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NHLGamers, Despite his young age, 21-year-old Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos has played a very long career in virtual hockey. The young man has represented several top clubs, including FILADELPHIA, JYP and Butterfly Effect during these playing years. In early 2020, we conducted an interview with him in our "Player Spotlight"-series that you can read here: Player Spotlight: Oskari "Sibelius" Grönroos. He started his NHL playing career with 1v1 - a game mode he adopted back in NHL 15. It wasn't until a couple of years later that the young man switched over to the 6v6 side of things. SibeIius says that he has also participated in several versus tournaments, but the mode itself is not as pleasant and interesting as 6v6 action. Since moving to the 6v6 game format, SibeIius has made a rather quick ascent to the group of top players in the Finnish virtual hockey scene and holds a high standard internationally too. "I started playing NHL 15 games casually in the 1v1 format, and 6v6 I didn't start until NHL 17. That's also when I started transitioning towards competitive play more and ultimately it's led me to the point I'm at today." Transfer to HAVU For this season SibeIius moved to represent HAVU Gaming, which is definitely one of the top teams in virtual hockey. In the previous ECL 10 season, SibeIius represented JYP Jyvaskyla, a team that dominated the top of the regular season and was en route towards a successful run. However, in the playoffs, the team did not play as hoped and fell out of the quarterfinals against Swedish Farjestad BK in one of the biggest upsets in a long time. "I was very excited about the opportunity to represent HAVU. The group is full of good guys who I've known also off the ice for a long time. I would argue that HAVU's playing as a unit and consistency during the season will be the biggest differences when compared to JYP." Studies alongside gaming Although SibeIius represents one of Finland's top clubs, there is also time to study. He also says that leisure time is a good counterbalance to gaming and tough university studies. "I study at the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, so when not training or playing otherwise, I'm catching up on some reading or doing other assignments for school. But if there's free time, I usually go out and have dinner with friends or talk to them in party chat and maybe play some 1v1 at the same time or watch some TV show or stream on the computer." When asked about his best memory in virtual hockey, the young man mentions winning the IS Cup 3 (NHL19 6vs6) Finnish Championship representing FILADELPHIA at a GameXpo event in the autumn of 2018. FILADELPHIA defeated Written In The Stars 2-1 in a BO3 final of the tournament. The IS Cup 3 event at GameXpo was a huge stepping stone for the development of the 6's community and the final series is still remembered as one of the most intense clashes of the sport. He says that the biggest reason why they won the tournament with FILADELPHIA was the team's seamless team spirit. "Team spirit was our key to success. I don't think any of the teams had a similar spirit compared to us and of course, we had a team considered one of the best in Europe as FILA still is, but I bet that the decisive factor was how relaxed and happy we were to just play." Strengths & weaknesses - European top 6 Each player has their own strengths and weaknesses, it's good to be aware of them and be able to develop them to be even better at any point. The young man feels that his clear strengths are on the mental side. "As a player, I feel like I have a relatively good pressure tolerance that's probably developed since I've played a lot of tough and tight games in the playoffs, off the field I feel like the kind of relaxed guy who likes to joke around and I think I get along pretty well with people." When asked about an ability of his choice that he could steal from one of his teammates, SibeIius starts pondering about a career on offense - hands like Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha or Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen would be beneficial on that front. Anyone who plays even a little virtual hockey sometimes wonders what his or her dream unit would be like. We asked SibeIius to form a dream roster of his own, and there were some very familiar men among his selections. "There has been a lot of thought and reflection on these through different perspectives. My selection would be based on achieving the best possible performances on the ice through skill, but also chemistry. Outside of HAVU players I'd pick LW Paul @PleeMaker Arontie C Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen RW Erik @Eki Tammenpää LD Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen RD Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta G Filip @Faze91- Azri." Future outlook Having played virtual hockey for such a long time, SibeIius states that he's also interested in other games, such as CS:GO. However, he notes that it would not necessarily be played at the competitive level. His long career in in NHL has also spurred some opinions on how the Finnish NHL scene should be developed in the future. "It's hard to say. Of course, more tournaments and more prize money would always be nice to get, but I'd say that @Kenu and the staff and partners are doing everything in their power to make this grow all the time. It would be cool if the NHL itself ever got involved, but I have no idea how excited the big gentlemen are across the pond. I think things are rolling quite well at the moment, given the circumstances." As he stated, besides playing a lot of his free time is taking up by his studies and he hopes that in the next five years he would be able to find work in the profession. However, he does not completely rule out some kind of career path along virtual hockey at some point. "Of course I'll be part of the scene for years to come but unless some big steps are taken in the next five years, I feel like my career might take me in another direction. Of course you never know, maybe I could handle some of the juridical duties at NHLGamer if things take a turn that way. I definitely hope that the friendships will last beyond our playing careers but overall the future isn't something I've offered much thought to due to my young age."

NHLGamers, The regular season has concluded and the playoff matchups are finally seeded. Due to the fact that there are so many matchups at this stage, I decided to pick some of the most interesting ones to analyze and predict the outcome of. Please check the full matchup list here: https://nhlgamer.com/leagues/96/playoffs The views presented in this article are purely speculative and based on the writers own opinions. Some others would highlight different fixtures in this round but I have decided on these because most of these games have minor or barely any favorites and some has teams with tremendously long winning streaks going, which of course adds a bit of spice to the action. However, for the sake of the preview some matchups have a highlighted favorite in the prediction, but a game seven finish is by no means out of the question in most of these matchups. Here's your ECL 11 Lite Playoff schedule: Let's go on with the previews: (2) ECDC Memmingen eSports vs Clowns On Ice (63) ECDC Memmingen eSports won their Group 1 quite convincingly with the record 26-3-1. Clowns on Ice narrowly reached the playoffs but they are not a team to be underestimated. Tight games can be expected although Memmingen is a slight favorite - they only beat Clowns on Ice narrowly in their regular season matches by 1-0 OT and 4-2. Clowns on Ice is a strong challenger but ECDC Memmingen Esports power on attack will be the factor that tips the scales in their favor, as it's doubtful if the Clowns have anything to match that in their arsenal. Players to watch: ECDC Memmingen Esports @Wowa_1995 (42+59), @DaMan (52+48), @Darcam (80,95 SV%) Clowns On Ice @PaddyD1412 (34+24) @SniperCrusader (21+21) Prediction: ECDC Memmingen advances 4-2 (4) Spirit vs Taavetin Starat (61) In this series Taavetin Starat has nearly as good of a record in their last 10 games as Spirit: 7-3-0 vs 7-2-1. Spirit won their group and Taavetin Starat took the last playoff-place, which without a doubt puts Spirit in the drivers seat in this series, but it is right there for the taking for Starat. The standrad level of Spirit is above that of their competition, but there is tremendous amounts of undiscovered potential with Starat and they can sway the series their way, although it might look unlikely at the moment. Players to watch: Spirit @Toivonen_ (28+56), @jubex0r (80,74 %), @Jesse Puljujärvi (49+24) Taavetin Starat @theMaddias (16+19), @Nkilae (16+18), @rNe92 (14+16) Prediction: Spirit advances 4-1 (5) Dynastia vs Syndrome (60) Dynastia was very impressive in the regular season with a 25-4-1 record while Syndrome barely reached the playoffs but are still good team showed by them challenging top teams in their group in the regular season rather consistently, such as a 4-3 OT win and a slight 3-1 loss against Spirit, who performed well and is quite comparable to Dynastia as a team. @sam in the Syndrome net is one of the key factors for in challenging Dynastia´s top attacking players and will determine their chances of actually advancing in this series. A shootout will definitely turn in the favor of Dynastia but if the score is kept low, this series can be a coin toss. Players to watch: Dynastia @Majuri20 (41+69), @makichuk (69+37) Syndrome @topetsi (19+20), @sam (82,04 SV%) Prediction: Dynastia advances 4-2 (6) Ringette HC vs Sticklifters (59) Ringette HC are on an impressive 12 win streak and there seems to be no stopping them, but it remains to be seen if Sticklifters could be up to the task - maybe Santa has brought the guys new controllers to boost that x-button spam in time for playoffs? with the high confidence and offense clicking, Ringette will be a tough team to beat and they could be going far this season. Their unbeaten streak can be broken in this series, but Sticklifters will not be able to take four wins. Players to watch: Ringette HC @Santtu (34+45), @kim_johan (30+43) Sticklifters @Juha Yletyinen (24+28), @Andjovis (22+12) Prediction: Ringette HC advances 4-1 (7) MUKIMIEHET vs Tic Tac Toes (58) Last seasons´s phenomenon Tic Tac Toes barely managed to reach the playoffs, which might serve as a wake up call for the team - or not. They had a bad run of form at the end of the regular season. MUKIMIEHET as a reborn superteam has redeemed their huge expectations with a convincing 23-5-0 record and winning their group. They had a consistent form throughout the regular season and are a strong favorite in this series if they play true to their level. If Tic Tac Toes can redeem more of their potential and get back in their winning ways and possibly the form of the early season, there is a small change for an upset. Players to watch: MUKIMIEHET @hpkfani (25+49) and @PCJP (83,41 SV%) Tic Tac Toes @Wpaanane (41+43), @Artuzio (35+44), @L4nnisto (6+33) Prediction: MUKIMIEHET advances 4-1 (9) Armada Hockey vs Nordic Nosebleed (56) Armada Hockey, alike many other top teams are running into the playoffs on a winning streak, 10 games and counting, but Nordic Nosebleed if anyone are the ones to stop Armada. The two teams met in the regular season in two really tight battles on the scoreboard, but Armada being in control of the game flow almost entirely. It is expected that the series will follow that same script and if the scoring can be kept minimal Nosebleed stands a chance, but if we end up seeing a scoring race, Armada marches on. Players to watch: Armada Hockey @Kenu (43+37), @meiha (24+50) Nordic Nosebleed @Patflex (24+19), @Kribba (22+16) Prediction: Armada Hockey advances 4-0 (13) GIFU Hockey vs Golden Nights (52) We'll be in for a treat between GIFU Hockey and Golden Nights as both teams are in a winning streak to end their regular season. GIFU has a longer streak, but it's all about peaking at the right times in the playoffs and that seems to be what Golden Nights are in for going into the postseason. Despite being an underdog, Golden Nights have challenged several good teams in the regular season and in fact won tough opponents like Ringette HC and Tic Tac Toes. Seven games is what I expect from this matchup. Players to watch: GIFU Hockey @Duracellii (21+32), @Jobeyz (21+39), @krospi (29+30) Golden Nights @Naaappi (26+27), @Sasuttaja00 (30+22), @Patadevils (3+22), @Vrnoo (80,25 SV%) Prediction: GIFU Hockey advances 4-3 (18) Sjukstugan vs The Last Line (47) Both were in great form recently to cap off the regular season. Sjukstugan finished third in their group and The Last Line came in 7th place. I would like to state that the series will be a fierce back and forth battle, but Sjukstugan can hold a bit of a higher standard level. Ultimately the more disciplined team will advance and Sjukstugan´s higher standard will help them through IF they are able to reach it. The Last Line is expected to put up a decent fight and will be able to clinch a few wins, but I can't see them taking down Sjukstugan. Players to watch: Sjukstugan @Tiltsson (31+32), @Bjono (21+42), @Panserhagen (84,03 SV%) The Last Line @Jnmxxx (36+35), @Selezny (14+22) Prediction: Sjukstugan advances 4-2 (19) Old Farts vs Murohoki (46) Murohoki was expected to be one of the teams that could break the bank this season, but their campaign took a left turn and hasn't gone without struggles. However, it is still possible and the same applies to Old Farts. Both teams know that they have a great opportunity and possesses the skill to advance far into the postseason. At the same time, one team will disappoint here as another gets eliminated. This is probably one of the tightest series in advance in this round and a game 7 finish isn't out of the question. Old Farts with a bit more firepower and an edge in goalies is a slight favorite to me in this series. Players to watch: Old Farts @Ankkalasvegas (35+37), @Liukq (29+42), @Dick Weener (81,43 SV%) Murohoki @Ubula (35+19), @vilperi90 (15+27), @Jerexu (80,58 SV%) Prediction: Old Farts 4-2 (22) Grenoble BDL Esport vs TuTo Esports (43) Grenoble BDL Esports is one of the teams that have an outstanding 10 win streak going on. TuTo Esports have giant obstacle to climb with that but is definitely a team that has the skill and will to overcome. TuTo Esports finished 7th in their group and had good games in the regular season against groups top teams like GIFU Hockey and Sjukstugan winning both of them. TuTo Esports also has a good 7-3-0 record in their last 10. Grenoble BDL Esports is a favorite but TuTo Esports most likely will offer a great series with a good battle for the four wins needed. Having an ace like @topikeranen, who is arguably one of the most skilled players in the division could be a gamechanger for TuTo but he cannot win the series alone. Players to watch: Grenoble BDL Esport @Adri1_SCP (40+30), @Winci (30+35), @Tromi13 (25+40) TuTo Esports @Tumpp1A (53+39) @topikeranen Prediction: Grenoble advances 4-1 (28) Beast Hockey vs RoKI Esports (37) The “pride of Lapland” RoKi Esports finished 7th in their group and played well in games against top teams like Sjukstugan and GIFU Hockey. Beast Hockey finished 4th in their group and also challenged top teams MUKIMIEHET and Calzone HC extremely well. They have also collected 4 wins out of 5 games in their latest matches. This first round matchup is wide open and can very well come down to which team has a better night whenever games are to be played. Despite being a rarity in the Lite playoffs at this stage, a game 7 isn't out of the question and I recommend to keep an eye on this battle specifically. RoKi Esports has had a great ECL debut and has all the tools to cause a minor upset from the slight underdog position. Players to watch: Beast Hockey @Mjukiiz (23+53), @Jaks_10 (26+39) RoKi Esports @egetelli_ (20+23), @Lefa27 (22+19) Prediction: RoKi Esports advances 4-2 (30) Rogle BK vs ASM Hockey (35) Both finished 5th in their group and played well against top teams in their groups so ultimately this comes down to a clash between two capable teams out of which one has to be eliminated. In this series - like in a few others too - there is a realistic possibility for a game 7. Rogle BK is the minor favorite in this clash but ASM Hockey has proven themselves against top teams and they are ready for success. With wider firepower in attack I believe Rogle BK will go advance although one could state that ASM Hockey has edge in goalies which is important if they were to turn the series in their favor. Players to watch: Rogle BK @JF1891 (41+35), @Ultras_tkg (28+29) ASM Hockey @PerfectGorilla (81,62 SV%), @Chara33 (36+35) Prediction: Rogle BK advances 4-2 Congratulations on qualification and best of luck to all Lite teams! See you in round 2, as always - have fun, play hard!