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Around three weeks ago LA received a report that @Keuschemisch was adding additional points to game reports that were not present in-game. After investigation, here are the findings: In order to carry out the investigation we cross-referenced SportsGamer match results with EA API metadata from seven tournaments stretching across two EA NHL titles. By comparing what we have on record vs. what EA says happened we can see if the stats line up. For instance, in the screenshot below we can see what it looks like when the stats between the two sources line up. All of the players listed have the same number of goals and assists on both the EA API, as well as what has been reported on the SportsGamer site after the games were finished. Generally speaking, people seem to be doing a pretty good job at maintaining the balance between accuracy and speed at which the reports are completed – so to the captains of the SportsGamer community, good work! That said, mistakes do happen and there are times when an extra assist gets added to one player that should have gone to someone else, however as shown in the screenshot below Keuschemisch is a major outlier. No other player across the seven tournaments worth of data is even close. To make matters worse, those 25 points came over the course of only four of those said seven tournaments. For completeness here is the list of players who have had points deducted by accident over those same seven tournaments. Furthermore, as seen in the overview below, a number of Keuschmisch’s additional points come by way of assists being granted when the EA API does not note one being recorded. In order for this to occur when reporting, the individual must edit the EA readout at the bottom of the page before then going back up to the dropdown box to select their name as one of the assisters on a goal. This means that it changes from a potential ‘misclick’ to a two-step process as seen below. Finally, when a game report is completed, it saves the username of the individual who did it, and in these games Keuschemisch was the user who completed the game reports. Therefore, we believe with the evidence listed above that the increase in stats seen on Keuschemisch is not by chance or an error and is in fact a conscious effort to boost their point totals artificially. Keuschemisch claims that the reason for this stats increase is a box score glitch. It is worth noting, that we have also seen video evidence of games where the alleged assists have taken place and been able to confirm that the player in question was nowhere near to getting an assist. Due to the scale of the stats manipulation across multiple tournaments and EA NHL titles, we have decided to suspend Keuschemisch from all SportsGamer tournaments from today’s date (10/01/2025) up to and including 28/02/2026, furthermore, Keuschemisch will receive a captaincy suspension that will run from today’s date (10/01/2025) up to and including 10/01/2030. Finally, for full disclosure, LA received the original report regarding this on the 20th of December 2024. To facilitate this investigation we had to create from scratch a tool to ingest and transform the data from EA’s API into a viewable account of all games from any tournament played on the SportsGamer platform, which we will now be using going forward to proactively scan for players manipulating statistics in a competitive environment. (Update: It should also be noted that from this investigation and the evidence gathered, LA is confident in saying that captains @Toneee9, and @Timasy were not aware of the stats manipulation that was going on, and as such should not face any public (or private) backlash.) League Administration

MATCHUP 1 Valokuitunen Esports (1) vs (8) The Black Jacks Regular Season Results: 3-2 The Black Jacks W 3-2 Valokuitunen Esports OTW Valokuitunen: Another dominant regular season from the defending champions (formerly known as hREDS) as they clinched the top seed in their finale against Straikers. The group has been truly elite in all phases of the game so far this season. They finished as the top team in the Division in goals for per game, goals against per game and shot attempts. They also saw each of their three forwards finish Top 10 in points. This includes Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Roope @pikkuroger Bergström, who shared the points title this season with 68. Speaking of @pikkuroger, he has filled the void left by Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen admirably this season after transferring from Straikers, posting a career-best season that will likely see him get consideration for both Forward of the Season and Transfer of The Season. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar season that Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes has had in net for the group, posting an 88.24% save percentage, 1.4 GAA and 10 shutouts while starting all 30 games this season. His save percentage increased by nearly 8 percentage points from last season (80.25%). This could very well be considered one of the most impressive regular season campaigns that we've seen in the Elite Division, but this team cares about winning championships more than seedings and flashy numbers. Now is when their true season starts. Stat of The Series: Valokuitunen Esports have yet to lose a game this season by more than one goal. The Black Jacks: Another season, another playoff appearance for The Black Jacks. It feels like this group always manages to find their way into the Top 8 despite the league getting deeper. This marks their fourth straight playoff appearance, as they have not missed the postseason since the ECL '22: Spring season. Though this team returned much of its lineup, they did have a major question mark down the middle after losing its captain and Center in Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi, who departed from the team after being with them since ECL 6 (2018). They filled his place in the lineup with another experienced Center in André @Foppatofflan Liljegren who has been solid for them this season with 35 points in 30 games. The biggest addition for this team however was Johan @McSavid Rundqvist; who after taking a break last season has proven to still be one of the top goalies in the game. The way that this team has been able to find success this season has been through its defensive play. The Black Jacks took massive strides in their defensive play this season, going from allowing 2.3 goals per game last season (which ranked 7th in Elite) to allowing just 2.07 this season (4th best in the league). This number was even lower before their last four games of the regular season, which saw them allow 3.75 per game during that stretch. If they can get back to the defensive play that we saw during the first 26 games, this series should be low-scoring and rightly contested. Stat of The Series: The Black Jacks' played in 17 games during the regular season that were decided by one goal; they had a 9-8 record in these games (this includes overtime games). Bonus Stat: The Black Jacks are 12-3 in home games this season (including OT games). This is important because The Black Jacks are known to play on the Central European server, and it appears they have been able to use that to their advantage in those games this season. Prediction: I truly do like this Black Jacks side. They are experienced, talented and are one of the best defensive teams in the entire ECL. Unfortunately, they are just running into an outright juggernaut in Valokuitunen Esports. I respect them enough to predict them to steal a game and feel like they have had about as much success against this group as any team in ECL, but it would probably be the biggest upset in league history if they were to pull off a series win. I just don't see it happening. Valokuitunen Esports in 5 MATCHUP 2 (2) Straikers vs (7) Unwanted Regular Season Results: 2-1 Unwanted W 5-2 Straikers W Straikers: For the second straight season, Straikers find themselves at the #2 seed after another stellar regular season. The group was balanced and showed their elite form in every way, as they finished Top 3 in the Division in goals for per game, goals against per game, shots, power play percentage and face-off percentage. They also finished 4th in penalty kill percentage. Much of this group's core remains the same from the past season, with the lone addition to their regular season lineup being Teemu @temppanen Karvonen, who scored a career-high 23 goals in his first season with the club. Someone else to look out for will be Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen. The veteran netminder put together another spectacular season with strikers, starting in 20 games and posting an 84.95% save percentage and a 1.55 GAA. Straikers are 14-5-1 in games in which he started in the regular season. As a matter of fact, the last time that @Hansulinho had a save percentage below 80% was in an ECL regular season was in ECL 4 when he played for Laser HT. That was in 2017. if that's not dominance, I don't know what is. Overall, this Straikers team has had plenty of regular season success over the year and even some playoff success, but the reality is that this team is starved for a title. Ever since combining the cores of FILADELPHIA and HAVU before NHL 23, this group has made it to the finals twice, but fell short both times to Tunnel Vision. Last season they were knocked out a round earlier in the semifinals after being swept against hREDS (now Valokuitunen Esports). The last time anyone in their lineup won an ECL Championship was in ECL 11 when FILADELPHIA did it in early 2021. It's been far too long since this group has held gold and they're going to come in with a chip on the shoulder. They'll have a tough path no doubt, but they were the league hottest team down the stretch with an 8-2 record in their final 10 regular season games. This is one of the last teams you'd want to see in a playoff bracket. Stat of the Series: Straikers played in just one overtime game all season, which was 2-1 loss against Purification on April 18. They have an overall record of 8-4 in one goal games this season (including OT games). Unwanted: Though I'm sure Unwanted are happy to be back in the playoffs for a second straight season, they have to feel like they left some meat on the bone during the later stages of the regular season. The wolves wound up as the 7th seed after finishing the season with a 4-5-1 record in its last 10 games. This includes a 7-1 loss to the now-relegated Gotham Knights and a 4-3 loss against Purification in their last game of the season, a game in which they held both a 2-0 and a 3-1 lead in the second half of the game. If Unwanted wins just one of those two games, they would've finished in 5th. if they had won both? They would've been 3rd. Despite the disappointing end though, Unwanted still had a lot to be happy with this season. A nine game win streak from April 24 to May 5 is what pushed this team into the Top 8, as they collected a whopping 25 points in the standings during that time. That streak makes up for 49% of their points all season. Not only this, but Unwanted are the only team in the entire league that can say that they swept Valokuitunen Esports, as they won both games against them in the regular season (4-3 W and 5-4 OTW on April 29). Where this team can be most dangerous is in the offensive zone and that shows in their 2.73 goals for per game, which ranks 4th in the Elite Division. They've seen multiple players step up, as four of their five skaters finished this season with 30+ points. Eetu @Launonexx Launonen was quietly one of the division's top playmakers this season with 33 assists (3rd for all skaters), while Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland was one of the division's best finishers, finishing tied for 5th in the league goals with 27. Some else to keep a close eye on is Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson. In his rookie campaign, @karlssonadam_ had an 85.57% save percentage while making the third most saves of any goalie in the Elite division this season with 350. He also had more desperation saves than any other goalie in Elite with 28. Look out for him in this series. Stat of the Series: Despite finishing with the second lowest shot total (354) and shots per game (11.8) in the Elite Division, Unwanted had the highest shot percentage in the league at 23.16%. They were the only team in Elite to finish over the 20% mark. Prediction: These two team met in the Quarterfinals last season as the exact same seedings. 5 of the 6 games were decided by one goal. Four of these games went to overtime. Straikers would eventually prevail to win the series in thrilling fashion, coming back from two goals down with 15 seconds left in Game 6 to take the series later in overtime. Unwanted was a few plays away from potentially winning this series and they have every reason to feel confident. However, this team has been mired by inconsistencies all season and their recent form is reason for concern in my opinion. I think that we'll see many close games again where the goaltenders will shine and it'll come down to who is able to make plays when their team needs them most. Considering all of this, I'll give the advantage to a Straikers team that has a chip on their shoulder and are hot at the right time winning 8 of their last 10 games. Straikers in 6 MATCHUP 3 (3) Tunnel Vision vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport Regular Season Meetings: 4-3 Bjorkloven Esport W 3-2 Tunnel Vision OTW Tunnel Vision: After failing to win their third-straight Elite Championship last season, Tunnel Vision are back in the playoffs in hopes of recapturing their crown. However, their quest has not come as smoothly as we have seen it in past seasons. Despite still being amongst the best offensive teams in the division, Tunnel Vision's play in its own zone has taken an alarming step back. Don't believe me? Let's look at the numbers: Last season Tunnel Vision allowed just 1.57 goals per game during the regular season, which was the lowest in the league. This season, that number has jumped all the way up to 2.7 goals allowed per game, which is the third worst in the league. The only two teams that allowed more were GOONS - who will have to play in a relegation series to stay in the Elite division - and Gotham Knights who will be relegated down to the Pro Division after finishing last in the standings with just five wins. Not great company to be in. On the more positive side of things though, Tunnel Vision are still a team that can score with the best of them. The group averaged 3.03 goals for per game during the regular season, second-best in the league. Additionally, Tunnel Vision saw all five skaters in their main lineup end the season with 30+ points. They even have the league's leading goal scorer in Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, who scored a ECL career-high 42 goals during the regular season. He also had the second most points of anyone in the division with 62, just six points shy of his career-high 68 points from last season. Someone that everyone will have to keep their eye on especially for this team will be Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen. The captain and star defender had the most time with the puck of any skater in the Elite Division, controlling the puck for 198:51 in his 30 games played. He also ranked 6th for all Elite division skaters in passing percentage (85.1%) and pass attempts (1052). He is the quarterback of this Tunnel Vision team offensively and specifically on the breakout. He should be busy again in these playoffs. This team has mastered the art of winning tight games and they've made the finals in each of the last four seasons, so you can never count them out. However, this Tunnel Vision team seems to have more holes in the armor than they did in those past seasons. You can blame it on some key pieces departing over the years or you can just chalk it up to a few off performances in the regular season. Either way, it doesn't matter. Tunnel Vision is going to be a title threat, there is no question about it. But they are going to have to find away to stifle opposing offenses better than they did in the regular season if they want to make it back to the top of the Elite division mountain. Stat of the Series: 11 of Tunnel Vision's 15 wins were by just one goal (include OT wins). That equates to 73.3% of their wins this season. For comparison, last season 13 of their 21 wins were by one goal (61.9%). They have a 4-3 record in overtime games. Bjorkloven: A team that many felt would be in the playoff conversation at the beginning of the season, Bjorkloven Esport made a statement by locking in the 6th seed in the Division and posting 52 standings points in the process. The part that is even more impressive? This team was in the Pro Division last season and made the jump to Elite through the qualifier before this season. This group also underwent a significant roster overhaul, as only two playoff starters from last season's team have played a game for the team this season. Not only this but multiple players in their lineup hadn't even played in the Elite division prior to this season. Before the start of this season, the most Elite experience on this team came from Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen, who had played 64 games across two seasons, Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila, who had played 62 games over three seasons, and Arttu @Thewix93 Harju with 34 games in his lone Elite season in ECL 9. Everyone else on this roster was a rookie other than Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala, who played in eight games with Reality Check in this division during the ECL '23: Spring season. @koleslaav_ (49pts) and @x-_-BoBi-_-x (46pts) were the team's two top point producers this season. Interestingly enough, no one on this team scored 20 goals this season, but five different skaters scored at least nine goals and their 2.33 goals for per game, ranked 9th in the division. What makes this team special is their ability to slow down opposing offenses, as Bjorkloven Esport allowed just 2 goals per game this season, which ranked third in the league. Juspe @Ricco Laakso has also been a big reason for this, flexing his ability as a rookie with a 83.85sv% and a 2.04 GAA, both in which ranked in the Top 10 in the division. This team is balanced, defensively strong and have a goaltender that has proven to have game-stealing ability. All of the qualities that make for a potential upset pick in the playoffs. State of the Series: Bjorkloven Esport tied with Renascor for the least penalized team in the Elite Division this season, only committing 60 penalty minutes. Bonus Stat: Bjorkloven Esport had an 8-10 record in one-goal games this season (including overtime games) Prediction: I'll be honest, I could see this being a popular upset pick. Bjorkloven are a strong squad that are good enough defensively to compete with Tunnel Vision's high-octane offense. However, I have concerns about Bjorkloven's lack of experience, as not a single player on their roster has played a playoff game at the Elite level (not including relegation series games). I know that it's a cliche thing to say, but it means something. There is something to be said about a team that has yet to play in the postseason at this level, going up against a team that has made the Finals each of the past four seasons and are two-time Elite Division champions. As for Tunnel Vision, I'd be lying if I said that they've been playing to their standard. I wouldn't go as far as to say that this team is vulnerable right now, but I would definitely say that they are susceptible. They've just looked off-kilter this season and have yet to find that next level in their game that we have seen from them in the past. However, I think they'll step up and get the job done in what should be a tightly contested series. If they don't, it could be a long offseason with a lot of soul-searching ahead of them. Tunnel Vision in 6 MATCHUP 4 (4) Tohtorit vs (5) EXEN Regular Season Series: 5-4 EXEN W 2-0 EXEN W Tohtorit: The last time we saw Tohtorit in Elite was in the Spring '23 season, where they went 11-15-4 and finished 13th in the league. They beat Deadly Phantoms in 5 games in their relegation series to stay up in Elite, but didn’t participate last season, taking a one season hiatus. This season Tohtorit came back, replacing the Mayhems brand and bringing back multiple players from that Tohtorit team from last year. Considering this, not many people picked this team to make the playoffs, but they did, and now they have a chance to add another chapter to what has been a storybook season for the club. They will feel as if they missed an opportunity to earn a better seeding, as they lost each of their last 4 games in regulation and wound up just two points behind Tunnel Vision for the #3 seed, but a Top 4 finish is still extremely impressive, especially from a team that many didn't even have making the playoffs at all. This team is the perfect example of a group that isn't elite at anything specifically, but they do a lot of different things well and rely on playing a balanced game in all three phases. Their 2.01 goals allowed per game was 5th best in the division and they also had the division's third-best power play at 31.43%. They also averaged 2.43 goals for per game, which ranked right around the middle of the division in 7th. Tohtorit started the same six player for all 30 games this season. Some impact players for the group include Jere @Harlowi- Paloranta, who racked up a team-high 52 points (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters), Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala who tied @Harlowi- for the team lead in assists with 31 (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters), and Jere @profiilipakki Kangasniemi who led the team in goals with 26 (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters). Another player that you can expect to be active in this series will be Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, who compiled 28 points this season with 25 assists. He also had the second-most time with the puck of any player in the Elite division this season with 187:48 of possession time, so expect to hear his name often in this series. Lastly, I wanted to mention Stan @Stammer70 Adamus and the stellar season that he has had, as he's backstopped his Tohtorit team all season with an 83.76 SV% and 2.10 GAA. These numbers are actually very similar to his Spring '23 season with this team and he's truly emerged as arguably one of the more underrated goalies in a division that is stacked with elite goaltending talent. Overall, this team does a lot of things well. The question is whether they can replicate their success in the postseason. Stat of the Series: Tohtorit went 6-8 against playoff teams in the regular season, including 1-7 against teams that finished in the Top 5 of the standings. None of these games went to overtime, and 6 of the 8 losses were by more than one goal. Bonus Stat: @Kkarkass played for JYP Jyväskyla last season and was one of their most impactful players, playing in all 30 games and putting up 30 points in his lone season with them. He was on Tohtorit during the two seasons prior to their hiatus. EXEN: It's hard to not feel like the team has to have a chip on their shoulder, right? You'd be hard-pressed to find another team in the ECL that have gone through as many ups and downs as this EXEN side has over the past three years. Formerly JYP Jyväskyla before rebranding to the EXEN name this season, this group has seen the following things happen since the Summer of 2020. ECL 10 - Earned #1 seed in the playoffs, were later upset by #8 seed Farjested BK in 5 games ECL 11 - Made the semifinals as #4 seed before losing to eventual champion FILADELPHIA ECL 12 - Went 10-17-3 in the regular season and were relegated to Pro Division after losing the relegation series in 5 games ECL '22: Winter - Went 23-5-2 in the regular season and won the Pro Division championship to earn promotion back into Elite ECL '22: Spring - Went 12-14-4 and finished 11th in Elite standings with 28pts, avoiding the relegation series zone by 1 point ECL '23: Winter - Made the semifinals as #5 seed before losing eventual champion to Tunnel Vision in 6 games ECL '23: Spring - Push #2 seed Tunnel Vision to 7 games in Quarterfinals, but lose in game 7. ECL '24: Winter - Earn #3 seed in playoffs, lose to #6 seed Vesa Pompa in 6 games See what I mean? Sure, many of the players from that time have come and gone since, but the history of this team still is there and it deserves a deep playoff run. Turning the focus now to this season, things have been up and down for this EXEN group. The expectation for this team was to make the playoffs, which they did, but it feels like they could've been a little higher in the standings than where they ended up (5th). EXEN ranks in the Top 5 in the league in goals for per game (2.63) and shots per game (15.5). They also sport the Elite division's best penalty kill at 91.87%. Similarly to Tohtorit, EXEN has played the same six players in all of their games this season. 4 of their 6 starters returned from last season's group, but EXEN's two additions have both proven to be great adds for their squad that they are hoping can take them to new heights in the postseason. Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala returned to the group after spending last season with Heimo. He led EXEN with 55 points (which ranks Top 5 in the division), 24 goals and 31 assists (both rank Top 10 in the division) during the regular season. The addition of Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen on defense as also proven to be a critical one. After helping hREDS win the league last year and helping Tunnel Vision win the title in the two seasons prior, @Mozjayh posted 25 points with 19 assists in his debut season with EXEN this season. He and Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström have become one of the division's best defensive pairings this season and their impact has been immense. In terms of goaltending, Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt has been stellar once again for this team with an 83.09sv% and a 2.30 GAA. The backend has proven to be the backbone of this team, so these three players will be major factors for EXEN in this series. EXEN has a ton of experience in this league and plenty of skill and chemistry to go with it. The perfect combination for a deep playoff run. Stat of the Series: @Lxndstrom(184:11) and @Mozjayh (171:52) rank 3rd and 5th amongst all Elite division skaters in time with the puck. These two are the straw that stirs the drink for EXEN's offense and much of the team's offensive success will likely involve them in some form. Bonus Stat: Though EXEN went 4-7 in their last 11 games of the regular season, two of those wins came against Tohtorit, who they swept in their regular season finale on May 16. Prediction: This series is so tough to call because these are two teams that do a lot of things well. They are both balanced and have players on both ends of the that can impact the game at any time. However, EXEN went 7-7 against playoff teams and five of those losses were by one goal (this includes overtime games). They also went 5-3 against teams that finished Top 5 in the league. Meanwhile Tohtorit, as impressive as they have been, have yet to prove that they can beat the teams of this caliber consistently, something that is extremely important in a playoff series. They also just lost twice to EXEN on Thursday. None of this is particularly inspiring for them, and when you combine with EXEN's experience, I just don't think that it's a favorable matchup for them. The one thing that I will say though is that this team has been used to being doubted. Just like I am doubting them right now, they have been doubted since the before the season started. Yet every time they have prove these doubted wrong. They are playing against an EXEN team that has disappointed in these Quarterfinals in the past, including just last season. I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if I was wrong, but I think EXEN will just be a little too much for this tough Tohorit team to overcome. Prediction: EXEN in 5 Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may have not covered? Let me know in the comments! FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Week 1: Monday 20.5 - 19:45 CEST | #4 Tohtorit vs #5 EXEN & #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #8 The Black Jacks | Games 1-2 Wednesday 22.5 - 19:15 CEST | #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #8 The Black Jacks | Games 3-7 Thursday 23.5 - 20:45 CEST | #4 Tohtorit vs #5 EXEN | Games 3-7 Week 2: Monday 27.5 - 19:45 CEST | #3 Tunnel Vision vs #6 Björklöven Esport & #2 Straikers vs #7 Unwanted | Games 1-2 Tuesday 28.5 - 19:15 CEST | #3 Tunnel Vision vs #6 Björklöven Esport |Games 3-7* Wednesday 29.5 - 19:15 CEST | #2 Straikers vs #7 Unwanted | Games 3-7* *These dates may be reverse

League Administrative Announcement: Disqualification of Unwanted from ECL Elite SportsGamer has recently become aware of a publicly posted image originating from Unwanted’s team WhatsApp group. The image contained racist content. Following a thorough investigation, we confirmed that the content was authentic (i.e., not altered) and found that several players from Unwanted attempted to deceive and obstruct the League Administration (LA) during this process. Members of the team even went so far as to create fake screenshots, falsely claiming these were the original conversations that had been Photoshopped. Such behavior carries significant penalties. Decision and Implications Given these findings, and after thorough deliberation among LA members, we have decided to disqualify Unwanted from the ongoing ECL Elite season. For the purposes of relegation and standings, the season will proceed as though it was played with 16 teams, with Unwanted finishing in 16th place. Player Suspensions In addition to the team disqualification, individual players from Unwanted have received suspensions. These suspensions, effective immediately, will apply to all SportsGamer tournaments as follows: @Snus97_: Suspended until December 2nd, 2025 @Suth98_: Suspended until June 17th, 2025. Cover Gamer status has been revoked. @bystrom___ & @LaxenHD: Suspended until the April 5th, 2025 @Johansson-37: Suspended until the February 21st, 2025 The remaining roster is allowed to go, join, and play for another team this season (providing the usual transfer rules are satisfied, of course). Resetting Community Standards LA has previously received feedback that our responses to similar incidents were insufficient. Moving forward, we are resetting the standard for player conduct. Any player found engaging in racist behavior will face strict disciplinary action, including severe bans. This decision reflects our intent to provide an opportunity for players to learn and improve. We also discourage witch hunts targeting historical incidents, such as old screenshots or videos, as this detracts from fostering a positive and forward-looking community. Supporting Positive Growth To support this vision, SportsGamer will establish an initiative providing a safe and supportive space where players can seek advice from vetted peers (players). This effort aims to reduce the toxicity currently pervasive in the community. Players should be able to grow both on and off the ice without being subjected to insults or bullying from more established players. While details are still being finalized, we are committed to creating a more inclusive, welcoming environment for all participants.

After months of waiting and eager anticipation, the ECL season is finally in our lives again. Since we last saw each other in July, a lot around the Elite Division has changed. New teams, rebrands, promotions and so much more. Our defending champion rode off into the sunset, three teams were promoted from the Pro Division to Elite, and some former rivals have joined forces to become teammates. I know, that's a lot, but don't worry! We're here to catch you up and give you the rundown of what to expect from each Elite Division team this upcoming season. Before we start, let me clarify that the teams are listed in alphabetical order. Though I sprinkle in some of my own personal thoughts on the teams, this is not a standings prediction, so keep that in mind as you read! Also, rosters fluctuate like crazy and some players can be listed on rosters that don't intend on playing, so unless I was informed otherwise about a certain player, everyone listed on the roster is viewed as either a returner or an addition. Also, thank you to @Vamoux for providing me with additional facts and background information on each of the teams! Lastly, remember that this is all just opinions and analysis! You are allowed to disagree with them, just do it respectfully. None of this really means anything and it's all about just trying to come up with good content for the league that people can enjoy, so please don't take anything here to heart. It's not that serious! Ok, that's enough rambling. We have a long list of teams so let's get started! EXEN Last Season: Finished 5th in Regular Season standings, lost in Semifinals vs Valokuitunen Esports in 5 games Returning Players: FWD - Santeri @indi969 Pendolin FWD - Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström (played defense last season) DEF - Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen G - Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt Roster Additions: FWD - Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen (joins from Tunnel Vision) DEF- Veeti @wengerii Paloneva (joins from Tunnel Vision) DEF - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (joins from Parasite) G - Ben @benuh_ Rinnet (joins from Tunnel Vision) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala (transfered to Mustaa Kultaa) FWD - V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela (transferred to Polski Boys) Another team that brings back much of its core back from the last season, EXEN is looking to take a step forward after falling in the Semifinals to Valokuittinen last season. This team made multiple star additions, adding in a multi-time defender of the year in xDoumi, and former Tunnel Vision staples in wengerii and Pikkari. They also added benuh_ who cemented himself as one of Europe's top goalies last season, as he helped backstop Tunnel Vision to its third championship in their last season as a team. Combine this with the returning core of Lxndstom, Mozjayh, Indi and kaz_zu and you can see why so many people are excited about this team. It's important to note as well that it looks like Lxndstrom will be transitioning to forward after spending the last few seasons at LD for this team, so that will be a move to watch out for this season. This is easily EXEN's most talented roster to date and they should be a championship favorite when considering the talent they have at their disposal. The question for EXEN has always been whether they can beat the other top tier teams in the division, especially come playoff time. If they can, we could see this team make its first final and compete for a trophy in a few months. I feel confident that they'll at least be a Semifinals team again this season; anything less would feel like a bit of a disappointment with this roster quite honestly. Let's see if they get it done. Falun Coal Miners Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Finals vs Almost Famous in 5 games, lost Elite Relegation Series vs Renascor in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Philip @STRANDMANNEN11 Strandman FWD - Christoffer @Buffy Mentzer FWD - Ted @Smayk99 Kempe DEF - Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt DEF - Jonas @Supremski Söderlund G - Elie @eliekamel87 Kamel Roster Additions: G- Johan @McSavid Rundqvist (joins from The Black Jacks) Utility - Pontus @LastMandalorian Duvefelt Roster Subtractions: Utility - Matti @SelanneFIN Makkonen Look who's back! After choosing to drop down to the Pro Division to rebuild the core of its roster, Falun Coal Miners earned their spot back into Elite after a thrilling seven-game series win over TIKI TALK in the Elite Qualifier last week. An interesting fact about that by the way, they were down 3-1 in that series before ultimately winning three straight games to steal the series, and their captain Furyan scored all four game-winning goals, including two in OT... and he did it as a defenseman! Impressive to say the least. Now the Coal Miners will have to set their sights on staying in the Division for good, and it'll take a familiar group of players for them to do it. This team only made one addition, but it was one of the best goalies in the ECL in McSavid, who comes over from The Black Jacks after putting up an 84.5sv% in 20 starts. He continues to prove year after year that he is considered one of the best for a reason, and Falun will need him to carry that form over if they want to surpass what many seem to expect from them. Outside of McSavid and Furyan, there isn't a ton of Elite-level experience to be found on the roster, as their lineup will contain multiple rookies at the forward position. We've seen players such as STRANDMANNEN and Buffy have great seasons and become proven point producers in the lower ranks, but can they carry that production over into the golden tier of the ECL? I don't think that this is a bad roster, it's far from it, but I do think that there will be growing pains for some of the newer players to this division on their roster. They will need to rely on the experience that they have from players like Furyan, McSavid, and Supremski to keep themselves out of the relegation zone, but luckily for them, it happens to be two of the most proven players at their respective positions that we've seen in Elite. Maybe the adjustment period will be minimized, but that's not something that you can bank on without seeing it. GOONS Last Season: Finished 13th in Regular Season standings, lost Elite Relegation series vs Mustaa Kultaa in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Teemu @tkantola Kantola FWD - @Xkeineri DEF - Luka @Easychasniper2 Rönn DEF - Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen G - Tim @Tuhmakalastaja91 Grönlund Roster Additions: FWD - Leo @Lekxsa_70 Hämäläinen (joins from ROBE Esports - Pro Division) FWD - @xRori83 (joins from Dark Energy HC - Lite Division) G - Juuso @TheSpeedo Sirkola Roster Subtractions: DEF - Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola DEF - Tuukka @KingOfApes_ Ropelinen (transferred to NOVA - Pro Division) FWD/G - Samu @xKeskitalo Keskitalo (transferred to Finnish Roosters - Pro Division) Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It doesn't feel like all that long ago when GOONS was one of the top teams in this Division and a consistent playoff threat, but the last time they made the playoffs? ECL 22 Spring season. Since then, this team has been on a steady decline, and it hit rock bottom last season when they found themselves finishing 13th in the standings and later being swept in its relegation series against Mustaa Kultaa. Luckily for GOONS, they were thrown a lifeline with the ECL 25 Winter qualifier and swept RYHTIC to earn their way back into the Elite Division. So can GOONS get back on the right track this season? It'll take a refreshed approach for them to do so, and there are some names both old and new to this team that could help them do it. One is Easychasniper, who will be back with GOONS after playing 14 games with the team last season at defense (he was one of the Grand Finalists in the ECL 24 1v1 season). Lekxsa is another addition to the roster as a rookie, putting up 41 points in 30 games with ROBE Esports in his lone Pro Division season during the Spring. Speedo comes over from Mustaa Kultaa and will play his first full season in Elite after playing 10 games in Pro last season. These three will combine with the experience of Tkantola and Keinari who have played together for some time, as well as Sisu who is not only one of the world's best 1v1 players but has also been a play-drive and point producer at defense in this Division for the past few seasons, even despite some of his team's struggles. I don't expect GOONS to turn things around entirely or immediately, but I do think that they've taken a step in the right direction. They'll play with a similar identity as past GOONS teams, so lots of hits and lots of counter-attacking, but I think that it'll be done with a bit of a different flavor. Losing Krike, KingOfApes, and Keskitalo hurts, but things were clearly not working for this team. They needed new blood and they got it. My expectation this season will be for GOONS to show progression rather than regression. Heimo Last Season: Finished 14th in Regular Season standings, won Elite Relegation series vs RYHTIC in 6 games Returning Players: FWD - Eemil @Eeemill_ Törnvall FWD - Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen DEF - Tuomas @Tumpp1A Aaltonen DEF - Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma G - Jani @Vamoux Jämsäläinen Roster Additions: FWD - Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen (joins from Mustaa Kultaa) DEF - Aleksi @xSnaipperi Honka (joins from TIKI TALK) Roster Subtractions: DEF - A @Akunkku Kuningas DEF - @N44TTI_16 (transferred to DILAC - Pro Division) G - Jani @TeikDaun Honkasaar (transferred to Mythix) Last season, Heimo struggled to find winning form, with their longest win streak being 2 games and being forced to fight to keep their place in Elite in a relegation series, but they did so successfully and are back in the ECL’s top flight for another season. They bring in a pair of players in xHatsi and xSnaipperi. Hatsi was a key cog in Muusta Kuulta's Pro Division run last season that eventually earned them a spot in the Elite Division (he had 10 points in four relegation series games), so it'll be interesting to see him lining up down the middle with two captains in Eemil and Sadapoika. Snaipperi comes over from TIKI TALK after being one of the best defenders in the Pro Division last season (40pts in 30 games and a +60 plus/minus). The 18-year-old Fin will be playing his first season in Elite, but he could very well be a Rookie of the Season contender by the end of the Winter campaign. Look out for him. The last time we saw this group in the playoffs was in ECL Winter 23 under the JANO branding, and you feel like there is a chance that this could change this season. They have a good mix of youth and experience and considering how much the landscape of the Division has shifted since the Spring, you feel like now is as good of a chance as ever for them to make it back. They'll need to find that consistent form, but if they can, Heimo could catch some eyes this season. Mustaa Kultaa Last Season: Competed in Pro Divison, lost in Semifinals vs Falun Coal Miners in 7 games, won Elite Relegation series vs GOONS in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Jaro @jaageri_ Matilainen (on the roster, but will not be available to play this season) FWD - Alex @Allupekkaz Buntsel G - Veeti @LatveX Laitinen Roster Additions: FWD - Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala (joins from EXEN) FWD - Eetu @Launonexx Launonen (joins from Unwanted) FWD - J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (joins from TIKI TALK) DEF - Mico @Mise Pulli (joins from Gotham Knights) G - Jere @KASINELONEN Leppikangas Roster Subtractions: FWD - Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen (transferred to Heimo) FWD - Arttu @Arska Aarnio FWD - Jimi @JJimbo- Laitinen DEF - Jiri @I_Saarinen_I Saarinen (transferred to Kymmenelta Clubille - Pro Division) DEF - Lauri @SirLateksi Seimelä (transferred to Kymmenelta Clubille - Pro Division) G - Miika @sMiiga Koivula (transferred to PANIC ON ICE - Core Division) One of our two new Elite Division teams (not including rebrands)! As an unbiased and neutral party, I have to admit that it's pretty cool to see Mustaa Kultaa make it to the ECL's top flight for the first time. I called this team's ECL 23 Spring Lite Championship victory in what was their first-ever season as a group, and now just three seasons later, here they are in the Elite division. These are the stories that make this league so fun and make the ECL so unique. Now let's get down to business, this team looks drastically different from past seasons. As a matter of fact, no other Elite Division team exchanged more players than Mustaa Kultaa over the offseason, as they made five additions to the roster while seeing five players depart, and that doesn't even include the team's captain jaageri who will be away this season. They brought in two of Elite's best-scoring forwards from last season. Launonex returns to Mustaa Kultaa after spending last season with Unwanted, where he was one of the best rookie skaters in the league with 55 points and had a great case for winning rookie of the year (his teammate at the time, karlssonadam just edged him out). He joins Aaro who comes over from EXEN and had a 55-point season of his own. These two were tied for the fourth-most points in the league last season, so that gives you an idea of how impactful these two transfers are for Mustaa Kultaa. Naurijamal also feels like an under-the-radar addition, as he comes off of a 93-point and 54-assist season with TIKI TALK in the Pro Division last season, both which led the league last season. Considering that Allupekkaz has long been the team's starting RW, I'm interested to see how they rotate three really talented forwards and if one of them could possibly move back to defense, as their roster only has one defenseman officially listed on the roster in Miseee, who comes over from Gotham Knights. The jump to Elite is a tough one. It's a game of sink or swim and we've seen cases of both over the last few seasons. Even last season we saw teams like Gotham Knights and Renascor struggle to make the jump and finish in the Bottom 4 of the division, while other teams such as Björkloven Esport and Purification adapted rather quickly and finished Top 10 in the standings. I personally feel like this team is capable of doing the latter. I think that competing towards a playoff spot is a very reasonable expectation for this team considering the moves that they made in the offseason. They've climbed the ECL ladder about as quickly as any team could do so, and now they'll get the chance to match up against some of the best groups that Europe has to offer. Mythix (formerly Bjorkloven Esport) Last Season: Finished 6th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Tunnel Vision in 5 games Returning Players: FWD - Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala FWD - Valtteri @Valee__ Jakola FWD - Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen DEF - Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila DEF - Veeti @WeDuX_ Misikangas DEF - Arttu @Thewix93 Harju G - Jussi @Ricco Laakso Roster Additions: G - Jani @TeikDaun Honkasaar (joins from Heimo) Roster Subtractions: G - Dennis @Kallmanius Källman (transferred to Bjorkloven Esport - Pro Division) Formerly under the Bjorkloven Esport brand, his group had quite the debut to Elite last season, earning a playoff spot and putting the Elite division on notice in their first season there. Unfortunately for them, they fell short to the eventual champions, but the Spring campaign was nothing short of a success for now-rebranded Mythix. Now the expectations are present for this team, and there’s the feeling that they could ascend into the Top 4 if all goes right this season. They return a majority of the roster, only making one swap in adding TeikDaun to take the place of Kallmanus, who made just two starts for the team in net last season. Considering how good this team was in their own end last season, giving up just 2 goals per game and having a penalty kill of 86.67% ( both ranked at third-best in Elite), I'm sure that they won't complain about maintaining the majority of a roster that was one of the best defensive teams in the division. Koleslaav and Bobbi also proved to be a dynamic duo at the forward spot, with each of them at least having double the amount of points of any of their teammates. I'm sure that Mythix will want This is a team that is hungry and still has a lot to prove, but a playoff appearance should be the minimum expectation in my opinion. They’ve already proven that they can get there and now it’s time for them to build up from that. Was last season just a glimpse of what they’re capable of? We’ll find out soon. Parasite (formerly Valokuitunen Esports) Last Season: Finished 1st in Regular Season standings, lost in Finals vs Tunnel Vision in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen FWD - Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen DEF - Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila G - Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes Roster Additions: FWD - Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (joins from Tunnel Vision) DEF - Tomi @tomboo-_- Laitinen (joins from Tunnel Vision) G - Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (joins from Voittamaton *didn't play any games last season*) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen DEF - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (transferred to EXEN) After being swept in the Finals by Tunnel Vision this past season, Parasite come into ECL '25: Winter under a new name and with a much different look after making some key additions. Long-time staples in Vilupoika and Doumi are out, while rivals turned teammates are now in, as they add three former Tunnel Vision stars in Vattuyy, UhNikke, and the team’s former captain Tomboo. It almost feels similar to what we saw a few years ago when HAVU and Frolunda HC had their cores merge, only I think you could argue that this group is even stronger than that one was (not by a wide margin to be clear, that team had insane talent as well). You could maybe wonder how these different play styles will mesh together, as Tunnel Vision and hREDS/Valokuitunen played very different play styles, but the best players and teams find ways to make it work and this group fits that billing to a tee. I wish that I had a deeper analysis to give about this group, but it's honestly all quite simple. This is a collection of some of the best talent in the world and their most likely starting lineup makes up for each of the last 7 Elite Division championships. It doesn't get much simpler or more truthful than that. Everyone is plenty familiar with what this team is capable of and they will without a doubt be a title favorite again. Similarly to what we said with EXEN earlier, anything less than at least a Semifinals appearance would feel like a disappointment. Polski Boys Last Season: Finished 12th in Regular Season standings Returning Players: FWD - Aleksi @Brockela22 Pokela FWD - Sasu @xSaski_ Korkeamäki DEF - Lauri @vote_10 Voittomäki DEF - Santeri @kungenkirwa Syrjämäki G - Kirill @W1nchester_62 Syuzyumov G - Tomi @Tope0090 Heikkilä Roster Additions: FWD - V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela (joins from EXEN) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Joona @jm98II Muona A team that had a quick rise in ECL '23, Polski Boys are still looking for their breakthrough moment in the Elite Division, finishing in no man’s land in each of their foes two seasons here. They kept most of the core from last season in fact, only making one move in adding cTunekelija who comes over from EXEN. He’ll take the place of jm who had been a staple in this lineup during the team’s ascent. Though JM is a quality player in his own right, Tunekelija has been a proven commodity as a point-producer, hitting 40+ points in each of his past three Elite seasons. For a team that finished Bottom 5 in the division in goals for per game during their first two Elite seasons, including the second-lowest goals for per game last season (2.07), this will be a helpful addition. This is a team that many believe is on the cusp of that breakout year, and I've been in that same boat for a while now. Is the third time the charm for Polski Boys? A playoff appearance would suggest yes, but they’ll need to finally take that much-needed stride offensively to get there. Renascor Last Season: Finished 15th in Regular Season standings, won Elite relegation series vs Falun Coal Miners in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Evgeny @Virusact1ve Popov DEF - Sergei @NyambI4 Filippov DEF - Igor @Motov Motov Roster Additions: FWD - André @Foppatofflan Liljegren (joins from The Black Jacks + Northern Ascendancy) FWD - Connor @MartindalexC Martindale (joins from Falun Coal Miners + Northern Ascendancy) G - @jg697000 (joins from Supernatural - Pro Division) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Maksim @maximkrinitsyn88 Krinitsyn FWD - Erik @riegel29 Riegel G - @Hullued (transferred to HC Pustertal eSports - Lite Division) Making some of the most roster moves of any team in the Division, Renascor is back for its second Elite Division campaign. Now they look to progress after what was a tough season for the group last season, finishing in 15th and having to win a Game 7 in a relegation series vs Falun Coal Miners to maintain their place in Elite. The majority of changes that this team made were at the forward spot, as they brought in a pair of linemates with ample Elite experience in Foppatofflan and Martindale. Though these two are experienced, they were just brought into the team last week, so we'll have to see how quickly these two can gel with the rest of Renascor's lineup and how quickly it will take for the group to adjust to one another. They also added a rookie goaltender in Gresu__, who was stellar in the Pro Division last season with Supernatural, posting an 86 sv% in 14 games. The key to Renascor improving this season will be finding its offensive stride. This team had the lowest goals for per game of any team in the Elite Division last season at 1.67. They also had the fourth-lowest shots per game in the division at 12.1. Will the veteran additions help? Or will they still not have enough firepower to match up with the division's playoff contenders? I think they've taken a step in the right direction, but we won't be able to know until we see it for ourselves. Roots Gaming Last Season: Finished 10th in Regular Season standings Returning Players: FWD - Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen FWD - Linus @Limu95 Christiansson FWD - Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli FWD - Samuli @ssampee37 Mäntylä DEF - Niko @vVoDee Vottonen DEF - Joonas @LE1PAKONE Nordman G - Joona @xJontteZ Moilanen Roster Additions: NONE Roster Subtractions: NONE One of two teams to make zero changes to its roster, Roots Gaming is looking to make it back to the playoffs after just falling short in the Spring '23 season. Despite falling short of the Top 8 however, last season had to be considered a success for Roots, as they made an 18-point improvement in the standings and went from finishing 15th in the Winter season to 10th in the Spring (technically they tied for 9th with Purification, but lost the tiebreaker). This team probably has to most chemistry of anyone in the league, as this is also the same exact roster from that Winter 24 season that we had mentioned earlier. You can argue that this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Two seasons together as a unit is invaluable, and could arguably be this team's biggest strength. They also have one of the league's more underrated goalies in xJonttezz, who comes off a season where he posted an 82.75 SV% (he was also above an 80 SV% during the Winter season with this team). However on the flip side of that argument, this team has been stuck in the middle or worse for a while now, and considering that they made zero changes to the roster, there isn't much evidence that suggests that this Roots team will all of a sudden become more than what they've already shown that they are. If they are going to do so, they will need to find their offense a bit more in this game cycle, as they averaged just 1.47 (Winter) and 2.07 (Spring) goals per game in NHL 24. They will also need to find a way to punch a bit higher to compete with some of the league's top groups, as last season they had a record of just 3-13 against playoff teams, with 11 of those losses coming in regulation. I don't mean to be harsh with Roots, they're a capable group, but after a while, you are what your performances say you are, and when nothing has changed from the past two seasons it's hard to give any reason to believe that this group will suddenly ascend into that next tier of Elite Division teams unless their game has elevated over the past few months, which though possible, is not something that can be safely predicted. The Black Jacks Last Season: Finished 8th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Valokuitunen Esports in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg FWD - Chris @GERxVillain Ungeheuer FWD - Tim @Timasy Hess DEF - Max @Toneee9 Tonitz DEF - Antti @Anhel_Kuru Kuru Roster Additions: DEF - Niklas @xXPsykoSkillsXx Schmitz (joins from Deadly Phantoms - Pro Division) G - Santeri @kkostiiii Kostiainen (joins from Vesa Pompa) G - Sandro @I-THE_EAGLE-I Wüller Roster Subtractions: FWD - André @Foppatofflan Liljegren (transferred to Renascor) G - Johan @McSavid Rundqvist (transferred to Falun Coal Miners) G - Simeon @Simbanho Vorselman (transferred to Blackbirds - Pro Division *will return to TBJ next season*) After nearly pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Elite history in last season’s Quarterfinals, TBJ is back and hoping to take that long-awaited next step forward. It feels like this group has been stuck in the middle for a while, consistently finishing in the 8-12 range in the standings. With experience aplenty and higher ambitions, this will need to change this season. Their biggest change will be at what was arguably their biggest strength last season, goaltending, as Kkosti comes in to replace to goaltending duo of McSavid and Simbahno. Kkosti joined the team over the summer, so you can expect him to be ready to go for his new team. While McSavid has moved on to Falun Coal Miners, it has been said that Simbanho will rejoin the team next season but will be playing in the Pro Division with Blackbirds for this season (so essentially he's on loan). They also replace Fopptofflan who was a steady presence at center for them, as GERxVillan will move from defense to Center spot to fill his absence. I’m not sure if we’ve seen this group hit their peak yet, but this season will go a long way toward finding out. The key will be having a strong regular season that shows that they can win consistently. Slow starts to seasons are something that has held this team back a bit in past years. That issue will need to be remedied if they want to continue progressing. TIKI TALK Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Quarterfinals vs Mustaa Kultaa in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - @itspardytime FWD - Teemu @Teme Sainio FWD - Kari @VaLLe- Valle (transferred midseason to TIKI TALK last season, was on roster so counted as a returning player) G - Kevin @I-Bysse-I Byström Roster Additions: DEF - @Saviinainen (joins from Zenegeim - Lite Division) DEF - @Pensasmies (joins from BushWackers - Lite Division) G - @I-Nisse-I Roster Subtractions: FWD - J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (transferred to Mustaa Kultaa) DEF - Aleksi @xSnaipperi Honka (transferred to Heimo) DEF - Timo @Velttola Hokkanen G - @SemiSeco A few days ago, TIKI TALK thought it had fumbled away its chance at the Elite Division, losing a 3-1 series lead and falling to Falun Coal Miners in Game 7 in the qualifier. It looked like the group would be back in the Pro Division for another season. Then, everything changed, as Almost Famous, last season's Pro Division champions, disbanded, leaving one more spot to be filled in the Elite Division. TIKI TALK was given a second chance, and they took advantage of it, defeating RYHTIC in six games to punch their ticket back into Elite for the first time since ECL 9. An awesome story for one of the ECL's original teams (TIKI TALK is one of the few active team brands that played in ECL 1). Though TIKI TALK lost its leading point producer and Pro Division points leader from last season in nuarijamal, they do bring back two high-quality forwards in ItsPardyTime and TeMeX. These two have an undeniable chemistry that goes all the way back to ECL 1, so if they can adjust to the Elite game again, they could be an impactful duo this season. Slotting with them at forward will be VaLLe-9, a relatively unknown rookie who has just 8 games of ECL experience from his time with Valco in the Pro Division in ECL Winter 24 before transferring to TIKI TALK midseason. He put up 13 points in 14 games during the Elite Qualifier playoffs last week. Both defensemen will also be transfers, as they added Pensamies, who will be playing in his first Elite season and is making the considerable jump from the Lite division, and Saviinainen, who played with TIKI TALK in its last Elite season in ECL 9 and has been a consistently reliable defenseman at the Pro and Lite ranks. I-Bysse-I comes back with TIKI TALK to command the pipes after he was arguably the best goalie in the Pro Division last season, posting an 87.41 SV% in 22 regular season starts and an 86.55 SV% in 14 playoff stats. He'll be a rookie in Elite this season, but look out for him to potentially steal this team a few games. It's hard to say where this team could end up because a few days ago they weren't even going to be in the Elite Division. I feel like many will place them in the relegation zone because of that, and it's honestly understandable, but TIKI TALK has a roster mixed with experience and youth, and they have a few impact players that could very well take over a game here and there. I'm not saying they're a playoff team, I'm not even going to say that they'll be safe from playing a relegation series in March, but what I will say is to not just write them off because of the way that they got here. This is a team that is capable of winning games and we've seen some crazy things happen before in this Division. Could TIKI TALK add to that list of craziness? We'll see. Tohtorit Last Season: Finished 4th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs EXEN in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Jere @profiilipakki Kangasniemi FWD - Jere @Harlowi- Paloranta FWD - Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala FWD - Mikko @Ristimaki12 Ristimäki DEF - Verne @seegasormi Maijanen DEF - Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs DEF - Tomi @tominointi Mäkelä G - Stan @Stammer70 Adamus Roster Additions: NONE Roster Subtractions: NONE This team shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise anymore. Tohtorit is here and they are a serious playoff team. They return their entire roster from last season’s campaign and they were a serious threat to finish top of the league for some time before falling off a bit late in the season and having to settle for a 4-seed, which is still impressive. This led to a tough Quarterfinal matchup with EXEN and an early playoff exit. I'm especially interested to see how this forward group does this season, as the trio of Harlowi, Ojala16, and profillipakki were stellar for this team last season, with each of them ranking Top 10 in the Division in either points or goals. Stammer70 has also proven to be a wall in net for this team, posting back-to-back seasons with a save percentage of 82% or higher. Being one of the teams to return its entire roster could be a benefit, but we’ll have to see if their performance last season is what this team truly is, as well as if their playstyle will mesh with the new game. They aren't going to catch anyone by surprise anymore, so we will have to see whether or not the Spring campaign was this group's peak or if they can take another step forward together. Unwanted Last Season: Finished in 7th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Straikers in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland FWD - Anton @Henka0009 Henriksson DEF - Alex @Snus97_ Arvidsson G - Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson Roster Additions: FWD - Max @LaxenHD Söderström (joins from Purification) DEF - Elvis @bystrom___ Byström (joins from Purification) G - @Sundstroom (joins from Gotham Knights) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Eetu @Launonexx Launonen (transferred to Mustaa Kultaa) FWD - Leevi @xLeikku Kauppila FWD - Hannes @Johansson__224 Johansson DEF - Samu @keisari Ahonen After falling one game short of a semifinal appearance last season, Unwanted is back and with a new look roster. At one point, this team looked like it could’ve been taking a break, but they eventfully merged with Purification and look to remain a fixture in the Elite division. With a good mix of experience and youth, this season feels like the opportunity for ascension for this team. There will be some questions to answer with the merger, but Purification was one of the division’s up-and-coming teams before stepping away, so there shouldn’t be much of a drop-off. This provided them with a pair of quality additions in Laxen and Bystrom who will hope to take a step forward with their new team this season. Unwanted also returns last season's Rookie of the Season in karlssonadam, who was also a Goalie of the Season candidate after posting an 85.37 SV% in 26 regular season starts during the Spring. The challenge for this team will be improving in the regular season, as Unwanted found themselves 7th in the league in both ECL 24 seasons. This could help their chances at a deeper playoff run if they could avoid playing one of the league’s Top 3 teams (or better yet, be one of the league’s Top 3 teams). I think that we will have to wait and see how the new additions work out for this group and what their lineup ends up looking like, as Launonexx and pkeisari are not light losses to the roster, but overall this still looks like a team that should be in the playoffs again. The question now is whether or not they can elevate into that top tier of teams in the Elite division. Vesa Pompa Last Season: Finished 11th in Regular Season standings Returning Players: FWD - Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund FWD - Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander FWD - Anton @AntonLxnd Lund DEF - Oliver @pappeen- Papmehl Roster Additions: DEF - Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen DEF - @iSvamp (joins from The Worn Out Wisemen - Neo Division) G - Sebastian @Sebastian Lahdo Låhdö (joins from Schrute Farmerz - Lite Division) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Adam @dzouvi Mensik G - Santeri @kkostiiii Kostiainen (transferred to The Black Jacks) Can this team get back into contenders status? That is the question that surrounds a Vesa Pompa team that missed the playoffs last season at 11th. It was a disappointing drop-off for this group after making it all the way to the Semifinals in the Winter season prior and now we'll need to see if they can get back to that place of contention. They lost a pair of key pieces in Dzouvi and Kkostti, but did add one of the league's most reliable defensemen in SebbeLarsen, who will give the team a boost on the back end. Another key addition will be SeboLHD, a rookie goaltender who will look to add to the list of high-end netminders in the Elite division. Keep in mind that last season’s rookie of the year was a goalie, so we’ve seen players in their first season make a significant impact at this position before. Antoniomannen (51pts) and AntonLxnd (40pts) were this team's two leading point producers, so the bulk of this team's scoring production will at least return this season. Eken will also move back up to forward after spending last season at defense; lining up as the Center between Antonio and Anton. Consistency will be key for Vesa Pompa this season. They have a playoff-caliber roster, but they’ll need to put together games in order to accrue points to make the Top 8, something that they struggled to do in the Spring. Voittamaton (formerly Straikers) Last Season: Finished 2nd in Regular Season standings, lost in Semifinals vs Tunnel Vision in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala FWD - Erik @Eki Tammenpää FWD - Teemu @temppanen Karvonen DEF - Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha G - Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen G - Oskari @Zande95 Grönroos Roster Additions: FWD - Paul @PleeMaker Arontie DEF - Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen Roster Subtractions: DEF - Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto G - Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (transferred to Parasite - didn't play in any games last season) Another team that fell victim to Tunnel Vision last season, Voittamaton are still looking to get back to the top of ECL. They’ve come close many times, making it to the Semifinals and Finals on multiple occasions in the last few years, but it’s been since ECL 11 that this group has hoisted the trophy. Most of this team remains unchanged in terms of its core group. They added in Jamaltheman who will provide some offense from the backend after being a high-quality forward with JYP Jyvaskyla in the past season (he went down to Lite last season). He replaces Nassustelija who had been with this team since HAVU Gaming merged with Frolunda HC, so it'll be interesting to see how that one change alters this team's look. They also did lose UhNikke to Parasite, though he didn't suit up for the team last season and Hansulinho is still one of the best goalies in the world, so nothing lost, nothing gained. This team will also appreciate having its long-time captain in Patzlaf back after being away from the team for most of last season. He's undoubtedly one of the best centers in Europe, and though this team looked good in his absence, no one will ever complain about having one of the best two-way players in the ECL back in their lineup. Combine him with other proven top players in Eki and Temppanen and it's a pretty safe bet that they'll be a top offense once again this season. I also find it interesting to see Pleemaker on the roster this season. He hasn't played since the ECL 22 Spring season, but he led the league in points (69), goals (33), and assists (36) that season and he has undeniable chemistry with Patzlaf and Eki. Two years is a long time away from the competitive atmosphere and the ECL and the game as a whole have changed drastically since he last played, but if he is going to come back this season, it'll be a fun story to watch develop for this group that has so much history together. For now, we'll just wait and see what happens there. This team is again a championship contender, but it feels like this year has to be the year before wholesale changes could be considered for the roster (pure speculation to be clear). Does this core have another championship in them? Or have we seen them at their peak? We know where their ambitions are set, now they have to execute in seeing them out. Tune in to the Season Opening Broadcast Tonight! Tune in to the ECL '25: Winter - Elite season opener tonight at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG! The broadcast starts exceptionally early at 18:45 CET as the first Episode of the SportsGamer Wraparound with Cody @Tougie24 Tougas will introduce us to the new season! We want your clips! Did you make an incredible play or have a funny blooper? Share your best moments on social media using the hashtag #ECL25Clips and get a chance to be featured in our broadcasts. Social media Please tag @SportsGamerGG and use the hashtag #ECL25Winter when posting on social media. You can also use the hashtags #KouvolanLakritsi #eHockey. Also note that when editing your team info, you can add your social media accounts to your team information. The same goes for your player card. Season schedule Regular Season duration: 18.11-19.12.2024 ECL '25: Winter Elite Finals date: ECL Elite LAN Finals @ Assembly Winter 2025 on Thursday 20.2.2025 Good luck to all the teams as they hit the virtual ice. Have fun and let the games begin!

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!

Hello SportsGamers! We're super excited to announce the SG World Cup 2025! The SG World Cup marks our first test of a global, national-team eHockey 6v6 format! The tournament will feature 16 national teams from Europe and North America. The action starts on May 6th and the event culminates with the finals just under two weeks later on May 18th. Which nations are represented? Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and USA. These 15 will be joined by team SG World, which features the best players from the rest of the world. How are players chosen? Players for each team will be chosen by the team captain. Team captains are voted on by a selected group of the best players from each nation. Example: for Finland's captain vote, all skaters that play in a starter role in any ECL Elite playoff team will have a vote in the captain selection - for most smaller nations, the vote will be held amongst a few players deemed "most qualified" for the position. How can I get in to represent my country? On January 18th the tournament's Discord server will become public. Before then, each nation will have a dedicated text channel, on which the captain selection will take place. After this, the captains will have months to scout test players for their team. We encourage discussion on these dedicated text channels for everyone in each nation's community to be heard and help team captains make informed decisions by April when the final rosters are revealed! Umm... What about the ping from Europe to North America? This is a very valid question. There is no way to guarantee a good connection across the pond, but as this is the first installment of the tournament and all games will be played online, we're giving all teams an equal amount of opportunities to succeed on their home server. Throughout the tournament, all games and playoff series will be decided by the aggregate score from two games - one home, one away for both teams. Is there a prize pool? This tournament is a first of its kind and runs primarily with the aim of testing out the new format. At the moment this tournament is free to play with the honour of your nation on the line. At this stage, there is no further prizing. For more details check out the full rulebook here: SG World Cup Rulebook The full tournament schedule can be found here: SG World Cup 2025 Schedule

Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland has had a really interesting and different path into the ECL community. Suth found his way onto the virtual ice for the first time in NHL 12 and he fell in love especially with Franchise Mode. In his own words, he didn't know anything about the online aspect of the game at that time. Suth played his first ECL season in ECL 11 in the Lite division after his friend recommended ECL to him. Suth has also had an unusual journey as a player; during his whole career, Suth has played for the same team for the majority of his career. Although the team now known as Unwanted has had different names, the core group of players has remained pretty much the same. The public perception of Suth is that he is a great team player both on and off the ice, a great captain and leader, a great point scorer, and an all-around gentleman player. We asked Suth's long-time teammates @Snus97_ & @Henka0009 to describe him as a teammate and as a player: "Well, Suth as a player, it’s like hard to describe. He isn’t the best at something specific but my god as a whole player and as a centerman he’s one of the best in this scene for sure. His ability to see his teammates and to do very important goals is elite. He’s also a really good captain. Me, Suth, and Henka have driven this team forward for some years now and he’s very good at making good decisions for the team. And that reflects on how he’s as a teammate and a person. He’s a very funny guy but at the same time he can be serious, i think it’s a good combination." - Snus97_ "Suth has been my teammate since forever I feel. I think I’ve played a total of 3 seasons without him. He has always shown a typical leadership personality, dedicated to practice and being better each and every day. He’s also really easygoing, so to speak, toward everyone, and it is a key part of holding our team together. For me, it’s hard to play the game without him. He makes me 10 times better than I actually am. We have never truly spoken about any “tactics” and stuff regarding NHL. I feel like we just think the same where we want each other to be in certain situations. It’s hard to describe but I can say that without him or Snus_97 in my team, I would never play. The best thing about Suth is that he’s not a “try hard”. We are just playing the game to have fun and joke around. He always brings the joy in the game and party." - Henka0009 Now, making history as the first Norwegian player to be honored as the Cover Gamer for the upcoming ECL '24 Winter season, Suth takes the center stage together with Unwanted, 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 @tomboo- Laitinen 🇫🇮 ECL ‘24: Winter: Adam @dzouvi Menšík 🇨🇿 ECL ‘24: Spring: Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen 🇫🇮 ECL '25: Winter - Intro video by @ProMinx24 Interview with Suth How does it feel to be chosen as the cover gamer of the top NHL Esports league? "It feels really good, when I look at the list of former cover gamers I only see insane players, so it's a compliment, and I'm honored about it for sure." What has been the best moment in your career so far? "I don't have only 1 specific moment, but the thing I'm most proud about is taking what feels like my own team from Lite all the way to Elite and back-to-back playoffs. So the journey as a whole is my favorite moment." What do you enjoy most about competing at the highest level? "It's really fun to play for something, and especially in Elite, every game matters so much. And you can also beat and lose to anyone so it's important to have 100% focus in every matchup." What are some of your personal goals for the upcoming ECL season? "I don't really have any personal goals, I just want to do my best for the team. It's always fun to score and make good plays but as long as our team and I perform well I'm happy." And lastly, how do you think staying in the same team/environment for the majority of your career has affected you as a player? "It has created some special bonds both on and off the virtual ice. Especially with both Henka and Snus. And the more comfortable you are around your teammates/friends, the easier it is to talk about little details on ice and things happening in real life if that makes sense." Tune in to the Season Opening Broadcast Tonight! Tune in to the ECL '25: Winter - Elite season opener tonight at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG! The broadcast starts exceptionally early at 18:45 CET as the first Episode of the SportsGamer Wraparound with Cody @Tougie24 Tougas will introduce us to the new season!

From the very early age of three, Perttu “Beniittto” Kemppainen was interested in the NHL video game. He grew fond of the game and later on as the game's competitive side started developing, he began to take the game more seriously. Like many of us, @Beniittto grew up with the game and has been a fan of the series for almost two decades. He is a proud owner of every version since NHL 08. Beniittto first hopped on the ECL ice in the very first season when he was only 13 years old. You could say he has grown up alongside the 6v6 scene and been a part of our story at SportsGamer from the very beginning. Beniittto is a player who has truly won it all during his career. NHL 24 has been no exception, to name a few of Beniitttos achievements during NHL 24: ECL ‘24: Elite winner as the captain of hREDS Forward of The Season in ECL ‘24: Winter eHockey SM 2024 winner as the captain of Parasite As one of the OGs in the 6v6 scene, Beniittto also leads all-time points on our platform. In 615 games he has gathered a combined points total of 1874, which means he has managed to keep up a 3,05 point per game pace now for multiple years. What makes this achievement so great is that he has been playing against the best defenders and goalies for the majority of his career and has still managed to score so many points. This season Beniittto continues as the captain of his team, a team he started originally as long ago as 2019. The team has for the most part been known as hREDS, but started as Delusion. After the hREDS organization shut down its operations, the team was briefly renamed Parasite and is now known as Valokuitunen Esports. How does it feel to be chosen as the cover gamer of the top NHL Esports league? “It feels great, there have been a lot of great players chosen as the cover gamer and it is an honor to be among them.” 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 @tomboo- Laitinen ECL ‘24: Winter: Adam @dzouvi Menšík What has been the best moment in your career so far? “It has to be winning ECL 12 on LAN since it was the first LAN I won.” Since you have been phenomenally successful in big matches, what is the key to a superior performance when preparing for a game? “I don't do anything special, I just focus on the fact that I want to win and try to play my best game.” What do you enjoy most about competing at the highest level? “I just enjoy competing, I have always wanted to be good at the games I play and there is always room for improvement.” You have played this game on a high level for so many years, what direction do you see the competitive side of the game taking? “I think the scene has seen better days, but I am hoping the scene will bounce back and reach new heights.” What are some of your personal goals for the current ECL season? “I always want to win the championship and maybe break some records!” Lastly, as a player who has won it all do you ever see yourself retiring? “I have played NHL games my whole life and can't see myself not doing that, there are always more things to win and more things to achieve and that is what keeps me going.” We are wishing all teams an enjoyable ECL '24: Spring season full of exciting games and hard competition! Make sure to tune in for our broadcasts at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

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!

We invited some of the highest-level players based on the most recent ECL (or other similar 6v6 leagues) from each nation to vote for their nation's captaincy for this upcoming tournament. The community has spoken - here are your team captains for each nation in the SG World Cup 2025! Group A Canada 🇨🇦 Captain: Francis @Dumoulin65 Dumoulin Finland 🇫🇮 Captain: Erik @Eki Tammenpää Sweden 🇸🇪 Captain: Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund USA 🇺🇸 Captains: Jeremy @l Jer I Gaynor and Trevor @ScaryJoeyy Cear Group B Austria 🇦🇹 Captain: Felix @ProfaneKiss Kiss France 🇫🇷 GM: Yann @Virtual_Saku Maillet, Captain: Maximilien @Tromi13 Tromeur Great Britain 🇬🇧 Captain: Connor @MartindalexC Martindale Latvia 🇱🇻 Captain: Kristers @PSchibra Bauers SG World Captain: Igor @Motzzyy Motov Slovakia 🇸🇰 Captain: Roland @jasomnajlepsi Szvetko Group C Czechia 🇨🇿 Captain: Patrik @Winci-_o Wenzel Denmark 🇩🇰 Captain: Martin @Vibholm_10 Vibholm Germany 🇩🇪 Captain: Niklas @xPsykoSkills Schmitz Norway 🇳🇴 Captain: Henning @el_tacobag Drange Switzerland 🇨🇭 Captain: Timo @LTorro- Claudio Ukraine 🇺🇦 Captain: Serhii @Hockeyfear Vohel TOURNAMENT RANKING: 16: Great Britain While their captain MartindalexC has made a name for himself in the community over the years as a great individual player, he doesn’t have the greatest player pool to choose players from. If he's able to bring in players to support him though and build a team with great chemistry, I could see Great Britain fighting for a playoff spot in Group B. 15: Ukraine Just like Great Britain, Ukraine only has one single player represented in the ECL Pro or Elite level. Led by their captain Hockeyfear, they need to rely on a strong team effort to even have a chance at making the playoffs, but I do see Ukraine as a team that could potentially take some points even from top-end teams in Group C, if they can find their best game. 14: Denmark Another team with only one single Pro/Elite starter player in Vibholm_10, the Danes will have a slight disadvantage compared to other teams in group C. That being said, it is important to note that Denmark does have a few quality options for their roster, and I wouldn't completely rule them out of the playoffs if things go their way. 13: Slovakia One of the more interesting teams to look out for in Group B is Slovakia, led by their captain jasomnajlepsi. In theory, they have easily enough players to create a good team, but their top-end talent is lacking compared to teams like SG World and Latvia and therefore it remains to be seen if they can realistically be in the playoff conversation. 12: Switzerland For some, it may come as a surprise to see Switzerland this low on the list, but with the level of teams in Group C it is difficult to rank them any higher. LTorro- as their captain does have a lot of good options to choose from when it comes to building the Swiss team for the tournament, but to succeed and make the playoffs they will need to perform on a next level which is above my expectations. 11: France Another interesting team is France, which is the only team in the tournament with a named GM (Virtual_Saku) alongside their captain Tromi13. With their team, it is likely we will see an unmatched chemistry in this tournament, as their roster will likely be based around players from the ECL Pro team Owned Hexa. I see France as a very possible contender to even finish first in the group, but on the other hand, they may not have quite the superstar talent in individual players like many other teams in this tournament. 10: Austria When it comes to the best ice hockey nations around the world - Austria probably isn't the first one that comes to mind. That being said on the virtual ice Austria is a very top-heavy team, which suits this tournament especially well when only 6 players are needed. The captain ProfaneKiss will be able to fill his lineup with a lot of Pro and even quite a bit of Elite experience, making them a top 3 candidate to make it into the playoffs from group B. 9: Norway If you asked me to name the team that has the best chance of either finishing dead last OR first in their group - that would be Norway. With no real star players going into the tournament, they do still have a very solid lineup at least on paper. The question is - can this team outperform the star talent on some of the teams they will be facing? If El_Tacobag and his team can do this, a playoff spot can most definitely be achieved. 8: Czechia Barely cracking the top 8 in this prediction, and the first one to be somewhat expected to make the playoffs, is Czechia. Captain Winci-_o has a lot of decisions ahead of him, as there are a huge number of players to choose from. While they do have one of the largest player bases in Europe it does remain to be seen if they are able to find the right starting 6 to succeed. As a team right there on the edge of the playoffs, they do need to be careful not to slip out of the top 8! 7: Latvia From Group B the one team barely cracking the playoffs in this ranking would be Team Latvia. Led by captain PSchibra, Latvia is one of the more skilled in the tournament on paper. The only red flag about their roster may be the fact that their top players all represent different teams in club tournaments, but as long as they find their game I'm sure they will be one of the toughest teams to beat in their group. 6: SG World Battling it out for first place in group B is ‘team rest-of-the-world”. Captain Motzzyy has a lot of players to choose from in the ECL Pro division, as well as a handful of talented individuals in the Elite division. If they get their game working as expected, they're favourites in group B, but making it past the quarterfinals will be a huge task even for them. 5: Germany The clearcut favorite in Group C, is Team Germany. Defenseman xPsykoSkills will be the cornerstone on defence and will have no trouble filling up the lineup with experience in the higher-end ECL leagues. But just like is the case with any Group B or C teams, making it to the semi-finals would be a slight surprise. But if I had to put my money on one group B or C team making it to the top 4, that would be Germany. 4: Sweden Finding themselves at the 4th position in this tournament ranking is captain eken45jr and his team Sweden. As stacked as Group A is, it will be a task and a half for the Swedes to successfully climb up to the level of the other three teams, but don't let this ranking fool you - they have a solid chance against anyone in this tournament. 3: USA Coming in at number 3 - it is the United States. Sharing the captaincy are l Jer I and ScaryJoeyy, and they will most certainly be able to build this roster to be a contender to win the entire tournament! The margins between the top 3 teams are tiny, and I see the likelihood of victory for each of these teams to be very similar. 2: Finland Coming in at the second spot in this ranking and holding the biggest expectations for European teams, it is - of course - team Finland! Captain Eki has an unbelievable amount of decisions to make since the ECL Elite division is filled with Finnish talent throughout the standings. It remains to be seen who will make the final roster, but since it is Finland we are talking about, we do know one thing: The team. Will. Be. Good. 1: Canada Coming in at number 1, it is Canada! Dumoulin as captain will have an almost unlimited number of players to choose from and really the only question is if Team Canada will be able to perform well enough as a team. As I said earlier the margins between these top 3 countries are small, so Canada by no means is a “lock” for an appearance in the finals, but if things go right I do see them as the best contender to win in the end. GET INVOLVED THROUGH DISCORD: Join the tournament Discord from this link: https://discord.gg/EQag4GhDWb Each nation has dedicated text channels on which anyone in the community can take part in the conversations. You can find each team's captains on this server too, so if you want to ask to join the team, this is the place to find them! Who do you think will be on your country's team?

While eight teams made their way into the playoffs to fight for the ECL '24: Spring - Elite championship, eight other teams have seen their season come to an end, each wondering what went wrong and what could have been. We will take a look at each of these eight teams, why they missed the playoffs and where things stand as they each look towards the future. We will begin with the 16th ranked team in the standings and then work our way up. 16. Gotham Knights (25pts) Why They Missed: Lack of Form All Season After winning the ECL Pro Division championship over Renascor last season, Gotham Knights' time in the Elite Division has come to a quick close, finishing last in the standings and now likely being relegated back down to the Pro Division. Unfortunately, this team just never really found their footing in Elite this season. In their 30 games played, they only managed to collect standings points in 11 of those games and their longest win streak of the season was 2 games. That simply isn't a recipe for success. They did show some glimpses of potential this season, as out of their 9 total wins this season (including OT wins), four of them came against playoff teams. However, this league is all about being able to win consistently and unfortunately, Gotham Knights were never able to find their way there. We'll see what the future holds for this club and if they can find their way back into Elite in the future. 15. Renascor (31pts) Why They Missed: Offensive Woes Last season's Pro Division runner-ups earned promotion to Elite after making it through the qualifiers in April. Not many people expected much of this group in its first Elite season and unfortunately, they finished right around where many had predicted them to before the season. Though Rensacor did seem to find a little bit of rhythm later on in the season, they only won 4 of their first 19 games (including OT wins). This pretty much did them in when it came to being able to secure a Top 8 finish. The biggest reason for this was Renascor's offensive struggles this season. For starters, they had the lowest goals for per game of any team in the Elite Division at 1.67. They also had the fourth-lowest shots per game in the division at 12.1. The Elite division is a big step from the Pro Division and it's not easy to adjust. Now this team will get ready for their relegation series in a few weeks against the Pro Division runner-up, hoping to stay up in the ECL's top division next season. 14. Heimo (34pts) Why They Missed: Not Being Able to String Together Wins After finishing in no man's land last season at the 11th spot, Heimo unfortunately found themselves further down the Elite table and now have to go to a relegation series. What's wild is that last season they had 36 points, so it goes to show that the Division as a whole performed better this season when it came to accumulating points in the standings. Something that Heimo may have suffered from more than any other team this season in terms of their place in the standings. As for where this team fell short, they never really found that consistent form of winning that they needed. This Heimo team would get a win and then follow that up with two or three straight losses. In fact, this team only had two win streaks all season, and their longest winning streak lasted the minimum amount of games to be considered a streak, 2 games. It's just tough to make it in when you aren't able to find a consistent stretch of winning. Add that in with increased performance from the other teams that were outside the cutline and Heimo just happened to find themselves where they are. If they can keep their place in the division for next season, hopefully, they can take that same next step that their competitors did this season. 13. GOONS (34pts) Why They Missed: Allowing Far Too Many Goals It's unfortunate to see how things have trended for this team over the last few seasons. As weird as it seems, GOONS haven't qualified for the Elite Division playoffs since ECL '22: Spring, a season in which they made it to the semifinals. That was two years ago. Since that season, this team lost multiple critical pieces to that core due to transfers and has been trying to rebuild themselves since. And now, they are going to have to win a relegation series just to keep their spot in the division. The biggest reason GOONS find themselves outside of the playoffs again is due to the high amount of goals that they allowed, which ironically is the same thing that plagued this team last season. During the Winter season, GOONS allowed 3.5 goals per game, which ranked third-worst in the Division. This season they allowed 3.1 per game, which though an improvement, still ranked them as the second-worst in the league, only finishing ahead of Gotham Knights. Not only this, but just 8 of their 19 total losses this season were by one goal, and this includes overtime games. On a positive note, they were one of the division's better teams offensively this season with an average of 2.53 goals for per game, which ranked 6th in Elite. They also broke the ECL's record for hits in a regular season with 1163 (across all divisions), so they were also able to make some history despite missing the postseason. However, I have the feeling that this summer could be one with a lot of soul-searching for this GOONS team; especially with their future in the division now being uncertain. 12. Polski Boys (36pts) Why They Missed: Not Improving Offensively From Last Season Polski Boys find themselves in no man's land for a second straight season and the biggest reason for this was their struggles on offense. Interestingly enough, this was exactly what held this team back last season. During their Winter campaign last season, which was their first in Elite, Polski Boys averaged just 2.03 goals for per game, which ranked as the 5th lowest in the division. They also struggled mightily on the power play last season, only converting on the man advantage 14.29% of the time, which was the lowest in the division. Despite having a season of Elite division experience under their belt and returning all six starters from last season's team, the Polski Boys' offense saw minimal improvements in the Spring. They averaged just 2.07 goals for per game which ranked 2nd lowest in the league, only ahead of Renascor. Their power play was also a weakness for them again this season, as their 16.22% on the power play was 4th lowest in the league. One positive thing to note is that they did seem to find some form late in the season, as they collected points in the standings in 8 of their last 10 games of the regular season, though they only surpassed the two-goal mark in 2 of those 10 games. As someone who has had the pleasure of covering this team's rise through the ECL ranks over a few seasons, the potential is there for Polski Boys to be a genuine threat in the Elite division, but that won't happen until they find a way to improve their play offensively. They have yet to find success there at this level, and until they do they're bound to be stuck in the middle of the pack. 11. Vesa Pompa (37pts) Why They Missed: Losing Close in Regulation Games and Not Putting Together A Winning Run Of the teams that didn't get into the Top 8, Vesa Pompa was probably the most surprising. After making the playoffs as a #6 seed and making it to the Elite semifinals last season, missing out on the playoffs altogether this season is a disappointing result for this group. Unfortunately, they just never really found the same form that they had in the Winter season and it ended up costing them dearly in the playoff race. For starters, Vesa Pompa lost valuable points in the standings in close games, as 8 of their 14 regulation losses were decided by one goal. Not only this, but they never were able to find a consistent winning run the way that they did last season. In their Winter campaign, they were able to make the playoffs off of the back of a 12-game points streak, a streak that saw them win 10 of those 12 games. This season, Vesa Pompa's longest points streak lasted just four games. It's unfortunate that this team will have to watch the playoffs from the sidelines this time around, as we've seen this group be able to make some magic happen in the postseason before. On the bright side, they didn't see themselves eliminated from playoff contention until the final day of the regular season, so this team was in the hunt throughout. Unfortunately, the factors that we've mentioned were just too much for Vesa Pompa to overcome in the end. A tough result for a high-quality squad. 10. Roots Gaming (42pts) Why They Missed: Too Many Regulation Losses, Struggling Against Playoff Teams, and Not Finding Enough Offense Before we talk about why Roots Gaming didn't make the playoffs, I want to spend some time talking about the vast improvements that this team made this season. I'll be honest, I think that this season could be considered a success for Roots Gaming, as they arguably improved more than any team in the league this season. Last season they finished 15th in the standings with just 24 points and had to win a relegation series just to maintain their place in the Elite Division. This season however saw a complete turnaround for this team. And the most impressive part about it? All six starters this season were on this team last season; with five of them starting 20+ games during that Winter campaign. Now that we've talked about the good though, we have to talk about why they missed out, and unfortunately, I couldn't pick just one reason to tell the full story. For starters, 14 of Roots Gaming's losses this season came in regulation, meaning that they lost out on potential points that they could've gained by pushing more games to overtime (they went 7-7 in regulation games this season). Second, they had a record of 3-13 against playoff teams and 11 of those losses were in regulation. Lastly, their offense just never really seemed to find itself. They tied with Heimo for the fourth-lowest goals for per game at 2.07. They also took the least amount of shots of any Elite division team at 353 (that's an average of just 11.8 shots per game). I promise you that I don't mean to pile on. This group has a ton to be proud of considering where they were in the standings just a season ago. However considering that they missed the playoff cutline by only 4 points, it feels like they could've made the postseason if they had been able to correct even just one of those three factors. Regardless, Roots Gaming should go into the offseason feeling good about their efforts. The question now is, can they build on it? 9. Purification (42pts) Why They Missed: Their Second Half of the Season Every team has aspirations of making it into the postseason before the season begins, which makes it even more crushing for the group that ends up finishing as the first team outside of the playoff cut line. However, let's give Purification their due credit. This was an impressive debut season in the Elite Division for this group and I don't doubt that they will be back in the playoff conversation in the future. After earning promotion by defeating POGGERS in its relegation series last season, Purification was a group that many people were interested in seeing make the jump to Elite, as they were dominant in the Pro Division and fell one win short of making it to the Finals. Early in the season, they looked like a team that would be well on their way to the playoffs and potentially even a Top 4 seed, winning 10 of their first 13 games this season. After this, things unfortunately fell apart. In their last 17 games of the season, Purification earned just 15 points in the standings. That stretch included a 7-game losing streak that saw them earn just 2 points and a 5-game losing streak that saw them earn zero points. During this stretch, they lost 10 games by one goal (including overtime losses) and had a 1-5 record against non-playoff teams, including two regulation losses to Gotham Knights and a regulation loss to Renascor on May 16 that eliminated them from playoff contention. I know that Purification is going to be disappointed that they aren't playing playoff hockey this season, especially considering that they looked like a lock during the first half of the season. However, I think that they also have a lot to look back on positively, as they've proven that they can truly compete at the Elite division level. This season will be valuable for them to learn from and will be something good to build on for the future. I'm excited to see where they go from here. If you have any feedback or if there is anything that you feel that I missed, make sure to let me know in the comments! If you want to learn more about the teams that did qualify for Elite division playoffs, you can check out my Quarterfinals playoff preview below.

The premier Finnish eHockey tournament FCL 2025 returns with both 1v1 and 6v6 game modes - read all details below! Key Tournament Details Free to play Registrations open today and close on March 9th at 12:00 CET NHL 25 format under the FCL banner 6v6 and 1v1 tournaments 6v6 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S 1v1 on PlayStation 5 New for This Season: No X-Factors The upcoming season introduces a groundbreaking change aimed at redefining the competitive 6v6 eHockey scene. In a bold move to emphasize pure skill and strategy, FCL has - aligned with the GCL, SCL and WECL - decided to ban the use of all X-Factors, both Gold and Silver. This decision marks a significant shift in gameplay, as X-Factors have long played a crucial role in shaping team dynamics and individual performances. By removing these abilities, FCL aims to test out a more balanced and skill-driven environment, where players must rely on raw talent and tactical planning. This rule change across the board is based on community requests and is expected to bring a new dynamic to competition, challenging players to adapt and develop new strategies. We know this is a subject that splits the communities opinion and are very interested in receiving feedback from the teams during and after the season and it is critical for shaping the decision on what kind of ruling will be implemented into the ECL '25: Spring Season. Please submit your feedback here, rather sooner than later. For clarity, the X-Factor ban does not apply to the 1v1 game mode. Tournament Prizing 6x NHL 26 digital copies + 6x Leijonat packages* for 6v6 winners 1x NHL 26 digital copy + 1x Leijonat package* for the 1v1 winner 1x NHL 26 digital copy and 1x Leijonat package* awarded randomly among competitors who completed their competition respectfully *The details for the Leijonat package are to be confirmed soon, but so far we can confirm it includes a Finnish National team jersey. The tournament promises intense competition, bringing together Finland's top eHockey talent. Players looking to test their skills and compete at the highest level can sign up now to secure their spot. Think you have what it takes to claim victory? Sign up now and be part of FCL 2025! Moreover, eHockey SM 2026 is already in the early planning stages for NHL 26, ensuring that Finland's premier competitive NHL scene continues to thrive. Stay tuned for more updates as we build toward the future of eHockey in Finland. Sign up now SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE Played on: PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S Schedule for the 6v6 FCL 2025: Registrations: 2.3.-9.3 (closes at 12:00 CET) Tournament: 10.3.-5.4 Group stage: 10.3.-21.3 Playoffs Round 1 (32) 23.-24.3 Playoffs Round 2 (16) 26.3.-27.3 Quarterfinals (8) 30.-31.3 Semifinals (4) 2.-3.4 Finals (2) 5.4 Please note: The schedule and format may be changed based on the number of teams registered. Note: The majority of the players must be Finnish citizens. See the rulebook for more details. Find the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here! (Finnish) SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE! Played on: PlayStation 5 Schedule for the 1v1 FCL Registrations: 2.3.-9.3. Tournament: 12.3.-5.4. Group Stage 12.-27.3 Group Stage 2 29.-31.3 Round of 16 1.-2.4 Quarterfinals 3.-4.4 TOP 4 Finals 5..4 Please note: The schedule and format may be changed based on the number of players registered. Note: In order to participate in the 1v1 mode, you must be a Finnish citizen. Find the 1v1 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here (Finnish) Don't Miss the Sign-ups! Signups are now open and will close already in a week, on Sunday, March 9th, so make sure to gather your friends and challenge the big dogs in one of the biggest Finnish tournaments of the eHockey season! Please help us spread the word about the tournament so we can have welcome new and old faces to the tournament and community. ❤️

The wait is finally over – the most exciting esports hockey tournament in Europe is back! ECL '25: Winter kicks off today, and we’re ready to dive into another thrilling season. Whether you’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of the league or just tuning in for the first time, now’s the time to get involved. Power up those devices, because the competition is about to heat up! In this preview, we will go through the teams and key players competing in the fiercely contested second tier of the Sportsgamer ladder – the prestigious ECL. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, this season promises plenty of action both on and off the ice. Stay tuned as we break down what’s in store for ECL 25 Spring! This article was co-written by @hifk_FANI & @Pensasmies Group 1 Title Contenders: Gotham Knights The Gotham Knights are no strangers to the Pro scene, and this season, they’re more determined than ever to reclaim their Elite spot. With a roster that’s consistently near the top, they’ve made one of the biggest moves in the offseason by signing the skillful winger @LucePro last season, LucePro racked up an impressive 36 goals and 27 assists, and with his arrival, Gotham now boasts one of the most potent offensive lines in the league. This added firepower could be the key to putting them back in the Elite ranks where they’ve so often belonged. However, they’ll need to stay consistent throughout the season and avoid any slip-ups in their bid to reclaim their spot. Gotham’s core players are familiar with the pressure of being near the top, but this season feels like the one where they’ll finally take that next step. They’ll need to rely on their established defensive unit and experienced leadership, but with the addition of a proven scorer in LucePro, they’ve significantly upgraded their firepower. If everything clicks, the Gotham Knights could be a force to be reckoned with. Nordic Stars After taking a brief hiatus from the ECL scene, the Nordic Stars made a spectacular return last season, winning ECL Lite and sweeping the newly-founded Zenegeim . Their return to the league was a true statement of intent. However, this season will be different for the Nordic Stars, as they will likely play without their veteran playmaker @Vire30 for much of the season. Vire30 has been an integral part of the team’s success, and his absence raises questions about how the team will adjust. Without Vire30, the Nordic Stars will need to rely on the rest of their roster to step up. Fortunately, they still have a strong lineup, with key players capable of carrying the load. The forwards will need to continue their elite-level play to fill the void. The Nordic Stars' ability to adapt to these changes could determine how they perform this season. If they can remain as dominant without Vire30, they’ll still be a top contender in Group 1. Deep Playoff Teams: Deadly Phantoms The Deadly Phantoms are a team that has been knocking on the door of playoff success for some time now, but they’ve yet to break through in a meaningful way. Last season, they had a rough outing in the Pro playoffs, crashing out early despite having a strong regular season. This season, they’re eager to prove that last year’s playoff exit was a fluke and that they belong among the league's elite. With the same core group of players returning, the Deadly Phantoms will be looking to fine-tune their game and take that next step forward. If they can find consistency and continue to build chemistry, the Deadly Phantoms will be a formidable opponent for any team in the Pro division. Zenegeim Zenegeim showed great promise in their debut season. After a tough loss to the Nordic Stars in the finals, they are hungry to prove themselves this season. What sets them apart is the addition of one of the best defenders in the league, @MCH_98 . Known for his stellar defensive play and ability to control the pace of the game, MCH_98 will provide an instant boost to Zenegeim’s back end. His leadership and vision will be vital as they look to challenge the best teams in Group 1. Zenegeim's roster is brimming with talent, and now with MCH_98 in the mix, they have the potential to go toe-to-toe with any team in Pro. If their chemistry continues to improve, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the group. The question will be whether they can overcome the mental hurdle of last season’s sweep in the playoffs and use that experience to their advantage. SSK eSports SSK eSports may still be considered a relatively new roster, but the Swedish squad proved last season that they have all the tools to be a serious contender. Their journey to the playoffs last year showed glimpses of their potential, and with a solid foundation, they’re poised for an even stronger campaign in the upcoming season. But what really sets SSK apart is their team chemistry. While many previews tend to highlight standout individuals, it's the collective effort that makes SSK such a tough team to beat. The players seem to always be on the same page, knowing where each other will be at any given moment. This type of synergy is crucial, especially in tight games, where the smallest miscommunication can cost a team the win. Expect to see a lot of set plays off faceoffs and a disciplined, tight defensive structure that frustrates opponents. If SSK can maintain their cohesion and tactical sharpness, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the Pro division. Teams on the Edge: Otukset Otukset is a team that has the potential to compete with the best, but they’ve been a bit inconsistent in past seasons. Their ability to stay competitive and earn points in high-stakes matchups will be crucial this season, as the competition in Group 1 is fierce. At their best, they can knock off top-tier teams, but they need to find a way to be more consistent if they want to push for a playoff spot. One of Otukset’s key players, @juhkis96 , has long been known for his playmaking ability from the back end. As a puck-moving defenseman, he’s crucial in initiating breakouts and getting the offense going. If Otukset can find some chemistry and balance their game between offense and defense, they’ll be in the mix for a playoff spot. The challenge for them will be putting together a complete season and making sure they peak at the right time. Blackbirds Formerly known as xBots, the Blackbirds have shown flashes of brilliance in recent tournaments and impressed in the Pro qualifiers. Their individual skill is undeniable, and if they can continue to build on that momentum, they could be a surprise package in Group 1. Their defense has been a weak point in the past, but if they can tighten up at the back and get some reliable goaltending, they could certainly push for a playoff spot. The Blackbirds' biggest hurdle will be consistency — they have the potential, but they need to put it all together over the course of a full season. With some of their players capable of making game-changing plays, this team has the ability to compete against the best. However, it will require a solid team effort and continued development to make a deep playoff run. Serpentes Serpentes enters the new season with an incredible amount of talent, a balanced two-way game, and a mix of experienced players with professional backgrounds. The team’s potential is limitless, but their success this season will largely depend on how well they can execute their game plan and how the players mesh together on the ice. One player to keep an eye on is @RookieLIAMOVIC , who had an impressive Pro campaign last season, racking up 28 goals and 27 assists. If he can build on his already strong performance and improve his plus-minus rating (which stood at -19 last season), he could help push Serpentes into serious title contention. With his offensive skills, Rookieliamovic could very well be one of the league’s top point producers, and his ability to make plays will be crucial for Serpentes' success. The team is strong on both sides of the puck, with a solid defensive core that complements their offensive firepower. The blend of talent, experience, and potential makes Serpentes a team to watch in the upcoming season. If they can tighten up their defensive play and work on their team dynamics, they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the league, capable of challenging for the top spot. Dilac Dilac is a team stacked with Pro and Elite experience, which could give them a significant edge when the season hits its most crucial stages. The team has the potential to surprise many, and with their mix of seasoned veterans and rising stars, they could very well be pushing for a playoff berth and beyond come postseason time. @punt1la98 has been a standout performer in the Pro division for several years, most notably during his time with Polski, where he led the offense with both skill and consistency. If the chemistry between him and his teammates is on point, Dilac could very well exceed expectations and make a deep run in the playoffs. What makes Dilac so formidable is their ability to execute in high-pressure situations. Players with experience in Elite and Pro divisions know how to perform when it matters most, and this could be the x-factor that propels Dilac to unexpected heights. With their offensive talent and solid defensive structure, Dilac is a team that could surprise everyone and push for the title if they can maintain consistency throughout the season. Nova Nova, a long-time fixture in the ECL community from Russia, showed last season that they are still capable of competing at a high level, clinching a playoff spot and proving they have the grit and determination to fight for their place among the league’s elite. Their ability to fight through adversity and remain competitive is a testament to their resilience. One of the most dangerous players heading into the new season is @Nester4343 a forward who has consistently been among the best in the Pro division. His ability to generate offense and produce points is something that opposing teams will have to plan for carefully. If Nester can maintain his form and stay healthy, he could be among the top point scorers once again, providing a major boost to Nova’s chances of reaching the playoffs. While Nova’s roster may not have the same level of star power as some of the other top teams, their ability to play with heart and quickly transition the puck makes them a dangerous underdog. If they can continue to develop their team cohesion and maintain their physicality, Nova will once again be in the hunt for a playoff spot and could prove to be a tough opponent for any team they face. No Man’s Land: Oldtimers Oldtimers are often underestimated due to their somewhat unconventional roster, but that’s where their strength lies. This team has a knack for finding success in matchups that other teams might consider easy wins. They play a solid, structured game that relies on strong defense and quick counter-attacks. While they may not have the star power of some other teams, they are incredibly efficient in their play. With the meta shifting to more fast-paced and skilled gameplay this season, Oldtimers could find themselves pushing for a possible playoff spot. If they can exploit the weaknesses of teams who underestimate them and capitalize on their disciplined game plan, they’ll be a tough team to beat. They’ll need to make every game count and steal points when they can. Vizio Vizio is another team that has been playing together for a while, and their chemistry is one of their greatest assets. However, to make a deeper playoff run this season, they will need to improve on their defensive play. Last year, they made it to the playoffs, but their run was cut short due to inconsistencies at the back end. If Vizio can shore up their defense and continue to play a cohesive game, they’ll be competitive. Their players understand each other’s tendencies and can make quick adjustments during games. Their biggest challenge will be improving defensively, as their offensive game is already solid. If they can balance their play and tighten up at the back, they could make a much deeper run than last season. Owned Hexa After a tough season last year, Owned Hexa will be looking to bounce back and improve their performance. The team has the potential to surprise, and while they may not have been among the top contenders last season, they managed to steal key points from deep playoff teams, which helped them retain their place in the Pro division. This season, they’ll need to build on that momentum and show that they can compete at a higher level. While it’s easy to overlook them, Hexa is a team that can grind out wins and will be looking to challenge the bigger names in the league. With a mix of experienced players and younger talents, they could very well be poised to make a jump in the standings if they can iron out their inconsistencies. The key for Owned Hexa will be getting their top players to step up and deliver when needed most. If they can improve their overall team play and make smarter decisions on both offense and defense, they could be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Expect them to be a team that doesn’t back down easily, capable of causing some upsets along the way. Relegation Zone Kymmeneltä Clubille The newly restructured roster of Kymmeneltä Clubille (KC) presents a lot of unknowns, but that unpredictability can be both a blessing and a curse. Coming off a mixed performance in the Pro qualifiers, KC will need to find their rhythm quickly to avoid being overwhelmed by the competition in the Pro division. Despite their struggles in the qualifiers, KC does have a strong backbone of Pro experience, and this could be crucial as they look to navigate through the tough regular season. @HopeaKypara99 will be the focal point of their offensive attack, bringing a wealth of experience to the team. Having played a significant number of games at a high level, he knows what it takes to perform under pressure and will be looking to guide KC to a playoff spot. Additionally, the versatility of @LeiskaViis7 , who made the transition from defenseman to center, could be an interesting development for KC. Last season, Leiskaviis7 showed a knack for offensive contributions while playing as a defender in Lite, and if he can bring that same offensive touch to his new role at center, KC could become a much more dangerous team. KC’s path to success will depend on their ability to adapt and build chemistry quickly. If they can get the most out of their core players and find a balance between offense and defense, they might just surprise some of the more established teams in the Pro division. However, they’ll need to make sure they stay competitive and focus on steady improvement throughout the season to make a push for the playoffs. Devilz The Devilz are hoping to avoid another relegation scare this season, as last year’s Pro campaign ended in disappointment. While they’ll need to prove they belong in the Pro division, they’re determined to turn things around. This team will need to fight for every point, as they’ll be in constant danger of being relegated back to Lite if they don’t perform. One of their biggest struggles last season was consistency — they found themselves losing key 50/50 games that could have been the difference between staying in Pro and being sent down. If they can turn those close games into wins and put together a more solid effort across the board, they’ll stand a chance at surviving the relegation zone. It will be a long, hard season for Devilz, but they have the potential to stay in Pro if they can deliver when it matters most. Mights After making an unexpected run in Lite last season, Mights earned their spot in Pro through the qualifiers. But now the real challenge begins: staying there. The competition in Pro is fierce, and Mights will need to find a way to adapt quickly. They’ll need to score some upsets and take points from teams that might underestimate them. A key factor will be @priima-namu their standout goalie, who will need to step up and steal games for his team. He has the ability to make game-changing saves, but Mights will need more than just goaltending to succeed in Pro. If they can find consistency in their defensive play and generate more offense, they could surprise some teams and avoid the relegation zone. But it’s going to be a tough battle. Group 2 Overview The competition in Group 2 of the Pro division looks intense, with several teams vying for playoff spots, title contention, and survival in the league. With some teams making the leap from Lite and others looking to bounce back from disappointing seasons, this is sure to be a season full of surprises, tough battles, and shifting dynamics. Here’s a closer look at the teams in each category. Title Contenders Ryhtic Ryhtic is a team with a rich history of being on the cusp of greatness. For several seasons, they've been flirting with Elite qualifications, but have never quite broken through. This season, however, could very well be their year. Ryhtic has consistently been one of the top Pro teams, and with a solid roster returning alongside a few key additions, they have the depth and experience to push for the top. At the center of their offense will once again be @yrjoo a player who has been a mainstay of the team and has consistently delivered. His ability to create scoring chances and control the tempo of the game is invaluable. Alongside him, @Limbe65 and @Naikou88 will continue to flank him on the wings, creating a well-balanced offensive line that has the potential to dominate. Together, they formed one of the most dangerous lines last season, and if they can recapture that form, Ryhtic will be near impossible to stop. The team’s most recent near-miss, losing in Game 7 to TikiTalk in the playoffs, should have given them valuable lessons in handling high-pressure situations. If they learned from this experience and fine-tuned their game, they could very well take that final step and secure an Elite spot this season. The consistency of their top line, combined with solid defensive play and reliable goaltending, makes Ryhtic a serious title contender. Poggers Poggers is a team that has been a fixture in the Pro division for years, and while they have the talent to make waves in the Elite, inconsistency has been their biggest obstacle. Last season, Poggers had another strong regular-season campaign but fell short in the playoffs. The team’s performance has been a bit up and down in recent years, but there is no denying that they have the raw talent to compete with the best. The veteran presence of @JaKurrii , returning for another season, will be crucial. An all-around player who contributes to both offense and defense, Jakurrii is the backbone of the team. His leadership and ability to make plays in critical moments will be key for Poggers as they look to challenge for the Pro title. His consistency at the top of the scoring charts is expected to continue, and his chemistry with his linemates will be pivotal for the team’s success. If Poggers can find more consistency in their game, particularly in the postseason, they will be a formidable force. Their ability to compete with the league's best and their deep roster make them one of the favorites to win the title. A strong start to the season and a solid playoff push will be what defines this team's success. Deep Playoff Teams Finnish Roosters The Finnish Roosters had a strong regular season last year, finishing as the number 2 seed, but their playoff run was a major disappointment as they fell to Golden Sticks. The team crumbled in the postseason, and their inability to step up when it mattered most left fans wondering what went wrong. This season, they will be looking to bounce back and prove that they can replicate their regular-season success in the playoffs. The Roosters are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, with a deep roster that boasts excellent two-way players like @J0HTAJA and @Ernottii . These players bring both offensive creativity and defensive reliability, making it difficult for opponents to break through. If the Roosters can find a way to carry their strong regular-season form into the postseason, they will be a tough team to eliminate. With a mix of experience and talent across the board, the Finnish Roosters are capable of making a deep playoff run. However, they will need to address their postseason struggles and prove that they can deliver when the pressure is on. Herlev Eagles The Herlev Eagles have been a fixture in the Pro division for several seasons, but their performance has been inconsistent. At their best, they can compete with the best teams in the league, but they’ve struggled to find that level of play consistently. This season, they are aiming to return to their former glory, and their experienced core should help them get back on track. With players like @vibholm10 , a seasoned pro who knows how to step up in critical moments, the Eagles have a leader who can guide the team through tough stretches. Vibholm’s ability to control the pace of play and contribute offensively will be crucial for Herlev as they look to challenge for a playoff spot. The team’s success will depend on finding that level of consistency and playing a more structured game throughout the season. If the Eagles can eliminate the rollercoaster performances and start to play more consistently, they could once again become a playoff team. However, they will need to put together a complete season, both offensively and defensively, if they want to make a deep run in the postseason. Dark Horses Cheeky Grinders The Cheeky Grinders have steadily improved over the past few seasons and are now looking to make a real push for a playoff spot. The team has been steadily grinding away, and their hard work is starting to pay off as they continue to develop into a competitive force in the Pro division. As captain, @tigerrbackwoods will continue to lead from the back end, where his defensive acumen and leadership have been invaluable. If he can keep his game at a high level, the Cheeky Grinders will be tough to break down. Additionally, the team will need strong contributions from all of its players to push for a playoff spot. Their depth and team-first mentality make them dangerous, and if they continue to improve, they could be a surprise team in the playoffs. If the Grinders can keep their defensive play tight and get consistent offensive output, they could push for a spot in the postseason. They will be a team to watch closely throughout the season. Ismon Valinta Ismon Valinta might have finally found that missing piece to make a run at the playoffs. With the addition of @Ikavalko , a player known for his ability to create plays and find teammates in critical situations, the team now has an added dimension to their offense. Valko’s vision and playmaking ability should help elevate the team’s offensive production and help them challenge for a playoff spot. That being said, @Hapee-_- , the team’s right winger, needs to step up his game. While he has shown flashes of being a top Pro player, he must become more consistent if Ismon Valinta wants to succeed at the highest level. If these two players can find chemistry and build momentum, Ismon Valinta could surprise a few teams and be a contender for a playoff berth. Golden Sticks Golden Sticks made waves last season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs despite a roster that many considered not to be among the elite. This year, the team faces the challenge of replacing their star point producer, who has left for Gotham Knights, a top contender. Filling the void left by this departure will be no easy task, but Golden Sticks has shown resilience in the past. The question for them this season is whether they can replicate their previous success without their top scorer. They have a solid roster, but replacing the goals and assists from last year’s standout player is a tall order. If they can find a way to distribute the scoring load and get production from across their lineup, Golden Sticks could still make a strong playoff push. However, they’ll need to adapt quickly and find new ways to generate offense. Teams on the Edge Björklöven eSport A new roster always comes with a set of uncertainties, and Björklöven eSport is no exception. The team will have to find its rhythm quickly if they want to make a serious push for the playoffs. @Kallmanius is back and will provide stability and leadership, but the question remains whether he can perform at a high level consistently and how the rest of the roster will gel. With some new Swedish talent in the mix, Björklöven has the potential to recapture the success they’ve had in the past. However, they will need to overcome the growing pains that often come with roster changes. If they can find chemistry and develop a consistent game plan, they could be a surprise team in the Pro division. HC Lugano eSport HC Lugano eSport is a team that surprised many during the Pro qualifiers, and their strong puck movement and overall team play suggest they could be a tough opponent in the regular season. With a few standout players who can make a difference, they are looking to make some noise in the Pro division and stay competitive. If Lugano can build on their momentum from the qualifiers and continue to play an aggressive, up-tempo style, they could pose problems for higher-ranked teams. But they will need to gather points early in the regular season to avoid getting caught in a relegation battle. This team has potential, but they need to prove themselves consistently. Aspyre Coming up from Lite, Aspyre has made a splash in the Pro qualifiers, but now they face the challenge of proving themselves in the regular season. The key player to watch is @JepuXI , the center who had a solid season in Lite last year. Now, as the focal point of the offense in Pro, the pressure will be on him to step up. His ability to maintain composure and perform at a high level will be crucial in determining how well Aspyre fares this season. They’ll be looking to get some key points early and prove they belong at this level. No Man’s Land Nostreetsports Nostreetsports is a team that has the potential to fight for a playoff spot, but it will be a long road for them. Despite being together for a while, the team has not been able to fully translate their chemistry into consistent results. This season, they will need their star player @Bot_hene to step up and lead the charge. Bot_hene has shown flashes of brilliance, and if he can develop better chemistry with his wingers and drive the offense, Nostreetsports may surprise a few teams. However, consistency will be key, and the team will need to find ways to win tough matchups if they want to make a push for the postseason. AFTERLIFE AFTERLIFE is a team that has struggled to find consistency at the Pro level, and with a lack of experience in the division, they are likely to face significant challenges this season. Goalie @Bystrom_33 has shown that he can play at a high level, but the team around him will need to step up to ensure they don’t get overwhelmed. If AFTERLIFE can rally together and start playing with more confidence, they could pull off some upsets and prove that they belong in the Pro division. However, it will take a complete team effort and a lot of hard work to make it through the regular season. Relegation Zone Refuse Too Lose After surviving the tough Pro qualifiers, Refuse Too Lose now faces the daunting task of competing at the Pro level. Their lack of experience will be a major hurdle, but they do have some crafty players who can surprise teams with their counter-attacks. The team's success will largely depend on the leadership of @sonny , who will need to guide his squad through tough matchups. If they can play a patient, defensive game and capitalize on counter-attacks, Refuse Too Lose could steal some points. But their inexperience will likely be exposed over the course of the season, and staying in the Pro division will be a tough ask. Nürnberg IceTigers eSport The Nürnberg IceTigers are a team in flux, having struggled to maintain a consistent presence in the Pro division. Their defense is anchored by @OGjahajaha , a veteran who brings stability and leadership to the blueline, but the team will need to generate more offense if they want to stay out of the relegation zone. With their focus on defensive play, the IceTigers will likely rely on low-scoring games to stay competitive. However, their offensive output needs to improve if they are to climb up the standings and avoid relegation. Red Bull Munich eSport Red Bull Munich eSport has had their ups and downs in recent seasons, and this year will be no different. With some big names on the roster, they have the potential to be competitive, but they will need to find a way to gel as a team and play consistently throughout the season. If Red Bull Munich can play to their potential and find a rhythm, they may be able to stay in the Pro division. However, they will need to prove they can handle the pressure and consistently perform at a high level. Sawolanche Sawolanche is a team that surprised many by finishing in the top four in Lite and earning promotion to the Pro division. Now, they must adjust to the higher level of competition and start collecting points quickly. The team has some talented players, including @I_LaiTi_I , who can be a difference-maker if he steps up to the challenge. If Sawolanche can maintain their strong defensive play from Lite and get contributions from their offense, they might be able to sneak into the playoffs. However, they will need to adapt quickly to the Pro division and build chemistry as a team if they want to survive and thrive at this level. We want your clips! Did you make an incredible play or have a funny blooper? Share your best moments on social media using the hashtag #ECL25Clips and get a chance to be featured in our broadcasts. Social media Please tag @SportsGamerGG and use the hashtag #ECL25Winter when posting on social media. You can also use the hashtags #KouvolanLakritsi #eHockey. Also note that when editing your team info, you can add your social media accounts to your team information. The same goes for your player card. Season schedule Regular Season duration: 18.11-19.12.2024 Estimated finals date: Below is the estimated date for the Finals (BO7) to be approximately played. We reserve the right to changes in schedule. ECL Pro Finals 29.-30.1.2025 Good luck to all the teams as they hit the virtual ice. Have fun and let the games begin!

Hello, eHockey fans and players! It's finally the moment we've been waiting for: The start of the ECL '25 Winter regular season! In this article, let's take a look at 12 interesting teams and/or biggest favorites to win it all. Who are potential candidates to fight for an ECL Pro promotion this season? And of course, let's pick some of the players to watch closer from every group in the middle division of our five tiers of the European Championship League, ECL Lite. Group 1 Puck Over Glass Last season this team couldn't make their way into the Lite playoffs. Now it looks like they have something good brewing because they won the ECL '25: Pre-Season - Lite & Core tournament with an explosive performance! First, they topped their group with a solid 12-0-0-2 record but after that, they swept themselves all the way to victory winning every series 2-0, two of their players being top two in playoff points. That's already a very impressive progression compared to last season! Surely they are full of confidence because of this so it definitely would not be a shock to see these guys make a deep playoff run this season! Player to watch: Hydeee_24 MoDo Hockey After not getting into Pro through the Qualifier even though they came close, a lot depends on how they recover from that disappointment. They are still capable of achieving a good result in Lite like they did last season by going to the top 8 and being one win away from the semifinals. They have an organized and fairly physical playbook, in the Pro Qualifier, they recorded the most hits by far compared to others. Player to watch: MrXbox79 DEG eSports There is always an extra factor of interest towards teams affiliated with traditional ice hockey clubs. However, this team has also proven that they can play organized and well-structured team play. They had a nice playoff run last season in Lite going into the quarterfinals and losing there against the team that went to the finals. After that they got knocked out from the ECL Pro Qualifier in Stage 1 only with a small margin, since if their one overtime loss had turned into a win it would've been enough to make it into Stage 2. Being that close surely only gives them more hunger to achieve a Pro spot for the Spring season! Player to watch: MEAZZA1704 Group 2 Project X It has been a few seasons since we last saw this team, back in ECL '23: Spring - Pro. Now they are back led by their captain, one of the most recognizable names in ECL Lite this season - 2023 IIHF eWorld Champion JesseL2002. But there are actually a few players who represented Project X's previous roster. One of them is Torvelajr__ who has a very realistic chance to be one of the top if not the best goalies of this division. This team definitely has experience, individual skills, and probably also some kind of reunion spirit. If they get a smooth and consistent flow going through the season, they surely have a great chance for the championship. Player to watch: JesseL2002 KohKae Esports KohKae earned a straight promotion to Lite by being champions of ECL '24: Spring - Core. It's always fascinating to follow champion teams and see if they can continue the success from the lower division when moving up a tier. Obviously, it's hard to think of a better foundation for a new season than winning the previous one - especially when the team's roster has stayed almost identical. khassu-- - who had a clutch performance in their championship run being #1 in playoffs of both GAA (1.19) and save% (90.31) - stays as their starting goalie. Can he keep up that form? KohKae's defensive pair stays the same: Eashl_kalle and LihaPoni90, who both were top-scoring defensemen of the Core playoffs last season. Player to watch: khassu-- HC Pustertal eSports HC Pustertal, consisting mostly of Finnish players, represents the Italian hockey club as their official eSports squad. Hullued - who was an Elite goalie in Renascor last season, including one playoff series played - seems to play center now, but this isn't new business for him. Hullued has played roughly 50% of his career as a skater and 50% as a goalie in many different tiers and leagues and he seems to be like a Swiss army knife; any position and performance is solid. Pustertal's current goalie Kibk_RuZaKuZa had a great last season in Lite with Mights so it will be interesting to see if we will see the same kind of work between the pipes again. The also versatile Ollizhki27 is the definition of an experienced player. He has played ECL ever since ECL Season 1 in 2015, including ECL Pro and also different national leagues. Player to watch: Hullued Eisbaeren Lauf Gaming This club from Germany made its ECL debut already in ECL 12 and has been playing in different divisions since then. Most recently they played a few seasons in Pro and even though they never managed to make their way into playoffs there, I believe that experience playing against tough Pro opponents will be very useful in Lite. wobfighter saved 87.27% of the shots he faced in the Pro Qualifiers, which sounds decent considering they lost half of their games. I see him as a potential candidate for the top goalie of the Lite season. Eisbaren's expected top point scorer is none other than KenuFHR, who is a dangerous and sneaky forward if the opponent leaves him unguarded. My minimum prediction would be to see this team in the top 16. Player to watch: KenuFHR Group 3 Hopfensmoothie HC Hopfensmoothie HC is a Swiss team with some players who have Elite and Pro experience, such as originaL-SnuS from the top Central European team The Black Jacks / ZSC Lions. This is actually the former team for many other players on this HHC roster. Just like SnuS was for TBJ, he is also the captain of this HHC team and has been the leader on ice by being their top scorer both in the regular season and the playoffs last season in ECL Lite. I_Alex28_I was also one of their key players in the playoffs by scoring 12 points in 15 games played. He also made an impressive 44 points in 12 games played recently in the Lite & Core Pre-Season, where Hopfensmoothie showed that their members are still in strong form by finishing #1in their group with a 9-3-1-1 record. Hopfensmoothie made their way to the Lite quarterfinals last season and thus were entitled to take part in the Pro qualifier and surely could've been able to make a good result there. The team, however, decided to stay in Lite. They are definitely one of the teams capable of winning the championship this season. Player to watch: originaL-SnuS Sunne IK Esport Sunne IK is another team that missed the Lite playoffs last season but seems to have been leveling up their game exponentially. Their record was a very solid 11-1-1-1 in the Pre-Season, where they were also the top-scoring team with 96 goals, which is not a surprising number when looking at regular season and playoffs top scorers that are both full of Sunne guys. The big question is: Is Sunne able to keep that firepower since two of those top scorers apparently are not playing for this team anymore? After that in playoffs, they continued their good form, losing only three games, out of which two in the BO3 finals against Puck Over Glass. Comparing their current roster to last season's roster, it seems like they have kept their team core pretty patiently but they also made some moves like the signing of benjamint737 who should be a great goalie for Lite level with his Elite and Pro experience. Player to watch: benjamint737 Setelikerho Team with loads of Pro and even some Elite experience, so definitely any team playing against them should expect an opponent who is not shaking in tight situations and has trust in their team play because they are familiar with each other. In fact Jugi9, Tanski87, armoton-kaulin, Kozeec, and Jesse6115 all played previously in Supernatural so I guess this is kind of a rebranded team from that. Player to watch: Kozeec Group 4 Kikkakirja Kikkakirja went through the Pre-Season regular season with an 11-0-1-2 record and after that ran into the semifinals. Their game style actually seems to live up to their name (translation Deke Book/Trick Book) but still not at the cost of defending since only two teams had fewer goals against them compared to Kikkakirja's 28 goals allowed. Their RD Kahvinpapu already has some ECL Pro experience and has been doing a good job as an offensive d-men. Their captain PyroNiko__ also played Pro last season with N0VA, even though he didn't play many games he was efficient in those with over 2 PPG. Player to watch: PyroNiko__ Technical Disaster TED is already starting the 6th ECL season together. Solid Lite team season after season, this time they were also close to making it into Pro through the qualifiers but fell short in the last round. They still have familiar faces from their previous rosters, like key players Kaapo13 and wrlster who have both always been creating good results in Lite individually. It wouldn't be a surprise if Technical Disaster could reach the top of this division sooner or later. Player to watch: Kaapo13 VBO STARS Swedish team VBO STARS got a taste of gold medals a few months ago when they won the championship of SEC 16. While it was not the same exact roster as now, this team might actually be the team with most former Elite players this season in Lite; I-Bror-I, eBasstian, and Kattenj all played in the highest tier not too long ago, but none in the latest season, so will be interesting to see how their experience will carry on for this season in ECL Lite. Player to watch: I-Bror-I SSK Prospects Another Swedish team! One of the three ECL teams of Södertälje SK. Despite their name "Prospects", this team is not just a group of young guns. There are also many experienced players on this team - in fact, I would say players a little bit over the average age of ECL players. This mixed with some of their younger players could have a lot of potential if they find chemistry! Players like Viktorhall and HambergD who have many seasons played in Pro and sveti- could be great leaders in the group even in Elite, as well as experienced r4mme-0 who played Pre-Season for the dominant #1 seed team before signing with SSK. Player to watch: Viktorhall We want your clips! Did you make an incredible play or have a funny blooper? Share your best moments on social media using the hashtag #ECL25Clips and get a chance to be featured in our broadcasts. Social media Please tag @SportsGamerGG and use the hashtag #ECL25Winter when posting on social media. You can also use the hashtags #KouvolanLakritsi #eHockey. Also note that when editing your team info, you can add your social media accounts to your team information. The same goes for your player card. Season schedule Regular Season duration: 17.11-19.12.2024 Estimated finals date: Below is the estimated date for the Finals (BO7) to be approximately played. We reserve the right to changes in schedule. ECL Lite Finals 4.-5.2.2025 Good luck to all the teams as they hit the virtual ice. Have fun and let the games begin! Players mentioned in this article: @Hydeee_24@MrXbox79@Meazza1704@JesseL2002@Torvelajr__@khassu--@Eashl_kalle@LihaPoni90@Hullued@Kibk_RuZaKuZa@Ollizhki@wobfighter@Kenu@benjamint737@Kozeec@Jugi9@Tanski87@armoton-kaulin@Kahvinpapu@PyroNiko@Kaapo13@wrlster@Kattenj@eBasstian@svetidaje@Viktorhall@HambergD@r4mme@Original-SnuS@I_Alex28_I

Welcome to the ECL ‘25 season and the NHL 25 competitive year! Hey SportsGamers! NHL 25 is just around the corner and if I've done my math right this means we're embarking on the the 10th year of the ECL! We started back at the end of 2015 with ECL 1 in NHL 16 and are coming into the 19th season of the ECL with ECL '25: Winter. It's been a wild ride and I want to thank everyone who's been a part of it - many still around since day 1! Let's start with some great news - the prize pool for the ECL ‘25 Winter season will be 24 000 EUR and the ECL Elite Finals will be returning to the big spotlights - featured on the Assembly Winter 2025 main stage! Keep reading to find out more! Before we go any further, if you’re reading this and find yourself wondering “What is the ECL?”, or you're looking for a blast from the past listing of all ECL Champions so far you can find an article about that here. One of the more frequent requests from our community every year has been transparency in terms of upcoming plans. The benefits are clear, as it will help teams with preparation, strategizing, and assembling rosters, and of course, help players plan their holidays, trips, or other activities without sacrificing the opportunity to partake in the eHockey season to the fullest. So, without further ado, here is what the NHL 25 competitive year looks like for Europe. Please keep in mind there are still lots of details being put into place, but we want to provide as good of an overview on the timing of the ECL ‘25: Winter and Spring seasons, as well as the National Championships, that are played in between the ECL seasons. ECL '25 Competitive Year ECL '25: Pre-season The ECL ‘25: Pre-season tournament will kick off on October 17th, giving teams the ability to get right into action, get familiar with NHL 25, and test their line-ups against teams of equal skill levels. The Pre-season will consist of the following groups: Elite & Pro - Sign up now! Lite & Core - Sign up now! Neo & Newcomers - Sign up now! The best news? You can sign up right now using the links above! Qualifiers The ECL ‘25: Winter - Lite & Pro Qualifiers are scheduled to kick off approximately between October 21st and November 1st. For this reason, we suggest that teams participating in the qualifiers skip the Pre-season tournament. We will get into the specifics within a couple weeks. ECL '25: Winter Season The ECL ‘25: Winter - Regular Season will start on November 17th and be completed just in time to wind down for Christmas and the New Year. The last round of games before the holiday break will be played on December 20st. The ECL ‘25: Winter - Playoffs will start after the holidays, on January 3rd. Most of the ECL ‘25: Winter divisions will be completed by the end of January, whereas the date for the Elite Finals is still locked in for Thursday February 20th at Assembly Winter! National Leagues After the end of the ECL ‘25: Winter season, it’s time to battle in the National Leagues, such as the CSCL, eHockey SM, GCL, SCL & WECL. Many of the details are still work-in-process, but rest assured weeks 6-14 are reserved for National League play. ECL '25: Spring Season The ECL ‘25: Spring season will commence with the Lite and Pro Qualifiers in weeks 12-14. The regular season will be played weeks 15-19, and the playoffs will be played after that, with most divisions done before midsummer and the Lite Champions being decided just after. Please keep in mind that there is always a possibility for the timeline to change and we will be keeping a close eye on e.g. the IIHF World Championship schedules to avoid collisions with those games as well as possible, as we know many of our viewers and players love to watch the games. Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘25. Starting today and for the next two weeks (until September 19th), you can pick up the ECL ‘25: Winter Team license and the ECL ‘25: Player License (Winter + Spring) for the Super Early Bird pricing listed below. After that, we will offer a slightly elevated Early Bird price from September 20th - October 19th, and finally, the regular pricing from October 20th onward. PURCHASE YOUR ECL '25 LICENSES HERE For those of you participating in the qualifiers and unsure which division your team will play in for the ECL ‘25: Winter season, you can still take advantage of this offer; Purchase the Super 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 Super Early Bird price for the division your team ends up in. For example, if you enter the qualifiers for the Lite division, purchase the Super 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 does not require a team license, however, we are introducing an ECL Neo Player license at the cost of 10 EUR per season. This will enable us to improve our coverage of the division, cover the finals broadcast and offer access to the two formats: the ECL Cup & the 4v4 tournament. Read more about them below. Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division. Introducing two new formats - ECL Cup & ECL 4v4 We've been cooking up some extra fun to be had during the season and we can't take all the credit, as there have definitely been suggestions coming in from the community. ECL Cup is a knock-out type tournament that is played with your ECL 6v6 team. The Cup is played as a single elimination bracket populated by ECL teams from all divisions. The bracket is played at a slower pace and the action will go on for weeks, but if you lose - you're out! A bit dramatic perhaps, but oh boy are we expecting some drama! ECL 4v4 is exactly what it sounds like - a tournament played in the 4v4 mode of the game. All positions are to be filled with human-controlled players. We understand this game mode might not be for everyone, so the 4v4 tournament will not be a requirement for anyone to enter. ECL 1v1 is also back and we're excited to announce that we will be seeing some structural changes for the upcoming season, which we'll tell you more about in the near future. We'll have more info about all of these fun events in the coming weeks, but you may absolutely feel free to speculate and come with your wishes in the comments below, as there could still be time for adjustments! New License perks We're excited to share that we will be able to offer the following perks to ECL '25 license owners: Assembly Winter 2025 Tickets Limited Time Offer: Get a free ticket to Assembly Winter 2025 for Thursday, February 20th! Come and enjoy the ECL ‘25: Winter - Elite Finals and hang out with the community. Once you’ve purchased your license, fill out this form to apply for your free ticket. Act fast—tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We would also love to see attendees from outside of Finland join us for the Finals event. If you’re interested, please fill out this form so we can assist you with travel advice and answer any questions you may have. Stay tuned for more news about Assembly Winter 2025 and read more about the event itself at https://assembly.org/en/events/winter25. SportsGamer Health & Performance Program Get premium access to the SportsGamer Health & Performance Program, free for an extended period to help you reach your peak performance. Introducing the SportsGamer Health Program, a cutting-edge wellness platform with content specifically designed for gamers. While the platform offers a comprehensive range of workouts, home exercises, and courses, it also includes specialized content to boost your gaming performance. All materials are crafted by leading fitness professionals, ensuring you get the best in physical training. The program features gamification elements, making it fun and engaging to stay active on the platform. Additionally, it includes a dedicated section of short lectures from professional mental coaches, helping you dive deeper into individual and team-based approaches to gaming. This blend of physical and mental training ensures that you can stay healthy and sharp, both in and out of the game We’re excited to share more details with you as we approach the start of the new season. In the meantime, we’re seeking volunteers to test out the platform and its content as we continue to develop it. We’re looking for a small, diverse group of people of all ages, nationalities, and physical conditions. So, whatever your situation, if this sounds interesting to you, please fill out this form to apply. New Initiative - Social Program We’re committed to growing NHL gaming and esports! As part of a new initiative, we want to inspire teams and players to focus on their social media presence. We’re excited to showcase the best goals, biggest hits, and epic fails, and highlight them across SportsGamer broadcasts, programs, and social platforms. Introducing the ECL Social Program – designed to spotlight the best content from around the league and reward those who go the extra mile. While we’ll be focusing on video content, exceptional overall social media coverage is also appreciated. Stay tuned for more details and specifics on how you can get involved! Rule Changes & Community Opinion We would like to raise two items up for a community vote and open up the floor for discussion. Zone & Superstar Abilities - Yay or nay? For the ECL ‘24: Spring season we decided to ban a selection of Zone & Superstar Abilities. As NHL 25 is a new release, and we haven't had a chance to test it out yet, our initial instinct is to start with a clean slate and not ban any abilities until the community gets to know the new game and has a chance to make up its mind about whether the abilities are working or not. While we have preliminarily set our minds on not banning any abilities for the first season, we welcome the discussion and would love to hear your opinion. You can discuss player abilities here. Are there some rule-related changes we’ve missed? Now is your chance to discuss and suggest what type of changes you would like to see in the rulebook. Sign up NOW for the ECL '25: Pre-season tournament and stay tuned for the official kick-off of the ECL ’25: Winter Signups, launching mid-September! Edit: Added clarification to Qualifier date.

1) Server Selection Issues Recently there has been discussion regarding LA and server selection between central European teams, EU North East based teams, and the idea of ‘home-ice / server advantage’.To be concise, we have been aware for a while now that sometimes central European teams (specifically German-based ones) have issues connecting to the EU North East server, resulting in higher than expected pings and packet loss. This came to a head a few days ago where multiple series had to be played with the EU North East team treating the EU North server (located in Stockholm, Sweden) as their ‘home’ server, as opposed to the EU North East one. We decided at the time to go with this compromise as we felt it unfair to force German teams to play with legitimately unplayable connections. Additionally, we also felt that the idea of swapping players out from the affected team so that no-one had the ping issue was a wholly unfair proposal. Ultimately in our eyes, this comes down to a couple of important points. One, while we understand the advantage of playing on a server that is located closer to the majority of your team, vs the other team. Teams also have to realise that there is a difference between server advantage based on geographical location, and server advantage by way of the server itself not working as intended. German players getting 60ms+ with 20% packet loss is so incredibly obvious that the server not working as intended, and any players that even attempt to say otherwise are in our eyes being unsportsmanlike, because I think we all know for a fact that if the roles were reversed and these EU North East teams had the same issue connecting to the German server, they would balk at the thought of ‘just playing’, or being told to ‘just swap out players’ – so please, can these players in question get some much-needed perspective and think ahead for just a slight amount. Two, in this case, the difference in ping between the EU North, and EU North East server is functionally minimal. We appreciate that it is frustrating having to move away from your preferred server but can we please be frank here. If you have a good to great connection ping-wise to the EU North East server, chances are you’re going to have a good connection to the EU North server, Stockholm and Helsinki are not ‘that’ far away from each other. Furthermore, please consider the fact that a central European team’s ping is not going to differ wildly between the two servers either, so it’s not like they are gaining a meaningful upside in connection quality by having the server switch from EU North East to EU North. Furthermore, LA has not decided on a whim to tell teams to play on the EU North server. Again, we’ve been made aware about the issue that central Europeans have in connecting to the EU North East server a while back, and we verified that the players in question were having legitimate issues that lined up with what we have previously seen – in other words, we can confidently say that these cases were not manufactured in an attempt by the central European teams to ever so slightly gain back some ‘server advantage’. Finally, to set the record straight. LA did not come to this decision because another LA member was involved. We arrived at this conclusion and suggested the process well before an LA member’s team happened to be impacted by the server issue – as can be evidenced if need be. To be clear, the LA member in question was not a participant in the LA discussion about what should happen in the series where they were involved. Additionally, we will not tolerate lies being spread by individuals on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) or other social media simply because they are upset that they lost and want to blame someone else instead of their on-ice performance. Hopefully, this post makes it abundantly clear that all we are trying to accomplish is to make it so that teams aren’t punished for clear and obvious server-related issues that are far from simply being explained as server advantage. To end this portion of the text, please find below the procedure to follow in the event that this or other connection issues presents themselves: Start on ‘home’ server Check in-game connection (note: not the lobby screen before the game begins, as that can sometimes give unreliable ping that turns out to be fine in game) If substantially higher than expected ping or packet loss is present, the player impacted should record evidence of this Please record video clearly showing the problem is in the game you are supposed to play to remove any doubt of tampering The player should then restart their router and console in an attempt to see if the issue is their own connection, or the server itself Both teams should change lobby host / captain Attempt to restart the game, taking video evidence of the ping and / or packet loss If the issue is still present, then the team affected should start a support ticket detailing the issue and attach the aforementioned video clips as evidence At which point LA will decide whether the server switch should go ahead or not Edit: Please use this form to provide information to League Administration about all the server issues you or your team are experiencing: https://forms.gle/iVbP4tak6aDysqAR7 The information provided through the form will be shared with EA SPORTS in an effort to assist them to tackle the issue(s).

It's time to take a look at the second round in Lite of the ECL ‘24 Spring season, and oh boy do we have some juicy matchups! Disclaimer, all of the predictions were made before any games played. (1) Nordic Stars vs Refuse Too Lose (25) With Nordic Stars absolutely destroying their round 1 opponent Hirvikolari, there was no doubt who is the current favorite to win the championship, with 32 goals scored in 4 games we do not need to debate that any further. On the other hand, Refuse Too Lose had a tighter battle with better-seeded Vitosvitja, closing out the series in a thrilling game 6 overtime win. Nordic Stars are heavy favorites as one can imagine, like all teams they have their weaknesses and it’s for this Refuse Too Lose team to figure it out, one could point out that Nordic Stars did have trouble keeping the puck out of their net in their round 1 win, with goalie @SakkeTheEngineer boasting a 2.5 GAA in 4 games, the question here is can Refuse Too Lose stop @Vire30 and @Jerax13 from stacking the points even further, with both players raking in 21 points each so far. Whilst scoring 21 goals in 6 games is not bad, Refuse To Lose needs to keep this up versus a much better team defensively than their last opponents, if @Loghi89 can keep this scoring touch throughout the series, they might have a chance. Player to watch this series: @Jerax13 Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-0 Nordic Stars @Pensasmies: 4-1 Nordic Stars @Juhaniz-: 4-0 Nordic Stars @Pekedipeks: 4-0 Nordic Stars (2) The Oldtimers vs Hopfensmoothie HC (24) This series will be an interesting one to follow since both teams had very interesting first rounds. The Oldtimers had a tight game 7 series win in the first round and SSK Academy really put up a fight. Hopfensmoothie HC was an underdog coming into the first round at least seeding-wise, but they managed to do a reverse sweep of Nelos Kenttä. A reverse sweep is something that always helps a team perform in future rounds as it shows mental strength and also gives hope to the team even if they find themselves in a tight spot in future rounds. If Hopfensmoothie HC wants to win this series, their offense needs to step up and I am especially expecting @Original-SnuS to carry the team on his back. Player to watch: @Original-SnuS Predictions: @Pensasmies: 2-4 Hopfensmoothie HC @hifk_FANI: 4-2 The Oldtimers @Juhaniz-: 4-2 Hopfensmoothie HC @Pekedipeks: 4-3 Hopfensmoothie (3) Zenegeim vs Schrute Farmerz (23) Another series in which the better team swept their first-round opponent, Zenegeim taking down Hockeyholics in 4 games, was not as lopsided with 3 out of 4 games ending in a one-goal game. Schrute Farmerz need to capitalize on their chances in this series, because in these 4 games Zenegeim only conceded 4 goals, this shows that the defense of @Juhaniz- and @Saviinainen is no easy task for forwards, even if you do beat them they have an outstanding and experienced goalie in @Esko-etikka guarding the net. With Schrute Farmerz coming in as a clear underdog, they really need to study the game of Zenegeim to have a chance, they have a new team, and surely a lot of excitement to be here and have a chance to play in the playoffs. Defense might be the way to go here, if their defense holds up and the games are tight, they can steal a few games but their goal scorer @I-Jeppe-I needs to have a golden touch to put in those few chances they will be able to create. I had a chance to talk to the captain of Zenegeim @Juhaniz-, let's see what he had to say. Have you prepared for the next round in any way? "We talked after the first round, what went well and if something needs to be changed " What do you know about your opponent? "Not much new team but we do recognize some of the players." What will be the difference maker in this series? "This is always a hard question… It'll depend on who can read the game better and react to the opponent's playbook better. " Player to watch this series: @rakkauspakkaus- Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-0 Zenegeim @Pensasmies: 4-0 Zenegeim @Pekedipeks: 4-0 Zenegeim (4) Mights vs Ruuti (21) This series is one that can go both ways despite the seeding, with Ruuti a great series win over Carpe Diem and Mights barely getting through the first round it has surely woke the team up and reminded them of not underestimating these lower-seeded teams. Ruuti plays a really high-paced game and Mights plays a very patient playstyle that always includes that one extra pass to trick the defense. At the end of the day this series will come down to which team is more adaptable in their play. I'm expecting @Saloust77 to make some noise in the offensive zone from Mights and from Ruuti I'm expecting more balanced point production which can also be one of the deal breakers in this series. Player to watch: @Saloust77 Predictions @hifk_FANI: 4-1 Mights @Juhaniz-: 4-3 Mights @Pensasmies: 4-3 Ruuti @Pekedipeks: 4-3 Mights (5) BushWhackers vs Seinäjoki Noms (20) Firstly, let's have a look at these teams in round 1: While BushWhackers got a confident win with a gentlemanly sweep after only a game 1 loss, Seinäjoki Noms had to battle until the last moment with a sweaty game 7 overtime win. So far in playoffs BushWhackers goalie @HiBaZiBa- has been as awesome as previously in the regular season. He has an enormous 6-0-1 record with 90.91 SV%, 0.86 goals against average (#1 in playoffs) and 4 shutouts (Tied-#1 in playoffs). I would say this guy would not be far from it if we had a Goalie of Season award in lower divisions too! Assistant captain @hifk_FANI is the most experienced player of the lineup and you can definitely see that on purely scoring sheet with 7G+10A=17P but also watching their games noticing often him being the brains of offensive plays. But the other guy with an A on his chest @LeiskaViis7 has stepped up significantly and is currently #1 in defensemen playoffs points with 2G+10A=12P. All regular season long and in playoffs so far @Simbee434 has been the top-scorer of Seinäjoki Noms. Besides him, the big point in their gameplay is that their powerplay has been good and creative so far. If BushWhackers stay disciplined and Seinäjoki Noms can't build more weapons than their powerplay, this series will be a sweep. Predictions: @Pekedipeks: 4-0 BushWhackers @Juhaniz-: 4-1 BushWhackers (6) Sawolanche vs xBOTS (19) This matchup will be a very interesting one to follow as the xBOTS roster holds many big names from the HUT community. In my books, this series comes down to how well xBOTS manages to transfer individual talent into team play. Their attack at best can have most teams in Lite on their knees. Both teams have the nerves to win tight games as they both won a game 7 in the first round and personally, I really hope this series goes into 7 games so we can see which team has the nerves of iron. I had the chance to interview the captain of xBOTS so let's hear him out. What do you expect from the upcoming matchup? “I am expecting a broadly similar series to what we had in round 1 against Belissimo. As a team Sawolanche is not too familiar for us, so adapting to their play style will be key. In round 1 we made a drastic tactical decision after going down 2-0 in the series - we don't want to be in the same situation again, so we will try our best to counter whatever it is that Sawolanche is going for offensively.” What did you learn from the first round? “The first round was of course important for us gameplay-wise. But more importantly, this was absolutely MASSIVE for our team to relieve the pressure of making it through the first round. xBots in its history has played in 3 post-seasons, without making it past the first round - until now. This should help us to loosen up our grip on the controller - improving our gameplay. “ How will you prepare for the upcoming matchup? “To prepare ourselves for the upcoming battle, we have mostly tried to focus on our own way of playing. We have the capability to adapt our defense to match the offense of our opponents. We have a lot of discussions about how we want to play the game, how we want each other to move on the ice, and things of that nature. Being on the same page about the way we play is super important to us, and we are constantly improving on that.” Predictions: @Pensasmies : 4-3 xBOTS @hifk_FANI: 4-0 xBOTS @Juhaniz-: 4-2 xBOTS @Pekedipeks: 4-3 xBOTS (7) Modo Hockey vs Pata Hellalla (18) After many nights, and many days, MoDo finally played their last games of the first round, and it was a close one going to game 6 where MoDo drew the longer straw. This will for sure be a tight series with Pata Hellalla having the edge in experience, at least @Patadevils has a game or two under his belt, and maybe even the edge when it comes to offense. It's always nice to have forwards with the same amount of points and that's what we got here, can anybody stand out? Or will they rely on a solid team game to take out MoDo? MoDo plays tight defense which can cause trouble for their opponents, with 3 of their 4 wins being shutouts, this will surely be the story of this series. With a team defense like this comes great defenders, with their lineup not being the same so far, we will see who they scratch for the first games. Maybe @Sebbanejad or @I-Sjogren-I who both went without a point in three straight playoff games. Player to watch this series: @tilsuu Predictions: Hifk_fani: 4-2 Pata Hellalla Pensasmies: 4-2 Modo Juhaniz: 4-2 Pata Hellalla Pekedipeks 4-0 Modo (11) DEG eSports vs Technical Disaster (16) With interesting playoffs this year, these two teams are currently the closest two seeds in these Lite playoffs, with both teams overcoming their opponents in the first round they both have a difficult obstacle. Since both teams are quite even, this series will be decided by the team with more creativity, goaltending, and nerves. DEG eSports is not a new team by any means with 672 games played across all SportsGamer tournaments, their biggest weapon will definitely be their defense, conceding a mere 6 goals in 5 games, and their goalie @Meazza1704 rocking an 89,47% save percentage is no joke, with the recent connection issues arising these past weeks, will we see a significant change in either team's playbook? Technical Disaster's first-round series can be seen as a tight one, with all games being close, this will be a big test for this team to see if they can get past the 2nd round. With offense not quite being at the level they can be, this will be a difficult one, good defense vs a shaky offense? @Tecena needs to take his game to the next level once again, with only 5p (2+3) and a disappointing 39,2% faceoff percentage. Player to watch this series: @daaiim0n Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-2 DEG eSports @Pensasmies: 4-3 DEG eSports @Juhaniz-: 4-2 Technical Disaster @Pekedipeks: 4-3 DEG eSports Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

Once again the regular season comes to an end and the most exciting time of the year is upon us. I couldn't be more than happy with the teams that pushed through to the playoffs and once again proved this writer wrong. In this article, we’ll go through all the matchups in round 1, see what the teams have accomplished so far and then get into the predictions of each series. ECL Pro - Round 1 official scheduled dates*: Monday 27.5 Tuesday 28.5 Thursday 30.5 *Teams can agree to play games earlier, many series are expected to start early. Falun Coal Miners (1) vs Vizio (8) With the number one seed always comes big expectations. This year is no exception with Falun beating Deadly Phantoms and TIKI TALK for that number one seed and the “Presidents' trophy”, thus gaining home advantage for the entirety of the playoffs. With a record of 20-4-1-5 and 69 points, spearheading the Falun offense this season was @STRANDMANNEN11, relatively new to the scene and scoring 32 goals in his first season is impressive, to say the least. But with the bright playoffs lights, can he do it against a team that has played together for a long time, can @Artuzio and @Jetsu28 carry this team to round 2 after barely making the playoffs? Only time will tell. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-0 Falun @yrjoo: 2-4 Vizio Deadly Phantoms (1) vs Cheeky Grinders (8) Phantoms boast quite a long history of making the playoffs, everybody knows how frustrating it is to play against this team, right? Many of us Nordic players blame the Central European servers for that, but the Phantoms' style of play has once again proven effective: they won their group and proved that server choice does not matter as much as some think, edging out a few teams who could have taken that spot. For the Phantoms their excellent defensive play stood out this season, boasting 1.67 goals allowed per game, with the goalie @RPH_31 taking a stand (SV% 84.38 and 1.79 GAA). This will be a good test for a Cheeky Grinders team that plays well against teams who are higher in the standings - they did indeed steal some points this season from difficult opponents, which is why they are in the playoffs right now. Let’s see how they match against an incredibly experienced playoff team. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-2 DPH @yrjoo: 4-1 DPH TIKI TALK (2) vs Herlev Eagles (7) Someone could have maybe predicted this series at the start of the season, but maybe the other way? Herlev had a lot of ups and downs, and TIKI TALK had an impressive regular season. This should be an interesting series - both have lots of individual talent, @itspardytime, @NuariJamal, @vibholm10, and @Spearzz_, just to name a few. But as both teams look to advance to the next round, the team who can play the more compact defense will surely advance? Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 3-4 Herlev @yrjoo: 3-4 Herlev Finnish Roosters (2) vs Golden Sticks (7) The Finnish Roosters was definitely on my personal list of teams who deserved a mention in that “could’ve been” ECL Pro mid-season report that sadly never came to fruition. The team boasts a lot of players who have been around the scene for a while, and now they are entering the playoffs with momentum against a team that was assembled not long ago. This will be an interesting series to follow for a number of reasons, but the number one thing to look out for should definitely be the offense of Golden Sticks vs the defense of Finnish Roosters. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-0 Roosters @yrjoo: 4-2 Roosters. POGGERS (3) vs NOVA (6) It's been an interesting story for both teams this season, with POGGERS having a slightly disappointing Pro regular season after being relegated and NOVA building on last season, improving their record. NOVA can only hope to beat a strong POGGERS team, who have played for a long time together and they certainly know how to win hockey games. As always the creative center @JaKurrii is a hard player to contain, with 67 points (23+44), playing with @Ghettomasi who had a great season, scoring an impressive 37 goals. Can NOVA's defense and recently acquired @PyroNiko cause an upset? Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 2-4 Nova @yrjoo: 4-2 Poggers RYHTIC (3) vs Södertälje SK (6) Both teams have had their fair share of games played in the Pro division, and now we’ll see who has more ice in their veins. With a tough season, Södertälje is looking to prove to everyone and themselves that they are better than most in this division. With the help of a couple of really great players, @amadee21 can really step up in the playoffs - a player to watch for this series! RYHTIC can surprise a lot of teams with their style of play, taking down far more skilled teams with great defense and @yrjoo always steps up in the playoffs. @JussinSisko has to be a top 3 goalie in Pro this season, with absolute monster saves, and keeping RYHTIC alive in a lot of games. Can Södertälje beat the defense of RYHTIC? Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-1 Ryhtic @yrjoo: Plays for Ryhtic Otukset (4) vs Mustaa Kultaa (5) For the first round of these playoffs, this matchup has to be the one to watch. Both teams have exceptional talent in their roster, and know the game in and out. This will be a battle of Offense vs Offense - expect a lot of goals to be scored. Mustaa Kultaa couldn't quite make Elite, and didn’t really have the regular season everyone expected, but playoffs are always a different beast. Can the king of the Lite division @Allupekkaz step up and show everyone he belongs in the Pro division - or even higher? Shoutout goes to the best goalie in the regular season @LatveX boasting a save percentage of 90%! Who knew you could even do that in an NHL video game It seems Otukset have always had roller-coaster-type seasons. Their game varies from day to day, which can be a dangerous thing in the playoffs. Will we see an improved Otukset in this series? You can always rely on @Hazard-laser when the games get tough, but will it be enough? Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 2-4 Mustaa Kultaa @yrjoo: 3-4 Mustaa Kultaa Almost Famous (4) vs Supernatural (5) This series could go either way - both teams have the ability to beat the other. Supernatural showed us that they know how to take faceoffs, with an impressive 55,63% faceoff percentage in the regular season, which could give them the edge in this series with @TackleControl in the faceoff circle. Making an impressive run in the Lite playoffs last ECL, Almost Famous now immediately made the playoffs in Pro with a good record. They can build on this momentum in these playoffs and go on a similar run this year. @Ikavalko will surely be the center of attention of the Supernatural defense. if you enjoy tight games, this will be the series for you. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-2 Almost Famous @yrjoo: 2-4 Supernatural Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments! FOLLOW THE ECL PRO PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Coverage starts on Tuesday, May 28th.

The ECL '25 Winter season concluded at the LAN Finals at Assembly where Parasite were crowned the ECL Elite Champions. They claimed the title as the best team in Europe after winning the finals series 4-2 over Mustaa Kultaa. Parasite went into the season as the clear frontrunner for the title and they did not disappoint. Breaking multiple records, both team and individual, this performance will be remembered as one of the most dominating we have witnessed in recent years. NikkeDangles was crowned as the playoffs MVP and for the team Captain Beniittto this now marks the eighth ECL title, continuing to cement their legacy in the ECL history. For Mustaa Kultaa it was a great performance in the Finals and they should be nothing but proud of themselves. They were able to take two games against this all-star lineup, something which many did not expect, and had their chances in all of the games besides the series-deciding game 6. They can now use the experience of the LAN Finals and have all the keys in their hands to have a bright future ahead. The Assembly Winter 2025 stage was a beauty! | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Finals overview Game 1: Parasite 2-1 OT Mustaa Kultaa came out of the gates hot and put Parasite under a lot of pressure. They were able to find lots of shooting opportunities and @Launonexx found the first goal at the halfway of the first period. Parasite struggled a lot to find their game but the score stayed the same through the first two periods. We saw some big saves from both goalies and especially @LatveX was standing on his head at moments. At the start of the third period, Parasite were finally able to find their first goal of the series from Beniittto which saw the game heading into overtime. The OT was a cautious battle but eventually, Vattuyy found the game-winner halfway through the first overtime. Valtteri "Vattuyy" Virtanen celebrates with his teammates | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 2: Mustaa Kultaa 3-2 The second game started off with some penalty trouble to Mustaa Kultaa and on their second powerplay chance Parasite found the first goal from the defender of the year in Teemuyy. Despite dominating the time on attack Parasite were not able to put many shots at the Mustaa Kultaa net, but with the 2-0 goal at the start of the third from NikkeDangles the game, and possibly the series, looked to be close to over. A few minutes after @Allupekkaz did manage to bring some life to the team with a goal eleven minutes before the end. It took all the way to the last minute for @xAaro89x to find his first goal of the series tying up the game and not long after, only five seconds before the end, he found the game-winning one-timer. Did we mention the venue was amazing!? | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 3: Parasite 5-2 After the comeback victory, Mustaa Kultaa stayed on the gas and took a 2-0 lead with two quick goals from xAaro89x and @NuariJamal. The party was short-lived though as Parasite had tied up the game by the halfway of the second period. Mustaa Kultaa found themselves again in some penalty trouble against the best powerplay team in the league and they paid the full price in the third period. Beniittto found the game-winner in the powerplay and Vattuyy scored two more goals to cap off the victory. A sneak peek behind the Mustaa Kultaa point of view | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 4: Parasite 4-1 This time it was Parasites' turn to get off to a flying start with two quick goals in the first period. @Miseee96 was able to bring the game within one with his first and only goal of the playoffs, but that was all they got. Parasite seemed to have found their game and after the 3-1 goal from Vattuyy they did not really give a chance for Mustaa Kultaa to get back into this game. Beniittto capped off the game in the dying seconds and Parasite were one game away from the Championship. Parasite celebrating a goal | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 5: Mustaa Kultaa 4-3 OT The fifth game got off to a fast start with two goals from both teams in the first period. In the second Vattuyy found the back of the net with a one-timer and heading into the third period it was all or nothing for Mustaa Kultaa. They managed to create some chances, but eventually, it was a breakaway goal from Allupekkaz that tied the game and we were in for another overtime. It went on for three minutes before xAaro89x capped off his hat trick with a beautiful spin-o-rama snipe to the glove side. xAaro89x (right) scores and Launonexx (center) and Allupekkaz (left) go wild! | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 6: Parasite 8-0 Game six was just all Parasite. They took a quick 2-0 lead in the first period and added another one to start the second. There was still some hope left for Mustaa Kultaa but all that was shattered when NikkeDangles found his second of the game at the end of the period. In the third period, Parasite was just playing the time and after some late-minute goals and a fight to cap off the series, it was a rough 8-0 score that ended this season. Parasite celebrates their victory, lead by captain Perttu "Beniittto" Kemppainen | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Road to the Championship Regular Season: 24-3-0-1, 78 pts, 1st overall Quarterfinals 4-0 vs GOONS Semifinals 4-1 vs Voittamaton Finals 4-2 vs Mustaa Kultaa The ECL '25: Winter - Elite Champions: Parasite | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg (1) Parasite Championship Lineup Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila Tomi @txmbo999 Laitinen Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes Thank you to everyone who came out to support the finals event at Assembly Winter and Congratulations to Parasite on a well-deserved Championship - see you all in the Spring Season!

This article is written based on the status before the games marked November 28th, 00:00 EET As we wrap up weeks 1 and 2 of the ECL Pro division, we still have 3 weeks left of the regular season, and oh boy has it been a rollercoaster so far. In this article, we will only highlight a few teams and players who have either overperformed their expectations or underperformed. More to come in the mid-season report. Both groups seem to have been off to a quick start, with many teams already playing 10+ games, now comes the important stretch of games where teams start to drift into playoff positions. Group 1 Even after being highlighted as one of the best teams in Group 1 this season, Zenegeim has outperformed that prediction. They have shown that only a few teams can match their pace this season, and with an average of 2.7 points-per-game, they are a lock to be Group 1 winners at the end of the regular season. With an impressive 18 points @Juhaniz- is tied for the lead in points with @Azzez_88 for defensemen this season. Creeping up on them is former Elite division standout and veteran @KingOfApes_ with 17 points. Another positive standout to start the season has to be Blackbirds. After a few seasons in Lite and a few acquisitions later, they now rank second in points-per-game and have the leading goalscorer in the entire division @aomyo6195, who is tied at 20 goals, although @AdriF_23 has one more game played at the time of writing. All is well when speaking of top performers, however, this wouldn’t be a good article if we didn’t mention some underperformers, and the clear one is Deadly Phantoms; with 9 points in 10 games the German side hasn’t shown their experience yet, as the younger and hungrier teams have surprised them. Team to watch for the rest of the season: Owned Hexa With a deadly duo of @AdriF_23 & @Winci putting up points this season, this team might just see themself in the top 3 at the end of the regular season. Now comes the hard part: staying consistent. Player to watch for the rest of the season: @Roisto999 With a long history in the ECL, he once again has put up impressive numbers (85,03 SV% & 1,83 GAA). These aren’t easy numbers to produce behind a team that has the majority of possession in most games and doesn't face a ton of shots. Group 2 An equally impressive start must be mentioned regarding Nostreetsports. With 2.7 points-per-game, they sit at the top of group 2, an impressive start to the season for a team that wasn’t that high on the totem pole in the preview - happy to be proven wrong. With the best offense at the moment in the entire division at 4.7 goals for per game, Nostreetsports are looking to add to their impressive start. On offense, @Toivone_ is leading the way and he sits alone at the top of the Pro division with 38 points (18+20). Another impressive team to start the season has to be Aspyre, captain @Pekedipeks has really oiled up the machine to get the gears rolling, with their offense going on strong (2.83 GF), their defense now needs to be better to keep their playoff hopes in sight. One of the most disappointing teams in the entire division this season is RYHTIC, a lackluster start to the season puts them on the wrong side of the playoff line when it comes to point-per-game. In the same boat as them are the Finnish Roosters, with an equally bad start to the season. Team to watch for the rest of the season: HC Lugano eSports A team that still has many games to go, this will be a good watch. HC Lugano eSports plays exciting hockey and can make the playoffs with some surprise teams underestimating them. Player to watch rest of the season: @Limbe65 While his team (RYHTIC) is underperforming, their bright spot Limbe is still shining with 17 goals this year, and this is only the top of the iceberg for the talented winger. Watch him crack 50 goals this season.

In this article, we’ll be digging deep into all of the four matchups that ECL Pro has left to offer. As usual, we will step on some toes and our predictions will cause some much-needed controversy. Which teams will advance to the semifinals? Read down below and make up your mind! SERIES 1: Falun Coal Miners (1) vs Golden Sticks (12) David vs Goliath, Rocky vs Drago, and all the stories we’ve heard of underdogs rising against the favorites. Will this be the upset of the season? Golden Sticks sure hope so, but Falun is no easy team to take down, especially in a best-of-7 series that will surely be a good one to watch. Falun surely had an easier way to the top 8 than their opponents did, beating out Vizio in a 4-0 sweep, but a few of those wins came in tight games so it wasn’t quite as easy as it may appear - this is after all the Pro playoffs. With 14 goals scored in 4 games for Falun, we know their offense is there, everybody knows they have the ability to take the edge in tight games on both ends of the ice. The difference in this series has to be which team can score first, and which team can defend their lead better. @STRANDMANNEN11 kept his scoring touch from the regular season, and put up 11 points (3+8) in 4 games vs Vizio, with his center buddy @smay96 not far behind. The experience between the pipes for both teams will be a good matchup in this series, with both @eliekamel87 and @jubex0r both having a great postseason so far. A tight series for Golden Sticks in round 1 of these playoffs surely boosts their confidence heading into the quarterfinals; they were down 3-2 in their series and managed to win both games 6 and 7. And with 7 games played, comes more points: newly acquired @LucePro is leading the team in points (5+8) in the postseason so far. He showed everyone that even in 6s he belongs in the playoffs. He can surely take his game to another level, but he’ll need the help of his teammates. @HopeaKypara99 and LucePro can make for an interesting duo on offense, but will it be enough versus the all-so-experienced defense of Falun? Tune in to find out! We caught up with the captains @LucePro of Golden Sticks and @l-Furyan-l of Falun Coal Miners and here's what they had to say: What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses? LucePro: "Falun haven’t played in a while, a week's break or so since their last game could show in the beginning, and their consistency is also a weakness we are looking to exploit." l-Furyan-l: "I don’t know if Golden Sticks really have any weaknesses per se. However, I would like to add that they do have an in-form player we absolutely need to stop; LucePro, if we want to have a chance to win we need to take him down." And how are you going to win this series? LucePro: "We’re creative in the offensive zone, and can create a lot of good chances, we defend well as a team and that is how we’re going to win this series." l-Furyan-l: "If we want to advance to the semifinals this season, we need to play our own game, dare to be ourselves, and most importantly, have fun." Predictions: @hifk_FANI Falun 4-1 @ripKeisari: Falun 4-1 @Pensasmies: Falun 4-2 A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @jubex0r Watch the series live: twitch.tv/CoalMinersTV, twitch.tv/goldensticksnhl SERIES 2: (2) TIKI TALKvs Mustaa Kultaa (10) This series has the potential to be an interesting one, both on and off the ice. Both teams play entertaining hockey and seem to be quite active on social media. Hopefully, both teams can keep it going as this matchup sure will be an entertaining one. Mustaa Kultaa coming off their ECL '23: Spring Championship season in Lite were eliminated in the Pro Quarterfinals last season by Renascor, who we saw in ECL Elite in ECL '24: Spring. This season Mustaa Kultaa are back at it again with a successful playoff run and seeing them back in the quarterfinals this year has come to nobody's surprise. In the first round, they took down a skilled team in Otukset 4-1 and are now facing a similar opponent in TIKI TALK. it will be a test for them to see if they can make it one step further. If they want to advance to the semifinals and secure that lock for Elite qualification, either @Allupekkaz or @jaageri_ will need to stand out in a big way and carry the mantle. Will their trust in sensational rookie @LatveX in goal pay off? So far so good, as he boasts an insane 93,83 sv%, which - if he can keep it up - is certainly an ingredient for winning and potential for a record-breaking stat. TIKI TALK who undoubtedly has stuck it to those who didn't believe in them this season, by taking down a good team in Herlev Eagles, with an incredible comeback from being down 3-1 and winning the series in game 7. As per usual a goal-hungry @itspardytime leading the team in points (8+11), but now having a great player alongside him who can put up points - can @NuariJamal be the guy he needs to get back to the Elite division? We caught up with the Mustaa Kultaa captain @jaageri_ for some comments about the series. Tiki Talk were unfortunately unavailable for comment. What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses? Jaageri: "The opponent's biggest weakness is definitely defense." And how are you going to win this series? Jaageri: "We will win this series by defending the way we did in the first round. Even though TIKI TALK have a different playbook and a lot of skill, they also have a guy who isn’t afraid to “kärkkyä” (=to cherry pick), so we need to keep their breakaways to a minimum. Our strength lies in counter-attacks and we need to exploit that." Predictions: @hifk_FANI: Mustaa Kultaa 4-2 @ripKeisari: Mustaa Kultaa 4-3 @Pensasmies: Mustaa Kultaa 4-1 A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @itspardytime Watch the series live: twitch.tv/nuarijamal-_-, twitch.tv/allupekkaz SERIES 3: Deadly Phantoms (3) vs Almost Famous (8) Both teams possess the talent, the quality, and the determination to advance from this series, but what sets these two teams apart? We can’t overlook the fact that both teams can score, and I bet both teams will prepare accordingly. One team has more experience whilst the other possesses that eagerness to compete again at this level. Deadly Phantoms have that rare ability to beat almost anybody, their style of play allows them to be able to compete with any team in this scene, it comes with its perks but also with its implications in offense. With a defense like theirs comes some outstanding goaltending from @RPH_31, a GAA of 1.00 & 92,42% save percentage, putting him in 2nd place in both categories so far in the playoffs. Forwards will need to step up in the next series if they want to advance - they can’t rely on their defenseman @xXPsykoSkillsXx to carry them for too long. After rebranding to the name Almost Famous, the team carried itself well in the regular season, and now with a solid first-round win in six games, they have a much harder task at hand in taking down a much more defense-heavy opponent. With the teams splitting the points in the regular season, this series could go either way. The question for this series will be whether Almost Famous can find a way through the German defense and score enough goals. Will the central server play a big part? Can @xrikardo55 find his groove? We’ll find out soon enough. We caught up with the Almost Famous captain @Ikavalko for some comments about the series. What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses? Ikavalko: "Wouldn’t say they have a specific weakness in their team, they don’t have too much individual talent and their gameplay goes through the blueline so we need to take advantage of that." And how are you going to win this series? Ikavalko: "By taking away their tips and rebounds." Deadly Phantoms were unfortunately unavailable for comment. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: Deadly Phantoms 4-2 @ripKeisari: Deadly Phantoms 4-3 @Pensasmies: Deadly Phantoms 4-3 A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @Jalkkin- Watch the series live: twitch.tv/ProfaneKiss SERIES 4: (4) POGGERSvs RYHTIC(7) Both teams have a roster full of players with an extremely high knowledge of how the game mechanics work and talented goalies. Both rely on playing together as a team, and creating plays together which is why this series has the potential to be the best to watch for new players and teams, who want to rise in the ECL ladder. POGGERS have been around for a while and are now looking to get back to where they came from: ECL Elite. On their good days they can fight for a playoff spot in the highest division, but their ability to stay consistent is why they are currently playing in Pro. If @JaKurrii can get his team to play the way they need to, they’ll advance with the help of @Ghettomasi who led the team in the regular season, and now needs to get back to his regular season form. RYHTIC who took down a great team in Södertälje in the first round has a round 2 monkey on their back they really need to shake off. They are known for having a great season and making the playoffs, but not quite being able to finish the job in the end. The team is once again being led by veteran @yrjoo, and focuses on keeping games close and not giving their opponent an inch in the offensive zone. If they can stick to their game plan and keep POGGERS off the board, they might just make it to the semifinals. With @Naikou88 back in the team, and @JussinSisko being a playoff performer, this might just be the year for RYHTIC. We caught up with the captains of RYHTIC @yrjoo for some comments about the series. What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses? Yrjoo: "Has to be their inconsistency." And how are you going to win this series? Yrjoo: "By continuing where we left off versus SSK." POGGERS were unfortunately unavailable for comment. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: RYHTIC 4-3 @ripKeisari RYHTIC 4-1 @Pensasmies POGGERS 4-1 A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @MCH_98 Watch the series live: twitch.tv/yrjoo FOLLOW THE ECL PRO PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division Quarterfinals on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, June 4th. Additionally, you can follow the teams' own coverage using the links provided above. Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? 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!

As of the mid-point of the ECL '24 Spring season, this milestone has been reached. This article is written on May 5, 2024 In the middle of the day. Due to variations in the number of games played between teams, I am using Points per Game (P/G) results when discussing regular season rankings. The teams leading the pack include Valokuitunen Esports, Straikers, Unwanted, and Tohtorit. I won't cover all teams, as time does not permit and frankly, there isn't much to say about many teams. Here are a few highlights that I find either unusual or particularly interesting from the season so far: Purification is doing well, and their 1.81 P/G is somewhat surprising to me. In reviewing the stats, @Skumboo's impressive save percentage in his rookie season stands out. If the team can improve slightly, we might see them in the playoffs in their first season, which would be an impressive feat for this young Swedish squad. Vesa Pompa – what's going on with your team? The team's stats are as follows: 5 wins and 9 losses. Vesa Pompa, having recently won the Swedish championship, should not be counted out of the playoffs yet; I believe the team will improve once they've played more games. It seems they might be missing @SebbeLarsen86, as the team’s goalkeeper has faced the most breakaways according to EA's stats. The team is also among the top four for goals allowed, with a statistic of 2.86 GA/GP. Nearly 3 goals per game is not a great performance for a top Elite team. EXEN has struggled to perform consistently at the top of the rankings, which could be attributed to their challenging schedule, facing top teams like Valokuitunen and Tunnel Vision. Additionally, they have experienced unexpected losses to teams like Goons and Heimo. These struggles might be explained by the team's adaptation period or "growing pains," especially considering that V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela is potentially playing his first season as a center, and Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen is on defense. Triple-champion Mozjayh has not yet shown the same impact as seen from his time as a center, with a stats of 16gp 4+10. High on the team's internal points leaderboard is Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström, who also won last season's Defender of the Season award. This skilled defenseman has often been high up in the points during the regular season, but personal errors cost them in the last playoffs when Vesa Pompa capitalized on these mistakes. We will soon see if lessons have been learned from last season or if similar errors continue at the same scale. Heimo – excuses or improvements? I hope this veteran squad gets their game going, and we see them in the playoffs after a long absence. @Akunkku has made a successful comeback to the scene with a performance of 16gp 14+9p, 23 points. Roots is close to making the playoffs after a long time. The return of Santeri @xleksa_ Levänen has clearly made the team more cohesive and victorious. Perhaps this is the famous Sokkelo SZN, as Mr. Eemil @sokkelo__ Soikkeli scores goals and carries the team to higher standings. Polski Boys' early season has been terrible, with 18 games and 7 wins. Star player @jm98II promised me before the season that Polski would be seen in the playoffs. If so, the team needs to step up soon. Last season showed promise, so it would be a disappointment if they regressed. Goons, I'm not even sure what to say about you. Well, you got Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola back, and 7 different guys have been rotating on the ice. Their positions have also varied. The interesting part was when we, Unwanted, played against Goons, and Teemu @tkantola Kantola only passed to Krike. It was incredibly easy to defend this, and Goons had trouble keeping the mid of the ice closed. Even though last season's top defenseman in the points leaderboard, Tuukka @KingOfApes_ Ropelinen, has been acquired, the team’s gameplay hasn't improved. Maybe it's time for Goons to call it quits and for the players to seek fortune in other teams—or leagues? Gotham Knights got Joni @ReDMisTi Kaikkonen back on the field, and the team has started to improve a bit from this. However, everyone following Elite surely expects Gotham and Renascor to be facing relegation at the end of the season. Renascor found @riegeez in Free Agents as a starter. In my view (which might be a bit biased towards Unwanted), the top Rookie of the Season candidates are Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson, who despite his young age has performed excellently in goal, leading in save percentage across the entire Elite at 87.69%. It would be a significant achievement to win Rookie as well as Goalie of the Season. Another Unwanted player worth mentioning in this context is Eetu @Launonexx Launonen with a stats of 18gp and 14+33, 36 points. He is also currently fifth in the points leaderboard. @R1cco, who is also not old, is part of the discussion with a save percentage of 84%. From Purification, previously mentioned Marcus @Skumboo Erevik or Max @LaxenHD Söderström could also emerge. I am not entirely sure if Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala can be classified as a Rookie, since he previously played 8 games in the Elite with Reality Check. Keep your eyes on the field as strategies evolve and teams battle it out for a spot in the playoffs. Stay tuned for more action, unexpected turns, and stellar performances as we continue to bring you all the developments from the ECL '24 Spring season.

Europe’s best NHL 25 teams meet on the big stage for the 6v6 European Championship Finals The ECL ’25: Winter Finals are set to take center stage at Assembly Winter 2025 in Helsinki next week! 🏆🔥 On Thursday, February 20th, Mustaa Kultaa and Parasite will battle for the championship in front of a live audience—an event you won’t want to miss! If you hold an ECL ’25: Winter Player License or an ECL ’25: Player License, you’re entitled to a free ticket for the ECL ’25 Finals day at Assembly Winter. This is your chance to experience the Finals live and connect with the community! 🎟 Claim your free ticket now: https://forms.gle/eZdDm63kdv3ksa4L9 🚨 Tickets are first-come, first-served, so act fast! Over 80 community members have already signed up, and we’re looking to bring together as many of you as possible for this unforgettable event. For more details about Assembly Winter 2025, visit https://assembly.org/en/events/winter25. We can’t wait to see you there! 🙌🎮 QUICK FACTS Date & Location 📅 Thursday, February 20th, 2025 📍 Assembly Winter 2025, Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre ⭐ Main Stage: 19:00 – 23:59 EET (Action starting at 18:00 CET) Watch Live on Twitch 📺 Streamed live on twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG 🎙️ Commentary in English, featuring @Tougie24 & @Eki Event Overview The ECL ’25: Winter Elite Finals brings together the top two teams from the most competitive NHL esports league in Europe. After battling through the 16-team regular season and intense best-of-seven playoffs, the finalists will face off live on stage to claim the European Championship Title.

As the regular season has come to an end it's time to look at how we did with our predictions and give you some tips on interesting playoff matchups to follow from the first round! Firstly, let's take a look at how we did with our predictions for the regular season, in the projections article for the ECL '24: Spring season we listed 16 potential cup contenders/dark horses and every single one of those teams made their way to the playoffs. As we predicted there were also many successful regular seasons from teams not included in the projections. For example, MoDo Hockey, Red Bull Munich eSports and Neloskenttä managed to secure spots within the top 10 seeds. ECL '24: Spring - Lite - Round 1 schedule: Sunday 19.5 Tuesday 21.5 Wednesday 22.5 The deadline for Round 1 is Saturday, May 25th. Should teams have any issues scheduling, please reach out to support immediately. Let's take a look at a few playoff matchups that are definitely worth keeping an eye on. (1) Nordic Stars VS Hirvikolari (32) In this matchup we will see two teams with vastly different regular seasons, the number one seed versus the worst seed in the playoffs. This series we measure the playoff level of Nordic Stars. Hirvikolari can play with zero pressure because Nordic Stars has been a team considered the biggest contender for the title since the start of the season. Prediction: @Pensasmies Nordic Stars 4-0 The Oldtimers (2) VS SSK Academy (31) With a regular season like this, The Oldtimers most likely are favorites in every series these playoffs ahead of the finals.@Werppi has been tearing this Lite division apart with 87 points (34+53), and we all know a team that can score always has that second guy not far behind in points, and this season was no exception with @japi_kuittaa. While scoring almost 4 goals a game in the regular season is fun and all, this SSK Academy team won’t budge that easily. They play good defense and will surely make Oldtimers work for those wins. SSK Academy is an interesting team with how they play this game, they don’t necessarily play the way most teams do. This can cause some confusion in the Oldtimers team, and SSK need to capitalize on their chances in this series if they want to have a chance. Taking the lead in this Swedish team is @Hellqvist23 who knows how to hold on to the puck, and isn’t afraid to show it. If his teammates can find that next gear this series, it might be an even series. Player to watch this series: @WerppiWerppi Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-0 Oldtimers Anonymous player: 4-1 Oldtimers Zenegeim (3) VS Hockeyholics (30) This could be an interesting series for plenty of reasons: HockeyHolics pack a powerful punch offensively and could cause Zenegeim problems if they’re not careful. Nothing is a given in the playoffs, especially with @ViSiOnZ97_ putting up an impressive amount of points (35+41) for a team that made the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. Zenegeim on the other hand made an impressive showing in the regular season, taking down teams left and right. @imosi and @rakkauspakkaus- both seem to have that necessary edge to their game, which can be seen while playing against them. Their defense, consisting of the new defense pairing @Juhaniz- and @Saviinainen, will be a tough thing to crack. With both of them on their A-game these playoffs, this team makes the Pro division, and I bet they go to the playoffs there too. Player to watch this series: @imosi Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-0 Zenegeim Anonymous player: 4-1 Zenegeim (5) BushWhackers VS Aspyre Dragons (28) This playoff pair will be interesting since Aspyre Dragons was the only team that managed to grab more than 3 points from BushWhackers in the regular season. It will be interesting to see if BushWhackers manage to keep their net clean in this series. Aspyre Dragons can be thought of as a team that is seeded way below their actual level. Prediction: @Pensasmies BushWhackers 4-2* *Note: the author plays for BushWhackers Nelos Kenttä (9) VS Hopfensmoothie HC (24) When the season began, Nelos Kenttä got off to a hot start playing a lot of games and gathering points. It was clear very really on that they were making the playoffs and now they need to polish their sticks and try and beat a central server team that lacks no experience. Nelos Kenttä assistant captain @Welhouu61 with a mere 30 points (11+19) surely doesn't want to end his season in the 1st round? A few more points here and they surely won't. A team with some interesting names on the roster, Hopfensmoothie HC will try to rely on former Swiss star @Original-SnuS to bring back that magic he produced a few seasons ago in the Elite division. With the difference in the quality of this roster, the rest need to take their game to the absolute top, if the Swiss team wants to have a shot at advancing to the second round. Player to watch this series: @Revitty-stiga Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-1 Nelos Kenttä Anonymous player: 4-2 Nelos Kenttä (14) Belissimo VS xBOTS (19) Both teams have extremely high potential but have had trouble staying consistent, in my opinion, the team who wins this series will go far with the confidence gained from this series. This series will be a showcase of lots of individual skill and the team who manages to play better as a team will go through to the next round. Prediction: @Pensasmies xBOTS 3-4 (15) Sack Brothers VS Pata Hellalla (18) This matchup will be a battle of two quite different playstyles, Sack Brothers with conservative defending and Pata Hellalla with a speedy playstyle that includes a lot of long slapshot passes. I believe that the team that has done their homework better will win the matchup, but this series will be a tight one and can go both ways. Prediction: @Pensasmies Sack Brothers 4-3 (16) HC Vadelma VS Technical Disaster (17) With both teams having nearly identical seeds, it's easy to say this will be a tight series. Nonetheless, a series where both teams can make it difficult for the other one is always intriguing. Technical Disaster losing their last two regular season games may have cost them a few spots regarding seeding - or was it a masterclass in disguise where they wanted to play this specific team? @wrlster should lead this Technical Disaster team these playoffs with some silky-smooth moves on the wing. He knows how to put the puck in the net and will cause trouble for a good HC Vadelma team. Helping him is @Tecena who knows a thing or two about this game. Watch out HC Vadelma, this guy can play. HC Vadelma has worked hard these past seasons, entering Lite after playing in Core for a few seasons with mixed results. Captain @Awesome_Zone_ did not have the best regular season and has some stepping up to do when it comes to this series and the playoffs. Can the rest of the team help him elevate his game to what we know he can do, and will the defense of HC Vadelma rely on a shaky end to the season of Technical Disaster? Player to watch this series: @Tecena Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-1 Technical Disaster Anonymous player: 4-0 HC Vadelma Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments! Thank you to @hifk_FANI for contributing and covering half of the matchups covered in this article.

A serious situation has arisen concerning the ECL '25: Winter - Elite team "Unwanted" and their members. As such, to allow LA adequate time to come to a decision and not potentially waste the team's opponent's time LA has come to the agreement to suspend Unwanted (the team and its players) until further notice.

SportsGamers, Over the course of the years, we've set a high standard for NHL and other esports competition with our leagues, tournaments, and content production around them. We have a lot of great people working behind the scenes, but in order to keep up with all the necessary tasks with greater efficiency, we are reaching out to you for help.   We are recruiting staff for several different positions and are looking for new staff members to work both with our leagues and tournaments. Most importantly, we are reaching out to our community to recruit a new Editor to take our written content production to the next level. As an Editor at SportsGamer.GG, your main responsibilities will revolve around all written content published on social media, our website, or even communicated through our partners' channels in various circumstances. You will also be expected e to generate your own content and have a vision of how to develop our content creation moving forward. There are possibilities to expand the role once you get comfortable in your position.  Editor:  Collaborate with content creators to refine and polish written and visual content for publication. Craft and develop the SportsGamer brand voice, style guidelines, and quality standards. Stay updated on industry trends in order to improve our content strategy.  Mandatory skills include an excellent understanding of the English language, and the ability to produce coherent text in English by yourself. Additional Nordic languages, especially Finnish and Swedish are very useful in the position, even if not a requirement. As you will be working with content on our social media platforms, an understanding of Instagram, Threads, X, TikTok and Facebook would be beneficial. You will also benefit from understanding SEO at least on a basic level.  Writers: Stay up to date with our leagues, tournaments and the latest industry news while creating interesting written content revolving around these. Have a knack for storytelling and finding the right ones to tell. Brainstorm ideas and content planning together with the Editor and other Writers. Mandatory skills include good proficiency in the English language and the ability to produce coherent text in English by yourself. We expect you to be able to work independently and meet deadlines set together with the Editor. As a SportsGamer writer, you'll have the freedom to pitch ideas and influence the content generated on our platform.   Please send in a portfolio of your previous work as a reference. In case you don't have previous journalistic references to send in, feel free to sweep us off our feet with your application instead. Reference from former Editor Janne @OGjahajaha Tarvonen: As a long-time SportsGamer staff member, I can personally vouch for this being an excellent stepping stone into the industry and that hard work in the position will provide you with great opportunities. In my time with SportsGamer, I've gained lots of experience in journalism, worked with professionals in that industry and received valuable feedback on my work. Through the years I've also been given the opportunity to work with our partners in projects, such as the eLiiga or with the Finnish Football Association. My work has also been published in Ilta-Sanomat and Aftonbladet as a direct result of working with SportsGamer.  As a SportsGamer Staff member, you will have a lot on your plate and we expect a certain level of work ethic, but in return you are provided with an interesting opportunity to enter the esports industry and develop your skills in a supportive environment. Several of our long-time members have made great improvements and taken steps towards a career in esports.    Contact Please send your application as an email to [email protected]. Please attach an introduction, your resume and a portfolio if you have one.   Interested in contributing outside of the areas listed above? Please reach out and let us know where you'd like to contribute!

We have crowned another Champion as Silver Sword Griffins took home the title in the Core division after a thrilling seven-game series against KOST Wolves. After a dominant regular season, which saw SSG heading into the playoffs as the number one seed, they continued to show their excellence throughout the playoffs. Huge congratulations to the Latvian side for the Championship and congratulations as well to KOST Wolves and Rusty X for their second and third-place finishes! The Silver Sword Griffins have been around since the very first ECL tournament and are known to be the Latvian powerhouse. With some of their current players having played in some of those very first tournaments they truly are one of the longest standing teams in the ECL. After a great regular season, the team headed into the playoffs as the number 1 seed. In the postseason they went through round by round without much trouble but in the finals, they found themselves in a difficult spot. After winning the first game they lost three games in a row and were their back against the wall heading into the third period of game 5 being down by two goals. That period ended up being the turning point of the series as they managed to tie the game in the last minute and took the win home in OT. A dominant 6-2 victory in game 6 saw them heading into the deciding game seven with all the momentum and they used it.  @LATMinx has been with the team from day one and was their MVP of the season, scoring 20 points in the finals series, and finishing the playoffs with an impressive 38+38=72 point total.   We got a chance to interview SSG's left defenceman Linards @Lxnards Logins after clinching the title, you can watch it below.   Road to Championship: Regular season: 17-1-1-1, 54 points, 1st in Group 3 and Seed 1 Round 1: 4-2 vs EV Duisburg Round 2: 4-1 vs Salaseura Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs HC Last Resort Semifinals: 4-1 vs Rusty X Finals: 4-3 vs KOST Wolves Championship Roster Mārtiņš @martinssilins Siliņš (C) Kristaps @kriteris Grinfelds (A) Robert @LATMinx Zariņš (A) Edgars @Shmiha99 Naida Linards @Lxnards Logins Gatis @gacorigavecit17 Klekers Henrihs @Rocket_Science72 Lazdāns Kristaps @CapinsH-LV Zūdiņš   Thank you for the great season and once again Congratulations to the Silver Sword Griffins!  

Competitive players, the wait is over — WECL Season 4 is here! After a two-year break, the league is making a triumphant return, and registration is officially open. Don’t miss this opportunity to compete, reconnect, and be part of the action as WECL makes its long-awaited comeback. What to Expect in Season 4? Season 4 brings an exciting and straightforward format designed to maximize competition and fun. Here’s what’s in store: No X-Factors: This season, no X-Factors (Gold and Silver) are allowed to be used in loadouts. More info on X-Factor change below. Switch to a 3-Point System: We’re moving to a 3-point system for wins this season, replacing the previous 2-point system. This adjustment adds more value to victories and increases the competitive stakes. Three Game Days per Week: Matches will be held three times a week, ensuring plenty of opportunities to compete and climb the standings. Season Start: The action kicks off on February 17, 2025, so mark your calendars and get ready for the season. Playoffs: The playoffs are set to begin on March 24, 2025, though the exact schedule may vary depending on the number of teams that sign up. Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, this season promises a competitive and enjoyable experience for all! No X-Factors: A New Era for WECL Competition The upcoming season of the WECL is set to introduce a groundbreaking change aimed at redefining the competitive landscape. In a bold move to prioritize skill and strategy, the league has implemented a new rule banning the use of all X-Factors, both Gold and Silver. This decision marks a significant shift in gameplay, as X-Factors have long been a pivotal element in shaping team dynamics and individual performance. By removing these abilities, the league seeks to level the playing field, fostering a more balanced and skill-driven environment. The introduction of this rule is expected to bring a fresh perspective to the competition, challenging players to rely on pure skill, strategic planning, and adaptability. WECL organizers believe this change will not only elevate the quality of play but also enhance the overall experience, as matches will now be decided by player expertise rather than additional boosts. As the new season approaches, anticipation is building to see how this adjustment will impact the game and test competitors’ true abilities. This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for WECL, one that underscores the league’s commitment to innovation and fair play. Who Can Join? The WECL is open to everyone*, from seasoned veterans to newcomers eager to make their debut. Gather your team, brush off the rust, and prepare to make your mark as the league returns after its hiatus. *Eligibility rules apply; see below “Eligibility” section. Key Dates Registration Opens: January 31, 2025 Registration Closes: February 14, 2025 Season Start: February 17, 2025 How to Sign Up? Joining is simple: Visit the official WECL Season 4 registration page. Log in or create your account. Register your team and finalize your roster. Eligibility As a regional league, the WECL has three officially recognized countries (ES, FR, and UK). However, teams based in countries that are not represented in the current (ongoing or not) SportsGamer regional leagues (CSCL, GCL, RCL, FCL, and SCL) are also able to take part. Teams from the following countries are eligible for the WECL and their players don’t count against the foreign player cap: Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Denmark Estonia France Georgia Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Republic Kosovo Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg North Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Slovenia Spain Switzerland Turkey Ukraine UK Vatican City Teams from the following countries are already eligible for another regional league and cannot sign teams up; players will also count against the foreign player cap: Czech Republic Slovakia Germany Russia Finland Sweden Players from these countries are counted against a limit of 2 foreign players on the roster, with the allowance of only one of them being on ice. Additionally, in order to better facilitate the opportunities for local players to naturally grow, the WECL also enforces a skill cap, meaning that foreign players with ECL Elite status will not be able to participate in the league. ECL Elite status is determined by having represented an Elite team in either ECL '25 Winter or ECL '24 Spring. Communication English is the official language of the WECL, and all communications related to the Championship — whether from the League Administration (LA) or Regional League Administration (RLA) — will be conducted in English. However, participants are welcome to use English, French, or Spanish in the league’s dedicated sub-forum. Exceptions The WECL is committed to inclusivity, welcoming teams that may not feel represented in other regional leagues. If you need to request an exception to the rules, please use the support tool to submit your case. We also encourage all participants to review the full rulebook, as this overview is only a small portion of the complete regulations. After a two-year break, WECL is back and ready to deliver an exciting Season 4. We can’t wait to see teams bring their passion and skill to the competition. Let’s make this a tournament to remember! Thank you, and see you on the ice!

Hello, eHockey fans and players! The wait is over—ECL '25 Winter is here, and the Core division is packed with action and anticipation. In this article, we dive into the teams vying for glory across the four groups, spotlighting their performances from last season, key players to watch, and their prospects for the playoffs. From seasoned contenders to fresh faces making their Core debut, we’ll uncover what makes this season an exciting chapter in ECL Core. This article is intended to provide a detailed and engaging overview of the competition. So, who are the standout stars and dark horses in this competitive mix? Let’s break it down group by group and set the stage for a thrilling season ahead! ECL '25 Winter – Core: Group 1 CapeTown Kings ECL '24: Spring Performance: Quarterfinalists (Core) CapeTown Kings showcased an impressive playoff run last season, reaching the quarterfinals in Core. Their offensive duo, led by Sambleri and Beeoo87, combined for a powerful attack, amazing 58 and 49 points, respectively. The team also boasts solid contributions from Black1Eagle1__. Goalkeeper Moneygunx delivered with an 84.34% save percentage. The Kings look to build on this momentum to secure another strong season. Key Player to Watch: Sambleri Dynamo HC ECL '24: Spring Performance: Winners (Neo) Dominating Neo in Spring, Dynamo HC has now advanced to Core with a strong roster. Their top scorer Dcon2Silly stood out with 50 points in just 12 games, while Harten7 contributed significantly to their offensive firepower. Proving to be a reliable last line of defense. Dynamo HC’s seamless transition from Neo to Core will be one of the narratives to follow this season. Key Player to Watch: Dcon2Silly ERC Ingolstadt ECL '24: Spring Performance: Missed Playoffs (Core) ERC Ingolstadt struggled last season, failing to qualify for the playoffs. However, they still feature standout players like Tunnic1991, who was 2nd in the team in scoring with 18 points. Their goaltender Xd420GaMeR7455 faced challenges but gained valuable experience. If Ingolstadt can tighten their defensive play, they have the potential to climb in the standings. Key Player to Watch: Tunnic1991 Hiljainen Pikkukaupunki ECL '24: Spring Performance: Missed Playoffs (Core) Hiljainen Pikkukaupunki had a tough Spring campaign but remain determined to make their mark. Their standout skater, TheKapoZ, delivered 16 goals and 17 assists despite the team’s struggles. However, they’ll need stronger goaltending, as Larde64 posted a save percentage below 80%. Improvement in net could help them compete for a playoff spot. Key Player to Watch: TheKapoZ Koppibuutti ECL '24: Spring Performance: Round 1 Exit (Core) Koppibuutti had a decent Spring season, qualifying for the playoffs but falling short in the first round. Their offensive duo of Jorkkilainen and ruttopottu impressed with over 40 points each. Goaltender Adelyn10 was a standout, with a remarkable 87.61% save percentage. This balance between offense and defense makes Koppibuutti a strong contender in Group 1. Key Player to Watch: Jorkkilainen Pillipiiparit ECL '24: Spring Performance: Missed Playoffs (Core) Despite missing the playoffs, Pillipiiparit showed glimpses of potential. Skater Nnispe led the team with 31 points, but their overall offensive depth was lacking. Goalie VanhaKorppu faced heavy pressure and posted a save percentage of 81.27%. Pillipiiparit will need to step up both offensively and defensively to have a shot at the playoffs this season. Key Player to Watch: Nnispe Prowlers ECL '24: Spring Performance: Quarterfinalists (Core) Prowlers had a strong Spring season, with their top scorer RHannu leading the charge with an impressive 63 points. Supported by Kvarneen and an airtight defensive system, they made it to the quarterfinals. Goaltender Tizjeflen was one of the league’s best, boasting an 89.29% save percentage. Prowlers enter this season as one of the favorites in Group 1. Key Player to Watch: RHannu RAIDERS HC ECL '24 Spring Performance: Playoff Contenders (Neo) RAIDERS HC performed well in Neo last season, reaching the playoffs. Their transition to Core will be led by Dens1935, who amassed 63 points in 20 games. Goalie Duff_Man2309 was solid in net with an 80.99% save percentage. If they adapt quickly to the higher level of competition, RAIDERS HC could surprise many. Key Player to Watch: Dens1935 Taskubilis ECL '24: Spring Performance: Round 2 Exit (Core) Taskubilis showed resilience last season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs. Their core players, including Jalitmane10, delivered consistent performances. Goaltender Pinson91 provided stability with a 77.99% save percentage. With their balanced approach, Taskubilis is expected to be a playoff contender once again. Key Player to Watch: Jalitmane10 Newcomers to Watch SCRUBS Newcomers SCRUBS bring a mix of talent and experience to the Core division. Lokterpengar leads the offense with an impressive 30 points in 8 games during ECL 11 Neo, supported by IGurrAI with 39 points from last season in Core. Defensively, HerrLarsson80 adds physicality, while Darkfox_fire_bal offers offensive versatility. In goal, Nobigdeals and gremlingswe will aim to improve their consistency. SCRUBS’ offensive depth makes them a potential dark horse this season. Key Player to Watch: Lokterpengar The Ghillie Gang The Ghillie Gang enters the ECL Core as a largely inexperienced team, with most of the roster making their competitive debut. Goalie Janucek brings the only notable experience from previous Core seasons, providing some stability. While little is known about the team’s overall potential, their debut season will focus on building chemistry and finding their footing in the division. Key Player to Watch: Janucek Predicted Standings (AI generated) Prowlers CapeTown Kings Taskubilis Dynamo Hc Koppibuutti RAIDERS HC The Ghillie Gang Hiljainen Pikkukaupunki SCRUBS Pillipiiparit ERC Ingolstadt ECL '25 Winter – Core: Group 2 ARMEIJAN KURI ARMEIJAN KURI enters the Core division with a highly skilled and experienced roster. The team is spearheaded by MutainenMalik, who delivered a phenomenal 54 points in 18 games last season, leading the offense with his scoring and playmaking abilities. Supporting him are and Wirtaazkin47, who contributed and 46 points respectively, forming a dynamic offensive trio capable of dominating games. Defensively, SUONEKASKOSTAJA_ and wertigosetti19 add stability. ARMEIJAN KURI’s blend of offensive firepower and defensive reliability makes them a formidable opponent this season. Key Player to Watch: MutainenMalik NAM3LESS ECL '24: Spring Performance: Mid-table finish (Core) NAM3LESS had a competitive but inconsistent Spring campaign. Their standout forward, jimmiNOhands, recorded an impressive 56 points, supported by altsu23 with 46 points. Goalie saberLionZero posted a respectable 83.85% save percentage, ensuring the team remained competitive in most games. This season, they’ll aim to translate their offensive firepower into more consistent results. Key Player to Watch: jimmiNOhands HC Lisko ECL '24: Spring Performance: Struggled (Core) HC Lisko endured a challenging season, with their top scorer Laspar contributing 29 points. Despite their struggles, they have potential in their core. Goalie tolbati was a bright spot, with an 82.12% save percentage. Improvement in both offense and defense is essential for Lisko to remain competitive in Group 2. Key Player to Watch: Laspar KOST Wolves ECL '24: Winter Performance: Promoted (Neo) KOST Wolves are new to Core after a strong Neo season. Led by MaroulCZE with 55 points. Goalie Gorkis24CZ has the skills to be a game-changer with a 80.7% save percentage. Their challenge will be adapting to the higher level of competition in Core. Key Player to Watch: MaroulCZE Jurvan Liekki ECL '24: Winter Performance: Mid-table finish (Core) Jurvan Liekki is a resilient team, led by Aap3li-00 with 54 points and heeb__ close behind with 52. Their strong offensive core makes them a playoff contender. Goalie adez1601 provides solid back-end support, with an 83.46% save percentage. If they tighten their defense, Liekki can climb the standings. Key Player to Watch: Aap3li-00 HC Ohiveto ECL '24 Winter Performance: Promoted (Neo) HC Ohiveto’s promotion comes on the back of a solid Neo campaign. hefezuk85 dominated offensively with 83 points, while LeMagnifique2 and Hawkes_ added depth. Their goalie kasuri1 was phenomenal, with an outstanding 89.23% save percentage. Ohiveto has the potential to surprise many in Group 2. Key Player to Watch: hefezuk85 Wildcats eSport I ECL '24 Spring Performance: Mid-table finish (Core) Wildcats eSport had a steady but unremarkable campaign, with Julien92i4760 leading the charge with 38 points. They rely heavily on multimillar88 and Batou-76R for scoring. Key Player to Watch: Julien92i4760 Nordic Nosebleed ECL '24 Winter Performance: Playoff Contenders (Core) Nordic Nosebleed had a strong season, with Sayatu14 racking up 55 points. With consistent performances from jcarlton89, they are expected to be one of the top teams in Group 2. Key Player to Watch: Sayatu14 Nurnberg Nidhoggr ECL '24 Spring Performance: Mid-table finish (Core) Nurnberg Nidhoggr is a defensively solid team, with ITA-Pizzabaecker leading the offense with 30 points. They’ll need more contributions from their supporting cast to compete for a playoff spot.. Key Player to Watch: ITA-Pizzabaecker New Teams to Watch Reckless Panthers: The Panthers step into the ECL Core with a mix of seasoned Core players and promising talent. Notable additions include forward Palawatsch, whose standout performance in the Spring season with HC Lugano Academy produced 38 points in just 12 games, and Schuster060796, an all-round forward with a proven record of 46 points across 20 games. On the defensive side, XBeast_of_MercyX brings solid two-way play and experience from Huskies eSports, while goalie just-boopi provides a reliable presence in net after a strong season with Crazy Capricorns. Key Player to Watch: Palawatsch Maitojuna Maitojuna enters the ECL Core as a fresh addition, bringing a mix of untested players and a few with prior ECL experience. The backbone of their roster comes from Aake Kallialan Laituri, with standout performances from forward Minaolenmakke, who tallied 36 points in 20 games during the Spring season, showcasing a knack for finishing and playmaking. The team's goaltending duo, proffa82 and Jurkkaa, both had solid showings last season, posting save percentages of 85.93% and 84.18% respectively, ensuring a dependable last line of defense. While many on the roster are ECL newcomers, their mix of energy and adaptability may make them a wildcard in the competition. Key Player to Watch: Minaolenmakke Salaseura Salaseura makes its debut in ECL Core, bringing a roster that blends experienced players from Neo-level success and fresh talent venturing into their first ECL campaign. The team's strength lies in its offensive depth, with standout forwards like velmu2 and old_33 leading the charge. Velmu2 notched an impressive 38 points in 14 games last season, while old_33 contributed 34 points, proving their ability to deliver in high-pressure situations. On the defensive end, Salaseura can count on solid goaltending from Aivokuollut__, who recorded an impressive 86.73% save percentage and a 1.86 GAA in the Spring Neo season. With such consistency in net and a potent offense, Salaseura looks poised to make a competitive entry into the Core division. Key Player to Watch: Velmu2 AI Predicted Standings ARMEIJAN KURI NAM3LESS Nurnberg Nidhoggr KOST Wolves Nordic Nosebleed Maitojuna Wildcats esport I Hc Ohiveto HC Lisko Salaseura, Reckless Panthers Jurvan Liekki ECL '25 Winter – Core: Group 3 Silver Sword Griffins ECL '24: Spring Performance: Quarterfinal Exit (Core) Silver Sword Griffins (SSG) enter this season as a solid playoff contender. LATMinx led the charge last season with 40 points, while SchoolBoyZFN and martinssilins provided essential secondary scoring. Their goalie gacorigavecit17 was reliable with an 83.93% save percentage. With a balanced roster, they have the tools to challenge for a top spot in Group 2. Key Player to Watch: LATMinx PANIC ON ICE ECL '24: Spring Core Performance: Round 1 Exit (Core) Panic On Ice showcased strong offensive depth last season, led by TemeF1Nx (who has now left the team) with 57 points, moikka11 with 54, and TVNIILO9494 contributing 50. Their balanced playstyle and disciplined defense make them a tough opponent. sMiiga has replaced FlaaZii in the net. He comes from a solid performance in the pro team Mustaa Kultaa where he was backup 24 winter. he has on his side Jam66_Bo who looks to be counted as backup under 25 spring, ensuring consistency. With their offensive firepower and reliable goaltending, Panic On Ice is a strong playoff contender. Key Player to Watch: moikka11 Turun Gasellit ECL '24: Spring Performance: Mid-table finish (Lite) After a respectable Lite season, Turun Gasellit have moved up to Core. pohjarzinho were their standout performer with over 40 points. Despite their offensive strengths, their goalie SirRaitanen struggled with a 74.15% save percentage. Improved defensive play will be essential for success in Core. Key Player to Watch: pohjarzinho HC Last Resort ECL '24: Spring Performance: Mid-table finish (Core) HC Last Resort faced challenges last season but has signed Tolliikkii from Refuse Too Lose where he scored 76 points in 26 games. Their goalie Vxxlle-_-showed potential with an 81.48% save percentage. If their defense improves, Last Resort could surprise many in this competitive group. Key Player to Watch: Tolliikki Pulp Odyssey ECL '24: Spring Performance: Playoff Contenders (Core) Pulp Odyssey had a strong Spring season, led by Valosaari92, who tallied 23 points. They also benefited from balanced contributions from Kemboi92. Goalie IrJe2023 was a standout, with an 83.63% save percentage. This season, Pulp Odyssey is expected to continue their push for playoff success Key Player to Watch: Valosaari92 BACKCHECK BOYS ECL '24: Spring Performance: Promoted (Neo) BACKCHECK BOYS had a stellar run in Neo, earning promotion to Core. Ydstie99 led the way with 43 points, while hedstrom_1999 provided key secondary scoring. Their goalie Davvem26 delivered a solid 81.82% save percentage. As newcomers, they’ll aim to establish themselves early in Core competition. Key Player to Watch: Ydstie99 Brunker Bulldogs ECL '24: Spring Performance: Struggled (Core) Brunker Bulldogs faced a challenging season, finishing near the bottom of the table. Despite the struggles, Ederby74 was a bright spot with 40 points. Goalie Igelkottskonung recorded an 81.22% save percentage but faced heavy workloads. They’ll need a collective improvement to climb the standings this season. Key Player to Watch: Ederby74 New Teams to Watch Kurbads Warriors: Formerly known as the Latvian Warriors, Kurbads Warriors return to the Core division with a familiar core of players and a mix of fresh ambitions. The team is built around its offensive centerpiece, Kekava, who was a dominant force in the Winter Core season, amassing an impressive 59 points in 18 games, showcasing both goal-scoring prowess and playmaking ability. On the defensive side, the team benefits from the experience of ZeJukums, who contributed 23 points last season with the Silver Sword Griffins, bringing valuable Core-level experience to the squad. In goal, scorps_13 leads the charge with a solid 83.62% save percentage and a GAA of 2.38, providing stability between the pipes. Key Player to Watch: Kekava KELAGOLDCARD HC KELAGOLDCARD HC steps into the Core division with a mix of returning players and newcomers eager to make an impression. The standout among the roster is Romurallimies, who had a strong performance in the Lite division last season, tallying 37 points in 18 games with the BushWhackers. His goal-scoring and clutch play, highlighted by six game-winning goals, will be a key asset for the team. With several players making their ECL debut and others returning after a break, the team’s chemistry and adaptability will play a significant role in their success. Goalie K3mpny begins his first ECL campaign, bringing intrigue to the team's defensive setup. Key Player to Watch: Romurallimies RODIS Enters the Core division as a fresh contender with a roster comprising both debutants and returning players. While many players, including goalie Pekkakaukalo23 and forward marjala7, are stepping onto the ECL stage for the first time, the team also features experienced individuals such as Pallomasi24 and Puuhastelija24, who bring valuable insight from past campaigns. The team's success will depend on how quickly the roster can gel and adapt to the competitive demands of the Core division. With a mix of fresh talent and seasoned players, RODIS is poised to be an unpredictable opponent. Key Player to Watch: Kortsupipo66 MIESKISSAT Enters the Core division as an entirely new team, with all players making their ECL debut. While their lack of experience at this level presents a challenge, it also brings unpredictability and fresh energy to the competition. Led by goalie MikkeH and a roster full of first-time participants, the team’s success will hinge on their ability to quickly adapt to the demands of the Core division. With enthusiasm and the opportunity to grow, MIESKISSAT is a true wildcard in this season's competition. Key Player to Watch: BoomeriGaimeri AI Predicted Standings Silver Sword Griffins PANIC ON ICE Pulp Odyssey KELAGOLDCARD HC HC Last Resort BACKCHECK BOYS MIESKISSAT Turun Gasellit Kurbads Warriors Brunker Bulldogs RODIS The battle for playoff spots will be fierce, with several teams poised to surprise. Let the games begin! ECL '25 Winter – Core: Group 4 Preview SKYFALL ECL '22 Winter Performance: Solid Mid-table Finish (Core) SKYFALL is led by their offensive powerhouse stu_rulez, who tallied an impressive 69 points last season the team played. Supported by Koutsinaattori, this team boasts a strong offensive. SKYFALL’s depth makes them a strong playoff contender. Key Player to Watch: stu_rulez Rusty X ECL '24 Spring Performance: Relegated (Lite to Core) Rusty X arrives in Core after a weak season in Lite. Kasterly_ was a top scorer with 20 points, but the team needs consistent contributions from its supporting cast. Rusty X will look to build on their momentum. Key Player to Watch: Kasterly_ EHC Olten eSports ECL '24: Spring Performance: Struggled (Lite) EHC Olten had a tough time last season, with Stevekoeck standing out offensively with 45 points. Goalie House_Pro was dependable, with a 74.74% save percentage. The team needs to improve its defensive play to be competitive in Core. Key Player to Watch: Stevekoeck Karmadillos ECL '23: Winter Performance: Mid-table (Lite) Karmadillos bring balance to their lineup, highlighted by stimperi’s offensive contributions (46 points) for HC Palosaari last ecl but they need some strong goaltending from VilppiSami. They’ll rely on experience to navigate the challenges of Core. Key Player to Watch: stimperi The Solution ECL '24: Spring Performance: Struggled (Lite) The Solution will depend on Platy666 and Staggelito to lead the scoring, but their defensive record remains a concern. Goalie Liimp_92 will need to perform at his peak for the team to climb the standings. Key Player to Watch: Platy666 EV Duisburg ECL '24: Spring Performance: Competitive (Core) EV Duisburg impressed last season with GreatOne139 leading their attack (28 points) and goalie MarvinJVfL1848 showcasing stellar performances, with an 88.47% save percentage. This team is well-positioned to secure a playoff spot. Key Player to Watch: GreatOne139 Dompa HC ECL '24: Winter Performance: Relegated (Lite) Dompa HC’s Relegated comes after a week Lite season, where L-sk1y-L led the offense with 49 points. Goalie. Their success depends on how they adapt to Core competition. Key Player to Watch: L-sk1y-L Lutunilkat ECL '24: Spring Performance: Playoff Contenders (Core) Lutunilkat’s offense revolves around Pyssyh (58 points) and lutuniemi (56 points). Goalie Hiatala_ supports their campaign with an impressive 85.79% save percentage. Lutunilkat has the depth and talent to be a top team in Group 4. Key Player to Watch: Pyssyh New Teams to Watch Tikitaka Tikitaka enters the Core division with a mix of players returning to the ECL and a few newcomers eager to make their mark. The standout in the roster is TansKungen, who delivered an impressive 32 points in 20 games for Carpe Diem in Lite last season, showcasing his ability to lead the offense. Niccoers adds further scoring depth, coming off a strong Neo campaign with 27 points in 14 games. In goal, HakkisBro will make his ECL debut, anchoring a team that will need strong defensive performances to complement their offensive talent. With a mix of proven scorers and returning players, Tikitaka is poised to be a competitive addition to the Core division. Key Player to Watch: TansKungen Wida Academy Wida Academy steps into the Core division with a roster blending ECL experience and fresh talent. Forward karwa22 stands out as the team’s offensive leader, with an impressive 24 points in 14 games during the Spring Core season. He’ll be supported by Jonzei, a consistent contributor who tallied 19 points in just nine games in Neo. On the defensive side, eeppo88 brings Core-level experience, adding stability and two-way capability. In goal, ju_lle makes his ECL debut, anchoring the team as they adapt to the challenges of Core competition. With its mix of scoring talent and returning players, Wida Academy has the potential to make a competitive impact in its first Core season. Key Player to Watch: karwa22 Sopranos Sopranos make their return to the Core division with a roster featuring experienced Core-level players and a few new faces. Leading the team is kalle244, a proven offensive powerhouse who recorded an impressive 56 points in 22 games with North Sawo Lions. Supporting him is bnkoXD, who delivered 39 points in the Spring Core season, showcasing his scoring ability and clutch performances. The team’s depth is further strengthened by Heatley91 and asaastamo, both contributing consistently with over 25 points each last season. In goal, Redhawk1765 steps into his first ECL campaign, adding an element of uncertainty to their defensive setup. With a mix of high-caliber forwards and experienced Core veterans, the Sopranos are well-positioned to make a strong comeback this season. Key Player to Watch: kalle244 AI Predicted Standings SKYFALL Lutunilkat Sopranos Tikitaka Karmadillos EV Duisburg Wida Academy Rusty X EHC Olten eSports Dompa HC The Solution We want your clips! Did you make an incredible play or have a funny blooper? Share your best moments on social media using the hashtag #ECL25Clips and get a chance to be featured in our broadcasts. Social media Please tag @SportsGamerGG and use the hashtag #ECL25Winter when posting on social media. You can also use the hashtags #KouvolanLakritsi #eHockey. Also note that when editing your team info, you can add your social media accounts to your team information. The same goes for your player card. Season schedule Regular Season duration: 17.11-19.12.2024 Estimated finals date: Below is the estimated date for the Finals (BO7) to be approximately played. We reserve the right to changes in schedule. ECL Core Finals 31.1.-1.2.2025 Good luck to all the teams as they hit the virtual ice. Have fun and let the games begin!

  After further deliberation and in light of the unanimous motion to ban the Big Tipper ability, the League Administration has decided to ban both Gold and Silver Big Tipper (both Gold and Silver) from the ECL ’25: Winter season for all divisions. This change will take effect from the Pre-Season starting immediately, and will also apply to the ECL Qualifiers. It’s been inspiring to see how the community discussion around abilities has gained momentum, with many well-reasoned perspectives and innovative ideas on the table. We’re especially intrigued by the proposals to either ban all abilities or allow each ability and/or player class only once per team. While both options could offer fresh layers to gameplay and enhance the broadcast experience, we recognize these are complex changes that shouldn’t be made hastily. Therefore, we’ll be following how the season progresses and reserve the right to revisit these discussions later. While there will always be strong opinions and a push for fast action, we want to make sure that we give these ideas enough time for the community to think about and have conversations. Thus, we urge you to be active and weigh in with your constructive thoughts. Player Ability Bans - ECL '25 Season Discussion We appreciate your continued contributions to this evolving conversation.

In this article, we’ll provide you with an in-depth analysis of both teams, how they managed to get to the championship, interviews, and much more! (1) Nordic Stars vs Zenegeim (3) Both teams have had quite the run this postseason, easily advancing from every round. Zenegeim not losing a single game so far, and Nordic Stars losing only three times is quite the accomplishment too, but after watching both teams from the opposing side, this writer can confidently say both teams play in the wrong division and we'll see both playing in the Pro division next season, and I suspect both will make the playoff there too if the rosters stay the same. When both teams are on their game, the puck moves extremely well within the teams. This will be a good series for Lite teams to follow if they want a good look at what it takes to make it far in the Pro playoffs. Dare I say that neither team is known for their good defense? With both teams losing for a combined 3 games for the entire playoffs, there still is a very well-rounded defensive responsibility within both teams. @Esko-etikka (90,8% save percentage and 0,94 GAA) & @SakkeTheEngineer (86,31 and 1,94 GAA) both boast impressive stats with the number one spot going to the Zenegeim goalie (for now). Before the season even started we had a clear favorite to win the Lite division. They’ve played together in previous seasons with good results and they're playing on that same level again this season. It has come to nobody's surprise that they’re in the finals. The team in question? Nordic Stars. With the entire forward group placed at the top 3 in points, they now face their toughest challenge yet, with @Vire30 & @Jerax13 going for the all-time record in points, they’re going to fall just short now boasting 64 & 62 points each in these playoffs so far, they now face a stingy defense that haven’t lost a game yet. (There are games from previous series that haven't been reported and the points total could be higher) With a strong offense, comes a defenceman with a lot of points, @katunarski has taken the responsibility on himself to deliver those points (5+31), with a plethora of experience from the highest division in Sportsgamer, the experience and certainty he brings to the blueline is impossible to replace. @SakkeTheEngineer taking the responsibility between the pipes for the number one seeded team has been playing on a different level, for those of you who don't know this is his first ECL season between the pipes, playing as a defenceman the year before this, quite an accomplishment. Zenegeim has had an incredible run, as previously stated they haven’t lost a single game in these playoffs, sweeping all rounds including an impressive one against Mights in the semifinals, with all players contributing to this impressive run, they are indeed firing on all cylinders. Even with a run like this, there are standout players, most notably @Esko-etikka, he boasts a 0.94 GAA, when a goalie lets in under a goal per game they really do give their team a good chance to take home the win. Another player who has taken a big role for Zengeim is @imosi, as their primary goal scorer he has netted an impressive 29 goals in 16 games, so far. If Zengeim wants to take on this Nordic Stars team, they once again need to rely on @imosi to light that red lamp. Defense wins championships, ever heard of that line? With 16 games played, Zenegeim has let in 15 goals, and as we mentioned their goalie has been good, but a goalie is only as good as the defense in front of him. With @Juhaniz- making the jump from forward to defense you never know what you’re going to get, he impressed me personally with his defense-first mentality giving his partner @Saviinainen the more offensive role in the team, as a captain this is what we like to see putting his team first and his own points last. We asked the captains some questions before the finals: How have you prepared for these finals, and have you changed anything? @Vire30: "We haven’t really prepared, haven’t played at all since the semifinal series against Sawolanche since our timetables haven’t matched up, now we’ll enjoy the midsummer and see how it goes. We’re not going to change anything, but obviously since all teams are different we’ll adapt to Zenegeim, but since we don’t really have any tactics they will surely adapt during the series." @Juhaniz-: "We’re aware of how Nordic Stars will play and it’s going to take a tight defense and good man marking since they like those one-timers so much, we also need to have our heads up since they play very physical, but playing our own game is the most important thing” “Who would you say is the weakest and strongest link from Zenegeim/Nordic Stars?” @Vire30: "We haven’t really played against Zengeims roster at all, tough to say really anything but looking at the stats Imosi1 has 29 goals which is really impressive. Tough to find a weakness but I'm sure we’ll exploit Juhaniz’s side in offense." @Juhaniz-: "Katunarski is surely the most creative player, with Vire they can create some nasty plays even in the finals." What will it take to hoist that trophy and what does it mean to you on a personal level? @Vire30: "I believe we’ll win just by playing our own game, and keep our level over half the games. Winning is always fun and the championship has been our goal this season. My own goal was to have fun with friends this season, and winning a championship would be icing on the cake." @Juhaniz-: "Lifting the trophy requires two well-balanced nights from us, and that we stick to our own game, and as I said in earlier in the interview that it requires good team defense and that we exploit the few mistakes they make. Personally I’ve won already but my goal was to secure a spot in pro and that we already accomplished, but it’s always nice to win." Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-1 Zengegeim @MCH_98: 4-3 Zengeim @JepuXI: 4-2 Nordic Stars Follow the Playoff streams: Games 1-3: Monday, June 24th: 20:00 CEST: https://twitch.tv/juhaniz_ 20:00 CEST: https://twitch.tv/nordicstarshockey Games 4-7: Tuesday, June 25th: 19:45 CEST https://twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

MATCHUP 1 (1) Valokuitunen Esports vs (5) EXEN Regular Season Results: 7-1 Valokuitunen Esports W 3-2 Valokuitunen Esports OTW Valokuitunen: Phew, well that was close. Despite punching their ticket to another Semifinals last week, their series probably ended up being a bit too close for comfort, as the defending champs were pushed to a Game 7 against (8) The Black Jacks last week. Some could maybe even argue that Valokuitunen was fortunate to escape the series, but they did escape, and in the playoffs that is all that matters. Valokuitunen were led by many of the usual names during their Quarterfinals victory. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen led the way for the group with 9 points, putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in his six games played. They also saw major contributions from their captain and center Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, who pitched in 8 points with 4 goals and 4 assists in seven games, while also posting a 53.8% face-off percentage. Roope @pikkuroger Bergström was held to just 6 points during the series, but 5 of those were goals, so he was still able to step up in a big way, continuing to show his abilities as a goal-scorer. Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes also carried over his regular season success into the postseason, backstopping Valokuitunen with an 86.75% save percentage and 1.57 GAA in seven starts. He also had 14 shutout periods and made the second-most saves of any goalie in the Quarterfinals with 72, while also facing the second-most shots (83). Now they will turn their attention to EXEN, a team that they were able to get the best of in both regular season meetings. The regular season series was a tale of two games for Valokuitunen despite getting the win in both contests. In the first meeting, Valokuitunen outshot EXEN 21-7, had 9:42 of time on attack (4:22 more than what EXEN had), and scored 5 goals in the second period alone. The second matchup however was very different. They continued to find offensive zone time, earning 9:53 of time on attack, but they only posted 11 shots on net. Their five skaters also combined for 48 giveaways in the second game; a massive increase from their 21 giveaways in the first game. Valokuitunen will need to hope to find some of the same magic that they saw in the first matchup between these two teams compared to the second, especially in terms of winning the possession game and not hesitating to shoot the puck when at all possible. Valokuitunen Player To Watch: Roope @pikkuroger Bergström (Left Winger) In Valokuitunen Esports' two regular season meetings against EXEN, @pikkuroger had 9 points with 5 goals and 4 assists. He also took 15 shots in those two games, including 12 in their 7-1 win. He's established himself as one of the best goal scorers in Europe over the past few years and he's going against a team that he played very well against earlier this season. Expect him to be a big factor in this series. EXEN: After earning the only sweep in the Quarterfinals against Tohtorit, EXEN finds themselves back in the Semifinals for the first time since the ECL '23: Winter season. They were rather dominant and were possibly the most impressive of the teams that made it into the next round, especially on the offensive end. Each of EXEN's five skaters tallied 6 points or more during the four-game series and four of their five skaters scored at least 2 goals. Though EXEN has plenty of talent at forward, I would argue that it was the defense that led the charge for this group offensively. Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström tied with forward Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala for the team lead in points with 9, including 3 goals to go along with 6 assists. His defensive partner Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen contributed 8 points in the series, with all of them being assists. The most impressive thing about the pairing? Each of them possessed the puck for over 27 minutes during this series, an average of just under 7 minutes per game. When you combine these numbers, that makes for almost 25% of the total game where one of them has the puck on their stick, so their importance to this team cannot be understated. Someone else to keep a close eye on in this series would be V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela, who in my opinion has been one of the most underrated centers in the Elite Division for a few seasons now. He'll be matched up with one of the best at his position, making for an intriguing position matchup in a series that is going to be filled with them. He also had 21 takeaways in the Quarterfinals against Tohtorit and contributed a point on each of EXEN's 3 goals against Valokuitunen during the regular season series. Keep an eye on him. Focusing now on their upcoming matchup, EXEN is going to have to prioritize playing the possession game and making their time in the offensive zone count. Though they lost both regular season meetings against this team, the quality of their play in both losses highly contrasted. In that second game, EXEN nearly doubled their offensive production and also saw drastic improvements in their defensive play, which is what I feel was the biggest difference between the two contests. In the first game against Valokuitunen, EXEN allowed 21 shots on net, in the second matchup they allowed just 11. They also forced Valokuitunen into many more mistakes with the puck, forcing 17 takeaways in the second game after only forcing 6 takeaways in the first matchup. EXEN will need to remember the lessons that they learned in their regular season series against Valokuitunen, while also carrying over the success that they had in the Quarterfinals. If they can, it could make for the perfect storm. A storm so perfect that it could lead the team to its first-ever Finals appearance in the Elite Division. EXEN Player to Watch: Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen (Left Defense) There are lot of different options that I could go with here, but considering the fact that he played for this team last season as a forward and has played against them in the ECL Finals and Semifinals multiple times, I think that @Mozjayh has to be the pick here. He has been a perfect match with this EXEN group and his experience in the playoffs as a three-time Elite champion, as well as his history and knowledge of their opponents will be invaluable in a critical series like this. Prediction This series has a lot of different storylines with a lot of different angles. These two teams are two of the most experienced in the division but in a completely different way. Valokuitunen Esports have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in Europe over the past few years and have the pedigree and history to back that up. They've won four championships, are the only team in ECL history to win three straight titles, and are the defending champs in these playoffs after winning the trophy last season(formerly under the hREDS brand). Meanwhile, at the same time that their opponents were dominating the European scene, EXEN went through a rollercoaster experience. This team had to completely rebuild itself from the ground up, going from being the Elite's top seed in the ECL 11 playoffs to being relegated to the Pro Division not long after. They then won the Pro Division title in ECL '22: Winter in their first season there to earn their way back into Elite; and now they are back to competing for championships in the ECL's top flight (all formerly as JYP Jyväskyla). They've built well over the years and have grown significantly, but in their entire time in the Elite Division, they have yet to make it to the Finals. Is this the season they can get it done? This team certainly has a different feeling than its past teams did and we've already seen Valokuitunen get pushed to the brink in these playoffs, narrowly escaping against the ECL's eighth-seeded team to get here. There were moments in that series where they felt hesitant, made uncharacteristic mistakes and at times even seemed to let their frustrations show and get the best of them. I'd expect this group to step up their game in the Semifinals and be much better than what we saw two weeks ago. It's what they have always done and they've had a 10-day break to regroup as a team, which I think will benefit them after a series that I highly doubt that they were happy with, even despite advancing. I think this series will be close and that EXEN has a true shot to potentially pull off the victory, but I'm not going to go against this Valokuitunen team. It rarely goes well when you do. Valokuitunen Esports in 6 MATCHUP 2 (2) Straikers vs (3) Tunnel Vision Regular Season Results: 2-0 Straikers W 5-2 Straikers W Straikers: In what was another close call in the Quarterfinals, Straikers were able to avoid the upset against Unwanted for a second straight season. Straikers' experience in clutch situations again helped them in this series, and their big moment players were the ones that really stepped up and led the way for them when things began to look questionable in that series. Offensive production was distributed rather evenly in their series, as all five skaters score a goal in the series and each of them contributed at least 4 points during the series. Erik @Eki Tammenpää led the way for the group with his 8 points, which included 3 goals and 5 assists. He was huge for Straikers in pretty much every phase of the game and showed why he's seen as one of the top players in the league regardless of what position he plays. He also had 32 takeaways and won 57.9% of his face-offs; all while being the only Straikers skater to not take a penalty during the series. Not only this, but all three of his goals in the series came in Game 7 alone. That's clutch factor if I've ever seen it. Along with him was fellow-veteran forward Ilmari @Puantso Lehkonen, who posted 6 points in the series with 4 of them being goals. His long-time teammate and goaltender Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen was also critical to the series victory, as he stepped up between the pipes with an 82.86% save percentage and a 1.71 GAA. Two of his four victories in the series were shutouts, blanking a strong Unwanted offense in a critical victories in Game 2 and in Game 5. Focusing now on their Semifinal matchup, Straikers have reasons for optimism but also showed that they have some room to improve from their Quarterfinals performance. On the positive side of things, they will match up against a Tunnel Vision team that they beat twice in the regular season. Additionally, Tunnel Vision has some similarities stylistically to Unwanted, as both teams love to utilize counter-attacks and can create quick offense. This is something that could help Straikers, as they just went against this for seven games last week at a more extreme level. However, Tunnel Vision is a more experienced side and is also a better offensive team than what Straikers' faced in the Quarterfinals (with all due respect to Unwanted). Tunnel Vision plays a high-octane style that will see them have more offensive zone time than Unwanted did and they'll also shoot the puck significantly more. Not only this, but they even showed significant signs of improvement in their defensive play last week; something that was the team's biggest weakness coming into the postseason (something that we will talk about further in a bit). To win this series, Straikers will have to be smart and cohesive. They will also need to be more opportunistic on the power play. After sporting the league's best power play at 36.84% during the regular season, Straikers was held to just 1 power play goal on 10 attempts; that's 10% against a penalty kill that ranked at just 10th in the division during the regular season. We all know what this team is capable of when they are firing on all cylinders and they know that last week was far from their best work. I'd expect them to look better than what we saw in the Quarterfinals. Straikers Player to Watch: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (Right Defense) I wanted to stray away from what could be viewed as the more obvious pick in @Eki and I think that @FlyerKungen has served as one of the most reliable two-way defensemen in the league since moving from RW to RD last season. During the regular season series against Tunnel Vision, he was able to contribute 2 points (1 goal and 1 assist) while also racking up 7 takeaways and 11 interceptions defensively. He's the definition of reliable and rarely makes any big mistakes on either side of the ice. Exactly what you need when going up against a familiar foe and a fellow former champion. Tunnel Vision: Right when it seemed fair to doubt them, Tunnel Vision responded by turning in its most complete effort of the season last week They defeated a scrappy sixth-seed in Bjorkloven Esport team in five games; reminding the ECL world of who they are in the process. Two-time Elite Division champions and finalists in each of the past four seasons. Their offensive production continued to thrive as it did in the regular season, as Tunnel Vision scored a total of 14 goals in its five games (an average of 2.8 per game). This included two games in which they scored five goals in Games 2 and 5. All of these goals came from their forwards, as Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen, Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen each had at least 8 points and 4 goals in the series. However, this offensive production was to be expected. After all, Tunnel Vision dominated on the offensive end during the regular season and have been doing so for years. Where people's concern lied was in their own-zone play and they were able to put many of those concerns to rest in this series. As I mentioned in the Quartefinals preview, Tunnel Vision allowed 2.7 goals against per game during the regular season, which ranked third-worst in the Elite Division. During the Quarterfinals it was a completely different story, as they allowed just 6 goals throughout the entire five-game series, that's an average of 1.2 goals against per game. To cut your goals against in half in such a short time is a remarkable turnaround, and it's something that Tunnel Vision deserves credit for. They also allowed just an average of 8.2 shots per game, so they didn't even allow for many chances. Similarly to Straikers, Tunnel Vision has reasons for both optimism and caution. For optimism, Tunnel Vision should look like a much different team than what Straikers saw in the regular season. For starters, their usual starting winger @Laiitinen was out of the lineup in those two games, forcing @Vattuyy to move out of his usual winger position to play at the center spot. Though this sounds like a small change at face value, the differences between a winger and a center can sometimes be drastic depending on the player's style, so it's not an easy transition to make on short notice. It also means more when playing against a top-end team like Straikers; especially when you are matched up against one of the league's best centers on the other side. Not only this, but this seems to be a different Tunnel Vision team in terms of effort and focus. During an interview that was featured on our broadcast during their Quarterfinals series, I asked Tunnel Vision's captain Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen about the improvements in their defensive play and he immediately mentioned the team's increased efforts with it being the playoffs. This difference was immediately noticeable when watching them and quite frankly, it makes Tunnel Vision a totally different team from the one that we saw during the first 30 games of the season. However, they will be going up against an opponent in Straikers that has gone far too long without hoisting the ECL Elite trophy. Bjorkloven's lack of Elite-level playoff experience was a clear advantage for Tunnel Vision in that series and that is something that won't be there for them this time. Also, Straikers were a far better offensive team than Bjrokloven this season, as while Straikers ranked as the third-highest scoring team in the league with 2.87 goals per game, Bjorkloven ranked at 9th, averaging 2.33 goals per game. They have plenty of reason to feel good about things going into this series, but Straikers are a team on a clear mission. It's going to take Tunnel Vision's most complete version of themselves to knock them out. Tunnel Vision Player to Watch: Ben @benuh_ Rinnet (Goalie) After a stellar Winter season that saw him as a Goaltender of the Season nominee, Ben @benuh_ Rinnet took a step back statistically this season, as his save percentage went from 85.19% during the Winter campaign to 78.74% during the Spring. Now obviously not all of this falls on him. A goalie can only do so much and every netminder's success is somewhat determined by the quality of play in front of him; which defensively also took a step back during the regular season. However in the postseason so far, @benuh_ has completely flipped the script like the rest of his team, playing phenomenally in between the pipes. He averaged an 85.37% save percentage in the series victory and a 1.2 GAA. He also had shut out Bjokrloven Esports in 10 of the 15 periods played during that series (that's roughly 66.7% of the entire series). If Tunnel Vision is going to have similar success in the Semifinals, @benuh_ is going to have to be at the level that we saw him at last week and throughout all of last season. Prediction To be quite honest, you could flip a coin to pick this series and have just as good of a reason to make that pick as you would doing hours of research. That is how close these two teams are to each other. Considering this, I'm just going to make a prediction based on what I feel as I am typing this. The drama is palpable and the storylines create themselves. In recent times, Tunnel Vision has gotten the best of Straikers in the playoffs, including in multiple Semifinals and Finals series. They were knocked off of their championship throne against hREDS last season in a 7-game Finals series and now they are on a mission themselves, hoping to remind the ECL that they are still the team to beat in this division. They will feel confident coming into this matchup and they have every reason to do so. Meanwhile, Straikers are on a a mission that trails back a bit further. They were swept in the Semifinals last season by hREDS and they've come so close to touching gold again multiple times over the last few years, but for one reason or another, it hasn't happened. It's been three years since Straikers last won the Elite Division, so they are hungrier than ever. They want to end the talk of their championship drought, and they want to do it this season. Fine, I'll stop stalling and will make my pick. I think that there is something to be said about consistency. Though Straikers were far from their best in the Quarterfinals, they have been the more consistent and complete team between the two this season and I'd expect them to make significant improvements in their game from what we saw last week against Unwanted. These two teams also have different-looking lineups than when they met in the playoffs a year ago, so this series should look a bit different from each of their past series matchups. I'm just going to go with my gut and not have any expectations of being right or wrong on this. Straikers in 7 FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Semifinals Sunday 2.6 - 19:45 CET | 2# Straikers vs #3 Tunnel Vision & #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #5 EXEN | Games 1-2 Monday 3.6 - 19:15 CET | #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #5 EXEN | Games 3-7 Wednesday 5.6 - 19:15 CET | 2# Straikers vs #3 Tunnel Vision | Games 3-7 Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may not have covered? Let me know in the comments!

This article was co-written by @Pekedipeks & @Pensasmies: As we have reached the second round of the ECL ‘24 Spring in Core it's time to take a look at the matchups we have coming up! Prowlers (1) vs Huskies eSports (29) Prowlers showed us why they deserved that #1 seed with a convincing 4-0 Round 1 series win with a goal differential of 12-4. It is worth noting though that it wasn't a continuous blast of fireworks all series long for them since they had to take two of those wins after playing overtime. Prowlers did a solid job defensively in all 4 games, but big credit also has to be given to @Tizjeflen who has currently best save percentage of playoffs with an insane 91.18%. There is definitely no debate about who made the biggest upset of Round 1. After a series that was full of drama and controversy, the Huskies managed to win one of the biggest favorites in game 6. They lost the first two games kind of clearly, but then they made their Cinderella story happen or at least the first chapter towards that by winning four 1 goal games in a row, three of them being overtime wins. Grit from this experience could serve the Huskies' favor if this series goes too far from what Prowlers are hoping. Prediction: @Pensasmies: Prowlers 4-1 @Pekedipeks: Prowlers 4-1 Armeijan Kuri (2) vs Taskubilis (24) I pointed out in Round 1 previews that Armeijan Kuri had the best faceoff win% of the regular season and the same trend is still going on. Both of their centers have been top dogs on the dot. @SemiWasted has been cooking as Taskubilis' top-scorer with 6GP 10G+4A=14P but the safe pick for this series MVP is definitely @hefezuk85 with 6G+3A=9P in the first three games (series currently 3-0). If Taskubilis can't stop hefezuk and the rest of their ice forces, i can't see how this series would take many more games. Prediction: @Pensasmies Armeijan Kuri 4-2 @Pekedipeks: Armeijan Kuri 4-0 Capetown Kings (3) vs EV Duisburg (21) Capetown Kings got tested out hard by their Round 1 opponent after an intense series with 7 tight games. Their powerplay was the best of Core regular season, but so far after many tries they have only 1 powerplay goal in playoffs. EV Duisburg had 30 penalty minutes in their Round 1 matchup, so that needs to be changed if they don't want to give the Kings' special teams a chance to be reborn. Duisburg also had to struggle in the previous matchup when they had to take 3 out of 4 wins in overtime. I expect a tight series where the winner might be decided by penalties and simple things like puck possession. Players to watch: @GreatOne139 6GP 8G+8A=16P and @sambleri 7GP 6G+8A=14P Prediction: @Pensasmies: Capetown Kings 4-3 @Pekedipeks: Capetown Kings 4-3 (5) Darra Stars VS Moscow Capitals (18) This series will be a really interesting one as both teams have shown that they are very much a playoff team with both sweeping their opponents in the first round. Darra Stars is starting the series as a slight favorite to win it, but Moscow Capitals have also shown many promising performances. Darra Stars scored a ton in the first round, with especially @MrRelw and @isoraitti10 scoring almost 20 points each in only 4 games! Moscow Capitals had a less scoring sweep, but I am expecting their scoring to be even amongst all players. I recommend paying attention to @MycTau with the puck as he is the highest-scoring player in Moscow Capitals with also the least amount of time with the puck. Player to watch: @MrRelw Predictions: @Pensasmies 4-3 Darra Stars @Pekedipeks 3-4 Moscow Capitals Wida (6) vs HC Lugano Academy (16) Score at the time of writing: 2-1 Wida When taking a look at playoff player stats, this series stands out from the crowd with interesting facts: 4 players from the current top 5 scorers and top-scoring defensemen are playing in this series. Even though Wida won one game 0-6, every game has been relatively even stat-wise so I believe this will be decided by the firepower ability of these teams biggest names so far: @Palawatsch 9GP 15G+18A=33P and @nikitikitin 8GP 7G+22A=29P Prediction: @Pensasmies: Wida 4-2 @Pekedipeks: Wida 4-3 (7) Lutunilkat VS KohKae Esports (14) This is a matchup between two teams with a lot of experience, which was apparent already in the first round with both teams sweeping their opponents. I'm guessing this series will be a battle of goalies since both goalies have put up performances that have got both goalies almost a 90% save percentage. As Lutunilkat has had their point production spread evenly, KohKae Esports is completely different from this as @Joona41 has scored double the number of points from anyone else in the team in these playoffs. If Lutunilkat wants to win this series, they need to find a way to shut @Joona41 down. Player to watch: @Joona41 Predictions: @Pensasmies 3-4 KohKae Esports @Pekedipeks 1-4 KohKae Esports (8) Saucer Hockey VS Koskenlaskijat (13) Both teams had a good first round and are evenly seeded. I'm expecting this series to be a really tight one. Koskenlaskijat scored a ton in the first round, and I am expecting them to bring the same in this series, Saucer Hockey needs to keep their defensive zone clean and adapt to the attack of Koskenlaskijat. Both teams have had great goaltending throughout the playoffs and this series can also turn into a goalie battle. Player to watch: @Miggohell Predictions: @Pensasmies 2-4 Koskenlaskijat @Pekedipeks 4-3 Saucer Hockey (10) Silver Sword Griffins VS NAM3LESS (11) The most interesting series’ often are the ones that are between teams who are seeded close to each other, and this matchup is going to be a tight one that can definitely swing both ways. Silver Sword Griffins showed the ability to turn the really close games in their direction and that is something im expecting to be the key to winning this series. I'm also expecting to Silver Sword Griffins to fire with their whole lineup as their point production has been spread out through the whole team. Player to watch: @SchoolBoyz Predictions: @Pensasmies 4-2 Silver Sword Griffins @Pekedipeks 3-4 Nameless Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

Our first champion has been crowned in the ECL '25: Winter season with Blackbirds defeating SSK Esports 4-0 in the finals of the Pro Division. With their championship, they clinch their spot in Elite in the upcoming ECL '25: Spring season whereas SSK will have to fight for their spot in the qualifiers. The core of the Blackbird squad goes all the way back to the ECL '22: Spring season but they really got going in the ECL '23: Spring Lite season with the xBOTS squad and earned a spot in Pro. After a very short-lived stint in the Pro Division, they got their original squad back together for another season in Lite. After that season they made some key changes in the lineup, acquiring their new goaltender and attacker who would end up being their top-scorer of their Championship season. Interestingly enough, prior to this season the team had never made it past the second round of the playoffs. The Blackbirds squad started their season in the Pro Qualifiers, which they went through in the second stage. After an up-and-down regular season, they found themselves in fifth place in Group 1 heading into the playoffs. In the postseason we saw a total turnaround from the team as they crushed opponents one after another, losing only two games on their road to the Championship. We got to see some great offense from the team as each of their attackers scored over a goal per game in the playoffs as well as one of the best goalie performances to remember. Following the footsteps of the Almost Famous team from the ECL '24: Spring season, they're now the second team to win a Championship in the Pro Division straight after being promoted. We got a chance to interview Blackbirds' captain and right winger Lauri @sopulii04 Enström after clinching the title, where he spoke about their season and the dominant playoff run. Blackbirds' Road to the Championship: Regular season: 13-5-5-7 (54pts) - 5th in Group 1 Round 1: 4-0 vs Aspyre Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs Ismon Valinta Semifinals: 4-1 vs NOVA Finals: 4-0 vs SSK ESPORTS Blackbirds' ECL '25: Winter - Pro Championship Roster Forwards: Lauri @sopulii04 Enström (C) Olli @I0LL1 Sorsa (A) Aatu @aomyo6195 Myöhänen Defense: Tommi @Kibeeex Lehtimäki Onni @ONN123 Forss (A) Goalies: Jesse @Jeerik17 Leppä Miika @miiixu96 Pulkkinen Huge congratulations to the team and all the players! See you in Elite

Six weeks and 28 games later, eight teams have emerged as the best that the Elite division has to offer, and now just 12 wins separate them from the chance to lift a championship trophy at Assembly Winter in February. Some teams are hoping to add to their respective legacies, whole others are looking to start one of their own. That playoff journey starts with the Quarterfinals, so let's take a look at each of our four Elite matchups and break down what we can expect to see. Oh and before we start, remember that these are all just my personal opinions and analysis! You are allowed to disagree with them, just do it respectfully. None of this really means anything and it's all about just trying to come up with good content for the league that people can enjoy, so please don't take anything here personally or to heart. None of this is that serious! And if I end up being wrong on any of this, then congratulations on proving me wrong! I'll be happy to be one of the first people to admit that you did. Anyways, let's get into why you all are reading this, previewing our four quarterfinals series! (1) Parasite vs (8) GOONS Regular Season Series (December 17th): Parasite 9-3 W, Parasite 5-3 W Parasite: There's dominance, and then there's what Parasite did during the regular season. Many people had Parasite notched as the championship favorite heading into the season, but somehow they still managed to blow the preseason expectations completely out of the water. Not only did they win 27 of their 28 games, with 24 of those wins being in regulation, but they also finished the regular season as the highest-scoring team in Elite division history, putting up a mind-lowing 5.32 goals for per game. In case that wasn't enough, out of those 27 wins, only six of them were by less than three goals. That is ridiculous in every sense of the word (in a good way). Though it's tough to single out players on a team that has been so complete, Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen has been an unstoppable force this season, notching an ECL-record 65 goals during the regular season to go along with 39 assists for 104 total points. He wasn't the only one to put up one of the best regular seasons in ECL history however, as Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen posted a career-high for points (96), goals (38), and assists (58) (ECL competition only). Alongside them, Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila has also had a season to remember. Not only does he lead all defensemen with 64 points, he also ranks sixth out of all skaters in the Division. Outside of his three forward teammates, only TWO PLAYERS in the division racked up more points than him. That's genuinely absurd. The goalie tandem of Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes and Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen split time evenly during the regular season at 14 games a piece, with FinSeRe posting an 85.4 SV% and UhNikke earning an 80.82 SV% and three shutouts. To summarize all of this, this team isn't good, they're great. It's no surprise to see them as the #1 seed and they are the hands-down favorites to win it all heading into the playoffs. Whoever matches up against this team will certainly have their hands full. GOONS: Regardless of how their playoff run goes, this season has to be viewed as a pretty successful one for GOONS. Don't believe me? Just think about where this team found itself just a few months ago. In the Spring season, not only did GOONS finish 13th in the standings and forced into a relegation series, but they were swept in said relegation series by Mustaa Kultaa and were out of the Elite Division entirely. Luckily for them, they were thrown a lifeline with the division having two spots open up and earned their way back into Elite through the ECL Qualifier in early November. Considering this with the fact that they had 5 roster players returning, many thought that they would end up around no man's land and in the middle of the table, but a hot run of form in the middle of the season that saw them win 11 of 12 games was enough for them to lock up a playoff spot despite a tough final week of the regular season. This team brings the same identity as many GOONS teams of the past, which is a physical game that tries to throw around bumps and crushing hits every chance they can. GOONS led the league in hits with 824, making this the sixth straight season that they would lead the league in hits (the last time they didn't was in ECL '22: Winter, where they finished second). They also feature a balanced scoring attack, with four skaters notching double-digit goals this season. Despite all of the good, there are some concerns that I think are fair to have of this GOONS team. The first concern that I have is their performance against fellow playoff teams, as they went 3-11 in those games and two of those wins came against the same team, Mythix. They also have not proven to be particularly strong on special teams, as they had the division's worst power play at 9% and ranked bottom five on the penalty kill at 70.9%. That's not ideal in a series where you are facing off against the #1 power play and #2 penalty kill team in the division. They also are one of two teams in the playoff bracket that finished with a negative goal differential at -7. GOONS are a team that have talent throughout the lineup and they play a unique style that teams have to prepare differently for, however, if they want to have a chance at pulling off the upset, all of these things are going to have to get cleaned up. Prediction I'll be honest, I'll be surprised if this game goes more than five games. It's not a slight against GOONS, because I do think that they are a capable squad, but we have to look at the facts in front of us. It's a matchup of arguably the most dominant regular season team in division history vs a team that struggled to beat fellow playoff competition and has notable weaknesses where their opponents' strengths lie. Combine that with the fact that Parasite heavily out-attacked GOONS in the regular season series, and it doesn't result in much confidence that we'll be seeing some sort of upset in this series. Now to be clear, we've seen crazy things happen in this league, so if GOONS can play a perfect four games, who knows. They also played Parasite in their last series of the regular season, so the lessons that they learned in that series should be very fresh in their minds. I just don't think that will be enough however. If GOONS can prove me wrong, then I'll be one of the first to admit that and congratulate them on the biggest upset in ECL history. Parasite in 4 (2) Tohtorit vs (7) EXEN Regular Season Series (December 8th): Tohtorit 4-3 W, Tohtorit 2-1 W Tohtorit: Well, if there was any doubt about where Tohtorit stood in the hierarchy of the Elite division, they made it known that they aren't just in the conversation for one of the division's best teams, but that they're also here to stay. As one of the few teams that returned its entire roster from last season and didn't make a single change to it, Tohtorit felt like a team that would do one of two things, fall back to the place where many thought they would be before the Spring '24 season started, or assert itself as a championship threat and build on their campaign from last season, and they did exactly the latter. Interestingly enough, a lot of their stats from the regular season are pretty similar to what they did last season. They finished with the same amount of regulation wins with 14 and had 56 points in the standings, two more than they did in the Spring. They were also pretty much the same team as last season defensively, as they gave up nearly the same amount of goals, going from 2.1 to 2.04, and saw their penalty kill also come out nearly identical from last season, going from 61.76% to 62.5% Someone specifically to look out for in this series will be defenseman Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, as he led the division this season in time with the puck, logging 207:15 of possession time during the regular season. He was the only player in Elite to have the puck on his stick for over 200 minutes and the next player closest to him possessed the puck for 33:38 less. While they did improve offensively going from 2.43 goals for per game to 2.79, the one area where they saw a significant downturn was on the power play oddly enough, as Tohtorit went from having the division's fourth-best power play last season at 31.43% to having the division's worst power play this season at 12.5%. Negatives aside though, Tohtorit pretty much produced as they did last season while proving that they belong in the tier of championship contenders (they went 4-2 against their fellow Top 4 teams). These playoffs for Tohtorit will be showing that they have taken a step forward from last season, and what better way to do that than knocking out the team that swept you in the Quarterfinals last season? EXEN: If there is one word that I could use to describe EXEN's regular season, it would be turbulent. This team was supposed to be a bonafide lock to make the playoffs and finish as a Top 4 seed, yet it took them winning 9 of their last 10 games to clinch one of the last remaining playoff spots during the last days of the regular season, and only two of those wins were against a fellow playoff team in GOONS. The regular season was an unmitigated disappointment for this team that only could've been worse if they had missed the playoffs entirely, which considering that they only had a four-point cushion over Polski Boys who were the first team outside of the bracket, is something that wasn't far off from becoming a reality. Nevertheless, none of that matters anymore for EXEN. The regular season is now behind them and the "real season" - as some may call it - has now begun with the postseason. EXEN made it to that season and that's all that ultimately matters. Looking at this team, their defense and goaltending this season was actually quite impressive considering where they ended up in the standings. They only allowed 2.25 goals per game, which ranked 4th in the division. They also sported the league's fourth-best power play at 80.49%. Where things went wrong for this team was its lack of goal-scoring, which is honestly really surprising to see considering how much offensive talent they have on this roster. EXEN averaged just 2.32 goals for per game, which tied for 5th lowest in the league. For reference, the average for Elite this season was 2.97, which is a division record. At one point EXEN was dead-last and averaging less than 2 goals per game, but saw that number spike with their late run of form to the end of regular season, as they averaged 3.3 goals for per game during that final 10-game stretch. EXEN did lose seven of their 13 total lost games (regulation and OT) by one goal, so if this goal-scoring can keep up, it could be the difference in their turnaround, however, their struggle against other playoff teams this season is a cause for concern, even if it was early in the season. Is the version of EXEN that we saw during the last week and a half of the season the real EXEN? Or is it the EXEN who struggled with top-end teams earlier on in the season? This series will tell us all that we need to know in answering that question. Prediction If I had a nickel for every time that Tohtorit and EXEN met in the Quarterfinals, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. To me, this series is definitely one of the most intriguing. While last season, this series was a story between seeds #4 and #5, where the teams had battled for playoff positioning throughout the season, this season's story is the #2 vs #7 matchup where one team was one of the most consistent teams in the division and had locked up a playoff spot before any other team, while the other had considerable expectations and had to scratch and claw their way to even get into the playoffs at all. Overall, this series will be close despite their contrasting regular season campaigns. You can doubt EXEN if you want to, and honestly I can understand why with how they've looked at times this season, but the talent on this roster is just simply undeniable, and I feel confident that this will be a competitive series. The biggest question will be whether or not Tohtorit can live up to the moment in a best-of-seven series in the Elite division. This team has won a championship before at the Pro level, and multiple players on this roster were on that team, but this division, against this EXEN team, is so much different than that. Tohtorit will need to show that it's better than it was this time seven months ago. If it can, they could very well find their way into the semifinals. EXEN in 7 (3) Mustaa Kultaa vs (6) The Black Jacks Regular Season Series (December 16th): The Black Jacks 6-1 W, Mustaa Kultaa 2-1 W Mustaa Kultaa: In one of the more impressive Elite debut seasons that we have seen in recent memory, Mustaa Kultaa was a team that many felt should make it into the playoffs with the multiple big transfers that they added over the offseason. Well, not only did they make it into the eight-team bracket, but they made a statement early in the season that they were a force to be reckoned with, starting the Winter campaign with a 16-1-2 record that pretty much locked their place in the playoffs and a Top 4 seed by midseason. This Mustaa Kultaa team is also one of the most effective scoring teams that we have seen in some time, as their 3.36 goals for per game ranked second in the division this season, and actually ranks in the Top 10 all-time in the Elite. Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala has emerged as one of the league's top goal-getters once again this season, finishing with 40 goals, which ranked him second among all skaters. This group also features a trio of rookies who could very well all end up being candidates for Rookie of the Season in forward and team captain Alex @Allupekkaz Buntsel (26 goals, 29 assists for 55 points), defenseman J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (29 assists for 31 points and 148 interceptions) and goaltender Veeti @LatveX Laitinen (81.5 SV% and 2.36 GAA while starting all 28 games). I've been on record saying how much I respect this Mustaa Kultaa team. I think that they have the makings of being a truly special team that can play for championships in the future if they continue the path that they are currently on. They score at a ridiculous rate, they play solid defense that ranked in the Top 5 in the Division this season, and they have a goaltender that on multiple occasions showed that he can step up when the attack is on from the opposition. That typically is a good combination for success, especially in the playoffs. Though they did lose their form a bit towards the end of the season, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, their impressive play throughout the season sees them as a legitimate title threat. The biggest question will be whether or not this team's regular season success will translate in its first Elite playoff run against a team that is very familiar with this situation. The Black Jacks: The playoffs have become a familiar sight for The Black Jacks, with this being the team's third-straight Quarterfinals appearance. They kept things rather close in their first two Quarterfinals appearances, being the #8 seed both times and pushing the #1 seed of Tunnel Vision to six games and Valokuitunen Esports (now Parasite) to seven. Will the third time be the charm for TBJ? Well, I think that this is certainly their best chance at it and the most even matchup of the three. The biggest talking point for The Black Jacks this season has to be their improved offense. Even though their offense has seen a significant uptick around the league this season, TBJ is easily the most dangerous that we have seen them in terms of their scoring ability, as this season they finished fifth in goals for per game at 2.82. To compare, in Winter 24 they finished 11th with 2.2 and in Spring 24 they ranked as the third-worst team in the division at 2.03 goals per game. Meanwhile, they haven't had too big of a drop off in goals against, as they ranked 6th with 2.39 allowed per game, just barely pacing outside of the Top 5. For a team that has long been known to have solid play in their own end, this jump in production on the offensive side is massive, and could very well be a difference for them in the playoffs as well. Though they have a pretty well-balanced scoring attack, with each of their three starting forwards scoring 20 goals or more (TBJ was one of just four teams that did such), their primary point production came from the winger duo of Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg (54 points) and Tim @Timasy Hess (52 points). The next closest skater was Niklas @xXPsykoSkillsXx Schmitz who had 37 points, who ranked tied-3rd in points for defensemen. Speaking of PsykoSkills, not only was he a threat on the offensive end for TBJ this season, but he was also one of the league's most disruptive defensemen this season, leading the Elite division in interceptions with 225. He was also one of the league's best in takeaways during the regular season with 98. Overall, this is probably the most complete that this team has looked heading into the playoffs and they have significantly more playoff experience than their opponent this time around outside of a few players. We will see how much of a difference it makes. Prediction Personally, I think that this is the series that I am anticipating the most in the Quarterfinals. Not only is this series something completely new and fresh from any series that we've seen before, but it's also two teams who are looking to show that they are in the top tier of teams in this division, as whoever wins will secure its first-ever Elite semifinals birth. Mustaa Kultaa are the new kids on the block who have made a ton of noise in their first Elite season. They've dominated at times and look like a team that could very well be playing for a championship at Winter Assembly in February. Meanwhile, The Black Jacks have been at this for years, originally under the ZSC Esports branding and now as TBJ, and though they've been a team that has had incremental improvements over the last few seasons, a playoff victory is something that still alludes a team that has long been seen as a playoff-caliber team, but not a true championship contender. Both sides have the equal opportunity to completely shift the narrative about their respective side, but I do think that one team is significantly more desperate than the other. This series feels like The Black Jacks' best opportunity to prove that they can be more than a one-and-done. They are the more experienced team, they are playing significantly better than they have in past seasons offensively, and they just played this Mustaa Kultaa team during the final week of the season and split the season series. They also are playing a Mustaa Kultaa team that struggled at the end of the season, so it remains to be seen whether or not they corrected some of those struggles over the holiday break. I think the series is a toss-up that will go either way, so I won't be shocked if I'm wrong considering how good the other side is, but as the old saying goes, "fortune favors the brave", so give me the upset pick. The Black Jacks in 7 (4) Voittamaton vs (5) Mythix Regular Season Series (December 1st): Voittmaton 3-2 W, Mythix 2-1 W Voittamaton: Another season, another impressive Voittamaton campaign. Their regular season performances have sort of just become run-of-the-mill for these guys. They've proven to be a lock to make the Top 4 for years now, and despite heavy competition with the teams that placed 1-3, they were able to still secure one of those top spots in the standings. They tied for 3rd in goals for per game at 3.11 and tied for 2nd in goals against per game at 2.04. 8 of their 11 losses were by one goal and all 17 of their wins came in regulation games. They do it by playing the same game that this team has mastered for years. Possession-based hockey that can wear their opponent into a defensive mistake., combined with lockdown defense and steady goaltending behind them that can clean up anything that happens to get through. In terms of contributors, Erik @Eki Tammenpää has been one of the best in the league once again, notching a team-high 64 points, with 27 of those points being goals and 37 being assists, which ranked Top 10 in the division. His fellow winger Teemu @temppanen Karvonen wasn't far behind him with 27 goals of his own to go with 27 assists, giving him a 54-point season. He also had 11 game-winning goals this season which was tied for most in the league (Vattuyy of Parasite was the player tied with him). These two have been the dynamic duo that have produced a majority of Voitttamaton's scoring chances, so expect them to be present and active again in this playoff run. This team also has an impressive goalie duo of Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (18 games played) and Oskari @Zande95 Grönroos (10 games played) who both posted a save percentage higher than 80%, so regardless of who lines up between the pipes, they'll show quality play. Overall, there isn't much more to say about this team that isn't already known. There could potentially be concerns about how they looked at times at the end of the season, as they finished their last 10 games at 5-5, and three of those losses were to non-playoff teams. In their defense, two of those five losses were also to Parasite, so it's hard to criticize them for dropping a pair of games to a team that has only lost one game all season. With the team's pedigree and the fact that they have never once been bounced earlier than the Semifinals, its understandable why many feel that they can be playing for a championship once again next month. Mythix: Earlier in the season, things did not look pretty for Mythix. From the start of the season to Dec. 5th, Mythix had a record of 7-10-1 and looked like they were going to need a miracle to make it into the playoffs, let alone a Top 5 seeding. Then on December 11th, everything for this team changed. They lost just one more game the rest of the season and were able to lock up a playoff spot during the last few days of the season, even somehow having a 7-point cushion over 9th by the time it was all said and done. This marks the second straight season that Mythix (formerly Bjorkloven Esport) have made it into the playoffs, which considering that this is just their second season of Elite competition is quite impressive. Last season however they fell to the eventual champions, Tunnel Vision, in five games, so they will hope to lean on that experience in combination with their hot run of form that they had to end the season. One of the biggest positives for this team is that they come in as arguably the hottest team in the league, sporting a 9-1 record in their last 10 games and six of those wins were against fellow playoff teams in Tohtorit, Mustaa Kultaa and The Black Jacks. They also have a pair of 40-point getters in Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen (30 goals and 13 assists for 43 points) and Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala (13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points). They also have been a significantly better team when Arttu @Thewix93 Harju has been in the lineup, as Mythix is 11-1 in games he has played this season (10 games at defense and 2 at center). He is also the only player on their roster with a positive plus/minus, sporting a +9. Additionally, they are one of the division's best groups at special teams, as they rank as the league's 2nd-best power play (34.3%) and its 5th-best penalty kill (78.95%). Outside of those numbers though, many of their statistics are overwhelming. They are the one of just two teams in the playoff field with a negative goal differential at a -4 during the regular season and they shot the puck as little as any team in the division, ranking second-to-last in shot per game at 12.4 shots per game. They also ranked second-to-last in face-off percentage (46.04%) and will be going up against the team that was the best in the league at face-offs in Voittamaton (54.96%). Combining these factors with Voittamaton's preferred possession-dominant style of play, Mythix will need to correct a few of these factors if they want to find their way into the semifinals. Prediction I'm going to be honest, I like this Mythix team and can see the upset appeal with the way these two teams trended during the final week of the season. However, I feel like you have to look at each side's full body of work as well, and if I'm being honest with myself, I just don't feel confident that this Voittamaton is a good matchup for Mythix. Their weakest points directly match up against Voittamaton's biggest strengths, and with a team in Voittamaton that has so much experience and overall talent, I just have a hard time imagining that this won't be an issue for Mythix in this series. Now in their defense, they did beat five of the seven playoff teams at least once this season, with Parasite and GOONS being the only teams that they didn't at least split with that are in the bracket, however, unless Mythix can find a way to create more offense and mitigate Voittamaton's ability to control the style of the game, it's going to be hard for them to find their way to four wins. That doesn't mean it can't happen, but it will certainly be difficult. Voittamaton: in 5 Quarterfinals Broadcast Schedule Want to watch it all unfold for yourself? Then make sure to tune into our live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Monday, January 6th, 2025 Matchup 1: Tohtorit (#2) vs EXEN (#7) | Games 1-2 | 20:00 CET Matchup 2: Parasite (#1) vs GOONS (#8) | Games 1-2 | ~21:20 CET Wednesday, January 8th, 2025 Matchup 3: Mustaa Kultaa (#3) vs The Black Jacks (#6) | Games 1-2 | 20:00 CET Matchup 4: Voittamattomat (#4) vs Mythix (#5) | Games 1-2 | ~21:20 CET Thursday, January 9th, 2025 Matchup: Voittamattomat (#4) vs Mythix (#5) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Monday, January 13th, 2025 Matchup: Tohtorit (#2) vs EXEN (#7) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 Matchup: Mustaa Kultaa (#3) vs The Black Jacks (#6) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Thursday, January 16th, 2025 Matchup: Parasite (#1) vs GOONS (#8) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Action kicks off today, Monday, January 6th with the matchups between EXEN and Tohtorit, and GOONS and Parasite. Before puck drop, join @Tougie24 at 18:50 CET for the SportsGamer Wraparound as he wraps things up leading into the post-season! So who do you think will punch their ticket into the semifinals? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments?

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!

Hi and welcome to the annual mid-season report of the second-highest division of the ECL – the premier virtual eHockey league in Europe. We’ve officially hit the halfway point of the season, and as we look back at the action so far, there’s plenty to talk about. From standout teams to players making a name for themselves, and others who still have a lot of work ahead of them, this report will provide an in-depth look at how things are shaping up in the league. If you haven’t already, check out the Sportsgamer Wraparound here👇🏻where @Tougie24 takes a look at all the divisions in a well-rounder Youtube video! SportsGamer Wraparound | Ep4 | ECL '25: Winter - Week 3 Before we jump in, here are a few points to be aware of: This article was written based on the standings as of 01:00 EEST 7th of December 2024. When referring to standings we have referred to the PPG (point-per-game). We remind everyone that some of these comments are opinions, and not to take them too seriously. As these articles are written in a short time frame, we try to include as many teams as possible, so those teams that were mentioned in the “Week 1 & 2 recap” article will not be getting a deep dive in this article. ECL Pro - Group 1 As the final weeks of the group stage approach, Group 1 is starting to heat up, and the intensity is rising. With just a handful of games remaining, teams are beginning to show clear patterns, and the standings are starting to take shape. The picture is becoming clearer, and it's now evident who’s in the mix and who’s struggling to keep pace. For many teams, the next few weeks will be make-or-break, as they look to solidify their positions and make a strong push for the playoffs. Every point counts, and with so much at stake, the competition is expected to be fierce. Teams that have been hovering around the middle of the standings will be jockeying for position, while those at the top will be battling to maintain their lead and secure a favorable spot heading into the postseason. As we close in on the end of the group stage, it's clear that the race is on. Teams are hitting their stride, while others are feeling the pressure of the approaching finish line. This is the time when players need to step up and teams must dig deep if they want to secure a spot in the playoffs. The final stretch is always the most exciting, with playoff hopes on the line and every game feeling like it could be the difference between success and disappointment. 🔥 HOT 🔥 Gotham Knights 🔥 Gotham is a team that is heating up at exactly the right time, and their recent form has made them a team to watch as the season heads into its critical stages. With a remarkable six-game win streak, Gotham has surged to the top of their group, overtaking Zenegeim and now sitting at the top with an impressive 2.29 points per game (PPG). Their momentum is undeniable, and if they can continue their dominant run, they will be a formidable force come playoff time. One of the key factors in Gotham's incredible run has been the standout play of their star goalie, @Kussan82. In the midst of this six-game win streak, Kussan has been absolutely stellar between the pipes. With a sparkling goals-against average (GAA) of just 1.33, Kussan has been nearly unbeatable, giving Gotham the kind of defensive stability that is crucial for a deep playoff push. Whether it’s stopping high-danger chances of making crucial saves in the final moments of games, Kussan has shown time and time again that he belongs among the league’s elite goalies. Important games coming up: Vs The Oldtimers Vs Otukset Player to watch: @Rimpe The Oldtimers 🔥 With a few more games played than some of their competitors, The Oldtimers have managed to take a solid step towards securing a playoff spot, and that’s what matters most as the regular season begins to wind down. They’ve been consistently effective in all areas of the game, and their position is a reflection of their hard work and strategic focus. One of the key components of The Oldtimers' success has been their emphasis on defense. As any experienced player will tell you, getting into the playoffs and making a deep run starts with a strong defensive foundation. Keeping the puck out of their own net has clearly been a priority for The Oldtimers, and it’s paying off. Currently, they sit second in the league in goals against per game (GA/GP) with an impressive 1.95. Their ability to play tight in their own zone and limit opposing teams’ scoring opportunities has been a hallmark of their style. By focusing on sound positioning and smart puck management, The Oldtimers have become a difficult team to break down, making life easier for their goaltender and preventing high-quality chances from getting through. Speaking of their goaltender, @TiSuLiNo has been a key factor in their defensive success. With solid performances game in and game out, TiSuLiNo has become a cornerstone of The Oldtimers' push for the postseason. Not only does TiSuLiNo sit near the top of the league in shutouts, with 4 on the season, but the consistency of their play has given The Oldtimers the confidence to focus on their game plan without worrying about giving up soft goals. TiSuLiNo’s ability to step up and make critical saves has been instrumental in keeping the team in games, especially during tight matchups where every goal counts. Important games coming up: Vs Gotham Knights Vs Zenegeim Player to watch: @japi_kuittaa Devilz 🔥 A team that was widely predicted to struggle this season has proven exactly what predictions are—just that: predictions. Against all expectations, they have made a strong case for themselves, sitting in 8th place with a solid 1.63 points per game (PPG). With three wins in their last four games, they’ve shown a positive trend that is unfolding at precisely the right time, and they’re not done yet. Much of the team’s recent success can be attributed to the stellar performances of @Bugimir and @xcurhed, who have taken the offensive reins and put up impressive numbers. Together, they have combined for 62 points, demonstrating that they are more than capable of carrying the offensive load. Their chemistry and ability to produce when needed have been pivotal in the team's resurgence, and they’ve proven that, given the opportunity, they can lead the charge and put points on the board. The team has now become a force to reckon with, as these two offensive powerhouses continue to play at a high level, igniting their team’s chances of making a deep run. While the offensive players are stepping up, there is still work to be done if the team wants to continue their upward trajectory and secure a playoff spot. One area that needs immediate attention is discipline. The team has found themselves in the penalty box too often, which has put unnecessary pressure on their penalty kill unit. Their current penalty kill (PK) efficiency of 85.71% is respectable but not invincible. If the team continues to take penalties at this rate, it’s only a matter of time before they face a team that can exploit this weakness. The players know that if they want to keep the positive momentum going, they must find a way to limit the penalties and give their penalty killers a break. Important games coming up: Vs The Oldtimers Vs BlackBirds Player to watch: @LTorro Dilac 🔥 After starting the season with three straight losses, this team has shown incredible resilience, winning six of their last seven games. They've managed to tilt five of those games in their favor, all of which were one-goal decisions, proving that they can battle through tight situations and close out crucial moments when it matters most. This resilience, combined with their growing confidence, has them on a positive trend as the season progresses. A key factor in their turnaround has been the addition of @punt1la98, who joined the team just weeks before the season began. The experienced left winger has made an immediate impact, contributing 31 points (18 goals, 13 assists). His goal-scoring touch is clearly still intact, and his ability to find the back of the net has given the team a significant boost offensively. His leadership and experience have helped stabilize the lineup, providing both scoring and a calming presence in tight games. With punt1la98 leading the charge, this team looks poised to continue their upward climb, showing that early setbacks don’t define their season. Important games coming up: Vs Gotham Knights Vs SSK esports Player to watch: @kim_johan ❄️ COLD ❄️ Nordic Stars ❄️ The Nordic Stars have been one of the more surprising teams this season. After showing flashes of their former glory, their recent form has been concerning. With eight losses in their past 11 games, they find themselves on a slippery slope that could very well lead them into the relegation zone if they don’t turn things around soon. One of the biggest issues for the Nordic Stars seems to be their lack of consistency, both in their performance on the ice and in the roster. Throughout the season, their lineup has undergone multiple changes, and it appears that the team has yet to find the chemistry needed to compete at a high level consistently. With key players coming in and out of the lineup, it’s been difficult for the team to build any momentum or settle into a rhythm that would help them climb up the standings. A prime example of this inconsistency is @jezbaru, who has played just 10 games out of a possible 18. Despite his limited appearances, the skilled forward has been one of the team’s brightest spots, recording 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) in those games. His offensive production has been strong, but the fact that he hasn’t been available for more games has put additional pressure on the rest of the squad. For the Nordic Stars to get back on track and remain in playoff contention, jezbaru’s availability and contribution will be crucial. If the team can get him back into the lineup more regularly and build some stability around him, they might have a shot at turning their season around. Important games coming up: Vs Otukset Vs Dilac Player to watch: @Macentoitunu SSK eSports ❄️ Another experienced team struggling to find their form this season, raising the question: is this becoming a trend? Are seasoned teams beginning to show signs of age, or is it just a matter of tough luck and inconsistency? While the jury is still out, one thing is certain, this team is not out of the race just yet. Despite their challenges, they’ve proven they can still compete at a high level, especially in key areas like defense and special teams. Their strong defensive structure has allowed them to stay in games, and their special teams have kept them competitive in tight matchups. With a solid foundation in these areas, they are only a few wins away from finding themselves on the right side of the playoff line. One of the positives for this team has been their ability to compete against some of the higher-ranked teams in the standings. While their overall record may not reflect it, they’ve shown they can go toe-to-toe with the league’s best, which bodes well for their playoff push. How they perform in the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether they can make up ground and position themselves for a postseason berth. In terms of goaltending, this team has leaned on a two-man rotation, with @Brokenrice2000 and @Jonte05_ splitting the season thus far. Both have had their moments, but the question remains: which one will step up and take the reins as the team’s possible playoff goalie? Both have shown flashes of brilliance, but consistency will be key as they enter the most important part of the season. The players will have to make a decision soon on who they trust to lead the team through the stretch run. Important games coming up: Vs Nova Vs Otukset Player to watch: @zuppe_29 Serpentes ❄️ Serpentes currently sit dead last in the standings, and with the playoff line seeming so far out of reach, one has to wonder if they’re heading for a season of irrelevance.. The gap between them and the teams above the playoff line is substantial, and the road to recovery is looking increasingly difficult. At this point, their primary focus should be simple: getting back on track and scraping together some much-needed wins. With each game that passes, their margin for error shrinks, and they can’t afford to keep digging themselves deeper into a hole. The good news, however, is that hockey is a game of momentum, and a few strong performances could help them turn things around. But they need to act quickly. Important games coming up: Vs Kymmenelta Clubille Vs Deadly Phantoms Player to watch: @RookieLIAMOVIC ECL Pro - Group 2 As the group stage nears its conclusion, the competition in Group 2 is reaching a boiling point. With only a few games left, the dynamics are becoming increasingly clear, as teams reveal their true form and the standings solidify. It’s now apparent which teams are in contention and which are struggling to stay afloat. The coming weeks will be crucial for many teams as they fight to cement their positions and make a decisive push toward the playoffs. Every match carries significant weight, and with so much on the line, the intensity is expected to reach new heights. Teams lingering in the mid-table will be scrambling to climb higher, while those at the top aim to protect their lead and secure an advantageous position for the postseason. As the group stage winds down, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Some teams are hitting their peak performance, while others feel the mounting pressure as the finish line approaches. This is the moment when players must rise to the occasion, and teams need to deliver their best if they hope to stay in the hunt for the playoffs. The final stretch promises thrilling action, with playoff dreams hanging in the balance and every game potentially deciding the difference between triumph and heartbreak. 🔥 HOT 🔥 Sawolanche 🔥 With no expectations weighing them down, some teams seem to thrive, and Sawolanche is proving to be one of those teams. Entering their first season in the Pro division with minimal fanfare and little belief from analysts or players that they could contend for the playoffs, Sawolanche appears to have embraced their underdog status. This chip-on-the-shoulder mentality might just be the fuel they needed to excel. Now sitting in 7th place with an impressive 1.65 points per game (PPG), they are in prime position to secure a playoff berth, a feat that seemed improbable just weeks ago. A major reason for their success has been the stellar play of their young winger, @I_LaiTi_I, who has emerged as one of the team's most valuable assets. Over the course of 20 games, he has racked up an incredible 42 points, with 20 goals and 22 assists to his name. These numbers are a testament to his skill, vision, and consistency on the ice. His ability to generate offense has not only lifted his team’s fortunes but also put him on the radar as one of the breakout stars of the season. However, while his numbers are remarkable, the challenge now is maintaining this momentum as the playoffs loom. The postseason is an entirely different beast, and opponents will no doubt be strategizing to shut down Sawolanche’s most potent weapon. For I_Laiti_I, this means proving he can perform under heightened pressure and continue to deliver when it matters most. His ability to rise to the occasion will be pivotal not just for his individual reputation but also for his team’s chances of making a deep playoff run. Important games coming up: Vs HC Lugano Vs Golden Sticks Player to watch: @Mrantonn Herlev Eagles 🔥 The Herlev Eagles didn’t get off to the strongest start this season, but they’ve managed to turn things around in spectacular fashion. With an incredible 9 wins in their last 10 games, they’re proving they have what it takes to compete with the best. Momentum is firmly on their side, and the team shows no signs of slowing down as they aim to solidify their position in the standings. At the heart of this resurgence is none other than @Dreamickie, who has been the backbone of the Eagles' offense. Leading the team with 28 points and topping the goal charts with 12, he’s been a relentless force on the ice. His leadership and consistency in generating scoring opportunities have been instrumental in the Eagles’ mid-season revival. However, the true standout aspect of this team has been their defense, which has been nothing short of phenomenal. The Eagles now boast the league’s best goals-against average per game (GA/GP) at a stingy 1.79. This defensive discipline has been a game-changer, providing the solid foundation needed to turn narrow contests into victories. While their defense has been rock solid, the team knows they’ll need more offensive firepower to make a serious playoff run—and they may have found the perfect solution. Recently, the Herlev Eagles made a key signing in @MartindalexC, and he’s wasted no time making an impact. In just four games, he’s already racked up an eye-popping 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists), showcasing his elite skill and wealth of experience from previous seasons in other divisions. His seamless transition into the lineup has brought a new dimension to the Eagles’ attack, making them even more dangerous as the season progresses. With this newfound balance between an airtight defense and a bolstered offense, the Herlev Eagles are shaping up to be a team that no one wants to face in the postseason. If they can continue this level of play and integrate MartindalexC fully into their system, their ceiling is sky-high. For a team that has been trying to break through for quite some time, this might finally be their moment to go all the way. Important games coming up: Vs Nostreetsports Vs Poggers Player to watch: @MartindalexC Ismon Valinta 🔥 Currently holding 5th place in the standings, Ismon Valinta has outperformed expectations so far this season. However, with the race for the playoffs tightening and numerous teams nipping at their heels, they can’t afford to let up now. Consistency and momentum will be crucial in the coming weeks as they aim to secure one of the coveted postseason spots. One of the most interesting aspects of Ismon Valinta’s season has been their roster flexibility. With 9 skaters on the roster, the team has had the opportunity to experiment with different lineups, searching for the perfect combination to maximize their potential. While this approach has brought some ups and downs, it seems they may finally be closing in on the ideal setup. One player who has been a constant and reliable presence throughout the season is @Jusu121. With 11 goals and 20 assists to his name, he has been the team’s offensive cornerstone, consistently creating scoring opportunities and driving play. If Ismon Valinta can find him a partner who can match his production, they could significantly increase their chances of locking in a playoff spot. Building chemistry and establishing a dynamic duo in the lineup could be the game-changer they need as the competition intensifies. Important games coming up: Vs Björklöven Vs Ryhtic Player to watch: @lycki10 ❄️ COLD ❄️ Golden Sticks ❄️ After a strong playoff showing last year, it’s been a tough road for the Russian side this season. While their performance has taken a noticeable dip, their respectable points-per-game (PPG) average of 1.45 keeps them in the conversation. They’re not out of the race yet, but time is running out to turn things around. The key will be winning those pivotal matchups against teams sitting just above them in the standings, games that could make or break their season. Offensively, the team has struggled, ranking near the bottom of the table in scoring. This lack of firepower has made it difficult for any single player to stand out, leaving a noticeable void on the stat sheet. However, the defense has managed to keep them in games, providing a silver lining in an otherwise challenging campaign. A significant bright spot has been the play of their goaltender, @iStrong_rus, who has been a steady presence in net. With a goals-against average (GAA) of 1.91, he’s given the team a chance to compete even in low-scoring affairs. For the Russian side, the formula for success is clear: the offense needs to step up. If they can find a spark to complement their solid defensive foundation, they might just claw their way back into playoff contention. The pressure is on for the team to rediscover their form and rise to the occasion in this critical stretch. Important games coming up: Vs Sawolanche Vs Ismon Valinta Player to watch: @peppenntur Cheeky Grinders ❄️ The Cheeky Grinders have had a season to forget so far, a stark contrast to their solid performance in last year’s ECL campaign. Their slow start has left them struggling to find their footing, and while they’re not at the bottom of the standings, they’re a long way from playoff contention. With a points-per-game (PPG) average of just 0.9, there’s little for the team to celebrate at the moment. The light at the end of the tunnel feels dim, and time is running out to turn things around. The team’s lackluster performance has made it difficult for any individual player to stand out, with underwhelming statistics across the board. However, one player who has been trying to spark some life into the lineup is @Yaredhagos, who has been making his presence felt in the physical game. With an impressive 60 hits so far this season, he’s leading by example, bringing energy and grit in an effort to wake up his team. While hits don’t translate directly to goals, his determination and physicality are a testament to his commitment to fighting for his team’s resurgence. For the Cheeky Grinders, the path forward is steep, but not impossible. They need to dig deep, find their cohesion, and start delivering on both ends of the ice. If they can channel the passion and effort shown by players like Yaredhagos into a collective team effort, they might just rediscover the spark that made them a competitive force in the past. The season may feel like it’s slipping away, but with the right mindset and a willingness to fight for every point, the Cheeky Grinders can still salvage their campaign. It’s an uphill battle, but as they’ve proven in previous seasons, they have the resilience to overcome adversity, it’s just a question of whether they can summon it in time. Important games coming up: Vs Refuse Too Lose Vs Golden Sticks Player to watch: @Leppadinho Finnish Roosters ❄️ The Roosters, a team that stood out last season with their cohesive play and strong special teams, now find themselves in an uneasy position. Sitting in 10th place, they’re on the wrong side of the playoff line, not entirely out of the race, but not where they need to be either. While their current standing is neither disastrous nor encouraging, it’s clear that they’ll need to elevate their game if they want to make a late-season push for the playoffs. One undeniable bright spot for the Roosters this season has been their standout goaltender, @xKeskitalo. His performance has been nothing short of stellar, leading the league in several key categories. With 4 shutouts, a jaw-dropping 87.07 save percentage (SV%), and a league-best goals-against average (GAA) of 1.5, he’s been a rock between the pipes. These numbers aren’t just impressive, they’re elite, highlighting his ability to keep the Roosters competitive even in tough games. However, as strong as their goaltending has been, the Roosters’ offense has yet to step up and provide the support their star netminder deserves. To climb the standings and make a real playoff push, they’ll need more consistency and firepower from their forwards. Unlocking their scoring potential will be the key to complementing xKeskitalo's heroic efforts and putting the team in a position to win more close games. Important games coming up: Vs Ismon Valinta Vs Poggers Player to watch: @Ernottii

Are you and your team ready to take center stage? For the upcoming ECL ’25: Winter season, we’re offering teams and select players from all divisions the chance to be a Featured Team & Player. This opportunity is perfect for teams passionate about content creation, who love interacting with the community, and who aren’t afraid to put themselves out there! As a Featured Team, you may: • Stream regularly on the SportsGamer Twitch channel every few weeks, showcasing your journey through the season. • Get highlighted in interviews and special features across our platforms. • Work closely with us to promote the content you create, whether it’s gameplay highlights, behind-the-scenes moments, or anything that captures your team's spirit. We’re looking for teams who aren’t afraid to dive in, have fun, and embrace the spotlight—those willing to fully commit, throw themselves into the experience, and create memorable moments for our community. The more creative and engaging, the better! If this sounds like your team, apply now, and let’s make this season unforgettable together! We’re looking to develop this new concept together with you. The teams and players participating will shape the exact direction and outcome, making it a truly collaborative effort. Your creativity and commitment will help define what it means to be a Featured Team or Featured Player this season. While we’re excited to collaborate with as many teams and players as possible, there is limited availability in how many we can feature at the same time. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not selected right away! We encourage everyone to apply, as there will be more opportunities in the future, and we’d love to see your passion and creativity in action. Apply to Be a Featured Team in ECL ’25: Winter! Apply to Be a Featured Player in ECL ’25: Winter!

Only four teams remain in the Spring edition of ECL '24 - which two will we see in the Finals? Read on to find out our predictions! SERIES 1: Falun Coal Miners (1) Mustaa Kultaa (10) In the previous round, both teams took a different road to the semifinals, Mustaa Kultaa overcoming a 3-1 series deficit versus TIKI TALK winning 3 games in a row and showing some real grit in their game. Falun on the other hand did not choke, they took a convincing lead in the series against Golden Sticks, who really fought back and won 2 games in overtime, but in game 6 Falun ran away with it and closed out the series. Falun who play a physical game, can really annoy their opponents with their style of play, with close to 300 hits in these playoffs their opponent should get some extra padding before they step on the ice for game 1 of the series. @Smayk99 taking the faceoff game seriously in these playoffs, with an impressive 56,1% faceoff percentage, @xHatsi being below the coveted 50% mark could be a dealbreaker. This team has a well-rounded roster and can fire on all cylinders if need be, and Mustaa Kultaa will be dealing with a whole different kind of team in this round. When a team has momentum in this video game, it’s a force to be reckoned with, Mustaa Kultaa winning 3 straight shows that they really want to win, they’re loaded with confidence and will surely project that into this series. @Allupekkaz taking the biggest responsibility in offense for this team with his 19 points (9+10) in these playoffs shows that his start in Goons wasn’t a mistake, but that he can lead a team far. Mustaa Kultaa have been blessed with the new signing of @LatveX, the wonder goalie who is playing in only his second ECL season and has taken it upon himself to make Elite teams wonder if his services are needed in the highest division in the future, but for now he is stealing games for Mustaa Kultaa left and right, however, their Swedish foes are a well-organized team that can make goalies wish they never turned their consoles on. We had a chance to talk with the assistant captain @Buffy for Falun coal Miners before and the assistant captain for Mustaa Kultaa, @Allupekkaz before the series - here's what they had to say: What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team? BuffyXll: "Obviously they have loads of talent being one of the teams who were eligble for the preseason Elite Qualification rounds. They have plenty of firepower and proved that by knocking out a team like TikiTalk. Mustaa Kultaa's playoff seed doesn't really reflect the teams higher levels of play, if they put in that sixth gear., they're hard team to stop." Allupekkaz: "Falun is an extremely dangerous team in the offensive zone, they can turn the puck quickly into offense and move the puck really well there with the help of their defenseman. Furyan is a player who can decide a series with his experience and hockey-iq." How will you prepare for the series? BuffyXll: "We've had a couple of days off coming out of a really fun playoff round vs Golden sticks. There is still some time for us to get some practice done and talk about the choices we've made in life." Allupekkaz: "We'll practice one day, and then see how the opponent plays and make necessary changes." What will it take for your team to advance to the finals? BuffyXll: "We need to play our own game and trust our process. We shall keep pushing forward no matter what the costs may be. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in our play. We shall never surrender. " Allupekkaz: "Tight defense and smart choices in the offensive zone, we'll try to minimize our mistakes and capitalize on theirs." Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 2-4 Mustaa Kultaa @Juhaniz-: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners @jubex0r: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners @Pensasmies: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners Player to watch: @LatveX Watch the series live: twitch.tv/CoalMinersTV, twitch.tv/allupekkaz SERIES 2: (7) RYHTIC vs Almost Famous (8) Both teams took it to themselves to take down a higher-seeded opponent, RYHTIC in 6 games vs Poggers, and Almost Famous bested the German powerhouse Deadly Phantoms in 5 games. With the two teams facing off in the regular season, whereas Almost Famous drew the longer straw, taking 5 out of 6 possible points, will this turn out to be the edge they need to take their talent all the way to the Final? RYHTIC comes in after a good quarterfinal matchup, where they blew out a good Poggers team 6-1 in the deciding game of the series. Now they take on a similar opponent in Almost Famous, who can take their game to their opponent. Can the likes of @MCH_98 & @Sagee95 stop the high octane offense that is Almost Famous? In offense RYHTIC showed they’re not just one of the best defensive teams in Pro, but can take out teams with their goalscoring, @Limbe65 with 14 goals so far this postseason ranks 3rd in that category in these playoffs so far, with his impressive goal scoring touch he’ll be looking to add a lot more, with all forwards on this team playing a 200-foot game, Almost Famous might just find out that scoring is harden then it was before. When a team can play like Almost Famous can, it comes with certain expectations that results will follow, they can take on almost any team in ECL offensive wise, in 5 games against Deadly Phantoms they conceded 16 times, considering the opponent they have now, and their talents in their own zone, @grontti88 and his SV% of 74,56 needs to be better. Whilst defense wins championships, this team has the ability to score, so if the defense isn’t there, they might just out-score their opponents anyway, creative forward @ikavalko and offensive defenceman @Jalkkin- who spearhead this offense, can make any team weak in the knees. It's the classic tale of offense vs defense, which will prevail? We had a chance to talk with the RYHTIC captain @yrjoo and the Almost Famous captain @Ikavalko before the series - here's what they had to say: What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team? Yrjoo: "They are in great form, and played very well so far in these playoffs. They have a great player in every position, but have to pick out Rikardo, just a few seasons ago he played in Neo and now he's fighting for a spot in Pro Finals." Ikavalko: "I haven't really followed RYHTIC this season, but I'd say they have a lot of "pass-first" kind of players, so their weakness would be their lack of players to make a difference in a series, with the exception of @MCH_98, he can really make a difference with his offense, however, we'll try to make him make mistakes and when we do, the game will turn around really quickly." How will you prepare for the series? Yrjoo: "The same way as any other series." Ikavalko: No need to reinvent the wheel here, we'll do our thing and keep the flow going. Focus on our thing and only that is what got us this far." What will it take for your team to advance to the finals? Yrjoo: "If we just keep playing the way we have, we'll have a great chance to advance." Ikavalko: "Smart defense and puck control is what we're focusing on, pressing in the right areas at the right time is how we'll take this series. I think our trickery, creativity, and puck control are better than RYHTIC. They are clearly the better team on defense so we won't take that battle." Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 4-2 Almost Famous @Juhaniz-: 4-3 RYHTIC @jubex0r: 4-3 RYHTIC @Pensasmies: 4-3 RYHTIC Player to watch: @JussinSisko Watch the series live: twitch.tv/yrjoo, twitch.tv/mkine FOLLOW THE ECL PRO PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division Quarterfinals on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, June 11th. Additionally, you can follow the teams' own coverage using the links provided above. Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!

(1) Nordic Stars vs Hopfensmoothie HC (24) After two very different series, these two teams now face each other which should be worth watching, with the number one seed facing a team a lot further down the pecking order. The coveted number one seed always comes with the position of being the favorite in every series, and this series is no exception. With a sweep in both rounds so far Nordic Stars are the heavy favorite to take another win and advance. With the whole team scoring a lot, it will be interesting to see if someone can keep this pace up and break a record of 95 points (49+46) set by @moilanenC in the ECL 4 - Lite playoffs. For now, the duo of @Jerax13 and @Vire30 are boasting a point-per-game of 4.75 which is on pace to be a Lite record (min 6 games played). Hopfensmoothie has another upset to make, taking down seed number 2 Oldtimers, in a well-played game 7! Now they need to continue where they left off. With some great leadership and great team defense, they can take this series further than any other team has in these playoffs. With their lineup changing, this can provide a shake-up they will need, however, their captain and backbone @Original-SnuS, has played in all of their 14 games so far. Can Hopfensmoothie continue their streak of game 7s? We caught up with the Hopfensmoothie HC captain @Original-SnuS for some comments about the series. What are your plans for the high powered offense of Nordic Stars? Original-SnuS: "We just try our best on defense. Our goalie is probably the best in the Lite. With a little playoff toughness, a lot is possible. 😄" How will the servers play a role in this series? Original-SnuS: "Unfortunately, the servers play far too big a role in this game. They will have advantages and we will have them. We are used to this, but are they?" Predictions: @hifk_FANI: Nordic Stars 4-1 @Pensasmies: Nordic Stars 4-0 @Pekedipeks: Nordic Stars 4-1 @MCH_98: Nordic Stars 4-2 Player to watch: @Katunarski (3) Zenegeim vs DEG eSports (11) A defensive team vs an offensive team. Both teams surely can provide both - on Tuesday we’ll see who takes the first games when these two teams face each other. Zenegeim plays a mean style of hockey, they punish the smallest of mistakes on defense and are really dangerous on the counter-attack. With captain @Juhaniz- not providing the offense he usually did when he played winger, this can frustrate even the best of players. @rakkauspakkaus- taking the lead on offense in these playoffs, he’ll surely want more to his name in this series. Can Zenegeim overcome the German server, and advance to the next round? In a tight series, there are always good games, and not-so-good games. In this series, the team from Düsseldorf needs to string together more of those good games to have a shot at a spot in the semifinals. They’re going to need their top point producers @daaiim0n and @xxICEFORCERxx to do more than they already have in these playoffs - take this team on their backs and carry them offensively. @Meazza1704 has been great so far, with an 86,62% save percentage. If he can keep up the good work, DEG eSports will have a great chance to go through to the next round. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: Zenegeim 4-1 @Pensasmies: Zenegeim 4-1 @Pekedipeks: Zenegeim 4-2 @MCH_98: Zenegeim 4-1 Player to watch: @Esko-etikka (4) Mights vs Modo Hockey (7) This is a series that will go down as a coin flip - both teams possess the right type of style to beat one another - but as always, only one team can win. In this series, we have the privilege to witness two teams who can hold on to the puck at the right times, and not turn over the puck in situations where it’s costly. Mights took a confident 4-1 series win in their last matchup and absolutely shut down a good offensive team in Ruuti, only conceding 6 hosld in 5 games. If their defense is able to keep up the good work, it won't be a long series. @Saloust77 16 goals in these playoffs puts him in 2nd place in the scoring category - if MoDo Hockey finds a way to keep him quiet in this series, Mights might just not make it. Taking down former Pro team Pata Hellalla in a sweep, MoDo showed everybody that this is where they belong, riding a 6 game-win streak heading into this matchup, MoDo have a good momentum that might propel them into the next round. Also, a good defensive team, MoDo kept Pata Hellalla to a mere 4 goals in 4 games. Will we see any goals in this series? @MrXbox79will surely have a say in that with his 16 points (5+11), assisting him will be @Mathiasgamer_07. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: 1-4 MoDo @Pensasmies: 4-1 Mights @Pekedipeks: 3-4 MoDo @MCH_98: 4-3 Mights Player to watch: @Maykan (5) BushWhackers vs Sawolanche (6) (written by @Pekedipeks) This is a matchup between two teams who both got confident series victories in the previous round. BushWhackers had no mercy in sweeping their opponent Seinäjoki Noms, and Sawolanche got a 4-1 win respectably against all our predictions versus xBOTS. In this series, we will see a matchup of two teams adapting to each other's well-organized playing structures to decide the semifinalist. However, one of the most interesting key points will be the showdown of two rock-solid goalies, @HiBaZiBa- 89,69 SV%, 5 Shutouts, 1.11 GAA and @I_TERTTU_I 88.19 SV%, 4 Shutouts, 1.42 GAA. It is also worth mentioning that in the playoffs, BushWhackers center @IJepuxI has done a better job on faceoffs (55,2%) than Sawolanche center @maffe92 (47,2%), so let's see if that affects which team will be the more aggressive side when it comes to plays directly from the puck drop. Predictions: @hifk_FANI: (plays for Bushwhackers) @Pensasmies: (plays for Bushwhackers) @Pekedipeks: 4-3 Bushwhackers @MCH_98: 4-1 Bushwhackers Player to watch: @I_LaiTi_I Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

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

Today it's finally time to crown ECL '25: Winter - Elite Champions and therefore we will also give recognition again to individuals who had bthe rightest performances throughout this season. This season our nominees were selected by our council including writers, staff, and casters who have been observing the accomplishments of our teams and players precisely. It's time to make your voice heard! Who deserves these awards? Tell us your personal favorites or even hot takes below or on social media @SportsGamerGG #ECL25Winter Winners will be announced today on the ECL Elite Finals Broadcast, starting at 18:00 CET at https://twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG! Below you'll find a list of nominees in each category: Forward of The Season The Top Forward award is awarded to a player who has excelled above the competition in their forward position. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen, Parasite Aaro @xAaro89x Arvala, Mustaa Kultaa @itspardytime, TIKI TALK Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, Parasite Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, Parasite Defender of The Season The Top Defender award is awarded to a player who has excelled above the competition in their defenseman position. Oliver @Pensasmies Litokorpi, TIKI TALK Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila, Parasite Tomi @txmbo999 Laitinen, Parasite Mico @Miseee96 Pulli, Mustaa Kultaa Niklas @xPsykoSkills Schmitz, The Black Jacks Goalie of The Season The Top Goalie award is awarded to a player who has excelled above the competition in their goaltender position. Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, Parasite Stan @Stammer70 Adamus, Tohtorit Veeti @LatveX Laitinen, Mustaa Kultaa Johannes @Gresu__ Gressmann, Renascor Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes, Parasite Rookie of The Season The Rookie Of The Season award is awarded to a player in their rookie ECL Elite season, who has excelled above the competition regardless of position. Veeti @LatveX Laitinen, Mustaa Kultaa Oliver @Pensasmies Litokorpi, TIKI TALK Leo @Lekxsa_70 Hämäläinen, GOONS J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen, Mustaa Kultaa Aleksi @xSnaipperi Honka, Heimo Transfer of The Season The Transfer Of The Season award is awarded to a player who after a transfer is deemed to have been the most impactful player for their new team. Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, Parasite Aaro @xAaro89x Arvala, Mustaa Kultaa Eetu @Launonexx Launonen, Mustaa Kultaa Tomi @txmbo999 Laitinen, Parasite Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen, Voittamaton Comeback Player of The Season The Comeback Player Of The Season award is awarded to a player who after one or more seasons away from ECL Elite competition, makes an impactful comeback to the highest level. Teemu @Teme Sainio, TIKI TALK Juuso @Xkeineri Latvala, GOONS Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, Parasite Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen, Voittamaton @itspardytime, TIKI TALK

It's time for the Pro playoffs. Here we'll be taking a short look at each matchup and how their regular season went. The first round will be featured on the SportsGamer broadcast on Tuesday, January 7th, where we'll have Gotham Knights and RYHTIC finishing their series (games 3-7). Pro Division Playoff schedule (BO7) Round of 16: January 6th – 9th Quarterfinals: January 13th – 16th Semifinals: January 20th – 23rd Finals: January 29th – 30th (1) DILAC (19-3-2-6) - (8) Herlev Eagles (11-4-5-10) DILAC managed to top Group 1 after a strong finish to the season. They seem to have found a very good balance within the team with each and every player contributing and the statistics are showing that. Their offense was led @punt1la98 with 39 goals. Another key for their success was their ability to turn tight games in their favor: Out of the 15 games decided by one goal they won 10. Herlev Eagles made their season interesting with a losing streak at the halfway of the season but just managed to get the wins needed to get to the playoffs. They picked up @MartindalexC mid season and he's been a crucial part of their offense and they will need him to produce in this series. DILAC definitely has the edge defensively in this series so Herlev defense and goaltending have to be on top of their game. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-0 DILAC @Vamoux 4-2 DILAC @Pekedipeks 4-1 DILAC @Pensasmies 4-1 DILAC (1) NOSTREETSPORTS (23-4-1-2) - (8) SSK ESPORTS (12-3-3-12) NOSTREETSPORTS as the number 1 seed going into the playoffs was not something we had in our cards but after dominating their group here we are. @Toivone_ led the whole league in points and @Tumuttaja (xxHise) scored 50 goals to top the league. There are though some big question marks around this team and the lineup going into the playoffs. With @Bot_hene starting his military service @Tappu will be taking the center spot and @Gaabrielii will play his first games of the season in defense. This means an even bigger role for the league leading defenseman @Azzez_88 (8+51=59). Whether they can overcome these changes will be seen but it will be a tough challenge. Against them will be stepping up the best defensive team in the league in SSK Esports. Their offense is lead by @Rubituss and @zuppe_29 who both bring lot of experience to the table. SSKs keys for the series will be to limit the scoring chances of NOSTREETSPORTS, attacking effectively and capitalizing on the mistakes that the roster changes of their opponent will eventually bring. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-1 NOSTREETSPORTS @Vamoux 4-2 NOSTREETSPORTS @Pekedipeks 4-3 SSK ESPORTS @Pensasmies 4-2 NOSTREETSPORTS (2) Zenegeim (21-0-2-7) - (7) Ismon Valinta (10-6-5-9) Zenegeim core group of players have been together for a quite a while now and they played a great regular season. They got a balanced offensive output from all their players and got solid defense and goaltending. @rakkauspakkaus- was leading the way with 68 points and @MCH_98 continued his impressive scoring numbers as defenseman. And we all know never to bet against @imosi as he scored 41 goals leading the team. Their goalies split the games this season but I'm expecting @jubex0r to get the starting role heading into playoffs. Ismon Valinta was one of the teams I was hoping a bit more from in the regular season. They were tied for the most overtime games with 11 and won 6 out of those. Playing quite low scoring hockey their leading scorer was @Jusu121 with 52 points. Their lineup shuffled quite a bit during the season and if their best players are available they could make a surprise run in the playoffs. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-0 Zenegeim @Vamoux 4-2 Zenegeim @Pekedipeks 4-2 Zenegeim @Pensasmies 4-3 Zenegeim (2) POGGERS (17-2-4-7) - (7) The Oldtimers (14-2-0-14) Poggers played very high scoring hockey finishing the season second in goals but also letting in the most goals out of any playoff teams, and by a large margin. @JaKurrii (47+47=94) and @Migo_boona (34+48=82) were their top scorers and @Terodee (LaurinHaavi) supported from defense with 51 points. There should be no question that this team will be able to adjust to the playoff style hockey with their experience. With the adjustment they'll be hoping also to bring the goalie numbers up a bit. The Oldtimers were leading their group at the start but slowed down towards the end of the season having won only 4 out of their last 12 games. Lot of their offense has gone through @Werppi with @japi_kuittaa being the main goal scorer. They've been strong defensively, tied for league best GAA, but they will need to step up for this new challenge. @TiSuLiNo had a good regular season in goal and will need to have a very strong series if they want to compete against POGGERS. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-0 Poggers @Vamoux 4-0 Poggers @Pekedipeks 4-1 Poggers @Pensasmies 4-1 Poggers (3) Gotham Knights (15-5-2-8) - (6) RYHTIC (13-4-4-9) It is somewhat surprising to see these team facing off already on the first round and it will be a very disappointing season for the team coming out on the losing side of this matchup. Gotham Knights were looking to secure group victory but lost their last 6 games and slipped to third place. They did play against some of the top teams in their group but the opponent isn't getting any easier now. If their record 3-5-2 from last 10 games tells anything from their form they'll be in for a tough matchup. @Rimpe (40+29=69) will be their main guy to look out for in offense and he led the team in shots by a very large margin. @Kussan82 had a strong season in goal and he's hoping to bring that form into his first Pro playoff games. RYHTIC was one game away from making it into Elite before the season and now find themselves placing sixth in Group 2 and having a tough bracket. @Limbe65 had a strong season for them scoring 40 goals and he needs to get support from his offensive partners. They will also need a strong showing from their goalie in @JussinSisko and he's proven to able to do that. Tune in to this series and its decisive moments on Tuesday, January 7th on the SportsGamer broadcast. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-2 Gotham Knights @Vamoux 3-4 RYHTIC @Pekedipeks 4-2 Gotham Knights @Pensasmies 4-1 Gotham Knights (3) HC Lugano eSports (15-4-4-7) - (6) NOVA (15-4-0-11) For a long time it looked like HC Lugano eSports would be battling for the last playoff spots but their amazing end to the season lifted them all the way to third in Group 2. A lot of that is thanks to @xEispiratx who could arguably be the best goalie of the regular season. @jasomnajlepsi led the team with 40 goals with @CMB-wf- doing lot of the playmaking. The biggest question for this team is their defense. @Yasu39x played most of the season but he has had three different defensive partners throughout the season. He hasn't been the strongest with the puck and that is something that NOVA could be trying to take advantage of. NOVA is to no ones surprise led by @KingOfApes_ who finished second in defenseman scoring and does most of the playmaking in the team with @Nester4343 being their main offensive guy to finish those chances. They'll be wanting to play with lot of pressure and if they manage that it could turn the series in their favor. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-1 NOVA @Vamoux 4-3 HC Lugano eSports @Pekedipeks 4-1 NOVA @Pensasmies 4-2 NOVA (4) Otukset (15-4-2-9) - (5) Bjorkloven Esport (13-5-5-7) Otukset find themselves exactly where most people expected to find them. Playoff success has avoided them in the past and they'll be looking to turn that around. They had all around a solid season with every player performing well. @Roisto999 had a terrific season in goal with 82.5%, 2.27GAA and 5 shutouts. They also got great goalscoring numbers from all over the ice and that will be a key if they want to have a long playoff run. Bjorkloven Esport went into the season with high hopes but the reality of Pro division brought them down a little bit. @Alpha borje is a key player in their offense and he posted 40 goals and 73 points in the regular season. It looks like they haven't been able to find that last piece to the puzzle and that could hurt them down the way. They're though a team full of young and skilled players and if everything goes right they could find themselves far in the playoffs. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-3 Bjorkloven Esport @Vamoux 4-2 Otukset @Pekedipeks 4-3 Otukset @Pensasmies 4-2 Bjorkloven Esport (4) Aspyre (16-3-0-11) - (5) Blackbirds (13-5-5-7) Aspyre could be considered another surprise of the season and they were one of the best offensive teams in the league. @Tihizu (41+49=90) is the heart and soul of the team and the game mostly runs through him. His time with puck, 191.5 minutes, tops the league, and rest of the team being around 90 minutes tells you who to watch out for. @IJepuxI and @Jomppe78 gave strong support with 78 and 75 points. If they can take this offensive form to the playoffs they could be a dark horse to look out for. Blackbirds played lot of tight games during the regular season and managed to turn enough of them in their favor. @aomyo6195 scored 41 goals which was half of the teams goals. They will need to find some secondary goalscoring support if they want to take the next step. @Jeerik17 in goal is able to steal a game for them but they'll need strong defense to support him along with stronger special teams. This is definitely a team to look out for in the future but whether they're up to the task now, will be seen. Predictions: @hifk_FANI 4-0 Aspyre @Vamoux 4-3 Aspyre @Pekedipeks Plays for Aspyre @Pensasmies 4-3 Aspyre Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. You can watch SportsGamer's live coverage of the first round matchup between RYHTIC and Gotham Knights on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, January 7th. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

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!

SportsGamers, The newest update to the ECL '25: Winter 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 Spring. Find the new rulebook here. Here's a snapshot of some of the major adjustments / additions compared to ECL ‘25: Spring:  Added link to ECL Essentials: Guide to the ECL in the Preface 11.7.: Player ability bans have been updated 9.2.1: Timeouts are now allowed again 11.1:  Grudge Match setting is to be turned off   We ask every team and it's members to familiarize themselves with the rulebook before taking the ice for the ECL '25: Winter season. Please refer to the rulebook in case of any issues that may arise throughout the season. If you have any questions, please get in touch with support.

Welcome to ECL Essentials! Here you’ll find a concise guide on how the European Championship League (ECL) operates. This includes important information on scheduling and reporting games, transfer rules, and communication best practices. Whether you’re a new team or a seasoned player, these guidelines will help ensure smooth participation in the league. Dive in and get familiar with the essentials! Game Scheduling & Reporting Guidelines Scheduling Games Contacting Opponents: Mandatory: Reach out to your opponents 12-24 hours before the default scheduled game time. Use the SportsGamer.gg Private Message system or, if necessary, other platforms like Discord. Default Schedule: The default schedule is set by the league. DO NOT schedule games on top of your default opponent without prior agreement with said opponent to move the games. Rescheduling: After agreement, use the rescheduling tool on SportsGamer to update the schedule. Only one postponement is allowed per matchup. If you need to move a matchup a second time, please contact support with an explanation and a suggested date immediately. Deadline for Postponements: Notify the opponent by 12:00 CET on the game day if rescheduling is required. Reporting Games Winning Team’s Responsibility: Use the API Reporting Tool for normal games. For disconnected games, use the manual reporting tool for accurate stats submission. Submission Deadline: Reports must be submitted immediately after the games due to EA’s limited game history available online (5 most recent games). Accurate Stats: Maintain screenshots of all stats (overview, events, and individual stats) for the entire tournament for verification. Contacting Opponents Essential Communication: Do not assume opponents will show up without prior communication - always reach out well ahead of the scheduled games, at the very latest before 12 CET of the scheduled gameday Always confirm the game time and servers in advance. Missed Communication: If opponents are unresponsive, notify League Administration (LA). For advice on how to write Support, please read this article. Transfer Rules Transfer Deadline: The deadline for all player transfers is December 6th at the end of the day. Licenses Are you still missing your license? A valid license is required before stepping on the ice. Purchase your license here. Need help with your license? Please contact Support. SportsGamer Placeholder Team If you're wondering what the Placeholder team in the standings are at the start of the season: This is a temporary extra team added to the group as a failsafe. This is not a real team and with an 80% probability will not become a real team, so if you're scheduled to play against this team, please ignore it unless told otherwise by the administration. Placeholder teams are removed during the first few days of the season. Did we miss something? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions. Still need help? Please contact Support.

A champion has been crowned in the Pro Division for the ECL '24: Spring season, as Almost Famous defeated Falun Coal Miners in five games to win the ECL Pro Championship and have now clinched their place in the Elite Division for the start of the ECL '25 season. Almost Famous's ECL 24' Spring Pro championship roster pictured from left to right: @Ikavalko @jezbaru @Oxdoggi @grontti88 @Jalkkin- @xrikardo55 This championship is the first for Almost Famous in their long history in the ECL. The club was established in 2018 and has participated in 444 games, compiling a record of 252-145-46 over the years in various competitions. The team made the Lite Division Finals in ECL 5 and the Pro Semifinals in ECL 6. They would later qualify for the Elite Division and compete there from ECL 7-10. However, the club was never able to find sustained success in the ECL's top division, as they stayed there for four seasons before finishing last in the division in ECL 10 and disbanding a season later. The club was defunct until this past season when it made its return after over three years. They attempted to qualify for the Pro Division, but fell short after losing in the semifinals of the Pro qualifier. This led them to the Lite Division, where they did make a Semifinals appearance before losing to the eventual champions Bone Breakers in seven games. They would however win the Bronze matchup to take home third-place in Lite and earn automatic promotion to the Pro Division for this season. Not only does this title victory mark for an amazing comeback story, but it also makes for a bit of league history as well. With this championship, Almost Famous are the first team in ECL history to win the Pro Division championship after failing to qualify for the division the season prior. They are also the first team to win the Pro Division championship in their first season after being promoted from a lower division. Following their Game 5 victory to clinch the title, we got to speak with Almost Famous' captain and center Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko, who has been a captain of the team since its beginnings in 2018 and spoke with us about their amazing playoff run, player's that stepped up for the team and his excitement to finally be crowned a champion in the ECL with the team that he helped build. Ikavalo Interview: Almost Famous' Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 14-3-5-8 (53pts) - 4th in Group 1, 8th overall in Pro Division Round 1: 4-2 series win vs (5) Supernatural Quarterfinals: 4-1 series win vs (3) Deadly Phantoms Semifinals: 4-2 series win vs (7) RYHTIC Finals: 4-1 series win vs (1) Falun Coal Miners Almost Famous' ECL '24: Spring - Pro Championship Roster 🇫🇮 Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Miikka @grontti88 Gröhn (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Eren @Jalkkin- Yalçin (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Teukka @Oxdoggi Niemistö 🇫🇮 Riku @xrikardo55 Ojala 🇫🇮 Jesse @jezbaru Ruuskanen

The ECL '24: Spring - Core regular season has concluded and we are entering the most exciting time of the year. In this article, we’ll go through all the matchups in round 1, see what the teams have accomplished so far and then get into the predictions of each series. ECL '24: Spring - Core Playoffs Round 1 schedule: Tuesday 21.5 Thursday 23.5 Sunday 26.5 Prowlers (1) vs Free from Rodents (32) 1st seed vs 32nd seed matchup. It would be bold to say an upset could happen here, right? The Prowlers have been a quality squad and definitely deserve their seed. As is often the case with top teams, they had the regular season’s top scorer, @RHannu, with an impressive 20GP 43G+23A=63P, and goalie @Tizjeflen with the 2nd best save percentage at 89.29%. On the opposing team, Free from Rodents, there are no players dominating individual stats with flashy numbers, but they clearly have team spirit and defensive structure in their playstyle. Evidence of this is their penalty kill, one of the best in Core, at 93.94%. The Prowlers definitely need to sort that out, but Free from Rodents’ biggest problem might be their ability to score. Among the teams that qualified for the playoffs, they were the lowest-scoring team with 45 goals (compared to the Prowlers’ 78 GF). Since these teams were in the same group, let’s look at how the points were shared: 4-2 in favor of Free from Rodents. It will be interesting to see what happens in this Swedish matchup! Prediction: Prowlers 4-3 Armeijan Kuri (2) vs Hunters (31) Hunters started their season struggling with a 6-game losing streak but managed to battle their way into the playoffs. Armeijan Kuri maintained a stable performance all season long, which was enough for a pretty safe top seed in their group. When they lost, it was by a maximum of 2 goals. The most interesting stat about Armeijan Kuri is their faceoff wins, leading Core with 57.06%. Hunters can expect a lot of puck possession and maybe many set plays from faceoffs by their opponent if they can't handle that. Individual talent is pretty even between these teams, with Armeijan Kuri’s top scorer @MutainenMalik(18GP 23G+31A=54P) and Hunters’ @MyLittleTomi(20GP 29G+22A=51P). Prediction: Armeijan Kuri 4-2 Capetown Kings (3) vs Spartans eSport (30) These are two teams that are pretty recognizable from competing actively in recent seasons! A key point for this series is the best power play of the Core regular season: Capetown Kings with 32.65%. Spartans definitely can’t let them score on every third PP if they want to cause trouble. A big thanks for the Kings' efficient power play goes to @sambleri, who was not far from the division’s top scorer title, ranking 4th with 18GP 27G+31A=58P. Spartans didn’t have anyone close to that, so it will be interesting to see if anyone steps up to put the puck where they want it to be. Probably not an easy task when the opponent has @Acedi- between the pipes, who has been solid as a rock with the best GAA of the regular season at 1.5. Prediction: Capetown Kings 4-1 PANIC ON ICE (4) vs Huskies eSports (29) Our last pair of group winner vs 8th seed. Again, there's something too significant not to mention first: power plays and penalty kills. PANIC's crazy 91.43% PK vs Huskies' 7.14% PP. I know Huskies in the cold are like fish in water, but hey, looking at those numbers, I would expect nothing but North Pole level cold. The obvious choice for the most interesting player of this series is the top-scoring defenseman of the regular season, @Wpaanane, with 18GP 3G+31A=34P. Playing his second season in a row in Core after plenty of ECL Elite experience, he brings a lot of achievements from higher divisions. However, if the top guy has one bad game, how will the rest of the team react, and how would that affect their winning mentality? Regarding Huskies, the big question is the goalie situation. Three goalies have played an almost identical number of games with similar stats. So, who will play? This series is a Finnish team vs a German team, so with PANIC's home server advantage, there should be no surprises. Prediction: PANIC ON ICE 4-1 Darra Stars (5) vs Clowns On Ice (28) Another cross-server matchup, and in this series, I think it could play a bigger role than in others. These teams were also in the same group, so let’s look at their games: Darra Stars lead 5-1 in points with a 7-4 goal differential. Stars' top scorer @Aika_Suklaata was 3rd in points with 58. Darra Stars were the only team to have a perfect last 10 games in the regular season with a 10-0-0 record. Their top 3 scorers had more points than Clowns’ top scorer. I believe the server disadvantage for this Central server team is too big a mountain to climb. Prediction: Darra Stars 4-0 Wida (6) vs Knogmackers HC (27) In order for Knogmackers HC to solve Wida, they have to figure out the great defense and goaltending duo in @Mise13 (88.00%, 1.80 GAA, 1 shutout) and @P3ppu116 (86.44%, 1.60 GAA, 3 shutouts). Wida is going to have a hard time choosing who to put between the pipes! Players to watch: @nikitikitin 20GP 29G+30A=50 P @Molander13 20GP 23G+30A=53 P Prediction: 4-1 Lutunilkat (7) vs Wildcats Esport I (26) A team with maybe the most entertaining streams of ECL vs a classic French organization. And another cross-server series. I always consider that worth mentioning because, for example, if we take one random matchup vs another Finnish team from Wildcats: home game 2-3W, away game 0-8L. This shows that maintaining consistent effort between servers is one of the hardest things to do in this video game. When playing best of 7, this usually shows up even more. Lutunilkat’s top scorer @Pyssyh really lived up to his name and was top 5 in scoring for the regular season with 31G+27A=58P, while nobody from Wildcats was in the top 50. Wildcats' PP and PK are slightly better, but if Lutunilkat's captain stays out of the box, I don’t see that as a problem. Lutunilkat has produced consistently throughout their lineup, and Wildcats are having a tough time finding answers for that. Prediction: Lutunilkat 4-1 Saucer Hockey (8) vs Bare Knuckles Hockey (25) Saucer is bloodthirsty for these playoffs after last season’s disappointment. Their opponent, Bare Knuckles, is maybe the most physical team in Core this season with over 600 hits. Probably because of that playstyle, they had the most penalty minutes in their group, so they have to be careful. Top scorers @taikatomi and @Miggohell had almost the same amount of points, both scoring a little over 40 points. Prediction: Saucer Hockey 4-3 Koppibuutti (9) vs Taskubilis (24) Players to watch: @Adelyn10 87.61%, 1.91GAA, 5 shutouts @Jalitmane10 20GP 14G+20A=34P Prediction: Koppibuutti 4-0 Silver Sword Griffins (10) vs IceVikings (23) Silver Sword Griffins’ hearts were broken last Core season after they were the 1st seed in the playoffs but got swept in Round 2. So, I believe they are very bloodthirsty and motivated to show what they can do. SSG has a solid PK at 87.18% against IceVikings' 10.42% PP, which could mean SSG will play with high-risk, high-reward stick defense and hits because they trust they can shut down the opponent's ineffective power play. Players to watch are IceVikings' @bnkoXD (22GP 23G+16A=39P) and SSG's @martinssilins (20GP 23G+16A=39P). Prediction: Silver Sword Griffins 4-3 NAM3LESS (11) vs Pulp Odyssey (22) A matchup between two Finnish teams. On paper, Nam3less would be the clear favorite to win, but looking at the top 12 seeded teams, they have the worst power play at 11.63% against Pulp Odyssey’s solid PK at 89.74%, which raises some questions. Prediction: NAM3LESS 4-2 Calippo HC (12) vs EV Duisburg (21) A series of goalies. Player to watch in this series from Calippo: @SweMelle5041 with the best save% in the regular season (90.3%). From Duisburg: @MarvinJVfL1848 with the 4th best save% (88.47%). Prediction: Calippo 4-2 Koskenlaskijat (13) vs Nürnberg Nidhoggr (20) Out of all the series, this one might have the closest goal differential with Koskenlaskijat 67GF 53GA and Nürnberg 56GF 58GA. Top scorers and also picks for players to watch are @Duracellii (20GP 29G+16A=45P) and @ITA-Pizzabaecker (18GP 16G+14A=30P). Prediction: Koskenlaskijat 4-3 KohKae Esports (14) vs TRAINING GROUND (19) A high-shooting Czech team with over 400 shots taken in the regular season and an impressive 91.89% PK (now against KohKae’s 17.39% PP) are looking to have a great battle even with the server disadvantage. I feel like Training Ground has the typical Czech & Slovakian team-first mentality, especially in their own end. Expecting them to play high-risk in this series because of their great PK and a lot of shooting. But it could be that KohKae's greater ECL experience as a team could turn this series for them. Players to watch: @Joona41 (22GP 19G+32A=51P) 51P) and @MikyGBRo (22GP 25G+28A=53P). Prediction: TRAINING GROUND 4-3 Update: At the time of releasing the article, it turns out KohKae swept the series 4-0! Crazy Capricorns (15) vs Moscow Capitals (18) Players to watch: @Schuster060796 (20GP 22G+24A=46P) @AkimkaRUS (22GP 7G+27A=34P) Prediction: Crazy Capricorns 4-2 HC Lugano Academy (16) vs Aake Kallialan Laituri (18) Players to watch: @Tykylevits(20GP 16G+39A=55P) @I-THE_EAGLE-I (18GP 17G+27A=44P) Prediction: Aake Kallialan Laituri 4-3 Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!