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NHLGamers, Tonight's games are offering up a bit of everything. The middle pack in the standings are desperately fighting for points to solidify their playoff spots and that's exactly the kind of battle we'll be in for tonight. In the first matchup, Roots are facing Checkmate whereafter we'll see hREDS go head-to-head with Lulea Hockey, who seem to have been finding a good run of form as of late. Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight. Roots vs Checkmate RECORD 10-8-4 vs 9-11-2 TOP SCORER Miko @Migo_boo Nurmi (12+19=31) vs Jonne @TackleControl Nikkinen (19+10=29) GOALTENDER Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari (10 W, 82,37 SV%, 2,23 GAA, 2 SO) vs Juuso @Juizki Nikkinen (9 W, 79,67 SV%, 2,77 GAA, 0 SO) The first matchup of the evening sees two teams effectively battle for the same spots above the playoff line. Roots have fallen on a losing path but look to turn things around after quite surprisingly taking 3/4 points out of their matchup against JYP last night whereas Checkmate are in a similar situation, recently having turned around a starting losing streak. Both of these teams have a realistic opportunity of making the playoffs and will fight tooth and nail for all points up for grabs. Roots are known for making games low-scoring, whereas Checkmate have had a tough time converting on chances with only a 1,77 goals for average. Might that be one of the key factors in the game or will we see something entirely different from these teams that are frantically trying to claw themselves into playoff position? Lulea Hockey vs hREDS RECORD 7-10-5 vs 12-6-2 TOP SCORER Ville @hpkfani Luukkonen (13+12+25) vs Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (20+18=38) GOALTENDER Ville @Supreex Korhonen (7 W, 78,3 SV%, 2,32 GAA, 4 SO) vs Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu (4 W, 81,97 SV%, 1,83 GAA, 2 SO) Lulea Hockey and hREDS will be offering some exciting virtual hockey in the later matchup of the evening. The two teams come into these games from rather different angles, as Lulea has been struggling mightily for a long time, but seem to have found some run of form to mount a final playoff push. The REDS, on the other hand were expected to finish among the top teams and have mostly performed accordingly. Their team offense was suffocated completely in their two latest games against JYP, so the big bad red will be itching to get their engines revved up again. Lulea have scored the least goals out of all teams in the division (1,45 GF average), which is a beast that might come to haunt them when facing hREDS and veteran goaltender Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu, who is making his 7th and 8th appearances of the season in these games. Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers, While our recent articles gear towards the teams and more importantly, the players, it’s time we heard from the voices behind the mic, our very own broadcast crew. I asked Cody @Tougie24 Tougas, Paul @Cyn Anderson, and Nick @f5penguin DiMeo their thoughts on the recent growth of NHLGamer, the production level, and the 6v6 community in general. All 3 of these gentlemen can be found across our streams and broadcasts, and have made appearances in all levels of play, whether it be ECL, NACL, or the eSHL. << I think they're one of the leaders of innovation when it comes to bringing forth a level of quality in the content and in the gamesmanship, and you see that especially with the ECL and now the NACL breaking through. I only see big things in the future for them. >> Question: We’re entering the 10th season of the ECL, and the second season (of hopefully many) of the NACL. Just recently it was announced that there were a total of 196 teams signed up, a record-setting 15 000€ prize pool for ECL season 10, and new esports organizations such as JYP Jyvaskyla, SJ Gaming, hREDS, and KOVA Esports signing rosters for the upcoming campaign. What’s it been like to watch the site grow at such a rapid pace? @f5penguin: It's interesting to see the site grow at this pace that you mentioned. It's fun to watch the surge happen, especially with everything going on in the world currently. People are looking for an outlet and they're looking for a place to play and do something that is closest to sports while they are confined. I'm of the opinion that esports IS a sport and I've said that for a while, being a new sports and new media advocate. However, seeing a record 15,000€ prize pool, seeing actual hockey teams take on an esports team, and signing a roster for the partnership with the Swedish SHL (eSHL). These are huge, monumental things and I couldn't be more thrilled that NHLGamer is the one responsible for doing some of these things. I think they're one of the leaders of innovation when it comes to bringing forth a level of quality in the content and in the gamesmanship, and you see that especially with the ECL and now the NACL breaking through. I only see big things in the future for them. @Tougie24: It's been amazing. Nearly a year ago I was able to have a conversation with @Kenu (owner and founder of NHLGamer.com) while we were both in Vancouver over potentially doing commentary for NHLGamer. It's something I wanted to get into, seeing as Youtube and Twitch isn't exactly the end goal I have in mind. I'd also been having conversations with Cyn around the same time over our mutual interest in trying to branch out into commentary. He's been someone I've considered a friend for nearly as long as anyone in the Youtube community, and we'd decided pretty early on into those conversations that we were going to be a package deal. After talking with Kenu, I knew that NHLGamer was who I wanted to be affiliated with. The ambition, the vision, of where the competitive NHL scene could be lined up directly with myself and Cyn's. And just in the past year alone, the thought of "backing a winning horse" has come to mind. I already view that decision as a successful one. In the time since, we had our trial NACL run, which has turned into what this series has been, which I'd argue has been successful in turning heads in terms of what type of platform this league is looking to provide. Overseas, the ability to call games not just for the NACL but the eSHL was an honor. I get to see the same drive and ambition that won me over in the first place on display. The team we have all want the same thing. To help improve the footing of NHL esports. And just over this past year alone? No doubt in my mind that's been accomplished. And I can't wait to continue to see where it goes. << While myself and Tougie may be the ones on screen being the proverbial “faces” of each broadcast, what goes on behind the curtains during and days before is just as if not more important than what we bring. It’s really great to see others appreciating the hard work that goes into that side of production because we know first hand just how vital it is to our success. >> Question: A common comment when talking about NHLGamer, has been the level of production in the broadcasting during the featured games. While the ECL has been acclimated to this for a few seasons, the introduction of the NACL has brought in numerous positive comments about the level of detail to make the broadcast the best it can be. These things are also mentioned talking about the casting crew and the level of professionalism yourself and others bring to the table. How do these comments contribute to your current and future broadcasts? @Cyn: That sort of positive reinforcement is quite inspiring to hear. I think we feed off of viewer feedback as a collective group. We all hold ourselves to the highest of standards and anything less than greatness leaves us feeling unfulfilled. It is one of the best rewards of this job to hear that your effort and passion is being appreciated, and that goes for internal feedback as well. We appreciate and value all those involved so much and it’s clear to us that everyone plays a huge part in making each broadcast a success. It all needs to click to look as good as it can. And while myself and Tougie may be the ones on screen being the proverbial “faces” of each broadcast, what goes on behind the curtains during and days before is just as if not more important than what we bring. It’s really great to see others appreciating the hard work that goes into that side of production because we know first hand just how vital it is to our success. @f5penguin: These comments to me I love. You may not know, but I have been broadcasting for 10 years in new media, so strictly online streaming, podcasting, etc. I've been a tech journalist for a long time, and I've been calling esports games for three or four years for other leagues as well. So when I see everybody love what we do, part of me is elated here that definitely without question. I love that people are enjoying the product that we're giving them, but also, part of me knows that this is what we could do. This is what happens when you bring talented people together and give them the ability to create. When you find the talent, you should work insanely hard to grow it, keep it maintained, do everything you can to give them a chance to shine. And I think NHLGamer does a fantastic job that I'm able to have free reign. I'm not told what to say, I feel like I'm not given a very finite script, and I'm able to create freely. Working alongside Drew Goldfarb has been a blessing, I'm learning so much from him and that's amazing. If you haven't seen an ECL broadcast before, here's the latest one from tonight: Question: With the cancelling of numerous sporting events across the world, we’ve seen professional sports teams and leagues shift towards simulating their respective sports to give their fans something to watch during this period of uncertainty. While it’s massive progress to have these organizations acknowledging the presence of esports, especially sports games like NHL 20, can you give your best sales pitch on what they are missing simulating games with the AI, rather than contributing to the 6v6 EASHL community? @Cyn: They are missing perhaps the most important element of entering an online market; timing. I believe they are still sort of trivializing esports, especially NHL which is just beginning to blossom, and haven't done a whole lot of market research on esports and their growth patterns. Otherwise, every single professional team would be scrambling to create their own division devoted solely to esports. The signs are everywhere. Gamers being signed to contracts with streaming platforms, countless tournaments being held both online and on LAN, and legitimate successful and thriving business models devoted to esports. I guess my pitch would be this: You have in front of you a unique opportunity to evolve with the times and cast yourself into an historical undertaking. If you don't get in on the action now, someone else will. Refusing to take the leap with the information we have on hand makes you a dinosaur. This is quite literally a can't miss investment opportunity. @Tougie24: First, from a general standpoint. It's probably somewhat cliché to say, but hockey is a team sport. The individual game is fine, it can be entertaining. From an advertising stand point, it's probably easier to focus on an individual and their personality. But it's simply mind boggling to me that we haven't seen more professional teams step up to support the team game over the individual. That's for both NHL and FIFA for that matter. Now in terms of teams currently presenting AI gameplay? It's a bit more understandable with how unexpected of a situation we're all living in happens to be. But perhaps this look towards the video game side of things for content opens some eyes to the product that's already there, and the opportunities that are there for the taking. << It doesn't matter what your role is, no matter how big or how small your contribution, everyone needs to work together to push this thing forward. >> Question: NHL 20 has seen an explosion of new tournaments, and overall impressive progress to the esports scene, whether it be more teams stepping into 1v1 tournaments, and more relevant to the 6v6 scene; the Caps Gaming Showcase in North America, and the eSHL featured in Europe. These 2 leagues not only broke down barriers in the community, brought new sponsorship opportunities, more legitimacy to the NHL esports community, but most importantly, more viewers and demographics to the community itself. What do you think are the next steps for the NHL community as a whole, but also the 6v6 community in terms of building off the growth and success of these prestigious tournaments? @Cyn: I think the next step to take is to continue to increase production value on the online formats to show that this is a sustainable model for success. We have to capitalize and continue to build on the momentum we as a community have right now and that means content, content, content. I think NHLGamer in particular is doing this exceedingly well. The more interest we generate, the more professional organizations and larger sponsors will have to take notice which will lead to further legitimacy and funding. With that, we can have even more LAN events which are always seen as the coup de grace for each season or tournament. We’re also going to need to work closely with EA to program in features that cater more to 6s esports in particular. The biggest of which would be an observer client and improved servers. Basically, everyone involved needs to be ready to put more skin in the game if we want this to keep exploding and not stagnate. @Tougie24: More important than the destination for competitive sixes is how we get there. Everyone wants more high profile LAN events, larger prize pools, etc. But we're not going to get there unless the community works together as a whole. It doesn't matter who you are, what your role is, what league you're in, etc. Do your part. Whether that's just maintaining a good public image, sharing and promoting stuff on social media, or helping with the production of the league you're in. It all adds up and pushes us forward as a group. Something as simple as sending in a picture to make the presentation look that much more appealing goes a long way. Like I said, it doesn't matter what your role is, no matter how big or how small your contribution, everyone needs to work together to push this thing forward. @f5penguin: First and foremost, we need more buy-in from NHL, the game, the sport, and we need more buy-in from the sponsors. You look at leagues like NBA 2K, and there's a real life crossover happening that is not happening at the scale that it needs to happen here. I think organizations are taking the safe approach by doing 1v1 tournaments, or by bringing it one player to play with a streamer that runs the stream and that's the right move. I think we need a spectator mode. We need the ability to not allow people to skip and press “A” We need better camera angles. We need a replay functionality. We need belief in the system and it's the chicken before the egg. There's no true proven ROI for NHL. It's the fourth major sport in the United States, so I totally understand the reason it's not there yet. Some teams are taking risks, and it's a catch 22, but somebody has to start doing it. Thankfully, we have amazing organizations like the Washington Capitals doing the Caps Gaming Showcase, which is unprecedented, and we wouldn't have seen that had it not been for some of the things that happened last year to bring it to fruition. But we need it on a bigger scale. We need everybody to buy in and do it, and we know we're seeing inklings of 1v1 here and there. Maybe a little bit of threes, but we need 6’s. Every NHL teams should have a 6v6 team, I stand by that. Maybe not locally, maybe they go and fetch people from around the countries. But they need something, and there has to be a reason to watch it and you can air games during intermissions and you can build hype around the teams. You can have him come to the games, there's so many ways to bring this here. Esports is gonna be a $7 billion industry by the end of next year. Why would you not want to be a part of that?

NHLGamers, We have reached the last week of the regular season in our ECL 10 Pro division. At this point it seems that Leksands IF and Black Horse are on their way to group victory while Clumsy Penguins, Bellizzi, Prowlers Esports and Me Carvoset are heading to the relegation battles. For the rest of the teams, there will be a lot at stake in the remaining matches, especially for the teams near the playoff line. Both groups will entertain us with epic battles for the last playoff spots and we decided to bring you some highlights of what to keep an eye on in the last week. Group 1 Teams that will fight for the playoff spots in group 1 are Enigma, Kaupallinen Yhteistyö, Blackdawgs, Djurgarden Hockey, MOCKBA, Cheers Hockey and The Syndicate. Even though Team Frosty are currently at 8th place, they have less games played than others and with their current form they are expected to join the battle for top 3 positions. However, as you can see from the scheme below, Team Frosty will play a key role in the playoff battle as well. Standings and the opponents for the rest of the season: 5th Enigma (26 GP, 33 pts): Djurgarden Hockey and The Syndicate 6th Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (26 GP, 33 pts): Blackdawgs and Leksands IF 7th Blackdawgs (26 GP, 32 pts): Kaupallinen Yhteistyo and Cheers Hockey _______________________________PLAYOFF LINE________________________________ 9th Djurgarden Hockey (24 GP, 28 pts): Enigma, Bellizzi and Team Frosty 10th MOCKBA (24 GP, 28 pts): The Syndicate, Leksands IF and Clumsy Penguins 11th Cheers Hockey (24 GP, 27 pts): Riven Johdolla, Team Frosty and Blackdawgs 12th The Syndicate (24 GP, 25 pts): Bellizzi, MOCKBA and Enigma Enigma will start as the favorites against both of their remaining opponents but every point is absolutely vital for Djurgarden Hockey and The Syndicate so winning won’t be easy for sure. One of the biggest matchups will be Kaupallinen Yhteistyö vs Blackdawgs. The winner of this game could secure a playoff spot and in the best/worst scenario, a shared 3 points could see both of these teams running away from the teams below the playoff line. That’s why Djurgarden Hockey, MOCKBA, Cheers Hockey and The Syndicate have to play for only for full points in the remaining matches if they want to keep the playoff dream alive. Group 2 Sulkavan Sudet, Vaxjo Lakers HC, Rookie Mistakes, Herlev Eagles and We Kings will battle for the playoff spots in the Group 2. 5th place TIKI TALK will also play a big role in the battle while 6th placed Nordic Stars should be able to gather the points from rest of their opponents and fight for a top 3 finish with HanaaHC and ZSC Esports. Standings and the opponents for the rest of the season: 5th TIKI TALK (24 GP, 35 pts): Herlev Eagles, We Kings and Vaxjo Lakers 7th Sulkavan Sudet (26 GP, 32 pts): ZSC Esports and We Kings 8th Vaxjo Lakers HC (26 GP, 32 pts): Pata Hellalla and TIKI TALK _______________________________PLAYOFF LINE________________________________ 9th Rookie Mistakes (24 GP, 28 pts): HanaaHC, Me Carvoset and Herlev Eagles 10th Herlev Eagles (24 GP, 27 pts): TIKI TALK, Company of Geeks and Rookie Mistakes 11th We Kings (24 GP, 27 pts): Prowlers Esports, TIKI TALK and Sulkavan Sudet Just like Enigma in Group 1, TIKI TALK are the favorites for their remaining matches but especially Herlev Eagles and We Kings need all the points to remain in the fight. For Vaxjo Lakers HC it’s important to win both games against Pata Hellalla and get as many points as possible against TIKI TALK to secure the playoff spot. Rookie Mistakes will play big games against HanaaHC and with wins from those matches they could really put pressure on Vaxjo Lakers HC and Sulkavan Sudet. We Kings are expected to win against Prowlers Esports and with crucial points against TIKI TALK their last matchup against Sulkavan Sudet could be decisive for who gets to the playoffs. This could be the case with Herlev Eagles and Rookie Mistakes as well if Herlev Eagles manage to get full points against Company of Geeks and steal the points from TIKI TALK. As you can see, pretty much everything is still possible in the playoff battle. The importance of the remaining matches will grow the pressure in the dressing rooms as every point will be crucial. There is no room for errors and only the strongest teams will continue to the playoffs. This will be a great week in ECL 10 Pro, we hope you enjoy it. Play hard and fair! Your ECL Pro Writing team @Oliverigood & @JakePlay77

NHLGamers, With just two weeks to go of the regular season, things are coming down to the wire for multiple teams. The battle for the top seed had an interesting wrinkle thrown into it when hReds defeated HAVU this past week, placing Linkoping and JYP Jyvaskyla in the driver’s seat to earn that coveted #1 seed. With a 17-0-1 record and 1,94 points earned per game, JYP are actually in the league lead when it comes to point percentage. With tonight’s featured NHLGamer broadcast including battles between JYP and hReds, followed by the re-match of the ECL 9 Grand Finals (HAVU vs. LHC), we should expect to see some movement in the standings as the top teams continue to jockey for position ahead of the playoffs. In the midfield – to borrow a Formula 1 expression – we find Unlucky Boys HC continuing their good form of late. The burger boys have continued to climb up the standings and are now 8-1-1 in their past ten games, including a clean sweep of four consecutive victories their past week (over Roots and BRAYCE Phantoms, respectively). KOVA Esports seems to have fortified their position, winning four out of their last six games. They did get knocked over the head by Vesa Pompa HC in their final games of the week – a team recently made more dangerous by the addition of deadline transfer Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen – but overall, KOVA have proven their mettle and look poised to earn a playoff berth. The battle around the playoff cutoff line is, per usual, intense and unpredictable. In fact, between the #7 seed Roots and the #13 seed Gotham Knights, only a single point acts as a barrier. Roots, Färjestad BK and GHETTO FIREBIRDS sit at 19 points each, whereas BRAYCE Phantoms, Checkmate, SJ Gaming and Gotham Knights have all earned 18 points apiece. An intense two weeks are likely to follow for these playoff hopefuls. At the bottom of the standings we find Lulea Hockey, Vesa Pompa HC and Almost Famous. If these teams are to have any chance of digging themselves out of the deep pits they’ve created for themselves, they need to average 2-3 points per matchup the rest of the way. Impossible? No. But certainly a challenge at this level. Vesa Pompa showed signs of life with their recent dip into free agency, and Lulea did pick up six out of a possible twelve points last week. But is it too little, too late for these teams? PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK Scoring seven goals in the same game rarely happens in ECL competition. At the Elite level? Unheard of. Yet that’s precisely what Paul “PleeMaker” Arontie did in a 10-2 win over Almost Famous. Simply sensational. FORWARD OF THE WEEK Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linköping HC See above. Yes, the same player was featured here last week. But, well, scoring 23 points (14+9) in six games (!) makes Plees performance this past week hard to overlook. With 46 goals on the season already, he is approaching his own ECL Elite single-season goalscoring record of 49 (set in ECL 4). And LHC still has ten more games to play this regular season… DEFENDER OF THE WEEK Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, Linköping HC It has been a good week for LHC’s left defender. Not only did he rack up two goals and ten assists in the six games his team played, he was also featured here at NHLGamer in our latest edition of Player Spotlight, an interview series by @Faydas. GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos, JYP Jyvaskyla Sibelius has been one of the most consistent goalies on the European EASHL scene for quite some time now. This season is no exception. With save percentages of 100, 87.5, 81.8 and 93.3 in the four games he played last week (all wins), the last outpost of JYP is your goaltender of the week. Perhaps even the goaltender of the season – at least thus far.