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As the first week of ECL 24 Spring is coming to an end, it's time to take a look at some teams that have put up performances that have convinced us to be serious cup contenders this ECL Lite season. Keep in mind that it is impossible to include everyone, and there will definitely be teams who will see loads of success this season and are not mentioned here! For every group, there will be three cup contenders and one dark horse. Group 1 Cup Contenders Belissimo Last season's Core champion, a team that did a reverse sweep in the final, has shown many promising performances in the current and past seasons. The ability to thrive in the playoffs is often overlooked, but these guys have shown they have what it takes to also succeed in the playoffs. It will also be interesting to see how last season's Core team will succeed against teams that have been on the Lite level for a lengthy period. They certainly will not want to fall any short of another title now that they know what winning feels like. Player to watch @MrMikkiL Zenegeim Zenegeim is a team with loads of Pro experience and skill. The team consists of players who have not had too much success in Pro but have now decided to come to Lite to gain some momentum for their careers. The players in their team have played in many different teams in their careers, and it will be interesting to see how the team's chemistry will form. Skill and potential are there, and if they manage to play accordingly, they will be a good contender for the title. Player to watch: @Juhaniz- Carpe Diem Carpe Diem is a team who was not in the Lite playoffs last season but has improved loads. If they keep improving, they will be a possible title contender. They have a lot of strong personalities in their team and if they manage to channel those the right way, I can see them going far this season. Player to watch @TorvelaJR__ Dark Horse Aspyre Dragons Aspyre Dragons is a Pittsburgh based multilateral gaming organization that has expanded onto NHL esports. The team has put up a few convincing performances and could be a top team in Lite this season. Last season in core they had trouble keeping their level steady, but we will have to see if they manage to keep up the top level all season long. In this team highs are high, and lows are low, sometimes a team with a decent but steady performance will outperform teams who have a tough time being consistent. But if they manage to keep their level high and consistent, they go from dark horse to serious cup contenders in my books. Player to watch: @letsgoat67 Group 2 Cup Contenders Neloskenttä Neloskenttä is a team that has started the season extremely well, letting in very few goals and solid attack to seal the deal. This team is one that I think went under everyone's radar but has now shown that everyone should keep the team's name in mind. Their tight defense and goaltending have been amazing so far and I cannot wait to see more of this team. Is this team going to start with 1. seed in the playoffs? Player to watch @Kalju-Makke The Oldtimers (previously Ultimatum) The Oldtimers are a team with lots of pro experience and great individual players. For example, two of their forwards are currently in the top 2 of regular season points in all of Lite. The Oldtimers also reached the top 16 in eHockey SM ‘24, which is a great achievement for a Lite team. Player to watch: @Werppi Sack Brothers Sack Brothers is a team who is looking to turn last year's painful final loss in Core into a Lite title. Last year's painful final loss must still be in recent memory after choking a 3-0 lead to Belissimo, and will for sure motivate the team to win it all this season. The team consists of many old Pro players, and they are looking to make some noise! Player to watch: @IKarkkiI Dark horse Toxic City Toxic city is a team who was the fifth seed in last season of lite but failed to keep good form from the regular season up in the playoffs. This team has shown they can be a top team in Lite, but their game still has some question marks, hence they are the dark horse for this group. Player to watch @norskeli Group 3 Cup Contenders Vitosvitja The team with the greatest logo of all time on the ECL ice. They have put up decent performances so far and having a good run in eHockey SM ‘24 they have convinced us to be able to play on a prominent level. Player to watch @SilakanTimo Technical Disaster Technical Disaster is a team with roots all the way in ECL ‘22. They have shown promising performances in the off-season and eHockey SM ‘24. I am looking forward to seeing this team play as they have many tricks up their sleeves with skillful players like @wrlster . Player to watch @wrlster Nordic Stars Nordic Stars is probably the biggest favorite to win Lite. This team has had so many convincing performances in the past seasons it is impossible to overlook them. In eHockey SM ‘23 they were in the finals which proves they are a talented team but also that they are capable of playing good playoff hockey. Player to watch: @SakkeTheEngiueer Dark horse: XBOTS After playing their first ECL Pro season at '24 Winter this club which has been considered as "top Xbox team" for long time by many players got disappointed this time in Pro qualifier. However, this could be seen as a good opportunity for them to gain some confidence from Lite this season. They may sometimes have issues with consistency and also the lineup has been a question mark at least earlier. But everybody who is familiar with players in their roster knows that there are loads of skills and experience. For example, @Kibeeex who battled his way to NHL 24 WC European top 8 lan-event in Copenhagen and captain @OGxN72ege "Maybe the most stick-skilled player who I have ever played against" said Eki after their WC games so that says something. In nutshell, they have pure skill and experience to have a great playoff run but the question is: can they get their consistent quality routine going on? Player to watch: @OGxN72ege Group 4 Cup Contenders Hirvikolari No games played yet this season but this team still caught our attention. One of few if not only team in Lite with Elite experience after making big signing J--Jamaltheman. A big part of their roster has been playing together earlier in lower divisions of ECL. These two things together could be huge resources for them in future. Hopefully 0 games played doesn't mean availability problems because their grinding and developing as team would be remarkably interesting to follow during this season Player to watch: @J-_-Jamaltheman Sawolanche Sawolanche is a team who did not find much success in Pro but are now trying to win Lite. This team has stuck together for a long time. They have shown the capability to play at a high level on multiple occasions. I am looking forward to seeing them make some noise this season! Player to watch: @I_LaiTi_I Ruuti Ruuti is a team with an annoying but working playstyle, loads of waiting on the offensive blueline can be hard to defend against. I think most teams won't be ready for it and Ruuti has the ability to surprise opponents right at the start of the match. They proved the ability to play on a prominent level in the eHockey SM ‘24 where they were in the top 3 in their group. Dark Horse: Mights Last season Mights were highly successful in Core playoffs, they barely squeaked out of the top 3 losing in game 7 in the bronze match. Although Mights had to go through Lite qualifiers they were superb and secured a spot in Lite. The reason this team is a Dark Horse is that it still holds many question marks, they faced many changes only a few days before the season started. Player to watch: @Madladcas Do you agree with the predictions, or did the writer miss the net? What are your predictions for how the season will go? Let us know in the comments!

In the previous Elite '24: Winter season, we witnessed a mix of triumphs, setbacks, and surprises. Ultimately, the deserving champion was hREDS (now known as Valokuitunen Esports). Tunnel Vision pushed hREDS to the limit, extending the series to a thrilling game seven. One of the most unexpected developments was Goons maintaining their status in "no man's land," avoiding relegation matches against Pro teams and thus securing their Elite spot. Now, let's shift our focus from the past to the upcoming season. Here are some notable highlights and predictions: EXEN (formerly JYP) has made strategic replacements, recruiting @xAaro89x from Heimo and @Mozjayh from the hREDS bench. This season marks Mozjayh's debut as a right defenseman, an interesting transition for a player from a triple back-to-back ECL-winning background. xAaro89x has long been hailed as a potential star capable of carrying his team deep into the playoffs, though previous seasons have fallen short of expectations. This season, EXEN must advance further than the first round, which will require significantly more impact from team captain @indi969 than last season's six playoff games of no points. Tunnel Vision faces what might be their 'last dance' as rumors suggest the team might disband with a player joining the military. They enter ECL '24 Spring with a slightly altered lineup, featuring attackers @Vattuyy, @Laiitinen, and @Pikkardz. The trio is undoubtedly talented, yet concerns linger about their defensive dedication, particularly with the introduction of a new center. However, defensemen @tomboo- and @Wengeri are exceptionally solid in their own end, perhaps compensating for any lapses up front. Valokuitunen Esports (ex-hREDS) are the favorites to win the ECL again, with star players @Beniittto and @NikkeDangles ready to dazzle. Newcomer @pikkuroger might fill @Vilupoika's shoes or possibly end up alongside @KingOfApes_ on the bench. Straikers have consistently ranked high but have yet to claim the ECL title since their last win under the FILADELPHIA banner in 2021.. New addition @temppanen, proven in 1vs1 battles but untested in 6vs6, could be the final piece they need. He joins from Mayhems, bringing a new dynamic to the team that includes strong defense and excellent goaltenders @Hansulinho and @uhNikke. Vesa Pompa – often overlooked despite consecutive semifinal appearances in the ECL. Why aren't they considered a top-four team? The issue seems to be a lack of standout individual skill, with exceptions like @antoniomannen004, who blends skill with game intelligence. Questions also surround the defense, though rookie standout @pappeen- made an impressive debut last season. Despite occasional lapses, goalie @kkostiiii remains one of the best at stopping breakaways. Having just covered my expectations for the top teams in Elite, let's now quickly explore some other intriguing teams and their acquisitions. First up, Björklöven, where @Kallmanius has really invested in building a highly competitive team. This season, the squad includes @x-_-BoBi-_-x, @vilppijoona, and @koleslaav_, with @zMikkeez and @WeDuX_ anchoring the defense. On paper, this is a skilled team. The big question mark will be how vilppijoona and @WeDuX_ manage defensively against the top teams. As a member of Unwanted, I can report that @xLeikku will not be playing next season, with @Launonexx stepping in to fill his role. Leikku has left big shoes to fill, but impressive performances are expected from the former Mustaa Kultaa captain in his standout rookie Elite season. The same goes for @karlssonadam_, who has been recruited from Purification and is gearing up for his first season in the Elite. Polski Boys’ lineup has remained unchanged. The team is counting on significant contributions from last season's Comeback Player of the Year, @jm98II, who is a key offensive force. It would be a major disappointment if they didn’t make the playoffs. Russian player @W1nchester_62 has stepped up as the first-choice goalkeeper. Purification is filled with young, hungry Swedish players, brimming with skill and the drive to grind. There have been some positional shifts from last season, with @bystrom___ moving from center to defense. The team plays fearlessly and on their best days, can challenge many of the Elite teams. This season promises intense competition and potential new champions in the Elite '24: Spring season. Keep an eye on these teams and players as they battle for supremacy in the ECL. What are your predictions for how the season will go? Let us know in the comments!

This week we've launched the newest season of the biggest eHockey tournament in all of Europe. A lot of you (and us!) have been waiting for the season to start and now the wait is over, so fire up those smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles and start playing and watching the action! In this preview we’ll take a look at a few teams and of course, a few individuals who will be playing in the second-highest tier of the European Championship League ladder, which is the highly coveted ECL Pro. Group 1 Teams to challenge for the title: Herlev Eagles This team has taken large strides from a few years back when they scraped to make the playoffs in the Pro division, after playing Elite qualifiers just a few days ago and not quite making it must be a bitter feeling, but the Eagles are back and ready to challenge for the title with Danish superstar Vibholm leading the way in offense! Player to watch: @vibholm10 Mustaa Kultaa Another team that almost made it to Elite. This should come as no surprise as former Lite Champions are making a push for the title. With a good mix of young talent and long-time Pro veterans in their team, this squad can make some noise this season. Player to watch: @LatveX Team to make the playoffs: RYHTIC With a change in scenery for this team it parts ways with its long-time sponsor RCTIC, the team stays together for another year, always seems to make the playoffs, and challenges those top teams in Pro and Elite. Player to watch: @Limbe65 Team on the line: NOVA This Russian lead team made some noise last season with the number 8 seed and playing well in the 1st round of the playoffs. With big praise from last year's winning team Gotham, this team needs this push to get a better seed than last year. Player to watch: @Nester4343 Relegation battle: Neptune Hockey This team seems to find a new division from time to time, hopefully they can stick it to this washed up writer, and make a push for the playoffs. Neptune has struggled in the Pro division most years and this year is no exception, this team can not seem to string together enough wins to push for playoffs. Player to watch: @Zeikmaar Dark Horse: Vizio With a good-looking run in the eHockey SM (Finnish Championships) this year, Vizio has made some noise with beating some good teams this offseason and not solely relying on their captain to win them some games, but if they can't find that eHockey SM form, it can be a long season for them. Player to watch: @Jetsu28 Group 2 Teams to challenge for the title: POGGERS With a few seasons surviving in Elite, they couldnt battle Björklöven for a spot this year, former Pro champions can make a lot of teams unhappy with their veteran players still shining. Look for this team to want to make it back next season. Player to watch: @JaKurrii Södertälje SK With a new roster formed, they have that something, that flair you look for in teams that go far in the playoffs, with captain @svetidaje getting busy in the offseason and recruiting far and wide, this could be their year if they can find chemistry on the ice. Player to watch: @amadee21 Team to make the playoffs: Supernatural A team with an interesting past, saying this team has had its ups and downs is an understatement. But now they seem to have found a nice-looking roster with good players in all positions, they can surprise a lot of teams with how they approach this new season. Player to watch: @MrNipsuli Team on the line: TikiTalk With a team as legendary as this, it’s going to be a coin toss if this team makes the playoffs this season. A difficult group with a lot of experience, and their reliance on a guy that everyone knows, can make it difficult to get those important wins they need. Player to watch: @NuariJamal Relegation battle: Ice Scream While looking at a lot of talent in group 2, this team will find it very difficult to scrap together points this season, with not a lot of experience in the Pro division they will be looking to make some magic happen to avoid relegation. Player to watch: @TeemuUnderdawg Dark Horse: Otukset One might say this team has all the talent in the world to make it to the playoffs, even make a run for the title, some might say this team has a tendency to choke when games get tough, this experienced team will have to avoid a rollercoaster season, but look for them to steal some points from the top teams. Player to watch: @Roisto999 Do you agree with the predictions, or did the writer miss the net? What are your predictions for how the season will go? Let us know in the comments!

SportsGamers, GCL 11 is on its finishing straight and besides 6v6 action in Division I and II the 1v1 Finals were played in the first week of April! Seed #1 Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg clashed with newcomer and seed #2 Dominik @no-man-ger Claus! While the defending Champion Keuschemisch finished his regular season with a perfect record of 12-0-0-0, NoManGer who played his first 1v1 Tournament on SportsGamer.gg surprisingly finished right behind him with a 9-1-1-1 record. Claus played a quite succesful 6v6 Division II campaign with Huskies eSports and only fell short to veteran Tim @Timasy Hess and the Finals opponent in his first 12 games. No-Man-Ger who went with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the whole tournament, managed to sweep @HousePro99 in the Quarterfinals and beat @maqareal in three games on his way to the GCL 11 Final. The Black Jacks Forward Berg started with the Toronto Maple Leafs and changed to the Carolina Hurricanes after the Trade Deadline in the NHL which later became clear to be the right choice with his Gameplay. Two Sweeps against @LookandLearn1 and @TacoLaBonita secured back-to-back Finals for the 27 year old Cologne native.  All games were a good back and forth, but the defending Champion really utilized his scoring chances very effectively - especially in Game 1 as he secured a 6-1 victory. The newcomer reacted well and came back from a two-goal-deficit twice in the second game as he turned the game around and forced the deciding game 3 with a 5-4 win over Berg - which was his first loss during the whole GCL 11 season. As experienced as Keuschemisch is he adjusted his gameplay in the deciding matchup and claimed his second GCL 1v1 title with a convincing 5-1 win! SportsGamer thanks all participating players and @Keuschemisch on his back-to-back title in the German Championship League. Also a big shoutout to @no-man-ger who played an amazing first season in competetive NHL gaming in the DACH area!   Keuschemisch's road to the Championship: Regular season record: 12-0-0-0 (#1 seed) Quarterfinals: vs @LookandLearn1 2-0 (3-2 & 8-2) Semifinals: vs @TacoLaBonita 2-0 (7-0 & 9-3) Finals: vs @no-man-ger 2-1 (6-1, 4-5 & 5-1)   Once again a big thank you to all participating players and see you next season in GCL 12!

SportsGamers, The newest update to the ECL '24: Spring rulebook is now live and can be accessed through the league pages. Generally speaking, the rulebook is a revised and improved version of the rulebook used in ECL '24 Winter. Find the new rulebook here. Here's a snapshot of some of the major adjustments / additions compared to ECL ‘24: Winter: 11.7.: Player ability bans have been added and are being continuously evaluated. 9.2.1: Timeouts are now allowed under the right circumstances. 11.1: Period length clarified as 4 minutes, now that it is adjustable in the game. 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 throughout the season. In case of any questions, please be in touch with support. An update regarding player ability bans As an update regarding the information released yesterday, we can confirm that after internal discussion and examination of the poll results, we will be tweaking the trait ban list - unless the poll completely turns around in the coming days, of course. There's still time to contribute - so get your votes in! Elite & Pro: Truculence, Big Tipper, and Unstoppable Force will be banned for the first week of the season. Captains from these divisions will however be sent a message asking for the team's opinion on whether they want these traits to be unbanned for later weeks. Lite & Core: Truculence, Big Tipper, and Unstoppable Force will be banned from week two onwards for the ongoing ECL season. Neo: No trait bans While we appreciate that players from differing divisions would prefer rules to be applied evenly, we believe that offering the opportunity for Elite & Pro players to make their voices heard (just as Lite & Core players have been able to) is the right thing to do – even if that means enacting a different trait ban list. Ultimately however, this situation was not handled up to the standard expected and as such we will investigate how we can improve upon our communication and ability to get information out to you the players in a timely fashion.

Get ready to dive into the exciting world of the European Championship League (ECL) as we bring you the highly anticipated ECL Wraparound, hosted by the one and only Cody @Tougie24 Tougas! In this episode Tougie wraps up the ECL '24: Winter season and looks at the Elite Award winners.

This Saturday, April 20th, the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre will become the epicenter of Finnish virtual hockey as it hosts the electrifying finals of the NHL 24 Finnish Championship. SportsGamers unite! This is your chance to witness the crème de la crème of Finnish eHockey competitors as they battle for the national title in what promises to be a day filled with high-stakes digital action.   Dual Competitions, Twice the Excitement The day will feature two formats: the 1v1 and 6v6 competitions. In the 1v1 category, four top players will face off in the semifinals. Watch Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen take on Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Teemu @temppanen Karvonen challenge Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen. The winners will battle it out for the championship title in a must-see finale. Not to be outdone, the 6v6 team format will also see its top contenders fight for glory. The bronze match pits the Polski Boys against Tunnel Vision, while the grand finale will see Parasite (formerly hREDS) go head-to-head with Straikers. Each team is geared up to deliver a performance that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Limited Access, Act Fast! The eHockey SM 2024 finals will take place in the Experience Lounge of the Exhibition Centre, coinciding with the popular Child and Food Fairs. Due to the expected crowd and the exclusive nature of the event, access is limited. However, you might still grab a free ticket if you act quickly. Ensure your spot by filling out the form here:  https://forms.gle/z8DrmeUw6LZPrFdm7  (If you don't speak Finnish, but you want to join the event, please send a private message to @Kenu. ​​​​​​​ Can’t Make It? Tune In Live! If you can’t join us in person, don’t worry. You can still catch all the action live via the SportsGamer Twitch channel. Renowned esports commentator Arttu "Olvari" Hämäläinen will be bringing the live thrills, both at the venue and online. This Saturday promises not just to be a game day but an unforgettable gathering of sports gaming enthusiasts. Ready your spirit, cheer for your favorites, and witness the mastery of virtual hockey at its best. See you at the eHockey SM 2024 finals or online — game on!

Hey Gamers, With the poll closing tonight regarding the ECL Lite and Core ability bans, we can now (practically) confirm that we will be moving forward with the bans as previously communicated. Here's a recap of the ability bans: Elite & Pro: Truculence, Big Tipper, and Unstoppable Force are banned. Captains from these divisions have, however, been sent a message asking for the team's opinion on whether they want these traits to be unbanned for later weeks. The deadline for voting on this is 23.4. Lite & Core: Truculence, Big Tipper, and Unstoppable Force will be banned from 22.4 for the ongoing ECL season. Neo: No trait bans

Get Ready for the Ultimate eHockey Showdown: ECL '24 Spring Season Sign-Ups Are Now Open! Hey there, SportsGamers! It's time to sharpen those skates and get ready for the most electrifying season yet! The ECL '24: Spring season is upon us, and if you thought last season was intense, you haven't seen anything yet. With an eye-watering total prize pool of 25 220 EUR up for grabs, this season is shaping up to be a blockbuster. The European Championship League (ECL) stands at the zenith of European NHL esports, bringing together the best talent in a 6v6 format that has been thrilling fans since 2015. Whether you're a goalie, a forward, or a defender, every position is controlled by human talent, promising a competition that's as real as it gets. And with divisions catering to all skill levels, everyone has a shot at glory. Plus, don't miss out on our 1v1 tournament for those who love the thrill of the solo battle. Please note that the time to sign up is very short, especially for the qualifiers and higher divisions (Elite-Lite) so don't hesitate to sign up right away! After the intense fights we saw go down at the finish lines of all five divisions last season, the ECL '24: Spring season will have lots to live up to, but with the skill level constantly increasing and the superstar talent across the league intent on bringing their top game on a nightly basis, we're confident that we have an even better season coming up! The total prize pool of the ECL '24: Spring season will be 25 220 EUR. The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 18th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season. Basic information/requirements of ECL: Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues. Platform: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card. ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘24: Spring team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘24: Player License or ECL '24: Spring Player License before taking the ice. Purchase your license in the Store. Rules: The updated ECL '24: Spring rulebook will be published closer to the season, but there won't be too many changes rolling out, so check out last season's rules here. For a more extensive overview of the ECL as a whole, check out our “What is the ECL?” news story released a while back. Pro Wildcard Battle: 23.3-26.3.2024 ECL Lite Qualifier: 23.3-29.3.2024 ECL Pro Qualifier: 23.3-28.3.2024 ECL Neo: 23.3-11.4.2024 ⚠️ ECL Core: 23.3-11.4.2024 ⚠️ ECL Lite: 23.3-29.3.2024 ECL Pro: 23.3-28.3.2024 ECL Elite: 23.3-28.3.2024 *Signups will close at 23:59 CET on the last day mentioned unless otherwise specified. Schedule Qualifiers: The schedule for the qualifiers will be tight, so please prepare to play almost every day during the qualifiers stage. The exact details will be shared once the number of teams is known. Lite: 1.-11.4 Pro Wildcard: 27.-28.3 (if necessary) Pro: 31.3-11.4 Elite 7.4-11.4 Regular Season duration: 14.4.-16.5.2024 Estimated finals dates: Below are estimated dates for the Finals to be approximately played. We reserve the right to changes in schedule. Neo 26.-30.6 Core 26.-27.6. Lite 24.-25.6. Pro 17.-18.6. Elite 14.-15.6. PLEASE NOTE: ECL '24: SPRING 1V1 SIGNUPS WILL LAUNCH SOON Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘24. For the next ten days (until April 1st), you can pick up the ECL ‘24 Spring Team license for the Early Bird pricing listed below. After that, standard pricing will be in effect. PURCHASE YOUR ECL '24 LICENSES HERE For those of you participating in the qualifiers and unsure which division your team will play in for the ECL ‘24: Spring season, you can still take advantage of this offer; Purchase the Early Bird license for the division you are qualifying for and if your team is unsuccessful in the mission, we will refund you the difference to the Early Bird price for the division your team ends up in. For example, if you enter the qualifiers for the Lite division, purchase the Early Bird Lite license. If your team doesn’t qualify for the Lite division, you will play in the Core division and we will refund you the difference - in this example: 100 EUR. The ECL Neo division will remain free of cost. Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division. Don't have a team yet? Team looking for additions to your roster? If you are a free agent looking to be picked up, please head over here. If you are representing a team looking for players, please head over here. Need more help, check out the below article!

SportsGamers, The ECL '24: Winter 1v1 Season winner is Erik @Eki Tammenpää! Eki was unstoppable, winning all his games from the TOP 16 knockout stage and forward. EkiOriginal's road to the Championship: Qualified through the 1st Qualifier TOP 32 Group stage: 4-1-2-0 (#4 seed into the Playoffs) Round 1: vs @Jerettaja13 2-0 (4-2, 7-5) Quarterfinals 2: vs @WeDuX_ 2-0 (7-1, 5-0) Semifinals: vs @sisu33_ 2-0 (4-3OT, 4-1) Finals: vs @temppanen 2-0 (6-2, 7-2)   ECL '24: Winter 1v1 - Season TOP 4:  🥇 Erik @Eki Tammenpää 🥈Teemu @temppanen Karvonen 🥉 Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund 🥉 Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen The TOP 4 players of the Winter season secured themselves not only some cash, but the spot in the ECL '24: 1v1 Grand Finals, which features the TOP 8 players in Europe. This Winter season is not just a standalone event; it's a crucial part of the ECL '24: 1v1 year, which includes both Winter and Spring seasons. Competitors can net themselves not only glory but also cold, hard cash from both seasons. The heat will truly turn up for the top 4 from each season, who will clash in the Grand Finals for an even larger slice of the prize pool. The ECL '24: 1v1 Season is played in the Online Versus game mode on PlayStation 5. The competition's format is as thrilling as a sudden-death overtime, starting with four qualifiers following a merciless double-elimination bracket. The stakes are high, as only the top 8 players from each qualifier will advance to the coveted TOP 32 group stage. Stay tuned for the ECL '24: Spring 1v1 Signups!     RELIVE THE TOP 4 FINALS ECL '24: Winter - 1v1 Top 4 Semifinal: eken45jr vs. temppanen (BO3):   ECL '24: Winter - 1v1 Top 4 Semifinal: EkiOriginal vs. Sisu33 (BO3):   ECL '24: Winter - 1v1 Top 4 Final: EkiOriginal vs. temppanen (BO3)   SportsGamer congratulates the new Champion and extends a warm thank you to all participants! 

SportsGamers, A few weeks ago we wrapped up the ECL Elite season as we got to enjoy the Finals series between hREDS and Tunnel Vision turn into yet another seven-game spectacle to be decided by only one goal, as @NikkeDangles secured his and hREDS' fourth ECL Elite Championship, solidifying them as the all-time winningest ECL team. This also marks only the second time someone outside of the TOP 3 finishers in the regular season wins the championship, with hREDS going into the Playoffs as the #4 seed (the first time was Laser HT, who finished the regular season with seed #7 and yet managed to win the championship in the ECL 4 season back in 2017).   Image: The ECL '24: Winter - Elite Champions - hREDS. From the left: FinSere, Mozjay, xDoumi, NikkeDangles, Vilupoika, Beniittto, Teemuyy Now that the dust has settled, we took some time and spoke to captain Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and goalie Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes about their thoughts about the season.   Interview: Captain Perttu "Beniiittto" Kemppainen Now that it's been a few weeks since your win - how would you reflect on the season? "Before the season I had high expectations for us as always, because I knew that if we were in good form no one could beat us and before this season our only problem was inconsistency. Although we still had those issues during the regular season and some games in the playoffs, we were able to keep our form good and stable enough in the playoffs, and that led us to the championship." Take us through the finals - it looked like the series was going to be over in 5 games, but in the end, we got to enjoy a full seven-game series and a G7 decided by one goal "Our start of the 1st game was bad but towards the end of the 1st game we were able to find our form and even though we lost game 1 we were able to improve our game for games 2,3 and 4. Games 5 and 6 were bad defensively and we made a lot of mistakes that you can't make in the playoffs if you want to win and we picked up our form again for game 7." How have you been preparing for the ECL '24: Spring season? "We took some time off the game to enjoy the championship and relax. After that, we have just been playing FCL regular season and when we get to the playoffs we will start practicing more."   Interview: Sebastian "FINSeRe" Remes   How would you describe the season as a whole? "I think we had a bit slow start to the regular season but started to gain momentum after NikkeDangles came back from the army. We carried that momentum to the playoffs and there we were playing extremely good hockey pretty much every game in every series. Beniittto was playing like MacKinnon and deservedly won the Best Forward of the Season award. I think he really carried us when we were having difficult moments. I also think that Teemuyy got snubbed as for me he was the best defender of the season by looking at gameplay and not points. You always expect a team like this to be up there fighting for the championship, and I think there was never any doubt among us during the season that we couldn't win it all if we just played on our level. Obviously, it's not that simple especially when you had to face both Straikers and Tunnel Vision in the playoffs but I think it just made our championship sweeter that way. And for me, it's just nice to be in the right place at the right time and get the trust of my team."   What about the finals - it was looking like the Series might be over in 5 - but you found yourself in game 7 with a one-goal win. How were the finals from your perspective? "I remember saying in our group chat after the 3rd win that now comes the hardest challenge - winning the 4th time. The 5th game could have gone either way, but Tunnel Vision tying the game in the 2nd period when there was 1s left in the clock was probably something that turned the tides for them. Also, benuh_ was giving them a chance and was making extremely important saves in games 5 and 6. After game 6, heading to the 7th I didn't feel that anyone was nervous or anything, even after dropping 2 games. On the contrary, I got this feeling that we were more focused on our task and I think it really showed in game 7. Game 7 was the best game we had all season in my opinion and honestly, it was the best game defensively I've ever been part of in any team. Yeah, I got shutout but I honestly felt like I didn't have to do anything because our 5 man defending was so unbelievably good."   This was your second ECL championship. Your first championship was in ECL Season 1 in 2016, which was before the divisions were introduced to the ECL. If you remember - how would you describe the experience of winning then vs now? "I remember those days very well. To be honest I don't think that the skill level at the top was any lower back then than it is now. You got fewer players but you still had these same guys on the top. For example in the finals we had to face players like Patzlaf, PleeMaker, Joukkiii, and loimmu. Of course, there were lots of teams that had no chance so it worked pretty much like FCL works nowadays where the real games start in play-offs. Also back then there were more teams that could win it all. I think this was because talent was more dispersed between the teams compared to now. But back then it was also normal to create a new team for every season so there wasn't as much stability as there is now. Personally winning the championship now felt so much sweeter for me than it did then since I had to prove I belong to this level. The older you get, less people believe you still got it and honestly I've worked hard to prove them wrong."     hREDS' road to the championship: #4 seed with the record 18-5-1-6 Quarterfinals: vs Radical (5) 4-1 Semifinals: vs Straikers (1) 4-0 Finals: vs Tunnel Vision (2) 4-3   The winning roster: GOALTENDERS  🇫🇮 #8 Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes   DEFENSEMEN  🇫🇮 #3 Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila   🇫🇮 #27 Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen FORWARDS 🇫🇮 #23 Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen  🇫🇮 #67 Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen   🇫🇮 #89 Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen    🇫🇮 #96 Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen   RELIVE THE FINALS On behalf of the entire SportsGamer community, we congratulate the ECL '24: Winter - Elite Champions and extend a warm thank you to all participants!

SportsGamers, Having entered the ECL '24: Winter season through the ECL Lite Qualifiers, Bone Breakers continued their dominant display throughout the season and eventually won the ECL '24: Winter - Lite Championship, and with that a direct promotion to the Pro division. While quite a few teams in the playoffs were able to keep the games close, they only lost a total of three games in their championship run. This is definitely a team to follow in the upcoming ECL '24: Spring - Pro Season! Bone Breakers' road to the championship: #2 seed from Group 2 with the record 24-2-1-5 Round 1: vs Armada Hockey (31) 4-0 Round 2: vs Shameful Knights (17) 4-1 Quarterfinals: vs Finnish Roosters (11) 4-1 Semifinals: vs Almost Famous (12) 4-0 Finals: vs HEXA Esports (1) 4-1 The winning roster: GOALTENDERS #57 @rransu (A) #78 @Sgt Pallihiki #90 @IleKaa DEFENSEMEN #4 @BoBcapitano (C) #24 @Thewix93 (A) #65 @Jonetzky #88 @Klonkku FORWARDS #9 @MappeThePlayer #61 @Allupekkaz #71 @x-_-BoBi-_-x #79 @Valee__   RELIVE THE FINALS Games 1-3:   Games 4-5   On behalf of the entire SportsGamer community, we congratulate the Champions and extend a warm thank you to all participants!    

SportsGamers, This news story is intended to help understand the ECL Ranking for teams at the end of the ECL '24 Winter season. This ranking determines the eligibility for teams entering various divisions this upcoming ECL '24: Spring season.  Below you will find a list of teams that have secured a division spot at the Elite, Pro, or Lite league level. If you didn't find your team on the list, don't worry! You can apply for a wildcard spot for your team in the Pro qualifiers or participate in the Lite qualifiers, which are open to everyone. Elite 1 Elite 🏆 hREDS 2 Elite 🥈 Tunnel Vision 3 Elite 3 Straikers 4 Elite 4 Vesa Pompa 5 Elite 5 JYP Jyväskylä 6 Elite 6 Radical 7 Elite 7 Unwanted 8 Elite 8 The Black Jacks 9 Elite 9 Mayhems 10 Elite 10 Polski Boys 11 Elite 11 Heimo 12 Elite 12 GOONS 13 ▶ Elite 13 Falun Coal Miners 14 ▶ Elite 15 Roots Gaming 15 ▲ Pro 🥇 Gotham Knights 16 ▲ Pro 3 Purification Elite Qualifiers (if needed) 1 ▼ Elite 14 POGGERS 2 ▼ Elite 16 Lekstugan HC 3 ▶ Pro 🥈 Renascor 4 ▶ Pro 4 GIFU Hockey 5 Pro 5 Opera Hockey 6 Pro 6 Mustaa Kultaa 7 Pro 7 Bjorkloven Esport 8 Pro 8 Herlev Eagles Pro 1 ▼ Elite 14 POGGERS 2 ▼ Elite 16 Lekstugan HC 3 ▶ Pro 🥈 Renascor 4 ▶ Pro 4 GIFU Hockey 5 Pro 5 Opera Hockey 6 Pro 6 Mustaa Kultaa 7 Pro 7 Bjorkloven Esport 8 Pro 8 Herlev Eagles 9 Pro 9 RCTIC 10 Pro 10 Kallion Dynamo 11 Pro 11 Nurnberg IceTigers eSport 12 Pro 12 Supernatural 13 Pro 13 Vizio 14 Pro 14 Gunners HC 15 Pro 15 N0VA 16 Pro 16 Valco 17 Pro 17 Deadly Phantoms 18 Pro 18 HC Lugano eSports 19 Pro 19 Södertälje SK 20 Pro 20 Hawaii Hockey 21 Pro 21 Cheeky Grinders 22 Pro 22 IK Oskarshamn 23 ▲ Lite 🥇 Bone Breakers 24 ▲ Lite 🥈 HEXA eSports 25 ▲ Lite 🥉 Almost Famous As a small amendment to the ECL '24: Winter rules, we have decided to increase the number of Pro Qualifier teams from twenty to twenty-four. The intention has been to make the rule clearer and to ensure that every team that qualifies for the Quarterfinal round of the Lite is on equal footing. In addition, a fifth wildcard spot has been added to even out the number of teams. Pro Qualifiers 1 Pro 23 Hokurit 2 Pro 24 Ultimatum 3 Pro 25 Sawolanche 4 Pro 26 PunaKala 5 Pro 27 Golden Sticks 6 Pro 28 Athletic Bulls 7 Lite 4 Neptune Hockey 8 Lite 5 Invasion 9 Lite 6 Pasilan SKA 10 Lite 7 HC VADELMA 11 Lite 8 Finnish Roosters 12 Lite 9 Toxic City 13 Lite 10 Six Sticks Misfits 14 Lite 11 Pata Hellalla 15 Lite 12 Technical Disaster 16 Lite 13 NOSTREETSPORTS 17 Lite 14 Mora IK 18 Lite 15 Shameful Knights 19 Lite 16 ACEsquad 20 Wildcard   21 Wildcard   22 Wildcard   23 Wildcard   24 Wildcard   Pro Qualifier Wildcard requirements Three former Elite starters or four former Pro starters A starter is defined as having played 16 or more games in the ECL '24 Winter season, or 20 or more games in the ECL '23 Spring season If there are more players from the same team that were relegated out of the division Pro (in the same season) in the team applying for a wildcard, they may be counted as one player. The League Administration reserves the right to interpretations of this depending on the specific circumstances of the situation. What if all Pro Qualifier positions are not filled? Teams will not be promoted straight and all open spots will be filled through qualifiers (excluding automatically relegated/promoted teams). If there happens to be more open spots than anticipated (e.g. from teams disbanding which would have been invited to play in the qualifier) spots are filled as follows: Pro relegated teams Wildcard teams Lite #17-32 Lite 1 ▼ Pro 29 Eisbaeren Lauf Gaming 2 ▼ Pro 30 xBOTS 3 ▼ Pro 31 Red Bull Munich eSports 4 Lite 17 Rocking Bears 5 Lite 18 Ismon Valinta 6 Lite 19 Sunne IK Esport 7 Lite 20 Niederrhein Canucks 8 Lite 21 Bustdown Rollie Avalanche 9 Lite 22 Ghost 10 Lite 23 Nelos kentta 11 Lite 24 Carolus Icemen 12 Lite 25 A Laget 13 Lite 26 Trojans 14 Lite 27 Swedish Stars 15 Lite 28 Including Me 16 Lite 29 Hannover Indians eSports 17 Lite 30 Niitti Pohjassa 18 Lite 31 Armada Hockey 19 Lite 32 Bad to the Bone 20 Lite 33 Black Sharks 21 Lite 34 Seinajoki Noms 22 Lite 35 Carpe Diem 23 Lite 36 SCB eSports 24 Lite 37 HC KOROBKA 25 Lite 38 Chiefzz HC 26 Lite 39 Black Hurricanes 27 Lite 40 Taisto 28 Lite 41 Ice Scream 29 Lite 42 BK Skinnarna 30 Lite 43 Northern Dust 31 Lite 44 EHC Olten eSports 32 Lite 45 Woodhands 33 Lite 46 DEG eSports 34 Lite 47 Company of Geeks 35 Lite 48 German Ice Gladiators 36 Lite 49 Rahinage 37 Lite 50 Dompa HC 38 Lite 51 Dark Energy HC 39 Lite 52 Deggendorfer SC Esports 40 ▲ Core🥇 Belissimo 41 ▲ Core 🥈 SACK BROTHERS 42 ▲ Core 🥉 BushWhackers All teams without an Elite, Pro, or Lite league spot can participate in the Lite Qualifiers without restrictions. The format of the qualifiers will be decided according to the number of participants, but a maximum of 64 teams can participate in the qualifiers. Spots will be filled in the order of registration, but the teams on the list below will have priority if the number of teams is full. Lite Qualifiers 1 Core 4 Mights 2 Core 5 HC Gaming 3 Core 6 MoDo Hockey 4 Core 7 Aspyre Dragons 5 Core 8 Viitapohjan Viikingit 6 Core 9 Silver Sword Griffins 7 Core 10 Fiilis Hockey 8 Core 11 Gleumes Hockey Krefeld 9 Core 12 United Front 10 Core 13 Lutunilkat 11 Core 14 NAM3LESS 12 Core 15 Rusty Bulls 13 Core 16 Jurvan Liekki

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 17th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season. Basic information/requirements of ECL: Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues. Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card. ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘24: Spring team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘24: Player License or ECL ‘24: Spring Player License before taking the ice. Rules: The ECL '24: Spring rulebook will be practically the same as for the Winter season, you can check out last season's rules here. The divisions framework for the ECL ‘23 season will follow the same logic as for previous seasons. We will have a total of five divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams Pro 32 teams Lite 64 teams Core (up to) 128 teams and Neo 32+ teams. Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division. Generally speaking, teams that are new to the ECL will start in the Neo or Core division. However, it is possible to apply for the ECL Lite qualifications to prove that you can compete at that level. Don't have a team yet? Team looking for additions to your roster? If you are a free agent looking to be picked up, please head over here. If you are representing a team looking for players, please head over here. Hall of Fame: The ECL Champions so far ECL 6v6: ECL 1: Nordic Blizzard ECL 2: Mukimiehet ECL 3: X Factor ECL 4: Laser HT ECL 5: Aapon Taikasauva ECL 6: Carlsberg HC ECL 7: FILADELPHIA ECL 8: Written In the Stars ECL 9: Linköping HC ECL 10: HAVU Gaming ECL 11: FILADELPHIA ECL 12: hREDS ECL '22: Grand Champion: hREDS ECL '22 Winter: hREDS ECL '22 Spring: hREDS ECL '23: Grand Champion: Tunnel Vision ECL '23 Winter: Tunnel Vision ECL '23 Spring: Tunnel Vision ECL '24: Winter Champion: hREDS ECL 1v1: ECL '23: Winter: Sisu "sisu33_" Nurminen ECL '23: Spring: Väinö "Pikkarii" Pikkarainen ECL '24: Winter: Erik "EkiOriginal" Tammenpää