Gardens.
1982
Jeff has been the best rookie defencemen and the second best on the team. Uses the spinorama move well and often. Uses his big size very well.
1985
He has not perfected what former television broadcaster Danny Gallivan called the ''Savardian spinarama'' yet, but Serge Savard Jr. is working on his father's patented move. Serge Jr., the 17-year-old son of the managing director and former all-star defenceman with the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, plays defence for the Verdun Canadiens of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He is not an all-star yet, but because of his size - he is 6-foot-2, 196 pounds - and his name, he stands out. ''I try and play like my father did,'' Serge Jr. said.
1992
Now, the defence: Coffey was home alone in front of Kelly Hrudey when Anatoli Semenov broke in one-on-one. No contest. Semenov gave Coffey a little shift to the outside, a bigger move toward the inside, then completed a complete 360-degree circle and whipped a low shot past Hrudey. Former Montreal Canadien broadcaster Danny Gallivan would have raved about the goal and called it 'a brilliant spin-o-rama.' Old Danny would have been correct. Back to Coffey's remarkable offence. The gifted former Oiler picked off an aimless pass by Dave Manson near the middle of the ice and scooted in on Ranford again. A low 40-footer skipped through the five-hole to put the Kings in front.
2002
Recently, the E-zine "Cnews" said, "Landry was performing a Bouchardian spinarama on the inevitable question about sovereignty referendum strategy." Incidentally, the first "spinarama" was performed by former Canadiens great Serge Savard and was coined by telecaster Danny Gallivan when the defenceman performed a "Savardian spinarama."
2007
spinarama 180- or 360-degree spin to avoid a check while maintaining control of the puck (also Scandinavian spinarama, after Serge Savard; coined by Danny Gallivan).
2011
Todd Bertuzzi looked in a more feisty mood and he opened the scoring with a spinarama of a backhander from the top of the right faceoff circle at 6:22 of the first period. Bertuzzi's shot clipped defenceman Douglas Murray's stick and flew over goalie Antti Niemi's shoulder.
2014
NHL rules changes: 'Spin-o-rama' banned from shootouts
360-degree move also not allowed on penalty shots
The so-called "spin-o-rama" move was banned from use in shootouts and penalty shots by the NHL as part of a package of rules changes released Thursday.

References

Images

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 15 Oct. 2012

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 15 Oct. 2012