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NHLGamers, We have reached the semifinals of ECL 10 Lite. This also means we now know the four teams that have earned Pro promotion for the next season. NHLGamer wants to congratulate teams Sack Brothers, HUIPPUPASSI, Ducktales BK and Angry Cats. You have achieved something that hundreds of players were after this season. Enjoy this moment and be proud of yourselves! Great challenge awaits you next season. However the battle isn’t over yet as the title of champions is still there for the taking. Here are the semifinalists of ECL 10 Lite: Sack Brothers (1) vs HUIPPUPASSI (10) Fast attacking hockey has been the theme for both of these teams as has been the overall trend for so many others this season as well. However, the reason why these teams are now playing in the semifinals is understanding the game both ways and bringing the balance to the ice - that is a game mentality that is really hard to break. There have also been two players in this matchup that have been especially fun to watch throughout the season: @Kucherov86 (SB) and @viba2008 (HP) have been the best attacking defensemen of this season. They were in a two way battle over winning the scoring title for defensemen in the regular season and have continued on the same path in the playoffs. Finally they will go head-to-head, who will take the upper hand? Sack Brothers faced GENESIS (18) in a quarterfinal series that ended 4-1 in their favour. However the score doesn’t tell the whole truth of that series. GENESIS was able to put on real pressure to the Sack Brothers defense and made their attacking really hard, but with the lead of keeper @mikeruud Sack Brothers defense held up and in the end it was the quality of finishing that made the difference in the series. @snippystatue played the key role for Sack Brothers in this series and he was chosen as a first star in every win that Sack Brothers took. While the left side of Sack Brothers formation has clearly been the attacking one, some credit is due to @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) and @Persusta95 on the right wing for keeping the balance in the back as well so the team won’t be too vulnerable for counter attacks. HUIPPUPASSI showcased a thriller against EBR eSports Official (2) in the quarterfinals. The series ended in overtime of game seven, where defender @Mikax222 had the honour of burying the puck into the net from a rebound. HUIPPUPASSI have had a quite different path to the semifinals when compared to their opponent. While Sack Brothers have been among the best teams right from the very first game, HUIPPUPASSI had a rough start to the season and in the middle of the regular season it looked like they were one of the mid-table teams that were fighting for the last playoff spot but then something happened and since then there hasn't been a team that has been able to stop them. Wingers @jjokke19 and @bergsti (pikkuroger) have found excellent scoring form in the playoffs and the team is definitely ready for the challenge. Goalkeeper @IMadeGod (iceiceice-.-) isn’t currently enjoying an as high saving percent as his colleagues in the semifinals but there is no doubt about his ability to stop pucks at the same level as other keepers at this stage. Both teams will want to start the series strong. They both know that their opponents strength lies in their attacking and I believe that this could change the way of playing from their earlier series. We could see two teams heavily trusting in counter attacks and a tight defensive in their own zone. Sack Brothers is so used to winning it could make things really interesting if HUIPPUPASSI would manage to win for example the two first games utilizing the slightly more defensive style than they usually do. How would the ‘’Sacks’’ respond? As always, the centermen will play a big role. In this series @Aitis (Aitis81) (HP) will face maybe the best center of the season so far: @luosttin (SB). Aitis81 will have to continue his good work in the takeaway department if he wants to keep talented luosttin in check. This is definitely the pair of players you should follow throughout the series. Prediction: Many have marked Sack Brothers as the favourites for the cup and I can see why. They are a great team all around and especially their victory over strong GENESIS proved that there might not be a team in the league that can stop them. On the other hand I believe that HUIPPUPASSI enjoys the underdog status here and they could have the element of surprise if they can take the lead in series and find the weakness in Sack Brothers playstyle that others haven’t figured out. In the end I believe that Sack Brothers have the quality to overcome every obstacle HUIPPUPASSI will throw at their way and ‘’Sacks’’ will advance to the finals with a series score of 4-1. Angry Cats (5) vs Ducktales BK (7) This will definitely be a different kind of challenge for the Angry Cats than their earlier opponents this season. They will face Ducktales BK, who are one of the best defensive teams in the league. The theme of this series could actually be close to that of Angry Cats' series against Nordic Nosebleed in the first playoff round, where Nordic Nosebleed chose to pursue a very defensive style which led to three out of the five matches advancing to overtime. Only this time, the opponent will be a lot stronger and more dangerous in the offensive zone as well. This will also be a battle of two great goalkeepers. Angry Cats keeper @Giinis has an amazing 87,66 SV% in the playoffs and @Rymaan of Ducktales BK isn’t far away with his 85,57 SV%. Of course both goalkeepers will get help from their good defense but still these are really impressive numbers and deserve to be noted. Angry Cats played against Hokurit (6) in the quarterfinals. At the start of the series it was hard to say which of the teams was going to win but the more play we saw between the two, the more clear it became that Angry Cats were the better team and finally ended the series with a score of 4-1. It isn’t a secret that attacking trio @Korkokokorko , @Lowryy (Lowryy8) and @juusto18 have been the best attacking trio alongside Sack Brothers trio this season, but it was the defender @Jesse6115 who scored the biggest goals in the final games of the series against Hokurit. It is really important for Angry Cats that the defenders @Jesse6115 and @Demoni2016 (Myrkky_Maik) can help their talented attackers offensively in the series against a team that will make getting to the scoring areas really challenging. Ducktales BK have had a stable season and playoff run so far. In the quarterfinals they were able to beat HV71 eSHL (3) with 1-4 in a series that were expected to be as close as it was in the scoring department, but in the end Ducktales BK were the better team and deserved the spot in the semifinals. One of the key players for Ducktales BK in the series against HV71 eSHL was @Zidso, who seems to have found top form when it’s needed the most and as a result stirred the pot having a say in most of the goals that Ducktales BK scored. The team made some interesting changes to their roster in the playoffs, when @tokFan (ItokFanI), who started the season as a center and later switched places with @cHIIMEERa to the right wing, seems to be playing as a defender with experienced @J-Foppain the playoffs and its working very well. Also winger @Craig (oskuldsfull) started only half of the games in the regular season but has now been the starter for his team and there has been no problems finding chemistry right away. This is going to be a different kind of series compared to the other pair where both teams rely on putting heavy pressure on their opponent and countering from the takeaways. In this series the game will most likely be more balanced and not so much risks will be taken by either of these teams. As said before, Angry Cats faced some troubles playing against a tight defensive team earlier but they came out as a winners and I don’t believe Ducktales BK will go full defensive mode at least when the game is tied. Ducktales BK did a great job against HV71 eSHL in avoiding clear 2vs1 and 3vs1 counter-attacks by always keeping two players at the back and that will be crucial against Angry Cats as well, since they have the quality to punish from every odd-man rush they will get. Ducktales BK will also face the best powerplay in the league so they want to avoid any extra trips to the box. However it will definitely not be a series where Angry Cats are the only team that is trying to find the way to score, Ducktales BK have the individual quality and good form going, so Angry Cats can’t blink their eyes in the wrong moment or they will see Ducktales BK smashing the puck in the net. Prediction: Both teams have had quite a similar route to the semifinals. Both have survived a game seven and in the quarterfinals, both teams were able to play their best hockey and take convincing 4-1 wins over their opponents. I believe Angry Cats will start the series strong and take wins from the first games. However, if Ducktales BK manage to take the lead in matches, they have the ability to shut down the opposing attack and then Angry Cats could be in trouble. I still believe that Angry Cats will be the winner of this series. I have also predicted Ducktales BK to lose their series two times in a row now and they’ve won both times so I don’t want to jinx anything at this stage. Angry Cats will advance to the finals with score 4-2. Who will follow the path of Riven Johdolla and Sulkavan Sudet (ECL 9 Lite finalists) and play in the ECL 10 Lite finals? Follow the teams on social media to find out when the games are being played and give them your support. Enjoy the games and respect your opponents.

NHLGamers, Tonight we're a starting the final series of the season in our Pro division and it's going to be a fierce fight between two capable teams that will give their all in order to rise to the top. Black Horse finished the regular season as the #1 seed in group two and the top team overall, whereas Enigma has had to cause an upset or two as they didn't have a cakewalk through the regular season, but have risen tot he occasion during the playoffs. Road to the finals Black Horse Round 1: vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyö 4-3 Round 2: vs Children of Ice 4-0 Semi-finals: vs Hanaa HC 4-0 Enigma Round 1: vs ZSC Esports 4-2 Round 2: vs Vaxjö Lakers HC 4-2 Semi-finals: vs Reality Check 4-3 The road to the finals has been very different for both of these teams. Black Horse had a tight first round against Kaupallinen Yhteistyo after which they have gone on an unbeaten streak and swept a bunch of skilled teams such as HanaaHC in the process. The key players of Black Horse have not been surprising. @Tapparafan as their top player in scoring stats and excellent goaltending by @PCJP has been the x-factor for this team without dismissing the contribution of the rest of the team. Especially the magnificient goaltending Black Horse have seen from @PCJP might provide an edge in the closing games of the season. As said, Enigma didn't run through the regular season without cough-ups, as expected from a newly formed team. The skilled guys went into the playoffs as 10th seed in total, which means they had to go up against better seeded teams in a few series - handled with ease. Enigma also has a very reliable goalie in @Jaakkomusta, who has been great for them in previous rounds. It is certain that the battle between the pipes will be one to keep an eye on throughout the finals. Enigmas offensive trio led by @Nieppii packs an impressive punch, but Black Horse is arguably a tighter unit. Despite having a tougher run to the finals, Enigma is no slouch and will put up an impressive showing which might very well grab them a handful of victories in this series. It's also impressive how Black Horse has managed to disassemble very skilled teams with ease. This is a series you won't want to miss. Prediction of the series The superb class of Black Horse will eventually be too much for Enigma who as experienced players with Elite experience under their belt could be exhausted by the season and not have the hunger that their opponents do. Although Enigma battled greatly in all rounds to the finals Black Horse is on a different level than Enigmas past opponents in terms of overall strength. Black Horse will win in 5-6 games. Watch games 1-3 TONIGHT at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer starting 20 CEST!

NHLGamers, In the latest edition of Player Spotlight, we asked Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen 17 questions. Today it’s once again time for a new article in the series and this time we are featuring the Swiss defender Reto @Haldeem Haldemann. We asked him 16 questions and as you already know, some are the same as earlier and some are brand new. 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? - I started playing EASHL in the summer of NHL 09, only with random people in drop-ins, but the mode itself got me into the game. First I tried as a forward, but my teammates told me because of my “good“ positioning and calmness, I should play in the defense. 2. What’s the best part of playing NHL 20 for the Swiss club ZSC Lions? - My teammates, each individual is a bit crazy in their own way, but always with the right attitude when it comes to everything. Also the support from the fans increased enormously after we switched from The Black Jacks to ZSC Esports, which is a great feeling to watch in every game in the Twitch Chat. 3. What do you remember the most from your NHL 20 career?? - Three highlights came to my mind: 1. Playing in the team “The United Knights“ in NHL 12, with the forward Lineup @Foppatofflan, @hpkfani and @Urlauber61. Unbelievable what these guys were able to do. 2. The only EHL/ECL title I‘ve ever won in NHL 15 with MUKIMIEHET. Some guys say it doesn‘t count because it was on old gen, but hey - an EHL title is a title. 3. The 1vs1 tournament in Switzerland with over 100 participants. Every game was played on one monitor, so one player always had a disadvantage to play two periods downwards. The lucky fairy put me as top seed in the whole tourney and in every game I only played one period downwards. That was the advantage I needed to win the tourney. 4. Describe your perfect breakfast! - A coffee with milk, some pancakes and bacon, looooots of bacon. 5. 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. - In Net is Mr. Einstein @sibeelius. I have always been a big fan of him and his SV% in the current ECL shows the quality he has. My D-Partner would be another former teammate in @loimmu. Not only because of his offensive numbers but he‘s also reliable in defending the own zone and he‘s a Flyers fan, big plus. As forward I would take @FlyerKungen, in my opinion the best 6v6 player right now (let the debate begin). Great two-way game, pain in the ass in 1vs1 situations, good leader (that‘s a wild guess) and a fun guy in the party too. 6. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Swiss hockey league or the world’s best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? - I prefer to be the best in a smaller community than average in a large community, so I’d take the best NHL-player. 7. Do you play or have you played hockey? - No, never in real life. My skating is too bad. 8. What’s your best hockey memory? - It was in 2015 when my local team SCL Tigers got promoted to the highest division in Switzerland. The series itself wasn‘t spectacular, but the party after is something I will not forget. 9. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL? - I used to play football in a lower division but because of motivation problems I quit. Now it‘s mostly hanging around with friends. 10. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza? - NEVER pineapple on a pizza! 11. 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? - As I listen to basically every genre in music, I can’t decide on one specific song, so we go to the next question. 12. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - My friends came up with the name “Haldem“, which is a short form of my last name. It wasn‘t available anymore so I Added an extra “e“ into it, now everybody says Haldim. 13. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? - Answer is in question 5, @FlyerKungen. 14. What kind of holiday is your favorite and why? - I guess it's a bit generic, but I‘d like to relax on a beach, enjoy the sun and go swimming. Combined with some day trips into hills/mountains. 15. For the last question, as you are from Switzerland, chocolate or cheese? - Hahaha always something “sour“, cheese in every sort and form possible. We thank Haldeem for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. For next time we want you to tell us who to interview. Please let us know which player you would like to hear more from below in the comments!