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NHLGamers, Christmas is just around the corner and we have great news from the Finnish Lapland as the ice hockey club Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi), from the official hometown of Santa Claus - Rovaniemi, joins the world of NHL esports. The roster of Basic Instinct has represented RoKi Esports in ECL 11 Lite group 7 where the team has secured a spot in the playoffs. Compared to Basic Instinct’s last season in ECL 10 Lite it’s clear that the team is already taking big steps forward and cooperation with RoKi will motivate the team to do even better. RoKi Hockey Oy CEO Pekka Kankaanranta chimed in on their new project as follows: "We have been following the rise of esports and other hockey teams joining the scene. Some discussions around our aspirations with esports and what would be the correct route to take were had, but the questions were ultimately answered when Teemu @Tecena Kuusela contacted us and told us about the possibility of changing their already existing team to RoKi’s team. We found common ground in how to run the project and with open minds and great excitement we decided to hop on. I believe that esports will serve us as a new channel and bring many new opportunities. In addition to pro gaming our vision for the future is to offer kids and youngsters new hobby activities in esports and we’ll be taking careful steps towards making this become a reality." NHLGamer decided to contact team captain @Tecena for some insight about dealing with RoKi and his feelings about the news: First of all congratulations on partnering with RoKi. How does it feel to be a part of RoKi Esports? How did the whole thing start and is there some special connection between the members of the team and the RoKi organization? "Thank you very much. Playing for RoKi Esports has been an amazing experience for us right from the beginning. Representing such a great club also brings up more pressure and a competitive mindset to our playing and it suits us very well. The whole idea started when I contacted my old teammate that I used to play with in the amateurs league and he happens to be a sales manager for RoKi Hockey Oy. He took our idea to Pekka Kankaanranta, CEO of RoKi Hockey Oy and soon we were meeting both in person. We talked about the possibilities of esports and It didn’t take long to find a mutual agreement for cooperation. Most of our players are from southern Finland but the city of Rovaniemi is also well represented in our roster. Three of our current players are from Rovaniemi - Me, Osku @Poksus Kylmäluoma and Roope @Ihan pihalla Taavettila, while Me and poksus still live here up North." What is your target as a team in ECL 11 and in the future? Has RoKi given any objectives for you to fulfill? "Our main target in ECL has been reaching the playoffs. Last time in ECL 10 Lite we were left out of the playoffs but this time we are more experienced and stronger. This time we finished the regular season in a playoff spot so I’m really happy with our results so far. Our playing style is very suitable for playoff hockey so the expectations are high and I believe that everything is possible there. In the next ECL tournament we will be able to start the season as RoKi Esports and I believe that if necessary, we could recruit some reinforcements when we start to prepare for the new season. I also believe that playing for organizations such as RoKi, it’s going to be easier to find players that could be interested to play for our club. If every piece in the puzzle fits, our goal in the future will be promotion to the ECL Pro division. RoKi hasn’t set any competitive targets for us but I have to admit we had a spark of joy in our meeting with the club when it was noticed that we were currently topping TuTo Esports in the league. Both clubs are playing in Mestis which is the second-highest men's ice hockey league in Finland. RoKi’s wish for us is to create good content for our social media channels. Currently we have been adding stuff to our Facebook and Instagram pages where you can find for example the highlights from our ECL league games." How would you describe the current roster of the team? Do you see it as a long term project or is there any room for example RoKi fans to contact you and join for a tryout in the future? "Our current roster is in a really good state at the moment. At times it’s really hard to pick the starting six for the games since there are so many players that can play in multiple positions without making our playing system any weaker. So the starters are picked based on my own feelings and the current form of the player. Me, Tommy @Lefa27 Nyman and Jussi @tipsd Tiipiö have been playing together since ECL 9. In ECL 10 Roope (Drippimehu93) and Osku (poksus) joined the team so we know each other pretty well by now. Osku didn’t play any matches in ECL 10 but in ECL 11 he has been impressive in net. He started playing as a goaltender this summer and a tough training camp with Basic Instinct is now showing great results. Pauli @egetelli_ Savenius and Lari @keijo herra Herranen are our latest additions whereas Niko @Lukedos Torniainen has served well in the backup role outside of competitive games. Our target with RoKi for the future is to start a junior team. It would also be awesome to start a reserve team where players from the RoKi organization could play. Maybe we could get even more new players to the NHL scene in the future." Rovaniemen Kiekko Rovaniemen Kiekko was founded in 1979 and it is the biggest hockey club in Finnish Lapland. RoKi’s first team is currently playing in Mestis which is the second-highest men's ice hockey league in Finland and RoKi Women’s first team plays in Naisten Liiga (Women’s League) which is the elite league for women's ice hockey in Finland. Some of the key values for Rovaniemen Kiekko is their youth teams and player production. RoKi wants to help every player to reach their full potential and ensure that everyone can enjoy hockey at a reasonable price. One of the latest gems of RoKi’s junior production is NHL drafted, U20 WJC gold medalist, defender Vili Saarijärvi who currently plays in Liiga (Finnish Elite League) for league leaders Rauman Lukko. https://www.rokihockey.fi http://www.rovaniemenkiekko.fi/ Let’s welcome RoKi Esports to our community! Remember to follow the team in social media to find out the latest news and follow their journey in the ECL 11 tournament. Make sure to follow RoKi Esports on social media! Twitch - twitch.tv/rokiesport Instagram - roki.esport Facebook - Roki Esport Youtube - Roki Esport Twitter - EsportsRoki