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SportsGamers, ECL Lite is the third tier of competition under the European Championship League umbrella and features several established teams that have been building their story for years, such as Nordic Nosebleed, Lutunilkat, Resurrection or Armada Hockey. In addition, we also have the first Xbox Series X|S team xBOTS in this division, so we should have some cool storylines to follow! Many old teams and even more new teams are here to fight for prizes and promotion to the higher divisions. The road isn’t always the easiest and as we've seen in the past, a good regular season doesn’t mean anything when the really big games start in the Playoffs. It's definitely going to be a season to keep your eye on with several good teams, and even better individuals. Season Information ECL '23 Winter Lite features 64 teams divided in four groups with 16 teams each. Eight teams per group will make the Playoffs, which are played in a best-of-seven manner. Head to the league page here to view the groups and game schedule. ECL '23 Winter: Lite Schedule Qualifiers: 24.11-8.12.2022 Regular Season: 13.12.2022-18.1.2023 RO32: 22.-25.1.2023 RO16: 29.1-1.2.2023 Quarterfinals: 5.-8.2.2023 Semifinals: 12.-15.2.2023 Finals: 19.-22.2.2023 Season preview Preview written by @Miettinen14 The new season brings many new teams to Lite due to many of last season's top end teams getting their place in the higher division, Pro. Big Mistake is one of the interesting new teams. 12-0 in qualifiers is rare and is really a storm warning given to the opponents in the division. The squad consists of several experienced players and young prodigy @Allupekkaz, who is expected to have a proper breakout season. Gunners HC is another club that looks great coming into their first ever ECL campaign. They've got some experienced players who played together in the eSM and got into the top 16, beating the mighty HAVU Gaming on their way there. If they'll be able to find that same form and keep their heads cool, they could end up being solid contenders this season. As mentioned before, the first ever Xbox team signed up, xBOTS is another one to keep your eyes on. Their players might not sound too familiar at this point, but on the 1v1 side of the game, the roster is stacked with talent. It's going to be interesting to see how they play and if they can match up well against some of the more established PlayStation squads. The more experienced side is really well represented too. For example Armada Hockey, Finnish Hockey Legends and Oulunsalo HT have made up the core of the Lite division for some seasons already. We are looking for them to eventually find a way to level up their game or at a minimum solidify their spots as consistent Playoff contenders. One very experienced team, that we haven't seen on the 6v6 ice earlier is Vizio, consisting of several well performing 1v1 players and led by @Artuzio. We've seen similar projects in the past, and they've never really taken off to the extent that their potential would suggest. However, it is certain that these players hold the skill required to really make their mark in this division and above. It'll also be extremely interesting to see what community sweethearts Lutunilkat will be up to this season. They're a team that certainly knows how to get a buzz going around them and have proven their skill on the social media side of things in the past, maybe now is the time to transition that onto the ice? Lite also has the Central European teams very well represented, with the likes of SCB eSports, EHC Dinamo Riga, Nurnberg IceTigers eSport, Eisbaeren Lauf Gaming, Gleumes Hockey Krefeld and many more participating. These are teams that are always tough to get a read on as they play a lot in their DACH-bubble, which is both a disadvantage and an advantage. The community has grown a great lot over the years and these teams are able to get quality practice on a regular basis, with the exception of the very top teams. However, the issue might be not seeing that much of the northern teams, but in turn, these northern teams don't see too much of the central teams either. Players to watch Lite holds a lot of interesting and highly skilled players this season. It has traditionally been one of those levels, where individual players get to shine more, before moving up to the more defensively sound Pro and Elite divisions. @Valee__, Hunters Valee will be playing for his old team Hunters this season. He took one season in Pro and is now back with his old team trying to achieve what they couldn’t do in the past. @Maexsa, Stone Age A true veteran and the heart and soul of Stone Age. The team is a lite mainstay, but missed out on playoff competition in the Spring season, warranting a comeback story. We'll see Maexsa take the lead in that push for glory. @sisu33_, Vizio The young gun for this season is sisu33_. Maybe not the most known player in the 6v6 scene but proving himself on the 1v1 side already. Maybe we see him breaking into sixes this season alongside some of the most highly skilled players around in Vizio. @Markus strandfeldt (Strandis96), Skellefteå AIK Strandis96 is an interesting player also. Has built up his resume between Core and Pro and has shown potential to become a great player, even in the near future. Changing the scenery every season may be the problem but maybe Skellefteå is the right place to grow for him. @JesseL2002, Project X Project X have gotten JesseL2002 back from Reality Check. He has proven his level and even got the Elite promotion with Reality Check. Fortunately for Project X, they are getting a very welcome familiar face to their squad! @Youtube_Azzez, Purification Azzez has great hands and vision. Showing great potential and this might be the season for him to really blossom. Has surrounded himself with likeminded players that are also looking for a spot to break out, perhaps they'll elevate each other. @sylvesterrr87 (Bafligen), Ghost Ghost has a really good center in Bafligen. Really shines with his two-way play and can help his team in both ends of the ice. A very mature player, who you can really count on. @Artuzio, Vizio A player you can never count out. Has won almost everything you can imagine on the 1v1 side of things, but success has eluded him in sixes. Maybe a couple youngsters and some of his old trustees by his side will help him turn the tide. ECL '23 Lite competition officially starts tonight, with several teams having their opening matchups scheduled! Make sure to follow the tag #ECL23Winter on social media to stay up to date on all the latest news and gameday updates. As always, Good luck, play hard and have fun!

SportsGamers, The ECL '23 Winter Core division is kicking off on Tuesday, December 13th and it's time to get to know some of the teams and go through what this division is all about at the end of the day. ECL Core is the second level of competition, and the first level featuring a prize pool, which is going to be 3500€ this season. ECL '23 Winter Core holds 27 teams divided into two groups, out of which 8 in each group will make the Playoffs. Default gamedays are Tuesday, Thursday and Wednesday. Playoffs are played in best-of-seven manner. Head to the league page here to view the groups and game schedule. ECL '23 Winter: Core Schedule Regular Season: 13.12.2022-19.1.2023 RO32: 22.-26.1.2023 RO16: 29.1-2.2.2023 Quarterfinals: 5.-9.2.2023 Semifinals: 12.-16.2.2023 Finals: 19.-23.2.2023 The Core division was introduced in ECL 12, and thus this is going to be the fourth time we're seeing action at the fourth tier of competition in the ECL. The division houses several interesting teams representing traditional ice hockey clubs, such as HC Pustertal eSports based in northern Italy, who are in their inaugural season. Some other examples of such teams are Swiss sides Ambri eSports, EHC Basel eSports or the French Remparts de Tours Esport, who are now starting their sixth ECL campaign. Some other teams to keep your eye on would definitely be the long-lived Pirates eSports, who have been consistent in their participation, but success has eluded them. Their roster has seen some turnover throughout the years, but now most of the current squad are carrying over from last season's Pirates eSports Origins. Perhaps the most electrifying player in the entire division can be found in the roster of Capetown Kings, as @Timotei97 has joined them from GIFU Hockey. It'll be interesting to see if he will end up being in a backup role or if the former Elite and Pro winger will take the ice in the Capetown jersey. Elsewhere, FIFA superstar @egoapina could be an interesting player to follow for his Turkunummi, who are coming fresh off an ECL '22 Spring Neo Championship. ECL '23 Core competition officially starts tonight, with several teams having their opening matchups scheduled! Make sure to follow the tag #ECL23Winter on social media to stay up to date on all the latest news and gameday updates. As always, Good luck, play hard and have fun!

SportsGamers, It's been a wild offseason for lots of teams, and the new iteration of the game certainly adds a special spice to the mix. Several teams will have to push through various types of adversity on their long campaign that they all are hoping to end with ultimate glory - An ECL '23 Winter Championship and a spot in the fabled World Finals. Going into the season, it seems like one team especially seems to have a step on the competition, whereas below that and in the mid-table, we'll be seeing unprecedented parity throughout the league.  Season Information ECL '23 Winter Elite features 16 of the best NHL esports teams in Europe. Eight teams in total will make the Playoffs, which are played in a best-of-seven manner. The Champion will be punching their ticket to play the NACL '23 Winter Champion in the World Finals in Helsinki on February 25th.  Head to the league page here to view the groups and game schedule. ECL '23 Winter: Elite Schedule Regular Season: 12.12.2022-18.1.2023 Quarterfinals: 25.1-1.2.2023 Semifinals: 5-8.2.2023 Finals: 24.2.2023 (Live in Helsinki) Season preview This ranking is based on averages in a vote involving several community members.  1.  hREDS The team that won it all in ECL '22 is now back, looking as strong as ever with the recent acquisition of Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila as a replacement for Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen and a preseason tournament win already under their belts. There are little to no signs that hREDS would be letting up on their reign of dominance, and with GOONS' eHSM-winning roster disbanding in the offseason, now their closest competition is also just that much further away. Wingers Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen have been great for the team over the course of the preseason, and they are expected to continue performing with the return of arguably the best centerman in the league, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen. It's hard to see anyone stopping the dominant streak hREDS are on currently and the competition will really have to dig deep.  2.  Tunnel Vision Tunnel Vision is looking great heading into another season after some offseason turbulence for the squad. While "offseason turbulence" could be something that makes lots of captain sweat, Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen definitely managed to keep their heads cool and come out on top in this one. As much as losing offensive superstar Jere @jxrska Laukka might sting, they've found a way to replace him with another Laitinen, Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen that is. The kid has been doing great things for GOONS over the past couple of seasons, and really blossomed in the eSHM, capping things off with a title. Perhaps now is his time to shine in the ECL too? 3.  Frölunda HC Frölunda HC will be coming at us hard this season with the dream team we all wanted to see back in the NHL 19 days with peak Written In The Stars and FILADELPHIA going at it tournament after tournament, league after league. Honestly, it's a real throwback, but at the same time make no mistake - these guys still know how to play and win. In an interesting turn of events over the past few seasons, we've seen Frölunda rotate their squad and explore various outlooks for the roster that's been a lock for such a long time. Last season we saw the captain Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala take on the role of a defenseman, but this year it'll be Erik @Eki Tammenpää who is on defense as the cap swaps back to his familiar center spot. This will deifintely be an exciting team to watch, lots of storylines going on, such as the how Eki will transition into his defensive role, how newcomers Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen and Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto will fit in with the new team and if this throwback dream team really can get it done? 4.  Färjestad BK If the ECL '22 Spring season was a small step back for Färjestad, this season is going to be a great comeback for the squad. While they've lost their long-time scoring machine Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg, they've brought in a more than capable replacement in the form of Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander, who really led Setelit On Ice in the eHSM from his winger position. They've also brought in Nico @zNico Tuoreniemi from IQUE to replace Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann, who we are sad to hear will be taking a step back from competitive NHL. Up front, this is certainly the best and most balanced Färjestad team in a long time, but it'll most likely come down to how well their defensemen will play together and if Johan @McSavid Rundqvist will continue getting those timely saves in net. 5.  Växjö Lakers We're calling it - the dark horse of the season. Växjö Lakers may be a newcomer to the division with their promotion coming off their Spring season Championship, but they've been honing their skills together in the Pro division over the course of a couple of seasons already, and this will be their big shot in the top 16. One thing Växjö certainly isn't lacking is skill on the puck and they've got that in abundance both up front and down low. However, what they need to find is timely movement of that rubber piece. Stepping up to Elite can, as we've seen, be a massive leap, but we expect this team to find their stride quick since they've been on the fringe for so long already. 6.  ZSC Esports After narrowly missing out on the playoffs in both the ECL '22 Winter and Spring seasons, this Swiss outfit is eager to get the action started with one major change to their roster in the offseason as Christian @GERxVillain Ungeheuer will be replacing Reto @Haldeem Haldemann on defence, as the latter is heading on loan to fellow Elite squad Falun Coal Miners. These boys can soon start to call themselves seasoned vets in the Elite division, but they've remained on the fringe of the Playoffs thus far, with the expectation to be able to break that threshold finally. The only thing that might hold them back, though, is the lack of consistent practice against higher level opposition in comparison to their peers.  7.  Nordic Stars Formerly Conquer Gaming, this squad will be reverting to their old Nordic Stars branding. The familiar colors, that especially Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho and Jere @Jerax13 Hällström represented for several seasons in ECL Pro back in the days. Now, the green and yellow of Nordic Stars is making their first appearance in Elite and after a very promising Spring season outing where all expectations were overcome, these guys are ready to once again make an impact. The team has some lineup changes, with both Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko and Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen joining them from IQUE, who had a disaster of a season in ECL '22 Spring. Now, the new Nordic Stars have looked excellent in preseason, really shining with quick puck movement and flashes of the individual skill they have in abundance. What will end up being their downfall, however, is how well they'll be able to find that five man defense in fending off stronger offensive teams. 8.  Luleå Hockey Formerly known as Örebro Hockey or POGGERS, this group have now managed to sign with a new Swedish organization, Luleå Hockey from the very North of the country. Unlike much of their competition, this roster will be continuing into ECL '23 Winter virtually unchanged. Luleå will be sporting a very balanced offense with Jussi @JaKurrii Koivuniemi, Jan-Mikael @Janski Aittoniemi and Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen. All of them have proven to be reliable scorers at this level and possess that extra flair that will keep opposing defensemen on their toes throughout the season. Captain Tero @Terodee Dahlström will pair with Miko @Migo_boo Nurmi for a very capable defense pairing, who can jump in on the rush when needed. A 4th place finish in the regular season was a surprise, but we're still predicting these guys to reach the playoffs again! 9.  GOONS GOONS were looking really strong to end the ECL '22 Spring season and were on a great upwards trajectory, but unfortunately the team seems to have fallen apart over the course of the offseason. As a result, we were even speculating about them possibly sitting out the season a mere week ago, but the captaincy group has managed to pull some patchwork on their roster and they're at least going to have a crack at it this season. Their new roster will certainly be heavily centered around captain Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola, who will be joined by three new players in their starting lineup with Roope @pikkuroger Bergström entering his military service. Jere @jergelii Jortama, Teemu @tkantola Kantola and Tuomas @Tumpp1A Aaltonen will have to get into the GOONS groove real quick if they want to stand a chance at squeaking their way into the playoffs.  10.  JYP Jyvaskyla JYP is certainly an interesting team and one to keep a look out for. Despite the fact thet they've come crashing down from their glory days, they've still managed to stay in the mix and even fight for those last Playoff spots. This season, the red hurricanes are entering with a heavily overhauled roster, keeping captain Santeri @indi969 Pendolin, assistant Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen, winger Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala and goaltender Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt while replacing the entire defense and bringing in an extra backup. The worrysome factor, though? None of their new defensemen have seen a second of ice time in the Elite division before. All of their new recruits in Aapeli @Frans-Fin Landström, Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen and @obivop are rookies and it's a big ask for them to instantly make an impact at the level required to propel their team into the playoffs. Their highly experienced core will be able to help out, but this isn't the season JYP gets back to glory yet.  11.  Reality Check Reality Check have really suffered from the fringe elite curse over the past few seasons, as they've been one of the strongest contenders season in and season out in the Pro division, but never managed to gain promotion until now. The team gained their spot in a relegation battle against Stargazing and won the series in a sweep. Much credit goes to their goaltender Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes, who had an excellent season and is expected to continue in great form, certainly having the experience to back him even in the Elite division. Reality Check's roster will remain unchanged with the exception for the centerman spot, at which they've now got Jesper @Niskalaukaus Aho instead of Jesse @JesseL2002 Linden, who returned to his former team Project X in the Lite division. The move has stirred up a lot of discussion, but only time will tell how it will work out for the team.  12.  JANO This is the rebranded AHJO, that you might remember from ECL '22 Spring Pro. The team pulled an excellent campaign back in that spring season, ending in the semifinals at the hands of Reality Check, who ended up taking home the silver. JANO continued their season into a relegation battle against HV71, who didn't manage to salvage their season and faltered 4-2 in the series. While JANO has players such as Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, Markus @Makeaxl Lahti and Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen, who already have made their mark in the Elite division, they have been able to strike fear into their preseason opponents in the way they'd wanted to. Much will rely on Makeaxl quarterbacking their play and starting the rush, and their forwards will just need to find a way to finish on those chances at a high enough rate.  13.  Falun Coal Miners After a long absence from the ECL ice, Falun Coal Miners returned for the Spring season with several experienced gamers such as captain Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt, Connor @MartindalexC Martindale and André @Foppatofflan Liljegren in their roster. Back then, we were certainly excited to see the beloved squad and brand return, but our predictions for them were rather grim. Now, while they've retained all of the aforementioned season 1 originals in their roster and added even more experience in the form of Reto @Haldeem Haldemann on loan from ZSC Esports, Falun is still slotting in at 13th in our preview ranking. That is not to say that the Coal Miners wouldn't be an excellent team and we certainly expect them to show some resilience and utilize all that experience in stealing points from younger teams along the way, but it's tough to predict Falun being in the drivers seat in many of their games, and their playbook might have to rely on counter-attacking a bit too much. Keep your eye on rookie goaltender Tomi @Tope0090 (mestari_tikkuuu) Heikkilä, who is coming off of a great eHSM performance with Setelit On Ice. 14.  ISO Esports The most recent Elite team ISO Esports didn't secure their spot in the European top 16 until Thursday night in the Elite Qualifier Finals against Hanaa HC. With a freshly inked contract with the organization and their recent promotion, these boys are on an impressive upwards trajectory and could be one of the most exciting teams to follow early on. The team has a very deep roster, sporting a total of 10 players, who arguably could all slot in as starters in an Elite team to some capacity. However, they are expected to run with Putte @Putteekiing Unasin & Juha @juhkis96 Katajamaa down low and Kalle @James (Jamechkin) Riihelä, Tuukka @Tukexi (MATILAISKA_) Matilainen and Valtteri @Kaikkien Janoisten Sankari (Goodtobeatonttu) Yli-Olli up front. In net, it looks like Eevertti @Empuuz_24 Viljanen will get most of the starts, but as Reittu @Roisto999 Hynynen has shown in the past, he can take over if need be.  15.  Unlucky Boys HC The Unlucky Boys is another brand with a great legacy in the ECL that we welcome with open arms. This is a team that played for YMCA Esports for the past few seasons and have been on a worrisome downward trajectory missing the playoffs in both ECL '22 Winter and Spring. They're one of those teams, that together with Luleå Hockey have managed to retain a rather similar roster for an extended period of time while battling in the very tightly contested mid-table of the European top 16. This season, we've heard rumblings that captain Antti @Anhel_Kuru Kuru might be taking a step back, with Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli taking the center spot flanked by Joona @jm98II Muona and Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen. Thus far, the burger boys have been able to escape relegation and while we're predicting them to come in at 15th this season, they'll have a chance to prove us wrong or salvage things in the relegation battle.  16.  Roots Gaming Roots is one of those teams that everyone has been waiting to take the next step for quite some time already, perhaps also one of the main reasons they originally were signed to the organization in the first place. As of right now, however, it looks like they haven't been able to find their form in NHL 23 and they really seemed to take a step back during the offseason. The team has managed to compile a roster that should be able to be competitive in the tightly contested Elite mid-tier, but they'll be having a very tough go if they take long to find their stride. One of the most interesting players this season could certainly be on Roots' roster with Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila taking a starting role besides Jere @keranee Keränen and Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen. The winger really managed to shine with Setelit On Ice in the eHSM and made himself known for flashy and sometimes even unorthodox plays on the ice. The ECL '23 Winter Elite season will kick off tonight with the season opening broadcast at 19:15 CET! We'll start things off with Cody @Tougie24 Tougas & Paul @Cyn Anderson doing their own season preview, after which the teams will take the ice. Join us for a night of the best virtual hockey in Europe at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!      

SportsGamers, The ECL '23 Winter Pro season is seeing an unusually high turnover in teams due to several squads disbanding in the offseason, which means we'll have a lot of interesting new outfits to take under closer inspection! Some of these squads include long-time Lite dwellers Arkham Asylum and Bastu, who will finally be getting a shot at the second highest tier, while we're also seeing the return of Synergy Hockey after their winning ECL '22 Spring campaign where they beat Valco, who also earned a well deserved promotion, in the Finals. Season Information ECL '23 Winter Pro will feature 32 teams in two groups with 16 teams each. Default gamedays are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Eight teams from each group will make the best-of-seven Playoffs. This season, the prize pool for the Pro division is 5500€ with the split pictured below. Head to the league page here to view the groups and game schedule. ECL '23 Winter: Pro Schedule Regular Season: 12.2.2022-16.1.2023 RO16: 19.-24.1.2023 Quarterfinals: 26.-31.1.2023 Semifinals: 2.-7.2.2023 Finals: 12.-14.2.2023 Season Preview Group 1 Written by @jahajaha93 HOT 🔥 HanaaHC HanaaHC has been one of those teams that haven't quite been able to get over that threshold and be bona fide contenders for quite some time already. Recently they had their shot at promotion through an Elite Qualifier, but got edged out by ISO Esports in a dominant Qualifier Finals sweep, which indicates that Hanaa perhaps isn't quite ready for Elite competition yet. However, they've got a gruelling Pro campaign ahead of them now, and plenty of time to grow and gel. The desire to succeed is there, and so is the talent, now they just need to find a way to make it all work. The team's most notable additions will be Miro @Rytze_ Perho and Joonas @Jondeezz Tikkanen, who join them on the flanks of captain Jere @Hazard-laser Korte as Mikael @Mikka Alaheikka takes on a new role in defense. The team was able to perform in the Elite Qualifiers with this roster, so the indication is that they should finish among the top teams in their group. Player to Watch: @Rytze_ RCTIC Several rumors had RCTIC folding at the end of last season, and they had in fact been absent for a while, but now they’re back as a fusion with the former WannaCry, and we’re quite excited about their chances in this one! The team is sporting a deep offense with the likes of @Limbe65 and @yrjoo from the former RCTIC roster with additions @Okke40 (hifk_FANI), @Jjomppa and @IKarkkiI joining them. We’ll have to see where Karkki eventually plays, as she’s been seen both at the center and defense positions in past seasons. Young @Ricco will be their sole netminder. Player to Watch: @IKarkkiI Be a Bro Be a Bro is back with one of the most experienced rosters in the division. This roster features season 1 originals @Janikka and @imosi, who will hold leading roles despite not belonging to the captain group. The old dogs are accompanied by fringe Elite defenseman @MCH_98 and the duo @Sanezh and @ESSRV from the former Hokurit. The skill is still there for this team and their experience will certainly push them far in a division where every point will count. @Svone10 will be guarding the net for the squad, and with some decent performances in previous seasons, this could be the one he breaks out properly. Player to Watch: @MCH_98 Synergy Hockey The Swedish roster is back in the Pro division, from which they stepped back at the end of the ECL 11 Pro season. They’ve worked their way back slowly but surely and after the long grind, these highly experienced gamers can now jot down a few more experiences in their journals. @Supremski is a great offensive defenseman that could certainly slot in for some Elite teams too, while their offensive trio @Buffy, @Isindar and @Mumsi- have been around enough to know how to win games. Goaltending is also in excellent shape for this team, with one of the strongest tandems in the league. @Sorsa103 and @DUNZA could end up sharing the responsibilities. Player to Watch: @Supremski NOT ❄️ Mora IK Mora played their first ever ECL Pro season last Spring and ended up finishing 14th in their group ahead of Almtuna eSport and Pasilan SKA. They had big wins against strong RCTIC and Hokurit teams, but otherwise there weren’t many highlights to their campaign. with one more season of experience in the rearview, the leadership group has heavily overhauled the team and this time it unfortunately looks they might have gotten weaker. Time will tell, but with their recruits mostly coming from Lite squads outside of the Playoff picture, they’ll need to up their level a lot to make things happen this season. Player to Watch: @andreaskakan TTK The team that once was a finalist in ECL 9 Neo has come a long way in their development over the years, and it’s a great thing to see that their core has done their best to remain intact through some of the adversity they’ve had to face in the Lite division. Now with a step taken to the next level, all of this squad will need to elevate their level very much in order to escape relegation. They’ve traditionally been a good regular season team, which might end up working in their favor this season! Player to Watch: @juusoskari Frolunda Hc Academy Having earned their spot in the Pro Qualifiers by gaining bronze at the end of the ECL ‘22 Spring Core season, Frolunda HC Academy will be in for a massive challenge leaping over the Lite division entirely. Keep an eye on their early performances that could dictate a trend for their season. This team does have some offense to them and their force up front will be @Gustaf Olsson (gurrao10), who finished 2nd in scoring in the Core Playoffs last season. Now, they’ll need to find that defense too and really work together to make things click. Player to Watch: @Gustaf Olsson (gurrao10) Ace Hockey There’s no sugarcoating it - the playstyle Ace Hockey have employed in the past will not work against most Pro level squads. They’ve got tremendous skill and speed up the wings, but thus far they’ve been a one trick pony, which unfortunately could end up being costly for them. However, if Ace Hockey finds a way to diversify their game and get those greasy goals whenever needed, they could end up finding a mid-table finish. Player to Watch: @Dehliiin Group 2 Written by @Mikka HOT 🔥 Björklöven Esport Coming into their fourth Pro season, Björklöven has been in or around the playoff conversations since day one. Captain @Kallmanius has managed to reel in some exciting reinforcements for the upcoming campaign, with @Demski_, @Rubituss (l-Rubituss-l) and @Tkautto98 (Kautto_) joining from the now defunct HV71, who got relegated from Elite after the Spring season. They now appear to be one of the stronger squads, and should be battling not only for Group 2's top seed, but perhaps even the championship. That's a ways away though, and we'll see what the lengthy grind ahead brings them, despite the premise. Player to Watch: @Demski_ Deadly Phantoms DPH made their Pro debut back in ECL 6, and it only took them two tries to get up to Elite. They made some good runs during their four seasons in the highest division, before getting relegated after ECL 11. Getting back up to where they once were will always be the main target for any former top team, but this German side has fallen short in the first round of the playoffs twice in a row now. Even though the Phantoms haven't met their own expectations for some time, this is always a team who can compete and put up with the best of them. Though most of the old names like stars @Timasy and @PlaymakerSJ remain, the grown squad size leads one to wonder how much of a rotation we'll be seeing. Ehockey is largely based around tight knight team play, so it will be interesting to see how this could affect them. No matter what, Deadly Phantoms have surely earned the status of a frontrunner with their history. Player to Watch: @xXPsykoSkillsXx Herlev Eagles Another team to have really solidified its status as a high-end Pro team in the recent years is Herlev Eagles. They've played in the division since ECL 10, and have made it to the Quarterfinals for the past two seasons. @Dreamickie was slotted in defense for both of these runs, but now appears to be back in the center spot. With @Spearzz_ also re-joining the squad after an absence of equal length, the Eagles seem to have assembled the same @vibholm10 - Dreamickie - Spearzz_ forward trio they had for their first two Pro seasons! @oSandello's new partner will in turn be @KinQjuusto, joining from the now defunct Fiasko. While Herlev lost some extremely important pieces in @Suth98_ to Örebro Hockey and @keranee to Roots Gaming, the old chemistry seems to have been clicking moderately well in the ramp up to the season. That should bode well for their chances of at least maintaining their past level, even if trophy aspirations might still be too far off. Player to Watch: @vibholm10 Nemesis Rounding out the HOT4 is Nemesis, coming off a surprising eHSM 2022 performance. After topping their group ahead of JANO and HAVU Gaming, they further bested the former with a sweep in the third round before falling honorably 3-1 to Tunnel Vision in the quarterfinals. Even in the ECL, they've gradually moved up ever since their re-emergence last Winter: first they finished 12th, and then 10th in Spring, only two points off a playoff spot. Now is clearly the time to make a leap to the playoffs, at minimum. The only change in Nemesis' starting five compared to eHSM seems to be captain @Miska (Zundeh) stepping back into the defense, replacing Elite loan @Toneee9 as expected. A huge part of their success in goalie @Pasi (Pasi-Fism) is also absent from their roster, though @Viltzup can definitely perform and @JaxonRules93 showed decent results as part of Hawaii Hockey. As the core stays intact, it should take a step towards the top half of the table with the lead of offensive weapon @temppanen. Player to Watch: @temppanen NOT ❄️ Company of Geeks The Geeks always seem to end up on the doomy side of these previews, but a testament to their base level is the fact that they remain here to be thrown under the bus – year after year. They are already coming into their 6th consecutive Pro season, though they've only made the playoffs once during that span (in ECL 11), instead having had to fight for their divisional spot more often than not. Captain @Jesus has managed to gather some interesting names, and most notably an old friend in @BlazEm0de- (domiinnn) is making a return after a couple of seasons away. They also appear to have added defenders @Pontinho (xClaughton-) and @MAYZIIX since their shaky qualifier performance, so perhaps COG can show some growth over the season. Regardless, their number one focus once again needs to be avoiding relegation. Player to Watch: @Jesus IK Oskarshamn Having already been a long time Lite dweller with five seasons under their belt, IKO finally takes the step up to Pro after an impressive Spring season. They had a rough go at the SCL a few months ago, failing to even make it out of the group stage. Plenty of time has passed since then though, and along with a new version of the game, some recruits have arrived. RW @Chevikov (Hikoilija__) looks to finally play a proper ECL rookie season after showing some promise a year ago, while RD @Aunee95 joins after two Core seasons as captain of Guldkallan HC. @snippystatue returns after spending eHSM with Armada Hockey, bringing plenty of Pro experience to this squad which, aside from @JF1891, is desperately lacking from it. While Oskarshamn can show some flashes from time to time, their first season should mostly be about getting used to the rise in level of play. Player to Watch: @Chevikov (Hikoilija__) Team NGU NGU spent two seasons in Pro under the PENTA banner before getting relegated, and now they've made an immediate bounce back after a single Lite campaign. Their roster seems to have undergone quite a makeover, with only captains @DaMan (Akin_Penta) and @CuteTerminator7 playing games both in the ECL '22: Spring Lite Playoffs and the recent Pro Qualifier. They actually had a decent performance in the qualifier, splitting points with everyone except Lemmenvelhot, who they bested in both games. That may indicate a stronger than bottom of the table contest, but the mostly DACH area side still has a lot to prove they belong at this level. Could these rather unknown names come out of nowhere and surprise us all? Who knows, it's all up to them and their former Pro top ten scorer captain to put on a performance. Player to Watch: @DaMan (Akin_Penta) Valco One of the longest standing teams in the scene, the legendary former TIKI TALK is back in Pro! Once upon a time bouncing between Elite and Pro, this ECL 1 veteran team took their time to make it back here once facing relegation after ECL 11. Three seasons and a name change later, they made it all the way to the Lite Finals last Spring, though falling just short in the end with a clean sweep loss to another comeback-making veteran team in Synergy Hockey. Why is Valco on this side of the preview then? Well, the Finnish squad led by ehockey icon @itspardytime has always above all had a fairly unique way of playing, which shouldn't remain as effective as the competition gets tougher. Unless, of course, they manage to keep shocking their opponents similar to last season's playoff run, during which they kept on upsetting higher seeds one after another. The distinctiveness does work on their Twitter account at the very least, so there's that to look forward to even if things don't fall to place on the ice. Player to Watch: @itspardytime The season for these clubs kicks off already today, but tomorrow you'll be able to watch some of them in our weekly ECL Pro broadcast at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG! Stay tuned for the broadcast announcement on our social media channels.