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SportsGamers, This season, our ECL Elite Player Awards will feature an open vote, where all of you will have the opportunity to impact who will receive the individual awards at the end of the season. We have six categories in total with five nominees in each category. While some nominees have been selected due to their statistically superior performance, there has been space for a slightly more subjective approach too. We've had a jury pick out two of the five nominees in all five categories based on their votes. Voting will open effective immediately and we're asking you to cast your votes by Wednesday, June 15th at 23:59 CEST. The awards will be presented in the ECL '22 Spring Finals broadcasts on Friday, June 17th and Saturday, June 18th. Make sure to cast your vote in order to support your favorite player! Here's a list of all the nominees in all the different award categories. You'll find a link to the vote at the end of each category, so make sure to click through and cast your votes!   Top Forward The Top Forward award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their forward position. Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Frölunda HC  The long-time Frölunda HC left winger has been a terror for defensemen around the league since he was just a small kid. He's a guaranteed 20-goal scorer every season and when not scoring, he is always a dangerous option, making space for his linemates to succeed. The ECL '22 Spring Top Scorer. Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, hREDS  Perhaps the best centerman in the game is able to elevate players flanking him while simultaneously being very reliable defensively. An unusually high scoring centerman, who finished #2 in the scoring race this season. Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, SAWO ESPORTS  A newly emerged talent, who has lead SAWO ESPORTS to the brink of greatness together with his partner Jere @jxrska Laukka. A "shoot first, ask later"-kind of player who tends to convert at a very high percentage.  Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, Frölunda HC  The former HAVU Gaming captain found an offseason transfer in looks to spark his career into new heights, which seemed to work well. Despite not quite reaching career high numbers, the right winger was a factor for his team all season long and managed to continue where he left off with his old team.  Jere @jxrska Laukka, SAWO ESPORTS  Another young and exciting talent for SAWO ESPORTS, who as mentioned together as a dynamic duo with Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen are able to dismantle just about any defense in the league. High skill player with a propensity to also play the body at an unusually high rate. Vote for the Top Forward of ECL '22 Spring here! Top Defender The Top Defender award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their defenseman position. Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen, hREDS  Has developed into arguably the best defenseman around since his first season with hREDS back in ECL 12 and now managed to become the Top Scorer (T-1) among defensemen for the second season in a row. Very patient and skilled with the puck. Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila, SAWO ESPORTS  Really blossomed after completing his transfer to SAWO ESPORTS and managed to stand out from the competition especially early on in the season. Tied for highest scoring defenseman. Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen, hREDS  One of the success stories in terms of forwards turning defensemen and it's evident in his confidence with the puck that KingOfApes has played up front before. In a class of his own when it comes to confidence and scored the most goals (10) among defensemen in the regular season. Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala, Frölunda HC  Switched to a defensive position from his centerman role and did that extremely well. Slotted in nicely alongside long-time teammate Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta and helped his team in both ends of the ice consistently. Tero @Terodee Dahlström, Örebro Hockey  Örebro Hockey emerged as one of the bigger dark horses of the season and while captain Terodee has always been a great offensive defenseman, the team has struggled with the actual defensive duties at times. This season, they seemed to be firing on all cylinders and the captain had an excellent campaign. Vote for the Top Defender of ECL '22 Spring here! Top Goalie The Top Goalie award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their goaltender position. Filip @Faze91- Azri, hREDS  Statistically pulled ahead of everyone by quite a margin over the course of the regular season. Accomplished a career high in both SV% with 87.86 and shutouts with 10. Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, SAWO ESPORTS  The cover gamer continued where he had left off in the winter season, putting forth a very consistent campaign throughout, and while not quite reaching the highs he did last season, this season had no lows either. Cemented his status as one of the best in the league. Casper @ICappeI Lundgren, Frölunda HC  Has been reigning supreme at the top for a long time and is such a consistent performer. That being said, he had no off nights this season either and was right up there with the best of them statistically too.  Johan @McSavid Rundqvist, Färjestad BK  McSavid has grown into one of the best goalies in the division along with the great performances throughout the years by his team. Has a bit of an unconventional more aggressive style of play, which divides opinions.  Christoffer @Tiipponenii (Coffelainen) Eriksson, HV71​​​​​​​  As last season's newcomer HV71 has been trying to gain a foothold in the Elite division, their goaltender Coffelainen has been a great cornerstone for them. Could have been flying a bit under the radar for some, but this season's solid performances have elevated his stock. Vote for the Top Goalie of ECL '22 Spring here! Rookie Of The Season The Rookie Of The Season award is awarded to a player in their rookie ECL Elite season, who has excelled above the competition regardless of position. Miikka @xColeslaww (Koleslaav) Kolehmainen, Stargazing  After spending several seasons in various top Pro outfits in very productive roles, the talented winger finally took the step up together with the almost full rookie squad of Stargazing. Koleslaav didn't slow down production and despite his team not performing as well as they would've wanted, he stood out as their best performer. Niklas @Bobiraataja (Nikhaa27) Haataja, Stargazing  A highly talented defenseman that has been on the radar of several Elite teams before. Especially known for an excellent defensive stick, but showed in his rookie Elite season that points production is something he can also do. Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg, ZSC Esports  The former noRex Gaming winger signed with the Swiss outfit in the offseason and has really exhibited a fast rise to the top, as he has made a step up in each of the past two seasons and done so in successful fashion. Slotted in very well with ZSC and should continue improving from there.  Miro @Flopper71 Heikkinen, Stargazing  Another Stargazing forward, who made the step up to Elite after spending a some time in Pro in very productive roles. Didn't quite reach the production levels of linemate Koleslaav, but is notorious for coming up clutch and scoring those much needed goals when the team is in a tough spot.  Kalle @James (Jamechkin) Riihelä, Stargazing  An extremely skilled defenseman with great puck possession, had a decent entry into the Elite division despite a non-favorable outcome for his team.  Vote for the Rookie Of The Season of ECL '22 Spring here! Comeback Player Of The Season The Comeback Player Of The Season award is awarded to a player that after one or more seasons away from ECL Elite competition, makes an impactful comeback to the highest level. Väinö @Pikkardz (Pikkarii) Pikkarainen, Örebro Hockey  Spent last season in Pro with the former Dynastia and was one of that teams most important forces. Decided to take on the Elite challenge with Örebro this season and while there were many doubters, Örebro proved to be one of the big dark horses this season. Played a very mature two-way game at the center position. Väinö @vSilenttio (vee_SILE) Pietilä, JYP Jyväskylä  As the Winter Pro season Champions, JYP Jyväskylä gained promotion back to the European top 16 and vee_SILE together with his teammates proved that they belong there. Took on a big leading role in the team together with his more experienced squadmates Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen and Santeri @indi969 Pendolin. Toni @Pirtsa89 Pirttimäki, Stargazing  Having formerly represented IQUE at the Elite level, Pirtsa decided to join Stargazing for their Pro Championship push last season. You're always in for a tough challenge when in net for an underdog like that in their first Elite season, but Pirtsa handled his job and seemed comfortable in net. Samu @xKeskitalo Keskitalo, GOONS  The long-time GOONS player completely skipped the Winter season and played his last competitive games back in late 2021 as a right defenseman. Now, returning for GOONS at the centerman position, xKeskitalo put forth a great effort certainly earning him some prestige as a bona fide centerman at the Elite level. Rony @rGinnu Kinnunen, Conquer Gaming  Another player that hadn't played since FCL in late 2021 and in fact only had one season as a starter in Elite under his belt prior to this one, back then as a right defenseman, and that was in early 2019! Who would've guessed rGinnu will slot right in at center for Conquer and carry the team to the playoffs with excellent performances throughout.  Vote for the Comeback Player Of The Season of ECL '22 Spring here! Transfer Of The Season The Transfer Of The Season award is awarded to a player who after a transfer is deemed to have been the most impactful player for their new team. Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, Frölunda HC  Perhaps one of the biggest transfers in ECL history. The long-time captain and founder of HAVU Gaming switched sides to their main rival Frölunda HC in the offseason and didn't miss a beat, continuing his dominant play on the virtual ice.  Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila, SAWO ESPORTS  After a disappointing loss in the ECL '22 Winter Finals, Teemuyy made a controversial departure from Frölunda HC and for some time it seemed like we weren't sure where he would end up. Having finally signed with SAWO, the youngster really elevated his level of play and was cornerstone for their success. Ville @Supreex Korhonen, GOONS  Has been one of the most highly sought after goaltenders in the scene for a long time, but has remained loyal to his guys back in Northern Ascendancy until the start of this season. Shared responsibilities with the experienced Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu and seemed to be a great addition for GOONS. André @Foppatofflan Liljegren, Falun Coal Miners  Known as one of the better playmakers around, and always seems to have an ace or two up his sleeve. Made the transfer from Färjestad BK to Falun Coal Miners and despite his team struggling a bit, he still managed to better his point totals with a whopping 14 points from last season.  Connor @MartindalexC Martindale, Falun Coal Miners​​​​​​​  Made the move from Northern Ascendancy to Falun Coal Miners in the offseason and alike his teammate Foppatofflan, while his team struggled a bit from time to time, he still managed to improve on his own production, besting his last seasons totals by 16 points. Vote for the Transfer Of The Season of ECL '22 Spring here! As stated, the voting will be open until Wednesday, June 15th at 23:59 CEST, so make sure to cast your votes before that and tune in to the finals broadcasts on Friday & Saturday June 17th and 18th for all the action and the voting results!

SportsGamers, The 8th season of the German Championship League is just around the corner and we want to take a closer look at the most exciting teams this upcoming season. Who are the favourites for the title? Which teams could prove themselves as "David" against the expected "Goliaths" in the league? We will see many exciting teams and tight matchups in the upcoming GCL8 but we decided to take a litter closer look on the following teams. Make sure to let us know in the comments down below which teams you are most excited to see! Previews written by @Keuschemisch and @Francoconte ZSC Esports: The reigning GCL Champion seems to be the biggest favourite in the 8th season of the German Championship League! The Swiss outfit managed to add Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg and Christian @Fightlocke3 Schubert before last ECL '22 Spring to their already strong roster. Both players played a big role in their Elite debut season which eventually lead to rank 10 and missing the playoffs just by a small margin. Christian @GERxVillain Ungeheuer followed the path of his former "noRex Gaming" teammates and will reinforce the Lions after playing one season in ECL '22 Spring Pro for the Deadly Phantoms. Captain Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi, Max @Toneee9 Tonitz and Mike @burban26 Müller were able to reinforce the team once again and the roster looks stronger than ever. To secure more depth to the offensive and defensive end, Finnish loan players Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (Frölunda HC) and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (hREDS) join the blue and red for the upcoming GCL. While Reto @afc_Tschitsch (eTschitsch) Ulrich will take the role as a backup goalie, we can expect Alex @IDangledYouOutWagner to show off his scoring abilities once again, after finishing as the teams top scorer in ECL '22 Spring Elite (17G + 24A - 28GP). The only Elite participant from the DACH-Community will be in favour of securing their first back-to-back GCL title. Anything else than another final appearance would be a big disappointment. Prediction: Title favourite Deadly Phantoms: The German juggernaut will be keen on getting back the title after getting swept by ZSC Esports in the finals of GCL7. Frank @Franky__2768 Münch, Niklas @xXPsykoSkillsXx Schmitz, Felix @ProfaneKiss Kiss and Patrick @RPH_31 Braun are still the foundation of the ECL Pro participant. It will be interesting to see if the two veterans Simon @PlaymakerSJ Junker and Tim @Timasy Hess will be part of the Phantoms starting six or if freshly added winger Nico @Nicoli2311 Schubert will find his place in the offense of the German outfit. After the departure of Florian @Flo_goes_grazy(flgr93) Griechbaum it will be very important to find their rhythm right from the start of the season. In our opinion it is highly possible to see the Phantoms back in the finals! Prediction: Title challenger Geekz Energy Esports: Another Pro Team of the DACH-Community is set to make it far in the playoffs! After a rather disappointing season in GCL7 (Seed #7; 0:4 in the Quarterfinals against former Team LEISURE; now Deadly Phantoms again) Captain Joshua @Hasek100 Plattner added high quality to his roster! Stephan @Krinke Krinke joined the former Inter Iceland from PENTA and had a big impact in the last ECL '22 Spring Pro but eventually fell short to Växjo Lakers (1:4) in the first round of the playoffs. Geekz Energy Esports is well-known for their quick and dangerous counter attacks. Especially Stefan @Stefan_397 Hämmerle is a nightmare for every goalie in the league. Both forwards will be glad about the arrival of the Swiss veteran Claudio @Freeman7187 Salamoni who joins on loan from ZSC Esports. It will be interesting to see what starting six we are going to see at the beginning of the regular season! As good as Geekz's offense has been in the past, the defense has been the teams weakness - especially in tight matchups and long playoff series. Nevertheless we can expect to see Geekz Energy Esports making the semifinals! Prediction: Top 4 Hyperion: Another possible semifinalist could be Hyperion! The team around the SportsGamer veterans Stefan @Rayman Mieth and Maximilian @gzell60 Käsmaier has improved a lot and seemed to have taken the next step in last ECL'22 Spring Lite. Young gun Paul @Xx__PaulZz__xX (Pauner08) Weingart matured a lot - his skillset and silky hands can be dangerous to any team in the upcoming season. Dominik @CashAllGreen Bellersheim organizes the defense and is surely one of the main reasons for the success of Hyperion! The "Gladiators" have a good mixture of experienced veterans and upcoming talents that could make it very far in the postseason! Prediction: Battle for Top 4 Team NGU: The former PENTA has seen quite a radical change in its squad! Captain Akin @DaMan (Akin71) Isik and Dominik @Domi_PENTA Rühl who have been teammates for several seasons now, managed to add big experience from Switzerland. After adding Bryan @CuteTerminator7 Bolliger before last ECL'22 Spring Lite to the team, we can expect to see eNLA 1v1 Back-To-Back Champion Mirco@Tron1x90 (Komir_90) Salvi and Kyle @KG12PK88 Grossen opening up the play from behind! A well balanced roster can give Team NGU the edge in tight matchups and secure a good seed for the playoffs! It will be exciting to see how NGU performs in a long playoff series and how they will position themselves in the league. Will they be able to maintain their status as a top 6 team and maybe even beat favoured teams on their postseason journey? Prediction: Battle for Top 4 Herforder Ice Dragons: After getting relegated in the last GCL7, the Herforder Ice Dragons bounced back in ECL'22 Spring Core. Tobias @Hohner Hohner drew the right conclusions and managed to form a very competetive and strong squad! After falling short in the Core Quarterfinals to Finnish Outfit Etelan Vetelat, Nico @Nicoli2311 Schubert decided to part ways and join the Deadly Phantoms. They found the perfect substitute in Jürgen @DangledYouOut (TIUINIA) Kloster who brings the experience of several seasons at the Pro level and the combination with Center Christoph @IiVAPOR100iI Stotz should cause a stir offensively! One more addition made right before the start of the regular season is Arttu @laitineen64 Laiitinen, who joins on loan from ECL'22 Spring Elite semifinalist GOONS. The Finnish winger had an incredible season, scoring 56 points in 30 games. If Laiitinen will take the role as a backup player or find himself in the starting six of Herford could be a decisive factor for their game. One player the whole league should watch is Tim @LeMalkin71 Strompf who looks like one of the most exciting upcoming defenders in the German community. If the Ice Dragons can continue on their good momentum, a good seed for the postseason should be their main goal! Prediction: Top 8 DEG Esports: The Esports team of the Düsseldorfer EG has become an institution in the DACH-Community. Steffen @Seibertus94 (Leucht-T) Leuchtenberger and Daniel @DangerBrooklyn Goepfert are very important pillars and the foundation of DEG Esports! After experiencing many changes to the squad in the last couple of seasons, the DEG always managed to set their roster right in time! The red and yellow outfit is well-known for simple hockey and will surely find themselves in the postseason. Prediction: Top 16 Central Hockey Canucks: The Canucks are also one of the teams that experienced big changes within their roster. Once again the former "Niederrhein Canucks" managed to retrieve many familiar faces! Daniel @Daniel Thenextone Reinhardt, Dominik @xDurchf4ll_- Mosser, Much @Much1979 Ramu, Jamie @Da1m0n Fischer and Dean @daen Zimmermann are all back at their former domain. On top of that the squad is reinforced by Michael @devilfish333 Herold and Peter @Peter Zelko (Zelkovci) Zelko between the pipes! For the Canucks it will be about building chemistry and finding their rhythm. @HerzogMagnus and @Baby Thornton (xxICEFORCERxx) can play decisive roles in the attack of the team. Qualifying for the playoffs has to be priority number one! Prediction: Top 16 Gleumes Hockey Krefeld: Surely one of the teams that took one of the biggest steps in the GCL. Gleumes Hockey Krefeld is slowly but steadily taking the steps in the right direction and improving the squad on every position on the virtual ice. The team profits from continuity and a calm environment within the roster. Captain Manuel @ManU287 Engels brought Patrick @Pathen-21- Hendrix and Oliver @Red09Dragon08 Knapp to Krefeld who already proved themselves in the playoffs of GCL Division 1 aswell as in ECL Pro and Lite! We expect to see Gleumes in the playoffs. Where will their journey end? Prediction: Top 16 Thunder United: After missing the last ECL '22 Spring season, the Thunder is back for GCL action. A very well-balanced team that has the potential to grab a good seed in the regular season which could pave their way to a succesful playoff run? Sandro @SanDeRolino Ryman brought familiar faces back together such as Jan @Janstetze Stetze and Kevin @Gregson91 Householder. On top of that Thunder United added a bit of Elite experience in Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen and Juhani @Tanski87 Tanskanen (both Falun Coal Miners) to give them the edge in tight matchups. Especially in group 3 many outcomes are possible. Where will Thunder United see themselves after the season? Prediction: Top 16 Deggendorfer SC Esports: Much alike Thunder United, the Esports Team from Deggendorf missed out on the last ECL '22 Spring to reset for GCL8. After winning the Divison 2 title of last years GCL7, the Bavarians are keen on proving themselves among the best teams from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Since most of the squad knows each other on and off the virtual ice we can expect a great team spirit within DSC Esports. Player to watch: Johannes @Johannes.Helmbrecht Helmbrecht. The talented defender made it to the finals of the eDEL (German 1v1 Championship) and determines the pace of Deggendorfs game. Prediction: Top 32 Eisbären Lauf Gaming: Talking about teams from Bavaria: The ECL Core outfit of Eisbären Lauf is also one of the most improved teams in the community. After falling short in the second round of the ECL playoffs, Max @theburner18 Spachmüller and Thomas @newman_2909 Neumann added Marko @Nr-0847 Reza to give their team a bit more defensive calmness and experience. To decide tight matchups veteran Stefan @Toews19(BarriosLucas18) Schoierer and @Linkku60 should always be able to make the difference - especially against teams on the same level as the polar bears! Playoffs are more than feasible. Prediction: Top 32 Nürnberg Ice Tigers eSports: The official Esports squad for the DEL Club from Nuremberg could prove themselves as a stumbling block for many perceived top teams of the league. Luca @cpt_dirtyDangler Knoll and Eric @AveRxDallas Polk proved themselves among the best German 1v1 players in the eDEL and steadily improved during the last ECL seasons. 1v1 eSpengler Cup 2021 champion Kevin @Kevinator-373 Würterle joined from Team NGU and is able to accompany the Ice Tigers to the next level. Prediction: Top 32 With that, we're now ready to get the action started! Perhaps some of these teams will prove us wrong as the season progresses, and we're happy to watch that unfold! Play hard, and have fun!