Leaderboard

The 2022 IIHF eWorld Championship has rolled on to the Semifinals at this point and we've seen some surprising results to say the least and the great virtual hockey excitement this tournament is offering is surely very welcome during these hot summer days. At the Semifinals stage we're seeing Finland (Erik @Eki Tammenpää & Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen) vs Latvia (Kristers @PSchibra Bauers & Juris @JLopatko Lopatko) and USA (David @JrPens Roebuck & Joseph @Jos x 10 Olmstead) vs Czech Republic (Adam @dzouvi Mensik & Josef @pepcastachurcik Stachura). Out of these games, Finland and Latvia will be going at it at 18:00 CEST on Saturday, whereas USA and Czech Republic are clashing in the later bout at 20:30 CEST. The Quarterfinals surely were exciting as some really big upsets were evident over the course of the weekend. First, on Saturday the very talented Canadian team featuring recent NA GWC Champion Justin @Regs84 Reguly and Safir @SafirSnipezGOLD Sodouri were surprised by the Czech, who were on their game all night long. On Sunday, Latvia managed to overcome the very strong Swedish group by a narrow one goal margin in a series for the ages, perhaps the most exciting games we've seen to this point on the international stage. Finland overcame the Swiss team with their very high routine level and the same can be said for the US squad in their Quarterfinals performance against Germany. As seen on previous weekends, the games will be live both in the international stream at www.twitch.tv/iihfhockey and in the Finnish stream at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG.

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other! Niko @Maexsa Mäkelä got thrown the challenge from his friend and former teammate Juuso @TheSpeedo Sirkola and has decided to take on the Player Spotlight interview! The veteran winger currently captaining the mammoth squad Stone Age has come a long way since some of his first ECL appearances with the legendary Elämäm Kiekko. His easy going personality and fiery temper have become staples for the man, that has made him the loved and respected community member he is today.  1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? My first ever experience with EASHL was back in the fall of 2016. We got a group of friends together and after about 10 games, we were ready to take on ECL 3. We lost almost every game and my plus minus was a solid -183. Good times! 2. What’s the best part of playing for your current club Stone Age? My teammates, definitely. Amazing people who make me want to get back to the game again and again. ❤️ 3. What is your greatest NHL gaming memory? All the beer & Chel tournaments we've had with the boys. The ECL seasons have also provided their fair share of good memories, despite my own team managing to avoid success quite efficiently. Elämäm Kiekko also holds a special place in my heart, although our social media game was definitely stronger than the team on ice. 4. Describe your perfect breakfast! Coffee, fresh juice, toast, bacon and eggs. A classic. 5. You're GM for a day and get to pick any player for your 6v6 team but none of your current teammates. Who's in your starting six and why? That's a tough one. I've met so many great people over the years that it's tough to pick only six.  @Timotei97 @Ankkalasvegas @Jaks_10 @KepakkoFIN @iRSPe @TheSpeedo Irspe and TheSpeedo were cornerstones of the legendary Elämäm Kiekko for several seasons. Some great and less great memories over the years and they're both great guys. In my books, Kepakkofin is the best captain in the scene and I really look up to him. GHETTO FIREBIRDS is an excellent example of what you can accomplish with long term commitment. Jaks and Timotei I've played with mostly late on the weekends, but it's always been a lot of fun. Last but not least Ankkalasvegas is a very skilled player and a great guy, who I've played with on various rosters.  6. What was your dream job growing up and what do you currently do? As a kid I wanted to be a soccer player, now I'm working at a sports store.  7.  Do you play or have you played hockey? On the outdoor rink and the couch.  8. What’s your best hockey memory? When Porin Ässät won the Finnish Championship back in 2013. The party lasted for five days and I'm still a bit hungover.  9. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL?  I spend time with my friends and family, and do some sports. Disc golf is my latest pickup and it's been nice to notice that something can be even more frustrating than NHL at times. 10. Pizza with three toppings, what are your choices? Kebab, pineapple and blue cheese.  11. You're the locker room DJ and get one song to hype up your team. What do you play? Tommi Läntinen - Via Dolorosa.  12. How did you come up with your PSN ID? My first nick was Markogirl87, which I used for a surprisingly long time. My name isn't Marko, I'm not a girl and my birth year isn't -87, so you could say that's a total disaster of a PSN ID. Maexsa is a variation of a nickname based on my last name.  13. Who’s the best player in the ECL according to you? It's impossible to pick the best one, but @NikkeDangles is a player who's always fun to watch. 14. Describe your ideal holiday!  A weekend cabin getaway with friends and family or a full three day festival rager.  15. Now it's up to you to suggest who we should interview next. Who do you want to hear from and why? I'll go ahead and challenge @KepakkoFIN next. Although the man is done with NHL, I'd love to hear some GHETTO stories and what that guy has for breakfast! Feel free to also suggest who you'd want to see in the Player Spotlight-series. Also, if there are any questions you'd like us to add to the arsenal, let us know!

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other!   GCL8 action is on its way and we have a special guest for our next "Player Spotlight". Justin @JS_1510 Schütz - Player for EHC RB München in the DEL and Captain for The Real Rookies on SportsGamer.gg! Let's take a closer look at the German international and if there are similarities between virtual and real hockey!   1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? I started playing NHL casually back in 2017.   2. Which team did you support when you were younger? Pittsburgh Penguins have always been my favourite team!   3. Describe your perfect holiday. I'm a big fan of a relaxing All-inclusive holiday. Lying at the pool, spending time at the beach with my girlfriend or good friends and enjoying life! 4. In real life you are playing in the highest German division (DEL) for EHC RB München. In your quite young career you already played over 100 league games. What is your best memory yet? My best memory yet is the first game of the season in 2019/20. I scored the gamewinning goal against Augsburg in what was only my 4th league game. This season is also really special because it was my first full season in the league! 5. How do you prepare yourself for a DEL match? Having good lunch, relaxing while playing some videogames, catching some good sleep and arriving early at the Arena. I like to be quite early in the dressing room to prepare my equipment for the game. 6. You are GM for one day and can pick your perfect starting six. One lineup consisting of EASHL players of the DACH-community and the other one of DEL players in real life: DACH-Lineup: LW: @Keuschemisch C : @Domi_PENTA RW: @Timasy              LD: @GERxVillain RD: @Franky__2768                                   G: @RPH_31 DEL-Lineup: LW: Cedric Schiemenz C : Taro Jentzsch RW: Yasin Ehliz                  LD: Zach Redmond RD: Marco Nowak                             G: Mathias Niederberger 7. How do you like to spend your sparetime? Obviously hitting the practice rink to improve in real hockey. But apart from that I love spending time with my girlfriend, family and friends. 8. You are DJ in the dressing room and can play one song to hype up your teammates. Which song are you playing? Jorge Quintero - 300 Violin Orchestra 9. What other sports do you follow beside hockey? I love watching football, tennis and Formula 1! 10. Where are the biggest similarities between real and virtual hockey? The biggest similarity between virtual and real hockey is that it's always very important to stay creative also while being under pressure. Surprising moves and good decisionmaking gives you the edge in tight games in EA SPORTS NHL aswell as on the real ice! Having a gameplan and believing in it is also a really important aspect in both games. Sticking to the tactics and gameplan is the key to success. 11. Pizza with or without pineapple? Definitely without. 12. Highscoring game or OT drama? OT drama! 13. Who was your hockey idol when you were younger? I always looked up to Sidney Crosby and his Hockey-IQ. 14. What are your goals for this GCL8? We definitely want to perform better than in ECL'22 Winter and Spring. One of the most important factors for us is having fun but obviously we want to get as far as possible. Making the playoffs should be doable and maybe we can provide some upsets! 15. If you had to choose: Champions in the CHL or winning the German Championship in the DEL? I think I would choose winning the CHL. Being the best team in Europe sounds good to me. 16. What is your favourite dish? To be honest I do not have any favourite dish. I'm uncomplicated. 17. Which is the most important goal you have scored yet in your career? My most important goal has to be the OT GWG in the CHL Quarterfinals 2021/22 against Lukko Rauma. Scoring the winner in OT and advancing to the semifinals in the CHL is really something special! 18. Which player would you like to see next here? I would love to see my The Real Rookies teammate @OlafjenneJR (Eichelkratzer10) soon! Thanks for having me.

This weekend's festivities in Helsinki continue with the Wilhelm eHockey Tour Finals event hosted at Narinkkatori in Helsinki. Join us for all the action either on the spot or in the stream! We're starting off with the Quarterfinals, and moving on from there! The playoffs are played in a best-of-three format.  Here are your Quarterfinals matchups: (1) Bare Knuckles Hockey vs Koutsit (20) (2) Seinajoki Noms vs Lemmenvelhot (12) (3) Pass The Puck vs KeuPa Esports (10) (7) Hc Raitti vs Eliittipahvi (9) The stream is now live at https://www.twitch.tv/sportsgamergg!  

After six months of unforgettable moments we have finally arrived at the big Final. The ECL '22 Spring journey really couldn't get a better ending. This weekend, we will crown an ECL '22 Spring Champion and our first ECL Elite Grand Champion. Will it be hREDS who have dominated the league for a couple seasons or will it be the young hungry SAWO ESPORTS who will play in their first ECL Finals. (1) hREDS vs SAWO ESPORTS (3) TOP SCORER (Playoffs) Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen 9 GP, 12+9=21 vs Jere @jxrska Laukka 13 GP, 11+6=17 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) Filip @Faze91- Azri 9 GP, 8 W, 86,9 SV%, 1.22 GAA, 3 SO vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 13 GP,8 W, 77,78%, 2.00 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 26-2-2 vs 21-7-2 REGULAR SEASON SERIES 3-0, 3-2OT Once again, we get to watch hREDS in the ECL Elite Finals. By winning the ECL 22 Winter season they already punched their ticket to the Grand Finals but now they practically have two opportunities to win the ECL Grand Finals. In the Semifinals, hREDS didn’t get the start they wanted as the first game went 4-0 for GOONS but like we have seen before, the back-to-back champions won't let it get to them when things don’t go in their favor. They bounced back by winning four straight on their way to the 4th consecutive Finals for them. The upcoming finals are the first time for the predators were they aren't playing against Frölunda HC. Right now it feels like it's impossible to stop these guys as they have so much power and skill all around the ice. Once again many different guys have been stepping up whenever needed and there is no reason why that wouldn't continue when we arrive at the biggest games of the season. All three of their forwards can be found in the top 5, Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen keeping the number one spot. This club really has shown no weaknesses. If you have to choose one team which really has bumped up their game it would definitely be SAWO ESPORTS. Their ECL '22 Winter playoffs disappointment has really been forgotten for these guys and they have made their way to the Finals for the first time ever. In the Quarterfinals they were able to close the series against HAVU Gaming nicely but in the Semifinals they got the next level. SAWO was able to beat Frölunda HC in a thrilling game 7 overtime. If you talk about this season's biggest surprises that was one the biggest ones because it also ended Frölunda's magical streak of consecutive Finals appearances. Before the Semifinals, we speculated about SAWO's firepower and how that nearly always comes from the wingers. That thing changed as when the goal was needed we saw both Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila and Tomi @tombo_02(tomboo-_-) Laitinen taking a big role. @tombo_02 scored the overtime game winning goal in game 6 as his defensive pair did the same in the legendary game 7. Winning his old team in the Semifinals made it extra tasty for @Teemuyy and with that goal he continued his own Finals appearance stream. His battles against old clubs won't end there for him as he started his streak in the hREDS jersey. Many doors are closing with this Final series. For the first time in ages there are no HAVU or Frölunda in the final two and we are witnessing the back-to-back Champion going against the young hungry talents for the European Championship. SAWO has now gained that much needed experience from being able to seal the deal in a tough spot. Winning Frölunda was already an amazing performance but is there enough hunger left to climb an even bigger hill than their Semifinal opponent was. The goaltending battle will once again play a huge part. We saw how Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen was able to keep up his level in the overtime games against Frölunda but in the finals he is facing Filip @Faze91- Azri, who has so far in his career always played even better in the Finals than in normal games. If we imagine that SAWO would win the ECL '22 Spring Championship they would have momentum going to the Grand Finals because there is only one day to reset in between. The Grand Finals would be incredible to see but hREDS is looking as strong as ever right now and there should be no challengers able to stand up to them. The predators will win their third ECL title in a row and become first Grand Champion in ECL history in 5 games. When? Friday, June 17th 19:30 CEST (Games 1-2) Saturday, June 18th 18:45 CEST (Games 3-7) Sunday, June 19th 20:30 CEST (ECL '22 Grand Finals)* Where? Helsinki, Finland - Narinkkatori www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG You'll find us at the SportsGamer truck parked at Narinkkatori, the event is hosted in cooperation with St Hockey and besides their St Hockey Tour opening weekend event. Entry is free.

With the upcoming ECL '22 Spring Finals, we thought it would be suitable to take a look at what has gone down throughout ECL history before. Join us for a short recap of some monumental ECL events. So, this show has been running for 14 seasons now and we've gone from 50 teams signed up in ECL 1 to almost 250 at this point. The first ever ECL season on this platform started in mid-December of 2015 and at the end of the inaugural season, we crowned Nordic Blizzard the Champions. A lot of players who were on that first ever championship team are still around and competing at a high level today, and while we appreciate to an endless extent all the hard work they've put in over the years, we're also glad to have all of you newer players join us over the course of the years. As we're counting down the days to the ECL '22 Spring Elite Finals, we thought it'd only be right to take a trip down memory lane and go through some of the monumental events in ECL history. List of ECL Champions ECL 1: Nordic Blizzard 🏆 ECL 2: MUKIMIEHET 🏆 ECL 3: X Factor 🏆 ---DIVISIONS FRAMEWORK APPLIED--- ECL 4: Laser HT 🏆 ECL 5: Aapon Taikasauva 🏆 ECL 6: Carlsberg HC 🏆 ECL 7: FILADELPHIA 🏆 ECL 8: Written In The Stars 🏆 ECL 9: Linköping HC 🏆🏆 ECL 10: HAVU Gaming 🏆🏆 ECL 11: FILADELPHIA 🏆🏆🏆 ECL 12: hREDS 🏆 ECL '22 Winter: hREDS 🏆🏆 ECL '22 Spring: - As signified in the list above, Frölunda HC (formerly known as FILADELPHIA or Linköping HC) are the winningest team in ECL history, but none other than hREDS have been able to pull off the historical feat of a back-to-back. Obviously one of the turning points for the entire league was when the divisions framework was introduced in early December of 2016. The introduction of the divisions framework was certainly a hot topic back then and while everyone wasn't on the same page about things, we worked out in the end and partially as a result of that, we've been able to grow as a community to the point we are at today.  The divisions framework was proven in practice as in ECL 4, Carlsberg HC were able to gain promotion by winning the Pro division, followed by Evolution in ECL 5. Both of these squads performed well in their inaugural Elite campaigns and Carlsberg HC managed to hoist the cup at the end of ECL 6 Elite, becoming the first promoted team ever to work their way to a championship, a feat that only hREDS has managed to repeat.  ECL 7 marked the start of an era in ECL competition where two teams seemed to be far above the rest. The battle raged hard between FILADELPHIA (Linköping HC/Frölunda HC) and Written In The Stars (HAVU Gaming), as the two seemed to go head-to-head in almost any finals we were hosting, be it the ECL, FCL or the IS CUP. The two also clashed at the first ever live ECL Finals, that were hosted at the end of the ECL 8 season at LanTrek '19 in Tampere, Finland. ECL 8 was a big season in general as the European Championship had a major partner joining the Championship as sponsor and the Finals were available for betting.  (Photo from the ECL 8 Elite Finals at LanTrek '19 in Tampere, Finland - taken by Samuli Seila) The reign of FILADELPHIA and HAVU Gaming would continue for quite some time and ECL 9 was no different. The season itself was one of the more eventful we've seen from an organizers standpoint and we also introduced a new division to the mix with the entry level ECL Neo. The season started in late 2019 and carried over to the next year. This was also a time where several leagues were running side-by-side and while some of these may have been in direct competition with our product, SportsGamer has always strived towards bringing the best possible experience for the gamers. Scheduling and the start of the pandemic not only postponed the Finals, but also led to the Finals event being taken off the table, reverting us to the online experience. As you'd have it, also these finals were a clash between the big two of this era.  The big two, they continued their dominance for quite some time. You guessed it - also the ECL 10 Elite Finals featured HAVU Gaming and the team then known as Linköping HC! As stated, these two teams seemed unbeatable at the time and they really proved it any chance they got. The pandemic was still running rampant and while it seemed like no Finals event was going to happen, HAVU Gaming had taken things into their own hands, gathering their players at Game Cave in Espoo for the finals - a move which seemed to pay off for them!   ECL 12 saw the addition of ECL Core as the largest division in our competitive divisions framework and also a very controversial new qualifier system due to the transition period. While the change was difficult to accept, it was inevitable in order to continue growing the community and the competitiveness of the game. As we've seen now a few seasons later, the few added divisions and the expanded qualifier system has allowed teams like Stargazing this past season to test their wings at the highest level despite not having a lot of history behind the team.  The ECL 12 Elite Finals were the time for hREDS to pull through and shine. The young guns were stepping up against FILADELPHIA, who had won almost everything you could imagine at that point. In late July of 2021, hREDS hoisted the cup for the first time with the lead of captain Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and started what would become a new kind of dynasty in ECL history. (From left to right Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen, Niklas @NikkeDangles (NikkeNHL) Tukiainen, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen and Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen. Missing from the picture is goaltender Filip @Faze91- Azri) To start the '22 Winter season, we announced the new two part season system with the all new Grand Finals and a Grand Champion to be crowned. hREDS have already made history by clinching the back-to-back when taking home the Winter season championship, but now could be their time to go both for the triple and becoming the first ever ECL Grand Champions, etching their names into the history books forever. Will that happen though, we'll have to wait until the weekend to find out! What? The ECL '22 Spring Finals and The ECL '22 Grand Finals (If needed) #3  SAWO ESPORTS vs hREDS  #1 When? Friday, June 17th 19:30 CEST (Games 1-2) Saturday, June 18th 18:45 CEST (Games 3-7) Sunday, June 19th 20:30 CEST (ECL '22 Grand Finals)* Where? Helsinki, Finland - Narinkkatori www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG You'll find us at the SportsGamer truck parked at Narinkkatori, the event is hosted in cooperation with St Hockey and besides their St Hockey Tour opening weekend event. Entry is free.

It's been a long road for both teams in the Finals and now it's finally time to determine the champion once and for all. Valco is coming into the Finals after an incredible run, taking down some of the top seeds along the way, whereas Synergy Hockey has been on a dominant path throughout the season. Who will hoist the cup? Structure & Prize Pool A long season sees its end once again and the only games left are the Finals. These teams have all certainly earned their right to direct promotion for next season. Synergy Hockey has been a solid team throughout the season and is a less surprising team at this point, whereas Valco has trodden a more rocky path, finding their form at the best of times. Many predictions I have put them to the losing side but the experience and the whole team playing together has shown their strength. The third direct promotion spot was decided this week between IK Oskarshamn and Spirit in the Bronze games and Oskarshamn walked away with a sweep in that series. (10) Synergy Hockey vs Valco (26) Synergy came through the Lite qualifiers for the Spring season, most likely as no surprise to anyone. Synergy Hockey continued their good form throughout regular season and maintained their level in the playoffs. Winning their first two series with a clean sweep and only losing one game to Destiny is a real show of power. However, their semifinals against IK Oskarshamn was another story. IK Oskarshamn defended firmly and used their scoring chances clinically. It ended up being a seven game saga where Synergy Hockey were down for the count 3-1 and were able to “reverse sweep” to the series victory with a game seven OT winner from @J-Foppa. A seeing-eye wrister from the point with a little luck clinched the victory for Synergy Hockey. Then we've got Valco. In the mid-season report, the writer (me) didn’t believe this team could even make it to the playoffs and the doubting and naysaying continued in the playoffs. However, here they are and no one can take that away from this team. Probably one of the hardest routes to the final. Facing TTK in the first round, Arkham Asylum in the second and TadPole in the third. Even Spirit couldn’t break the tight defence and goal scorer, by god’s grace @itspardytime, pushed his forces through to the finals. Look for an exciting battle where two different game styles will clash. You can follow the entire series through Valco's Twitch-channel at www.twitch.tv/Samila87 starting on Thursday, June 16th at 20:30 CEST. On Thursday, we will see at least three games of action, stay tuned for more information through the social media channels of the teams. Socials Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm. Twitter: When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @SportsGamerGG #ECL22Spring #NHL22 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi #MukanaWilhelm Instagram: When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @SportsGamerGG #ECL22Spring #NHL22 #esports #kouvolanlakritsi #MukanaWilhelm Note: It is very helpful and critical for us to succeed in getting our partners tagged, so they get the necessary mentions and interaction to validate their participation in the future. That being said, it is understandable that there may be circumstances due to your other partners where you are unable to tag competition etc. Your support is appreciated. As there are quite a few hashtags by now, especially from a Twitter perspective with limited characters, we recommend using at least #ECL22Spring in the text part of the tweet and leave the sponsor tags for the end. If you need to cut out tags, remove #esports and #NHL22. For Instagram this shouldn't be an issue.

SportsGamer hosts the ECL '22 Spring Elite Finals and possible Grand Finals in Helsinki this upcoming weekend and regardless of what transpires in the games, it will be a historical outcome. We've got two young and hungry teams clashing at an event unlike anything we've seen before, so we're happy to invite you to join us either live at the scene or in our stream! We've come a long way from the announcement of our reimagined ECL framework - "A Song of Winter and Spring" back in late 2021 and since then we've seen the likes of hREDS pulling off the historical back-to-back, the uprise of several interesting contenders such as SAWO ESPORTS and even the decline of some dynasties we once thought would never fade away. Now we're in for the finale of the ECL '22 season, as we'll first crown our Spring Champion and possibly even get to see a Grand Final on Sunday for the ECL '22 title. Both of the squads who have paved their way to the finals are hungry to get things going, but we'll need to hold them back for just a bit longer, as the Finals don't start until Friday evening. Until then, we'll be taking you through some details for the action packed weekend. What? The ECL '22 Spring Finals and The ECL '22 Grand Finals (If needed) #3 SAWO ESPORTS vs hREDS #1 When? Friday, June 17th 19:30 CEST (Games 1-2) Saturday, June 18th 18:45 CEST (Games 3-7) Sunday, June 19th 20:30 CEST (ECL '22 Grand Finals)* Where? Helsinki, Finland - Narinkkatori www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG You'll find us at the SportsGamer truck parked at Narinkkatori, the event is hosted in cooperation with St Hockey and besides their St Hockey Tour opening weekend event. Entry is free. "It's been a blast, however there's obviously so much work that goes into an event like this just behind the scenes. This time is going to be quite different from what we've ever done before with it being outside and all the challenges coming with that, but I think we've managed to tackle them well. Combining our event with both the St Hockey Tour and the Wilhelm eHockey Tour also adds to the experience of it all, it's definitely going to be a celebration of hockey in all forms", says SportsGamer COO Kenneth @Kenu Lehtinen. Stay tuned as the week progresses for more info about the Finals and everything we've got coming up! We'll also drop the extensive Finals preview later in the week.

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other! Right in time we are back with yet another Player Spotlight! The first week in the 8th season of the German Championship League is on its way - so it's the perfect time to take a closer look at Reto "eTschitsch" (@afc_Tschitsch) Ulrich. Goalie of the reigning GCL champion ZSC Esports from Switzerland!   1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? I started playing in NHL09 with Claudio @Freeman7187 Salamoni. We started playing 2v2 where all remaining positions were played by the AI. After a few years I stopped playing until Claudio contacted me in 2018 again. They were in need of a Goalie for the former "The Black Jacks". That's when I started grinding again.   2. What do you value most in playing for ZSC Esports? It makes me extremely proud to be part of this team and represent one of the biggest clubs in the country. Furthermore ZSC is my childhood club. So it's even more special to me.   3. Describe your perfect day! Sleeping until 11am. Have a good workout in the gym and spending the rest of the day in Zürich, enjoying the sun and having good dinner.   4. You are GM for a day and get to pick any player for your 6v6 team. Who is in your perfect ECL lineup and GCL lineup (only DACH-players)? ECL Lineup: LW: @NikkeDangles C : @Eki RW: @FlyerKungen         LD: @Toneee9 RD: @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_)                         G: @uhNikke   GCL Lineup: LW: @IDangledYouOut C : @PlaymakerSJ RW: @Freeman7187                              LD: @Toneee9 RD: @Haldeem                                          G: @PLA77NER     5. Do you play hockey in real life? I played 14 years for ZSC Lions Youth teams. When I was 18 years old I had to end my career due to an injury.   6. What's your best hockey memory? There are several moments I like to remember. I was able to play with great players who paved their way to the NHL. Such as Kevin Fiala, Jonas Siegenthaler, Denis Malgin, Sven Andrighetto and many more. But apart from that my biggest highlight was winning the Swiss Youth Championship back in 2012 and finishing as the top scorer of the league.   7. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL? I love doing sports and having a good time with my friends. Spending time with my family is really important to me as well as travelling as much as possible.   8. Pizza with Pineapples. Yes or No? NO!   9. What song do you listen to while playing an intense match in ECL? Currently my favourite tune is "Good Vibe" by R.I.O. & Kyanu.   10. What's the background story to your PSN ID? As a kid I fell in love with the Croatia kit at the World Cup 1998. My father bought me one and due to the fact that most of Croatias players name ended on "-cic" he told me that 'Cic" has to be my new name. A few friends started calling me that nickname and so it started its course until it eventually became "Tschitsch" instead of "Cic".   11. Who is the best player in the ECL? This is a really tough question to answer. There are many great players and talents out there. But if I had to choose one I would pick @Eki. He is almost always able to make a difference and give his team the edge over the opponents.   12. What's your favourite dish? As a Swiss there can be only one answer: cheese fondue.   13. What are your goals for this GCL and next ECL in NHL23? For this GCL I will take the role as a backup goalie to have Mike @burban26 Müller and Christian  @Fightlocke3 Schubert's back. But our only goal for this season has to be to defend the title. In the next ECL I would love to participate in the playoffs. In the past seasons we improved steadily and making the playoffs has to be the next step.   14. High scoring game or OT drama? Since I'm a Goalie I will obviously take the OT drama. And personally I feel like I perform best when being under pressure.   15. What are your NHL career highlights so far? My biggest highlight has to be winning the GCL7 title in the finals against Team LEISURE (now Deadly Phantoms again). After falling short in four finals it was a big relief to finally beat them. On top of that we were able to secure the title with three sweeps in a row and personally securing five shutouts in the postseason felt really good! The ECL 7 Lite title was also really special to me aswell as making it to the top of the ECL and playing there now for the 4th consecutive season.   16. Who should be featured next in "Player Spotlight"? In the next spotlight I would love to see my Swiss fellowman Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi!     Feel free to also suggest who you'd want to see in the Player Spotlight-series. Also, if there are any questions you'd like us to add to the arsenal, let us know!  

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!