Inside ECL

Inside ECL: Interview with Nephenzy

Mon, 25 Jan 2016 15:23:00 +0000

Nephenzy – Synergy Hockey

So today we have Peter ‘’Nephenzy’’ Andersson from Synergy Hockey over here for a brief interview. Let’s get into it!

(((NOTE: Interview done before ECL!)))

Peter what’s up, how are you doing!

Hi SeRe! Everything is just great, I´m excited about the upcoming ECL!

Nice to hear! So what kind of team is Synergy Hockey exactly? When was it founded?

Well Synergy Hockey is a team built by random hockey gamers from Sweden, not many of us knew each other before NHL 09 except a few of us. Synergy Hockey was founded and emerged late NHL 11. Members of two teams BIF Blizzards and Blades of Swedes on PS3 started up this new team together. The main concept for us is to have a great team spirit and work together for better and worse.

So has the roster been mainly the same over the years?

We have had some changes and lots of different rosters throughout all of these years and there was this one year, NHL 13 where we changed to Xbox and we played in two different teams instead of Synergy. But we have a core that has been together since the very beginning and last few years we have had a pretty solid roster with a few minor changes. Last year we played a few other games since there was no EASHL on PS4, so the group feels pretty strong nowadays.

Now something easier! Who are you and how did you end up playing NHL in the first place?

Well I´m just an old hockey maniac living in Sweden. I have dedicated my life to all kinds of team play games which are my biggest passion. I have played all NHL games since the first one on SEGA called EA Hockey. Me and Isindar did some online leagues several years on PC but when EASHL was introduced on console, it was natural that we bought it and started to play together instead of against each other.

This is the 1^st next-gen NHL with EASHL and even better, it seems that every major Xbox team has transferred to PS4, so we are going to have truly great tournament. What are your thoughts of the game itself and what do you think about upcoming tournament, would you agree that it’s going to be the best European EASHL tournament ever thus far?

Yeah I´m really excited about this upcoming tournament and the future of this community with the new NHLGamer. I´m a bit worried how this home captain lag will affect games and what problems it might bring. But I hope that honesty and good sportsmanship will be in a big part. And yeah there are so many good teams out there and this has the potential to be the best tournament ever.

There are lots of teams known for something, like The United Knights for its defense or Northern Stars for its offense. What kind of team is Synergy Hockey?

Hmmm I don´t know really.. We pass the puck a lot, maybe too much for our own good sometimes. We try to be solid and complete in both ends. The game is so tight nowadays so It´s all about being focused and trying to keep cool head even when things don’t go your way.

Are you fully Swedish team? Do you think swedes are better in EASHL than other nationalities?

Yeah our roster has swedes only. No I don’t really think swedes are any better. I don’t see that much Swedish teams as there was a few years back. There is a lot more Finnish teams and players, but i don’t think that nationality can determine whether you’re better in EASHL or not. It all comes down to the chemistry and the confidence of the team.

Is this kind of tournaments the actual point to play EASHL or even NHL?

Yeah I really think so. I feel that EASHL is all too friendly where everyone are changing teams and so on. These tournaments build all the feelings you can’t get from regular EASHL games; team spirit, rivalry and much more. I would still play NHL but not half as much if it wasn’t for these tournaments.

So you guys have some special rivalries?

Well I think we have many rivals, Laser HT has knocked us out in a few quarterfinals and then we had this one semifinal when we had a real beef, most of them are in Beatless now I think. But yeah you see lots of Finnish teams every night and you want to beat them... But it´s a bit special nowadays to meet a Swedish team when there is so few of them.

What kind of beef you had with Laser HT?

Well there was an incident with a player in their team who couldn´t get back into their roster due to the 12 hour ‘’club change’’ -block on NHL 14 I think. The result was that the game was delayed 45 minutes and TGMA called a WO for us. Something you really don’t want in a playoffs. Resulting in a major fight on the ConsoleHockey and a few suspensions.

We got one win for that game, but they turned the table and won the series 4-3. They had some strong characters like Seppo and Hansulinho who were able to turn the series around. Also two of our Synergy players Pelle and Dunza played in Laser HT at that time but it's kind of history nowdays.

Which teams do you see competing in the top of the standings in the next tournament?

There is so many good teams now but I think Northern Stars, Dynasty, Carlsberg HC and Infinity will surely be in the top.

Who would you like to highlight from your team, who will be a pain on the ass for opponents?

I really dont like to highlight anyone in that way, the team is bigger than any player but anyway I think many EASHL players know that Supremski is a world class defefender on both offense and defense. But we really have to make it as a team.

Woah! Thank you for giving us your time, it was nice to chat! Good luck for you guys to the upcoming tournament!

Thank you as well for this interview and all the great work for the community. keep it up and good luck to everyone participating in ECL, see you on the ice. Cheers!

---

I want to thank Nephenzy one more time for this interview, hopefully you readers also enjoyed!

Be sure to leave a like/ comment and check out my social media! Cheers!

See you later!

Inside ECL: Interview with Jageksi

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 12:10:00 +0000

Jageksi – Dynasty

This time we have Jaakko ‘’Jageksi’’ Iivonen from Dynasty with us! Let’s see what he has in mind!

(((NOTE: Interview done before ECL!)))

Hey Jageksi nice to have you! How are you doing?

I’m doing fine thanks! I started at University of Tampere this year so I haven’t had much time to play, but I’m still very excited about the upcoming ECL!

Who wouldn't? Anyways tell us little bit about yourself and how did you end up playing NHL at the first place?

I’m 21 years old guy from Tampere, who is studying business in University. My NHL career started when I was a little baby and I played with my father (actually my dad played against AI, but I didn’t know that). I started to play more seriously maybe in 2009, when I played my first EASHL games and since then I just wanted to become a better player and learn more from the best players.

So what kind of team is Dynasty exactly? I assume it's pretty new, but what is the creational story behind it?

Yeah we started to play this year! The story behind the team is that we wanted to get a small group that is very motivated to improve our playing in every game. The second reason that made this team possible is that many Xbox players switched to PS4 this year. Now I have played with these guys about 3 months and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every moment!

So have you know these guys before or were they just complete random to you?

I met Kellosuutari on my short visit at Xbox. Lukkolinho, jumalpeku, janbonator and gendlik I have met IRL. Snapu48 was a complete stranger to me, but when I heard he has played for Helsingin Tappara, I knew he was our "special one" for RD position. vSilenttio is one of the best defenders, but he is in the army now, so he hasn’t played much with us which is pity.

As we know, this is the first next-gen EASHL. How does it feel comparing to previous NHL's and how much adaption you had to make from the old-gen?

Well I had break from EASHL last year, but I could say that team playing is the number one thing this year, because you really need to cycle the puck really fast and there is not many opportunities for soloing this year. This has also affected my current playstyle since I have liked the puck in recent years

So what kind of hockey does Dynasty play then?

Our key words are: discipline, compact defense and simple attacking. If you want more information you just need to play against us

Would you say that this is the best European wide EASHL tournament ever, since we are having all major Xbox and PS teams at the same tournament?

Absolutely! The tournament winners can really call themselves "The Champion"! I’m also excited to play against former Xbox teams like Northern Stars, Synergy Hockey and Sjukstugan!

Speaking of teams, which ones will be the top teams in this tournament in your opinion?

Well my prediction for TOP-3 would be Northern Stars, THE UNITED KNIGHTS and Carlsberg HC, but there are still numerous teams that might make a surprise!

Many captains I have interviewed told me that tournaments like this are the actual point to even buy NHL. How do you think?

They are wise captains These tournaments are pure diamond because every team plays seriously and you really need to work hard to earn points!

Are there any rivalry teams for you in this tournament?

Our club is so new that we don’t have any specific teams, but I’m personally waiting to play against Northern Stars, THE UNITED KNIGHTS and Carlsberg HC.

How do you see Dynasty succeeding in this tournament?

I think we have a chance to really succeed in this tournament, but we don’t have any named goal And I’m saying this because, I think you are able to play your best when you don’t have any extra pressure!

Can you name few players from EASHL scene who are truly superstars by pure talent? What kind of players they are and what would you like to learn from them?

There are many great players around, but I’ll mention few. Urlauber61 is pure magic and I’m very grateful that I have had a chance to play with this "genius". Hansulinho has the best hands and it’s a nightmare to defend against him. And now that I have played against the mighty Viktor (cHIIMERa), I could say that he is the calmest player I have ever seen!

How about your team, who would you name to be your teams MVP and why is that?

Hard question because I think we all have our own duties and I think everyone fulfill it perfectly. Lukkolinho is our gatekeeper and Snapu48 is our leader as a captain. I’m here to score goals, gendlik is our puck handling master. jumalpeku is the guy you just want to have in your own team. Kellosuutari and janbonator are our two-way players and they both are very talented. vSilenttio is in the army and he joins us in March 2016.

Well thank you for this interview! Would you like to say anything for the readers or anyone?

You are welcome, it has been pleasure to talk with you! I’ll send my greetings to NHLGamer staff which made this tournament possible! And for the other teams I’ll say that let’s thank these guys by having a great and fair tournament where everyone supports each other even when you lose an important match!

---

This was the second interview in this series, I hope you enjoyed reading this as I enjoyed doing it! I have to add special thanks to Jageksi one more time for this interview!

Be sure to leave a like/ comment and check out my social media! I hope to see you guys for the next post!

See you later!

Inside ECL: Interview with cHIIMERa

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 19:00:00 +0000

cHIIMERa – Northern Stars

Today we have the privilege of interviewing Viktor “cHIIMERa” Ghamari from Northern Stars! Let’s have a chat with him!

(((NOTE: Interview done BEFORE ECL!)))

What’s up Viktor!

Hey man! Not much, sitting here and waiting to get some sleep after a long day at school. How about you?

Haha I'm fine, just busy with these interviews before ECL starts!

Northern Stars and some of your players have an almost godlike reputation over Xbox. Tell us PlayStation -players why is that?

Well thanks for setting the expectations extremely high for us SeRe Hm.. We managed to make a name for ourselves back in the earlier years of EASHL. We won some consecutive championship titles, and uhm.. We got lots of hype and I think that it kinda got stuck you know?

Haha no problem! But are you actually that good? This will be great test for many teams to see what kind of team you really are, but have you noticed other teams while on PS4 that can compete with you and you know you will have hard time with against them?

Hm.. Now that’s a question I definitely would like to think thru before answering. If I would have time that is. I’ll turn the question around a bit and say that the rest of the teams have caught up with us. We’re still performing on a high level but so are other teams also. There is at least 10 teams I’ll be going: ”Oh nice it’s them! Let’s step our game up boys” about It’s going to be an interesting ECL for sure!

How would you describe Northern Stars and how was your team founded in first place? Are you guys all from Sweden and are you friends in real life?

Northern Stars was created back in NHL 09 by Falkiniz who has retired. I joined the team on its birthday and have been playing here ever since. I guess it’s one of my qualities that I’m veeeeeeeery loyal Floor, ma0niii and OODAP joined in NHL 10. Rullstolskalas, Mullweiser, Robhaf and M4Gustafsson joined in NHL 13. And that has been our roster, until NHL 16 when Plee joined us. We’re all from Sweden except OODAP and Plee. They’re Finns. Me, ma0niii and Floor are good IRL-friends now. Just from getting to know eachother over NHL. I think that’s pretty cool. How I would describe us? In all honesty we’re just a bunch of merry misfit’s when it comes down to our parties on PSN. One weirder than the other. But We’re having fun. And thats all that matters

Hmmm interesting! How about this next-gen EASHL hockey. It’s pretty different comparing to older gen. How do you like it and how your team has been able to adapt to this new hockey game?

I would say that the game is bit slower and more defense oriented isn’t it? Harder to score as well. Of course as we’re a decent team offensively we’ve been a little frustrated with our inability to rack up goals as we managed to do before. But that’s how the game has evolved. With that said, we don’t mind playing ”defense first” either. Now the series tends to give us many tight and exciting games since we started playing NHL 16.

Now just a simple question! Tell us about you, and how did you end up playing NHL at the 1^st place?

Easy enough I’m Viktor Ghamari, 29 years old swede playing for Northern Stars. I like Cats and… Haha I got you didn’t I? Pretty hard to tell other people about yourself without making it sound like a job interview... I’ve been hearing that I’m a pretty nice guy. I’ll just leave it like that. When I started playing NHL? This is going to sound a bit funny I think. It was a rainy autumn day back in 1993. I put NHL 93 into the SNES and picked up the controller. And that was all I needed, I was hooked. From there I pretty much enjoyed the series on a recreational level. I mean since then I have been familiar with the series but it wasn’t until I first tried NHL 08 on Xbox 360 I started playing on a more regular basis.

So do you play anything besides NHL?

Both yes and no. I tend to grab the big releases, play them through and then leave them into my drawer. So it’s not very lasting. I can go for months without playing anything. Then I’ll play 5-6 days a week for a month. It all comes down to what the new releases are. Right now Fallout 4 is a game I’ve been waiting forever. So I have been playing that like a crazy for a while. Witcher 3 was an awesome release in 2015 as well, waiting for the next DLC.

Why did you guys decided to swap from Xbox to PlayStation?

I actually think the Xbox 360 community came together pretty well trying to make most of us to choose the same console as the release of PS4 and Xbox ONE came closer. There was this poll on ConsoleHockey where people voted on which console you should grab and PS4 had a clear advantage. There was also this awesome blogger on 360 named Jesus (We miss you buddy!) that preached it was time to move on. So for us as a team which doesn’t like to spend time in the dressing room, it really wasn’t the hardest choice.

Are there any familiar teams or players at the tournament?

Even though this will be our first tournament on the PlayStation side. We have been sharing ConsoleHockey for years. So some of the teams I’ve known before even playing against them. Carlsberg HC, The United Knights, Nordic Nosebleed and Nordic Blizzard are some of those teams. I have to be honest. I’ve seen lots of individual skill on the other teams as well. But I haven’t played long enough on PlayStation to remember the actual names of the players. I’m sure this upcoming tournament will give me lots of info for the future.

You said this will be interesting ECL but will this be the best European league so far by skill and competition?

I think so yeah. I mean the tournaments played over the years has mostly been like ”these are probably the 4 teams in the semifinals.” And most of the times those 4 teams were eventually the ones to reach that semifinal spot. This year on the other hand I’m completely clueless. It’s both exciting and intimidating at the same time. But we’re looking forward to get started!

Would you agree that ECL is the biggest reason to play EASHL or even NHL itself?

This is a no brainer for us. Yeah it is. The thrill of EASHL tends to fall off for us around November every year. After that it’s just sitting around and waiting for the tournament to start.

Are there any rivalry teams or players contending in ECL?

The truth? We don’t have any rivals, but obviously we try extra hard against the best teams. I mean we are sure to get some rivalries. In time.. But since this is our first tournament on PlayStation we just have to wait and see. I have to give Sjukstugan a mention though. They’ve been around for some years now. Coming over from the 360 side. They have a really solid defense and it is always a pleasure to play against them. I wish we could have a chance to play more against other teams but we have far too few games played against Carlsberg HC, The United Knights, Nordic Nosebleed, Mukimiehet, Nordic Stars etc. to consider them as rivals. But they’re good teams nevertheless!

Who is the player opponent should keep eye on?

Hm.. Now giving away that information wouldn’t be very bright would it? Jokes aside. We’re good at different things. It all depends on what aspect of the game we’re looking. Mullweiser can score plenty of goals in a game if you don’t defend properly against him on the one timers. Floor has always been superb at reading the game over the years and always tends to make the right calls on ice. Plee is lethal.. He can create a scoring chance out of nothing. Rullstolskalas is the best defender of the game in my book. And Robhaf dishes out the pain like no one else. OODAP is a great goaltender as well. When his internet works. Unfortunately for us it does work in 3% of the games we’re playing though Haha.. And me.. I’m our quarterback. Hahaha..

Woah! Thank you for giving us your time, it was nice to chat! Good luck for you guys to the upcoming tournament!

The pleasure is all mine SeRe. Nice to chat with you indeed! I just gotta say. Keep on doing what you’re doing guys. Great job with the new webpage! And for the taking the time to help make our community better and interesting. I really like what I’ve seen of your work this far! I was supposed to sleep 1 hour ago. Time really flies.. Take care!

---

I hope you enjoyed this one eventhough I wasn't able to post this before. I want to thank cHIIMERa one more time for this great interview!

Be sure to leave a like/ comment and check out my social media! I hope to see you guys for the next post!

See you later!