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NHLGamers, As always, we look to bring you the most superior competitive gaming experience possible, and we're continuously looking to improve on previous iterations of our leagues. Nothing has changed in regards to that in our ECL, and therefore we assure you that ECL 11 will be run at the premium level you are used to. This time, we wanted to launch the signups as early as possible in order to allow entry for as many teams as possible, also minimizing the risk of someone simply missing the deadline. Without further ado - here you go: Signups will be open until Wednesday, 11.11 at 23:59 CET. Divisions framework The divisions framework for the ECL 11 will follow the same logic as for previous seasons. We will have a total of four divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams, Pro 32 teams, Lite 96-128 teams*, Neo 32+ teams. ECL Elite: 16 teams Sign up: ECL Elite eligible teams Regular season: One group Playoffs: 8 teams Best-of-7 ECL Pro: 32 teams Sign up: ECL Pro eligible teams Regular season: Two groups Playoffs: 16 teams Best-of-7 ECL Lite: 96-128 teams Sign up: Anyone can apply for ECL Lite Teams will be decided by Franchise history, Roster composition, and EASHL record ECL Lite registrants are also allowed to apply for a spot in ECL Pro Teams signing up for ECL Lite that don't make it into ECL Pro or ECL Lite will be automatically placed in ECL Neo Regular season: TBD Playoffs: TBD Best-of-7 ECL Neo: 32+ teams Sign up: Without restrictions Regular season: TBD Playoffs: TBD Best-of-5 *NHLGamer reserves the right to alter the team allocation to ECL 11 Lite depending on the number of total teams signing up. Preliminary schedule for the ECL 11 season: ECL 11 Neo: Start Wednesday, 18.11 ECL 11 Lite: Start Tuesday, 17.11 ECL 11 Pro: Start Monday, 23.11 ECL 11 Elite: Start Monday, 30.11 Stay tuned for more info dropping over the coming weeks, we'll be releasing more detailed information about the season and announcing the cover gamer for ECL 11! What is the ECL? The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in four divisions aimed at various skill levels. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation 4. Basic information/requirements of ECL: Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude North American or Russian players. A European server will always be used. In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players. 6v6 tournament: ECL is played 6 vs. 6 only, using the EASHL Challenge Club game mode in NHL 21. Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at NHLGamer.com and create their personal player card. Roster requirements: Teams in ECL Elite need to have at least 7 players to sign up. Teams in ECL Pro, ECL Lite and ECL Neo need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players. ECL Elite license: Teams in ECL Elite will be required to pay for an ECL Elite license in order to play (more details to follow). Rules: The ECL 11 ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 10. The updated rulebook will be available before the season. Don't have a team yet? Team looking for additions to your roster? If you are a free agent looking to be picked up, please head over here. If you are representing a team looking for players, please head over here.

NHLGamers, SC Bern is a truly traditional and successful hockey club whose history dates back all the way to the 1930s. On the hockey side, success has come in the form of several championships and other trophies. However, they are now looking towards taking over a new kind of segment, as the traditional sports club joins esports and virtual hockey with NHL21. Esports has gained popularity among Swiss people quite quickly. 2009 was the last time Bern had an esports team represent the city. Sina Wymann, Marketing Manager of SC Bern says that the current situation spurred the club exploring opportunities with esports. "In Switzerland we are living in a huge crisis – considering economy but also society. Before Corona it was my job to investigate new business opportunities. Looking for chances in a crisis like this you must think about the isolated activities which remain even in times like these. So, gaming and eSports was the closest thought. Back in 2009 Bern already had an eSports team for a truly short amount of time. We were much ahead and not able to establish this team. SCB is very traditional as you mentioned, but we are always trying to be a pioneer in everything". Wymann states that getting the esports team to Bern was a very quick decision. Together with team captain Adrian @adu83 Siegenthaler, they went through the concept and common goals. "Our interests are of course driven by new target groups. If you want to reach generation Y, you must consider new ways – especially ways which are connected in the virtual world such as gaming. We’re also hoping for new sponsorships with less “traditional’’ partners." As stated, esports is gradually receiving increasing attention in Switzerland, and the population is accepting it as a form of culture alongside traditional sports. SC Bern and their newly signed esports roster see tremendous opportunities in developing their operations. "Well, almost a third of the Swiss population perceives esports as a real sport which shows that esports gained quite some popularity and is growing every day! We are clearly not the only club with the idea to build an eSports Team: Basel, Geneva and Fribourg are also in the middle of the building process. It is a great development because we are hoping for creation of an eNational League in the NHL", Wymann comments on the development of the scene. Upon talking to team captain @adu83, he's on the same page as Wymann. "The Swiss population is accepting eSports as a popular sport. Of course, NHL is not (yet) among the most popular games here, but we hope this will change in the future", says the captain. SC Bern's NHL team has been playing together for a long time. The club reports that Siegenthaler, who's the acting captain of the team, brought together some good players. The club did not participate in the team building, but the reigns were with the players entirely. "This was my job as captain from the team. A few players of the actual team have been playing NHL together for the past 10 years. I found the rest of the players through connections and tryouts. I was born in Bern and therefore it was an easy choice for me which team I will want to play for. A few of the other teammates are supporters of SC Bern too."