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NHLGamers, Many - including our writing crew in our Finals Preview - doubted FILADEPHIA’s chances tonight after witnessing hREDS’s dominating performance in the ECL 12 Elite Finals a couple months ago. But FILADELPHIA would not budge, and successfully defended their Finnish Championship title with an overwhelming performance.    Despite the finals ending in a sweep, the games were very even with game 1 being decided in overtime and the decisive game 3 seeing a game winning goal in the dying minutes of the game.  Game 1: hREDS - FILADELPHIA 1-2 OT Game 2: FILADELPHIA - hREDS 4-1 Game 3: hREDS - FILADELPHIA 1-2 FILADELPHIA's s road to the championship: Invited straight to the Playoffs as the reigning champion Round 1: vs Bruise Brothers (64) 3-0 Round 2: vs Shameful Knights (47) 3-0 Round 3: vs Conquer Gaming (23) 3-1 Quarterfinals: vs Otukset eSports (16) 3-0 Semifinals: vs KOVA Esports (10) 3-0 Finals: vs hREDS (2) 3-0 The winning roster: GOALTENDERS #72 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren DEFENSEMEN #3 Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila #27 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta FORWARDS #25 Erik @EkiTammenpää #44 Paul @PleeMaker Arontie #86 Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala   Photo credit: Topias Uusiheimo / SEUL The top 3 teams of FCL 6v6 are: 🥇 FILADELPHIA 🥈 hREDS 🥉 GOONS   Congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community, and a warm thank you to all participants!  

NHLGamers, In 2019 it was HAVU Gaming lifting the trophy. In 2020 FILADELPHIA wrestled it from HAVU's hands. In 2021, hREDS will be trying to do the same to FILA. Will they be successful? Or will FILA manage to become the first Champion to defend their title? Can KOVA finish their underdog success story by snatching the bronze under the noses of the impressive GOONS? And how will the players be effected by finally, finally being back in a LAN enviroment the games kick off at the magnificent Game Cave in Espoo, Finland? Ladies and gentlemen, you'll have your answers tonight. Welcome to the 2021 FCL 6v6 Finals event. Here is the full schedule for the night: 17:00 CEST Broadcast starts -------- 17:20 CEST Bronze - Game 1 17:50 CEST Bronze - Game 2 18:20 CEST Bronze - Game 3 (if necessary) -------- 19:00 CEST Finals intro 19:15 CEST Finals - Game 1 10:45 CEST Finals - Game 2 20:20 CEST Finals - Game 3 20:55 CEST Finals - Game 4 (if necessary) 21:30 CEST Finals - Game 5 (if necessary) (2) hREDS vs (1) FILADELPHIA This is it. Truly your matchup of matchups between the two best teams in not just Finland, but in Europe as well at the moment. Having faced off recently in the ECL 12 Elite Finals, these two teams are intimately familiar with each other - and not a single roster change has taken place since then. While FILA likely feels their true revenge against hREDS lies in re-claiming the coveted ECL Elite trophy, defending their FCL title and becoming the first champion in FCL 6v6 history to do so (Artuzio defended his title in 1v1 just yesterday), would be as good an opportunity as any to re-establish dominance over hREDS. Don't think the hREDS side are likely to just sit back and let that happen, though. Made up exclusively of young guns hungry to continue their winning ways, hREDS will be entering this one brimming with motivation and energy to add a Finnish Championship to their ever-expanding trophy room. The last time these two teams met in competitive circumstances, hREDS seemed to catch FILA off guard with their picture-perfect trap and their well-executed pokechecks. This time, FILA will have seen that trick before and will be prepared to adjust even before first puck drop. Even so, it'll be a tough task for the multi-champs to defend their title against such a hungry pack of wolves. Prediction: 3-1 hREDS (10) KOVA Esports vs (8) GOONS The GOONS have had a strong run since their formation in the ECL 11 Pro division. Losing in the finals and securing a league promotion, they followed that up by making the playoffs right away in the über-competitive Elite division and here they are; top-4 in the FCL after having eliminated 2019 FCL Champions HAVU Gaming among others. Safe to say, GOONS will look to end NHL 21 with a bang, rather than a whimper. They'll face stiff competition from KOVA Esports though, Coming into the FCL with a revamped roster (at least on the ice), KOVA have taken down some big fish like JYP Jyväskylä and POGGERS on their way to this bronze battle. Their quick counter-attacks have been proven lethal before, will they be again versus GOONS? Most of the players in this matchup haven't tasted the LAN enviroment before so seeing how that plays out could add an extra wrinkle to this already exciting matchup. Prediction: 0-2 GOONS Tune in to www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 17:00 CEST to find out which team will claim the medals in this exciting LAN finish to the 2021 FCL season.

NHLGamers, After a long Friday night with a lot of 1v1 action, we are able to present to you - STILL the Finnish 1v1 NHL Champion, Arttu @Artuzio Mustila! This is his second consecutive Finnish Championship. How you commentate your finals against xDoumi tonight? "We have played even games with xDoumi along the year and there was no room for mistakes tonight. However, I managed to get the job done. I played the best and most relaxed game of all year today and this came in the best possible place. " NHLGamer would like to congratulate Artuzio on a tremendous tournament and the championship! Please tune in for the FCL 6v6 Finals on Saturday at 17 CEST: https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer Photo: Pekka Nummela / SEUL Let's take a look back at @Artuzio's road to the championship: Group stage record: Invited straight to the finals stage Finals group stage record: 5-0-1 (#5 seed) RO16 vs @Kemppane_ 3-2 Quarterfinals vs @OsquuG 3-0 Semifinals vs @NikkeDangles2-0 Finals vs @xDoumi 2-0 The top 3 of FCL 1vs1 are: 🥇 Arttu @Artuzio Mustila 🥈 Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen 🥉 Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen Photo: Pekka Nummela / SEUL Photo: Pekka Nummela / SEUL

NHLGamers, Only the four best Finnish players remain and tonight we will be able to watch them battle it out and crown the new champion! Will Arttu @Artuzio Mustila renew his title or will a dark horse emerge as the new champion? Here are the semifinals matchups: (1) Roope @pikkuroger Bergström vs. (11) Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (5) Arttu @Artuzio Mustila vs. (10) Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen We asked the defending Finnish champion Artuzio and xDoumi for their thoughts about upcoming final tournament: "I'm going to Friday's final tournament in a good mood and my goal is to take the second consecutive Finnish championship. The level of players in Finland is incredibly high, so winning on Friday will require perfect execution from me. It would be nice to have pikkuroger as the final opponent; I played the most memorable matches of my career against him in last year’s FCL quarterfinals, where I had a comeback from several goals behind and eventually went all the way to win the championship. I know pikkuroger's game has evolved since last year, so it would be great to fight in the finals and see again where we stand today." -Artuzio "It’s great to participate in the semifinals, I'm currently playing at a good level and it's nice to play for the championship after a long time. I was actually 0-2 down in my quarterfinal series against @Eki, but when we went to game 3 I started to understand better how Eki plays and I was able to turn the series around." -xDoumi Tune in for the finals on Friday! The broadcast on Friday will commence at 17:20 CEST and will feature Aki Eurola and Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos in the booth! You can find the broadcast on twitch.tv/NHLGamer. Here's the preliminary schedule for the night: 17:20 CEST Broadcast starts -------- 17:30 CEST Semifinals 1 - Game 1 17:50 CEST Semifinals 1 - Game 2 18:15 CEST Semifinals 1 - Game 3 (if necessary) -------- 18:45 CEST Semifinals 2 - Game 1 19:05 CEST Semifinals 2 - Game 2 19:30 CEST Semifinals 2 - Game 3 (if necessary) -------- 20:00 CEST Bronze game -------- 20:45 CEST Finals - Game 1 21:05 CEST Finals - Game 2 21:30 CEST Finals - Game 3 (if necessary)

NHLGamers, It's been a wild ride thus far and we're still in for some interesting matchups to say the least! With only four teams remaining, the stakes are getting higher and the intensity of the action is ramping up to levels previously unheard of. Defending champion FILADELPHIA is still going strong along with fellow surefire contender hREDS, but the two juggernauts are being challenged by KOVA Esports and GOONS respectively, and the challengers aren't ready to back down without a fight.      (1)  FILADELPHIA vs KOVA Esports  (10)  FILADELPHIA is heading into this one as a heavy favorite, while KOVA Esports have seemingly managed to defy all odds throughout the duration of the season - the organization, now proclaimed the kings of Jyväskylä after beating local rival JYP back in the 3rd round are now up against an entirely different beast. An interesting notion though is that KOVA Esports is exactly the kind of squad that FILADELPHIA have looked vulnerable against in some previous matchups. The reigning champions have heavily dominated possession play and scoring chances for, but been put on the defensive and even looked slightly uncomfortable at times against fast counter attacks from their opposition, which is one skill that KOVA Esports have made their bread and butter over the course of these playoffs.  However, with a spot in the FCL Finals on the line and with the chance to repeat as champions within their grasp, expect FILA to come out firing. Prediction: 3-0   (2)  hREDS vs GOONS  (8) The Helsinki-based organization hREDS seem to be on top of the world currently. The reigning ECL Champions went 16-0-0 through the regular season, claimed the highest seed possible for them in FCL (#2) and quickly disposed of Powerhouse HC, Kouvola Screaming Eagles, FILADELPHIA ACADEMY and SAWO ESPORTS in the playoffs; winning each series 3-0. The teams' combined 28-game winning streak will be put to the test against fellow ECL Elite team GOONS, though. The GOONS squad did manage to win their group, but dropped two games in the regular season and found themselves as the 8th overall seed. The somewhat dissapointing playoff seed did seem to light a fire under the black, white- and red who have since come out firing in the playoffs. GOONS swept VANHAT KYLJYKSET and Rusty Blades, before coming across two Elite teams in consecutive matchups. Tunnel Visision was defeated by a series score of 3-1 in Round 3, but the standout performance of the tournament came in the Quarterfinals where GOONS defeated former FCL Champions HAVU Gaming 3-1 in games.  You can be sure hREDS were put on alert after that performance and won't be taking GOONS lightly going into this matchup. Prediction: 3-1   Tune in to www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer on Monday and Thursday in order to follow these tight bouts and find out who will eventually make it to the grand final that is played on Saturday, 2nd of October over at Game Cave in Espoo, Finland. 

NHLGamers, With the events of the long SCL season and the final series in the rearview, we are happy to announce that Granit Gaming is your SCL champion! After seeing superstar winger Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund going "hat trick" last night, also the club was determined to pull off a similar feat. Granit Gaming's road to the championship: Group stage: 16-0-0 Round 1: vs Company of Geeks 4-0 Quarterfinals: vs IK Oskarshamn 4-0 Semifinals: vs HV71 4-2 Finals: vs Farjestad BK 4-0 The winning roster: GOALTENDERS #44 Pontus @LastMandalorian Duvefelt #93 Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg DEFENSEMEN #50 Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann #77 Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt FORWARDS #19 Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund #61 Adam @dzouvi Mensik #62 Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander Congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community, and a warm thank you to all participants! If you missed the broadcast, you can rewatch it here:

NHLGamers, It is time to crown the next Swedish Champion in the third iteration of the SCL! Tomorrow, Saturday 25th of September, Färjestad BK is challenging the reigning champion Granit Gaming for the throne in a full seven game series for not only the title, but also a hefty amount of cash to go along with it. NHLGamer together with our main sponsor Svenska Spel and partners SESF and the Swedish Ice Hockey Association are very excited for whats to come this weekend. Join us for all the action on our Twitch-channel, starting 16:45 CEST!   (1)   Granit Gaming vs Farjestad BK   (2) Tale of the tape (Reg. season record) 16-0-0 vs. 14-0-0 (GF/G) 7.94 vs. 7.43 (GA/G) 0.81 vs. 1.43 (Special teams %) 124.06 vs. 122.73 (Top scorer - season total) Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund 29GP, 63+68=131 vs. Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg 29GP, 71+39=110   After all, it's not a massive surprise to see the #1 seed go up against the #2 seed in the finals, especially since both Granit Gaming and Färjestad BK are such established organizations that have been at the top for quite some time already. What ramps up the heat of the finals even more is the fact that these teams really know the ins and outs of each other due to their experience of playing together in various constellations. The fact is, that 50% of the lineup that Granit Gaming is expected to ice for the finals played for Färjestad this past ECL season, just a few months ago - and saw some impressive success while doing so. Farjestad, on the other hand were forced to reinvent themselves a bit. As stated in previous previews, the team acquired a set of new defensemen and a winger, which has worked wonders for the squad.  As the 1st and 2nd seed of the playoffs, both of these teams have had rather similar paths to the finals, where neither team saw too much trouble until the later rounds. Färjestad BK was challenged slightly by Ice MachineZ in the Quarterfinals, but managed to overcome the team with several old acquaintances, whereas Granit Gaming had a minor scare against HV71 in the Semifinals, where they were down 2-1 after the first set of games.  The teams are very evenly matched, as the statistics would suggest, the main difference being Granit Gaming and their slightly more stable defense. Special teams are definitely deadly for both parties and despite both being very strong on the PK, some powerplay scoring shouldn't be out of the question. In net, we're expecting to see Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg for Granit, whereas Johan @McSavid Rundqvist will strap on the pads for Färjestad. Throughout his career, Runqvist has seen far more action and therefore is statistically inclined to stop a higher percentage of pucks shot at him, but Thunborg has a history of winning big games and coming up clutch when his team really needs him. It's almost impossible to give an advantage in that department.  So far this season, it has seemed like Granit Gaming is the more well-rounded team largely due to their chemistry from before and due to their dynamic levels of high-end talent all around the ice. Färjestad is a team that also performs close to the same level, but lacks the similar ability to switch gears and find alternative solutions in a similar way. The fact is, after all, Ljungberg is their go-to-guy on far more than 50% of their offensive chances and despite their success so far, Granit should be a team of a high enough caliber to put an end to that show. Prediction: 4-2 Join us tomorrow for the SCL 6v6 Finals over at www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer! The broadcast starts at 16:45 CEST and will feature Adam @esdor Ericson together with Johan @Zalaz Nilsson in the booth.

NHLGamers, After a long Friday night with a lot of 1v1 action, we are able to present to you - STILL the Swedish 1v1 NHL Champion, Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund! The youngster hailing from Örnsköldsvik surfaced a few years ago and quickly made a claim as being one of the most talented players around, and rightfully so - he has now secured a third consecutive Swedish Championship and has the chance to do so in both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes this weekend. What has made you such a good player over the course of NHL 21? "I feel like my defensive game has been very strong this year and I'm very confident with that. That is also what has separated me from the competition on many occasions this year." Now with another title down and some change in your pockets, what will you do with the prize money? "I think I'll spend quite a lot this weekend with the Granit Gaming boys in Stockholm, probably a bit on HUT packs but what's left after that I'll put into the savings for sure." Let's take a look back at @Eken45jr's road to the championship: Group stage record: Invited straight to the finals stage Finals group stage record: 5-1-0 (#3 seed) Quarterfinals vs @Jacob70 3-0 SemiFinals vs @Lehmannens 2-0 Finals vs @antoniomannen004 2-0 The top 3 of SCL 1vs1 are: 1. Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund 2. Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander 3. Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen NHLGamer would like to congratulate Eken on a tremendous tournament and the championship!

NHLGamers, Only the four best Swedish players remain and tonight we will be able to watch them battle it out and crown the new champion! Will @Eken45jr be able to complete his "hattrick" with a third championship in row, or will we see a new Swedish Champion? Here are the semifinal matchups: (5) Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen vs Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander (1) (3) Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund vs Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann (2) Tune in for the finals on Friday! The broadcast on Friday will commence at 18:20 CEST and will feature Adam @esdor Ericson and Casper @ICappeI Lundgren in the booth! You can find the broadcast on twitch.tv/NHLGamer. Here's the preliminary schedule for the night: 18:20 Broadcast start 18:30 Semifinal 1 (BO3) 19:45 Semifinal 2 (BO3) 21:00 Bronze Game (BO1) 21:30 Finals (BO3)

NHLGamers, The time has come for the Quarterfinals of this years FCL and we've got some juicy matchups on hand for sure. Already tonight, we'll feature two games of the very tight POGGERS vs KOVA Esports-series, after which we'll see the fabled STADI vs LANDE-rivalry between hREDS and SAWO ESPORTS. The Quarterfinals are to be played between Today, 20th of September and Thrusday, 23rd of September. (1) FILADELPHIA vs Otukset eSports (16) The defending champion goes up against the true sensation of the season - Otukset defied all odds when going up against #3 seed IQUE and taking them down with a sweep. They've now had a week to prepare for the upcoming challenge that is FILADELPHIA and we're all waiting with excitement for what's to come. On the other hand, FILADELPHIA finished a dominant outing against Conquer Gaming on Thursday last week and are coming into this matchup with a similar outlook - anything but a dominant win is a surprise. Expect FILADELPHIA to put on heavy pressure and Otukset to strike on counter attacks when given the chance. Prediction: 3-0 (2) hREDS vs SAWO ESPORTS (11) STADI vs LANDE. This matchup can't be hyped up enough and if you look at social media you'll almost certainly run into some banter around it. Unfortunately for an otherwise very exciting rivalry, we might be looking at a rather one-sided ordeal on the ice. The undisputed fact is, after all, hREDS is the reigning European champion and undefeated throughout their FCL campaign so far, whereas SAWO ESPORTS is a great team in their own right, but not at the level of hREDS currently. As a matter of fact, despite their #11 seed, SAWO hasn't really faced that real top-tier competition yet this season. We should see a back-and-forth battle that is largely controlled by hREDS, but if SAWO can convert on their opportunities and keep the scoring low, grabbing a win isn't entirely out of the question. Prediction: 3-0 (4) POGGERS vs KOVA Esports (10) This could end up being an exciting one and the series to follow in the quarterfinals. POGGERS have played an outstanding FCL despite having some minor hiccups early in the playoffs, they are now facing KOVA Esports, who is a squad that they've traditionally been battling for similar positions with in European competition. If that's anything to go off of, we're going to see a very well matched series. Both teams enjoy employing a fast-paced offensive strategy that aims to crash the net more often than not, but also possess the skill and patience to stay with the puck when required. We saw KOVA Esports beat JYP in an underdog status by converting on seemingly every counter attack they got, so if that continues, we could see them grab yet another series win. Prediction: 3-2 (5) HAVU Gaming vs GOONS (8) HAVU Gaming might have gone under the radar a bit this season due to not having a seed at the very top but make no mistake - they are definitely ready to challenge anyone when it boils down to the biggest games of the season. This might in fact be one of those, as GOONS are coming in with a slight underdog status but could very well be among the hottest teams around as they've taken down Rusty Blades and Tunnel Vision already with relative ease and with that should be in great form. We could end up seeing a very tight series extending the full five games if HAVU has some trouble to get going, but if they are able to come in strong fro the get-go and utilize their experience they'll make a strong case for themselves in this dispute. Prediction: 3-1 Join us tonight for two exciting matchups, first POGGERS and KOVA Esports clash, after which we see the STADI vs LANDE-rivalry between hREDS and SAWO ESPORTS. In the booth, Arttu Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen! Tune in for the action at www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer starting 19:45 CEST. Before the main broadcast, we've also got a STADI vs LANDE pre-show featuring a BO3 1v1-challenge between hREDS GM Christer Kasurinen and SAWO ESPORTS GM Arttu Hämäläinen - the puck for this drops at 18:00 CEST!

NHLGamers, Only four remain in the 2021-edition of our Swedish Championship League and those four squads are now going into all-out battle for the title and the cash! Perhaps to no surprise, we've got the seeds 1-4 from the group stage entering this point of the league as a result of stellar play all around, but also by overcoming adversity and finding new ways to flourish in some cases. Let's take a closer look at our matchups and the schedule ahead! Here are your Semifinal matchups: (1) Granit Gaming vs HV71 (4) Schedule: Sunday, September 19th: Games 1-3 @ 20:00 CEST Tuesday, September 21st: Games 4-7 @ 20:00 CEST Another interesting factor in these semifinals is also that we have two established Elite squads going into the series as favorites, whereas both HV71 and Djurgården have seen promotions at the end of ECL 12 and are heading into their matchups as the underdogs. In this clash against Granit Gaming, HV71 are without the slightest hint of doubt facing the toughest opposition possible in this tournament, and everything will need to click for them if they are looking to advance. Without their captain @Demski13, they have already managed to overcome that massive obstacle and play for their leader in two matchups, going undefeated in the playoffs so far. It seems like their entire roster have been able to elevate their level as games have progressed and stand-in @Joppe_ hasn't looked at all out of place - instead going head-to-head with the best of them like it's just another day at the office. On the other side of the ice, we've got Granit Gaming - the Swedish super squad with some Czech spice in the form of @dzouvi. As expected, they have truly earned their #1 spot and have gone undefeated throughout the league so far. Anything but a championship would be a disappointment and they're not taking that mission lightly. This roster holds an abundance of individual skill that combines for a beautiful hockey symphony on ice, anything can and will happen when Granit takes the ice, and so far it's been a victory train for them. Prediction: 4-0 (2) Farjestad BK vs Djurgarden Hockey (3) Schedule: Sunday, September 19th: Games 1-3 @ 21:30 CEST Wednesday, September 22nd: Games 4-7 @ 20:00 CEST Despite being forced to reinvent themselves slightly in the offseason between ECL 12 and the SCL, Färjestad have managed to retain their high level of play and have proven that throughout the duration of this season. The quarterfinals against Ice MachineZ were their first true test, which they managed to come away from unscathed. They should have taken some lessons away from that matchup though, as Djurgården Hockey is surely a more coherent unit that will strike without mercy when given the chance. We're expecting to see a back-and-forth battle between two rather evenly matched teams, where Färjestad will be relying slightly more on their offensive instincts and quick counter attacks through @affelj96, whereas Djurgården Hockey will be trusting their team play and try to control the pace of the game a bit more. Prediction: 3-4 Tune in to twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 19:45 CEST to get the Semifinals started as both series will be featured! Adam @esdor Ericson and Casper @ICappeI Lundgren will be in the booth for all the action!

NHLGamers, We're now down to the top 16 teams in the FCL and really boiling down to those most meaningful games of the season. It is at this point we'll be starting to see some really interesting clashes and we truly recommend following along with the action on twitch and social media. The third round of playoffs is to be played between today, 13th of September and Thursday, 16th of September. The playoffs are played in a best-of-five manner.   (1)  FILADELPHIA vs Conquer Gaming  (23)  FILADELPHIA haven't really gotten their engines started properly yet, with only six rather easy-win games in the rearview, opposition is now starting to get increasingly tougher. Conquer gaming is a team they've met before in various competitive settings but recent memory doesn't hold an occasion where Conquer would have left as the victor, even in a single game. With that in mind, FILADELPHIA should be set for success in this series too. Conquer Gaming find themselves in this position as the result of their own doing, after a rather underwhelming performance in the group stage, they are now stuck with the lowest seed in the playoffs and face a tremendous uphill battle. Expect an onslaught from FILADELPHIA and Conquer will attempt to weather the storm and counter when given the chance.  Prediction: 3-0   (2)  hREDS vs FILADELPHIA Academy  (22)  We're used to seeing hREDS and FILADELPHIA clash in big time battles, but this time it's the FILA Academy team that is making waves around the community. The academy team has shown their potential and are now starting to play true to their level, attempting to challenge reigning European champion hREDS in this series. So far, the big, bad Reds are the only remaining team to go undefeated in the league and being the highest scoring squad around while doing so. While it was rather evident that they weren't going on full steam in the first two playoff rounds, it'll be interesting to see if they are coming out with the goal to crush the affiliate team of one of their biggest rivals in this one. Prediction: 3-0   (3)  IQUE vs Otukset eSports  (16)  These two got the action started early on Sunday evening already and we ended up seeing the first real shocker of the 2021 FCL playoffs. After going undefeated through the group stage and the first round, IQUE had some minor issues with Tohtorit in the second round and came to a grinding halt in the third round against Otukset eSports, who completely shut down the party.  Result: 0-3   (4)  POGGERS vs Sack Brothers  (15) POGGERS is another one of the teams that had a great group stage, going undefeated. They had some trouble against Nordic Knights in the first round, but quickly redeemed themselves in the second round against Blacklist. We know POGGERS as a high-scoring team with rather fast offense, a style that also Sack Brothers like to employ when given the chance. In the end, we will see two rather similar squads match up, but POGGERS hold a higher standard and will be coming out as the winner.  Prediction: 3-1   (5)  HAVU Gaming vs Kiekko-Espoo Esports  (14) While they've maintained their spot among the top teams around, HAVU have been in a seemingly vulnerable position for quite some time already. In this round, Kiekko-Espoo Esports are the ones posing the challenge. Kiekko-Espoo are an interesting team, who possess some top-tier talent and have the ability to create witty plays on offense, but their form tends to be very fluctuant. Although HAVU hasn't been able to rise to their best level recently, their baseline is still above that of Kiekko-Espoo and they should be able to walk away from this one unscathed.  Prediction: 3-0   (6)  Dynastia vs SAWO ESPORTS  (11)  Now this could be a tough battle. We've been pumping the tyres of Dynastia for quite some time already and it's definitely deserved, but now they'll be running into a SAWO ESPORTS, who have slightly underperformed so far. These two clashed in the group stage already, where they traded wins, but Dynastia walked away with an extra point from an OT loss. Despite their high seed, Dynastia haven't had a cakewalk in the playoffs and have seen some issues especially in the first few games of series. They'll need to be alert in this one, or else SAWO could run them over early.  Prediction: 2-3   (7)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs KOVA Esports  (10)  This series features two squads where we could see a bit of a rivalry forming - or at least could wish for it on the sidelines. Both clubs hailing from Jyväskylä in central Finland fought in the relegation zone of ECL 12 Elite and are now clashing for the first time since those fierce battles. JYP have slightly retooled, adding 1v1 champion @Artuzio on their left wing, while KOVA have been sticking with their guns, true and tested. The history between these clubs suggest low-scoring games that will sway either direction based on opportunities converted from mistakes. It's a matchup to keep an eye on for sure! Prediction: 3-2   (8)  GOONS vs Tunnel Vision  (9) In that mid-tier matchup at this point of the playoffs, GOONS and Tunnel Vision are going to fight it out. Both squads are in a similar position, having established themselves as Elite level squads after their first campaign in the European top 16 and now looking for success in the domestic FCL. While GOONS have largely remained in a similar composition, Tunnel Vision have seen some changes since their Elite campaign, however, it looks like they could be a stronger team than before. GOONS is a more aggressive team that likes to attack the net more and put a heavier pressure on puck carriers, which could tip the scales in their benefit for this series. If Tunnel Vision can find a way to bait penalties or match that aggression, they could pose a serious threat. Prediction: 3-2   Make sure to join us tonight for two exciting matchups, first JYP Jyvaskyla and KOVA Esports clash, after which HAVU Gaming take on Kiekko-Espoo Esports. In the booth, Arttu Hämäläinen and Oskari Koski! Tune in for the action at www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer starting 19:45 CEST.

NHLGamers, It's time for the quarterfinals of the SCL 6v6 league and with that we're now down to only eight teams left. We've got some very interesting matchups incoming, including some rivalries from the group stage, which is always nice. The quarterfinals of the SCL are to be played between Today, 12th of September and Wednesday, 15th of September. The quarterfinals will be played in a best-of-seven format. Here are your Quarterfinal matchups: (1)   Granit Gaming vs IK Oskarshamn  (10) A true case of David vs Goliath on display. Despite having a positive development curve and being able to overcome Södertälje SK in a tight battle in the first round, IK Oskarshamn is in over their head in this one. The reigning champions have plowed through opposition without the slightest sign of weakness throughout the league so far, and are not expected to stop any time soon. To put this matchup into perspective - IK Oskarshamn overcame SSK in a very tight seven game series, whereas Granit managed to beat that same team in the group stage with ease by 4-1 and 6-0. Although an upset would shake the scene to the core, this is not the matchup where that will happen.  Prediction: 4-0, Granit advance (2)  Farjestad BK vs Ice MachineZ  (9) We could be in for an interesting one right here. Farjestad BK is the established runner-up, but Ice MachineZ are surely up for the challenge. Both teams consist of experienced players in slightly new found constellations. The biggest advantage in advance can be found in net, where FBK have @McSavid, who we all know as one of the greatest Swedish netminders around. On the other side, we've got @Provokacija for the Ice MachineZ, who hasn't proven his level yet against high level clubs on a regular basis - now is his chance. This matchup will most likely boil down to which team finds the better flow on ice and which goaltender will manage to elevate their level of play better. A minor advantage for Farjestad BK. Prediction: 4-1, Färjestad advance (3)  Djurgarden Hockey vs Björklöven Esport  (6) Seed #1 and #2 from group 1 clash again. In the group stage, these teams played two low-scoring battles, which both ended in Djurgården wins and Björklöven were left with only one point for an OT loss. The history between these two teams call for a very tough fight that could extend to the full seven games, and scoring should be hard. Both teams are extremely strong defensive units that have the ability to explode on offense when given the chance, and both have a secret weapon on that defensive LD spot - @Jungledonk for Djurgården and @Supremski for Björklöven. Keep an eye on these two! Prediction: 4-2, Djurgården advance (4)  HV71 vs AiKnown  (5)  These two also met already in the group stage - HV71 finishing #1 and AiKnown finishing #2 in group 3. Back then, points were shared. Statistically, the teams are very similar and play with a defense first mindset, but it could be argued that HV71 is a slightly better assembled machine due to their experience together at the forefront. That is not to say that AiKnown would be any lesser of a team and they definitely stand the chance to cause trouble in this matchup for their opponents, especially with the notion in mind that HV71 heart-and-soul @Demski13 will be absent for his team in this matchup. That means a small shuffle for HV71, where @Rubituss takes the center spot and @Joppe_ enters the lineup - having done so well with 10 points in their first matchup against Illumination. This is a tight matchup that is very tough to predict, you'll have to see it first hand! Prediction: 2-4, AiKnown advance Tune in to www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 20:45 CEST to get the quarterfinals started with some tough clashes between HV71 and AiKnown! Adam @esdor Ericson and Casper @ICappeI Lundgren will be in the booth for all the action!

NHLGamers, As the league moves on, we've now also entered the playoffs in the 1v1 format of the FCL. Currently we're down to the top 120 players and closing in on the 2nd round with only 60 players remaining. Invitees Arttu @Artuzio Mustila and Erik @Eki Tammenpää will enter in the third round and the group stage with the top 32. Here's the full schedule for the playoffs: Follow the bracket on the league page and the players on social media in order to stay updated with what's going on and who is moving closer towards the ultimate goal of being crowned the next Finnish Champion and taking home the biggest slice of our 4500 EUR prize pool!

Yesterday, we saw the release of the NHL 22 Technical test, focused around the World of Chel. This is an exciting time for our community and we're sure everyone who have got their hands on some codes have already got to testing out the new game. As always, these tests are early versions of the game and don't show the full finalized product, but are here for the community to get a taste of what's to come and voice their opinions. As one of the biggest NHL gaming sites in the world - not to mention the amazing talent and passion of our community members - we want to help out with this. That is why we're reaching out to you in order to hear what you think. Any concerns and opinions are welcome, both the good and bad. Please let us know in the comments section about anything you run into during your time with the game and expand on the topic as much as possible. If you enjoy something in particular e.g. the passing in the Technical Test, be sure to bring that out also to make sure it doesn't change. Screenshots and short video clips are also welcome, so don't hesitate to add those to your messages as they provide valuable added info. Please note that the official EA Answers HQ forum is also live and taking feedback and that is the official way of providing feedback of the beta. You can find it by clicking this text. We hope all of you have a good time with the Technical Test and please remember to let us know what you think!

NHLGamers, We're moving on with the playoffs also in the 1v1 format of the SCL and with that we are by now already down to the top 30 since the postseason has already started a few days back. Some of the highest seeding players from the group stage have received a bye round for the first round of action and will enter back into the battle on the second round. here's the full schedule for the playoffs: Follow the bracket on the league page and the players on social media in order to stay updated with what's going on and who is moving closer towards the ultimate goal of being crowned the next Swedish Champion and taking home the biggest slice of our 35 000 SEK prize pool!

NHLGamers, We're down to 32 teams left in the FCL 6v6 Playoffs and winding down towards the toughest games of the season. With that, we'll also be broadcasting action starting tonight. Rusty Blades go at GOONS with puck drop at 20:00 CEST and Hokurit go at Tunnel Vision starting 21:30 CEST over at our Twitch-channel. Round 2 of the playoffs are to be played between today, 6th of September and Thursday, 9th of September in a best-of-five manner.     (1)  FILADELPHIA vs Shameful Knights  (47) (2)  hREDS vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles  (44) (3)  IQUE vs Tohtorit  (41) (4)  POGGERS vs Blacklist  (40) (5)  HAVU Gaming vs Perttilan Kommandot  (36) (6)  Dynastia vs Setelit On Ice  (34) (7)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs STARGAZING  (33) (8)  GOONS vs Rusty Blades  (30) (9)  Tunnel Vision vs Hokurit  (28)  (10)  KOVA Esports vs Lemmenvelhot  (27)  (11)  SAWO Esports vs Spirit  (26)    (12)  Sulkavan Sudet vs Conquer Gaming  (23)  (13)  BoxinElite vs FILADELPHIA Academy  (22)  (14)  Kiekko-Espoo Esports vs Reign  (20)  (15)  Sack Brothers vs VISU Gaming  (19)    (16)  Otukset eSports vs RCTIC (17)    Key points to follow throughout the second round: - Still, Dynastia. After a very strong group stage they had a small hiccup against Wilhelm Devils in the first round. In the end, they advanced with ease but will need too improve with their chance conversion when the games get tighter. Their series against Setelit on Ice should follow the same format and we can expect Dynastia to advance further. - POGGERS & SAWO, both of these established Elite squads had some issues to get going in the first round, can they bounce back and put forth stronger performances against increasingly tough opponents? - Tight matchups, especially some of the mid-table matchups are extremely even as some strong teams didn't perform up to expectations in the group stage. Kiekko-Espoo vs Reign and Sack Brothers vs VISU Gaming are ones to watch closely, those could go either way.   Make sure to tune in already tonight at 19:45 CEST in order to follow the first games of the Round 2 playoffs! Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen will be in the booth over at www.twitch.tv/NHLgamer.          

With the Play-in round finished and only the top 16 remaining ion the battle, it is time to really get going with the playoffs in the SCL 6v6 league! Round 1 will be starting today, Sunday 5th of September and can be played until Thursday, 9th of September. The playoffs are played in a best-of-seven format. We'll be covering the playoffs in broadcasts on our Twitch-channel, where the first matchups will be aired tonight and casted by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson. We wish all participating teams good luck moving forward! Here are your Round 1 matchups: (1) Granit Gaming vs Company of Geeks (16) #1 seed Granit Gaming chose to decline an invitation directly to the playoffs in favor of playing through the group stage along with all the other teams and it has paid off for them in a big way. They're now familiar with a lot of the teams and have gotten up to speed with the level of play in the SCL while retaining their #1 seed along the way. Their opponent Company of Geeks managed to push through the Play-In round in a battle against Blessed Suedis. Interestingly enough, these two clashed in the group stage already and those games were one-sided to say the least. Granit Gaming exited with full points and a goal differential of 18-2 in their favor. This will be a cakewalk for Granit unless Company of Geeks will be able to flip a switch and upset the entire league. (2) Farjestad BK vs Luleå Hockey (15) Farjestad BK have for a long time been that #2 Swedish team but are now mounting an effort to change that with determination. They managed to go undefeated through the group stage and quite notably, they have been the most disciplined team in the league so far, with only 20 PIMs in 14 games this far. It is unlike to really play a role for them yet, but that will be important in the bigger games later in the postseason. Luleå, on the other hand managed to squeeze their way into the playoffs through the Play-in round and are a team that can surprise strong squads in low-scoring battles but have a tendency to go on cold streaks from time to time. Farjestad BK should advance with ease. (3) Djurgarden Hockey vs Nordic Nosebleed (14) Djurgarden have made a steady ascent towards the top in the Swedish scene during the past few seasons of virtual hockey and now it looks like they are close to truly challenging for the throne for the first time. After a great group stage, they are facing Nordic Nosebleed, who have a history of suffocating stronger teams in the early playoff rounds before in various tournaments and won't give this one up easily, that's for sure. (4) HV71 vs Illumination (13) Much alike Djurgarden, HV71 have been on a similar trajectory towards the top and with some of the high-profile acquisitions made over the past six months, the team now looks stronger than ever, which is evident in their play. Despite ending up at the #4 seed, they are right there with the best of teams in the league and will be on the lookout for the biggest trophy. Illumination, who they will be facing are an ensemble of experienced gamers, but the team lacks that x-factor that could push them over the edge to being a true contender. (5) AiKnown vs HockeyProfessorn HC (12) With perhaps some of the most experienced players in the scene on their roster, AiKnown are pushing on with an exciting mix of experience and young talent. They've shown already in the group stage that they possess the skill to steal wins from strong teams and will be going into this series as a favorite. HockeyProfessorn are in for a big challenge and would need to tighten up their play a bit of they are looking to advance. Thjey struggled with scoring against stronger defensive units in the group stage and need to find a way past that. (6) Björklöven Esport vs Sjukstugan (11) Despite their #6 seed, Brörklöven are a team that could battle up there with the best of them. Statistically, they are a very strong defensive unit with stellar special teams that can seemingly score at will. However, the reinvented Sjukstugan won't be giving up easily and surely have the experience to handle themselves in tough spots, but haven't quite found their groove on the ice yet. Goaltender @poliskontroll is among the best ones in the league on a good day. (7) Södertälje SK vs IK Oskarshamn (10) It is looking like we could be in for a very tough series in this one, as both teams played through the group stage with rather moderate numbers. Södertalje SK are the lowest scoring team still left in the postseason, whereas IK Oskarshamn are following quite close behind in that department. Special teams could be a decisive factor if the series go the low-scoring route and in that department, SSK holds a minor edge. (8) Raging Monkeys vs Ice MachineZ (9) Raging Monkeys and Ice MachineZ are going head-to-head in this mid-tier battle although it is tough to imagine Ice MachineZ not advancing. They have a strong squad consisting of players that don't necessarily have that much experience together, but should find a way to tighten things up in the playoffs. That is not to say that Raging Monkeys wouldn't be a good team, but their quality will be put to a true test in this matchup. Tune in to www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 19:45 CEST for the first matchups of the SCL 6v6 Playoffs!

NHLGamers, As we've closed down the group stage of this years Swedish Championship, many teams have fought bravely for their spots in the Playoffs, some came just short, and others will still have to prove themselves in the Play-ins. The SCL 2021 Play-ins will be played between the 31st of August and the 2nd of September and the participating teams are the squads that finished 4th and 5th in each group, eight teams in total. The Play-ins are played in a best-of-five manner and the winners of the series will enter the Playoffs as seeds 13 to 16. Here are your SCL Play-ins matchups:  Illumination vs Dompa Poppers HC   Blessed Suedis vs Company of Geeks   Mora IK Esport vs Luleå Hockey   Team Modo vs Nordic Nosebleed  Good luck to all teams!