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16 became eight. Eight has become four. Four is about to become two. Ahead of the ECL ’24: Winter – Elite Semifinals, SportsGamer Guest Writer Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt goes in-depth with each of the Final Four teams in their Quest for the Cup… CLIMBING EVEREST AGAIN To climb Mount Everest, you need commitment. You need passion, but also patience. Hunger, but also poise. An iron will, but also an ability to be flexible. Don’t take my word for it, I’ve never ventured up a tall mountain – much less the world’s highest peak. But those who have climbed it and lived to tell the tale speak of the burning desire to reach the top, but also the unrelenting struggle to do so as every element around you – the cold, the ice, the altitude, the very air you breathe – is working around the clock to try and stop you. But what happens when you’ve already climbed Everest once? Once you’ve already felt that sense of accomplishment; that feeling of absolute pride in completing a task that many might deem impossible. Once you’ve been at the top of the mountain… are you still willing to put absolutely everything you have into doing it all over again, knowing you can never recapture that sense of first-time accomplishment? Now, let’s get a few things out of the way. Winning the ECL Elite title is not the same thing as climbing Mount Everest. There are no elements out to kill you while progressing through the Elite playoffs – at least none that I am aware of – nor will there be a mention of ECL winners in the history books 100 years from now. But winning the ECL Elite title, the Cup if you will, is in fact the absolute highest peak of EASHL competition in Europe. Almost a decade into the SportsGamer era, the number of players that can claim they’ve stood at the very peak of this particular mountain still only numbers in the dozens – even with over 20,000 users registered at the website today. So, when you have a team full of players that have reached the top not just once or twice, but whose combined Elite “summits” number in the dozens, how do you go about motivating yourself to once again make the climb? Turns out, 27-year-old Straikers RD Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha has asked himself that very question on a number of occasions: “To be honest, I've had to look at myself in the mirror a few times in the last couple of years”, Kuha admits. “Just to ask myself why I still play, you know? With the players we have on this team… I think our legacy has already been established, in a way, and we don't need to prove anything to anyone.” Don’t mistake Kuha's doubts and musings for weakness, though. He still demands the very best of himself – and his teammates, for that matter. “I guess it just comes back to the competitive mindset most, if not all, of us have had since childhood. It is simply a part of you. To me, seeing and hearing the passion in our party chat and the joy that winning brings… that’s what drives me. Never, ever would I fail my team because I lacked motivation or focus. I want to win with, and for, the boys.” “Give 100 percent, or step aside. I don’t accept anything less.” Kuha, now in his second season as a defenseman after an illustrious career as a center and right winger, finished top-10 in defensive scoring for a second straight ECL, notching 36 points (5+31) in 30 games. It’s fair to say the transition from forward to defender has been a smooth one for Kuha. “I felt horrible at right-wing back in ECL '23: Winter. It was the first time in my playing career I’ve felt uncomfortable at forward. The idea to change back to defense was definitely there during that season, but it took a push from @Eki (Erik Tammenpää) for me to actually do it.” “The idea was to get the old ‘Eki’-‘ @Patzlaf (Joonas Paatiala) combo back and it’s been working better this way. Playing with a new group of players and at a new position has given me a fresh perspective on the game.” After helping to lead his team Straikers – the roster previously represented Frölunda HC but was signed by the Finnish esport organization going into NHL 24 – to a second place-finish in the regular season, Kuha has continued to perform well for the team in the postseason, posting seven points (0+7) in six playoff games. The Elite Quarterfinals series, which saw Straikers eliminate unexpected success story Unwanted by way of six hard-fought games, offered the team some unexpected adversity. Four of the games took overtime to decide and all but one ended by a one-goal margin. The series featured a new-look Straikers, as the team decided to enlist another high-profile forward in Ilmari @Puantso Lehkonen to serve as left defenseman towards the end of the regular season. “Well, we agreed before the season that @pikkuroger (Roope Bergström) would assume the left-wing spot when he finished his military service. At the same time, @Nassustelija (Kristian-Mikael Katajisto) wasn’t sure if he’d be available for all playoff dates”, Kuha explains. “We decided to try and add some versatility to our blueline.” “‘Puantso’ is one of the greatest players in this game, he has excellent hockey-IQ, and we believe he can find his own style as a defenseman. It might take some time, but we’ve been liking his game.” Image: The Straikers roster, from left to right: pikkuroger, Patzlaf, puantso, @Hansulinho,FlyerKungen, @uhNikke, EkiOriginal & Nassustelija It remains to be seen how quickly the Straikers can get their game firing on all cylinders, as their semifinal matchup will see them go up against a familiar opponent; equally experienced – yet slightly younger – former Elite champions hREDS. And while age is just a number and experience helps to make up for any loss in reaction time or thumb dexterity, Kuha says getting older has changed his outlook on things. After all, the Finnish native has been at, or near, the absolute top of the league for almost a decade at this point. Near the peak of ECL's own Mount Everest. “Honestly, I’m having more fun these days. I don’t take everything as seriously as I used to. I am calmer and I think twice before acting on my emotions. When I first started out, I was almost looking for conflict as I wanted to show everyone what I could do. I don't know if that was some mental tactic to boost myself to reach my goals, or something. These days I still want to win just as badly, but I handle losing better.” And if he could do it all over again? “If I could talk to my younger self, I’d tell him to respect every player out there, especially your teammates, and to just calm down. Being humble and working hard will get you what you deserve in the end.” Watch the ECL Elite Semifinals at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG

16 became eight. Eight has become four. Four is about to become two. Ahead of the ECL ’24: Winter – Elite Semifinals, SportsGamer Guest Writer Hampus “l-Furyan-l” Duvefelt goes in-depth with each of the Final Four teams in their Quest for the Cup. NOT YOUR AVERAGE UNDERDOGS It is a tale as old as time. That of the underdog, the unlikely winner, staring down an overwhelming opponent, yet refusing to bow down or go quietly into the night. Most underdogs fall short. Rarely do you hear those stories told. But is precisely that fact, that slim chance of success, that makes the underdog so appealing. It is why we cheer when Tony Stark fulfills the 1-in-14-million-chance of snapping Thanos out of existence, or when Han Solo successfully navigates an asteroid field even though the odds of doing so are 3270-to-1. The underdog is not expected to triumph. But boy is it spectacular when they do. You’d be excused for thinking that’s how the players of classic ECL franchise Vesa Pompa are hyping themselves up going into the Elite semifinals vs. #1 seed and reigning ECL champions Tunnel Vision. But this is not your average underdog story and Vesa Pompa is not your average underdog team. This is a team brimming with confidence that is playing in its second straight Elite semifinal. A team that grabbed a point in 23 of 30 games this past regular season, scored the sixth most goals in the league, allowed the fifth fewest goals among all teams – and still considered it a “so-so” regular season. Between the six skaters expected to take the ice for Vesa in the series against Tunnel Vision, they boast several national championship titles, plenty of high-level international experience, multiple LAN appearances and, lest we forget, the ECL 24 Winter cover athlete. “Both teams in this series are really skilled”, says Adam @dzouvi Menšík, who is playing in his fifth Elite season and recently tied his career-high in the ECL top division with 45 points in 30 games. “Tunnel Vision might be the favorites, but we are playing in our second straight semifinal, so we kind of know what to expect.” Menšík, playing the right flank in a potent Vesa forward line that features 30-goal scorer Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander to the left and two-way monster Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund in the middle, is the most decorated Czech player in the SportsGamer era – both 1v1 and 6v6 – and the first non-Scandinavian player to ever feature as the cover athlete. “Back when I first began playing here at SportsGamer, it was my dream to one day be in Elite and to play with and against the best players on the European scene. I hope that in the future we’ll see more Czech players make the same journey as I have. At one point I had hoped to be a part of a sort of “national team” of Czech and Slovak players, similar to what the Black Jacks represent for the DACH area, but those plans have been shelved.” “For now, at least.” Even though he seems to finally have taken the step from underrated talent to established top-level Elite performer, even securing a spot as the cover athlete, 22-year-old Menšík says he has not felt any additional pressure to perform this past season. “No, no additional pressure for me”, says Menšík. “If anything, (the cover) increased my motivation to play even better than before. It is a huge honor.” But even if Menšík, Svensander, Eklund and defenseman Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen – a fan-favorite around the league due to his signature end-to-end rushes – are all established Elite performers with various title wins to their names, the team still features two rookies on its roster; defenseman Oliver @Pappen Papmehl and goaltender Santeri @kkostiiii Kostiainen. Menšík made a point to shoutout Kostiainen after Vesa managed to defeat #3 seed JYP Jyväskylä in the first round of the Elite playoffs. The series ended 4-2 in Vesas favour, with Kostiainen allowing a total of eight goals through six games. Papmehl, having scored 30 points (4+26) in 30 games, and Kostiainen, with 18 wins, 4 shutouts, an 82,8 save percentage and a 2,17 goals against average in his first taste of Elite action, have both made strong cases to be considered for the Rookie of the Year crown this season. Team captain Eklund, at 23 already an Elite veteran and almost four years removed from his own rookie season in the top division, couldn’t be happier with what he’s seen from the duo this season. “The way they’ve stepped up this season has been huge for us”, says Eklund. “Initially, we weren’t entirely sure what we were going to get, but we hit it off with both players – we already knew pappen quite well – and it’s been a joy watching them both grow as players over the last couple of months. They both deserve a lot of credit for the way they’ve handled themselves during their rookie seasons in Elite.” Image: The Vesa Pompa roster, from left to right: @EDHOLMEN3, pappeen, eken45jr, antoniomannen_, Dzouvi_, kkostiiii & Sebbelarsen86 Still, making the playoffs is one thing, winning the quarterfinals is another. And facing the reigning champions in a semifinal? Well... let's just say Vesa Pompa are up against a tough opponent. Tunnel Vision notched two decisive victories over Vesa Pompa by scores of 5-0 and 5-1 during the regular season – the most lopsided defeats all season for the mostly Swedish side. But Eklund, who himself has found another gear in the playoffs – going from being the third forward on the team in terms of goals (19) and points (43) during the regular season to leading the squad in goals (6) and points (9) in the postseason – says the Vesa of today is different than the one who lost to Tunnel all the way back in November. “We struggled a lot in the first 10-15 games, we couldn’t get our game going”, says Eklund. “It probably comes back to us not playing enough together as a unit during the pre-season. About halfway through the regular season, we decided to have me and Dzouvi switch positions, him going to right-wing and me taking center.” “Once we made that adjustment, we really took off.” In the end, despite all their experience, their previous success, and their confidence in their own (considerable) abilities, Vesa Pompa will still be considered the underdogs going into the ECL Elite Semifinals. At least by those on the outside looking in. But perhaps that is not such a bad thing. Because after all, who among us doesn’t love to root for the underdog? In the words of a famous space smuggler and scoundrel: “Never tell me the odds!” Watch the ECL Elite Semifinals at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG

16 became eight. Eight has become four. Four is about to become two. Ahead of the ECL ’24: Winter – Elite Semifinals, SportsGamer Guest Writer Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt goes in-depth with each of the Final Four teams in their Quest for the Cup… A TARGET ON YOUR BACK Being the best at what you do means having a target on your back. It means others will want to take you down, either to prove themselves or to install themselves in your place. This happens to every champion, of every sport, in all forms of competition. The ECL Elite is no different. The skaters of Straikers – made up of parts from former powerhouses HAVU and FILA/Frölunda – experienced it for a number of tournaments. hREDS experienced it for years once they dethroned the former champions. And now, no target is bigger than the one on the backs of two-time reigning champions Tunnel Vision. While the team is currently still the apex predator of the competitive scene, other predators are circling – probing for weaknesses and waiting for the chance to strike. Like great white sharks, waiting for that first drop of blood to appear before initiating their attack. Some would say that the first drop of blood has already been drawn; that it was in the water even before this season began. Indeed, deciding to replace a (potentially) vital cog in the machine that brought you two straight championships is no small thing. Yet, that is what Tunnel Vision decided to do when they recruited outspoken star forward Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola to man the center spot that had previously been occupied by Aleksi @MozjaTG Kähkönen. But if you thought 23-year-old Veijola would feel any additional pressure to perform under such circumstances, you’d be wrong. “To be honest, (the pressure) does not affect me personally”, says Veijola. “I have played with many of these players before and I know how they like to go about things.” Around the same time Veijola was brought on to replace Kähkönen, goaltending stalwart and former ECL cover athlete Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen left the team for Straikers, leaving Tunnel Vision with the unenviable task of trying to replace a championship-winning goalie. The choice fell on Ben @benu Rinnet, a long-time Elite netminder who had already caught the eye of several top teams over the years during his extended run as the number one for the Unlucky Boys/YMCA Esports franchise. At this point of the story, it is important to note that the ECL ’24: Winter edition of Tunnel Vision has thus far been successful in fending off any and all attackers brave enough to challenge them. The team finished first overall in the standings during the regular season and managed to defeat the #8 seed The Black Jacks by a 4-2 margin in the playoff quarterfinals. Furthermore, both of the new recruits have fared well with the team; Veijola by matching his career-best in Elite with 65 points (30+35) in 30 games and Rinnet by notching an 85,19 save percentage, 1,75 GAA and two shutouts over 16 games, amongst shared goaltending duties with long-time Tunnel Vision back-up – and former ECL champion himself – Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos (14GP, 88,13%, 1,36 GAA, 4 SO). “The thing is… because of these roster changes we know there are a couple of teams out there that think they are stronger than Tunnel”, says Veijola. “We are here to find out if that is true or not.” Well, so far, so good. Both Veijola and Rinnet seem to have handled the newfound target on their backs quite well, adequately adapting to everyday life on a championship team. A life which the Core Four of Veeti @Wenger Paloneva, Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen, Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen have grown accustomed to. But as far as the recruits themselves… well, they couldn’t be more different. Where Rinnet is ice – displaying unshakable calmness between the pipes, rarely taking a wrong step in the crease – Veijola is fire. Image: The Tunnel Vision roster, from left to right: Kriketsi, Tomboo-_-, @Pikkardz, wengerii,Laiitinen, benuh_, Vattuyy, SibeIius The former GOONS captain and general manager utilizes the same passion and fervor on the ice – lining up massive hits, dangling his way through crowds and firing the puck with malicious intent – that he uses to handle his opponents off the ice. As for who his opponents off the ice are… well, judging by the centers’ social media feed over the past few months, it could be pretty much anyone. Upcoming semifinal opponent Vesa Pompa was one of the teams to take a good lick as Tunnel Vision scored two convincing wins over the team during the regular season. As this writer can personally attest to, it is not always fun being on ‘krikes’ bad side. And yet, hidden beneath the steely exterior, there is a fun-loving personality who simply enjoys a bit of smack talk. “Honestly, most of it is just me having a bit of fun”, Veijola explains. “I do enjoy making things a bit spicy. Having conflicts between players and teams makes the games more special… suddenly, there is a story to it. Naturally I am going to try and knock my opponents’ teeth in when they talk smack at me, and I know that they would love to do the same to me. To me, that is good." "These days, it seems everybody just plays – there is not enough emotion involved in the game.” For Tunnel Vision, a team that was already hunted, the addition of one of the communities’ strongest personalities certainly hasn’t made the target on their backs any smaller. Then again, perhaps that “us against the world”-mentality is exactly what this squad needed – a well-placed shot in the arm, if you will – as they pursue their third straight championship. An ECL championship win, by the way, that if it happens would be Veijolas first. As one of the best players in Elite yet to have win a championship, you’d think that would be on his mind going into the next round of the playoffs. Turns out, you’d be wrong again. “I don’t really think about it. It will come when the time is right.” Is it now? Watch the ECL Elite Semifinals at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG