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Greetings, gamers! After a well-deserved breather following last season’s Game 7 thriller, it’s time to rust off your blades, as ECL 5 Elite is set to start with a bang. Twelve teams from ECL 4 Elite, four teams from ECL 4 Pro and only 8 playoff spots to compete for – we are looking at another season of action-packed excitement. The offseason was very busy with major roster shuffle in several teams. However, the balance of power has not seemed to shift that much. As an introduction to the new season, here’s a prediction of how the teams stand, mostly based on personal observations and EASHL performance during the pre-season. The teams are listed alphabetically within their respective categories. The Contenders The reigning champions Laser HT are now known as SJK eSports. Team captain Dominointi, who represents the eSports organization personally as well, is expected to be on full form early on, having continued his successful season with a victorious Summer Cup. SJK goes into the season with no major changes in the lineup – and with a champion status, nothing points out they would not be contenders for the new season. Written In The Stars has been one of the strongest teams in the pre-season. DieCutterMC from Dynasty is a great fit to the team. They will look to repeat their start from last year and only a few have doubts they will succeed at that. A blend of slick moves and unorthodox plays; at times, juggling on the fine line between effective and entertaining. Carlsberg HC is back in the Elite division, to which it undoubtedly belongs. There were two very interesting additions to Carlsberg HC in the form of Vilupoika and KingofApes. With one of the best offensive rosters in the league, this team intends to win the last game of the season and light the lamp on the way through. MUKIMIEHET introduced Pair4You back into the lineup. The core of the team has stuck around together for a while already, and with a well-balanced offensive and defensive style of play, the cup is within the reach of these guys. The Challengers Aapon Taikasauva saw a lot of changes over the summer. In came Nylanderi, Penatski, Puantso, Cappe and ShaneC27. They have all the tools to make it a championship team, but the tournament is short and with so many changes, time is not on their side. With arguably the highest potential of improving their game throughout the season, they probably don’t top the Challenger list only alphabetically. Dynasty was as close as it gets to winning last year, but a lot of roster changes happened over the summer and it will probably take a while to get back the routine level to where it was. To highlight the changes made, the starting roster is expected to feature only 2 skaters who finished the season with the team in ECL 4. Nevertheless, Dynasty is still one of the best defensive teams out there – come playoffs, anything is possible. Northern Ascendancy drained the swamp, being no more known as Unknown. Instead, the team is known for their fast, creative and lethal counter-attacks. One of the best teams in neutral zone transitions, and often catch opponents out of formation. Very strong when given the chance to play with their strengths. Nordic Lightning is one of the teams with most roster changes during the offseason. From the brink of folding the club, Terrorsenko|91| managed to get a squad together. The hard work has only just begun though; most teams in the Elite division have a solid head-start in preparation and Nordic Lightning faces a tough task should they try to clinch a playoff spot. Likely to rely on defensive play and quick rushes up the ice. Nordic Nightmare come into the tournament as a bit of a mystery. The team has been a rare sight during the pre-season, but reports say they’ve been building chemistry over the summer in a whole different genre of games. However, the changes to the lineup weren’t big during the offseason, and they should be on form quickly. Northern Stars was another team to make a big double-signing, when PleeMaker and tbnantti inked their names on a contract. Last season they were a very productive duo, and will be interesting to see how they adapt to the new environment. If they can get everything clicking, Northern Stars has the potential to win the tournament; but as I see it, they are not there yet. Synergy, another long-standing franchise from Sweden, finds themselves in a rather similar spot to past tournaments; ready to challenge any team on the ice, and beat them on a good day. Known for strong cycle plays and utilizing all 5 skaters in all phases of the game, the experience level emanates from the blue-and-yellow uniforms. Missing out on the playoffs would be a disappointment. TIKI TALK starts another season with an under-dog status. Patient defense and success with their stingy counter-attacks, and TIKI TALK is right on their game. Team captain itspardytime has been around for a long time and knows how to rob the points from bigger teams. Nevertheless, a playoff spot is probably out of reach. The Arrivals Kattiautomaatti N/A, author's team. How will Katti do in Elite? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Rusty Blades was eventually rewarded for their strong season in Pro with a last-minute Elite spot for ECL 5. These Finns start the season with a virtually unchanged lineup. They are a strong defensive team with good goaltending, often able to catch out match favorites. Silver Sword Griffins is one of the four new teams in Elite this season, and they’ll be looking to cement their place at the highest tier. SSG has a very balanced lineup, including three winners from the previous Summer Cup. The structure and organization of their game is more developed and rigid than with most other teams. Contending for a playoff spot. Sjukstugan makes their entry into the Elite tier in an uncomfortable position after losing their n. 1 goalie right on the doorstep of the new season. With some additional roster shuffling in the offseason, Sjukstugan could be facing a rocky start with their new campaign. Stories to Follow In a big picture, there are always interesting finer details. There are several new teams ready to leave their mark in Elite, Carlsberg HC even looking at setting a standard on what can be achieved straight after promotion. On an individual player level, there is so much to follow. Here are a few stories that I will be following with interest: 3+2=?: Can tbnantti and PleeMaker continue to be the offensive powerhouse we saw in the past, will the new roster start clicking, and will it make NOS great again? Rusty on both ends: Can Lamsa keep up his goal scoring numbers for the Rusty Blades, now at the highest tier? Can Supreex do the same goaltending-wise in the other end of the ice? The League Sheriff: SadaPoika was an interesting addition by Sjukstugan; not least because he is the only forward in the Elite league to regularly play with an enforcer build. What are looking forward to this season? Do you have a team or a player you will keep an eye on? Who wins, who relegates? Tell us your thoughts! Keep those streams running, and as always, good luck & have fun!

NHLGamers, The time has come for ECL 5 to get started and here is the Preview for the ECL 5 Pro division. This is the second season under the ECL divisional umbrella and Pro this season looks to be even tighter than last season. While there are some very high-skill teams participating this season as well, there aren't any clear-cut favorites the same way a team like Carlsberg HC was for ECL 4 Pro. On the other hand, that should make this regular season a sight to behold. This is taken directly from @gzell60s excellent ECL 5 launch summary: Group 1 AK 47 Alliance HT Bare Knuckles Hockey Black Panther Party Evolution Falun Coal Miners God Tier Gotham Knights Hawks Hockey Club Inter Iceland Lavetten Murohoki Nemesis SIKA Squirt Hockey White Trash Lets begin by taking a look at the teams added to Pro Group 1 by application (marked in bold). 4 out of the 9 teams promoted through application ended up in Group 1. Out of those, Black Panther Party had the strongest original claim due to their Quarterfinal berth in the ECL 4 Lite playoffs. The remaining "application teams" - God Ties, Squirt Hockey & Falun Coal Miners - will have their work cut out for them to qualify for the playoffs among established teams like SIKA, Gotham Knights and White Trash. Speaking of which, both SIKA and Gotham Knights (under the name "Refuse To Lose") both participated in ECL 4 Elite and will be hungry to prove themselves after getting demoted. On the other side of the spectrum, Group 1 also features two teams that made their way up from Lite last season by going far in the playoffs: Lavetten and Hawks Hockey Club. Look for both these teams to finish high in this group as they have continued to develop their team play since that promotion. Finally, you got to keep your eyes open for a team like White Trash who came close to getting promoted to Elite last season. Projected Top 3 from Group 1: 1. SIKA - Never underestimate the Hogs. If anyone is going to turn their trend around and work them back to being an Elite-level team, it is captain and leader vSilenttio. 2. White Trash - Did well in the playoffs in ECL 4 Pro and hasn't lost a step since. With some of the biggest dogs (Carlsberg, Sjukstugan, Kattiautomaatti, Silver Sword Griffins) out of the way, it wouldn't be a surprise to see White Trash evolve into one of the new big dogs of Pro. 3. Gotham Knights - It is time for a bounce-back season from dynamic duo Hanssoni and RedMisTi. After being at the very top of the ladder for many seasons in the predecessor to ECL (the EHL), they haven't quite found their groove in the ECL yet. This season presents an excellent opportunity to do so! Players to watch from Group 1: 1. ZipPlayer & Kaneyh, White Trash - Dynamic duo that has led White Trash in scoring the last two seasons (one each). With White Trash expected to be one of the highest scoring teams in ECL Pro Group 1, the board is set for these two to put up 100+ points each if they play enough games during the season. 2. KattenJansson97, Lavetten - Highly skilled center who handles the puck with ease and supplies highlight reel goals more often than not. Likely to be the leading scorer for up-and-coming Swedish team Lavetten, Katten will have to make sure to stay grounded in his two-way game to handle the rigors of a Pro season. 3. SpiderRoyal, SIKA - One of the most experienced goaltenders in the Group, Spider is a calming presence between the pipes for SIKA. Will be expected to shoulder the majority of the teams games in net and there is no doubt in my mind that this veteran keeper can do it. Underdog - Team to watch from Group 1: 1. Evolution (previously Nocturnal Hunters) - With the late additions of TackleControl and topikeranen to a team that already featured Jageksi as the anchor of the offense, Evolution just jumped to the top of the list as one of the overall most dangerous offensive teams. It would not be a surprise to see this team pull of some crazy performances under captain Crisu_Rottis and end up as one of the top seeds in the playoffs. Look out! Group 2 Baltic Sea Eagles Banterfield Battalion Bellizzi Clowns on Ice DEAD END KINGS EN HUND Free From Rodents GHETTO FIREBIRDS J P T J Nordic Stars Pata Hellalla Shameful Knights Speedy Bros Hockey Sypperstaars THE UNITED KNIGHTS Unlucky Boys HC The teams promoted by application in this group were Banterfield Battalion, Clowns on Ice, EN HUND, Ghetto Firebirds and THE UNITED KNIGHTS. If you see one team name there that stands out, it is most likely THE UNITED KNIGHTS. Besides having their name featured in ALL CAPS, this team has a long and storied history as a top team, dating back even to the PS3 tournaments. Outsides of these five, returning Pro franchises Unlucky Boys HC and Shameful Knight have their eyes fixed on achieving what they barely fell short of last season, making the Elite division. Teams J P T J and DEAD END KINGS will feel instantly comfortable in the Pro division with the increased competition seeing as they flew high through Lite last season. Finally, never count long-time franchise Baltic Sea Eagles out of the fight. Projected Top 3 from Group 2: 1. Unlucky Boys HC - Fell short last season but will be one of the top teams from Group 2, anything else will surely be dissapointing for captain Anhel_Kuru and his established, high-skill team. 2. Shameful Knights - Anyone who has played Shameful Knights in regular EASHL competition know that they are a frustrating team to play against. Content with turning the puck back to their defenders, the patient play style of this team has gotten many teams in trouble before. With their opponents lulled into a false sense of security, the Shameful Knights have the ability to strike suddendly and dart through the opposing teams defense. 3. THE UNITED KNIGHTS - Big-time franchise that is returning to ECL competition after a long layoff but hasn't looked rusty at all when doing it. TUK has given EASHL opponents fits so far in NHL 18 and while the season hasn't gotten going yet, it is safe to say that the name THE UNITED KNIGHTS will be feared once more before too long. Players to watch from Group 2: 1. Johataja699, Speedy Bros Hockey - Ahead of ECL 5, the captain, heart and soul of Finnish Roosters saw his once great team on the verge of collapsing. To keep this from happening, he teamed up with hard-hitting defender Ampuhaukka78 to create a hybrid team between Finnish Roosters and the newly formed Speedy Bros Hockey. Brings ton of skill and experience to the lineup and will be an important component for the success of Speedy Bros Hockey. 2. Nephenzy, DEAD END KINGS - The "players to watch"-list for Group 2 becomes a list of captains as Nephenzy of DEK takes the second spot here. Not pleased with being put in Lite last season, this point producer went out and carried his team all the way to a Pro promotion. Remains to be seen if he can do the same from Pro to Elite (and re-kindle the rivalry with Synergy Hockey) but if he brings the same determination as last season, anything is possible. 3. Seahyena, Nordic Stars - We complete the captaincy trio by adding Nordic Stars' long-time captain Seahyena. A solid two-way defender who can score point and light opponents up with big hits, Seahyena will be crucial to NS' success this season in ECL Pro Group 2. Underdog - Team to watch from Group 2: 1. J P T J - The team that dominated every statistical category imaginable in ECL 4 Lite jumps up a step and faces Pro competition. Will their journey continue on its meteoric path or will the challenge of facing teams that are stronger defensively put a lid on this offensive powerhouse? Only time will tell but something tells me that J P T J might find themselves at the top half of the standings once it is time for the playoffs. That was our ECL 5 Pro prediction here at NHLGamer. Be sure to stay tuned for more previews and quality content as the European Championship League progresses. @The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com