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ECL Elite 16 in 16 is a season preview series we're implementing ahead of ECL 7. The idea was conceived by @chavelski, but due to time constraining the man himself, the project is now being carried out by the rest of our Elite writing team. The series will be released in 16 parts, one article for each team. The teams have been ranked by all team captains, and articles are being released in order from predicted last place finish to predicted champion of ECL 7. The objective of this series is to give an idea to the community of who is representing which team, added by a small insight into the team with an interview of the team captain. It seems like quite a few Elite teams have experienced a larger type of overhaul this offseason, right? Remains to be seen if that will affect the power rankings at all when the season starts. So far, the captain vote has been rather predictable, and next in our 16 in 16 series that has now been slightly prolonged - we're taking a look at a team that's been known to finish close to the top of the standings, they've also made some drastic changes over the summer, they're former Carlsberg HC now turned Radical. Radical, led by scoring powerhouse @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_), experienced some devastating losses in the early summer as arguably the best defensive pairing in the game @Janzuh - @vatalisti headed to FILADELPHIA and scoring winger @Vilupoika joined Butterfly Effect. Admirably, Radical didn't rest on their laurels and got right to action. They made some high level acquisitions and the team includes some interesting comebacks, so they're surely a team to watch out for once the season gets going. IN Joukki13 <-- Written In The Stars xDoumi <-- FILADELPHIA F-B-I__A-N-D-Y_ <-- Break from NHL s_W1ld_Rus <-- Break from NHL Juizki <-- Evolution MAYZIIX <-- Arctic OUT Vilupoika --> Butterfly Effect vatalisti --> FILADELPHIA Janzuh --> FILADELPHIA Zande95 --> FILADELPHIA FinKonna --> FILADELPHIA Current roster: Forwards KingOfApes_ (C) @Tuukka.R Joukki13 (A) @Joukki Penatski (A) @Penatski Defensemen xDoumi @xDoumi Terasniska @Pontus T F-B-I__A_N-D-Y_ @Andy90 MAYZIIX @MAYZIIX Goaltenders s_W1ld_Rus @s_w1ld_rus Juizki @Juizki Interview with captain @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) We've heard a lot of criticism about the new game, mostly the tuners and patches have got quite a negative reception. What do you guys think? The game was brilliant before the patch, although the poke check was completely useless. I think the patch broke the game, though. I'm very much against taking away the toolbox for individual skill and domination on the ice. This year it seems like everyone has the chance to play a winning type of hockey. Worst NHL ever. Alike many other Elite teams, Radical has experienced a well.. radical player turnover over the summer. At times there were speculation if the team will even continue. With this in mind, how has the team been able to prepare for ECL 7? To be honest, the preparation hasn't been easy at all. First of all it wasn't even easy to put together a team after we had so many players jump ship after the season. We were close to calling it quits a few times, but now as we've managed to establish a core group again, it's been easier. Radical experienced some significant losses (see: @Vilupoika and @vatalisti to name a few) during the summer. What kind of acquisitions have you made to make up for your losses? How will the roster changes affect your style of play for the upcoming season? Well, in reality you can't talk about 'making up for our losses'. We lost the best d-pairing in the game and a top scoring left wing. How do we come back from that? Luckily we managed to get players like @Joukki, @xDoumi and @Andy90 (F-B-I__A-N-D-Y_) so I think our future is bright! What kind of thoughts do you have about the ECL Elite license? Definitely positive. Personally, I think it will increase interest towards the league. I'd like to extend a special thanks to @FlyerKungen for firing up the discussion! ❤️ We've got about a month of NHL19 behind us now, who's been yout toughest opponent so far? Why? Frankly, almost every game has been like an ECL Final game 7. The new game has evened out the skill gap so much, it doesn't really matter who you're facing right now. It's going to be a difficult season. Let's finish off with a short one, who do you think will be the top scorer of ECL Elite this season? @PleeMaker surely has the skill set and strong linemates to win. Thanks Ape, good luck with the upcoming season! ECL Elite 16 in 16 so far: 1. _______________ 2. _______________ 3. Radical 4. Symphony 5. Dynasty 6. Northern Ascendancy 7. Sjukstugan 8. Northern Stars 9. Unlucky Boys 10. Rusty Blades 11. Almost Famous 12. _____________ (To be released) 13. SIKA 14. Gotham Knights 15. Falun Coal Miners 16. Team Frosty Only two teams left to choose from, which way do you think it'll go?

*Article written by @Panarinz and @Mannheimer1938 Guten Tag and välkommen NHLGamers, Man, how all of us were hyped up when the Beta was coming out - what a brilliant game NHL 19 would be! We had the feeling that nearly all virtual hockey cracks are purchasing the Legends and Ultimate Editions to lace up their skates in this beautiful masterpiece as soon as they can. We were not disappointed - a fresh new list of soundtracks, well, it was definitely needed as you are waiting in the dressing rooms for hours in case of the broken matchup screens, but hey, at least you can now play 3s alongside 6vs6! Who cares about clicking through five (5 - F I V E) menu screens after every disconnect or locker room error as long as you can see your fancy styled player coming into the scene over and over again. There's much wrong with the product we have - but we don't want to talk about things that annoy us, so we'll rather change the subject to something that hypes us up - ECL IS BACK! With over 120 teams registering we broke the record for registered teams again! I, together with @Mannheimer1938 have today the pleasure to give you some insights from our second tier division. We'll discuss some changes made in the offseason and try to give you some thoughts about how the teams probably will perform. The Pro division is surely stacked with tons of talent, a fact that was displayed pretty well last season as all Pro teams won their promotion/relegation battles against the Elite teams. If you look into this bunch of teams, you will see everything the EASHL club scene has to offer: ECL 1 veterans, well-established teams, hungry promoted teams and promising start-ups. There will be some really tight matchups and everyone has to fight for every single point - there are no giveaways! With that being said; here is our little roundup and predictions: SPOILER ALERT - It's going to be fun to watch! Group 1 Baltic Sea Eagles (Current 6vs6 record 64-37-11) - Captains: @Thounimeister, @Heksaa, @swe best sniper After their 5th place finish in group 1, Baltic Sea Eagles had a pretty good start into the playoffs but had an end put to their run in the quarterfinals after five games against Almost Famous. They took some tough losses in their line-up as their top scorer of last season @vilperi90 left along with another starting lineup player. Currently it doesn't seem like they can handle the changes too well as their pre-season form is not too impressive. They've had some tough losses against both Elite and Pro opponents. CLUB ONE (Current 6vs6 record 104-73-18) – Captains: @epelis, @Pursuitti, @makichuk Former Penalty Box got a brand new look in the offseason by changing nearly everything – their name, their captain, their defense and offense! The four season veteran epelis, having some Elite experience under his belt is now in charge for the restart of this team and will try to lift the team up into the playoff race as their last season started with such hopes (6-3-1 record) but then the team had to go trough some hard times with more downs than ups. Finishing in no man’s land, (13th in Group 2) they are desperate to do it better this time. Their pre-season is likely similar to their last ECL season, but with more positives, they've won some and lost some to Pro and Lite caliber teams. Cowabunga Hockey (Current 6vs6 record 68-45-6) - Captains: @Tinkesakara, @Sokkelo__, @Jonitski Here we have a strong newcomer to the Pro division with almost the same exact squad as the one that took last seasons Lite silver medal. They added some depth and will continue playing their fast paced passing hockey. How this tactic will work in Pro we'll see. They've had a strong preseason with more ups than downs, winning against good teams and losing almost only against Pro and Elite teams. EN HUND (Current 6vs6 record 41-27-1) - Captains: @Lurkins, @Dooberi, @Hammaroid The seasoned veterans had a pretty quiet off-season. Nearly all starters are still in the team, "only" their starting goaltender left. It seems that @Dooberi will try to flash his glove for most of the season but I guess they will split some starts around a few guys. They don't have that much of a record to show for (looking at games played), but the games they played are quite good as they were winning most of their games against Lite and Pro teams. EV Duisburg (Current 6vs6 record 42-32-9) - Captains: @FoxGoalie, @GreatOne139, @ShawnMcNeil Last seasons Lite champions Duisburg has a lot to prove this season. It still pains me (@Panarinz) to say it, but they deserved their gold (might have something to do with them knocking out my beloved Style in the semis). No question about it. With last seasons MVP and captain @FoxGoalie they have the best chance to stay in Pro out of all promoted teams. As I said both during and after the semifinals against EV Duisburg, "their goalie can't ****** concede a ******* goal". So Pro teams, take note. No big difference in their squad compared to last season and an alright preseason doesn't change my theories. EV Duisburg are here to stay. Free From Rodents (Current 6vs6 record 7-6-0) - Captains: @Volano, @AndreasNo, @Guscharov The last-minute sign up Free From Rodents will try to get another run at a playoff-spot as they were missing it last season with only one point behind Quality. Loosing three starters could potentially hurt the team and they have to be replaced appropriate. There nearly non existent pre-season is a hint of a very tough start as they have to deliver right from the start with nearly no playing time. GHETTO FIREBIRDS (Current 6vs6 record 86-39-17) - Captains: @KepakkoFIN, @Vilze, @Sakkem One of the first ever European teams to sign with an esports organisation gained promotion due to some open spots and their former quarterfinalist campaign in ECL 6 but I would in no way say that the Firebirds don't belong in Pro. They proved at the beginning of NHL 19 that they definitely belong in the mix of a playoff-contender with a sweet record and a very good record in their last 10. They won some matchups against the higher tier and can be a tough opponent for every Pro team out there. Murohoki (Current 6vs6 record 80-42-13) - Captains: @Malcowich, @jjonij, @MovaaN What comes first? The chicken or the egg? ECL or Murohoki? In this case the answer is a little bit more clear as Murohoki only missed the starting season on NHLGamer but after that they were participating in every ECL season! Quite an effort for a team while many many teams are getting renamed, disbanded, created - is there any kind of receipt to their long time club history? I will bet that these guys will be in the talk of the playoff teams but let's see if they can build some more legacy - even a run at a promotion? Currently bad form, almost only losses in their last 10 games. Before that slope, they won against top Pro and Elite teams. Raccoon Rampage (Current 6vs6 record 51-24-5) - Captains: @Ojamoska, @Eemeli31, @VesqGame Beware of the Raccoons! These scary guys with one of the nicest logos around here will be flashing their teeth hunting for scalps more than you are thinking. Their pre-season record is pretty impressive and they will immediately make their presence felt in the Pro division. Dark Horse maybe? Make sure to have them on your list of the playoff contenders. Saints (Current 6vs6 record 96-76-23) - Captains: @Hazard-laser, @Pasi Modry, @Nakkertoni The last but not least team to gain direct promotion from the Lite division because of the open Pro spots. The leader of this group of guys @Hazard-laser is a true veteran and has experience over all divisions and he will try to give his guys all the help he can in order to exceed expectations. Their pre-season displayed that the potential is there, as they were winning against Pro teams but also losing against some Lite teams. It could be the daily form which is the decicive factor in taking 2, 1 or 0 points. Speedy Bros Hockey (Current 6vs6 record 78-49-14) - Captains: @Ampuhaukka, @Tzon93, @riihimaenharski After an alright season finishing just out of the playoff spots in Pro, Speedy Bros have made a lot of changes to their squad, even though their core still remains. One very welcome addition is the return of @mir02k1, who is known to put up points against tough opponents. The form of Speedy Bros has been great as of late, winning games against a few Elite teams and they seemingly has a great strategy against top teams. That being said, they've still lost some games versus Lite and Pro teams too. You will probably see this team in the playoffs this season. Lets see how "Speedy" they can be during this season and if all stars are aligned they can do even more than go to the playoffs. Style (Current 6vs6 record 64-23-4) – Captains: @mayX-swe, @Panarinz, @LegendenKurtz_ The Swedish club gained promotion after a semi-final exit in 6 games against the later champion EV Duisburg and is thirsty to prove that they are Pro caliber right from the get go. With only a few off-season changeups the core of the team remained the same so there should be some chemistry in the early games of the season. The key factor will be if the addition of @Mrantonn as the new number 1 between the pipes will work out for them, he has experience as a starter after one full season with the Stayhard Stallions under his belt. Their pre-season so far is quite impressive, as they are winning most of their matchups against Pro and Lite teams, even winning some games against Elite teams such as the Rusty Blades. Synergy Hockey (Current 6vs6 record 47-23-5) - Captains: @Windblad, @Supremski, @Egyptologen All key players for Synergy will try to get another shot at a potential Elite promotion this season. As their chemistry seems to be quite good because of the nearly nonexistent changes, they are going strong in the preseason with a sweet L10 record (9-0-1) with a lot of goals scored in their last 7 wins. Even some Elite teams had to suffer some losses. TIKI TALK (Current 6vs6 record 100-47-7) - Captains: @itspardytime, @Fuhrer Vuorio, @PCJP After a dissapionting end to their season in ECL 6, the former Elite team will find strength and fight back! They have played in every single ECL season, but with a lot of changes in their squad on the way. Newly signed goaltender @PCJP might be key for this team during the regular season. We should see this team back in the playoffs for sure. How far they will go though, I can't tell. They've had a great preseason, only 2 losses in their last 20 games is a big statement. Unity (Current 6vs6 record 59-21-7) - Captains: @esskay, @Lainzndr, @Sampa88 The former MotherPuckers also gained a spot in the upcoming Pro season due to their quarterfinal campaign in ECL 6. As they are trusting most of their starters of the last Lite season, all they acquired was a new starting goaltender. Their pre-season record is pretty impressive so far, winning against all kinds of opponents day in and day out. Unity has a chance to not only be an underdog but also achieve some sweet unexpected victories and fight their way to the top of the group. Wasps Gaming (Current 6vs6 record 62-29-5) – Captains: @Yoloberg, @Wickedtah69, @TheArska Former Quality got a similar restart as CLUB ONE, where only the captains @Yoloberg and @Wickedtah69 stayed from their last season team. One of the reasons might be being signed by the esports organization WaspsGaming. The team finished 8th in their group and had to call it quits in the first round as they lost in 5 games to the later runner-up FILADELPHIA. The goal for this season should be to qualify as a higher seed into the playoffs in order to avoid the strongest teams in the first rounds. They have potential, which is clearly visible in their pre-season, as they are impressing with wins over a few Elite teams. @Mannheimer1938s group 1 favourites to go far this season: Baltic Sea Eagles Tiki Talk Synergy Hockey Underdogs: Raccoon Rampage Unity Players to watch: @FoxGoalie, Goaltender, EV Duisburg The Lite-Playoff-MVP of ECL 6 will be the key factor for his team and it will be interesting to watch, if he could repeat such an outstanding performance. Is he capable of it? His defense is nearly unchanged and in our preseason matchups he's still very hard to beat. Keep your eyes on his ability to track the puck and you will have a guaranteed highlight on the defensive side of the game. @swe best sniper, Defenseman, Baltic Sea Eagles After one season with a lot of icetime for Arctic, IYouShallNotPassI is back for the Baltic Sea Eagles and he will try to continue on the same note as he was 5th in the scoring department for defenders in ECL 6. I believe he will be an important factor for BSE this season as good offense always starts with a nice breakout pass. @itspardytime, Forward, TIKI TALK Is there even a party without Pardy? The man, the myth, the legend. Did anyone see TIKI TALK play without him? He's a Day 1 veteran with a lot of experience and he never lost his scoring touch. With the general improvement of the team, Pardy will lead his crew to an outstanding season and will try to crack the top 5 in the scoring department. You can try to cover him, but he will find those small cracks and bust through any defense. Group 2 Belizzi (Current 6vs6 record ?-?-?) - Captains: @iLLu_8, @Bellizzikunkku, @SikkiParkki Bellizzi will start their 4th season in Pro as they managed to get into no man's land with the 11th place in group 2 of ECL 6. With most of their core players staying in the team, they should surely be some chemistry right from the get go. They will fight for their lives to stay in Pro another time and this should be their goal - but not without scrapping together some points from the "favourite" teams. They had a rough pre-season with many losses and only 2 wins out of their last 13 games where they got handed some losses against all kinds of teams. Bone Breakers (Current 6vs6 record 74-34-12) - Captains: @rotta__roteva, @PuukAesi, @Lupachuk With a bottom finish in group 2 and almost the exact same squad as last season you will see a team that'll be fighting for their lives to stay put in Pro. With 4 seasons of ECL experience and great firing power on the offensive side of the game, they could be an underdog that surprises us this season. Their preseason is filled with both ups and downs, winning vs Elite teams and losing vs Pro and Lite teams. Born With It (Current 6vs6 record 60-24-6) - Captains: @Takajeejee, @xSG8LFCx, @Jesse6115 This new founded team gained promotion due to the open spots of the Pro division and has to prove right from the beginning that they have the talent to keep up with the bigger clubs. @Kenu told us in the group lottery stream that some guys of this roster has the talent and skill as they are "born with it". Their pre-season record is good so far but they have a lot of losses against the teams they have to compete against now. It'll be interesting to watch if they can adapt their talent and stay in the Pro division. Bucketeers (Current 6vs6 record 92-43-13) - Captains: @Carlsson-91, @SolenX86, @Daniel Gadd Another Team that claimed a free spot during the registration process but those guys are far away from not deserving it. Personally I think these guys have a direct chance for a playoff spot if they continue to roll like in the pre-season as they were winning most of their matchups against Pro teams. Can they make the transition in real competition? Let us know what you think in the comment section! Checkmate (Current 6vs6 record 82-31-8) - Captains: @TackleControl, @janbonator, @vilperi90 Checkmate, former Arctic lost their captain to the Falun Coal Miners and @TackleControl is now in charge for the basically new team. Their pre-season is not bad as they have wins and losses against Pro teams and some tight matchups with Elite teams but also some losses against current Lite teams. It'll be interesting to see if they can recreate their success of last season where they qualified for the playoffs. Potential underdog? Deadly Phantoms HC (Current 6vs6 record 120-26-9) - Captains: @Mannheimer1938, @Rayman, @gzell60 The Phantoms have started NHL 19 in a wonderful way, currently ranked 3rd overall in EASHL (4th overall 6v6)! With that kind of stats, very few changes in the team from last season and great experience in their squad in mind these guys could be a contender for a semi-final place, or maybe even an Elite promotion after this season (you heard it here first!). The Phantoms are known for their solid defense and stability in tough games, plus they never seem to have a bad period. In their last 20 EASHL games their record is 19-0-1 (wins against Elite teams included). Le coq Sportif (Current 6vs6 record 14-4-1) - Captains: @Khemnos, @Nexhztah, @Isidor1891 After a great regular season, 2nd in group 2, former Alliance HT saw themselves going out of the playoffs in the 1st round vs Deadly Phantoms. Now that a new season is upon us, Le Coq Sportif will try to improve on last season's disappointing end. To do just that, they signed a few new players and let go of some of the old guys. With another season in Pro under their belt and many new interesting signings, they could surprise us during season 7. Nordic Nosebleed (Current 6vs6 record 72-56-11) - Captains: @Cherry, @Lidaas79, @dgsson Last seasons relegation survivors (winning against J P T J 4-0 in a relegation battle) would want to come out stronger into this season. They have added a few new names to their roster, see @Willander97 for example, a goal scoring forward that will certainly boost their offense. That was their weakness last season, having the least amount of scored goals in ECL Pro with 35 in 26 games. The current form in the preseason doesn't tell us much though, with both wins and losses against Pro teams and a small improvement seen in the last few days. Will they have to play a relegation series this season as well? You tell me in the comment section. Nordic Stars (Current 6vs6 record 41-21-6) - Captains: @Seahyena, @taemtaem, @Amigo After being relegated from Elite (losing the relegation battle versus White Trash) the Stars have changed their lineup quite a bit. Adding @Pair4You will probably be the main factor in a possible promotion run back to Elite. Otherwise, they have the caliber of players needed already. Great experience and a group of good players will come into play when playing the decisive games of the season. Their form doesn't say much here, their preseason have gone alright, losses and wins against Pro teams. Pata Hellalla (Current 6vs6 record 56-42-12) – Captains: @kungenkurwa, @Tetrejev, @Laraque The former Elite Team had to swallow their bad season as they were relegated but will try to turn things around this season with nearly the same roster. They will for sure be a team to talk about when it comes to playoff potential as they have the needed experience but it could probably be a rollercoaster kind of a season. Their pre-season gives us a hint with some tight games against all divisions and it could probably come down to the daily form. Pohjoista Voimaa (120-98-22) - Captains: @nessron, @rjounila, @Johtava Another Lite quarterfinalist will try to prove that their run last season is grounds for them being promoted. Nearly all of their starters will try to take the step into the higher tier and it seems to be an up and down season for them if we look at their preseason as they mostly losing against their new competition. It will be interesting to see if they will have a learning process or if they have to fight tooth and nail to stay in Pro. Raging Monkeys (Current 6vs6 record 53-27-8) – Captains: @Buffy, @DaMan, @AndreasLeafs The Raging Monkeys finished 8th in their group last season and were eliminated with a first round sweep against the later champion Monarchs. A few offseason changeups including a nearly whole new defensive squad shall turn out into a better playoff position. The potential to keep up with the best in the Pro division is definitely there, but let’s see if they can handle the loss of their former starting goaltender @Trollstivegen. Resurrection (Current 6vs6 record 88-62-18) - Captains: @Veikkonator, @J0HTAJA, @Jiihooo86 Another new founded team, who got the chance to skip the Lite division as they were deemed to have potential to prove their skill at the Pro level. They have the talent and knowledge for sure as for example winger @Artuzio placed 6th in the NHL Gaming World Championship, but it isn't that easy to transfer versus skill to a high 6vs6 level. Their pre-season against Pro teams is filled with ups and downs, winning and losing. I guess these guys will adjust to a higher level as we go further into the season. Sektion K (Current 6vs6 record 69-52-12) - Captains: @HambergD, @minokin, @nyllah Sektion K lost three starters in the offseason, two of them were their most productive players in the points department and they also had to look for a new starter between the pipes. Referring to the preseason, they will have a hard time to stay in the Pro division as they won mostly against Lite teams but lost most of the matchups against other Pro teams. @Shift497 and @Freakmund will have their work cut out for them in net. Silver Sword Griffins (Current 6vs6 record 67-46-6) – Captains: @Joshua Plattner, @ProMinx24, @xLVxRitchey After a horrible season in the Elite division (Finished 16th), the name of the team itself remains the same, but the identity and players are quite different. @Joshua Plattner (Darth-SidiouzZ) is now in charge of the team and a lot of new blood came into the team. It'll be interesting to see if the new additions with mostly Lite experience can keep up with the pace in Pro, but it isn’t unthinkable if the workhorses from last season, which are still on the team, can lead the group to glory. Their pre-season displays that pretty well as they are hard to beat but have to create more chances in the offensive zone to be a playoff-type team. The Visionaries (Current 6vs6 record 77-57-12) - Captains: @Mikka, @Heero, @EvgeniFlower The halfway rebuild of the former Banterfield Battalion will try to recreate a very solid start, alike the one they had in ECL 6 (7-3-0) and to forget the terrible ending (2-8-0). Will the additions to the roster click with the old guys and can they build up a positive start for the new team? Seems to be a little bit tough as they haven't been in that great form so far, as they are losing against most of their Pro competition. @Panarinzs favourites to do well in group 2: Born with it Deadly Phantoms HC Nordic Stars Underdogs: Le coq Sportif Resurrection Players to watch: @RaNtA, Goaltender, Nordic Stars Mr Joe Labero (the magician) himself has the experience from both Elite and Pro games, he knows how to handle pressure. Watch him show his magic and make some jaw-dropping saves. @gzell60, Defenseman, Deadly Phantoms HC The reliable defenseman Gzell60 showed what he's capable of last ECL with him leading Deadly Phantoms to a playoff spot. He can provide offense, but it's in the defensive zone he excels. You can find him at the top of the plus/minus ranking. @edson, Forward, Born With It Former top forward Edd138 has come back from a long break from ECL and would surely want to make an impact quickly. Watch out for his name in the scoring race! There you have it! Our preview of all Pro teams for ECL 7 and some sprinkles on top! Special thanks to @Mannheimer1938 who co-wrote this article with me! PS: @Panarinz wrote the Deadly Phantoms related text and @Mannheimer1938 wrote the one about Style. Thanks for tuning in and from all of us to all of you: have a very me... great ECL season (and good luck to all teams)!

Salute NHLGamers, It's finally time for the 7th edition of the European Championship League, the best EASHL 6vs6 league there is (in our unbiased opinion)! This time we beat another record! Last year we had 108 teams, now it's up to 123. That's a BIG increase from last season and it seems to be the trend moving forward. Lets make sure we are as welcoming to new members as possible to make sure we continue on this path. ECL Lite and ECL Pro will start playing today, Monday 15th of October and ECL Elite will start a week later, on Monday 22nd of October. The schedules for all divisions are available through the menu both on the main page and here on the community side. Without further ado, here's all you need to know: ECL 7 Rules As usual, we have fine-tuned our ruleset, so we suggest you give them a good read before the season start! The rules for ECL 7 can be found here: League Administration All league related verdicts will be decided by the League Administration. To open up a case, visit the new Support section on the forums. Please note: before contacting League Administration, teams are expected to solve issues they might have on their own. Familiarize yourself with our rules first, as they include lots of guidance for different issues. League Administration is always to be used as the last resort to solve any disagreements. In which division can I find each team? ECL 7 Elite 14 teams confirmed their participation for ECL 7: Almost Famous Dynasty Falun Coal Miners FILADELPHIA Gotham Knights Northern Ascendancy Northern Stars Radical Rusty Blades Sjukstugan Symphony Team Frosty Unlucky Boys HC Written In The Stars As ECL Elite was missing two teams, League Administration decided to promote two teams according to rule 4.3, "Similarly, if the number of open spots in ECL Elite exceeds the number of promotions from ECL Pro, these additional spots will be filled with additional teams from ECL Pro according to the following factors from the previous season: Playoff wins" SIKA (7 playoff wins) Butterfly Effect (previously known as Red Machine, 6 playoff wins) We would like to congratulate Butterfly Effect and SIKA for making it to ECL Elite! ECL 7 Pro 25 teams confirmed their participation for ECL 7: Baltic Sea Eagles Bellizzi Bone Breakers Butterfly Effect Checkmate CLUB ONE Cowabunga Hockey Deadly Phantoms EN HUND EV Duisburg Free From Rodents Le coq Sportif Murohoki Nordic Nosebleed Nordic Stars Pata Hellalla Raging Monkeys Sektion K SIKA Silver Sword Griffins Speedy Bros Hockey Style Synergy Hockey The Visionaries TIKI TALK Wasps Gaming With Butterfly Effect and SIKA getting promoted to Elite, we now had 9 open spots in ECL Pro. According to the rule 4.2, "...If the number of open spots in ECL Pro exceeds the number of promotions from ECL Lite, e.g. due to ECL Pro teams disbanding, these additional spots will be filled with teams that applied during the sign-up phase according to the following factors: Priority for ECL Lite quarter-finalists from the previous season, Franchise history, Roster composition, EASHL record" First of all we looked at the Lite quarter-finalists from last season, which also had said "Yes" to apply for a Pro spot in their registration. These three teams fit the criteria: Ghetto Firebirds (QF) Pohjoista Voimaa (QF) Unity (QF) These three teams will play in Pro this season, congrats! For the 6 remaining spots, we were looking at teams who applied for ECL Pro in their ECL Lite registration. Based on the previously listed factors the League Administration decided to promote the following teams: Born With It Bucketeers Checkmate Raccoon Rampage Resurrection Saints Congrats to these teams as well, you will all play in Pro this season! ECL 7 Lite The remaining 75 teams that applied for ECL Lite will play in ECL Lite this season. ECL 7 Groups: On Saturday evening we streamed the group lottery for our divisions in ECL 7. Below is the complete list of the teams participating this season and in which groups they will play. Due to Crusaders deciding to not participate at last minute and our staff being informed after the lottery, we had to make a balancing adjustment to even things up and this moved Infinity into group 5. Here are your ECL 7 groups: ECL 7 Lite - 8 Groups ECL Lite will be played in eight groups consisting of 9-10 teams each. With 2 games against each opponent, this results in an 16-18 game regular season for each team in which the top 8 teams out of each conference will go to the playoffs (64 teams total). Group 1: Cancun Pirates HC Dark Alligators HC Keskikalja Inter Iceland Last Period Mentula SKA Nearbird Fighters Niederrhein Canucks Rusty Bulls The Black Jacks Group 2: Gents of Fortune Kalamasu HT KulmalaHengaus Nordic Vipers Rajatorpan Mafia Stayhard Stallions Team France TEHOTTOMAT TeQuila SunRise The Next Gen Group 3: BoneHeads Freddie Mercury Institute HC Finlandia Kaukosen Luistin Red Devils HC SPARTANS Unknown Ice Breakers We Kings WESTEROS HC Group 4: DEG eSports Elämäm Kiekko Etelan Vetelat FarmiNaattori Fuularinsat Melting Point Outrageous Falcons Perttilan Kommandot Prowlers SEVERSTAL Group 5: Bare Knuckles Hockey Dubnation Gaming Falcons Infinity K A R H U T Kouvola Screaming Eagles Lehmannens Badboyz Pink Panthers HC The Dudes Group 6: Clowns On Ice Finnish Hockey Legends HC Corsair Poston Fruits Red Light Zone SHECANGO SKA Swedish Match HC Team Bidon Group 7: Bombers Hockey Clusterpuck HokiDogit Magic Mushrooms Nuggetz Puck Panthers Saucer Hockey Supernatural Supremacy Group 8: Blackdawgs Finnish Snipers HARDCORE NAPPIAIVOT HC Aurinko Hockey Hooligans HT White Sharks Rising Phantoms HC Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat Suomen Sonnit Schedule: ECL Lite schedule ECL 7 Pro - 2 Groups ECL Pro will be played in two groups consisting of 16 teams each. With two games against each opponent, this results in a 30 game regular season for each team in which the top 8 teams out of each group will go to the playoffs (16 teams total). Group 1: Baltic Sea Eagles CLUB ONE Cowabunga Hockey EN HUND EV Duisburg Free From Rodents Ghetto Firebirds Murohoki Raccoon Rampage Saints Speedy Bros Hockey Style Synergy Hockey TIKI TALK Unity Wasps Gaming Group 2: Bellizzi Bone Breakers Born With It Bucketeers Checkmate Deadly Phantoms HC Le coq Sportif Nordic Nosebleed Nordic Stars Pata Hellalla Pohjoista Voimaa Raging Monkeys Resurrection Sektion K Silver Sword Griffins The Visionaries Schedule: ECL Pro schedule ECL 7 Elite - 1 Group As usual, ECL Elite will be played in one group, where the teams face each other twice per opponent. This will result in a 30 game regular season for each team in which the top 8 teams go to the playoffs. Almost Famous Butterfly Effect Dynasty Falun Coal Miners FILADELPHIA Gotham Knights Northern Ascendancy Northern Stars Radical Rusty Blades SIKA Sjukstugan Symphony Team Frosty Unlucky Boys HC Written In The Stars Schedule: ECL Elite schedule Thank you all for joining our stream on Saturday, if you missed it, you can see it here: Team management tools All teams have been created, the team management tools on the main page (click on your username in the top right corner to access them) have been unlocked for the team captains. All players need to be invited to the team rosters ahead of your first game. Please note that all invited players need to accept the invitation (there will be a popup alert on the main page for them) before they show up on the team roster and can start playing! In case you have further questions, feel free to use the comment section below this article. We hope everyone has a great ECL and good luck to all teams! On behalf of the ECL staff, @Panarinz