All Activity

(1) Valokuitunen Esports vs (3) Tunnel Vision After outlasting 14 other teams in the deepest ECL Elite season in recent memory, just two sides remain to decide a champion Valokuitunen Esports and Tunnel Vision square off in the Finals for a second straight season and for the third time overall. However this season's matchup means little bit more than usual, as while Valokuitunen is hoping to continue to cement their place in ECL history with a record-setting fifth Elite championship, Tunnel Vision is looking to win its third title in the last four seasons, cementing their place as an official dynasty in European NHL esports, and doing so in what has been said to be viewed the team's "last dance" with this group. So how did the teams get here? Who has performed? How do they matchup and what are the big storylines? We've got everything covered here that you need to know as we get ready for another exciting championship matchup. Valokuitunen Esports How They Got Here Regular Season: 20-2-2-6 (66pts) - 1st in Elite Division 4-3 series win vs (8) The Black Jacks 3-2 OTW, 1-2 L, 4-1 W, 1-3 L, 1-0 W, 1-2 L, 3-1 W 4-1 series win vs (5) EXEN 2-1 OTW, 2-0 W, 1-2 OTL, 4-1 W, 5-1 W Season Summary It's honestly not surprising to see Valokuitunen Esports back at this stage. After all, they are four-time Elite Division champions and the defending champions this season for a reason. They dominated the regular season and came into the playoffs as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions. However, Valokuitunen faced their first bit of adversity in the form of The Black Jacks, who pushed them to a full seven-game series during the quarterfinals. During this series, Valokuitunen looked out of sorts to their standard, making uncharacteristic mistakes and even at times letting their frustrations get the best of them during this series. You could argue that the group was lucky to get past this series, but you can't always win pretty in these playoffs and no opponent is an easy foe, and Valokuitunen did what they needed to do to get past the pesky eighth seed. In the semifinals, the orange and white looked like a different team. They controlled the possession game, forced EXEN out of their comfort zone, and dominated the game throughout most of the series, dropping just one game in the series, a 1-2 double-overtime loss in Game 3. This makes me believe that their performance against The Black Jacks was a mere blip; an outlier from a team that has put up masterful performances countless times over the past few years, now the question is whether they can repeat those successes against a hungry Tunnel Vision team that has tested them mightily over the years. Projected Starting Lineup LW - Roope @pikkuroger Bergström - (11 GP, 17 PTS, 8 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 23.5% SHOOTING PERCENTAGE, 3 GWG) C - Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen - (12 GP, 14 PTS, 7 GOALS, 7 ASSISTS, 54.1% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE) RW - Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen - (12GP, 17 PTS, 11 GOALS, 6 ASSISTS, 63 SHOTS) LD - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen - (12GP, 12 PTS, 12 ASSISTS, 43 TAKEAWAYS, 88 INTERCEPTIONS) RD - Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila - (12 GP, 10 PTS, 10 ASSISTS, 66 HITS, 34 TAKEAWAYS, 18 BLOCKED SHOTS) G - Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes - (12 GP, 89.12% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 1.33 GAA, 147 SHOT FACED, 3 SHUTOUTS, 27 SHUTOUT PERIODS) Notable Finals Storylines This is Valokuitunen's 6th ECL Elite Finals Appearance (They are 4-1 in Finals series' in the Elite Division) Defending ECL Elite Division champions, defeated Tunnel Vision in the Finals in 7 games last season A series victory would make it the first time that a team has won back-to-back championships multiple times A series victory will extend Valokuitunen's record for the all-time lead in ECL Elite Division championships (5). The next closest teams are Straikers and HAVU Gaming (3 each). Tunnel Vision How They Got Here Regular Season: 15-3-5-7 (56pts) - 3rd in Elite Division 4-1 series win vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport 1-0 W, 5-1 W, 3-2 W, 0-1 L, 5-2 W 4-3 series win vs (2) Straikers 3-4 L, 4-3 OTW, 3-1 W, 3-5 L, 0-4 L, 2-1 W, 1-0 W Season Summary The peaks and valleys of Tunnel Vision's Spring campaign can be tracked all the way back to the beginning of the season. This team was quite simply not up to their standard during the regular season, as though they were still one of the best teams in the division offensively, their defensive play and goaltending took a significant step back. Not only this, but their 12 overall losses (7 in regulation and 5 in overtime) was their highest number since the ECL 12 season, where they lost 19 total games (14 in regulation and 5 in overtime) and missed the playoffs after an 11th place finish in the standings (I think people often forget how far this team has come over the last few years). Because of all of these things, there were genuine discussions about whether or not this team could make it back to the top as they came into the playoffs in below-average form and just simply didn't look like the dominant unit that the Elite division has come to know. But in the fashion of any true champion, Tunnel Vision hit its stride once playoff time came around. They took down a feisty but inexperienced Bjorkloven Esport team in the Quarterfinals and made a statement in doing so with their dominant play on both ends of the ice. This set up another classic matchup between them and Straikers in the semifinals. This series was pretty much the perfect encapsulation of what Tunnel Vision's season has been. Mired with inconsistency. Moments of brilliance, mixed with moments of question. Quite frankly, Tunnel Vision looked dead in the water after Game 5 of this series, but just like they did going into the playoffs, Tunnel Vision stepped up their game when they needed it most, stealing Games 6 and 7 to clinch their spot in the Finals. Tunnel Vision's championship hopes will depend on which version of the group will show up for each game. The team that has been mired by defensive woes in the regular season, or the high-octane team that has emerged as one of the best teams in the world in its dominant run over the past two years. Projected Starting Lineup LW - Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen - (12 GP, 22 PTS, 13 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 60 SHOTS, 0:00 PIMS) C - Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen - (12 GP, 16 PTS, 8 GOALS, 8 ASSISTS, 50.9% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE) RW - Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen - (12GP, 22 PTS, 10 GOALS, 12 ASSISTS, 44 SHOTS) LD - Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen - (12GP, 8 PTS, 8 ASSISTS, 61 HITS, 15 BLOCKED SHOTS, 97 INTERCEPTIONS) RD - Veeti @wengerii Paloneva - (12 GP, 12 PTS, 2 GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, 36 TAKEAWAYS) G - Ben @benuh_ Rinnet - (12 GP, 80.95% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 2.00 GAA, 126 SHOTS FACED, 2 SHUTOUTS, 23 SHUTOUT PERIODS) Notable Finals Storylines Tunnel Vision are making their fifth-consecutive ECL Elite Division Finals appearance (2-2 in Finals series) Won back-to back ECL Elite Championship in ECL '23: Winter and Spring, including representing Europe in the 6v6 eHockey World Finals in 2023 A title victory will give Tunnel Vision its third Elite Division title, this would also tie them with Straikers and HAVU Gaming for the second-most Elite Division championships in ECL history. This would also make them just one shy of Valokuitunen's current record of four Elite championships Tunnel Vision is 1-2 against Valokuitunen all-time in ECL playoff series. They are 0-2 in Finals series' against them The Regular Season Series (both games were played on May 6) 2-1 Tunnel Vision W Tunnel Vision Notable Stats: - @Vattuyy and @Laiitinen each had a goal in the 2nd period, both at even strength - @benuh_ made 18 saves on 19 shots for Tunnel Vision, earning a 94.74% save percentage - Tunnel Vision's only goal allowed came on the penalty kill - Three Tunnel Vision skaters (@tomboo-, @Laiitinen and @Vattuyy) were credited with six or more interceptions Valokuitunen Notable Stats: - Valokuitunen outshot Tunnel Vision 19-13; and had 9:12 time on attack compared to Tunnel Vision's 7:35 - Valokuitunen's skaters combined for 34 giveaways, Tunnel Vision's combined for just 20 - @Beniittto scored Valokuitunen's lone goal in 3rd period - @FINSeRe earned an 84.62% save percentage despite the loss, making 11 saves on 13 shots 3-0 Valokuitunen Esports W Valokuitunen Notable Stats: - @Beniittto scored the game-winning goal in the first period at 13:37 - @Beniittto (2 goals) and @pikkuroger (1 goal and 1 assist) were the only players who had at least a point in this game - Valokuitunen's skaters combined for 45 giveaways, Tunnel Vision's skaters combined for 32 - @FINSeRe stopped all 10 shots that he faced. This win was one of 10 shutouts that he earned during the regular season, which led all Elite Division Goalies Tunnel Vision Notable Stats: - Tunnel Vision outshot Valokuitunen 10-8, and also had 10:16 of time on attack compared to Valokuitunen's 8:53 - This game was 1 of only 2 games in the regular season in which Tunnel Vision was shutout (2-0 L vs Straikers on May 15) - Allowed two goals in the last 30 seconds of the game (at 59:44 and 59:53) - @tomboo- registered 7 takeaways and 10 interceptions in this game Stat of the Series: In each of their last three playoff meetings, the series was decided in a Game 7. Each Game 7 was decided by one goal, and two of the three were won in overtime. Prediction I promise that I don't mean to dramatize or overstate things, but this feels like one of the biggest Finals matchups that we have had in the Elite Division over the past few seasons. What makes this different? Well, history. Valokuitunen Esports are looking to cement their place as the top team in the history of the ECL, something that some could argue they have already done. However, by beating Tunnel Vision in another Finals series and earning a record-extending fifth Elite title, their spot as the top dogs in Elite history feels like it could be set in stone for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Tunnel Vision has epitomized what it means to climb the ranks of the ECL. They earned their way from the Pro Division into the Elite Division after winning a relegation series in ECL 11 against Deadly Phantoms (then known as Team LEISURE). They missed the playoffs in their first Elite season during ECL 12, but have made it to the postseason every season since, and have emerged as one of the top squads in Europe with two Elite Division trophies to back it up. However, times could soon be changing for this group, as there has been word around the community that the team is treating this playoff run as "the last dance". What this means for the future of the club is unknown to the public, but it seems like considerable changes could be coming for this team after this game cycle. This means that this is potentially Tunnel Vision's last chance to further cement their legacy and even more importantly, this could be the last chance to play on this stage with this same group, or at least for the time being. It's history book vs storybook, and only one can prevail in this series. I think that Tunnel Vision has as good of a chance as anyone to beat this Valokuitunen side. They know what it takes to do it as they have done it before in the playoffs, and the motivation of wanting to end this era at the top of the ECL mountain will be something that you'd think can give them a good boost. However, the inconsistencies in their game this season leave me concerned, and though Valokuitunen did struggle against The Black Jacks in their quarterfinal series, that felt like more of an outlier than Tunnel Vision's struggles have. These two teams are as closely matched as it gets, so I have zero expectation of being right or wrong on this prediction. However, I think that consistency has to mean something, and Valokuitunen has been as consistent as it gets. Valokuitunen in 7 FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X Tune in on Friday, June 14th at 20:00 CEST for games 1-3 and on Saturday, June 15th at 19:00 CEST for the rest of the best-of-7 series! Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may not have covered? Let me know in the comments!

SportsGamers, We are down to the TOP 8 team in the form of the Quarterfinals. Let's take a look at our schedule and matchups. Schedule Playoffs (BO5) Quarterfinals: Wednesday 12.6 Sunday 16.6 Deadline: Monday 17.6 Semifinals: Wednesday 19.6 Sunday 23.6 (we realize this is close to midsummer, so rescheduling as needed is recommended) Finals: 26.-30.6* * Dates are subject to change as broadcast productions are confirmed. Quarterfinal matchups: Davemiehet (2) vs Coventry Vikings (15) Dynamo Hc (3) vs HC Armata (13) Oljefondet (4) vs Chiefs hockey club (8) UEL TEAM (5) vs MANCAVExGG (6) Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Social media: Twitter: When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: @SportsGamerGG #ECL24Spring #eHockey #NHL24 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi Instagram: When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: @SportsGamerGG #ECL24Spring #eHockey #NHL24 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi We wish all teams the best of luck!

(1) Nordic Stars vs Sawolanche (6) A steamrolling Nordic Stars are bound to go all the way to the finals if they keep this up, with losing their first games to Hopfensmoothie HC, even this team can be beaten. Lead by a strong offense, @Vire30 now faces a team who plays strong defense and relies on a few goals per game to win their games. Sawolanche impressed us by taking down Bushwhackers in a game 7 overtime, with @I_LaiTi_I scoring an absolutely insane Michigan in overtime. They'll have an even more uphill battle, as their foes possess every tool available to take down an opponent. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-1 Nordic Stars @Pensasmies: 4-0 Nordic Stars (3) Zenegeim vs Mights (4) With Mights going through, they showed everyone that last year's quarterfinal loss in the Core division wasn't a fluke. With @Saloust77 carrying this team, it'll take more than one guy to take down an impressive roster of players. Even with good team defense, Zenegeim possesses the ability to play on levels Mights have not seen before. Zenegeim is taking down foe after foe, and they seem to be on a path to face Nordic Stars in an epic final, as they seem unstoppable. However, this Mights team can put up a fight, and surely won't take no for an answer in these semifinals. With @imosi on the right, they really pack a powerful punch on offense. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-2 Zenegeim @Pensasmies: 4-0 Zenegeim Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

We have entered the final stretch of the ECL '24: Spring Core season and there are only the top 4 teams remaining. Without further ado, let's take a look at our interesting semifinal matchups! Armeijan Kuri (2) vs KohKae Esports (14) Note: At the time of writing, Armeijan Kuri has a 2-1 lead in the series Armeijan Kuri has really shown army-like discipline all season long and is the top seed in our semifinals because KohKae managed to sweep the #1 seed team Prowlers in the quarterfinals, which was a surprise for everybody. Or was it? It's pretty safe to say that it wasn't a surprise for them after the playoff performance that they pulled off. They are unbeatable so far in the playoffs, which means they had 3 series long sweep streak. Sure, they are now down in this semifinal but the first 3 games have all been 1 goal games: 3-1, 0-1 OT, 1-0. Expect nothing less for the rest of these games! Both starting goalies already got a shutout each in this series. KohKae's @khassu-- is still number one in the playoffs GAA comparison with an impressive 1.27 goals allowed average, and Armeijan Kuri's @kasuri1 does not fall far from those numbers, although he has a crazy 5 shutouts and has been working his pads off with 222 saves. which is 70 more than khassu-- on the other side of the ice. @MutainenMalik has been continuing his great rookie season playoff run by not only contributing with points but also bruising up his opponents with 35 hits in this series so far. @Eashl_kalle is the top-scoring defenseman in the playoffs with 4 goals and also scored an important overtime game-winner for KohKae in game 2. @Joona41 has been showing firepower in these playoffs, scoring 28 goals in 15 games played, which makes him the top goal scorer of the playoffs at the time of writing. He needs to continue this if they want to turn this series around. Predictions: @Pekedipeks: KohKae Esports 4-3 @Pensasmies: Armeijan Kuri 4-1 (5) Darra Stars vs Saucer Hockey(8) Both of these teams had to go through relatively close quarterfinal series with several 1-goal games and overtimes. Comparing their playoff records we can see their route here has been quite similar: Darra Stars 11W-4L and Saucer Hockey 12W-6L. In my books, this series will be a defensive battle to see who can shut down the other's star players better. @Miggohell has kept going throughout this playoff run and is definitely Saucer's MVP so far with 18GP 15G+17A=32P and an impressive 127 interceptions. Stars forward @Aika_Suklaata has also been going strong with consistent performance and is the top point scorer of the semifinalists with 16GP 22G+20A=42P The goalie battle will be a very interesting one to follow as the goalies have almost identical save%, @MietuskaXIV 87.82% and @Mazu_Pizu 87.34%. Prediction: @Pekedipeks Darra Stars 4-2 @Pensasmies Darra Stars 4-3 Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Social media: Twitter: When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: @SportsGamerGG #ECL24Spring #eHockey #NHL24 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi Instagram: When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: @SportsGamerGG #ECL24Spring #eHockey #NHL24 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi We wish all teams the best of luck!

Only four teams remain in the Spring edition of ECL '24 - which two will we see in the Finals? Read on to find out our predictions! SERIES 1: Falun Coal Miners (1) Mustaa Kultaa (10) In the previous round, both teams took a different road to the semifinals, Mustaa Kultaa overcoming a 3-1 series deficit versus TIKI TALK winning 3 games in a row and showing some real grit in their game. Falun on the other hand did not choke, they took a convincing lead in the series against Golden Sticks, who really fought back and won 2 games in overtime, but in game 6 Falun ran away with it and closed out the series. Falun who play a physical game, can really annoy their opponents with their style of play, with close to 300 hits in these playoffs their opponent should get some extra padding before they step on the ice for game 1 of the series. @Smayk99 taking the faceoff game seriously in these playoffs, with an impressive 56,1% faceoff percentage, @xHatsi being below the coveted 50% mark could be a dealbreaker. This team has a well-rounded roster and can fire on all cylinders if need be, and Mustaa Kultaa will be dealing with a whole different kind of team in this round. When a team has momentum in this video game, it’s a force to be reckoned with, Mustaa Kultaa winning 3 straight shows that they really want to win, they’re loaded with confidence and will surely project that into this series. @Allupekkaz taking the biggest responsibility in offense for this team with his 19 points (9+10) in these playoffs shows that his start in Goons wasn’t a mistake, but that he can lead a team far. Mustaa Kultaa have been blessed with the new signing of @LatveX, the wonder goalie who is playing in only his second ECL season and has taken it upon himself to make Elite teams wonder if his services are needed in the highest division in the future, but for now he is stealing games for Mustaa Kultaa left and right, however, their Swedish foes are a well-organized team that can make goalies wish they never turned their consoles on. We had a chance to talk with the assistant captain @Buffy for Falun coal Miners before and the assistant captain for Mustaa Kultaa, @Allupekkaz before the series - here's what they had to say: What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team? BuffyXll: "Obviously they have loads of talent being one of the teams who were eligble for the preseason Elite Qualification rounds. They have plenty of firepower and proved that by knocking out a team like TikiTalk. Mustaa Kultaa's playoff seed doesn't really reflect the teams higher levels of play, if they put in that sixth gear., they're hard team to stop." Allupekkaz: "Falun is an extremely dangerous team in the offensive zone, they can turn the puck quickly into offense and move the puck really well there with the help of their defenseman. Furyan is a player who can decide a series with his experience and hockey-iq." How will you prepare for the series? BuffyXll: "We've had a couple of days off coming out of a really fun playoff round vs Golden sticks. There is still some time for us to get some practice done and talk about the choices we've made in life." Allupekkaz: "We'll practice one day, and then see how the opponent plays and make necessary changes." What will it take for your team to advance to the finals? BuffyXll: "We need to play our own game and trust our process. We shall keep pushing forward no matter what the costs may be. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in our play. We shall never surrender. " Allupekkaz: "Tight defense and smart choices in the offensive zone, we'll try to minimize our mistakes and capitalize on theirs." Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 2-4 Mustaa Kultaa @Juhaniz-: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners @jubex0r: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners @Pensasmies: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners Player to watch: @LatveX Watch the series live: twitch.tv/CoalMinersTV, twitch.tv/allupekkaz SERIES 2: (7) RYHTIC vs Almost Famous (8) Both teams took it to themselves to take down a higher-seeded opponent, RYHTIC in 6 games vs Poggers, and Almost Famous bested the German powerhouse Deadly Phantoms in 5 games. With the two teams facing off in the regular season, whereas Almost Famous drew the longer straw, taking 5 out of 6 possible points, will this turn out to be the edge they need to take their talent all the way to the Final? RYHTIC comes in after a good quarterfinal matchup, where they blew out a good Poggers team 6-1 in the deciding game of the series. Now they take on a similar opponent in Almost Famous, who can take their game to their opponent. Can the likes of @MCH_98 & @Sagee95 stop the high octane offense that is Almost Famous? In offense RYHTIC showed they’re not just one of the best defensive teams in Pro, but can take out teams with their goalscoring, @Limbe65 with 14 goals so far this postseason ranks 3rd in that category in these playoffs so far, with his impressive goal scoring touch he’ll be looking to add a lot more, with all forwards on this team playing a 200-foot game, Almost Famous might just find out that scoring is harden then it was before. When a team can play like Almost Famous can, it comes with certain expectations that results will follow, they can take on almost any team in ECL offensive wise, in 5 games against Deadly Phantoms they conceded 16 times, considering the opponent they have now, and their talents in their own zone, @grontti88 and his SV% of 74,56 needs to be better. Whilst defense wins championships, this team has the ability to score, so if the defense isn’t there, they might just out-score their opponents anyway, creative forward @ikavalko and offensive defenceman @Jalkkin- who spearhead this offense, can make any team weak in the knees. It's the classic tale of offense vs defense, which will prevail? We had a chance to talk with the RYHTIC captain @yrjoo and the Almost Famous captain @Ikavalko before the series - here's what they had to say: What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team? Yrjoo: "They are in great form, and played very well so far in these playoffs. They have a great player in every position, but have to pick out Rikardo, just a few seasons ago he played in Neo and now he's fighting for a spot in Pro Finals." Ikavalko: "I haven't really followed RYHTIC this season, but I'd say they have a lot of "pass-first" kind of players, so their weakness would be their lack of players to make a difference in a series, with the exception of @MCH_98, he can really make a difference with his offense, however, we'll try to make him make mistakes and when we do, the game will turn around really quickly." How will you prepare for the series? Yrjoo: "The same way as any other series." Ikavalko: No need to reinvent the wheel here, we'll do our thing and keep the flow going. Focus on our thing and only that is what got us this far." What will it take for your team to advance to the finals? Yrjoo: "If we just keep playing the way we have, we'll have a great chance to advance." Ikavalko: "Smart defense and puck control is what we're focusing on, pressing in the right areas at the right time is how we'll take this series. I think our trickery, creativity, and puck control are better than RYHTIC. They are clearly the better team on defense so we won't take that battle." Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-2 Almost Famous @Juhaniz-: 4-3 RYHTIC @jubex0r: 4-3 RYHTIC @Pensasmies: 4-3 RYHTIC Player to watch: @JussinSisko Watch the series live: twitch.tv/yrjoo, twitch.tv/mkine FOLLOW THE ECL PRO PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division Quarterfinals on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, June 11th. Additionally, you can follow the teams' own coverage using the links provided above. Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!