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NHLGamers, With Saturday night and game seven of the finals still in fresh memory, what a way it was to end the season. The past ECL was a wild run with a diverse selection of storylines all around the league, perhaps more so than usually. As customary, we'll be taking you through the events of the past in this snapshot into ECL 10 Elite. First of all, on behalf of NHLGamer, I'd like to extend a thank you to our sponsors Prisma Gaming and IS Esports, without whom none of this would have been possible. It was a record-setting season and we're proud to have hosted a league with the biggest prize pool yet. We're at a good place as a community - a strong foundation is built and the trend is looking great! Naturally, we also want to thank the players who are at the very core of all that we do, for putting on such a show over the course of the season. Last but not least, thank you also to each and every one of you who have tuned in for a stream, given a like on social media or shared the notion of our league with a friend - your input to growing the community is invaluable. To differ from the usual, the season had a fair bit of uncertainty at the start. Live-events were put on hold due to the still ongoing COVID-19 situation which naturally didn't effect the online side of things but let's be frank - all of us love that live action. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances out of our control we couldn't deliver on that front this time, but as things slowly get back to normal we're looking forward to providing the next live-event soon enough. Regular season With the eSHL jumpstarting things, we saw a great influx of new organisations into the scene before ECL 10, which naturally is greatly appreciated. Some of these new teams included JYP Jyvaskyla, hREDS, KOVA Esports and SJ Gaming, who joined competition at the Elite level. Out of the new orgs, JYP and hREDS immediately signed up for title contention and put up a warning for HAVU and Linköping - a duo that had been reigning supreme for quite some time already. As seen in the final standings of the regular season, competition was tough. JYP came in hot right out of the gate and didn't let up, managing to close out the competition and secure a regular season win, whereas LHC and HAVU performed along the expected level. On the other hand, hREDS came in fourth but due to a less ideal start to the season, the talented bunch didn't quite keep up in pace with the other three big names. None of the four top teams made large adjustments over the course of the season, as hREDS were the only team to really have rotation in their lineup when founding member Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen stepped in for a few games here and there. The top four was a collective according to expectations, whereas the rest of the playoff-bound teams could have been a multitude of teams from the wide selection of remaining competitors. After a tough start, Unlucky Boys HC managed to pull it together by acquiring familiar face Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen and finished the season in 5th place with one of the hottest streaks in the league. Close behind came German powerhouse BRAYCE Phantoms, who have been causing waves in the community for a long time due to their impressive skill level, but also due to being the only Elite team from outside the Nordic countries. This has come with some downside for BRAYCE, since they have had trouble finding adequate practice games - an issue which evidently hasn't had too much of an effect on their play in the end. In seventh place, we find Roots who played a very balanced season. The team consists of some of the more experienced gamers in the scene, which was evident in their play throughout the season. While the team dropped points in some unfortunate matchups, they also managed to steal some important games against the likes of JYP and hREDS. Closing out the segment of playoff-bound teams is Farjestad BK, who were a somewhat unexpected addition to the playoff race with a high player turnover in the offseason. Both wingers were new faces, a new defenseman joined the squad and even the starting goaltender was acquired before the season. Despite being so new to each other, FBK managed to stay around .500 throughout the season and eventually edged out Checkmate for a spot among the top eight teams. Moving on to the bottom half of the standings, we have four teams within a points margin of each other - possibly a mere point away from making it into the postseason. Checkmate, KOVA Esports, Vesa Pompa HC and GHETTO FIREBIRDS all put forth very solid efforts but ended up coming just short this time around. Out of these teams Vesa Pompa and GHETTO were making their first run in the Elite division and immediately managed to make an impact around the league. Vesa Pompa had a difficult start but started improving after acquiring legendary scoring machine Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen, who naturally finished with the highest points/game average in the team - by far. GHETTO FIREBIRDS came in with a bang and made questionable ECL Elite history right out of the gate. The team took a whole 12(!) games to overtime throughout the season and managed to win the extra point in only one of these contests. With eight victories, the newcomers pushed to 12th place only a point away from tying 8th place (by points). The unfortunate part about sports is that someone always has to lose, and that's what the bottom four teams did a lot of this season. SJ Gaming had a solid start but drifted in the wrong direction rather quickly, dropping down to 13th which puts them in a relegation battle against HanaaHC (2-1 for SJ currently). Lulea Hockey has been in a somewhat turbulent state for the past few months with a disappointment in the eSHL and now not being able to produce as expected in the ECL either. The team faced off against Reality Check in a relegation battle and retained their Elite spot with four straight wins. Gotham Knights came in 15th place in their return to the Elite level, not the kind of performance the team would have hoped for, but one of the most long-lived teams in the scene now has a chance to redeem themselves against Pro runner-up Enigma in a relegation battle. The last team and therefore facing direct relegation was Almost Famous, who made a brave attempt at coming back from losing almost their entire roster in the offseason, but the struggle was in vain this time. Playoffs I'm going to start off by using one of the most overused hockey clichés known to man - the playoffs are a different beast. That's the reality that Farjestad BK force fed JYP with in the quarterfinals, running over the #1 seed in five games with their unorthodox stretch passing and excellent play by goaltender Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist. Linkoping HC made quick work of Roots whereas HAVU Gaming provided the same treatment for BRAYCE Phantoms, who weren't a match for the #3 seed this time. One of the most exciting quarterfinal series in a while was seen between hREDS and Unlucky Boys HC. The series was taken all the way to a game 7, where Unlucky Boys looked like a certain winner with around 30 seconds to spare in the third period of game seven. UB were awarded a powerplay when Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila headed to the box for hooking at 59:34. After that - mayhem ensues. Joakim @Joukki Nyholm takes of directly from the faceoff, splits the defense and ties the game up shorthanded with 20 seconds to spare in the game. The teams headed into overtime and it was evident that UB had the wind knocked right out of them, as hREDS had the control for most of the 15 minutes until Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen put the nail in the coffin and sent hREDS to the semifinals. Farjestad BK providing one of the greatest upsets in ECL playoff history certainly shuffled the playoff picture around a bit, but that did not stop the inevitable from happening. Both Linkoping HC and HAVU Gaming were set on making it back to the finals and getting their shot at the title. With 4-1 victories in both series, there was really no question about who we were going to se fight it our for the ultimate prize. The finals The ECL 10 Elite Finals were a two-day event, this time online due to the COVID-19 pandemic putting plans on hold when it comes to live-events. Both Linkoping HC and HAVU Gaming had been at this stage multiple times before, in fact three straight times in the ECL between the two of them. Going into the first three games on Friday, tensions were high as the stakes were higher than ever before. Eventually we saw some exciting and low-scoring hockey for three games straight, all ending in a 2-1 result in favor of HAVU Gaming who were set on reclaiming the throne. Going into Saturdays games with a 3-0 chokehold on the series almost set the stage for an early finish but that was not what LHC had on their mind. The reigning champions completed an impressive comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in ECL 9 and looked to do even better this time when they came back step by step eventually tying the series at 3-3 and pushing the finals into a game seven that was one for the ages - a phrase that seems to be repeated opver and over again when it comes to battles between Linkoping and HAVU. Once again, the seventh game of the series was an intense back and forth battle that wasn't finished until overtime with who better to close out the season than HAVU Gaming captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, who managed to find an open opportunity head-to-head with LHC goaltender Casper @ICappeI Lundgren. Here's the madness that ensued: 🏆 AWARDS Playoff MVP: Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, HAVU Gaming Most Points: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linkoping HC, 78 Goals, 44 Assists, 122 Points in 46 games Most Goals: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linkoping HC, 78 Goals, 44 Assists, 122 Points in 46 games Most Assists: Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Linkoping HC, 42 Goals, 75 Assists, 117 Points in 46 games Most Hits by a Forward: Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola, JYP Jyvaskyla, 409 Hits in 35 games Best +/-: Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, Linkoping HC, +91 in 46 games Most Points by a Defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linkoping HC, 13 Goals, 43 Assists, 60 Points in 46 games Most Goals by a Defenseman: Wille @willekunq Juntunen, HAVU Gaming, 14 Goals, 27 Assists, 41 Points in 46 games Most Assists by a Defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linkoping HC, 13 Goals, 43 Assists, 60 Points in 46 games Most Hits by a Defenseman: Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, GHETTO FIREBIRDS, 245 Hits in 30 games Best goaltender (SV%):Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, HAVU Gaming, 340 saves on 403 shots, SV% 84,37 in 46 games

NHLGamers, The season in our ECL 10 Pro Division ended recently as Black Horse managed to win the Pro Division title and with that gain direct promotion to Elite for next season. With all of the skill level and excitement involved, the finals were the best possible PR for console hockey and our beloved 6v6 game mode and most of all - the ECL and it's players. The ECL 10 Pro finals had a bit of everything: tight games, great goals, great defending, tactical and disciplined play and a very dramatic game seven conclusion. All in all a very worthy series to conclude our 10th season. The winner overcame tough phases during the series and Enigma´s title would not have been a major injustice. Black Horse held up against the opponents momentum in critical phases of the games and at the most important moment, scored the winner in overtime. Regular season The best team definitely won the Pro title although there were several good teams in contention throughout the season. Over the course of the regular season, Enigma was obviously one of them and the youngsters of Riven Johdolla also made an impressive run in their first Pro season. Växjö Lakers HC had a slow start but improved their record as the season progressed. Another great showing by a newcomer was seen from HanaaHC, who also played well in the regular season and eventually continued their form into the postseason. In the regular season, Kaupallinen Yhteistyö had to fight hard for their playoff position, it's a bit surprising for a team that after all participated in the Elite Qualification series before the ECL. Also, Blackdawgs was a minor surprise for finishing 6th in their regular season group. The team is generally strong but improved the longer the season progressed. Exen Esports (former Alliance HT) I would have expected to finish a little higher at the end of the regular season, due to the sheer amount of experience in the team. Leksands IF won Group 1 with a tight margin but faced immediate elimination in a major upset against HanaaHC in the first round. The Swedes have to go back to the drawing board after an impressive eSHL run that did not continue in the ECL. Playoffs In the playoffs the most impressive contribution was made by Enigma and HanaaHC, who also left off where they ended their regular season - top form. Växjö Lakers HC improved from below average to their high standard level just in time for the playoffs but ended up running into Enigma in the second round whereas Reality Check also was a team that seemed to peak at the end of the regular season, in time for the playoffs. Riven Johdolla played a tremendous regular season but faced quick elimination and disappointment in the playoffs. Blackdawgs caused a minor surprise by knocking TIKI TALK out in the first round. The bigger surprise was Hanaa HC knocking out the Group 1 winner Leksands IF - rumbling heard throughout the division as the newcomers were gunning for bigger opponents now. Kaupallinen Yhteistyö played against Black Horse in the first round - the future champion to be - and fought bravely taking the series into a seventh game. Notable players in the regular season The forward trio of Riven Johdolla were one of the most dominant collectives in recent Pro history throughout the regular season, continuing into the playoffs. Their playoff performance was slightly weaker than in the regular season but still significant - one of the biggest reasons for the newcomers faring well in their first Pro season. @Nieppii transferred to Enigma for this season and instantly made a great contribution to his new team. He was one of the most impactful players in the regular season and a big factor to Enigma´s great performance in the playoffs and that fact they were able to challenge Black Horse as well as they did in the finals. Notable Players in the playoffs As previously mentioned, @Nieppii was arguably one of the most visible individual players that made a huge performance in the playoffs and had a major effect in Enigma´s journey to the finals. Black Horses @Tapparafan and @PCJP were also other great names in the playoffs and there's no doubt about the fact that both of them had an instrumental role in the fact that their team eventually won the championship. The solid star players combined with competent backup led to the victory of BH. Especially in Game 7 @PCJP kept the team alive saving the crucial penalty shot at the later part of the third period. Vaxjö Lakers HC star @EDHOLMINHO also deserves a shoutout for being one of the key factors in elevating his teams play. @EDHOLMINHO boosted his own standard of play significantly and helped his team to upgrade their level. The top 6 of ECL 10 Pro @Tapparafan (Black Horse) - @Pasi Modry (Black Horse) - @laitineen64 (Black Horse) @Crisu_rottis (Enigma) - @Raikkoneeh (HanaaHC) @PCJP (Black Horse) These "top 6"-lists are always controversial and that's something to love in itself. Playoff performances and consistency was valued highly in these selections and that's why you'll see many finalists among the selections, but also a player like @Raikkoneeh was selected due to a high level of play throughout the season. This season it seemed like the competition at the LW spot was extremely tough, players such as @Nieppii and @EDHOLMINHO were left out due to the extreme scoring power of @Tapparafan. Which players would our NHLGamers pick? Please comment below.

NHLGamers, What a showdown the two most prevalent ECL dynasties HAVU Gaming and Linköping HC put up for us over the course of these two nights! Based on the ECL 9 finals, we were expecting close games and the teams delivered. All seven games of the ECL 10 Elite finals were decided with a margin of one goal and four games required overtime to sort out a winner. Friday was all about HAVU Gaming as we witnessed three straight games ending 2-1 in favour of the green squad, when in turn Saturday was all about flashbacks galore when Linköping managed to clutch three games and push it to a seventh. Memories from the wild comeback in ECL 9 flashed through our minds, but ultimately - HAVU Gaming prevailed! HAVU Gaming 🏆 Group stage record: 26-3-1 (3rd) Quarterfinals: vs BRAYCE Phantoms (6th) 4-0 Semifinals: vs hREDS (4) 4-1 Finals: vs Linköping HC (2) 4-3 GOALIES #88 H. Kettunen @Hansulinho DEFENSEMEN #28 E. Koski @Eemil #43 W. Juntunen @willekunq #78 K. Katajisto @Nassustelija FORWARDS #6 I. Lehkonen @Buantso #13 R. Järvi @Dominointi #87 T. Keränen @topikeranen # 91 T. Kuha @FlyerKungen Conclusively, it's been one wild ride throughout this season. 16 teams went into battle with the same ambition - some more set on the final objective than others. We were expecting a tighter season than ever before and through some surprising turns of events along the road to the finals, we saw a three-peat of the HAVU & LHC duo in the last series of the season. On behalf of the NHLGamer staff congratulations to our champions HAVU Gaming! We also extend a warm thank you ta everyone who tuned in to the streams over the weekend, if you happened to miss some of the action, the streams are archived on our Twitch-channel. Please find yesterdays broadcast here: