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SportsGamers, It's the season opener day for the ECL '23 Spring Pro season and we've got several interesting storylines to follow throughout the season. There's been a lot of turnover within the division and while some teams stand out as favorites to take it all, we have several black horses that could take the division by storm. It'll be a fierce battle for mid-table positions and with most bottom half teams going to Qualifiers, all games will be very important. In traditional ECL Pro Preview manner, we'll be taking a look at a few of the teams in each group, which of these squads are HOT, and which, perhaps, NOT? We can't wait to get things started! ECL '23 Spring Pro Schedule Regular Season: 24.4.-25.5. RO16: 29.5.-1.6. Quarterfinals: 5.-8.6. Semifinals: 12.-15.6. Finals: 19.-22.6. Group 1 HOT 🔥  Be a Bro Be a Bro is one of those teams that have been grinding away in the Pro division for a while now, and they seem to always be in contention with the top teams, still somehow avoiding bigger success at the moment. They've had a somewhat turbulent offseason and found themselves struggling in the recent Elite Qualifiers as a result. It seems like Be a Bro will have a lot of figuring out to do in terms of how they'll line up their starting five, with lots of high-profile players in their ranks, but still not a definitive number one constellation that has clicked.  Player to watch: @MCH_98  Björklöven Esport We've been predicting success for Björklöven for quite some time already, and now could very well be the time for the squad hailing from Umeå, Sweden. They have brought in an all new defensive pairing from the ashes of Memento in the form of @Janzuh and @Jonetzky (Zayzei), which has seemed to work well for them early on in SCL competition and most likely will continue on that path in the Pro division. On offense, Brörklöven is stacked with talent and especially @Pappen has big expectations to live up to, with @Johansson__224 entering his first full ECL Pro season on the Björklöven flank.  Player to watch: @Pappen  HV71 HV71 have gathered one of the more experienced rosters in the Pro division and more importantly, a lot of that experience is gathered in various formations with the same players these guys have alongside them right now. The three brightest stars of this roster are captain @Demski_, @Rubituss and goalie @Tiipponenii (Coffelainen), who very well could be one of the best on his position in the division. Playoffs need to be a lock for HV71, and their experience should be able to carry them far in the postseason. Player to watch: @Tiipponenii (Coffelainen)    RCTIC RCTIC is a team that has consistently been able to claw their way into the Playoffs of the Pro division, and they are able to challenge top teams when they are on their game, but bigger success seems to always avoid this team. @Limbe65 and @yrjoo are their biggest weapons up front and their very experienced defense consisting of @FakiiR1 and @Aze is a tough one to get past, especially if they are able to find chemistry, where we all know Fakiir1 will be the aggressive, highly physical party and Aze will need to stay back in more of a sweeper role. @Ricco is expected to continue developing in net.  Player to watch: @Limbe65   NOT ❄️  Purification A rather inexperienced team with some potential players in their ranks. They will need to improve playing as a unit and moving the puck in order to be competitive at the Pro level when facing defensively solid opponents, and there will most likely be an adjustment period for them in doing so. The team did very well in the Pro Qualifiers and scored a lot, with their most experienced player @eBasstian leading from the front. Keep an eye on him and @LaxenHD especially. Player to watch @LaxenHD  Red Bull Munich eSports A team that have slowly built their way up all the way from ECL Neo back in ECL 11 and managed to put up a fight against most of their opponents in the Pro Qualifiers, despite not coming away with wins in most games. At their best, Red Bull Munich can be a touch team to play against and @Lamsa is a weapon on the flank that everyone in the division has made a note to be weary of.  Player to watch: @Flo_goes_grazy (flgr93)  Prestige Prestige is a team with a rather short history, who battled hard during the ECL '23 Winter Lite season and eventually faltered int he Quarterfinals at the hands of the Champions, Pirati Chomutov Esports. This team hosts lots of individual skill, but they suffer from a lack of organization and solid team defense. They will be in for a rough awakening in the Pro division and will need to grow into more of a unit in order to see some success. Player to watch: @I_Saarinen_I  Neptune Hockey A very similar story to that of Prestige's in terms of how they made the Pro division from Lite, Neptune Hockey played their first season back in ECL '22 Winter Core, though. The team still holds several day one members, such as captain @JakkeJynkky, @wiibeni and @Zamiboii and the development they've had together is admirable. Neptune Hockey completed the ECL Pro Qualifiers with a .500 record and while they managed to keep games close against all opponents, they didn't manage to stand out in any way. We're expecting a tough season for Neptune Hockey, where they'll have to fight tooth-and-nail for a spot in no-man's-land. Player to watch: @egetelli_ Group 2 HOT 🔥  Renascor Now entering their fifth consecutive ECL Pro season as Renascor, the entire squad is aching to finally see some substantial success. All of their campaigns thus far have led to Playoff berths, but only one has taken them past the first round. The Russian based outfit have strengthened their ranks in the offseason with @Oxdoggi and @TeikDaun of Sulkavan Sudet fame. Renascor could be in for a successful season if they are able to gel together and find chemistry. They have a rather deep roster with some options for rotation if things don't work out.  Player to watch: @Virusactive    Polski Boys One of the biggest eHSM success stories, and now the team is getting ready to take the Pro division by storm. Already self proclaimed Champions, the only thing that remains is to deliver on their promises. Polski Boys is something of a fusion of the former Hunters and a portion of Golden Nights, and with that in mind we can expect a team heavily reliant on fast-paced offense and going hard to the net. They dominated their ECL Pro Qualifier group and really flexed their offensive muscles, but were picked apart by OTUKSET in their eHSM Round 3 Playoffs matchup.  Player to watch: @xSaski_    SIKA An interesting comeback to say the least. SIKA is known on the ECL as something of a top Pro contender team from years past, and after a short hiatus they've reappeared at the second highest level of ECL competition. This is a very different SIKA from what we've seen before, though, and you could argue we've got a more skilled SIKA roster on the ice than ever before. The roster was built just in time for the eHSM 2023 season and while it was the first true test for the squad, SIKA could have hoped for better results. A tough group put them at a lower seed than hoped for and they eventually faced elimination at the hands of fellow Pro squad RCTIC in round 2 of the Playoffs. @Valluxet is one of the division's most prolific scorers.  Player to watch: @Valluxet    OTUKSET The former ISO ESPORTS are the definition of a fringe Elite team. They had a taste of Elite action last season, but struggled getting a foothold in the European top 16, with scoring being their main issue. Otukset have since made a lot of moves on the transfer market and there's plenty of fresh faces on every position. We've even been hearing there might be some last minute transactions coming up right at the brink of the season. On defense, @juhkis96 and @Tumpp1A should be a lock, but their forward trio is still unclear. @Tukexi(MATILAISKA_) will take the right flank, but for the other positions they'll have lots of figuring out to do, with @OsquuG, @tkantola, @Valee__ and potentially even @Kaikkien Janoisten Sankari (Goodtobeatonttu) being possible choices for the spot. As mentioned, some of these players might also be on the move at the brink of the season opener.  Player to watch: @Tumpp1A NOT ❄️  Venom This team played their rookie Pro campaign in the Winter season and against all odds, managed to make it to no-man's-land. Now with some more experience under their belts, we could possibly see some improvement. Venom made a few acquisitions on the forward front in the offseason but they'll heavily rely on performances from the veteran winger @Jusa (JusaSoLow) in the offensive end. They will need to find a way to slow down some of the faster teams in their group in order to see some success. Player to watch: @Jusa (JusaSoLow)    Hawaii Hockey This is an interesting team that's seen a fair amount of player turnover over the past few seasons. For the ECL '23 Winter season, Hawaii Hockey shocked the division by acquiring superstar @jxrska, but unfortunately that ended up being a shorter stint than hoped for, and he has now been replaced by bringing in @ItzPoro from the former Memento. Hawaii Hockey played an excellent Pro Qualifier and flexed their offensive muscles with @Burtsi980H being their main man up front. Player to watch: @Macentoitunu    Eisbaeren Lauf Gaming Eisbaeren Lauf Gaming have been grinding away in the Neo-Lite region for a few seasons at this point, and their rookie campaign in Lite in the Winter season wasn't what they had hoped for, with a 14th place in their group and no postseason action. However, this is a team that has taken over the history of Inter Iceland with an influx of new talent into the roster and mainly, new captain @Hasek-39-- who represents the more experienced playerbase in the entire division. The completed the ECL Pro Qualifiers with a .500 record and put up good fights against all of their opponents, including SIKA. We're doubtful about Eisbaeren's chances, but hope that they can prove us wrong along the way! Player to watch: @Hasek-39--    IK Oskarshamn IKO played a successful ECL '23 Winter season in the Pro division, but unfortunately lost their top scorer @Chevikov in the offseason. They also lost @snippystatue and are now entering the season with an all Swedish lineup, having brought in @Dehliiin from Ace Hockey and @Discokryckan as a free agent after several seasons on the sidelines. While we believe that a smaller and an all Swedish lineup will definitely help IK Oskarshamn tighten things up in their own end and play a game that is tougher on their opponents, it seems like they could be lacking an X-Factor that really gets the team going and wins them those close games. We'll gladly be in the wrong, and only time will tell. Player to watch: @Dehliiin 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. 

SportsGamers, We're at the brink of the 16th ECL season, and yet again, 16 of the best European NHL esports teams will be taking a crack at the European Championship title. Last season was one for the ages and as the stakes were higher than ever, the competition was also tougher than before. In terms of competition at the top, it feels like it's only getting tougher, as teams like Nordic Stars and JYP Jyväskylä are slowly creeping into the discussion of title contenders. Maybe there's also some trouble at the top, who knows? What we do know, though is that as always, before a single game has been played, it's a blank slate - carte blanche. ECL '23 Spring: Elite Schedule Regular Season: 24.4.-24.5. Quarterfinals: 29.5.-1.6. Semifinals: 4.-7.6. Finals: 16.-17.6.* Relegation: 26.-29.6. ** * TBC ** Series can be started as soon as pairs are known 1. Tunnel Vision The defending Champions are looking good leading up to the season opener. After their tough loss to Entourage in the World Finals, it would have been easy to start questioning yourself and changing things up, but according to captain Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen, Tunnel Vision have overcome the disappointment and moved forward as a team. The squad haven't made any changes to their roster, or their game and they're intent on dominating the ECL just as they have done in all of their preseason games thus far. More competition has usually brought out the fighting spirit in these guys, and we're just expecting them to get better as the season rolls on. 2. hREDS One of the more talked-about teams of the offseason, as usual. hREDS are expected to remain right there among the top teams and could very well run away with the Championship in a comeback effort after faltering to Frölunda HC in the Semifinals last season. Although on paper this team looks unstoppable, their preparation for the new ECL season hasn't gone without hiccups, though. Just this week, hREDS had a big matchup to test their level against fellow title contender Tunnel Vision in the Quarterfinals of the eHockey Finnish Championships, and quite surprisingly they were bested in three games and swept. The only other Elite squad hREDS played in the eHSM was Reality Check HC, against whom they went to overtime in both games and ended up splitting points. Will there be trouble in paradise if they can't pick up the pace? 3. Frölunda HC Slowly working their way back to the absolute top of NHL esports, nicknamed the "NHL 19 Allstars", Frölunda HC and their star-powered roster are looking set for yet another Championship push this season. This time, it's Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha's turn to take a crack at playing defense alongside mainstay Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto, and thus far it seems like their efforts to rotate the squad in hopes of better results has yielded some success. The greatest asset for this team is how much fun they seem to have while playing the game, and to be fair, it must be easy to have fun when you're this good, right? Contender team. 4. Nordic Stars After an impressive ECL '23 Winter campaign that took many by surprise, Nordic Stars have went all out in the offseason, making a very interesting overhaul to their defensive end. One of the most talked-about transfers of the ECL era could be Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen (KingOfApes_) getting the boot from hREDS and joining Nordic Stars in a surprising turn of events developing over the course of a few months. In addition, the up-and-coming squad have now went out and acquired one of the most interesting talents on the market, young prodigy Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen of ECL 1v1 Championship fame. Together, KingOfApes_ and Sisu33_ will form one of the most exciting defensive pairs to date and we'll follow how their dynamic will develop over the course of the season. 5. JYP Jyvaskyla For a long, long time, JYP Jyväskylä were trending downwards and it even looked like the team was past their prime in all ways. We doubted them heavily heading into last season with a very inexperienced squad, but were gladly surprised when their rookie defensemen Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen and Aapeli @Frans-Fin Landström performed above all expectations. On top of that, young goalie Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt has grown into a very solid elite level netminder, who is able to steal games for his team on any given day. JYP's preseason ended in a third round eHSM Playoffs exit at the hands of Reality Check HC, which is less than they would have hoped for, but if the Winter season is any indication of what's to come, we expect JYP to be back in the Playoffs this season. 6. Reality Check One of the biggest sensations of the Winter season, Reality Check are in for a big campaign and it's an even bigger ask for the team to repeat another successful Playoff berth. Maybe they could pull it off, though? In an interesting offseason transaction, long-time captain Harri @Pursuitti Haaksiala has left the team in favor of Be a Bro and he will be replaced by Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen on the right flank alongside Jesper @Niskalaukaus Aho and V-V @vvlampela Lampela (cTunkeilija). Somehow, this team is oozing Stargazing rookie season vibes, but with lots of more experience, some success in their future shouldn't be entirely out of the question. 7. GOONS Ever since their eHSM 2022 Championship title, it's seemed like GOONS just haven't been able to catch a break. They entered the ECL '23 Winter season with a roster compiled just in time for the season to start, a campaign, which put them outside Playoff contention for the first time since entering the European top 16 in ECL 12. In the eHockey Finnish Championships, GOONS have entered the second round of Playoffs by invitation, and have now been eliminated in the Quarterfinals by Reality Check HC in a full five game series. GOONS seemed to struggle to find their game throughout their short campaign and games ended up being tighter than they would have wished for. Not the results GOONS have been looking for, but there's still time, and plenty of room to improve. Offensively, GOONS are one of the most versatile outfits out there. 8. Heimo Formerly with JANO, this squad switched organizations in the offseason, but that is all that's changed, as they are heading into their second consecutive ECL Elite season with the exact same roster as in the Winter season. What worked so well for them previously hasn't been changed. While Heimo suffered a disappointing third round exit in the eHSM Playoffs against Tunnel Vision, they are looking in decent shape heading into the Elite season. They have had some extra time to develop on their pre-existing chemistry and prolific scorer Wade @Wpaanane Paananen seems to have stayed hot throughout the offseason. Success won't be a surprise for this team anymore. 9. Färjestad BK Consistently missing the Playoffs is something that isn't in the DNA for Färjestad BK and their roster certainly holds the quality and skill to do better than that. They squad hailing from Karlstad, Sweden haven't quite found their game over the past few seasons despite having some of the most skilled individuals around in their ranks. They were able to remedy their inability to convert on the ECL ice by hoisting the eSHL season 4 trophy at the end of the Winter season and are looking to ride that wave into the SCL and now also the ECL Spring season. A notable absence will be Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson (I-Mallen-I), who has been replaced by former Växjö Lakers centerman Adam @dzouvi Mensik, arguably bringing even more skill to an already abundantly skilled lineup. 10. ZSC Esports Last season was the first time ever we saw the Swiss outfit in the Playoffs, and while they can be proud of their accomplishments, the work doesn't stop there. This time, the team is in for an interesting challenge with former successful forward Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner taking a step back to his original position in net, while Christian @GERxVillain Ungeheuer will most likely be taking over duties on the right flank. We can't help the doubt creeping in about whether these are moves that will strengthen the squad that greatly benefitted from the aggressive play Wagner displayed on the wing before, but we'll gladly be in the wrong! 11. Roots Gaming Roots Gaming entered the Elite division back in ECL '22 Winter as one of the most exciting young outfits we'd seen in a while. They managed to make the Playoffs in their first two seasons, but have been on a downwards trend ever since. This offseason, the squad acquired Mr. positivity Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli from the ashes of Unlucky Boys in an attempt to perhaps not only bolster their offense, but also to do good for their team chemistry. The new recruit has immediately made an impact and together with @zMikkeez, he could form an offensive force to be reckoned with. 12. Mayhems The ECL '23 Winter Pro Semifinalists enter the Elite division for the first time in team history after winning their relegation battle against Unlucky Boys in a thrilling game seven finish. The team was the topic of a lot of discussion over the course of the weekend and we ended up seeing a change of leadership, where the former captain and team owner @Miska (Zundeh) was forced out in favor of other players taking over. Their roster will remain largely unchanged, and quite interestingly, with the exception of goaltender Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen and a fresh new signing in Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen, they are entering their campaign with an all-rookie lineup. After a few seasons in the mid-tier trenches of the Pro division, Mayhems really seemed to up their level last season and established themselves as a great defensive squad with the ability to win tight scoring games. More recently, they made the Quarterfinals of the eHockey Finnish Championships and overcame fellow Elite rookie team Tohtorit in Round 3 in a relatively convincing 3-0 series. 13. Redhawks Esport Having played the ECL '23 Winter season under the legendary Falun Coal Miners name and making it to no-man's-land after a disastrous start to their season, Redhawks Esport are making a comeback to ECL action, intent on paving their way back into the Playoffs. The team relies on the veteran presence of captain Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt with his trusted men André @Foppatofflan Liljegren and Connor @MartindalexC Martindale to lead the way, and the great part about these players are their versatility and the possibilities for them to play up and down the lineup in various positions. Based on some preseason scouting, we might be seeing Furyan and Martindale taking on defensive roles, while Foppatofflan might be seen at the center spot. Redhawks have acquired Fredrik @Kattenj Jansson of Växjö Lakers fame to step in on offense alongside Foppatofflan and Arttu @TheArska Aarnio, but we might see different variations in the final form of their lineup once the action gets underway. 14. Örebro Hockey Having made the Elite division after a Semifinals push in ECL '23 Winter Pro and winning their Qualification series against ISO ESPORTS, Örebro Hockey are getting ready to make an impact in their rookie season at the Elite level. The challenge will be massive, and to help them on their way, they have acquired some Elite experience in the form of Jere @keranee Keränen in the offseason. Most likely, they will be opening with the familiar offensive trio of Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen - Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland - Anton @Henka0009 Henriksson, where Rimpe will continue holding an important role as their top scorer and the most experienced player. Many players in this roster grind the game a lot and as a result, theres an abundance of mechanical skill, but it remains to be seen if they can translate that into results when the games matter the most. 15. Leksands IF Having secured their Elite spot in a thrilling Qualifier series against Lulea Hockey no later than on Sunday evening, Leksands IF are coming in hot into their first ever Elite season. The team might benefit from having played such important games right at the end of their preseason and we'll follow closely if they look to be in better form than their competition early on. In Leksands IF, we're looking at a team that likes to play a fast-paced north-south game. They are very individually skilled and also have the ability to shut down opponents when needed. The issue for them will be inexperience at the top level, which they have looked to mend by acquiring Bajram @Katunarski Xhafa from Nordic Stars in the offseason. Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen has been able to shine in net at all levels and seems to be ready to take the next step on his career, his performances will be crucial for Leksand this season. 16. Tohtorit This ECL Elite Rookie team is entering the top division after a highly turbulent season in ECL '23 Pro Winter. Tohtorit had a disastrous start to the season and some rumours were floated about a large portion of the team quitting when they were in their darkest times. Some movement within the roster sparked their game, though, and the second part of the season really skyrocketed Tohtorit to a postseason unlike anything we've seen before. Tohtorit is a team that plays a very straight-forward breakout game, which could end up being their demise at the Elite level, but if they can adapt in time, they certainly have the skill to make things happen. Tune in to the ECL '23 Spring Elite season opener tonight at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG! The broadcast starts at 19:45 and we've got some really high profile matchups lined up right from the get-go! First Nordic Stars will challenge Frölunda HC, after which GOONS and Tunnel Vision will go at it. This is also the return of your favorite booth talent Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Paul @Cyn Anderson for the first time since the World Finals in February!

It's been a rather young but highly successful ECL career for Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen thus far, as he's spent all but his rookie season with Tunnel Vision, claiming his first Elite title last season and representing Europe in the World Finals against the NACL Champions, Entourage.  The ECL '23 Winter season was a big one and it brought a lot of changes and marked a milestone with the first ever NHL Esports World Finals hosted at Assembly Winter 2023. Tunnel Vision and Entourage went head-to-head in a clash that eventually, the North American Champions ran away with in convincing fashion. Despite the disappointment, Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen and his team have picked up the pieces and are determined to return stronger than before for a title defense. The young captain of Tunnel Vision has seen a lot of success in his career both on the 1v1 and 6v6 sides of the game, but his only Championship title is the one won with Tunnel Vision in ECL '23 Winter. On the 1v1 side, Tomboo has managed to compete at the top for quite some time already, but success has avoided him. He has represented Tampereen Ilves in both seasons of eLiiga and is intent of focusing more also on the 1v1 side in the future. List of previous ECL cover gamers: ECL 8: Erik @Eki Tammenpää ECL 9: Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen ECL 10: Casper @ICappeI Lundgren ECL 11: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha ECL 12: Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen ECL '22 Winter: Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann & Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt ECL '23 Spring: Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen ECL '23 Winter: Erik @Eki Tammenpää First off, how did you get into competitive NHL gaming? I've always played and enjoyed different sports and been interested in video games. Getting into NHL was a natural outcome of that. I started out playing mostly HUT and 1v1 modes ever since NHL 13, but it took until the end of NHL 19 until I really got into competitive action.  Your ECL career took off real quick and you actually started off as a winger, can you go through those experiences a bit? The start of my ECL career was a sum of several random events. I had been playing HUT and gotten to know Tapani @Tappu Anttila through that, which landed me a spot with Rookie Mistakes in ECL 10 Pro. I think the team was somewhere around a mid-tier Pro squad at that time, and I started off playing on the right wing, sharing responsibilities with Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen in my first season. I think the main reason for my quick development has been playing the game so much and doing that with likeminded experienced players. A lot of my early development could be attributed to the early times with Tunnel Vision alongside players like Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli, Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen and Aki @Frilander Frilander who already had some Elite experience under their belts. We played a lot and discussed the game which really helped me take a big leap in the development on a personal level.  What would you say are some of the attributes that sets top players apart from the rest and what makes the best stay at the top? It might be quite obvious, but you just have to play the game and put in the hours consistently. As an example, many top players have fallen off in the past when they haven't had the fire to grind the game enough anymore. At the very top, the margins are small and you have to gain the competitive edge in any way possible, our team spends time watching our past games and learning from them through discussing development points. An individual ability I think is exceptionally important is just being able to keep your cool and being level-headed. After all, we're playing a video game and there's several aspects in any game you just can't control, so not letting those things rattle you is a massive factor in making you a better player. Lately there's been some discussion about various leadership types and team dynamics, how do you see yourself as a leader and what does the dynamic in Tunnel Vision look like? Well when we started Tunnel Vision, I didn't have a leadership role, but since then I've continued on the same path that we started and kept it going for about two years now. All decisions are made within the entire team and a big part of the recruitment process is making sure our new players fit the vibe of our team and are able to weigh in with valuable input in team discussion. For me, an open dialogue is very important within the entire team.  How is Tunnel Vision looking heading into the ECL '23 Spring season? Honestly, I'd say we were in better overall form during the Winter season. I feel like our game has been fluctuating a lot since the ECL & World Finals, which is a bit uncharacteristic for us. An obvious reason is that we've played less, but we'll pick things back up as the ECL kicks off again. At our best, I think we've been way better than ever before lately. We've also enjoyed playing without the banned abilities and I think it's also made the game more fun to watch.  What are some of the opponents you'll be on the lookout for in the upcoming season? I think there's more good teams than before. hREDS are the strongest team on paper, I think they have the best players on each position and they are the ones to beat. Frölunda is another team I expect to continue their good run and Erik @Eki Tammenpää & Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha switching places could be a good thing for them, they've looked good. JYP Jyväskylä has taken back their position as a solid top team and they should be a consistent Playoff contender as long as they keep things going. The most interesting teams to follow, though are GOONS and Nordic Stars. GOONS have a highly skilled roster and their offense especially is one of the toughest to guard when they are on their game. They've got golden one tees on both flanks and know how to use them. Nordic Stars took a big leap forward by getting Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen (KingOfApes_) in the offseason and have some success to show for that in the eHSM 2023. They'll surely continue improving.  ECL '23 Spring Elite starts on Monday, April 24th and Tunnel Vision is entering their title defense in confident manner. You can follow the league on all of the social media channels of the teams and in weekly broadcasts at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

SportsGamers, The newest update to the ECL '23 Spring rulebook is now live and can be accessed through the league pages shortly. Generally speaking, the rulebook is a revised and improved version of the rulebook used in ECL '23 Winter. Find the new rulebook here. Some major changes have been made as follows: • 7.7 Active bans – for convenience, the active bans are now available in a Google sheet • 10.4 Postponing games – Introduced restrictions to how many times a game can be rescheduled (without agreement) • 11.7 Banned Player Abilities – Some player abilities are now banned as per feedback from community We ask every team and it's members to familiarize themselves with the rulebook before taking the ice for the ECL '23 Spring season. Please refer to the rulebook in case of any issues that may arise over the course of the season. In case of any questions, please be in touch with support.