Leaderboard

NHLGamers, Västerås IK is a Swedish ice hockey club with a very long history. At the moment, it is playing at the second highest tier of competition in Sweden. In their past also lies a 12-season stretch in the national top league between 1988 and 2000. With a long history in hockey, moving to console hockey was their great next step. Jimmy Gerdin, media officer at Västerås IK, commented on the club's decision to join console hockey. "From the club side, we thought it was time to try to get the team into esports. We have received a lot of requests in recent years to start a team, so we put the ball in the hands of our own fans, who had the opportunity to form a team that would represent Västerås IK." The pandemic situation around the world also affected the club's willingness to build a new console hockey team alongside their hockey team. Gerdin highlights the locality of the players and their passion for the club. "First of all, we see it as a fun initiative because it is a team made up of local players who are passionate about the club. When it comes to the situation with the pandemic and the economy, this is not a burden on the association either financially or in terms of workload. This is run entirely voluntarily by the dedicated supporters and players who are passionate about both VIK and esports. Moreover, this is a sport that is not affected by either crowd restrictions or the spread of infection among the players." Daniel @Gunde021 Gunstedt, who's the acting netminder of the Västerås IK console hockey team, commented on his interest in console hockey and his association with the club's colours: "We are all very passionate about console hockey and the fact that we will then get the chance to represent our favourite team Västerås IK setting up a team for esports is an absolutely amazing feeling. Hockey is a great sport and playing alongside teammates and competing is probably the best thing." Västerås IK is heading into the upcoming ECL 11 season with an experienced team, as there are several players who have previous experience in the ECL, among other leagues. "We are part of a team with previous experience competing in esports such as the ECL but we also have some players that are brand new to the competitive scene as well. Many have previously played club games and such, but simply haven't taken their game to the next level yet, so it's a little new for some." Expectations for the team are high, as several players are looking to up their level or get back to their prime: "The goal of the team is to get as far in the divisions framework as possible. Me and a few more of the team have previously played in the Pro and that's where you want to be again, preferably higher than that of course!" The players took initiative in starting up the esports club for Västerås IK in the offseason. Gunstedt opens up about the steps in building their squad. "It started with the gang deciding to leave the Xbox for Playstation and talking to some of the Swedish community on Facebook. In the recruitment process when we got to know each other I realized they were also supporters of Västerås, which made the selection rather smooth. The idea really took off and when connecting with the club we learned that also they were extremely interested in setting up an esports team." "As a team, we try to be hard to play against, focusing a lot on team play, where everyone has to do their part to succeed. As a goalkeeper, I want to say that I have a pretty good idea of the game, but there is still a lot of work to be done." - Gunstedt on their team strengths and his own play in net.

NHLGamers, We're movin' on! Only the absolute elite remain as we're closing in on the final games of the FCL season and the teams can smell victory around the corner. Some of the teams we see at this stage of the competition are old acquaintances that are expected to play at this level, but it's also a joy to see a few younger teams push through the initial playoff rounds. (1) HAVU Gaming vs GENESIS (10) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Risto @Dominointi Järvi (7+11=18) vs Joona @Hullued Saarinen (8+12=20) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (81.40 SV%, 1.33 GAA, 0 SO) vs Teemu @Vaporik Jokinen (83.46 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 1 SO) Throughout their reign, HAVU Gaming has been the absolute toughest team to beat in the scene and they look to continue on that path remaining undefeated throughout their first two playoff rounds. Despite going directly into the playoffs, there is no rust to be found on these guys and their play has been clicking nicely. If something, I'd expect their possession play to elevate moving forward and goalie @Hansulinho to improve on his already steady level of play. The most surprising and refreshing team of the FCL season would be GENESIS for me. They've paved their way into the quarters and are setting up a success story like no other. On the Swedish side we've seen goalie legend @ICappeI potting goals for Vesa Pompa, but in Finnish competition Genesis' @Hullued is doing just the same, is there something these guys can't do on the virtual ice? The challenge is tough for GENESIS, and I'm agreeing with the community on this one - HAVU will advance, most likely staying undefeated. (2) FILADELPHIA vs Tunnel Vision (9) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Erik @Eki Tammenpää (6+15=21) vs Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen (5+10=15) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (90.57 SV%, 0.63 GAA, 4 SO) vs Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (75.86 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 0 SO) This matchup showcases yet another juggernaut versus a clear underdog and a somewhat surprising team to see at this stage of the tournament. We all know what FILA is capable of and the routine that these guys have cannot be stressed enough, but the fact is that most of them have spent time with other teams in other tournaments alongside the FCL and it surely has to impact their play in some way, no? Despite the speculation, FILADELPHIA has some of the most dominant players of the tournament both up front and in net and are expected to rely on their sheer skill in order to overcome Tunnel Vision in this series. The younger, inexperienced but perhaps hungrier team will definitely need to find that next level in this series, if they look to advance past the 2nd seed FILA. Their goaltender @ITemeI has proven his talent in net but will need to step up big time and make those one or two decisive saves more, whereas the unit needs to gel better and improve as a whole. The community consensus is that FILA should advance quite clearly and I agree despite wishing for an upset. The fact is that Tunnel Vision isn't at FILA's level as a team - yet. (4) hREDS vs KOVA Esports (7) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (13+19=32) vs Kimi @Zip player Nordberg (7+16=23) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (83.33 SV%, 1.00 GAA, 1 SO) vs Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck (77.36 SV%, 2.67 GAA, 1 SO) The incredibly skilled hREDS remains undefeated through their first two rounds of playoff hockey while they have outscored their opponents 39-10 in that same span of games. Granted, the REDS ran over CRY IS FREE in one of their games, scoring 15 goals but nevertheless their total is impressive. I might have mentioned their forward trio before and I'll do it again, since they possess the skill to do just about anything on the ice when they get into the flow. hREDS also have decent depth in their roster and it remains to see which combination they choose mainly on defense. When talking roster depth, we naturally can't forget about KOVA Esports either. The team has plowed through the first two rounds in a somewhat inconsistent way, dropping a few games but impressively rotating players at even unfamiliar positions. Through the grapevine it's been heard that some internet issues have affected roster decisions but KOVA hasn't let that stop them to this point. The community agrees that hREDS will run over KOVA in this series, but I object - KOVA will pose a challenge to the best of their abilities (note that the author represents KOVA). (5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS (6) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (10+10=20) vs Valeri @Valluxet Reihel (11+8=18) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (91.67 SV%, 0.66 GAA, 2 SO) vs Jere @Jeresti Kulju (76.00 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 1 SO) I know one thing to be certain about the series between JYP Jyvaskyla and GHETTO FIREBIRDS - one of the teams in this series will be facing their first playoff loss to end the first game. Personally, I feel like JYP has put forth one of the most balanced playoff performances so far - their goaltending is league leading, they seem to be able to score at will while keeping their opposition away from high danger chances. Granted, they haven't faced a team anywhere close to the caliber of GHETTO in these playoffs yet, so this will be their first real challenge as a team, in fact since being eliminated by Farjestad in the ECL 10 playoffs. As stated before, during 2020 GHETTO FIREBIRDS have really came into their own and have found a style that somewhat differs from other Elite teams but keeps them competitive at the very highest level. The return of @Valluxet on offense has given them that bit of extra firepower up front, pushing them to the next level. The community sees JYP advancing, but the votes aren't as lopsided as in the other matchups. I'm actually expecting JYP to struggle with GHETTO, and wouldn't see it as a surprise if the slight underdogs were to advance. Tune in for the playoffs tonight! The quarterfinals start tonight as we'll see the starts of two series (KOVA Esports - hREDS and GENESIS - HAVU Gaming) in a broadcast commentated by Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Erik @Eki Tammenpää, starting at 18:45 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

NHLGamers, We are on our way to the finals and this week we'll find out which teams are to push through into the biggest games of the season with everything on the line. We're down to four contenders remaining and despite there being underdogs and favourites, realistically the title is anyones for the taking. Stay alert on social media in order to follow the finale of the SCL season this week! Here are your semifinal matchups: (1) Vesa Pompa HC vs Leksands IF (7) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (24+17=41) vs Johan @Isindar Jonsson (14+13=27) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg (78,38 SV%, 1.33 GAA, 2 SO) vs Kimmo @DUNZA Sunnari (75.68 SV%, 2.25 GAA, 1 SO) The all-star lineup that defending champion Vesa Pompa HC is running has been clicking well so far into the tournament, putting the team at a 24-1-1 record throughout the season including their playoff push so far. The fact right now is that their leading playoff scorer is best known for stopping pucks than putting them into the back of the net. It's not a massively worrying factor since @ICappeI has surely proven capable of doing both and superstars Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund and Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha have no problem stepping up when required but it just makes you wonder if such a setup really can carry them all the way. Another fact is that their upcoming opponent Leksands IF is a squad that for years have honed their defensive play that they are so well known for, but are definitely no slouches on offense either. I've seen Leksand pull of impressive one-touch passing plays on several occasions and they possess the skill to capitalize when given the opportunity. Experienced defenseman Jonas @Supremski Söderlund is the man to keep an eye on in white and blue, since he can play up and down the ice and has the skill to get some really nasty pucks on net at the most opportune moments of big games. The goalie matchup in this series should also not be understated. Vesa Pompa has the option to go with either @Thunborg5 or Philip @Pippo Johansson, who despite seeing less ice time has been statistically superior in net in these playoffs. Leksand on the other hand has gone with their mainstay @DUNZA who has struggled a bit and still needs to get his percentages up and averages down. Which goalie will manage to turn it around? It might be the decisive factor in this series. (2) Vaxjo Lakers HC vs Northern Ascendancy (3) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander (13+17=30) vs Erik @Eki Tammenpää (23+21=44) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Filip @Fcoy_faze Azri (88.06 SV%, 0.89 GAA, 4 SO) vs Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström (80 SV%, 1.22 GAA, 2 SO) Personally, I see Vaxjo as somewhat of a surprise pushing this far into the postseason, but the team has proven to find prime form during SCL and has made some fitting acquisitions to help them along the way. Former defenseman @antoniomannen004is doing well on the wing and inexperienced but very talented goaltender @Fcoy_faze is topping statistics and playing the game of a bona fide Elite-level netminder to keep his team battling through any opponent. Last year we saw Northern Ascendancy crumble in the semifinals, resulting in a massive disappointment to cap off the tournament but that is surely something that the largely renewed squad is looking to change. @Eki currently leads the playoffs in scoring and surely hopes to keep up the same pace, but now needs to get past the hottest goaltender in the league in order to do so. So far into the tournament, NOR hasn't really been tested yet and has only seen two losses at the hands of Bask Nation and Sjukstugan, I'm expecting them to have an increasingly tough time overcoming Vaxjo especially if the goaltending stays at a high level. In this series, the men who decide the outcome will be @Fcoy_faze and @Eki. It's your play, guys. Let's cap this article off by taking a look at the community consensus about the series. We put out a poll on Twitter and you guys answered as follows: During the twelve hour voting period, a good amount of gamers found their way to Twitter and casted their votes for their respective favorites to take both series. We've got two quite clear candidates to advance, but as stated above, surprises aren't unheard of in this business. Tune in for the playoffs tonight! The semifinals start tonight as we'll see Leksands If and Vesa Pompa HC go head to head in a broadcast commentated by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson, starting at 20:30 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

After the dust settles, and the craziness of such an amazing event as the Northern Arena NHL Cup co-produced by NHLGamer has finished, we can finally look back on the storylines and some of the highlights of the tournament. There were multiple qualifying events, and after 91 teams battled it out, the top 32 teams in North America advanced to the next stage of the event, getting to go up against the best of North America. There were new faces, new teams, and established teams looking to cement themselves as one of the best teams in NHL 20 for the history books of the rising esport. As a whole, the NA Cup saw 100 teams throughout the qualifiers and regular season. Growth Under the Watchful NHL Eye While NHLGamer and the European player base it has is no secret to professional teams stepping into the spotlight and sponsoring teams or simply giving their support, the North American community has slowly been gaining more traction in professional team support. Starting with 1v1 events from many teams, onto the Caps Gaming Showcase and the first 6v6 North American LAN in over 10 years, more and more NHL teams are entering the esports market in varying quantities. It’s a fantastic step for growth in the scene, and will hopefully continue to progress more and more, with more teams and more events coming together in the near future. While the likenesses of every NHL team were used in the NA Cup, the Anaheim Ducks Gaming, Canadiens Esports, CBJ Gaming, FlaPanthers Gaming, and NJDGC were representing their NHL organizations and all either picked up a roster and actively supported them, or brought their own roster to the event. The active engagement and community outreach these small actions can bring to the community is extremely rewarding and truly feels like NHL 6’s is on the rise heading into the 2021 season. Perhaps with time some of these 1v1 events transition to the dark side of 6v6 (or perhaps a hybrid of both). Cup Contenders Shined in Regular Season Another interesting addition to this specific event was the invite system, where the top 6 teams at the halfway point of the CBJ Summer Cup were directly invited to compete in the NA Cup. It allowed teams performing well to skip the qualifier process altogether. It also gave spectators an idea of who to look out for at the top of the standings. Essentially all of the 6 invitees had very good regular season performances, where 5 of the 6 invited teams made up the final top 8 in the playoffs, as well as 3 of the top 4. In fact, both of the top seeds in each conference were held by invited teams, with those being Entourage with a 12-1-2 record, and the Underdogs with a 13-1-1 record. Those two teams also happened to meet each other in the finals, where Entourage took home the crown in 4 games. Teams Who Shined in Northern Arena Cup There will be the teams with high expectations of winning it all, but there will also be teams who turn some heads and really make a name for themselves with a solid performance. With NHL Esports being relatively new, you may only recognize a handful of team names off the top of your head, but with some very good regular season and playoff runs, there were a number of teams who will have some eyes on them to continue their run heading into future events. Teams such as Calgary Prodigy HC, who came into the event after a decent top 16 finish in the CBJ Cup in their first event as a team, ended up finishing second in the western conference with a 10-2-3 record. They ended up making it all the way to the conference semifinals, finishing top 8 in the event. The young team proved they can compete against the best, and hopefully, they can stick together for more future events. A team from the Eastern Conference that really turned some heads could be Philadelphia Problematic/Road 2 Glory, who had an impressive run in the regular season going 11-3-1 and making it to the conference semifinals. A team I thought would be around the playoff bubble were in fact the complete opposite, and shocked a lot of people competing in a pretty top-heavy conference. ____________________________________________________________________________ While we could go through every single team's journey and go game by game for storylines, there will be many things to take away from such a fun event. It was amazing to watch the best 32 teams in North America go head to head to wrap up the 2020 season. The 6v6 traction has been heating up recently and capping it off here with another great event. Congratulations to the Entourage for another title, but also to the Underdogs for being amazingly fun to watch all tournament long. You can pretty much guarantee both of these teams will be back in plenty more finals come October. Special thanks to everyone who helped make the event run as smoothly as possible, being everyone from Northern Arena, NHLGamer, to the production crew, to the admins and moderators. With every great game of hockey comes an army of people behind the scenes to make it run as smoothly as possible. We also want to thank all of the NHL organizations and sponsors involved in the event, and everyone who followed the tournament and broadcasts for your support! If you want to relive the NA NHL Cup Finals, you can do so above!

NHLGamers, The past year has brought a multitude of organizations into the NHL esports scene out of which a vast majority are Swedish traditional hockey clubs which is a joy to see. The latest addition to this group of clubs is going to be Sodertalje SK, who will be competing as SSK Esports in NHLGamer organized tournaments and have in fact pushed into the quarterfinals of the SCL already, where the team will be facing the very strong Vaxjo Lakers HC in a series that will be starting tonight and is broadcasted at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. "Now is the time to act on this and we've been impressed with the quick growth of esports in general. Basically every SHL club is represented in esports and we wanted to jump on that train in also establishing a HockeyAllsvenskan presence in esports. We welcome our esports team with open arms and will be doing everything we can to back them in their efforts going forward. It's especially heartwarming to be represented by true supporters of SSK on the virtual ice." - Club director Robert Andersson The roster of SSK Esports consist of several experienced Swedish players with some Norwegian spice in the form of Henning @el_tacobag Drange. The captain trio of David @HambergD Hamberg, Philip @Strumpan87 Ström and Asko @minokin Grön have all played through their own paths and ended up crossing paths in the former Syndicate, who they now have turned into SSK Esports with a few interesting acquisitions, mainly their Norwegian addition and Tobias @svetidaje Karlsson to help out on defense. We had a few words with captain @HambergD ahead of tonight's games against Vaxjo: You've been doing well so far into the SCL and are now heading into a massive challenge facing Vaxjo, what's your gameplan going into this series? - We've been trying to stick to our guns as much as possible and in general it's been working well for us. In order to fight our way tot he semi's we'll keep doing just the same - trusting that we truly can challenge even the best teams and offer a good fight in all three zones of the ice. Vaxjo is a tremendously skilled team that you have to make it hard for to enter your zone. They're at their best when setting up around the net so we'll really have to give our all in every situation in order to top that. Take us through your roster a bit, what are some of your strengths? - I believe we're quite the pain to play against as our system is built on puck cycling offense with lots of movement up front. Our defenders also play a big role in creating offense. We know that we can trust our defense since on top of our two regulars, we've got former defensemen up front who definitely know how to handle themselves without the puck on their stick. If you were to pick out one team that you definitely want to beat, who would that be? - If I were to mention one, I'd say Company of Geeks. We managed to keep a high level throughout that series and were glad to be able to take home that victory. When looking ahead, I'd say Vesa Pompa HC has to be the team everyone wants to beat. They've got the ability to do such unexpected things on the ice and possess all the skill in the world. We felt that we challenged them well in the group stage, so we're definitely eager for a rematch if the opportunity should present itself. Sodertalje SK Sodertalje SK, also known as SSK hails from the east coast of Sweden as Södertälje is located just south of the nations capital Stockholm. The club currently competes at the second highest tier of Swedish hockey - HockeyAllsvenskan and is among the older clubs in the country, as SSK was founded in 1902 and started their hockey operations in 1925. Follow SSK Esports on social media here: Twitch Twitter The team also has an open Discord-server for fans, please request an invite from a team member if you wish to join.

NHLGamers, Welcome to the quarterfinals of the SCL playoffs, where the top 8 teams of Sweden will go to battle for the championship. The first playoff round was one of few surprises, but we saw some lower seeds push through despite some doubt of that happening as HV71 overcame 5th seed Djurgarden and SSK Esports managed to upset 6th seed Company of Geeks. We've got some interesting matchups to offer up in the quarters and will be broadcasting some action whenever possible. Stay tuned for more information about that! Here are your quarterfinal matchups: (1) Vesa Pompa HC vs HV71 eSHL (12) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (13+12=25) vs Tobias @Tkautto98 Kautto (9+4=13) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg (73.33 SV%, 1.6 GAA, 1 SO) vs Isak @IsakTuvesson Tuvesson (82.93 SV%, 2 GAA, 0 SO) The reigning SCL champions Vesa Pompa HC have put together a quite exciting and talented squad for their title defense season. Superstar goalie @ICappeI as a leading scorer - you bet! The scoring goalie is backed by arguably the best player in the world Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha and the usual Vesa Pompa suspects, it's a tough team to beat for sure. If anyone's going to prove an upset though, who better to do so than HV71 eSHL, who now have racked up a ton of experience around their captain Daniel @Demski13 Gadd. I'm doubting Vesa Pompa are yet to meet their match in this series and should make rather quick work of HV71, unless the Jonkoping-based club can shut down the offense of the defending champs. (2) Vaxjo Lakers HC vs SSK Esports (11) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander (9+10=19) vs Philip @Drunkendefender Ström (4+10=14) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Filip @Fcoy_faze Azri (86.96 SV%, 0.75 GAA, 1 SO) vs Mikael @Tauri Tauriainen (69.57 SV%, 1.4 GAA, 1 SO) Vaxjo managed to get out of the first round in rather easy fashion against Rogle BK, who didn't manage to match the speed of VLH, whereas SSK caused the first real upset of the season when overwhelming 6th seed Company of Geeks 4-1 in the series. The depth of Vaxjos roster is second to none as the team could almost put up two competitive lines and stand up to SSK in this series, but we're expecting them to settle with for the players already proven in the first round. Wingers Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander possess all the skill in the world and will make the lives of SSK defenders tough throughout this series. (3) Northern Ascendancy vs Sjukstugan (8) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Erik @Eki Tammenpää (17+14=31) vs Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (6+8=14) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström (76.92 SV%, 0.75 GAA, 2 SO) vs Patric @Thunstrom89 Thunström (73.24 SV%, 2.71 GAA, 1 SO) It was an absolute landslide in the first round when Northern Ascendancy walked over HockeyProfessorn HC, going 39-3 in aggregate score over the four games played. The experienced lineup surely is gelling well and is expected to make a cup run this season, but the team is still to be tested by a tough opponent. With Sjukstugan, we see a team that has tons of potential and has put together all the right pieces for success, but haven't quite clicked yet. All-time players such as Reto @Haldeem Haldemann, Björn @Bjono Nordetun and Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala look good on any roster, but will need to find chemistry in order to overcome their biggest challenge of the tourney yet. (4) Farjestad BK vs Leksands IF (7) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg (10+6=16) vs Johan @Isindar Jonsson (4+6=10) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist (81.08 SV%, 1.4 GAA, 2 SO) vs Kimmo @DUNZA Sunnari (60.61 SV%, 2.6 GAA, 0 SO) This is going to be an exciting clash of two very different styles of play. We know that FBK likes to utilize their quick feet on the wings but also have two defenders in Harri @Totalii Joona and Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist who aren't afraid to join the rush themselves if need be. Leksands is known for running a tight ship defensively and showed just that throughout the groupstage and even into the playoffs. The team isn't afraid to trust the process and give up possession if that means they can look for openings to strike back on counters. The battle of the goalies is also interesting, as Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist and Kimmo @DUNZA Sunnari actually shared responsibility for Leksands in eSHL, but are now at opposite ends of the ice, may the best man win! Tune in for the playoffs tonight! The quarterfinals start tonight as we'll see SSK Esports take on Vaxjo Lakers HC in a broadcast commentated by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson, starting at 21:20 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer. Who are your picks to advance? Let us know in the comments section below!

NHLGamers, Some upsets and some less surprising results came through from the first round of games in the FCL 6v6 playoffs. It's always great to see underdogs push through and prove these small predictions wrong like we did on a couple of occasions in the first round. We'll be trying to cover as much of the action as possible at the NHLGamer Twitch channel, but if it's not broadcasted by us, make sure to follow the teams on social media for all the relevant information. Here are the matchups for the second round of action in the FCL 6v6 playoffs: (1) HAVU Gaming vs SJ Gaming (30) HAVU played their first games of the tourney in the first playoff round against Cheers Hockey, an opponent who arguably should be - and was a piece of cake for the reigning champions. It is only suitable that the opposition gets considerably tougher in the second round, as HAVU will be facing SJ Gaming, who underperformed somewhat in the groupstage, resulting in a low seed into the playoffs. The black and red proved their capability by reversing an impossible looking 2-0 situation against YMCA in the first round. As usual, HAVU relies on their extremely solid unit in order to suffocate SJ, whereas SJ will need to improve in just about every area of the game if they want to steal games against the champs. (2) FILADELPHIA vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (25) We're in for a similar situation as HAVU-SJ in this series. FILADEPLHIA is the well-oiled machine we're used to seeing and made easy work of their opponents in the groupstage, but saw trouble in the horizon against Gotham Knights in the first round, when the bats were only a ping of the post away from upsetting the orange powerhouse. In their first round matchup, Frosty squared off in a Mestis rivalry against SAWO Esports, against whom they proved somewhat of an upset as they took off with a hot start and just never let up, going 3-1 to win the series. (4) hREDS vs CRY IS FREE (21) As mentioned already in the first round write-up, hREDS is one of those teams who can match anyone when it comes to competing solely on skill and talent, but their play as a unit isn't bad either. Power scoring duo Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Joakim @Joukki Nyholm was a dominant force in the first round, but secondary scoring should be no problem with the depth hREDS has in their roster. Once again, I'll have to predict a tough series for CRY IS FREE, who easily overcome Exerceo in the first round, proving their hunger and capability to compete at a high level. (5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs Blackdawgs (19) JYP is one of those teams that no one really wants to go up against at this stage of the tournament and that is simply due to their overpowering style of play. The red hurricane has the ability to suffocate their opposition with immense pressure and will utilize given opportunities effectively. Blackdawgs are in for a wild ride unless they find a way to use their own strengths well or neutralizing the pressure of JYP. (6) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs SOPPAJENGI (18) GHETTO FIREBIRDS have really came into their own during the past year, proving all doubters and haters wrong and they seem to be continuing their good run of form in the FCL. By beating first round opponent Sulkavan Sudet with a sweep, the team has a running start to the playoffs with more to come. In this tourney, the FIREBIRDS have also managed to win in overtime, which is a good sign for them. FCL sensation SOPPAJENGI hasn't had as glorious of a run this year around, but are still going strong and expectedly so. Their roster overflows of skill and I'm only expecting their game to improve moving forward. (7) KOVA Esports vs Nordic Stars (16) This series will most likely prove to be a tough battle that might very well extend beyond the first three games. KOVA won their group, but struggled in the first round against Kouvola Screaming Eagles, mostly controlling flow of play but not being able to convert as effectively as hoped for. Nordic stars on the other hand made quick work out of Pata Hellalla, getting big efforts from their whole squad and a solid backstopping input from their goaltender. (9) Tunnel Vision vs Black Horse (13) With the first round in the rearview, both of these teams advance with 3-1 records out of very similar series. Tunnel Vision played some tight games agains Hundred Acre Wood whereas Black Horse went into three consecutive one goal games against Children of Ice. Both of these teams possess tremendous skill and are very even in that department, so most likely it will come down to composure and staying out of the box, combined with converting effectively. A full five games shouldn't surprise. (10) GENESIS vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (11) These guys eagerly started off early already last night, with the series now at a 1-1 tie after two tight games, trading blows evenly as is expected in this series. These two are about as evenly matched as can be at this point of the playoffs and it'll be an exciting series to follow for sure. NHLGamer will be broadcasting the conclusion of the series tonight starting at 20:00 CEST and you won't want to miss this clash. Tune in for the playoffs tonight! We'll be broadcasting some exciting 2nd round games tonight at prime viewing time! In the booth, you'll find Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen, we'll be starting at 19:45 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

It’s been an exciting summer for NHL and 6v6 competition, as the 32 best North American 6v6 teams out of 90+ teams that played in the qualifiers faced off against each other in the regular season of the Northern Arena Cup, presented by NHLGamer. These teams played 15 regular season games, and have gone through multiple best of 5 series’ against the best of the best, and we are now down to the final teams left fighting for the $6000 prize for first place, and the $10,000 total prize pool. Let’s talk about the finalists! New York Underdogs - Eastern Conference Champions Record: 13-1-1 GF/GM: 4.47 GA/GM: 1.73 PP%: 41.18 PK%: 41.67 Road To The Finals: Quarterfinals: Defeated Long Island 6th Sense in 5 games. Semifinals: Defeated Philadelphia Problematic in 3 games. Conference Finals: Defeated Tampa Bay Vertigo in 3 games. The Underdogs have not felt like underdogs in recent times, feeling more like the top of the class with their performances. Going into the regular season they did have fairly high expectations, but they managed to blow them out of the water amassing a 13-1-1 record and top seed in a top-heavy eastern conference. They haven’t looked back since, with a slight scare in the opening round, before sweeping their next 2 opponents to make it to the finals. To add to the already impressive feats, their series against Vertigo went to overtime in all 3 games, with them tying the game to send it to overtime in game 3 with 1 second remaining. It also happened to be Team Captain @Karmuh x 86 scoring all 3 game-winning goals, who also leads the playoffs with 4 GWG. Seattle Entourage - Western Conference Champions Record: 12-1-2 GF/GM: 3.33 GA/GM: 1.73 PP%: 52.17 PK%: 86.36 Road To The Finals: Quarterfinals: Defeated Arizona Mars in 4 games. Semifinals: Defeated Anaheim Ducks Gaming in 5 games. Conference Finals: Defeated San Jose Chilltown in 5 games. The top seed in the west comes into the finals looking for their second title of the season, with their lone win being in the Caps Gaming Showcase in January. They have had a very successful run in every event, however, with multiple top 4 finishes since, but still looking for that elusive title. @hxndry currently leads the playoffs in scoring with 28 points in 14 games, 4 points ahead of @McFleury, whom he will be up against, and his teammate in @x Fisher 81, both with 24. You also have to talk about @Scheckel29 when you talk about Entourage, and he has certainly carried his load, facing the most shots out of any goalie in the playoffs with 138, while still posting a 1.79 GAA (4th) and an 84.66 SV% (3rd) Series Prediction: While it’s certainly going to go the distance between these two teams, I think the New York Underdogs are going to take the series in 5 games. They impressed by beating arguably the number one team in Tampa Bay Vertigo in only 3 games, not to mention they are coming off of a disappointing but solid 2nd place finish in the CBJ Summer Cup. Everyone on each team will need to be playing at their best in order to take home the title. X Factors for each team: Seattle Entourage: @Regs84 (0g 16a 16p in 14 GP) New York Underdogs: Karmuh x 86 (11g 8a 19p in 11 GP) 3rd Place Match Predictions: San Jose Chilltown vs Tampa Bay Vertigo 10-4-1 Record 12-2-1 3.13 GF/GM 4.73 2.20 GA/GM 2.47 24.24 PP% 26.32 85.29 PK% 83.33 It’s always a tough heartbreak losing so close to the finals and so close to the trophy, but both of these teams are very solid squads and certainly deserve some credit here. They have a chance at taking $1,000 home though in the 3rd place match, so there is still something to be played for. Prediction: Tampa Bay Vertigo in 4. Thanks for reading! Good luck to the remaining teams! Be sure to check out the streams and support everyone involved!