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Last Week of the Regular Season The regular season ends on Thursday, December 19th, which is the final day for scheduled gameplay. Teams are encouraged to ensure all matches are completed and reported before this deadline. If you are facing difficulties scheduling or completing your games, please reach out to Support for assistance. Additionally, please be aware that players with 10 games played on a Backup Player License must ensure compliance with license rules. Upgrading to a Full Player License may be necessary to continue participation. Playoff Dates by Division Below are the playoff schedules for each division. Be sure to review the dates that apply to your division and plan accordingly. Neo Division (BO5) Round of 32: January 5th – 9th Round of 16: January 12th – 16th Quarterfinals: January 19th – 23nd Semifinals: January 26th – 30th Finals: February 9th Core Division (BO7) Round of 32: January 5th – 9th Round of 16: January 12th – 16th Quarterfinals: January 19th – 23rd Semifinals: January 26th – 30th Finals: February 2nd – February 3rd Lite Division (BO7) Round of 32: January 5th – 9th Round of 16: January 12th – 16th Quarterfinals: January 19th – 23nd Semifinals: January 26th – 30th Finals: February 4nd – February 5th Pro Division (BO7) Round of 16: January 6th – 9th Quarterfinals: January 13th – 16th Semifinals: January 20th – 23rd Finals: January 29th – 30th Elite Division (BO7) Quarterfinals: Monday 6.1: #4 vs #5 & #1 vs #8 | Games 1-2 Wednesday 8.1: #3 vs #6 & #2 vs #7 | Games 1-2 Thursday 9.1: #4 vs #5 & #1 vs #5 | Games 3-4 Sunday 12.1: #3 vs #6 & #2 vs #7 | Games 3-4 Monday 13.1: #4 vs #5 & #1 vs #8 | Games 5-7 Wednesday 15.1: #3 vs #6 & #2 vs #7 | Games 5-7 Semifinals: Sunday 19.1: #2 vs #3 & #1 vs #4 | Games 1-2 Monday 20.1: #1 vs #4 | Games 3-7 Wednesday 22.1: #2 vs #3 | Games 3-7 Finals: February 20th, LIVE @ Assembly Winter 2025 in Helsinki, Finland Need Help? If you have any questions or concerns about scheduling, licenses, or playoffs, please don’t hesitate to contact Support. Good luck to all teams in this critical final week of the regular season and in the playoffs!

PLAYOFF RACE HEADING INTO FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON Ahh playoff pictures. Everyone loves them, especially when you are on the right side of them. The drama and chaos that it can create is something that every sports fan loves, and in the ECL Elite Division it is absolutely no different. With just one week remaining in the regular season, now feels like a good time to take a look at how the playoff picture looks heading into the final week to see who should feel good, who may be worried and what matchups this week will have the biggest impact on playoff seeding and positioning. We'll break these teams down by tiers and give a summary of their respective paths. Clinched Playoff Spots / Can Clinch With One Win 1. Tohtorit (51 pts) - 4 games remaining (have mathematically clinched playoff spot) 2. Parasite (48 pts) - 10 games remaining (need 1 point to clinch playoff spot) 3. Mustaa Kultaa (47pts) - 8 games remaining (need 2 points to clinch playoff spot) 4. Voittamaton (46pts) - 6 games remaining (need 3 points to clinch playoff spot) Last Four Teams In 5. GOONS (44 pts) - 2 games remaining (need 5 points to clinch playoff spot) 6. Polski Boys (37 pts) - 6 games remaining (need 13 points to clinch playoff spot) 7. The Black Jacks (32 pts) - 6 games remaining (need 18 points to clinch playoff spot) (currently own tiebreaker over Heimo based on standings points per game) 8. Heimo (32 pts) - 4 games remaining (need 18 points to clinch playoff spot) On The Bubble / Teams To Watch 9. Mythix (31 pts) - 6 games remaining (currently would own the tiebreaker over Heimo based on points per game) 10. EXEN (24 pts) - 8 games remaining (currently own tiebreaker over TIKI TALK based on points per game) 11. TIKI TALK (24 pts) - 6 games remaining 12. Roots Gaming (23 pts) - 6 games remaining Need To Almost Win Out AND Get A Lot of Help To Make It / Relegation Series Zone 13. Renascor (17 pts) - 8 games remaining 14. Falun Coal Miners (16 pts) - 6 games remaining 15. Vesa Pompa (14 pts) - 10 games remaining Top 4 Teams Tohtorit has clinched and each of Parasite, Mustaa Kultaa and Voittamaton would virtually have to lose out to not make the playoffs. So, congratulations to them. The biggest note of importance is that Tohtorit will likely surrender that #1 spot with Parasite, Mustaa Kultaa and Voittamaton all having games in hand. Parasite and Mustaa Kultaa will also be playing against each other this week, so that will be a critical matchup to look out for as it could very well determine the top two seeds. Last Four Teams In Out of the final four teams currently in the playoffs, GOONS look like they should be safe barring a few of the teams below the playoff picture getting hot. Since Heimo can not earn more than 48 points this season (remember that fact as we continue to go along), GOONS only need five points to clinch their spot, and that can either be earned through their own wins or through Heimo losing. It would take a lot to go wrong for GOONS for them to not make it into the playoffs, and though they only have one series left and it is against the best team in the league in Parasite, the work that they've already done should likely carry them into the Top 8. Where things really get interesting is from 6-12. Polski Boys look like they should make their way into the Top 8, though there is significantly less room for error with just a 6 point gap between them and Mythix. Four of their last six games are against the two top teams in the league, and their other two games are against one of the teams chasing them in TIKI TALK, which feels like a series where they need to find their way to 4-6 points. Meanwhile, The Black Jacks are in very familiar territory, holding on to one of the last playoff spots near the end of the season. Their series against non-playoff teams in Roots Gaming and Vesa Pompa will both be critical to win if they want to avoid the teams behind them taking their spot in the Top 8. Holding the eighth and final spot currently is Heimo, who are probably in the most danger of the teams in the field currently. They don't have the tiebreaker over TBJ nor Mythix who are just one point behind them. They also have the least amount of games remaining of all of the teams around them. They also have to keep an eye on EXEN who have games in hand and could surpass them in the points per game tiebreaker if they get on a winning streak down the stretch. These two teams still have to play each other, and this series may as well be viewed as elimination games for both sides, as their path to a playoff spot becomes murky at best with two losses. On The Bubble / Team To Watch You know who wouldn't complain about that happening? Mythix. It's somewhat surprising to see them out of the playoff picture this late in the season after making it with little problems in the '24 Spring season. A slow start to their campaign this season put them in a precarious position, and now they are hoping to climb out of that early hole that they dug for themselves. They've won 4 of their last 6 games in regulation to keep their hopes alive, but 4 of their remaining 6 games are against two of the league's Top 3 teams in Tohtorit and Mustaa Kultaa. I'm going to be very frank and say this. EXEN should not be here. This team is way too good, way too talented, and way too accomplished to be in this position. The expectations for this team were sky-high after a Semifinals appearance in the ECL '24: Spring season and the star-studded transfers they made in the offseason...yet here they are. The ECL is just so unpredictable, isn't it? EXEN has two things going for them: they have more games in hand than just about every team around them and they have arguably the most favorable schedule of the bunch, as the highest-ranked team that they play is Heimo; who they are looking to pass for the last playoff spot. Their other series' are against teams behind them in TIKI TALK, Vesa Pompa, and Falun Coal Miners. They'll have to execute on winning those games if they want to get in and they quite frankly haven't done that this season, but on paper, things line up well for them to avoid what would be a disastrous outcome for their season. However, that outcome is also still very realistic even though they will still need some help ahead of them to ensure their place in the playoffs. TIKI TALK being in this conversation isn't "surprising" to me, but I do think it is for some. This is a brand that hasn't been in the Elite division since ECL 9 and made their way into Elite through a second chance Elite qualifier after Almost Famous disbanded last minute. Well, they're here and they have a chance to make it into the playoffs still, even though the odds may be somewhat slim. The highest amount of points that they can earn is 42, so it would realistically take them winning out and having teams such as EXEN and Mythix drop a considerable amount of games. Luckily for them, they do play EXEN who is one spot ahead of them, and Roots Gaming who are just one spot behind them. These two series will pretty much be an elimination series for both teams involved, as both sides desperately need to collect all six points to have a chance at passing Myhix, Heimo and/or The Black Jacks. It'll take a lot for them to make their way in, but even if they don't, this season was far from a failure from TIKI TALK and they should likely avoid having to play in a relegation series. Roots Gaming is pretty much in the same position as TIKI TALK. They have a shot, but need to pretty much win out while also getting some help from the teams ahead of them losing. Playing against TIKI TALK and The Black Jacks gives them a window of opportunity, but they'll need to pretty much sweep both of those series to feel truly good about their chances. Need To Almost Win Out AND Get A Lot of Help To Make It / Relegation Series Zone Unfortunately for our bottom three teams, their hopes at a playoff birth look pretty dire, and it would take a miracle for any of them to get in realistically. Out of the three, the team with the best chance is Vesa Pompa, as they have more games remaining than any other team outside of the playoffs. However, the maximum amount of points that they can earn in the standings is 44, and that would require them to win all of their remaining games in regulation. Considering that they are 0-8-2 in their last 10 games, I wouldn't count on this happening. Renascor maxes out at 41 points, and though they do play multiple teams around them and the two teams currently below them in the standings, them winning out in order to achieve that number feels quite unlikely. The room for error is simply too small, especially when you remember that they still have fourth-place Voittamaton on their schedule. Mathematically, Falun Coal Miners are pretty much eliminated from playoff contention. Though they aren't officially out of it yet, the most points that they can earn for this season is 34. That can only happen if they win all of their remaining games in regulation, including two games against Parasite who have lost one game all season. Additionally, Heimo could eliminate them with just two points in the standings and Mythix could eliminate them with just three. And I'm not betting on either of those teams losing every game for the rest of the season. What do you think? Do you predict we'll still see surprises in the last week? Let us know below!

With the ECL Elite regular season officially passed the halfway point for most teams, let's take a quick look around the league and talk about some of the biggest storylines around the division as we approach the latter stages of the regular season! The Core Four - Top 4 Spots Look Secure Barring Late Collapse 1. Tohtorit (51 pts) - 4 games remaining 2. Parasite (48 pts) - 10 games remaining 3. Mustaa Kultaa (47pts) - 8 games remaining 4. Voittamaton (46pts) - 6 games remaining Considering that there is only one week to go in the regular season, the nine-point gap between 4th and 5th, and the fact that the maximum points total that anyone below them can earn is 55, I think that it'd be pretty safe to assume that these teams will be your top four seeds in the playoffs, though the order could still shift a good bit. We'll start at the top with Tohtorit, who even though they have just four games remaining, have put themselves in a great position heading into playoff time. Though Tohtorit brought back all six starters, the biggest question for this group coming into last season was whether or not they would be able to replicate their success from the Spring '23 season, as many saw their 4th place finish as a surprise after not participating in Elite during the Winter '23 season. Their response? 51 points in 24 games, with 13 of their 18 wins coming in regulation. This group also has a 2-2 record against fellow top-four teams, splitting their respective series' with Parasite and Voittamaton. Speaking of those two teams, I don't think anyone is surprised to see them up here in the standings. These two have been the class of Europe for some time now, and this season has been no exception. We'll talk about Parasite more extensively later. Voittamaton continue to be the epitome of consistency, with the group looking to be well on their way to another Top 4 finish. I think you could even make the case that their record could be better than it is, as all of their losses this season have come by just one goal. In contrast out of their 15 total wins, only three of them have been by one goal. With a few plays having gone differently, you could argue that they would be even higher in the standings. Is Parasite Having The Best Regular Season in Elite History? Parasite look to have the inside track to being the top overall seed, accruing 48 points with 10 more games to play. It was expected for this group to be dominant, but they've somehow still managed to surpass expectations, as the team has only lost one game all season, and that was their most recent game against Tohtorit (4-1 L). They also have the league leader in every offensive statistic - which is honestly nuts. They are currently averaging 5 goals for per game, which if they keep up, would be the highest in Elite Division history (Linkoping HC holds the record with 4.3 goals for per game in ECL 10). They are also allowing just 1.56 goals against per game which leads the league. All of their new additions have fit in seamlessly as well. Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen leads the league in points (63) and goals (41) while his former Tunnel Vision teammate and captain Tomi @tomboo-_- Laitinen has been as steady as ever on defense, posting 26 points in 18 games while also only giving the puck away 98 times, which is one of the lower numbers in the league for defensemen who have played 15+ games. Meanwhile, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (4th in the league in points with 52 and 2nd in assists with 34) and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (2nd in the league in points with 57 and 1st in assists with 37) have continued to be one of Europe's most potent offensive duos. Now I will say this, they have only played one of their fellow Top 4 teams, and 12 of their 17 total wins have come against teams outside of the playoffs. So I think that you could make the case that there is still more for them to prove against fellow playoff teams (their lone loss this season is against a Top 4 team in Tohtorit). However, in this division, dominance is dominance no matter how you chalk it up. And considering how dominant they have been, this team has earned the right to be considered the championship favorite as of right now. Playoff EXEN or Regular Season EXIT? This team has been the surprise of the season, and not for good reason. Coming into the season, many, including myself had EXEN as not just a playoff lock, not just as a Top 4 team in the league, but also as a true solidified championship contender. Though there is still some time to turn things around and things have looked slightly more up the last few games (5-5-0 in their last 10 games), EXEN looks like they will have to be in a true fight for the last few playoff spots, as they currently sit in 10th in the standings and are 8 points behind for the last playoffs spot with eight more games remaining. To be quite honest, I can't quite figure out how things have gone so wrong for this team. They have a collection of some of the most talented players in Europe, yet they have the lowest goals for average in the Elite division at 1.57. Five out of seven players on their roster that have played this season won an Elite Division championship in ECL '24: Winter or Spring, yet their longest winning streak of the season is two games and they're both in series sweeps. Now, they have played 7 of the 8 playoff teams already and the only one they haven't played is Heimo, who currently holds the last playoff spot. EXEN is going to have to be near perfect from this point forward in the regular season if they want to make it into the top eight. Even if they do, the maximum number of points that they can finish the season with is 48, so even if they do make the playoffs, it is unlikely that they'll finish any higher than the 7th or 8th seed. If they can make it into the Top 8, then all will be forgotten. After all, the playoffs are the real season and the regular season doesn't mean anything once we get to that stage. If they don't however, this will undoubtedly go down as one of the most shocking and disappointing campaigns in league history. If you disagree or think that this statement is hyperbole, just go back and look at all of the preseason predictions from around the community. Are GOONS Back To Their Contending Ways of the Past? It's crazy how turbulent the past 6 months have been for GOONS. They went from being relegated out of Elite by Mustaa Kultaa, to earning their way back into Elite by winning in the qualifier and now being 5th in the standings and looking well on their way to making it into the playoffs barring a lot of things going wrong. For a team that hasn't made it to the postseason since the Spring season in ECL '22, this would be a pretty big accomplishment. From November 26th to December 10th, GOONS won 10 of their 11 games in regulation, so that hot streak is the primary reason that they are in this position. They are 3-7-2 against playoff teams which makes me pump the breaks a bit when giving them the "contender" label, but 13 of their 14 wins this season have been by two or more goals, so they are clearly better than the teams outside of the playoffs. Regardless, this season has to be viewed as a success for a GOONS team that was seen as a rebuilder coming into the season. Mustaa Kultaa A Legit Championship Contender In Its First Elite Season? One of the ECL's quickest-rising teams over the past two years, Mustaa Kultaa seemed to have the feeling and expectation of a team that could make the playoffs in its first Elite Division season. 20 games into their season, and so far, Mustaa Kultaa have been even better than advertised. Currently, they place third in the standings and are acutely on pace to finish 2nd based on their points per game average. 14 of their 15 wins have come in regulation this season, and they actually have more overtime losses (3) than they do regulation losses (2). Oh, and both of those regulation losses were by just one goal. They made more roster moves than any other team in the division this offseason and so far this season it has paid major dividends. The additions of forwards Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala and Eetu @Launonexx Launonen have proven to be two of the biggest transfers of the Elite division this season, as Aaro is 5th in the league in points with 54 and 2nd in goals with 34. Launonexx on the other hand is the team's leader in assists with 27, which ranks Top 10 among all players. They also have arguably the frontrunner for Rookie of the Season and a candidate for Goaltender of the Season in Veeti @LatveX Laitinen, who has an 83.74 SV% and a 1.95 GAA in 20 starts. He also has put together four shutouts this season, which is the most of any goalie in the division. 6 of their last 8 games will be against fellow playoff teams, including Parasite who they currently sit one point behind and are potentially battling for the #1 or #2 seed. That'll undoubtedly be the biggest test for this team, as they already have played Tohtorit during the first week of the season and lost both of those games. However, they actually swept both of their games against Voittamaton last week in a pair of one-goal victories, so they're 2-1-1 against teams the other three teams in the Top 4 of the standings. Regardless, Mustaa Kultaa looks like they are here to stay, and they could very well be the next success story of teams in the ECL who make the long climb to the top of the Elite division. Even if they drop those games to Parasite, I think that they've more than proven that they're amongst the best in Europe and should be considered a genuine title threat as of now. Goal Scoring In The Elite Division Is At An All-Time High So far this season, teams in the Elite Division are averaging 2.72 goals for per game. If this number sticks, it would break the all-time Elite Division record which was set in ECL 4, at 2.64. This comes after Elite teams averaged 2.39 goals for last season and 2.55 in the '24 Winter season. As one could imagine, this has naturally affected the numbers that we have seen from goaltenders, with their stats being down slightly from what we saw during the ECL '24 seasons. Last season in the Spring, we saw 16 goalies with 10 or more games played have a save percentage of 80% or higher during the regular season, with the highest being 88.24% from Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes of Valokuitunen Esports. In the Winter season, this number was up to 18 goalies, with the highest save percentage being owned by Oskari @Zande95 Grönroos with an 88.13% with Tunnel Vision. So what about this season? So far, just 10 goalies with 10 or more games played reached the 80% mark. This could potentially be bumped, as there are a few goalies who would need to play just two more games and maintain their current save percentage to qualify for this stat, and goalies that are hovering around 78-79% that could have good weeks and crack the 80% mark. The highest save percentage of any goalie so far this season is the 86.94% of Stan @Stammer70 Adamus of Tohtorit. The moral of this story? Though the collection of goalie talent is just as good as it always has been in the Elite Division, the change in gameplay for NHL 25, in combination with the skill and parity of Elite this season has opened up more goal-scoring opportunities for teams compared to past seasons. It is also not uncommon to see Winter seasons be a little bit more high-scoring than Spring seasons, though not by a wide margin. Enjoy what you read? Make sure to check out our next piece coming out tomorrow (Sunday) that takes a look at the current ECL Elite Division playoff picture!