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Compete for the European Championship in 1v1 The European Championship League (ECL) is the highest level of structured NHL competition in Europe — and ECL 1v1 is where individual skill is put to the ultimate test. No teammates. No excuses. Just you, your opponent, and a season-long battle for the European Championship title in 1v1. Two ways to compete in ECL 1v1 - Go for glory, or chill! For the Winter season, ECL 1v1 is split into two clearly defined competitions, so players can choose the experience that fits them best. 1) ECL ’26: Winter – 1v1 Championship 🏆 This is the official European Championship League 1v1 competition. • Structured group stage • Playoffs for the top performers • Prize pool on the line • Clear commitment expectations This is the path for players who want to compete at the highest 1v1 level and play for results that carry real weight. Key Dates • Sign-up deadline: January 17, 23:59 CET • Group Stage: January 20 – February 9 • Playoffs: Starting February 13 (end date TBA) Winter Season Prize Pool The ECL ’26: Winter Prize Pool is calculated as a fixed percentage of the net season revenue. For more information on how the prize pool is formed, please refer to this article. 🥇 1st place: 436.59 € 🥈 2nd place: 210.21 € 🥉 Semifinalists: 80.85 € each These figures reflect the prize pool status at the time of writing. Any late license purchases will continue to contribute to the total prize pool, with final amounts confirmed after the season concludes. Think you’ve got what it takes? Then sign up, suit up, and we'll see you on the ice! 2) ECL ’26: Winter – 1v1 Chill 🥳 Not everyone is looking for high-stakes competition — and that’s fine. ECL 1v1 Chill offers: • A more relaxed competitive environment • Structured matches without pressure • No prize pool • No championship implications This is ideal for players who: • Want structured 1v1 games • Prefer lower intensity • Or are still developing their competitive level ⚠️ To protect the integrity of the Chill environment, League Administration may review sign-ups and deny entry to players deemed too skilled for the Chill competition. Commitment & competitive integrity ECL 1v1 — especially the Championship competition — relies heavily on player commitment. Every player’s participation directly affects the standings and competitive balance. ⚠️ By signing up, players confirm their intent to complete the season. Exceptional circumstances can always be discussed with League Administration, but leaving mid-season without a valid reason carries clear competitive consequences. Commitment rules for ECL 1v1 To protect the competitive integrity of ECL 1v1 — especially the Championship competition — the following rules apply: Mid-season withdrawals Players who withdraw or are removed mid-season will remain visible in the standings All matches of a withdrawing player will be recorded as 5-0 losses Players who have finished more than 80% of their matches keep their played results. This ensures complete standings and prevents competitive distortion caused by incomplete schedules. Eligibility for future ECL 1v1 seasons First mid-season withdrawal Player becomes ineligible to register for the following ECL 1v1 season Repeated withdrawals Longer exclusion periods may apply Eligibility reviewed on a case-by-case basis Exceptional circumstances can always be discussed with League Administration. Accepted Licenses for the ECL '26: 1v1 Winter Season: The following licenses are accepted for ECL ’26: Winter – 1v1 (Championship and Chill): ECL ’26: Full Year Player License ECL ’26: Winter Player License ECL ’25: Spring – Player License ECL ’25: Full Year Player License Whether you’re chasing a European title or looking for structured, stress-free 1v1 games, ECL ’26: Winter has a place for you. Signups are now open — choose your path and we’ll see you on the ice.

Hi SportsGamers, As promised, we’re now ready to share the ECL ’26: Winter prize pool numbers, including how the total prize pool was calculated and how it is distributed across divisions. While a small number of late license purchases may still slightly increase the final figures, we are now very close to the final totals, and the numbers below accurately reflect the current state of the season.   How the ECL ’26: Winter Prize Pool Was Calculated The ECL prize pool model for the NHL 26 cycle is based on a simple and transparent principle: 35% of NET license sales are returned directly to the players as prize money. Here’s how the Winter ’26 prize pool was formed: ➕ Total ECL ’26 license sales (incl. VAT): €62,420.00 ➖ VAT (25.5%): –€12682.95  ➖ Payment processing fees (PayPal): –€1986.30  ➖ Reserved for ECL ’26: Spring (50% of Full Year Player licenses): –€9251.00 🟰 Winter ’26 NET sales: €38,499.76 ➡️ 35% of NET sales allocated to prize pools: €13,474.91 This amount is fully dedicated to Winter ’26 prize pools across all ECL divisions.   Prize Pool Allocation by Division The total prize pool is distributed between divisions based on participation, competitive level, and season structure. ECL ’26: Winter – Total Prize Pools Elite: €5,861.59 Pro: €3,031.86 Lite: €2,223.36 Core: €1,549.62 1v1: €808.49 Total: €13,474.91   Division Prize Distributions Each division’s prize pool is paid out to multiple placements to ensure that strong playoff performances are rewarded throughout the divisions. ECL Elite – €5,861.59 #1: €2,579.10 #2: €1,172.32 #3–4: €586.16 each #5–8: €234.46 each   ECL Pro – €3,031.86 #1: €818.60 #2: €576.05 #3–4: €394.14 each #5–8: €212.23 each   ECL Lite – €2,223.36 #1: €533.61 #2: €422.44 #3: €311.27 #4: €244.57 #5–8: €177.87 each   ECL Core – €1,549.62 #1: €402.90 #2: €278.93 #3–4: €216.95 each #5–8: €108.47 each   ECL 1v1 – €808.49 #1: €436.59 #2: €210.21 #3–4: €80.85 each   Final Notes These numbers reflect the current prize pool status at the time of writing. Rounding note: Prize allocations are calculated using percentage-based splits and rounded to the nearest cent at the placement level. As a result, minor €0.01 rounding differences may occur between intermediate totals and displayed sums, without affecting the total prize pool. Any late license purchases will still contribute to the overall prize pool, with final confirmation provided once the season concludes. As always, our goal is to keep the ECL transparent, fair, and community-driven, with a clear connection between participation and rewards. Thank you to everyone competing in ECL ’26: Winter — and best of luck in the remainder of the season.

Hi SportsGamers, There have been some questions regarding the Regular Season dates, the Transfer Deadline, and the Holiday Break, so we want to clarify all of these topics in one place. Regular Season End - January 15th The regular season is set to end on January 15th, 2026, in all divisions. We understand that this may feel a little extra relaxed for the Core and Lite divisions, where the most active teams will potentially have finished their games already by Christmas, but we communicated the deadline early on, and we therefore do not want to change it, as some teams seem to have made their plans based on it. Be sure to reschedule any games necessary with your opponents in good time and enjoy the holidays!   Transfer Deadline - January 4th, restrictions apply The transfer deadline is January 4th, 2026; however, please note that no team can make transfers in either direction once they have completed their regular season. All transfers, however, are subject to scrutiny by the League Administration. Therefore, transfers can be declined retroactively if deemed to have been illegal, potentially resulting in games played being nullified.    Holiday Break The Holiday Break is planned for December 19th to January 3rd. Teams are allowed to play during this time if they mutually agree to do so; however, no team can be forced to play during this time period.   ECL Lite & Core Playoff system To avoid any confusion, we want to mention that the Lite and Core playoff system for this season will be as follows: A total of 24 teams will go to the playoffs in each division. The top 2 of each group go directly to the 2nd round of the Playoffs. Teams placing 3–6 will be seeded into the first round, meaning #9 vs #24, #10 vs #23, and so on.   As always, thank you for your cooperation and for helping keep the season running smoothly. We wish everyone a great end to the regular season and a relaxing holiday break.