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NHLGamers, The ECL 9 Lite Playoffs are finally here and we have got some very strong teams that will battle each other for a Pro spot. From each group the teams that finished top 5 and two best teams that finished sixth will make the playoffs. The first round of the playoffs will start on Monday, December 16th, 2019 and end on Monday, December 23th, 2019. According to section 5.6 of the ECL 9 Rulebook, the first round of the ECL 9 Lite Playoffs will be played as follows: Every series are played in best of seven games and the highest seeded team will play the first game at home. (10.7.2 ECL Rules). Here are the matchups for round 1 of the ECL 9 Lite Playoffs: (1.) HanaaHC vs. Carolus Icemen (32.) (2.) Mockba vs. GREED (31.) (3.) Riven Johdolla vs. Kesaloma (30.) (4.) Clumsy Penguins vs. Saucer Hockey (29.) (5.) HUIPPUPASSI vs. Western Express (28.) (6.) Rookie Mistakes vs. Nearbird Fighters (27.) (7.) Sulkavan Sudet vs. DEG eSports (26.) (8.) Company of Geeks vs. Angry Cats (25.) (9.) Murohoki vs. AfroDunk (24.) (10.) Kouvola Screaming Eagles vs. Jortikan Tossut (23.) (11.) Breakers Of The Bone vs. EBR eSports Official (22.) (12.) Syntax Error vs. Elamam Kiekko (21.) (13.) Robbery vs. Sack Brothers (20.) (14.) Hundred Acre Wood vs. Hokurit (19.) (15.) WEREWOLVES HC vs. Last Period (18.) (16.) Kaukosen Luistin vs. Old Farts (17.) Good luck for everyone

NHLGamers, The ECL 9 Neo Playoffs are here and we have got some very strong teams that will battle each other. In Neo, the playoffs consist of the top 4 teams from each group being seeded against other teams who finished in the same position (e.g. group winners are seeded #1-4, group runners-up are seeded #5-8 and so on.). The first round of the playoffs will start on Monday the 16th of December 2019 and end on Sunday the 22nd of December 2019. Here is a full schedule of the ECL 9 Neo playoffs: Playoffs Round 1: 16.12 - 22.12 Quarterfinals: 30.12 - 5.1 Semifinals: 7.1 - 13.1 Finals: 15.1 - 21.1 For the relevant rules regarding these playoffs, please find extracts from section 5.7 and 10.7.2 of the ECL 9 Rulebook below. Essentially, each series will be a best-of-five and the higher seeded team will play 'at home' first, then alternate back and forth with the lower seeded team. Here are the matchups for round 1 of the ECL 9 Neo Playoffs: (1) Kuutamokiekko vs. Fat Burritos (16) (2) Seinajoki Noms vs. Bauer Rangers GmbH (15) (3) Eliel Kings vs. United Ryminae (14) (4) TanssiiTuhtienKansa vs. MAD Knogmackers HC (13) (5) Bonusambers vs. Team HulluPullo (12) (6) Oulunsalon Pallo vs. SUNTRIP (11) (7) EIS Force Hockey vs. Augsburg Panther (10) (8) Olympia vs. KulmalaHengaus (9) Good luck for everyone!

NHLGamers, It’s a bit late into the season but we have decided to launch a new article series where we have a discussion with a player of choice and shoot over some various questions for them to answer. In the newly started series we’ll get to know more about the players competing in ECL Elite, both on and off the ice. First out is Färjestad BK’s Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist who got put on the spot for 17 tough ones. 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL like? -It’s a pretty new one since I just started playing EASHL about a year ago. It was a fun experience with more action and teamplay and I immediately got hooked. 2. How come you didn’t start playing EASHL before that? -I started playing competitive in NHL 18 but I focused on playing versus and HUT. Then I felt like I should give EASHL a try in the middle of the NHL 19 season and it instantly felt like I had a talent for it and then I just kept playing it. 3. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team. -I would choose Swedens finest, Casper @ICappeI Lundgren as goalie. Defender is a bit harder but I think I would go with Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta from Linköping, I feel like he’s pretty good both on offense and defense. As forward I would go with who I think is the best player today, Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, what he does on the ice is almost magical and he’s really slippery and hard to read. 4. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Swedish SHL or the worlds best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? -I would choose to play in the SHL over EA NHL, sadly I didn’t have the talent for it. 5. I’m guessing you played hockey before? -Yes, I played until I was 18 years old. 6. On what level? -I played in division 4 in Sweden, so it wasn’t really close to the top, I mostly played because of the nice community. 7. What’s your best hockey memory? -That would be when I was down in Malmö with a friend. We watched the World Junior Championship and saw all of Sweden's games live. It was a great experience except when Sweden lost to Finland in the Final. But all in all, it was a wonderful experience. 8. What’s your favourite team? -That’s a sensitive question cause my heart beats for Frölunda, but I would like to add that no matter what I will always give a hundred percent for Färjestad when I represent their organisation. Above: Robin "Rubituss" Söderqvist took home the silver medal in the SCL 1v1 finals at Birdie LAN at the end of May 2019 9. What is your favourite holiday and why? -Christmas, cause I get to spend time with my family and watch the World Junior Championship. 10. What do you want for Christmas? -A trip to North America so I get to watch NHL live. 11. Is there a special team you would like to see? -Rangers, cause of Madison Square Garden. Otherwise it would be Toronto or Montreal cause of their hockey culture. 12. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick? -Levels with Avicii, I always get hyped up when I hear that song while playing. It got played frequently during the Swedish Championship in NHL 19. 13. How was it to play the Swedish Championship live? -I played the 1v1 tournament and ended up in second place. During the 6v6 tournament I hadn’t signed with the team yet so I sat down and watched it there live. It was a great experience where I learned a lot and it was fun to get a face on the players behind the screens. 14. How did you come up with your PSN ID? -Usually my nickname is Ruben and then my friends just started calling me Rubituss. And since it was available when I created my account, that’s what I went with. 15. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? - @FlyerKungen 16. What do you do when you don’t play NHL or watch hockey? -I’m studying to be a police officer, in my free time I play floorball in the Swedish Division 2. So there’s a lot of studying and exercising in different forms combined with my gaming. 17. Which team will win ECL 9 Elite? -I think it will be Linköping vs HAVU in the finals. But I think Linköping will win since they have @ICappeI in the goal. They have really picked up pace since he joined the team. Above: Robin "Rubituss" Söderqvist stats in the 6v6 mode so far We thank Rubituss for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. If you are lucky, next week you might be the one that gets to answer some of these questions. Who would you like to hear more from?

NHLGamers, Welcome to our season preview for the ECL 9 Lite Division! We are back after a long offseason and some games might already have been played, since the official start of the season was Tuesday. We hope you all are as excited as us about ECL 9 Lite and a new opportunity to battle it out for the title and promotion spots. ECL 9 Lite has six groups with 64 teams and in this preview you can find some info from five most interesting teams in each group. Without further ado, let's get into the team previews for ECL 9 Lite: Group 1: Angry Cats New team that probably has the most experienced defense pairing in the division with @Ampuhaukka and @pelimies80 gliding on the blueline. Their roster is full with ECL veterans who will strive to help Angry Cats go far in the playoff race. One of the favourites to take the ECL 9 Lite title. Rosvosektori First established in Spring League where they finished eleventh in their group. After Spring League they have added @Jonza1990 (HatsiGaboom), @hulkamaania (FIN_Zeus) and @Malcom330. This is now the third team that @nessron has captained. Hokurit Former SKA Hokurit. Lost their former point leader @MozjaTG who is now the captain of Pro team Sandstorm. Added couple of players from Dystopia and @jouni29 will try to replace Mozja- in a scoring role. In ECL 8 they lost to Dystopia in six games in the second round of the playoffs. Hundred Acre Wood A big portion of their players represented Blackdawgs in ECL 8. They had a decent run in the IS Cup where they finished fifth in their group. Kouvola Screaming Eagles They have new captain in @oSandello as @Dreamickie who has been excelling also in 1v1 tournaments steps down to an assistant captains role. Almost the same lineup as in ECL 8. In ECL 8 they lost to Farminaattori in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Group 2: Clumsy Penguins Team that was founded last summer and hasn’t participated in any tournaments. This team has a roster with many Pro experienced players and the teams core has been playing for Bellizzi in recent years. Sulkavan Sudet Sulkavan Sudet started their journey in Spring League where they finished outside of the playoffs. They also played in IS Cup where they finished fifth in their group. @Luokkala_ is starting his first ECL season but he is expected to score a lot of points for his team. Western Express Lost their best scorer in ECL 8 (Lawner8_) but have added @Buffy from Synergy Hockey who had 26 points in 28 games in the last ECL 8 Elite season. In ECL 8 Lite they lost to Dystopia in five games at the third round of the playoffs. EV Duisburg Have lost core pieces like @HerzogMagnus and @xXPsykoSkillsXx after last season (ECL 8 Pro) where they finished 13th in their group and were relegated after a series against Bone Breakers. Winners of ECL 6 Lite. WEREWOLVES HC Had an OK Spring League where they finished 12th in their group. Since then they have added @Alex28 and @Boernsoen who are going to be nice additions to their group. Group 3: Saucer Hockey Last seasons quarterfinalist is coming to the ECL 9 Lite season with the same lineup as they had last year. Were very close to earning a promotion to Pro after losing to We Kings in seven games and just about coming short of the semifinals. Company of Geeks Finished fifth in their group in SCL and lost to SPARTANS in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Have lost a lot of players, for example @Rubituss, @cHIIMEERa and @Dercie after their succesful Spring League outing. They have added some players with one of them being @Horebag13 who is expected to produce some scoring. They have some experience from the Pro division. Clowns On Ice Lost @ProfaneKiss who was clearly their best scorer last season. In ECL 8 Pro they finished 14th in their group and were relegated after a relegation series against Pata Hellalla. Finnish Hockey Legends Have lost @Hanzqa and both goalies @suitsukemestari and @vvesa93. @Eisenhugel who steps down from the captains spot will now play goaltender under command of new captain @KYLKISYOPA. In ECL 8 they lost to the eventual champion Oton Letkutemppu in five games in the second round of the playoffs. HUIPPUPASSI Former Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat is making a comeback. Almost the same lineup as they had year ago but they have added high caliber defender @taemtaem who represented Nordic Stars last season in the Pro division. Group 4: Last Period Same lineup as in ECL 8. Team plays a very defensive game as they are not a high powered offense but pride themselves in keeping their own net clear. @buzee_ is one of the best goaltenders in Lite. In ECL 8 they lost in the second round to Western Express in five games after finishing second in their regular season group. HanaaHC Participated in IS Cup but didn’t really get things going in that tournament. They have many Pro caliber players but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. @loncelot84 will make a comeback to ECL after missing ECL seasons 4-8. Breakers Of The Bone Practically the same team as Bone Breakers that played ECL 8 Pro last season and finished last in their group but still managed to maintain their Pro spot. Now they are starting fresh in the ECL 9 Lite with a new name. Nordic Nosebleed Swedish team that has remained almost unchanged since ECL Season 3. Have added @eliekamel87 who is going to help them be better in ECL 9. In ECL 8 they lost to Club Savage in five games in the first round of the playoffs. Elamam Kiekko @iRSPe, @Isoheppi (Britn1) & @Markogirl87 (Maexsa) have represented the club since ECL 3. Elamam Kiekko has improved their play every ECL season and in the last ECL they finished second in their group but were defeated by Farminaattori in six games in the second round of the playoffs. This might be the season when Elamam Kiekko finally gets far in the playoffs and earns a promotion. Group 5: Kaukosen Luistin Have had a lot of changes and three players are continuing from ECL 8 Lite. Kaukosen Luistin has added former Beast Hockey captain @Jaks_10 and former Finnish Snipers captain @Thimbaa to their roster. Participated in IS Cup and got only six points in twelve games. In ECL 8 KaLu lost to Saucer Hockey in six games in the second round of the playoffs. Nearbird Fighters Their lineup has practically stayed the same for the duration of the teams history. Have improved every season and will now be serious contenders in Lite. Top 3 team in RCL even though those stats are arguably not comparable to ECL. In ECL 8 they lost to Beast hockey in six games in the second round of the playoffs. EBR eSports Official Formerly known as Eisbaeren Regensburg. They had an OK GCL 4 season where they lost to Deadly Phantoms HC in the first round of the playoffs. Now they have added @Hockeyboy1985 (lx_Ice_Rambo_xl), @LeroyLetsPlays and @Gregson91. Gregson especially will bring a lot of offense to the team. Syntax Error New team that has many Elite and Pro experienced players that have represented AIK Hockey and Gotham Knights for example. The skill level this team has will surely cause many Syntax Errors in the minds of other competing clubs. A contender for sure. Lucky Strike Have added @miisolegend (Svenska_FaranJr) from Korpens Finest and many players from Puck Panthers where captains @Giinis and @kovisjimi have played previously. Last played in ECL 6 Lite where they finished sixth in their group. Group 6: Mockba MOCKBA is a team full of Perttilan Kommandot players from the last ECL season. They had an impressive FCL and were good in Spring League and IS Cup. Perttilan Kommadot have underachieved in the playoffs, will they go far this season or choke early in the playoffs? Old Farts Old Farts were first in their ECL 8 Lite regular season group but still got eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in six games against Poston Fruits. Old Farts had a very disappointing IS Cup where they finished last in their group. Added @Enerfity to their roster and they are expected to perform well this season. Murohoki A long term team that has been playing since ECL Season 2 and is now starting their first Lite season after always playing in Pro. @Malcowich is stepping down from the captains role and @Ubula (RuttuBerse) is the new leader for the team. Malcowich84 and @MovaaN are the last players left from previous seasons roster. One of their new recruits is @Fuhrer Vuorio who has been an effective player at Elite and Pro levels. They seem to still be looking for a defender as RuttuBerse has been seen posting in the recruitment thread eleven times since last April. In ECL 8 Pro they finished last in their group and were relegated. Afrodunk Former SKA. Had a good run in IS Cup where they finished fifth in their group. Their roster is almost the same as in ECL 8. In ECL 8 they lost to SKA Hokurit in five games in the first round of the playoffs. UKnighted HC UKnighted HC has participated only in the first ECL season and is making its comeback. @Nr-0847, @exrelax and @Asche are players that are remaining from their original roster. It'll certainly be yet another exciting season, this time I believe we can surely say it'll be the most even Lite division that there has ever been. This is due to minimum difference in skill level as we have added the more casual ECL Neo and cut down on amount of teams playing in Lite. Anyways, who do you think will be a team to look out for in ECL 9 Lite? Have fun and see you on the ice!