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Let me help you improve your game in net. During this fall and winter, I will take on three goalies (1 ECL Core, 1 ECL Lite, and 1 ECL Pro) and work closely together with each one to try and help them improve their game. We will have one-on-one meetings, analyze gameplay, select the appropriate goalie build, and talk about match situations. Does this sound like something that's for you? If it does, I hope you meet the below requirements and I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Requirements for applying: PlayStation 5 Microphone English or Swedish-speaking At least one ECL season played as a goalie If you meet the requirements and want to try and take your game to the next level, please contact me on Discord explaining your reasoning why you should be one of these three goalies and you just might be one of the selected goalies. I will make the selection of which goalies I'll work with within a week, so apply now! Good luck. You can find me on Discord with the username McSavid on the SportsGamer Discord server.

SportsGamers, The new competitive season has been a long time coming and we're definitely excited to get things going across the board. With all five divisions kicking off either tonight or tomorrow evening, this is set to be a season for the record books. We're extremely proud to be the longest running NHL esports league around with an implemented divisional framework, which is why this season's kick-off story will focus on the storylines across the entire league. We're hoping to see several interesting stories unfold as the season progresses, and hopefully many newcomers will get to experience their first taste of competitive NHL esports and perhaps even see some success and development along the way! An influx of new talent across the board, and the return of some familiar faces As we've seen happen on a regular basis each season, the divisional framework allows for teams to take leaps in development through promotions and relegations. With this, we'll have several interesting names entering their first seasons at a higher level also in the ECL '24 Winter season. In the Top 16, the turnover is naturally lower than in our other divisions, but we're going to keep an eye on the ECL '23 Spring Champions Polski Boys, who will enter their rookie season in Elite. The Polski Boys have been talking a hard game on their social media channels ever since the foundation of the team, and while they were able to back up their talk in the Pro division, we'll see if the same goes for their campaign among Elite company. This squad has been on a real villain arc throughout their short history and continued establishing themselves as true heels in the ECL scene by poaching Golden Nights winger Joona @jm98II Muona mere weeks before the start of the season, leading to the demise of their rival club.  In regards to the Pro division, there's been quite heavy criticism of the Qualifier process watering down the skill level of the division by allowing too many new squads into the 32-team division. While there's a point to be made there, the new teams are always an exciting watch and a step up in competition allows them an opportunity to develop their game at a fast pace. Among these new teams, Gotham Knights have an extremely strong roster and will be sure to compete with the top teams in the division right away, whereas the likes of Athletic Bulls and PunaKala will be forced to elevate their level in order to survive in this tough division. PunaKala is an interesting team in the sense that they've been grinding away in the Lite division since ECL 11, without any bigger success until last season where they barely missed out on a promotion by losing in a seven game Bronze series against Boost HC - one could thus make a case for them having paid their dues at the level below.  While several new teams have been stepping up to the next level of competition, there's especially one returning player we can't ignore, and that's ECL legend Risto @Dominointi Järvi, who is seemingly gearing up for a comeback among good friends in Straikers, formerly FILADELPHIA. It's been over a year since the exceptional centerman took his last strides with HAVU Gaming, and while the man hinted a comeback when attending the ECL '23 Spring Finals in support of his friends, it'll remain to be seen how much ice time the naturally gifted player will see this upcoming season. Dominointi has been spotted on the ice for practice and is surely an excellent option to fill out the depth in the Straikers roster. Welcome back! At the Lite level, we'll be seeing the return of Almost Famous, a team seen on the Elite ice back in the day and one of the first squads to rise through the ranks of the divisional ladder together with GHETTO FIREBIRDS and Butterfly Effect. Led by former Nordic Stars forward Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko, who is returning to command the club in navy blue, the roster comprised of an eclectic mixture of players already participated in the ECL Pro Qualifier, without success. While the roster holds several experienced players such as Jere @Jerax13 Hällström, Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen and Lucas @lycki10 Lindqvist, a large portion of their team only started playing EASHL at the end of NHL 23. Here's captain Ikavalko with a few notions about the roster: "We're a mix of experience and totally new players, a large part of the team are players I've played with over the course of my career, while the new faces will be friends joining me from work. I doubt many other ECL squads will have five guys from the same workplace in their roster! Our one and only goal is winning the Lite division and while we realize it's no easy task, we feel like our strength is the great atmosphere we've built within the team. We're trying to get games for our newcomers and I'm doing my best to mentor them and helping them develop." Next generation of Swedish superstars emerging in Pro Community member @ripKeisari highlighted two highly talented Swedish youngsters on the verge of breakout seasons in the Pro division. We're talking about Purification centerman Elvis @bystrom_37 Byström and Björklöven winger Anton @antonlule Lund, who are in their fifth and third ECL seasons respectively. While Byström already has a Pro season under his belt and 49 points to his name during that campaign, good performances in the preseason tournament and Elite Qualifiers give promise of a career season incoming. Antonlxnd, on the other hand, scored two thirds of all Björklöven goals in the preseason tournament and has showcased an excellent understanding of game mechanics leading up to the start of the season. The upcoming season should be a true breakout year for both of these talents and perhaps they'll be the next ones to take the step up to Elite, following in the footsteps of other Swedish superstars like Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund or the ECL '23 Spring sensation Robban @Robban kaudern Kaudern. Both Björklöven and Purification are placed into Group 2 of the Pro division and are scheduled to clash in week 2 of the regular season, so keep an eye out for that matchup! Preseason sensations eager to keep form going We'll be following closely if preseason form is any indication of team success early on in the season. Especially on the Lite & Core side, we ended up seeing an interesting Finals matchup, where Lite team Pasilan SKA ended up besting Core squad NAM3L3SS. While Pasilan is certain to be a contender in the Lite division, a strong preseason showing will surely give confidence to the NAM3L3SS roster entering a Core campaign.  The Pro & Elite preseason featured lots of talent but also lacked a large portion of top teams, who prioritized rest ahead of the long season to come. ECL '23 Spring Lite Champions Mustaa Kultaa surprised everyone with an excellent regular season and a #1 seed into the Playoffs, while eventual Finalists GOONS and The Black Jacks were consistent and showed glimpses of why they're Elite teams.  Another shot at success For some, success takes a lot more work than for others. A testament of this is Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli, winger for Roots Gaming. While his #41 might be a nod to hardnosed Playoff extraordinaire Jari Sailio, unlike this legendary grinder, Sokkelo has in fact never seen a second of Playoff action in the Elite division. Having spent nine seasons among the European Top 16 already, this great all-round player has established himself as one of the nicest guys around, but might not be out to make friends on the ice this season in the hunt for his first ever Playoff appearance. I reached out to the man for some comments on his lack of postseason success, and on his objectives for the Winter season: "I think it's pretty funny at this point, at the moment I have 228 regular season games in Elite and 0 in the Playoffs, so there's a stat. It's not a thing I spend that much thought on and it's been a joke that I like to pull out of the bag from time to time, but this season is another chance to put that to rest. As for my goals this season, we'll just try to stay consistent on a nightly basis and trust the process. For the past eight seasons I've always said we'll be making the Playoffs, so maybe now it's time for the reverse jinx and I'll say we'll finish 9th!" I guess we'll know in a few months' time, whether the upcoming season will be Roots Gaming suffering from the "Sokkelo Effect", or if this is finally "Sokkelo Season". While there are more storylines across the league for one man to keep an eye out for, here are some of the intriguing journeys I'll personally be on the lookout for early this season! Make sure to let us know your favorite picks for the season in the comments, and for all participating teams and players, we wish you a successful Winter season!

Hailing from the picturesque landscapes of Czechia, Adam @dzouvi Menšík has etched his name into the competitive esports scene as a formidable force in the world of NHL gaming. With a career spanning back to 2018, this skilled gamer embarked on his journey with the Blackdawgs, marking the commencement of what has thus far been a remarkable competitive career. Dzouvi's rise in the ranks among fellow top centermen can be attributed to his excellent technical understanding of the game's intricacies. As a centerman, he has consistently been able to prove himself as not only a prolific scorer, but also as a player with an excellent 200-foot game. The pinnacle of Adam's career thus far unfolded during the ECL '23: Spring - Elite season with Färjestad BK. This season proved to be a defining moment for the Czech sensation, as he notched a career-high 45 points, steering his team through a captivating playoff journey. Although the dream of championship glory was halted in the semifinals by Frölunda HC, Dzouvi's resilience and skill on the virtual ice left promises for an even greater ECL '24 Winter Campaign. In addition to the success he saw on the 6v6 ice, he was also one of four gamers present at the ECL '23: Spring 1v1 Finals at the SportsGamer offices in Espoo and put up a valiant fight against the eventual Champion Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen. Now, making history as the first player from outside of Finland or Sweden to be honored as the Cover Gamer for the upcoming ECL '24 Winter season, @dzouvi takes center stage together with Vesa Pompa HC, in an attempt to recreate another successful season. 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 ECL '23 Spring: Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen You're joining some top tier company is a list of previous Cover Gamers. What does it mean to you to be the poster boy for the top NHL Esports league in the world? I really appreciate it and it's a big pleasure for me. Never thought that I would end up being the Cover Gamer. I think it's the first time having somebody outside of Finland or Sweden right? I'm looking forward to another ECL Elite season. What are the factors that contribute to your success, and what tips could you give to players who want to develop their game? I was always learning from the best ones. Spent a lot of time watching streams of the top players in the scene. Then it was just about grinding. Also I need to mention my former teammate Tony @Mistertyppo95 Laine here. Thanks to him I started playing ECL and also became decent in 1v1. NHL 21 was the best year for me, where I reached the Top 8 in the GWC. I don’t have any special tips, it is always the same in my opinion - just play the game, success will come one day. Who would you name as your toughest competition over the course of your career, both on the 1v1 and 6v6 ice? For sure I need to say Erik @Eki Tammenpää. And I think it's the same in both 1v1 and 6v6. What's your greatest memory in competitive NHL gaming, why is that? NHL 21 GWC, where I was with another Czech guy Josef @pepcastachurcik Stachura in the Top 8. In 6v6 side it was winning SCL title with Granit. In terms of the upcoming ECL '24 Winter Elite season, what teams do you think viewers should keep an eye on especially? You should keep an eye on the same teams as always. Straikers (formerly FILADELPHIA), hREDS, Tunnel Vision, and of course on us! What is your personal goal of the NHL 24 competitive year? I will try my best to qualify for the GWC and also to have the best results in all other 1v1 tournaments. Same for 6v6, top 4 in ECL Elite is the goal again. We are wishing all teams an enjoyable ECL '24: Winter season full of tight games and hard competition! Make sure to tune in for our broadcasts at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!