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Free RD for upcoming tournaments! Stats 🎮 Edit: Team Found

I've been reading this conversation—if you can call it that—for a while and have been thinking about writing, so now's the time. There have been some good arguments for both sides and some really uneducated ones that I want to comment on. If you're only going to read the TL;DR and get mad, please also read the paragraph about it before losing your marbles. TL;DR: BS goals close to the net happen with or without close quarters, and defenses should be punished for allowing someone to shoot from that close. It is easy to defend one-tees if you're playing actively and not just standing in front of the net. Goalies will make saves they shouldn’t, with or without traits on the shooter or the goalie. The game auto-aims poke checks ridiculously well, with or without stick 'em up, though stick 'em up does improve aim slightly especially from awkward positions. Truculence makes the "rhino" playstyle too effective, and you can't counter hit after making a play. Banning everything would make passive defending more effective than aggressive defending. -> Let's just stand in front of the net and counter attack, yay free points. A large portion of goals already come from counter attacks, and it's much harder to score in 5v5 offensive zone situations than it is to defend them. Banning traits would only enforce this more. Golden one-tee and golden close quarters don't cause goals against well-structured defenses—they just punish defensive mistakes. Poor communication on SportsGamer's behalf is a major issue in this situation as well. A lot of people have claimed that close quarters (CC) causes BS goals. It's true that you can score BS goals close to the net with or without CC, and it probably happens slightly more often with it. However, it's also a fact that goalies can absolutely rob you, even when sliding away from the shot and exposing an open net—something that, in my experience, happens more often than CC goals. Since CC only activates at close range, I don’t see how it’s unfair for those shots to sometimes go through the goalie. If you allow someone to take a shot from that close, they should have a higher chance of scoring. It's even realistic that shots from close range occasionally trickle through the goalie, and in my opinion, it's a good thing for the game that these shots are rewarded. For the one-tee (1T) trait, I have similar thoughts. As a defender, it's incredibly easy to position yourself in the passing lane and prevent your man from getting 1T shot off. The 1T trait only makes a difference if you're standing right next to the attacker—then golden 1T might allow a shot that otherwise wouldn’t happen. More importantly, it's fun and rewarding to play active defense rather than just standing in front of the net, especially when there’s a risk-reward balance in benefit of playing aggressively. Yes, golden 1T allows for some unrealistic shots, but without the 1T threat, defenses tend to clog the middle of the zone, making offensive play more dull and predictable. When scoring becomes too difficult, defenders have no reason to spread out and/or take risks, leading to a game based more on luck than skill, for example, when forcing the puck towards the goal with passes or outside shots. There's also been a lot of discussion about stick 'em up (SEU). I think poke checks in this game are already unrealistically good, even without SEU. For example, if you press R1 while an opponent is mid-deke, the game automatically aims at the puck, regardless of whether you have SEU equipped. With SEU, poke checks can connect slightly better espcially from worse positions, even behind your back, and the manual poke moves a bit faster. I’ve played with both elite and casual players, and I’ve heard complaints about SEU from both—often from players who skated straight into a poke check. That’s why I think SEU is too often used as a scapegoat for own mistakes. Personally, I don’t care whether it’s banned or not, since it doesn’t drastically alter gameplay like banning 1T would. Some people have said they’ve seen even elite defenders struggle without SEU, but if you’ve used a trait for nearly six months, it makes sense that it would take time to adjust even if the change is small. Another hot topic this year has been truculence. Personally, I’ve always preferred gameplay without it. Without trucu, you can still land hits when it's realistic—and even when it's not realistic. But with trucu, you can too often hit someone just by making contact, even if they’re skating at full speed past you or you're trailing behind them at the same speed. I don’t think it’s overpowered or game breaking, but it does make the rhino playstyle too effective. As for counter hitting, sometimes it works against trucu, and sometimes it doesn’t—but in many situations, counter hitting isn’t the best move anyway. Often it's smarter to take a hit to make a play rather than trying to counter hit. Also you get penalised too rarely from boarding, charging or interferences after touching the puck so running aroung hitting people with trucu is not my preference of gameplay. I think the biggest issue in all of this is the skill gap, which affects how gameplay feels across different leagues. I’m speaking from an elite perspective (I'm not above anyone. I'm not the best, nor am I even close, just a nerd about this stuff), where defensive mistakes—like allowing a wide-open 1T shot or letting someone walk in front of the net—should be rare. When these mistakes do happen, they should be punished. I don't really know how the gameplay is in lite or core division so I can't really speak on that but for me defensive mistakes should always be punished. The challenge is that elite and pro divisions need to have the same rules, and ideally, every division should follow the same ruleset. One reason elite players are "whining" about this situation is the unbelievably poor communication surrounding these bans. When the first national leagues started, it was easy to predict that traits would also be banned in FCL, and it was likely decided early on—but why wasn't there an announcement as soon as the decision was made? And if the decision was made at the last second, why wait that long? This could have been decided right after the elite finals, giving players at least two and a half weeks of notice. Communication has always been a huge problem here and I don't understand how it still is after many many years. Banning everything would make passive defending more effective than aggressive defending, leading to fewer quality scoring chances and more skating and passing around the corners. Large part of goals already come from counter-attacks, and it's much harder to score in a structured 5v5 offensive situation than it is to defend one. If scoring becomes even harder, it will lead to more goals from lucky bounces. BS goals will always happen, with or without traits, so banning everything for that reason alone is shortsighted. The one exception in scoring traits, in my opinion, is tipper. Golden tipper can create a meta where players just fire pucks on net from anywhere, making it the most effective strategy. I don’t see why we should ban all golden traits just for the sake of gameplay balance. Doing so would shift the game toward a more passive playstyle, as silver 1T is significantly worse than its golden counterpart. Even with banning golden traits, traits would still be used as scapegoats, and people would still complain and gameplay would swift towards a more passive one—so no one would actually be happy. That’s how compromises work, though, so I understand it. That said, golden 1T and golden CC aren’t causing goals against well-structured defenses—they’re just punishing defensive mistakes.

Voittamaton need players for FCL (any pos), but especially at RD.

Heimo In: @KingOfApes_ ⬅️ NOVA @Mozjayh ⬅️ EXEN Welcome to Heimo! Westend might feel a little different from Kivistö😄 Out from starting roster: @Sakkem @xHatsi

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Almost Famous💎 IN: @Wpaanane Welcome🔥

We are Moikka11 and Jolletteri, looking for a team to join. I play left wing (LW) and center (C), while Jolletteri plays right defense (RD). We are both seeking a team at the Neo or Core level. We are passionate players who are eager to contribute to the team's success. Please note that we are looking exclusively for Finnish-speaking teams. Contact us here or on PSN at moikka11 or jolletteri. Best regards, Moikka11 & Jolletteri

Free c/rw for upcoming tournaments. ecl pro/elite Alphaborje_ - Player profile - SportsGame contact here, psn & discord: alphaborje

Curious about teams looking for a forward for the FCL. Prefer RW. https://sportsgamer.gg/players/4

up, starter or backup

Aaaand up it goes!

Last ECL I dont remember games when i have seen team losing with lot more scoring chances. Games have been very fair and most of the time better team wins because this game is very rewarding when you get scoring chances. What if abilitys get banned? I think it will automaticly make this game more RNG and you can lose games with many more scoring chances than your opponent have. We will see more of those games where worse team will just park the bus in the front of the net and try to win by counter attacks. Atm that park the bus and counter attack meta just dont work because you are getting rewarded from good offensive plays with 1T CQ, etc. In competitive gaming you should get rewarded almost every time when creating scoring chance with a lot of room in net, without certain shooting abilities you still have to hope your shot goes in even if your team has done everything 100% right Why people would want to see more RNG gameplay? Just doesnt make sense to me.

Mustaa Kultaa🦅 In: @karlssonadam_ Välkommen Adam!

Free Rw fcl⚡️

I agree with this, gameplay without abilities also seems to decrease overall tempo of the game since there is not as much threats😅 Also, one thing I want to mention that I have seen more passes and weak shots straight to logo go in in two days than the whole year combined, no one wants to see those🙄 Lets keep ECL like it was in this winter season when almost no one was complaining about garbage goals for the first time in many years🙏

Maitojuna etsii C ja Rd Kiinni saa dc minaolenmakke, feikkinambo Terveisin maitojunan väki

Free D maybe C🤔for upcoming tournaments! top Lite/Pro https://sportsgamer.gg/players/11177

DILAC --> F U R Y in: @LE1PAKONE @rakkauspakkaus- @jubex0r @Konsuk05 @ripKeisari (B) out: @N44TTI_16 @punt1la98 @Janzuh @Lakritsipiippu @JaxonRules93 Welcome new players and thanks for old ones.

NOSTREETSPORTS IN: @Katunarski @Jerax13 OUT: @Tappu Welcome Narski and Jerax and thank you Tappu, we will miss your tillikkas🏄🏼‍♂️

Aspyre🐉 In: @LeiskaViis7 @hifk_FANI @Romurallimies Welcome! Out: @I Braxsiö I ➡️ MoDo Hockey After 3 seasons in Aspyre jersey, its time to say goodbye for one of our original Aspyre lineup player. Thank you Brax and good luck in future 🤝 @Tihizu ➡️ ROBE Esports @Jomppe78 ➡️ Including Me @Sweini999 ➡️ Pylsais Also thank you guys for last season and good luck!

Free rw lw for upcoming tournamentS contact me psn:saloust77 or dc saloust77

Free LD. Top PRO/ELITE Contact me here or PSN KaTuNaRsKi

Mythix In: @Sokkelo__ (A) @Akunkku @temppanen Welcome to the team!🩵 Out: @x-_-BoBi-_-x @koleslaav_ @Ricco @Valee__ Thanks guys for the past couple seasons and good luck in the future!🏒

After practicing few days without abilities, i feel like this is exactly what its doing. So much more boring gameplay imo. +1, For me last seasons ECL had maybe one of the most fun 6s meta ever. No need to change anything

Yeah, I have to say, after playing quite a few games completely without traits: damn, what an improvement in terms of gameplay! No more unrealistic pokes, no more unrealistic hits... you actually have to make an effort to play proper defense now. Less relying on ability-driven RNG, more relying on proper body- and stick positioning. To me, the game feels a lot better now. Since teams can't line up on the blueline as effectively with the "five-man Stick 'Em-stack" now, the game has opened up as well. Tons of more penalties now as well due to errant pokes, leading to more powerplays and more goals. My team is trying to combat the increase in penalties by adding a "PIM Tax", might be something others want to try as well? 😁

Free goalie for upcoming tournaments. Elite or Pro. https://sportsgamer.gg/players/4600

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DILAC (Pro) Looking for upcoming tournaments LW, LD and C or RD Pm me here, discord or psn: Riskzky

Respect the blueline looking for G for FCL

Only Big tipper ban! Gameplay is good atm no need to change anything!

No need to change anything. Only Big Tipper Ban!!!

The gamplay without traits is so nice! No gold truc for people who can't hit on a regular basis, less Ovechkins on the ice, and less bs close quarters goals, sist men inte minst, less golden stick em up bs aswell. You actually get rewarded for great defense now, haven't enjoyed 6s gameplay in a while, but this is so smooth and nice. Huge W!

UP can also play C or D If the team is right

Ismon Valinta =>>> Onse Esports Looking LD for Fcl and next ecl pro season🤝

Free LW, C, RW Looking for FCL team Backup is fine Contact here or psn:Fin_torspo

ROBE Esports (Pro) Looking for starter RD (ld) Ecl/Fcl Contact me here or discord tihizu

Free G for FCL and ECL or other tournaments. Preferably Core for ECL, Lite might work out too. 50/50 or some variation of it. Finnish, fluent in english. https://sportsgamer.gg/players/313 Contact me here for a tryout.

Maitojuna IN: @Yaredhagos @tigerrbackwoods @Kahvinpapu @Jakke OUT: RAMIFIN, Finniko22, Savox97, Toimitetulla

I get your point and I understand it can be sometimes frustrating to feel you can’t save some shot, but I still think that it is not about any individuals getting rewarded, it is about team getting rewarded. If your team defends poorly and leaves one timer wide open, it should go in at least something like 80% of the time (and what I have tested, without any traits it is way belov that). There is still a chance for goalie to save it, it is just a tough task as it should be and of course can’t save them all. in the game there are also things like suicide passes where the recieving player is going to lose the puck almost every time and can’t do anything about it, and there are shots which are given by defence and which goalies are going to allow almost every time, it is just how a competitive team play should work. I have seen plenty of great saves throughout the year on one timers and well played situations, it just doesn’t happen too often with shooting traits. If we think about how to make this game as competitive as possible, creating great chances as a team should get rewarded. And still, most of the shots are not imposible to save, it creates wider skill gap among goalies as well (and I’m certainly not meaning that you are bad or anything, I have seen you making those great saves also 😊). As a skater, I don’t want to see my shots going through goalies, I just want them to go in when there is clearly a lot of room in the net. That is why I think gameplay without any shooting traits is not the way to go in competitive gaming. But that is of course my own opinion and I respect every other opinion as well and I have seen plenty of great comments here from every aspect, keep them coming 😊

Why change something that works? Like honestly all of this hassle is so useless, the gameplay is fine as is and banning all perks is the worst option.

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Free LW/RW for fcl dc hopeakypara99

First of all, we need more than a couple of days to draw any conclusions whether the xf ban was good or not. We need a whole tournament of actual competitive gameplay which we're gonna get plenty of in the regional leagues 👏 First impressions though: -XF abilities clearly didn't boost the player stats only, they opened multiple animations & auto-rewarding nonsense. Meaning not only more accurate shots or faster pokes, but also accurate shots from weird-ass positions and R1-tap pokes towards your blind spots just like that -The gameplay feels more consistent. Less rng and unrealistic plays (like the shot animations) - just like we anticipated months ago. Whether it's actually a positive or negative thing, we'll see. -Goalies still float -Shots in tight don't go in nearly as often if the goalie is well positioned Personally I'm excited how the regional leagues will turn out. I'm also impressed how @Kenu & the folks made a bold move by banning 'em all. That's what the majority of the community wanted to test. Let's see where things will go from here

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Free back up G/RD for upcoming tournaments ECL division doesnt matter. I speak Finnish and English https://sportsgamer.gg/players/1188

Free RW for upcoming tournaments. Contact here or psn xMossee

Free lw/ld for upcoming tournaments Contact me here or psn: tj_tomaz https://sportsgamer.gg/players/11788