Haris
If you’re stuck on “method of starting play in ice hockey” in a crossword, the answer is FACEOFF, sometimes written as FACE-OFF depending on the puzzle’s style. It’s a 7-letter answer (8 if the grid counts the hyphen), and it’s the standard term crossword compilers use for how an ice hockey match begins.
The Answer: Faceoff
A faceoff is how every period of an ice hockey game starts, and how play restarts after any stoppage. Two opposing players, usually the centres, stand facing each other at a marked spot on the ice while an official drops the puck between their sticks. Both players try to gain control of it the instant it hits the ice.
This clue has turned up in several UK puzzles, including the Times Concise and British quick crosswords, and in the New York Times Mini. The wording varies slightly between puzzles, sometimes as “start of play in ice hockey” or “method of starting play in ice hockey,” but FACEOFF is the answer in each case.
Why Faceoff Fits the Clue
A faceoff isn’t just used at the start of a game. It’s also used to restart play after a goal, a penalty, an offside call, or any other stoppage, which is why crossword clues sometimes describe it more generally as a “method of starting play” rather than specifically the opening whistle. There are nine designated faceoff spots on a regulation ice hockey rink: one at centre ice and four in each defensive zone, and the official chooses the spot based on where play stopped.
