🏆 It’s Finals Night in the FCL – Who Will Be Crowned Champion? 🔥

The stage is set for a thrilling night of top-tier eHockey action as the Finnish Championship League 2025 Finals go live this evening! Fans are in for a double treat with both the 1v1 and 6v6 Finals taking place during a special broadcast, beginning at 19:30 EEST (18:30 CEST).

The night will kick off with the BO3 1v1 Finals between #2 seed @sisu33_ and the winner of the semifinal series between @WeDuX_ and @temppanen.
 

In the 6v6 Grand Final, we’ve got a true clash of styles and stories:

#4 seed, reigning European Champions in Parasite take on the regular season juggernaut, #1 seed Mythix, who have dominated the season with flair and consistency.

🎙️ The action will be covered live from the studio by Arttu "Olvari" Hämäläinen and Simeon @Simbanho Vorselman, bringing you expert analysis and commentary throughout the night.

🎁 Plus, Finnish viewers can win exclusive prizes thanks to our partners at GAME CHANGER!

📺 Don’t miss a moment – catch the Finals LIVE at:

👉 twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG

 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.-6.4
  • Group stage: 10.3.-21.3
  • Playoffs Round 1 (64) 23.-24.3
  • Playoffs Round 2 (32) 26.3.-27.3
  • Playoffs Round 3 (16) 30.-31.3
  • Quarterfinals (8) 2.-3.4
  • Semifinals (4) 5.4
  • Finals (2) 6.4
     

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.-6.4
  • Group Stage 12.-25.3
  • Playoffs: Round 1 (RO96) 26.-27.3
  • Playoffs, Round 2 (RO64) 28.-29.3
  • Group Stage 2  (RO32) 30.3-1.4
  • Round of 16 2.-3.4
  • Quarterfinals 4.-5.4
  • TOP 4 Finals 6.4

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. ❤️

This Saturday, April 20th, the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre will become the epicenter of Finnish virtual hockey as it hosts the electrifying finals of the NHL 24 Finnish Championship. SportsGamers unite! This is your chance to witness the crème de la crème of Finnish eHockey competitors as they battle for the national title in what promises to be a day filled with high-stakes digital action.

Dual Competitions, Twice the Excitement
The day will feature two formats: the 1v1 and 6v6 competitions. In the 1v1 category, four top players will face off in the semifinals. Watch Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen take on Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Teemu @temppanen Karvonen challenge Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen. The winners will battle it out for the championship title in a must-see finale.

Not to be outdone, the 6v6 team format will also see its top contenders fight for glory. The bronze match pits the Polski Boys against Tunnel Vision, while the grand finale will see Parasite (formerly hREDS) go head-to-head with Straikers. Each team is geared up to deliver a performance that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Limited Access, Act Fast!
The eHockey SM 2024 finals will take place in the Experience Lounge of the Exhibition Centre, coinciding with the popular Child and Food Fairs. Due to the expected crowd and the exclusive nature of the event, access is limited. However, you might still grab a free ticket if you act quickly. Ensure your spot by filling out the form here:  https://forms.gle/z8DrmeUw6LZPrFdm7  (If you don't speak Finnish, but you want to join the event, please send a private message to @Kenu.
​​​​​​​

Can’t Make It? Tune In Live!
If you can’t join us in person, don’t worry. You can still catch all the action live via the SportsGamer Twitch channel. Renowned esports commentator Arttu "Olvari" Hämäläinen will be bringing the live thrills, both at the venue and online.

This Saturday promises not just to be a game day but an unforgettable gathering of sports gaming enthusiasts. Ready your spirit, cheer for your favorites, and witness the mastery of virtual hockey at its best. See you at the eHockey SM 2024 finals or online — game on!

Hello everyone and welcome to the eHockey SM (Finnish Championship) 2024 6v6 tournament!

The primary communication for this tournament has been sent out in Finnish per email, and this news story is intended for English-speaking players and anyone interested in following along with the tournament.

The eHockey SM 6v6 groups are now displayed and available for viewing.
To view the match schedule, click here.

Please note that the match schedule is quite compact, so be sure to contact your opponents well in advance and agree on the days of play - as the preliminary round must be played by March 21st. Also, note that games to be played on the standard day and time must be confirmed with the opponent, so just showing up without discussing with the opponent is insufficient.

Before starting the games, we want to ensure that each team member checks that they have purchased the Leijonat eHockey Pelipassi (Game Pass). The Game Pass must be acquired before the first game, but no later than March 11th, 2024, at 23:59. After this, unlicensed players will be removed from the team roster. If an unlicensed player has participated in a match, it will automatically be recorded as a forfeit victory for the opposing team.

The team captaincy must fill out the following form for license verification before playing your first match: https://forms.gle/ZDjDeTQsykQ4jxvY8 (remember to use the email address with which purchase transactions have been made in Suomisport!)

Schedule

• Registrations: February 13th - March 5th
• Tournament: March 7th - April 20th
• Preliminary Round March 7th - 21st
• Playoff Round 1 March 24th - 25th
• Playoff Round 2 (32) March 27th - 28th
• Quarterfinals (16) March 31st - April 1st
• Quarterfinals (8) April 3rd - 4th
• Semifinals (4) April 11th - 12th
• Bronze series + Finals (2) 20th*

The schedule, location, and date of the finals will be confirmed later. The venue will be in the Greater Helsinki area.

Rules
You can find the updated rules in their entirety here. The final prize pool will be communicated once adding players and thus buying licenses has been fully completed.

Broadcasts
We will be broadcasting the eHockey SM 2024 - 6v6 tournament from the second round of playoffs onwards at https://www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG. Be sure to follow our Twitch channel to be notified when we go live!

Below, you can find the pre-determined broadcast days:

• Wednesday, March 27th 20:00 (RO32 - #16 vs. #17)
• Thursday, March 28th 20:00 (RO32 - #15 vs. #18)
• Sunday, March 31st 20:00 (RO16 - #8 vs. #9)
• Monday, April 1st 20:00 (RO16 - #7 vs. #10)
• Wednesday, April 3rd 20:00 (RO8 - #4 vs. #5)
• Thursday, April 4th 20:00 (RO8 - #3 vs. #6)
• Thursday, April 11th 20:00 (Semifinals - #2 vs. #3)
• Friday, April 12th 20:00 (Semifinals - #1 vs. #4)
• Friday-Saturday, April 20th TBD (Bronze + Finals) *

The schedule, location, and date of the finals will be confirmed later. The venue will be in the Greater Helsinki area.

To ensure the success of the broadcasts, SportsGamer reserves the right to set the match days for the series. For this reason, we especially recommend teams advancing to the last rounds reserve the above dates in their calendars as game days.

Good luck to everyone in the tournament!

As the NHL 24 competitive season progresses, the time has come to battle it out for the 2024 Finnish championship. In addition to the Finnish Championship title, the tournament will offer the chance to win great Leijonat prizes and prize money. The prize pool consists of a 3,000 € starting pot, on top of which the total of all Leijonat eHockey Pelipassi purchases made this season will be added to the prize pool.

Starting in early March, this eHockey SM is the third of its sort and one of the cornerstones in the cooperation between SportsGamer and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. The 2023 season was once again one full of exciting action and incredible turns of events. In April 2023, Teemu @temppanen Karvonen was crowned the Champion on the 1v1 side of things after making a comeback with half a second remaining in the final series, whereas NHL 19 Allstars (=Straikers) managed to claim the trophy on the 6v6 side. The reigning Champions will receive invites to the Playoff stage to defend their titles. Additionally, NHL 23 World Championship silver medalist Erik @Eki Tammenpää will receive an invitation.

To visit the Finnish landing page with more info in Finnish, click here.

As usual, the 2024 Finnish Championship will be played in both 1v1 and 6v6 modes, so participation is possible both as an individual and with a team. The tournament will be played on the PlayStation 5 version of NHL 24. 6v6 play is also open to Xbox Series X/S teams as part of the newly introduced cross-play feature.
 

Leijonat eHockey Pelipassi

Players in Leijonat eHockey events, tournaments, and series organized by the Ice Hockey Federation must have a Leijonat eHockey Pelipassi (=Game Pass). The Game Pass is valid for the whole season 1.8.2023-30.7.2024 and can be used to participate in all SJL Leijonat eHockey events, tournaments, and series for the 2023-24 season. The price of the Game Pass is 5 €. All participation fees go directly into funding the prize pool. Click the button below to purchase the Game Pass.

Sign up now

SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE

Played on: PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S

Schedule for the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registrations: 13.2.-5.3.
• Tournament: 7.3.-20.4.
  • Group stage: 7.3.-21.3.
  • Playoffs Round 1 (64) 24.-25.3.
  • Playoffs Round 2 (32) 27.-28.3.
  • Playoffs Round 3 (16) 31.3.-1.4.
  • Quarterfinals (8) 3.-4.4.
  • Semifinals (4) 11.-12.4.
  • Bronze & Finals (2) 19.-20.4. 

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 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registration: 13.2. -10.3.
• Tournament: 12.3.-21.4.
  • Group Stage 12.3.-22.3.
  • Playoffs Round 1 (60) 23.-26.3.
  • Playoffs Round 2  (32) 27.-31.3.
  • Playoffs Round 3 (16) 2.-5.4.
  • Quarterfinals (8) 13.4. 
  • LIVE Finals (4) 20.-21.4. *

Note: In order to participate in the 1v1 mode, you must be a Finnish citizen.

Find the 1v1 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here (Finnish)

Signups are now open and will close on Tuesday, March 5th, so make sure to gather your friends and challenge the big dogs in one of the biggest tournaments of the eHockey season!

Please note: Information about the Swedish Championship League will be shared as soon as possible.

SportsGamers,

In mid-May we hosted the 2023 eHockey Finnish Championship Finals in a Sunny Tampere together with the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. The weather was perfect all weekend long and participants got to enjoy gaming in a very special environment at Keskustori right in the city center. The IIHF World Championships generated lots of attraction and the entire city was having an ice hockey carnival. 

At the end of the weekend, we had crowned two new Champions in the form of Teemu @temppanen Karvonen (1v1) and NHL 19 Allstars (6v6). Check out all of the action in the aftermovie below!

SportsGamers,

A full weekend in Tampere has yielded two new Finnish Champions, as on Friday evening we crowned Teemu @temppanen Karvonen the new 1v1 Champion and tonight on Saturday evening, NHL 19 Allstars hoisted the trophy at Keskustori to cement their 6v6 Championship. Nordic Stars put up an impressive effort in their first ever LAN Finals appearance, but the valiant effort wasn't enough at the hands of their highly experienced opponents. For Nordic Stars, the Finals appearance is a monumental step on their way towards the top, this team has been grinding away for a long time and have recently been on a great upwards trajectory. Keep improving, boys!

NHL 19 Allstars really proved the depth of their roster by having all nine players lace up the skates over the course of the tournament, and quite impressively, defenseman Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta made his first appearance of the tournament in the finals - without missing a stride, of course.

NHL 19 Allstars' road to the championship:

• #4 seed from with the record 20-0-0
• Round 1: bye
• Round 2: vs Arkham Asylum (30) 3-0
• Round 3: vs POGGERSNHL (16) 3-1
• Quarterfinals: vs Nemesis (8) 3-0
• Semifinals: vs Tunnel Vision (6) 4-2
• Finals: vs Nordic Stars (2) 3-0

The winning roster:
GOALTENDERS
#72 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren
#88 Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen

DEFENSEMEN
#7 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta
#78 Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto
#91 Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (A)

FORWARDS
#6 Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen
#10 Mika @mikaasi Heikkilä
#25 Erik @Eki Tammenpää (A)
#86 Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (C)
 

SportsGamer congratulates the new Champions and extends a warm thank you to all participants. 

SportsGamers,

After a long season consisting of an initial group stage, two initial Playoff rounds, a top 16 group stage and finally some incredibly tight Playoffs from the Quarterfinals onwards, we have crowned a new Champion. The weather has been great for us in Tampere and both the staff and players have enjoyed the facilities here at Keskustori. In cooperation with The Finnish Ice Hockey Association, we've been able to put on a great show, and at the end of the first day, Teemu @temppanen Karvonen hoisted the trophy as the new Finnish Champion!

Temppanen's road to the Championship:
Group stage: 5-0-1 (#5 seed into the Playoffs)
Round 1: vs @Black1Eagle1 3-0
Round 2: vs @ITemeI 3-0
Top 16 Group stage: 3-2-1 (#8 seed into the Playoffs)
Quarterfinals: vs @NikkeDangles 3-2
Semifinals: vs @sisu33_ 2-0
Finals: vs @J-_-Jamaltheman 2-1

SportsGamer congratulates the new Champion and extends a warm thank you to all participants! 

Are you ready for an electrifying showdown?

The eHockey Finnish Championship 2023 Finals are finally here and you won't want to miss a second of the action! Taking place right alongside the IIHF World Championships in Tampere on Friday, May 12th, and Saturday, May 13th, this is the ultimate experience for any NHL esports fan. We'll be waiting for you at Keskustori in Tampere all weekend long!

Join us as the top players in Finland battle it out in the virtual rink for the chance to be crowned eHSM 2023 Champions. With high-stakes gameplay, incredible skill, and nail-biting moments, this is NHL esports at its best. Whether you've been with us for years or are new to the scene, the eHockey Finnish Championship Finals promise to be an unforgettable event.

Schedule

Friday, May 12th
eHockey SM 1v1 TOP 4 Finals - Start time 11:45 CEST
#5 Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen vs #8 Teemu @temppanen Karvonen
#6 Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen vs #7 Jesse @JesseL2002 Linden

Saturday, May 13th
eHockey SM 6v6 Finals & Bronze series - Start time 12:00 CEST
#2  Nordic Stars vs #4  NHL 19 Allstars

Get ready to cheer on your favorite players and teams as they compete for the ultimate prize, and witness some of the most thrilling and intense moments in the sport. With a stunning venue and a crowd ready for a true hockey festival, this is the perfect way to spend your weekend in Tampere.

In the unfortunate event of you not being able to join us live at the scene, do not worry - both days will be broadcasted live at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

We’re back with the biggest Finnish eHockey event of the year, big cash prizes and bigger Championship titles in both 1v1 and 6v6 on the line! Sign up now to compete among the very best in the 2023 eHockey Finnish Championship.

The competitive NHL 23 season is chugging along nicely and with that the time has come to announce the next season of the eHockey Finnish Championships, licensed by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. In the eHockey Finnish Championships, there’s obviously a Championship title on the line, but also some big cash prizes with a 10 000€ prize pool, and great Leijonat prize packages for top performers. This could be your time to shine!

For the Finnish landing page, click here.

Participation requires purchase of an eHockey Pelipassi (purchases made in 2022 are still valid this season) and payment of a participation fee (5€/player). All participation fees go directly into funding the prize pool. Both the eHockey Pelipassi and participation fee can be paid and acquired in the Suomisport-portal.

Starting in late March, this eHockey SM is the second of its sort and one of the cornerstones in the cooperation between SportsGamer and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. The inaugural season was one full of exciting action and incredible turns of events. In late 2022, Jere @jxrska Laukka was crowned the Champion on the 1v1 side of things, whereas GOONS managed to claim the trophy on the 6v6 side. The reigning Champions will receive invites to the Playoff stage to defend their titles. 

As in previous iterations of the tournament, we’ll play for the title in both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes of NHL 23. 1v1 will be played strictly on PlayStation 5, whereas 6v6 teams will be able to participate both with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game. 

SCHEDULE
Signups: 6.3-25.3
Tournament: 27.3-6.5

See the full schedule listed per game mode below.

 

SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE

Schedule for the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registrations: 5.-25.3.
• Tournament: 27.3.-6.5.
  • Group stage: 27.3.-6.4.
  • Playoffs Round 1 (64) 9.-10.4.
  • Playoffs Round 2 (32) 12.-13.4.
  • Playoffs Round 3 (16) 16.-17.4.
  • Quarterfinals (8) 19.-20.4.
  • Semifinals (4) 28.-29.4.
  • Bronze & Finals (2) 6.5. *

* The schedule and location of the Finals is preliminary and will be confirmed later.

Find the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here! (Finnish)

SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE!

Schedule for the 1v1 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registration: 5. -25.3.
• Tournament: 29.3.-5.5.
  • Group Stage 29.3.-8.4.
  • Playoffs Round 1 (120) 11.4.
  • Playoffs Round 2  (60) 12.4.
  • Playoffs Round 3 (30) 15.4.
  • Playoffs Round 4 (16) 17.-20.4.
  • Quarterfinals (8) 22.4. 
  • LIVE Finals (4) 5.5.*

* The schedule and location of the Finals is preliminary and will be confirmed later.

Find the 1v1 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here (Finnish)

With more parity than ever before across the sport and some interesting roster movement in top teams, the Championship could be up for grabs for anyone this season. We’ll know at the start of May and we’re as excited as ever to follow the action!

Signups are now open and will close on Saturday, March 25th, so make sure to gather your friends and challenge the big dogs in one of the biggest tournaments of the eHockey season!

Please note: Information about the SCL and ECL Spring will be available next week.

SportsGamers,

Finally, it's time for the best teams to clash in a tough Finals series to cap off the eHSM 2022 season. On Friday, we witnessed Jere @jxrska Laukka take the community by storm and hoisting the 1v1 trophy, now GOONS has the opportunity to pull a similar feat against hREDS, but do they have what it takes?

Join us for the Bronze series between #1 seed FILADELPHIA and #2 seed Tunnel Vision first, starting at 18:30 EEST over at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG as usual. After the bronze series, we'll drop the puck for the Finals. Your hosts for the night will be Arttu Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen.

hREDS  (3) vs GOONS  (4)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 15 GP, 23+41=64 vs Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen 16 GP, 28+33=61

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos 15 GP, 15 W, 79,81 SV%, 1,4 GAA, 5 SO vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 16 GP, 15 W, 76,87 SV%, 1,94 GAA, 1 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
16-0-0 vs 15-1-0

With the level of competition in the eHSM this year, it's rather incredible that hREDS have made it thus far on an unbeaten streak. They're currently 31 games deep into eHSM action and if we'll count their last competitive victory in the ECL '22 Spring Finals, that makes it 32 games. We haven't checked the record books, but that's an impressive feat and speaks volumes of just how good this team is. In addition to that, they even switched up their lineup mid-playoffs. Albeit it being their true and tested long-time centerman Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen joining them on leave from his military service, the team and the man himself took the assignment in stride and didn't miss a beat on their march towards the trophy. Going into Sunday, we'll have to wonder if we'll see Beniittto back in the lineup or not, and if Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen gets the call back, what is his form and motivation to do his best for a team that just benched him the previous week?

GOONS have showed everyone that they are very close to the Championship team level at the moment, if not the best team in the tournament on their best days. However, in comparison to hREDS, they do suffer a bit from occasional inconsistency. Their semifinals victory against defending champions FILADELPHIA came with relative ease and despite being put on the back foot at times, they've always managed to bounce back. GOONS is a resilient team with all the skill to match their opponent, all they need to do now is get into that Championship headspace and claim the trophy, it's there for the taking tonight. Ever since his triumph with SAWO ESPORTS in ECL '22 Spring, Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila has looked like a different player on the ice, in a good sense. He is able to take charge on the ice and set the tone with confidence, helped by the X-Factor all of his teammates seem to possess.

The goaltending duel is going to be interesting to watch, wunderkind and former cover gamer Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen has recent Finals experience from this summer, whereas the experienced Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos was part of a declining HAVU Gaming squad for a few seasons, and is now re-emerging as a top tier goaltender for a Championship caliber team. 

Prediction: hREDS wins it in 4.

SportsGamers,

We'll be finishing off the week by celebrating the eHSM 2022 Finals this weekend, in both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes. We'll start off on Friday evening with some of the best 1v1 players in the world going at it from the semifinals onwards, after which Sunday will offer some great 6v6 action between FILADELPHIA and Tunnel Vision in the bronze series and hREDS vs GOONS in the Finals. A lot of cash is up for grabs along with the titles this weekend, so we know these players are coming to give their all in every game - the stakes are very high!

The 1v1 Finals broadcast kicks off at 17:30 EEST today, on Friday, September 30th. Follow along with all the action at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG as usual. Arttu Hämäläinen will be your host and caster for the evening!

Without further ado, let's take a look at the 1v1 matchups on tap tonight with some comments from each player:

 (13) Jere @jxrska Laukka vs (1) Erik @Eki Tammenpää

The defending Champion @Eki is going against a challenger in this semifinals series. @jxrska has been in great form throughout NHL 22 and was very close to qualifying for team Finland in the IIHF eWorld Championships in the summer, so he is a force to be reckoned with even for the experienced former GWC Champion. 

"Facing Arttu @Artuzio Mustila in the quarterfinals couldn't have given me a better preparation for these games. He's always such a tough opponent and has a similar competitive mindset to mine. I know I'm coming into the semifinals in good form and although Jerska is a player that's a bit tough to get a read on, I feel like I have the mental edge simply due to my experience. I know he likes to cycle the puck and generate chances out of the corners, so that's what I need to look out for." - @Eki

"I'd say my strengths is my counter-attacking game and being constantly dangerous in the offensive zone. I haven't had that much time to practice, but as the tournament progressed I've been able to get a few games in here and there. My best weapon against Eki will be trying to keep my defense tight and strike with my counter attacks. The challenge is as big as they come, I have no pressure on my side." - @jxrska

(12) Jimi @jamal-_- Rönkkönen (9) Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen

Both players in this series have risen through the ranks over the duration of NHL 22. Despite his young age, @Pikkardz has, however already been a fringe top player in Finland for quite some time, but has really came into his own over the past year with this game. @J-_-Jamaltheman has a similar story, but he is more of a new acquaintance. The offensively skilled player made himself known by clinching a spot at the EU GWC Finals, and seems to continue that form into the eHSM.

"I've been on a grind throughout NHL 22 and the thing I've been able to improve the most is consistency. Results have followed. We've only played each other a couple of times but I think he's the best offensive player in Europe. I'm going to counter him with strong defense to move on to the finals." - @Pikkardz

"I don't think my play utilizes any meta and I haven't had that much time to practice lately, but I think one of my strengths in NHL 22 has been puck movement and it's worked to this point. Pikkarii is a very skilled player and is very dangerous from his office behind the net. We've played each other a few times and the games have always been tight, so I'm hoping for that trend to continue. I'm just going to stay patient with my game and trust the process, that's what got me far in the GWC." - @J-_-Jamaltheman

SportsGamers,

Only the four best teams remain, and these are all squads we're very familiar with from their extended success at the European stages already. FILADELPHIA, GOONS, Tunnel Vision and hREDS have paved their way to the semifinals to determine who will hoist the cup in the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championships. The big question is looming, can FILADELPHIA find their competitive form to defend against the hungry squads that have pushed through the group stages and the long playoffs, while the defending champions only joined in at the playoff stage? What about the challengers Tunnel Vision, GOONS and hREDS - all of them have seen some roster changes, have they grown stronger or became weaker over time? Join in on the action Thursday evening at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG to find out!

FILADELPHIA  (1) vs GOONS  (4)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Paul @PleeMaker Arontie 12 GP, 19+14=33 vs Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen 12 GP, 25+26=51

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren 12 GP, 12 W, 87,04 SV%, 1,17 GAA, 3 SO vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 12 GP, 12 W, 79,12 SV%, 1,58 GAA, 1 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
0-0-0 vs 14-2-0

FILADELPHIA were able to coast their way through most of the playoffs, but their Quarterfinals series against Reality Check was their first true test. Although it seemed to look like Reality Check was even controlling pace in the series from time to time, they were not rewarded for their efforts and FILADELPHIA triumphed once again. A clean 3-1 series win for FILADELPHIA is no accident, and the black and orange were the better team by some margin, even showing some resilience to be able to win games by being opportunistic with their chances. 

Their opponent GOONS made surprisingly easy work of Conquer Gaming in the Quarterfinals. A series in which GOONS opened the scoring in all three games and really never looked back. Especially Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila showed what an important cornerstone he is to the team, handling his defensive duties as he should, while simultaneously contributing offensively with seven points in the three game series. Alongside hREDS, GOONS are definitely one of the most dangerous offensive teams left in the mix.

Tunnel Vision  (2) vs hREDS  (3)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Aleksi @MozjaTG Kähkönen 13 GP, 12+34=46 vs Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 12 GP, 21+38=59

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen 13 GP, 12 W, 85,5 SV%, 1,46 GAA, 1 SO vs Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos 12 GP, 12 W, 80 SV%, 1,42 GAA, 4 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
18-0-0 vs 14-2-0

This is the one we've been waiting for. Despite some roster movement on both sides, this is essentially a rematch of the ECL '22 Spring Finals. Back then, hREDS pulled the longer straw in an eventual game seven finish, could this one go all the way too?

Both teams certainly seem offensively apt to take on the challenge of one another and we're not doubting their five man defense or their goaltender either. What will then be the decisive factor in this battle? As cliché as it sounds, it might be down to special teams. Out of the two teams, Tunnel Vision has managed to stay out of the box better, whereas hREDS have gone a bit more of an aggressive route. Not that it has hurt them thus far, but against a team of this caliber, you might want to be careful. 

An interesting thing to keep an eye on throughout the series is also the reunion of Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen with his old teammates. The hREDS winger spent the entire ECL '22 campaign as the third piece in the excellent SAWO ESPORTS offensive trio with Aleksi @MozjaTG Kähkönen and Jere @jxrska Laukka, but has since his move to the big, bad reds been replaced by Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen. Can the new kid on the block fill those boots? This matchup will serve as a rather concrete display.

SportsGamers,

The Playoffs have been flying on in fast pace and we're already at the Quarterfinals stage. The eight best teams in Finland remain and now it's time to battle it out to see who can seriously challenge for the throne that FILADELPHIA are defending. This round offers several matchups that go in the category of David vs Goliath tales, but we're never opposed to a good upset story. You'll be able to follow along with games live at the SportsGamer Twitch-channel, as usual.

The Quarterfinals are to be played between Sunday, 18th of September and Tuesday, 20th of September.

FILADELPHIA  (1) vs Reality Check  (11)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Paul @PleeMaker Arontie 9 GP, 15+10=25 vs Harri @Pursuitti Haaksiala 9 GP, 17+10=27

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren 9 GP, 9 W, 85,37 SV%, 1,33 GAA, 2 SO vs Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes 9 GP, 9 W, 76,92 SV%, 2,00 GAA, 1 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
0-0-0 vs 14-2-0

We'll get a preview of what's to come in the ECL '23 Winter season, as FILADELPHIA will now defend their Finnish Championship title against Reality Check, who were newly promoted to the Elite division on the ECL front. This far, FILADELPHIA has hardly been tested in this tournament and it's seemed like they've been able to coast along rather easily. While they've looked decent and won their games with relative ease, they are yet to flex their offensive muscles in the way we all know they're able to. Against Ace Hockey in Round 1 we even saw backup Mika @mikaasi Heikkilä take the ice for the three game series, and he fit in real well as the stand-in for captain Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala. Look for FILADELPHIA to start slowly revving their engines up in this series, since games are getting tougher for sure.

Despite being the lowest seed still in the playoffs at this point, the Reality Check squad might still have a lot left to give. The recent ECL Elite promotees have renewed their squad slightly since moving up the ranks, and after a short adjustment period, they are now starting to look dangerous on the ice. Reality Check have had a rather favourable path through the playoffs thus far and FILADELPHIA will be their first true test, as they were able to handle Stargazing with surprising ease in round 3.

Prediction: FILADELPHIA in 3.

Tunnel Vision  (2) vs Nemesis  (7)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Jere @jxrska Laukka 9 GP, 21+19=40 vs Jere @profiilipakki Kangasniemi 9 GP, 11+8=19

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen 9 GP, 9 W, 87,5 SV%, 2,33 GAA, 1 SO vs @Pasi (Pasi-Fism) 9 GP, 9 W, 90,11 SV%, 1,00 GAA, 3 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
18-0-0 vs 14-2-0

Here's two teams who have never before clashed in a competitive setting, and it'll be an interesting one to see how their styles will end up matching up against each others. Tunnel Vision have been on a tear throughout the eHSM and their numbers look great all around the ice. The currently undefeated squad is looking like a strong candidate to make a finals appearance already and there's no doubting that, to be honest. Their familiar duo Aleksi @MozjaTG Kähkönen and Jere @jxrska Laukka are shouldering most of the burden up front, while new recruit Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen is catching up with them little by little. If they're able to find that perfect synergy in time for the biggest games, Tunnel Vision could be the team to look out for.

Nemesis is a massive surprise to be seen at this stage of the tournament. The team consists of players who have had very limited postseason success at high levels in the past, but they've elevated their game to a great extent and on top of that, bringing in defenseman Max @Toneee9 Tonitz on an unbelievable hot streak (GCL 6v6, GCL Cup & GCL 1v1 Champion) has turned out to be an excellent move for them. Nemesis will need to really rally around goaltender @Pasi in order to stop the offensive onslaught of Tunnel Vision in order to have a chance in this series.

Prediction: Tunnel Vision in 3.

hREDS  (3) vs Setelit On Ice  (6)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 9 GP, 16+31=47 vs Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander 11 GP, 14+16=30

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos 9 GP, 9 W, 81,36 SV%, 1,22 GAA, 4 SO vs Tomi @Mestari tikku Heikkilä 11 GP, 9 W, 89,25 SV%, 0,91 GAA, 5 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
16-0-0 vs 14-1-1

We're quite used to seeing hREDS firing on all cylinders and quite honestly, that's what they've been doing all throughout the eHSM. They seem unstoppable at the moment with their offense being very balanced and hardly missing their long-time centerman Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen. This is a team that poses a danger from all areas of the ice and have the defensive ability to shut down anything their opponent throws at them.

Setelit On Ice have impressed throughout the tournament. Their opportunistic approach to offense works wonders in combination with an excellent trap defense, which suffocated YMCA completely in their round 3 matchup. An undeniable fact is also that goaltender Tomi@Mestari tikku Heikkilä has risen from seemingly nowhere to being one of the greatest netminding sensations the eHSM has ever seen. Excellent goaltending performances rarely come without the help of the unit in front of him, but regardless here's a guy that could bail Setelit out in a tough situation. 

Prediction: hREDS in 3.

GOONS  (4) vs Conquer Gaming  (5)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen 9 GP, 22+21=43 vs Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho 10 GP, 13+12=25

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 9 GP, 9 W, 78,46 SV%, 1,56 GAA, 1 SO vs Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck 10 GP, 9 W, 75,93 SV%, 2,6 GAA, 1 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
15-1-0 vs 14-1-0

We could be in for a tough one here. While GOONS is certainly the team that historically looks stronger, and has the more accomplished players on paper, they've also struggled to break that threshold into the real top echelon of title contenders. Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen is leading his team up front and has seemingly been scoring at will from time to time. On defense, Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila is still showing that he could very well be the best all-around defenseman out there and has been able to handle his defensive duties while simultaneously putting up an astonishing 23 points from the back.

Conquer Gaming is in an interesting position here, they've been one of those teams that is on everyone's radar, but never really get into the discussion of teams that are seriously challenging for those top spots. Now is their chance for a breakthrough on that front, and we're here to watch that story unfold. New signing Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko has fit in nicely in between Jere @Jerax13 Hällström and Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho, who already have some great chemistry from before. We're expecting big things and that fabled next level for this trio.

Prediction: GOONS in 4.

SportsGamers,

It's time to move on with the third  playoff round of the eHockey Finnish Championships and while we've seen some surprising results thus far, now we're really getting down to the games where true contenders will set themselves apart. The stakes are getting higher as we close in on the finals ahead.

NOTE: It seems like most series have already started ahead of time, and therefore this preview scheduled to release early on the first official gameday is partially void. For future reference, try as best as you can to follow the schedule and gamedays defined in the rulebook in order to allow staff time to prepare broadcasts and other media.

The third round of the playoffs (BO5) is to be played between Tuesday, 13th of September and Thursday, 15th of September.

Without further ado, here are all your third round matchups:

FILADELPHIA  (1) vs Bastu  (31)

The sauna is ready and all heated up for the FILADELPHIA boys to step in and ramp up the heat. Bastu have been on a great push thus far in the FCL and despite some hiccups in the group stage, they've beaten some great competition along the way - GIFU Hockey and Otukset in the playoffs. Especially Santeri @Holy71 Vaaranvuo has found a new level to his game in the Bastu offense, which in turn helps his linemates produce greatly. It might be safe to say, though, that FILADELPHIA is a step above those previous opponents and will be a tough obstacle to tackle. FILADELPHIA, on the other hand have made easy work of their opponents in the first two rounds, and are now for the first time facing a team that theoretically could even steal a game if they're not careful. Some rust in their form is evident, but this is a great time to start wearing all that off. 

Prediction: FILADELPHIA in 3.

Tunnel Vision  (2) vs Hokurit  (21)

Tunnel Vision dominated the group stage earning them the #2 seed behind only invitee FILADELPHIA, and it seems like they've continued on that path in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Quite evidently, neither Karmadillos or Hartsport United were a match for the skilled unit, and they made easy work of their opponents in some high scoring games putting forwards Jere @jxrska Laukka, Aleksi @MozjaTG Kähkönen and Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen among the top scorers. Hokurit will be facing a great challenge, and the long-time Pro dwellers spiced up their roster with Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi and Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner from ZSC Lions for the tournament, which has turned out to be a great fit. The pace of Tunnel Vision will most likely be a bit too much for Hokurit in this one, but if all the stars align, Hokurit might get away with one win in the series. 

Prediction: Tunnel Vision in 4.

hREDS  (3) vs Powerhouse HC  (19)

The big, bad Reds have been chugging along nicely like the well oiled machine they are. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen's move to center has seemed to work well for them and the unit around him is working as well as ever. Powerhouse HC have proven themselves to be a serious playoff contender and especially their display against Tohtorit in round two deserves an applause, but this will be the end of the line for them. 

Prediction: hREDS in 3. 

GOONS  (4) vs Gunners HC  (17) (Writer plays for Gunners HC)

GOONS is a team, that for quite a while now has been at the brink of a real breakthrough. They're right outside the very top contention looking to break into the true top echelon of teams hunting for the title. This could be their time to shine. GOONS had an easy time securing the top seed in their group, after which both playoff series thus far have been over in quick fashion. Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen has been lethal up front and is finally starting to solidify himself as the true top scorer his potential has always suggested. Gunners HC is a bit of a dark horse, as the newly established team managed to secure a high seed in their group and even were able to surprise HAVU Gaming in their second round playoff matchup. Goaltender Jaakko @jaakqoo Toiviainen is on a career run in the playoffs right now and will surely raise some interest from bigger clubs moving on. 

Prediction: GOONS in 3. 

Conquer Gaming  (5) vs Hunters  (15)

The hunter will become prey in this series between Conquer Gaming and Hunters. Conquer lives off fast puck movement and their offensive play is elite, but they could be vulnerable in their own zone. Their opponent Hunters have been able to prove themselves in this tournament and goaltender Samuli @Miettinen14 Miettinen has been on fire especially in the playoffs, with a save percentage of 89,86%. Despite their stellar defensive play, Hunters will have met their match in this series and will be overrun by Conquer's offensive power.

Prediction: Conquer Gaming in 3.

Setelit On Ice  (6) vs YMCA Esports  (13)

Setelit On Ice have established themselves as a team to watch throughout the tournament. In fact, the team made their comeback only a few weeks before the start of the FCL and have managed to find some great form right from the get-go. A very notable performer for them is goaltender Tomi @Mestari tikku Tiirikainen, who is leading the league in playoff shutouts (five in seven games) and saving percentage (94 SV%). Naturally, this is an indication of a well working unit, that is expected to continue working in their matchup against a struggling YMCA Esports. The Elite division juggernauts YMCA Esports have been on a downwards trajectory for a while now, and it seems like they're struggling to get back to their winning ways. While they're able to win matchups with their sheer experience and core skill, they are also looking like a team not fully confident in their abilities. If they can find a way to turn the tide and win this series, they'll be on a better path, but only time will tell. 

Prediction: Setelit On Ice in 5.

Nemesis  (7) vs JANO  (12)

Nemesis and JANO will be going at it in a very tough battle. While JANO's roster is full of experienced players who have been drifting around various teams for a while, Nemesis represents the new generation of skill players, who are looking to replace the old dogs. Perhaps not in terms of age per se, but in terms of years and seasons spent at the higher levels. Nemesis might have a slight edge in the sense that they have spent more time together as a unit, whereas JANO is a roster that was finalized only just before the tournament started. Regardless, this series will most likely come down to which team is in better form on any given day. 

Prediction: JANO in 5. 

Stargazing  (10) vs Reality Check  (11)

There could be a rivalry brewing between Reality Check and Stargazing. The two of the faced off in a relegation matchup to cap off ECL '22 Spring, in fact. Back then, Stargazing were forced to give up their Elite spot after just one season in the European top 16, whereas Reality Check took their place. Now is a time for retribution with some slight alterations for both lineups. Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen has been great for Stargazing in the playoffs and looks to lead his troops also in this series, whereas his counterpart in Reality Check is captain Harri @Pursuitti Haaksiala. These two are as evenly matched as they come, so expect a brawl to the finish line. 

Prediction: Reality Check in 5. 

SportsGamers,

We're rolling on with the 2022 eHockey Finnish championships and it's now time for the second playoff round to kick off. Thus far, we've seen several interesting matchups and while most of the higher seeds have been able to secure their spot in the second round, some highly surprising results also came out of the first round. Most notably, 57th seed Ace Hockey took the playoffs by storm by overcoming #8 seed Masin Maansiirto in a thrilling game 5 overtime finish. Another surprising finish to a series was the 3-0 sweep that Hartsport United was able to conduct in their matchup against Hawaii Hockey. These two teams have another big challenge ahead of them in the second round for sure!

Some rather exciting mathcups are in store for us in the second round, as the likes of YMCA Esports and JYP Jyväskylä will be clashing already early into the postseason. One of the big names will be out early, it seems. Setelit On Ice will be facing Big Mistake in a series that could go either way and will certainly depend on the form of the night. 

Lastly, Reality Check vs Hotbox is going to be a series you'll want to follow along with. There's a lot of familiarity between these two squads and the matchup is a great rivalry for bragging rights going further.

The second round of the playoffs (BO5) is to be played between Wednesday, 7th of September and Sunday, 11th of September.

Head over to the league page for the playoff matchups!

SportsGamers,

We've entered the Playoff stage of the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championships and with that, it's also time for #1 seed and invitee FILADELPHIA to take the ice for the first time in the tournament. They'll have the favorable position of facing off against the 64th seed Tampere Taisto, which should be a soft entry for them into the eHSM action.

All in all, it was a rather exciting group stage once again with most of the favorites marching through with ease, while others had to fight harder for their postseason push. One of the most exciting surprises in the group stage must be Setelit On Ice, who made a comeback just before the tournament started and ended up grabbing the #1 spot in their group ahead of other established outfits, such as Roots Gaming, GHETTO FIREBIRDS and GIFU Hockey.

Nemesis is another squad that managed to squeak by some great teams to clinch that #1 spot in their group, putting them in a great position for the playoffs, whereas the likes of Golden Nights and Valco finished a bit lower than they perhaps would have wanted.

The toughest race to the finish line was seen in group 2, where three teams ended up going for the tiebreakers for the 2nd place finish. Be a Bro, Kouvola Screaming Eagles and Gunners HC all finished with 22 points even, had 11 wins each and split points between the three of them in the group stage, so the eventual tiebreaker ended up being goal differential. 

The first round of the playoffs (BO5) is to be played between Sunday, 4th of September and Tuesday, 6th of September.

Head over to the league page for the playoff matchups!

SportsGamers,

The group draw for the 6v6 2022 eHockey Finnish Championships has been completed, and as a result we've got eight groups with 9-10 teams each. Out of each group, seven teams will make it to the playoffs, together with the seven best #8 seeds based on points per game. This will amount to 63 teams in total, with FILADELPHIA joining the playoffs as seed #1 with their invitation.

Join the 2022 eHSM Discord here: https://discord.gg/V6Bwkq4dAF

Schedule for the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registrations: 15.7.-14.8
• Tournament: 17.8.-1.10
  • Group Stage: 17.8.-1.9
  • Round of 64: 4.-6.9
  • Round of 32: 8.-11.9
  • Round of 16: 13.-15.9
  • Quarterfinals: 18.-20.9
  • Semifinals: 22.-25.9
  • LIVE Finals: 1.10 *

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday are the default gamedays.

* The schedule and location of the Finals is preliminary and will be confirmed later.

Find the league standings and schedule here!

Get familiar with the 6v6 rulebook here!

Without further ado, here are your groups:

We're here with the biggest Finnish eHockey event of the year, big cash prizes and Championship titles in both 1v1 and 6v6 on the line! Sign up now to compete with the very best in the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championship.

The virtual hockey summer keeps going on and next up, we're returning with the long awaited Finnish Championship. Formerly known as the FCL, the eHockey Finnish Championship will now be an official league of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association and with that also has a shiny, new name to it. The name is new, but we've kept all the pieces we all love about it the same. The Ice Hockey Association brings a lot of expertise on board and we're excited to get the ball rolling with this being one of the first big steps in our partnership.

"Our partnership with SportsGamer continues with the traditional FCL-league, now rebranded to the eHockey SM (eHockey Finnish Championships). The Finnish Ice Hockey Association wants to be at the forefront in developing new ways to play and enjoy hockey in a competitive and amateur setting. We are welcoming SportsGamer to the Leijonat-family with open arms", states Lassi Rönkkönen, sales and marketing director for the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. 
 

This year, in addition to the title we'll have a prize pool of 10 000 EUR on the line, and some amazing Leijonat prize packages throughout the season! The eHockey Finnish Championship will start in early August and continue until the start of October, when the next champions in both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes will hoist the trophies at the live finals.

Like previous years, this season, we'll allow for non-Finnish citizens to challenge for the throne in the 6v6 league. The upcoming league will feature a foreign player quota, which entails that a majority (51%) of the team's roster (and line-up) must be Finnish. In addition, all captains must be Finnish citizens.

Leagues and tournaments hosted by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association requires participating players to have purchased the Leijona eHockey-license. The license is valid for the full season (1.8.2022-31.7.2023) and allows for participation into all Leijona eHockey events during that timeframe, both in 1v1 and 6v6 classes. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at www.suomisport.fi/purchase (instructions in English). The site is available in Finnish, Swedish and English. Sign in with your verification code according to the instructions on the page, click through to purchase a license, enter eHockey as your main sport, make the payment and you'll be good to go! It is worth noting that FIHA organized leagues and tournaments in the future featuring a prize pool might include additional participation fees.

Prize Pool

The total prize pool is 10 000 EUR, split between the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes, as described below:

*Prizes are subject to tax as per Finnish law and the tax is withheld before payment. Prizes will be paid out within 90 days of the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championship Finals.

Due to the eHockey Finnish Championship being played online and cross-platform play not being available this year, the league will be played only on the PlayStation console. The game used will be the PlayStation 4 version of NHL 22.

The final formats and schedules for both the 1v1 and 6v6 portions of the league will be determined based on the number of signups. SportsGamer reserves the right to adjust any details.
 

SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE

Schedule for the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registrations: 15.7.-14.8
• Tournament: 17.8.-1.10
  • Group Stage: 17.8.-1.9
  • Round of 64: 4.-6.9
  • Round of 32: 8.-11.9
  • Round of 16: 13.-15.9
  • Quarterfinals: 18.-20.9
  • Semifinals: 22.-25.9
  • LIVE Finals: 1.10 *

* The schedule and location of the Finals is preliminary and will be confirmed later.

Find the 6v6 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here!

SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE!

Schedule for the 1v1 eHockey Finnish Championship:

• Registrations: 15.7.-14.8
• Tournament: 22.8.-1.10
  • Group Stage: 22.8.-4.9
  • Round of 120: 6.-8.9
  • Round of 60: 11.-13.9
  • Round of 32: 15.-18.9
  • Round of 16: 20.-22.9
  • Quarterfinals (8): 24.-26.9
  • TOP 4 LIVE Finals: 1.10 *

* The schedule and location of the Finals is preliminary and will be confirmed later.

Find the 1v1 eHockey Finnish Championship rulebook here

Invitations

6v6:

• Reigning Finnish Champion FILADELPHIA will be invited to round 1 of the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championship rules.

1v1:

• Reigning Finnish Champion Arttu @Artuzio Mustila will be invited to the playoff stage as the #1 seed according to the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championship rules.
• The NHL GWC European Champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää will be invited to the playoff stage according to the 2022 eHockey Finnish Championship rules.

NHLGamers,

Many - including our writing crew in our Finals Preview - doubted FILADEPHIA’s chances tonight after witnessing hREDS’s dominating performance in the ECL 12 Elite Finals a couple months ago. But FILADELPHIA would not budge, and successfully defended their Finnish Championship title with an overwhelming performance. 
 

Despite the finals ending in a sweep, the games were very even with game 1 being decided in overtime and the decisive game 3 seeing a game winning goal in the dying minutes of the game. 

• Game 1: hREDS - FILADELPHIA 1-2 OT
• Game 2: FILADELPHIA - hREDS 4-1
• Game 3: hREDS - FILADELPHIA 1-2

FILADELPHIA's s road to the championship:

• Invited straight to the Playoffs as the reigning champion
• Round 1: vs Bruise Brothers (64) 3-0
• Round 2: vs Shameful Knights (47) 3-0
• Round 3: vs Conquer Gaming (23) 3-1
• Quarterfinals: vs Otukset eSports (16) 3-0
• Semifinals: vs KOVA Esports (10) 3-0
• Finals: vs hREDS (2) 3-0

The winning roster:
GOALTENDERS
#72 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren

DEFENSEMEN
#3 Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila
#27 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta

FORWARDS
#25 Erik @EkiTammenpää
#44 Paul @PleeMaker Arontie
#86 Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala
 

Photo credit: Topias Uusiheimo / SEUL

The top 3 teams of FCL 6v6 are:
🥇 FILADELPHIA
🥈 hREDS
🥉 GOONS
 

Congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community, and a warm thank you to all participants!

NHLGamers,

In 2019 it was HAVU Gaming lifting the trophy. In 2020 FILADELPHIA wrestled it from HAVU's hands. In 2021, hREDS will be trying to do the same to FILA. Will they be successful? Or will FILA manage to become the first Champion to defend their title? Can KOVA finish their underdog success story by snatching the bronze under the noses of the impressive GOONS?

And how will the players be effected by finally, finally being back in a LAN enviroment the games kick off at the magnificent Game Cave in Espoo, Finland?

Ladies and gentlemen, you'll have your answers tonight. Welcome to the 2021 FCL 6v6 Finals event.
 

Here is the full schedule for the night:

17:00 CEST   Broadcast starts
--------
17:20 CEST   Bronze - Game 1
17:50 CEST   Bronze - Game 2 
18:20 CEST   Bronze - Game 3 (if necessary)
--------
19:00 CEST   Finals intro
19:15 CEST   Finals - Game 1
10:45 CEST   Finals - Game 2
20:20 CEST   Finals - Game 3
20:55 CEST   Finals - Game 4 (if necessary)
21:30 CEST   Finals - Game 5 (if necessary)

(2) hREDS   vs (1) FILADELPHIA  

This is it. Truly your matchup of matchups between the two best teams in not just Finland, but in Europe as well at the moment. Having faced off recently in the ECL 12 Elite Finals, these two teams are intimately familiar with each other - and not a single roster change has taken place since then. While FILA likely feels their true revenge against hREDS lies in re-claiming the coveted ECL Elite trophy, defending their FCL title and becoming the first champion in FCL 6v6 history to do so (Artuzio defended his title in 1v1 just yesterday), would be as good an opportunity as any to re-establish dominance over hREDS.

Don't think the hREDS side are likely to just sit back and let that happen, though. Made up exclusively of young guns hungry to continue their winning ways, hREDS will be entering this one brimming with motivation and energy to add a Finnish Championship to their ever-expanding trophy room.

The last time these two teams met in competitive circumstances, hREDS seemed to catch FILA off guard with their picture-perfect trap and their well-executed pokechecks. This time, FILA will have seen that trick before and will be prepared to adjust even before first puck drop. 

Even so, it'll be a tough task for the multi-champs to defend their title against such a hungry pack of wolves. 

Prediction: 3-1 hREDS
 

(10) KOVA Esports  vs (8) GOONS  

The GOONS have had a strong run since their formation in the ECL 11 Pro division. Losing in the finals and securing a league promotion, they followed that up by making the playoffs right away in the über-competitive Elite division and here they are; top-4 in the FCL after having eliminated 2019 FCL Champions HAVU Gaming among others.

Safe to say, GOONS will look to end NHL 21 with a bang, rather than a whimper. 

They'll face stiff competition from KOVA Esports though, Coming into the FCL with a revamped roster (at least on the ice), KOVA have taken down some big fish like JYP Jyväskylä and POGGERS on their way to this bronze battle. Their quick counter-attacks have been proven lethal before, will they be again versus GOONS?

Most of the players in this matchup haven't tasted the LAN enviroment before so seeing how that plays out could add an extra wrinkle to this already exciting matchup.

Prediction: 0-2 GOONS
 

Tune in to www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 17:00 CEST to find out which team will claim the medals in this exciting LAN finish to the 2021 FCL season.

NHLGamers,

After a long Friday night with a lot of 1v1 action, we are able to present to you - STILL the Finnish 1v1 NHL Champion, Arttu @Artuzio Mustila! This is his second consecutive Finnish Championship.
 

How you commentate your finals against xDoumi tonight?
"We have played even games with xDoumi along the year and there was no room for mistakes tonight. However, I managed to get the job done. I played the best and most relaxed game of all year today and this came in the best possible place. "

NHLGamer would like to congratulate Artuzio on a tremendous tournament and the championship!
Please tune in for the FCL 6v6 Finals on Saturday at 17 CEST: https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer

Photo: Pekka Nummela / SEUL

Let's take a look back at @Artuzio's road to the championship:

Group stage record:
Invited straight to the finals stage 
Finals group stage record: 
5-0-1 (#5 seed)

RO16
vs @Kemppane_ 3-2
Quarterfinals
vs @OsquuG 3-0
Semifinals
vs @NikkeDangles2-0
Finals
vs @xDoumi 2-0

The top 3 of FCL 1vs1 are:
🥇 Arttu @Artuzio Mustila
🥈 Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen
🥉 Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
 

Photo: Pekka Nummela / SEUL

Photo: Pekka Nummela / SEUL

NHLGamers,

Only the four best Finnish players remain and tonight we will be able to watch them battle it out and crown the new champion! Will Arttu @Artuzio Mustila renew his title or will a dark horse emerge as the new champion?

Here are the semifinals matchups:

(1) Roope @pikkuroger Bergström vs. (11) Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen
(5) Arttu @Artuzio Mustila vs. (10) Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen

We asked the defending Finnish champion Artuzio and xDoumi for their thoughts about upcoming final tournament:

"I'm going to Friday's final tournament in a good mood and my goal is to take the second consecutive Finnish championship. The level of players in Finland is incredibly high, so winning on Friday will require perfect execution from me. It would be nice to have pikkuroger as the final opponent; I played the most memorable matches of my career against him in last year’s FCL quarterfinals, where I had a comeback from several goals behind and eventually went all the way to win the championship. I know pikkuroger's game has evolved since last year, so it would be great to fight in the finals and see again where we stand today." -Artuzio

"It’s great to participate in the semifinals, I'm currently playing at a good level and it's nice to play for the championship after a long time. I was actually 0-2 down in my quarterfinal series against @Eki, but when we went to game 3 I started to understand better how Eki plays and I was able to turn the series around." -xDoumi

Tune in for the finals on Friday!

The broadcast on Friday will commence at 17:20 CEST and will feature Aki Eurola and Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos in the booth! You can find the broadcast on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

Here's the preliminary schedule for the night:
17:20 CEST   Broadcast starts
--------
17:30 CEST  Semifinals 1 - Game 1
17:50 CEST  Semifinals 1 - Game 2
18:15 CEST  Semifinals 1 - Game 3 (if necessary)
--------
18:45 CEST  Semifinals 2 - Game 1
19:05 CEST  Semifinals 2 - Game 2
19:30 CEST  Semifinals 2 - Game 3 (if necessary)
--------
20:00 CEST  Bronze game 
--------
20:45 CEST  Finals - Game 1
21:05 CEST  Finals - Game 2
21:30 CEST  Finals - Game 3 (if necessary)

NHLGamers,

It's been a wild ride thus far and we're still in for some interesting matchups to say the least! With only four teams remaining, the stakes are getting higher and the intensity of the action is ramping up to levels previously unheard of. Defending champion FILADELPHIA is still going strong along with fellow surefire contender hREDS, but the two juggernauts are being challenged by KOVA Esports and GOONS respectively, and the challengers aren't ready to back down without a fight. 

Quote

Semifinals schedule:
Monday, September 27th
20:15 Semifinals 1 Game 1
20:45 Semifinals 1 Game 2
21:30 Semifinals 2 Game 1
22:00 Semifinals 2 Game 2

Thursday, September 30th
20:15 Semifinals 2 Game 3
20:45 Semifinals 2 Game 4*
21:15 Semifinals 2 Game 5*
22:00 Semifinals 1 Game 3
22:30 Semifinals 1 Game 4*
23:00 Semifinals 1 Game 5*

*If needed, the second series starts as soon as the first is finished.

(1)  FILADELPHIA vs KOVA Esports  (10) 

FILADELPHIA is heading into this one as a heavy favorite, while KOVA Esports have seemingly managed to defy all odds throughout the duration of the season - the organization, now proclaimed the kings of Jyväskylä after beating local rival JYP back in the 3rd round are now up against an entirely different beast. An interesting notion though is that KOVA Esports is exactly the kind of squad that FILADELPHIA have looked vulnerable against in some previous matchups. The reigning champions have heavily dominated possession play and scoring chances for, but been put on the defensive and even looked slightly uncomfortable at times against fast counter attacks from their opposition, which is one skill that KOVA Esports have made their bread and butter over the course of these playoffs. 

However, with a spot in the FCL Finals on the line and with the chance to repeat as champions within their grasp, expect FILA to come out firing.

Prediction: 3-0

(2)  hREDS vs GOONS  (8)

The Helsinki-based organization hREDS seem to be on top of the world currently. The reigning ECL Champions went 16-0-0 through the regular season, claimed the highest seed possible for them in FCL (#2) and quickly disposed of Powerhouse HC, Kouvola Screaming Eagles, FILADELPHIA ACADEMY and SAWO ESPORTS in the playoffs; winning each series 3-0. The teams' combined 28-game winning streak will be put to the test against fellow ECL Elite team GOONS, though. The GOONS squad did manage to win their group, but dropped two games in the regular season and found themselves as the 8th overall seed. The somewhat dissapointing playoff seed did seem to light a fire under the black, white- and red who have since come out firing in the playoffs. GOONS swept VANHAT KYLJYKSET and Rusty Blades, before coming across two Elite teams in consecutive matchups. Tunnel Visision was defeated by a series score of 3-1 in Round 3, but the standout performance of the tournament came in the Quarterfinals where GOONS defeated former FCL Champions HAVU Gaming 3-1 in games. 

You can be sure hREDS were put on alert after that performance and won't be taking GOONS lightly going into this matchup.

Prediction: 3-1
 

Tune in to www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer on Monday and Thursday in order to follow these tight bouts and find out who will eventually make it to the grand final that is played on Saturday, 2nd of October over at Game Cave in Espoo, Finland. 

NHLGamers,

The time has come for the Quarterfinals of this years FCL and we've got some juicy matchups on hand for sure. Already tonight, we'll feature two games of the very tight POGGERS vs KOVA Esports-series, after which we'll see the fabled STADI vs LANDE-rivalry between hREDS and SAWO ESPORTS. The Quarterfinals are to be played between Today, 20th of September and Thrusday, 23rd of September.

Lainaa

FCL 6v6 Playoff schedule:

• Round 1: 2.-5.9.
• Round 2: 6.9.-9.9.
• Round 3: 13.9.-16.9.
• Quarterfinals: 20.9.-23.9.
• Semifinals: 27.-29.9.
• Finals: 2.10.

(1)  FILADELPHIA vs Otukset eSports  (16) 
The defending champion goes up against the true sensation of the season - Otukset defied all odds when going up against #3 seed IQUE and taking them down with a sweep. They've now had a week to prepare for the upcoming challenge that is FILADELPHIA and we're all waiting with excitement for what's to come. On the other hand, FILADELPHIA finished a dominant outing against Conquer Gaming on Thursday last week and are coming into this matchup with a similar outlook - anything but a dominant win is a surprise. Expect FILADELPHIA to put on heavy pressure and Otukset to strike on counter attacks when given the chance. 

Prediction: 3-0

(2)  hREDS vs SAWO ESPORTS  (11)

STADI vs LANDE. This matchup can't be hyped up enough and if you look at social media you'll almost certainly run into some banter around it. Unfortunately for an otherwise very exciting rivalry, we might be looking at a rather one-sided ordeal on the ice. The undisputed fact is, after all, hREDS is the reigning European champion and undefeated throughout their FCL campaign so far, whereas SAWO ESPORTS is a great team in their own right, but not at the level of hREDS currently. As a matter of fact, despite their #11 seed, SAWO hasn't really faced that real top-tier competition yet this season. We should see a back-and-forth battle that is largely controlled by hREDS, but if SAWO can convert on their opportunities and keep the scoring low, grabbing a win isn't entirely out of the question.

Prediction: 3-0

(4)  POGGERS vs KOVA Esports  (10) 

This could end up being an exciting one and the series to follow in the quarterfinals. POGGERS have played an outstanding FCL despite having some minor hiccups early in the playoffs, they are now facing KOVA Esports, who is a squad that they've traditionally been battling for similar positions with in European competition. If that's anything to go off of, we're going to see a very well matched series. Both teams enjoy employing a fast-paced offensive strategy that aims to crash the net more often than not, but also possess the skill and patience to stay with the puck when required. We saw KOVA Esports beat JYP in an underdog status by converting on seemingly every counter attack they got, so if that continues, we could see them grab yet another series win.

Prediction: 3-2

(5)  HAVU Gaming vs GOONS  (8)

HAVU Gaming might have gone under the radar a bit this season due to not having a seed at the very top but make no mistake - they are definitely ready to challenge anyone when it boils down to the biggest games of the season. This might in fact be one of those, as GOONS are coming in with a slight underdog status but could very well be among the hottest teams around as they've taken down Rusty Blades and Tunnel Vision already with relative ease and with that should be in great form. We could end up seeing a very tight series extending the full five games if HAVU has some trouble to get going, but if they are able to come in strong fro the get-go and utilize their experience they'll make a strong case for themselves in this dispute.

Prediction: 3-1

Join us tonight for two exciting matchups, first POGGERS and KOVA Esports clash, after which we see the STADI vs LANDE-rivalry between hREDS and SAWO ESPORTS. In the booth, Arttu Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen! Tune in for the action at www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer starting 19:45 CEST. Before the main broadcast, we've also got a STADI vs LANDE pre-show featuring a BO3 1v1-challenge between hREDS GM Christer Kasurinen and SAWO ESPORTS GM Arttu Hämäläinen - the puck for this drops at 18:00 CEST!

NHLGamers,

We're now down to the top 16 teams in the FCL and really boiling down to those most meaningful games of the season. It is at this point we'll be starting to see some really interesting clashes and we truly recommend following along with the action on twitch and social media. The third round of playoffs is to be played between today, 13th of September and Thursday, 16th of September. The playoffs are played in a best-of-five manner.
 

Lainaa

FCL 6v6 Playoff schedule:

• Round 1: 2.-5.9.
• Round 2: 6.9.-9.9.
• Round 3: 13.9.-16.9.
• Quarterfinals: 20.9.-23.9.
• Semifinals: 27.-29.9.
• Finals: 2.10.

(1)  FILADELPHIA vs Conquer Gaming  (23) 

FILADELPHIA haven't really gotten their engines started properly yet, with only six rather easy-win games in the rearview, opposition is now starting to get increasingly tougher. Conquer gaming is a team they've met before in various competitive settings but recent memory doesn't hold an occasion where Conquer would have left as the victor, even in a single game. With that in mind, FILADELPHIA should be set for success in this series too. Conquer Gaming find themselves in this position as the result of their own doing, after a rather underwhelming performance in the group stage, they are now stuck with the lowest seed in the playoffs and face a tremendous uphill battle. Expect an onslaught from FILADELPHIA and Conquer will attempt to weather the storm and counter when given the chance. 

Prediction: 3-0
 

(2)  hREDS vs FILADELPHIA Academy  (22) 

We're used to seeing hREDS and FILADELPHIA clash in big time battles, but this time it's the FILA Academy team that is making waves around the community. The academy team has shown their potential and are now starting to play true to their level, attempting to challenge reigning European champion hREDS in this series. So far, the big, bad Reds are the only remaining team to go undefeated in the league and being the highest scoring squad around while doing so. While it was rather evident that they weren't going on full steam in the first two playoff rounds, it'll be interesting to see if they are coming out with the goal to crush the affiliate team of one of their biggest rivals in this one.

Prediction: 3-0
 

(3)  IQUE vs Otukset eSports  (16) 

These two got the action started early on Sunday evening already and we ended up seeing the first real shocker of the 2021 FCL playoffs. After going undefeated through the group stage and the first round, IQUE had some minor issues with Tohtorit in the second round and came to a grinding halt in the third round against Otukset eSports, who completely shut down the party. 

Result: 0-3
 

(4)  POGGERS vs Sack Brothers  (15)

POGGERS is another one of the teams that had a great group stage, going undefeated. They had some trouble against Nordic Knights in the first round, but quickly redeemed themselves in the second round against Blacklist. We know POGGERS as a high-scoring team with rather fast offense, a style that also Sack Brothers like to employ when given the chance. In the end, we will see two rather similar squads match up, but POGGERS hold a higher standard and will be coming out as the winner. 

Prediction: 3-1
 

(5)  HAVU Gaming vs Kiekko-Espoo Esports  (14)

While they've maintained their spot among the top teams around, HAVU have been in a seemingly vulnerable position for quite some time already. In this round, Kiekko-Espoo Esports are the ones posing the challenge. Kiekko-Espoo are an interesting team, who possess some top-tier talent and have the ability to create witty plays on offense, but their form tends to be very fluctuant. Although HAVU hasn't been able to rise to their best level recently, their baseline is still above that of Kiekko-Espoo and they should be able to walk away from this one unscathed. 

Prediction: 3-0
 

(6)  Dynastia vs SAWO ESPORTS  (11) 

Now this could be a tough battle. We've been pumping the tyres of Dynastia for quite some time already and it's definitely deserved, but now they'll be running into a SAWO ESPORTS, who have slightly underperformed so far. These two clashed in the group stage already, where they traded wins, but Dynastia walked away with an extra point from an OT loss. Despite their high seed, Dynastia haven't had a cakewalk in the playoffs and have seen some issues especially in the first few games of series. They'll need to be alert in this one, or else SAWO could run them over early. 

Prediction: 2-3
 

(7)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs KOVA Esports  (10) 

This series features two squads where we could see a bit of a rivalry forming - or at least could wish for it on the sidelines. Both clubs hailing from Jyväskylä in central Finland fought in the relegation zone of ECL 12 Elite and are now clashing for the first time since those fierce battles. JYP have slightly retooled, adding 1v1 champion @Artuzio on their left wing, while KOVA have been sticking with their guns, true and tested. The history between these clubs suggest low-scoring games that will sway either direction based on opportunities converted from mistakes. It's a matchup to keep an eye on for sure!

Prediction: 3-2
 

(8)  GOONS vs Tunnel Vision  (9)

In that mid-tier matchup at this point of the playoffs, GOONS and Tunnel Vision are going to fight it out. Both squads are in a similar position, having established themselves as Elite level squads after their first campaign in the European top 16 and now looking for success in the domestic FCL. While GOONS have largely remained in a similar composition, Tunnel Vision have seen some changes since their Elite campaign, however, it looks like they could be a stronger team than before. GOONS is a more aggressive team that likes to attack the net more and put a heavier pressure on puck carriers, which could tip the scales in their benefit for this series. If Tunnel Vision can find a way to bait penalties or match that aggression, they could pose a serious threat.

Prediction: 3-2

Make sure to join us tonight for two exciting matchups, first JYP Jyvaskyla and KOVA Esports clash, after which HAVU Gaming take on Kiekko-Espoo Esports. In the booth, Arttu Hämäläinen and Oskari Koski! Tune in for the action at www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer starting 19:45 CEST.

NHLGamers,

As the league moves on, we've now also entered the playoffs in the 1v1 format of the FCL. Currently we're down to the top 120 players and closing in on the 2nd round with only 60 players remaining. Invitees Arttu @Artuzio Mustila and Erik @Eki Tammenpää will enter in the third round and the group stage with the top 32. Here's the full schedule for the playoffs:

Lainaa

FCL 1v1 Playoff schedule

Round 1: 9-12.9 (BO5)
Round 2: 13-15.9 (BO5)
Round 3: 16-19.9 (Group stage)
Round 4: 20-22.9 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 23-26.9 (BO5)
Top 4 Finals: 1.10 (BO3)

Follow the bracket on the league page and the players on social media in order to stay updated with what's going on and who is moving closer towards the ultimate goal of being crowned the next Finnish Champion and taking home the biggest slice of our 4500 EUR prize pool!

NHLGamers,

We're down to 32 teams left in the FCL 6v6 Playoffs and winding down towards the toughest games of the season. With that, we'll also be broadcasting action starting tonight. Rusty Blades go at GOONS with puck drop at 20:00 CEST and Hokurit go at Tunnel Vision starting 21:30 CEST over at our Twitch-channel. Round 2 of the playoffs are to be played between today, 6th of September and Thursday, 9th of September in a best-of-five manner.

Lainaa

FCL 6v6 Playoff schedule:

• Round 1 2.-5.9.
• Round 2 6.9.-9.9.
• Round 3 13.9.-16.9.
• Quarterfinals 20.9.-23.9.
• Semifinals 27.-29.9.
• Finals 2.10.

(1)  FILADELPHIA vs Shameful Knights  (47)

(2)  hREDS vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles  (44)

(3)  IQUE vs Tohtorit  (41)

(4)  POGGERS vs Blacklist  (40)

(5)  HAVU Gaming vs Perttilan Kommandot  (36)

(6)  Dynastia vs Setelit On Ice  (34)

(7)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs STARGAZING  (33)

(8)  GOONS vs Rusty Blades  (30)

(9)  Tunnel Vision vs Hokurit  (28) 

(10)  KOVA Esports vs Lemmenvelhot  (27) 

(11)  SAWO Esports vs Spirit  (26)   

(12)  Sulkavan Sudet vs Conquer Gaming  (23) 

(13)  BoxinElite vs FILADELPHIA Academy  (22) 

(14)  Kiekko-Espoo Esports vs Reign  (20) 

(15)  Sack Brothers vs VISU Gaming  (19)   

(16)  Otukset eSports vs RCTIC (17) 

Key points to follow throughout the second round:

- Still, Dynastia. After a very strong group stage they had a small hiccup against Wilhelm Devils in the first round. In the end, they advanced with ease but will need too improve with their chance conversion when the games get tighter. Their series against Setelit on Ice should follow the same format and we can expect Dynastia to advance further.

- POGGERS & SAWO, both of these established Elite squads had some issues to get going in the first round, can they bounce back and put forth stronger performances against increasingly tough opponents?

- Tight matchups, especially some of the mid-table matchups are extremely even as some strong teams didn't perform up to expectations in the group stage. Kiekko-Espoo vs Reign and Sack Brothers vs VISU Gaming are ones to watch closely, those could go either way.

Make sure to tune in already tonight at 19:45 CEST in order to follow the first games of the Round 2 playoffs! Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen will be in the booth over at www.twitch.tv/NHLgamer.

NHLGamers, 

We're down to 64 teams remaining in the 3rd annual FCL league and with the playoffs starting, the real meaningful games are just around the bend. At this point, also the defending champion and #1 seed FILADELPHIA will join in on the action after sitting out the group stage and enjoying some time to hone their form in time for the playoffs. The FCL 6v6 playoffs will be played in a best-of-five format and qualified teams will be seeded based on PPG going into the postseason. The first round of the playoffs starts Today on Wednesday, 1st of September and is to be played by the end of Sunday, 5th of September. 

Without further ado, here are your Round 1 matchups:

(1)  FILADELPHIA vs Bruise Brothers  (64)

(2)  hREDS vs Powerhouse HC  (63)

(3)  IQUE vs Lutunilkat  (62)

(4)  POGGERS vs Nordic Knights  (61)

(5)  HAVU Gaming vs Bare Knuckles Hockey  (60)

(6)  Dynastia vs Wilhelm Devils  (59)

(7)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs Rahinakaukalo  (58)

(8)  GOONS vs VANHAT KYLJYKSET  (57)

(9)  Tunnel Vision vs Murohoki  (56)

(10)  KOVA Esports vs Oulunsalo HT  (55)

(11)  SAWO Esports vs Baby Goons  (54)

(12)  Sulkavan Sudet vs Angry Cats  (53)

(13)  BoxinElite vs Reality Check HC  (52)

(14)  Kiekko-Espoo Esports vs Patience  (51)

(15)  Sack Brothers vs SKYFALL  (50)

(16)  Otukset eSports vs Cowabunga Hockey  (49)

(17)  RCTIC vs RoKi Esports  (48)

(18)  Project X vs Shameful Knights  (47)

(19)  VISU Gaming vs TIKI TALK  (46)

(20)  Reign vs Nordic Stars  (45)

(21)  Hotbox vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles  (44)

(22)  FILADELPHIA Academy vs Pasilan SKA  (43)

(23)  Conquer Gaming vs Stone Age  (42)

(24)  GIFU Hockey vs Tohtorit  (41)

(25)  Arkham Asylum vs Blacklist  (40)

(26)  Spirit vs PunaKala  (39)

(27)  Lemmenvelhot vs UNI Gaming  (38)

(28)  Hokurit vs The Last Line  (37) 

(29)  Resurrection vs Perttilan Kommandot  (36)

(30)  Rusty Blades vs Pata Hellalla  (35)

(31)  Rookie Mistakes vs Setelit On Ice  (34)

(32)  Sopranos vs STARGAZING  (33)

Key points to follow throughout the first round: 

- The domination of Dynastia. They look a bit out of place among the top seeds filled with established Elite squads, right? Don't be surprised if this ensemble manages to push far into the postseason. They had a convincing group stage, dropping points in only two matchups. It'll be interesting to see how they match up against teams outside their own group. 

- Group 3 teams and their postseason performance. The group was exceptionally strong throughout the regular season and several of the teams coming out of this group hold point averages on the higher end. Especially Otukset eSports is an exciting squad that somewhat surprisingly managed to snag a #2 spot in their group.

- Established squads that underperformed in the group play. Teams such as Conquer Gaming, Rusty Blades, Reality Check HC and Rookie Mistakes to name a few. These teams dropped surprising points in the group stage and as a result hold lower seeds than perhaps expected. Can they plow through their opposition from a tougher position and could it perhaps benefit them in the end?

- Underdogs. We've got some interesting teams in underdog positions. A comeback story in Shameful Knights is one to keep an eye on, but also Nordic Stars, Cowabunga Hockey or Patience are a few of the teams that could cause upsets.

While a week of competition has already passed in this years iteration of FCL 6v6, the action is just kicking off in the 1v1-portion of the league. With starting the action, you'll also naturally need some information about to be dropped in this article. We're glad to have so many of you participating, as around 230 players are now eager to challenge champion Arttu @Artuzio Mustila for the throne.



Schedule

• Group stage: 23.8-6.9
• Round 1: 9.9-12.9 (BO5)
• Round 2: 13-15.9 (BO5)
• Round 3: 16-19.9 (BO5)
• Round 4: 20-22.9 (BO5)
• Round 5: 23-26.9 (BO5)
• TOP 4 Finals: 1.10 (BO3)

Brief season description

The regular season will commence with group stage play. Players will be divided into 20 groups with approximately 11-12 players in each group. In these groups, all players will face each other once and finally the top 6 players from each group will advance to the playoffs (a total of 120 players). The playoffs will be played in best-of-five manner with the exception of a live-event, where the semifinals and finals would be best-of-three. The fourth round of the playoffs will hold 32 players, as invitees Erik @Eki Tammenpää and Arttu @Artuzio Mustila will join the tournament at that stage. The remaining 32 players will be divided into groups of four players, where they will play to face each opponent twice. The two best players in each group will advance to the top 16 finals, which are again played in a best-of-five manner.

Rulebook

You can find the rulebook here. It is also always available through the league menu. We strongly suggest every player gets familiar with the rules before jumping on the ice. 

League Administration

All league related verdicts will be decided by the League Administration. To open up a case, visit the Support section.

Please note: before contacting League Administration, players are expected to do their best and solve issues they might have on their own. Familiarize yourself with our rules first, as they include lots of guidance for different issues. League Administration is always to be used as the last resort to solve any disagreements.

Communication

In order to get in touch with your opponent, you can use the private message function on our site or the FCL 1v1 discord channel which can be found on the NHLGamer discord server You can join our discord server by clicking the button below. Please communicate with your scheduled opponent in time. 

In the NHLGamer Discord you will find an FCL 1v1 group with designated channels for each group, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below)

Licenses

All participating players must acquire a SEUL license, which costs 5€ to obtain. Participating without a license can lead to sanctions such as point loss or in grave cases disqualification.

Acquire your license here

Social media

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your matchups, recaps, clips - or any other content you might want to create - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: 

• @NHLGamerCOM
• @esm_gg
• #FCL2021
• #MukanaWilhelm
• #kouvolanlakritsi

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: 

• @NHLGamerOfficial
• @esmkisat
• @atria_wilhelm
• #FCL2021
• #MukanaWilhelm
• #kouvolanlakritsi

We hope everyone has a great FCL. Good luck to all players!