News: News

The FCL starts today - here's all you need to know!

Sun, 15 Aug 2021 21:59:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Tonight we kick off the FCL 6v6 season, and we're pleased to see so many of you taking part in the biggest Finnish NHL Esports league! A total of 85 teams are taking part in this year's Finnish championships, and teams are divided into nine groups of 9-10 teams. Seven teams out of each group will make the playoffs, where they will be joined by reigning champion FILADELPHIA as the #1 seed. The rulebook is out now and we ask all players to get familiar with it before commencing their games.

There signups for the 1v1 portion of the FCL are still open until 17.8 - sign up for that here!

Schedule

Default gamedays for the FCL 2021 season will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Group stage: 16.-31.8
Playoffs round 1: 2.-5.9
Playoffs round 2: 6.-9.9 (BO5)
Playoffs round 3: 13.-16.9 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 20.-23.9 (BO5)
Semifinals: 27.-29.9 (BO5)
Finals: 2.10. (BO5)

License & Eligibility

The FCL 2021 features 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. All players require an eSM 2021 license in order to participate in FCL 6v6 and/or FCL 1v1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2021 leagues and tournaments (for 1v1 you must be a Finnish citizen).

Social media

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - 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

Communication

In order to get in touch with your opponent, you can use the "Message all captains" button (pictured below) on the team's page. This will send a private message on the NHLGamer community to the three listed captains.

Additionally, we offer an NHLGamer Discord server, which you can join by clicking the button below. We ask that at the very least the captains of each team join the server, as messaging through Discord is instant and it is a great way to communicate quickly and briefly.

In the NHLGamer Discord you will find an FCL 6v6 group with designated channels, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below)

Join the FCL now - 6v6 signups close on August 11th!

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 02:44:04 +0000

NHLGamers,

There's still time to get in on the action in the biggest virtual hockey league in Finland! Signups for the 6v6 league are open until 23:59 CEST on August 11th (Tomorrow!) and signups for the 1v1 league are open until 23:59 CEST on August 17th. If you want the full scoop on what the FCL is, check out the full story here.

Like last year, this iteration of the FCL will 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. All players require an eSM 2021 license in order to participate in FCL 6v6 and/or FCL 1v1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2021 leagues and tournaments (for 1v1 you must be a Finnish citizen).

SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE!
Sign-ups for 1v1 are open now and will be open until 17.8:

Schedule for FCL 1v1:

Group stage: 23.8-9.9
Playoffs: 13.9-23.9
TOP 4 Finals: 1.10 (BO3)

SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE!

Sign-ups for 6v6 are open now and will be open until 11.8:

Schedule for FCL 6v6:

Group stage: 16.-31.8
Playoffs round 1: 2.-5.9
Playoffs round 2: 6.-9.9 (BO5)
Playoffs round 3: 13.-16.9 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 20.-23.9 (BO5)
Semifinals: 27.-29.9 (BO5)
Finals: 2.10. (BO5)

This is your chance to play with and against some of the best players in the world and compete for a slice of the 10 000 EUR prize pool, so don't wait, gather your friends and sign up now!

Read the more detailed FCL news story here.

Photo: Arttu Kokkonen / SEUL

Who will hoist the cup? The FCL is back with 10 000€ on the line!

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 18:00:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Yet another action packed year full of virtual hockey has passed, and with that it's been nearly a year since the last FCL was hosted, concluding in a thrilling final series between FILADELPHIA and HAVU Gaming on the 6v6-side, whereas Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Arttu @Artuzio Mustila clashed in the 1v1 finals. This year, we'll be returning for another great season, and like before, the FCL holds the official Finnish Championship license (eSM 2021) from the Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL). The FCL will be played through August and September and will be completed entirely online (subject to change). The combined prize pool is 10 000 EUR.

SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE!
Sign-ups for 1v1 are open now and will be open until 17.8:

Schedule for FCL 1v1:

Group stage: 23.8-6.9
Playoffs: 9.9-26.9
TOP 4 Finals: 1.10 (BO3)

SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE!

Sign-ups for 6v6 are open now and will be open until 11.8:

Schedule for FCL 6v6:

Group stage: 16.-31.8
Playoffs round 1: 2.-5.9
Playoffs round 2: 6.-9.9 (BO5)
Playoffs round 3: 13.-16.9 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 20.-23.9 (BO5)
Semifinals: 27.-29.9 (BO5)
Finals: 2.10. (BO5)

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 FCL 2021 Finals.

Due to the FCL being played online and cross-platform play not being available, this year FCL will be played only on the PlayStation console.

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

Invitations

FCL 6v6:

Reigning Finnish Champion FILADELPHIA will be invited to round 1 of the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per eSM 2021 rules (restrictions apply).

FCL 1v1:

Reigning Finnish Champion Arttu @Artuzio Mustila will be invited to the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per eSM 2021 rules.
The NHL GWC European Champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää will be invited to the playoff stage as the #2 seed.

Photo: Arttu Kokkonen / SEUL

About us

Since its inception, NHLGamer has continuously strived to offer the best possible experience for any and all gamers who have come to enjoy the competitiveness of playing the EA Sports series of NHL games. Created by gamers for gamers, we are very much in touch with the growing community and want to understand the fundamental desires of our end customers fully. The international competitive leagues in Europe (ECL) and North America (NACL) are our crown jewels, which have proven to draw interest from the very best teams and players worldwide.
While proud of our achievements and the success we've had in creating and maintaining such a great community of talented gamers, we are not done yet. Our long-term goals include growing the community, hosting larger leagues with prize pools, and working together with organizations at the cutting edge of gaming and esports.

About our partners

Atria Wilhelm
Atria's Wilhelm product range has become a staple in Finnish snack culture throughout the years. Whether you're having a summer night barbeque or need something to go with the big game of the night - Wilhelm has you covered. Check out the full product range here!

The Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL) works as the umbrella organization for Finnish competitive electronic gaming. SEUL's mission is to improve and promote electronic sports and the activities of our members. The federation was established in December 2010 to respond to the growing need for an organization to promote esports as a hobby and as a respectable sport.
The activities performed by SEUL are divided into the development of esports, protection of player’s interests and communicational work. The development of esports is done partly by utilizing workgroups, which are based on the work of our volunteers. The board is responsible for the day to day operations in co-operation with employees.
The federation co-operates with many national organizations such as VERKE, EHYT ry and KAVI, promoting a positive image of gamers and gaming in general. The federation’s participation in the international field is strong, since they represent Finland in the International Esports Federation (IESF). SEUL is also on the receiving end of the yearly grants given out by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture for youth programs, and represents Finnish esports as a member of the Finnish Olympic Committee.

What are you waiting for? Sign up now for the chance of winning the Finnish Championship and some great cash prizes! We sincerely hope to see as many of you there as possible! Also, since the sign-up period is rather short, we'd appreciate it if you spread the word to everyone!

The FCL 6v6 season recap

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 10:32:40 +0000

NHLGamers,

What a wild ride it's been, not only the FCL but the entire NHL 20 competitive season. We had an exceptionally long time with the game due to the delay of the NHL 21 release, but we sure took advantage of the time we had. This past weekend featured the finale of NHL 20 with the grand finals of the FCL. Alike our other leagues, also the FCL showed great growth by almost doubling the amount of participating teams from the first FCL season in 2019. Let's keep going and continue the growth into ECL 11!

With the FCL and SCL championships being played for on consecutive weekends, we now also have some players that have secured a championship in both of those tournaments within the span of one week. Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen played defense for both Vesa Pompa HC and FILADELPHIA, whereas Casper @ICappeI Lundgren has made history and set a record that will definitely be tough to break. The man secured a SCL championship on the left wing of Vesa Pompa HC first, after which he stopped pucks for FILADELPHIA, winning the FCL championship in net. Winning a championship by playing both in net and as a skater is something that legendary Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen has previously accomplished back in ECL 4 with Laser HT, but doing so with two different teams on consecutive weekends is something that most likely won't be happening again for a while.

Group stage

With the large amount of teams participating and the restricted time to complete the tournament, the playoff picture this year was arguably rather unforgiving, with only four teams from each group and the three best fifth placed teams making it to the postseason. We'll be focusing on the advancing teams when taking a closer look at the playoff matchups, but let's take an overviews of some teams that didn't make it in this section.

Group 1 saw two excellent teams face disappointment, as both HanaaHC and the recent Lite champions Sack Brothers didn't qualify for the postseason. Despite good performances throughout the season, especially Sack Brothers ended up dropping decisive points against lower seeded teams such as Kiekkonapalmi. HanaaHC ended up being the 5th placing team, which wasn't quite enough to put them through this time.

HC Wildcard faced a similar end result to HanaaHC in their respective group. Despite putting up decent numbers and being just a point behind the 4th place Sulkavan Sudet, they fell short and wasn't seen in the postseason.

We were pleasantly surprised to see Oulunsalon Pallo push through to the playoffs in group 3, overcoming experienced teams such as Mockba and the greatly improved HUIPPUPASSI.

Group 4 showcased a tough three way battle for 4th place between Angry Cats, Cheers Hockey and We Kings. Those three teams eventually finished in that order based on tiebreakers, after which Cheers Hockey made the postseason as the 3rd best 5th placing team.

In group 5, SJ Gaming was seen as a team that should advance, but they didn't do so without hickups, dropping important points against Hokurit right out of the gates and putting forth slightly shaky performances throughout the group stage. SJ managed to find their stride a bit later on and got into the playoffs as the best 5th placing team.

The 5th place battle was up to Gotham Knights and Armada Hockey in group 6, where the Knights finally managed to gather enough points to make the postseason, but didn't do so without trouble as they lost some matchups that they wish they had back along the way.

The 7th and final group featured the three way Mestis rivalry between SAWO, Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa and TuTo Esports out of which the two first pushed through to the playoffs. The experienced Murohoki came very close, but didn't find enough points to go through from their 5th place.

Playoffs

A bit under half of the participating teams qualified for the playoffs, making it a run to the finish line for only the very best clubs in the scene. Right out of the gates we saw some interesting matchups as some high level teams struggled in the group stage, putting them at lower seeds than perhaps expected. The most exciting first round matchups were definitely the unexpected clashes between FILADELPHIA and Gotham Knights, YMCA Esports and SJ Gaming and finally the Mestis rivalry vol. 2 between SAWO Esports and Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa, out of which all offered some juicy storylines.

Actually, from the second round on it wasn't until the finals that a lower seeded team came away with the victory in a series. During round two, the lower seeded teams managed to extract only two wins, which are credited to the names of Nordic Stars and Kaupallinen Yhteistyo. Moving on, the quarterfinals were played in a similar manner except for JYP Jyvaskyla vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS, where the Birds came close to an upset, faltering only 3-2 to the strong JYP squad.

The semifinals offered action in the form of a HAVU Gaming - JYP Jyvaskyla thriller and a high skill free-for-all between FILADELPHIA and hREDS. Now HAVU and JYP were extremely tightly matched and ended up going to an exciting fifth game where HAVU had to make a roster substitution when Eemil @Eemil Koski took the ice at an unfamiliar LW position in the place of HAVU's mainstay winger Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen. The youngster put forth a convincing effort in a tough spot, ultimately securing the second consecutive FCL final spot for HAVU Gaming. Going into their series against FILADELPHIA, hREDS were looking sharp and had their offense firing on all cylinders, but ended up falling short against a FILA that looked stronger than eve

Finals
The finals were hyped up a lot this year and that was definitely for a reason. We've been calling it the El Clásico of NHL gaming and these two teams are yet to disappoint. It's always a joy to watch with the sheer overflow of skill that's present when HAVU Gaming and FILADELPHIA meet on the virtual ice. In this years iteration of the FCL playoffs, this classic featured a full five game series with lots of back and forth action. The scoring was kept low as expected, but we didn't have to extend for overtime in any of the games this year. Game five in the extremely tough series ended up being a thriller, having FILADELPHIA in a 3-1 lead until the dying seconds, when HAVU managed to push back, but being left just short putting the final score at 3-2 for FILA, as also the final score of the series. We crowned a new champion!

If you happened to miss the broadcast, check it out here:

FILADELPHIA is your new FCL 6v6 champion!

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 15:17:04 +0000

NHLGamers,

On Saturday, we showcased the El Clásico of NHL gaming between HAVU Gaming and FILADELPHIA. It's a final series we've been treated to on several occasions before, and got to see once again. The defending champions HAVU Gaming took the ice in great form after having been tested hard by JYP in the semifinals. FILA on the other hand joined the finals on a run that took off after a difficult start. Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari is known for stopping pucks but took the community by storm hopping into the booth with Julius Sorjonen and passing that test with flying colors.

The final series between the two juggernauts was definitely up to par with what we expected as we saw some back and forth action and eventually an exciting new champion that regains the throne as a winner between the two. Congratulations to FILADELPHIA!

Here's FILADELPHIA's road to the championship:
Group stage record:
20-0-0
Round 1:
vs Gotham Knights 3-2
Round 2:
vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa 3-0
Quarterfinals:
vs Tunnel Vision 3-1
Semifinals:
vs hREDS 3-1
Finals:
vs HAVU Gaming 3-2

The winning roster:
GOALTENDERS
#71 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren

DEFENSEMEN
#27 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta
#40 Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen

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

Congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community, and a warm thank you to all participants. See you in NHL 21!

If you missed the broadcast, you can rewatch it here:

Arttu "Artuzio" Mustila is your new FCL 1v1 champion!

Sat, 10 Oct 2020 21:13:36 +0000

NHLGamers,

The past weekend featured a worthy finale for NHL20 with the FCL finals with some of the worlds best talent for show in both 1v1 finals on Friday and 6v6 finals on Saturdays. Although we're tremendously happy to have some of the most dominant players and teams on our platform, we're excited to announce that we have crowned new champions on both the 1v1 and 6v6 sides!

Friday featured a top 8 grand final, starting at the quarterfinal stage. We were certain that we would crown a new champ as the defending champion Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola was narrowly eliminated in the top 16 stage. Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan, Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen, Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Arttu @Artuzio Mustila, Joona @Hullued Saarinen, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, Sami @buranaburana Piiparinen and Roope @Pikkuroger Bergström all lined up and squared off in their respective best of three quarterfinals. We cut down to four gamers remaining, after which @Artuzio and @NikkeDangles were in the finals and @Eki would meet @MrNipsuli in the bronze game.

Eventually, @Artuzio would be out new FCL 1v1 champion! Congratulations on behalf of the entire community.

Group stage record:
Invited straight to the finals stage
Finals group stage record:
5-1-0
Quarterfinals:
Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen 3-1
Semifinals:
Roope @Pikkuroger Bergström 2-1
Finals:
Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 2-0

Here is the top 3 of the FCL 1v1:
1. Arttu @Artuzio Mustila
2. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
3. Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan

If you missed the broadcast, you can rewatch it here:

Once again, congratulations!

FCL 6v6 Finals preview

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 12:47:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

El Clásico, in the football world has been known for an eternity as the heated bout between the two Spanish giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two juggernauts have battled through a total of 277 official games since the 1902 Copa de la Coronacion and stand incredibly even in wins and competitive games are tied at 96 wins each. Currently, there's arguably no better rivalry in football - some might say in sports altogether.

Some of you might already know where we're getting with this, and it's something that's been talked about before. The two greats of virtual hockey will be going at it once again as they have paved their way through the multitude of challengers in this years FCL. HAVU Gaming and FILADELPHIA perhaps do not possess the history and social status that their football counterparts do, but comparing the two matchups inside their respective sports isn't completely out of place and has been done before even here at NHLGamer.

Quote

To summarize: in the last eight tournaments organized by NHLGamer (not including the differently formatted Summer Cup or the inaugural edition of the SCL where neither team had a chance to participate), FILADELPHIA/Linköping HC have won four and Written In The Stars/HAVU Gaming four – including four finals where they’ve been pitted directly against each other. That’s a near unprecedented dominance not seen on the NHL esports scene since Swedish teams Northern Stars and Unknown were lining up tournament wins in the previous gen (pre-NHL 16) of the game.

The way Linköping and HAVU have made competitive NHL 6v6 gaming a two-horse race in the past 18 months (or NHLs 19 and 20, for those keeping track) almost defies explanation – bringing about comparisons to the famous rivalry in Spanish football league La Liga between standout clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

And wouldn’t you know it?

Whenever these two behemoths of NHL gaming get matched up against each other, especially in the playoffs, you will usually find at least 5-10 comments in the NHLGamer Twitch stream – because let’s face it, their matchups should never not be broadcasted – calling the matchup the “El Clasico of NHL gaming”.

It does have a nice ring to it. And the rivalry is just as fierce.

Above is an excerpt from the ECL 10 Preview by dear friend and occasional colleague Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt, who put it into beautiful words how dominant HAVU and FILA (then Linköping HC) have been in the past couple of years of NHL gaming.

It is an undeniable fact that both HAVU and FILADELPHIA have dominated the playing field in virtual hockey over the course of the past few years, a reign that you could argue started with the ECL 6 Elite championship for Carlsberg HC and has extended through a multitude of competitive tournaments since. In fact, since the beginning of 2018, these two clubs have clashed 35 times in competitive games, out of which FILADELPHIA in various compositions have won 18 and HAVU during their history have taken home 17. These two teams have gone head-to-head in a total of five times in final series, at the end of which HAVU has hoisted the trophy three times. During these two years, both of these teams have won five trophies in various tournaments.

The last time we saw competitive games between these two teams was in the ECL 10 Elite finals in June, when FILADELPHIA was heading for a surefire victory that HAVU stole from them in a dramatic game seven.

We are without a doubt talking about the most successful teams in virtual hockey history to this point.

(2) FILADELPHIA vs HAVU Gaming (1)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää (16+17=33) vs Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (11+21=32)

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (87.5 SV%, 1 GAA, 6 SO) vs Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (82.30 SV%, 1.43 GAA, 2 SO)

Despite quite some time passing since the last time we saw HAVU and FILA take the ice simultaneously, not much has changed for these teams. We are expecting the exact same rosters to go to war and what better way to do so than in a final series once again. Just last weekend, a number of these players played in the SCL finals which could possibly have some effect on the readiness of going into such a high stakes game. Three out of four players that participated are on the FILADELPHIA side, however. That coupled with the fact that HAVU hasn't played an FCL group stage and has at least some time less in game over the last few weeks could also be an impactful factor heading into the weekend.

We all know that the base level of these players is at an extremely high, and in these high stakes series, the winner is usually the one who can raise their ceiling even higher. Seeing the SCL finals last weekend, a player that really impressed was Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, who really came into his own and was on a completely different level with puck calmness and possession play. On HAVU's side, the one player that has seen the most action lately is captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha and as usual there is no doubt whatsoever that this guy wouldn't bring it come the decisive games. HAVU will however need their supporting cast to step up even more if they wish to retain their FCL title. Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen is still one of the greatest wingers in the game, Risto @Dominointi Järvi is still one of the greatest centers in the game, but will they be able to elevate to championship level once again? The weekend will show who wants it more.

Here's the community vote result for the series:

In the bronze series (BO3) we will see two teams that are constantly improving and closing in on the two finalists - but had to settle for fighting for the bronze this Saturday.

(5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs hREDS (4)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Santeri @indi969 Pendolin (23+14=37) vs Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (18+26=44)

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (81.63 SV%, 1.80 GAA, 3 SO) vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (81.93 SV%, 1.50 GAA, 1 SO)

Tune in for the finals on Saturday!

The upcoming weekend will be an absolute NHL gaming carnival, with the FCL 1v1 finals coming up on Friday, we'll continue with the El Clásico of virtual hockey on Saturday! Make sure to tell your friends and tune in at twitch.tv/NHLGamer for some quality virtual hockey!

FCL Championship Weekend: 1v1 Finals This Friday!

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 14:59:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

This weekend it's time for the grande finale of the NHL 20 year. With the release of the new game closing in, we're capping off the season with the FCL finals! Eight of the best Finnish 1v1 players will fight for the title and the cash during Friday and two of the best teams will do the same on Saturday. It is now also clear that we will have a shift in power on the 1v1 side, as reigning champion Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola was eliminated based on tiebreakers in the finals group stage. Out of the two invitees, Arttu @Artuzio Mustila still continues in the quarterfinals. Still at this point of the tournament, both Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan and Erik @Eki Tammenpää continue undefeated, looking to be on unstoppable runs so far. Who's the immovable object - who's the unstoppable force?

Friday evening will be featuring a number of quarterfinal games, both semifinal series, a bronze game and a best-of-three final series. There's a lot on the line and at the end of the night - we'll crown a new Finnish champion.

Here are the quarterfinal matchups:

(1) Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan vs Joona @Hullued Saarinen (13)

(2) Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen vs Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (12)

(3) Erik @Eki Tammenpää vs Sami @buranaburana Piiparinen (10)

(6) Arttu @Artuzio Mustila vs Roope @Pikkuroger Bergström (9)

Tune in for the finals on Friday!

The broadcast on Friday will commence at 18:20 EEST and will feature your very own Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen in the booth! You can find the broadcast on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

Here's the preliminary schedule for the night:

18:20 Broadcast start
18:30 Quarterfinals (BO3)
19:30 Semifinal 1 (BO3)
20:30 Semifinal 2 (BO3)
——— SHORT BREAK ———
21:45 Bronze Game (BO1)
22:30 Finals (BO3)

FCL 6v6 Playoffs: Semifinals

Sun, 04 Oct 2020 15:58:23 +0000

NHLGamers,

Semifinals! Only four teams remain and all want their spot in the finals. This news story will be a tightly wrapped info package about the semis:

Quote

5) Turnausrakenne

~~Ilmoittautumiset: 7.8.-21.8.~~

~~Runkosarja: 24.8.-11.9.~~

~~Pudotuspelikierros 1: 14.9.-18.9. (BO5)~~

~~Pudotuspelikierros 2: 21.9.-25.9. (BO5)~~

~~Puolivälierät: 28.9.-1.10. (BO5)~~

Välierät: 3.10.-5.10. (BO5)

Finaalit (Top 2) @ TBD: 10.10. (BO5)

Runkosarja pelataan seitsemässä lohkossa, joista jokaisen lohkon neljä parasta joukkuetta etenee suoraa pudotuspeleihin. Tämän lisäksi pudotuspeleihin pääsee mukaan kolme parasta lohkovitosta.

Pudotuspelit pelataan paras viidestä - menetelmällä. Turnaukseen kutsuttu Havu Gaming on turnauksen 1. sijoitettu ja kohtaa ensimmäisellä pudotuspelikierroksella 32. sijoitetun joukkueen. Runkosarjan paras (eli 2. sijoitettu) joukkue kohtaa 31. sijoitetun joukkueen ja niin edelleen.

(1) HAVU Gaming vs JYP Jyvaskyla (5)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Risto @Dominointi Järvi (9+13=22) vs Santeri @indi969 Pendolin (19+11=30)

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (84.62 SV%, 1.11 GAA, 1 SO) vs Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (82.43 SV%, 1.30 GAA, 3 SO)

(2) FILADELPHIA vs hREDS (4)

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää 10+17=27) vs Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (15+23=38)

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (87.95 SV%, 0.83 GAA, 6 SO) vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (80.56 SV%, 1.17 GAA, 1 SO)

Tune in for the playoffs tonight!

The semifinals start tonight as we'll see the starts of both series on the broadcast commentated by Julius Sorjonen, Kenneth @Kenu Lehtinen and Jani @Janikka Tuominen, starting at 19:50 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

FCL 1v1: Tournament overview

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 05:15:23 +0000

NHLGamers,

The versus sides of our leagues are equally important compared to the 6v6 games that our community is more known for, but unfortunately are rarely covered in news stories and articles as much, due to the enormous amount of players and the quicker pace of the tournaments. Therefore, it's now suitable to take a moment to overview where we're currently at in the FCL 1v1 tourney.

This years FCL 1v1 started off with around 200 participants, and it's a joy to see so many eager to challenge for the biggest prize in Finnish 1v1 NHL. Naturally, such a big number of players calls for some infrastructure in order to weed out the eventual top contenders. Here's an overview of how that was done this year:

Group stage - around 200 participants

15 groups with 13-14 players
One game against each opponent
Eight players from each group advance (120 players in total)

2nd round - BO5 playoffs (120 players left)

players were seeded into the playoffs based on the following tiebreakers: group stage placement, head-to-head result, goal differential, goals for and wins in regulation.

Third round - BO5 playoffs (60 players left)

Fourth round - Finals group stage (32 players left) <--- WE ARE HERE!

Invitees Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola and Arttu @Artuzio Mustila join the tournament
Players are placed into eight groups with four players each
Two games against each opponent
Two players from each group advance into the top 16

Fifth round - BO5 playoffs (16 players left)

players are seeded into the playoffs based on the following tiebreakers: group stage placement, head-to-head result, goal differential, goals for and wins in regulation.

FINALS - Friday, 9th of October @ twitch.tv/NHLGamer - BO3 playoffs (8 players left)

The tournament structure was changed from a top 4 final event to top 8 - the finals will be online and streamed through NHLGamers Twitch-channel.

Who's still in?

I'm not going to make intricate predictions of the tournament simply due to the fact that I have no clue about how the 6v6 skill of some of these guys translates to the versus-side and I personally haven't touched that game mode since NHL 19 or 18. Despite that, We're going to be able to highlight the performances of some probable contenders based on their runs so far in the tournament.

Obviously we need to note that the defending champion @kriketski17 and the European GWC champion @Artuzio are now joining the competition to fill out the remaining player pool to the full 32 players. I'm unaware of how much these guys have played, but at least Artuzio has recently also qualified for the top 16 in the eLiiga Näytön Paikka-tounament, beating some solid opposition such as Vainö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen and Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli along the way.

I caught up with invitee @Artuzio for some quick questions about entering the tournament at this stage:

Is entering the tournament midway more difficult in some way and how did you stay in form when the others played their FCL group stage games?
- I don't think it's harder at all, maybe even the opposite. I kept up my form by playing wagers against other top players after my GWC run. I think that's a good way to practice since you have something to play for that will spur you to give your best.

You started off good with two wins, is there someone you wouldn't want to face moving on and who is your biggest challenger?
- There's no one I'm really worried about facing, but the biggest challenger in this tournament is definitely @Eki.

This far into the tournament, we've also got two players who remain undefeated throughout the group stage and the playoffs. To no surprise one of these guys is Erik @Eki Tammenpää and the other one is equally skilled Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan.

Players who have pushed through to the top 32 against some heavy odds are Tuomas @Tumpp1A Aaltonen after finishing 6th in the group stage and going into the playoffs with seed 81. Also Niko @Naikou88 Heikkilä can be seen as making a surprise run so far, placing 5th in the group stage and entering the playoffs at seed 70.

Due to my limited knowledge, I decided to consult someone who's actually played these guys in order to get an understanding of who could be the guys to look out for and who are some black horses. Here are the predictions for the finals group stage by Jiska @jorma2001 Näppä:

Note that predictions were made in the afternoon of the 29th of September, before a majority of games were played/reported.
Group 1
Advancing: @kriketski17, @Oxdogolli (Dementoitunu)
@Pikkuroger stands a good chance at surprising.

Group 2:
Advancing: @Artuzio
@buranaburana, @Emppa988 and @Xteemuz are fighting for the second spot with equal chances.

Group 3:
Advancing: @Kemppane_
@OsquuG and @JesseL2002 are both solid players who can take the second spot, whereas @Wpaanane has the skill but needs to be consistent.

Group 4:
Advancing: @MrNipsuli, @Spearzz_
@Hullued has been in great form as of late and has a shot at advancing.

Group 5:
Advancing: @Eki
No clear favorites to take the 2nd spot.

Group 6:
Advancing: @xDoumi, @Krisutus
@Limu95 and @Borjendahlen are good players that are skilled enough to advance, but the favorites are clear nevertheless.

Group 7:
Advancing: @NikkeDangles and @Beniittto are favorites.
@luosttin is more of a wild card than @viba2008, but the youngster stands the chance of a total upset.

Group 8:
Advancing: @Vattu__ has been in great form as of late and should advance.
The remaining three players share equal chances of taking the 2nd spot.

Above: Last year's TOP3: #2 Erik "Eki" Tammenpää, #1: Kristian "kriketsi17" Veijola & Tuukka "@FlyerKungen" Kuha | Photo credit: SEUL ry / Arttu Kokkonen

What are your thoughts on the remaining players? Do you think @kriketski17 will be able to defend his title or will we see a shift in power?

FCL 6v6 playoffs: Quarterfinals preview

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 14:08:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

We're movin' on! Only the absolute elite remain as we're closing in on the final games of the FCL season and the teams can smell victory around the corner. Some of the teams we see at this stage of the competition are old acquaintances that are expected to play at this level, but it's also a joy to see a few younger teams push through the initial playoff rounds.

Quote

5) Turnausrakenne

~~Ilmoittautumiset: 7.8.-21.8.~~

~~Runkosarja: 24.8.-11.9.~~

~~Pudotuspelikierros 1: 14.9.-18.9. (BO5)~~

~~Pudotuspelikierros 2: 21.9.-25.9. (BO5)~~

Puolivälierät: 28.9.-1.10. (BO5)

Välierät: 3.10.-5.10. (BO5)

Finaalit (Top 2) @ TBD: 10.10. (BO5)

Runkosarja pelataan seitsemässä lohkossa, joista jokaisen lohkon neljä parasta joukkuetta etenee suoraa pudotuspeleihin. Tämän lisäksi pudotuspeleihin pääsee mukaan kolme parasta lohkovitosta.

Pudotuspelit pelataan paras viidestä - menetelmällä. Turnaukseen kutsuttu Havu Gaming on turnauksen 1. sijoitettu ja kohtaa ensimmäisellä pudotuspelikierroksella 32. sijoitetun joukkueen. Runkosarjan paras (eli 2. sijoitettu) joukkue kohtaa 31. sijoitetun joukkueen ja niin edelleen.

(1) HAVU Gaming vs GENESIS (10)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Risto @Dominointi Järvi (7+11=18) vs Joona @Hullued Saarinen (8+12=20)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (81.40 SV%, 1.33 GAA, 0 SO) vs Teemu @Vaporik Jokinen (83.46 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 1 SO)

Throughout their reign, HAVU Gaming has been the absolute toughest team to beat in the scene and they look to continue on that path remaining undefeated throughout their first two playoff rounds. Despite going directly into the playoffs, there is no rust to be found on these guys and their play has been clicking nicely. If something, I'd expect their possession play to elevate moving forward and goalie @Hansulinho to improve on his already steady level of play. The most surprising and refreshing team of the FCL season would be GENESIS for me. They've paved their way into the quarters and are setting up a success story like no other. On the Swedish side we've seen goalie legend @ICappeI potting goals for Vesa Pompa, but in Finnish competition Genesis' @Hullued is doing just the same, is there something these guys can't do on the virtual ice? The challenge is tough for GENESIS, and I'm agreeing with the community on this one - HAVU will advance, most likely staying undefeated.

(2) FILADELPHIA vs Tunnel Vision (9)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää (6+15=21) vs Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen (5+10=15)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (90.57 SV%, 0.63 GAA, 4 SO) vs Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (75.86 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 0 SO)

This matchup showcases yet another juggernaut versus a clear underdog and a somewhat surprising team to see at this stage of the tournament. We all know what FILA is capable of and the routine that these guys have cannot be stressed enough, but the fact is that most of them have spent time with other teams in other tournaments alongside the FCL and it surely has to impact their play in some way, no? Despite the speculation, FILADELPHIA has some of the most dominant players of the tournament both up front and in net and are expected to rely on their sheer skill in order to overcome Tunnel Vision in this series. The younger, inexperienced but perhaps hungrier team will definitely need to find that next level in this series, if they look to advance past the 2nd seed FILA. Their goaltender @ITemeI has proven his talent in net but will need to step up big time and make those one or two decisive saves more, whereas the unit needs to gel better and improve as a whole. The community consensus is that FILA should advance quite clearly and I agree despite wishing for an upset. The fact is that Tunnel Vision isn't at FILA's level as a team - yet.

(4) hREDS vs KOVA Esports (7)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (13+19=32) vs Kimi @Zip player Nordberg (7+16=23)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (83.33 SV%, 1.00 GAA, 1 SO) vs Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck (77.36 SV%, 2.67 GAA, 1 SO)

The incredibly skilled hREDS remains undefeated through their first two rounds of playoff hockey while they have outscored their opponents 39-10 in that same span of games. Granted, the REDS ran over CRY IS FREE in one of their games, scoring 15 goals but nevertheless their total is impressive. I might have mentioned their forward trio before and I'll do it again, since they possess the skill to do just about anything on the ice when they get into the flow. hREDS also have decent depth in their roster and it remains to see which combination they choose mainly on defense. When talking roster depth, we naturally can't forget about KOVA Esports either. The team has plowed through the first two rounds in a somewhat inconsistent way, dropping a few games but impressively rotating players at even unfamiliar positions. Through the grapevine it's been heard that some internet issues have affected roster decisions but KOVA hasn't let that stop them to this point. The community agrees that hREDS will run over KOVA in this series, but I object - KOVA will pose a challenge to the best of their abilities (note that the author represents KOVA).

(5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS (6)

TOP SCORER (playoffs)
Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (10+10=20) vs Valeri @Valluxet Reihel (11+8=18)

GOALTENDER (playoffs)
Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (91.67 SV%, 0.66 GAA, 2 SO) vs Jere @Jeresti Kulju (76.00 SV%, 2.00 GAA, 1 SO)

I know one thing to be certain about the series between JYP Jyvaskyla and GHETTO FIREBIRDS - one of the teams in this series will be facing their first playoff loss to end the first game. Personally, I feel like JYP has put forth one of the most balanced playoff performances so far - their goaltending is league leading, they seem to be able to score at will while keeping their opposition away from high danger chances. Granted, they haven't faced a team anywhere close to the caliber of GHETTO in these playoffs yet, so this will be their first real challenge as a team, in fact since being eliminated by Farjestad in the ECL 10 playoffs. As stated before, during 2020 GHETTO FIREBIRDS have really came into their own and have found a style that somewhat differs from other Elite teams but keeps them competitive at the very highest level. The return of @Valluxet on offense has given them that bit of extra firepower up front, pushing them to the next level. The community sees JYP advancing, but the votes aren't as lopsided as in the other matchups. I'm actually expecting JYP to struggle with GHETTO, and wouldn't see it as a surprise if the slight underdogs were to advance.

Tune in for the playoffs tonight!

The quarterfinals start tonight as we'll see the starts of two series (KOVA Esports - hREDS and GENESIS - HAVU Gaming) in a broadcast commentated by Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Erik @Eki Tammenpää, starting at 18:45 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

FCL 6v6 playoffs: Round 2 preview

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 14:23:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Some upsets and some less surprising results came through from the first round of games in the FCL 6v6 playoffs. It's always great to see underdogs push through and prove these small predictions wrong like we did on a couple of occasions in the first round. We'll be trying to cover as much of the action as possible at the NHLGamer Twitch channel, but if it's not broadcasted by us, make sure to follow the teams on social media for all the relevant information.

Quote

5) Turnausrakenne

~~Ilmoittautumiset: 7.8.-21.8.~~

~~Runkosarja: 24.8.-11.9.~~

~~Pudotuspelikierros 1: 14.9.-18.9. (BO5)~~

Pudotuspelikierros 2: 21.9.-25.9. (BO5)

Puolivälierät: 28.9.-1.10. (BO5)

Välierät: 3.10.-5.10. (BO5)

Finaalit (Top 2) @ TBD: 10.10. (BO5)

Runkosarja pelataan seitsemässä lohkossa, joista jokaisen lohkon neljä parasta joukkuetta etenee suoraa pudotuspeleihin. Tämän lisäksi pudotuspeleihin pääsee mukaan kolme parasta lohkovitosta.

Pudotuspelit pelataan paras viidestä - menetelmällä. Turnaukseen kutsuttu Havu Gaming on turnauksen 1. sijoitettu ja kohtaa ensimmäisellä pudotuspelikierroksella 32. sijoitetun joukkueen. Runkosarjan paras (eli 2. sijoitettu) joukkue kohtaa 31. sijoitetun joukkueen ja niin edelleen.

Here are the matchups for the second round of action in the FCL 6v6 playoffs:

(1) HAVU Gaming vs SJ Gaming (30)

HAVU played their first games of the tourney in the first playoff round against Cheers Hockey, an opponent who arguably should be - and was a piece of cake for the reigning champions. It is only suitable that the opposition gets considerably tougher in the second round, as HAVU will be facing SJ Gaming, who underperformed somewhat in the groupstage, resulting in a low seed into the playoffs. The black and red proved their capability by reversing an impossible looking 2-0 situation against YMCA in the first round. As usual, HAVU relies on their extremely solid unit in order to suffocate SJ, whereas SJ will need to improve in just about every area of the game if they want to steal games against the champs.

(2) FILADELPHIA vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (25)

We're in for a similar situation as HAVU-SJ in this series. FILADEPLHIA is the well-oiled machine we're used to seeing and made easy work of their opponents in the groupstage, but saw trouble in the horizon against Gotham Knights in the first round, when the bats were only a ping of the post away from upsetting the orange powerhouse. In their first round matchup, Frosty squared off in a Mestis rivalry against SAWO Esports, against whom they proved somewhat of an upset as they took off with a hot start and just never let up, going 3-1 to win the series.

(4) hREDS vs CRY IS FREE (21)

As mentioned already in the first round write-up, hREDS is one of those teams who can match anyone when it comes to competing solely on skill and talent, but their play as a unit isn't bad either. Power scoring duo Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Joakim @Joukki Nyholm was a dominant force in the first round, but secondary scoring should be no problem with the depth hREDS has in their roster. Once again, I'll have to predict a tough series for CRY IS FREE, who easily overcome Exerceo in the first round, proving their hunger and capability to compete at a high level.

(5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs Blackdawgs (19)

JYP is one of those teams that no one really wants to go up against at this stage of the tournament and that is simply due to their overpowering style of play. The red hurricane has the ability to suffocate their opposition with immense pressure and will utilize given opportunities effectively. Blackdawgs are in for a wild ride unless they find a way to use their own strengths well or neutralizing the pressure of JYP.

(6) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs SOPPAJENGI (18)

GHETTO FIREBIRDS have really came into their own during the past year, proving all doubters and haters wrong and they seem to be continuing their good run of form in the FCL. By beating first round opponent Sulkavan Sudet with a sweep, the team has a running start to the playoffs with more to come. In this tourney, the FIREBIRDS have also managed to win in overtime, which is a good sign for them. FCL sensation SOPPAJENGI hasn't had as glorious of a run this year around, but are still going strong and expectedly so. Their roster overflows of skill and I'm only expecting their game to improve moving forward.

(7) KOVA Esports vs Nordic Stars (16)

This series will most likely prove to be a tough battle that might very well extend beyond the first three games. KOVA won their group, but struggled in the first round against Kouvola Screaming Eagles, mostly controlling flow of play but not being able to convert as effectively as hoped for. Nordic stars on the other hand made quick work out of Pata Hellalla, getting big efforts from their whole squad and a solid backstopping input from their goaltender.

(9) Tunnel Vision vs Black Horse (13)

With the first round in the rearview, both of these teams advance with 3-1 records out of very similar series. Tunnel Vision played some tight games agains Hundred Acre Wood whereas Black Horse went into three consecutive one goal games against Children of Ice. Both of these teams possess tremendous skill and are very even in that department, so most likely it will come down to composure and staying out of the box, combined with converting effectively. A full five games shouldn't surprise.

(10) GENESIS vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (11)

These guys eagerly started off early already last night, with the series now at a 1-1 tie after two tight games, trading blows evenly as is expected in this series. These two are about as evenly matched as can be at this point of the playoffs and it'll be an exciting series to follow for sure. NHLGamer will be broadcasting the conclusion of the series tonight starting at 20:00 CEST and you won't want to miss this clash.

Tune in for the playoffs tonight!

We'll be broadcasting some exciting 2nd round games tonight at prime viewing time! In the booth, you'll find Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen, we'll be starting at 19:45 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

FCL 6v6 Playoff Preview

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

The FCL is rolling on nicely and with that we're in for some exciting times of playoff hockey to cap off the prestigious Finnish championships. 32 of the best teams remaining will starting tomorrow go all out for the title and of course the biggest share of prize money. Now also the defending champs HAVU Gaming get to hop in on the action as they'll be facing seed 32 Cheers Hockey in their first bout of the competition.

Quote

5) Turnausrakenne

Ilmoittautumiset: 7.8.-21.8.

Runkosarja: 24.8.-11.9.

Pudotuspelikierros 1: 14.9.-18.9. (BO5)

Pudotuspelikierros 2: 21.9.-25.9. (BO5)

Puolivälierät: 28.9.-1.10. (BO5)

Välierät: 3.10.-5.10. (BO5)

Finaalit (Top 2) @ TBD: 10.10. (BO5)

Runkosarja pelataan seitsemässä lohkossa, joista jokaisen lohkon neljä parasta joukkuetta etenee suoraa pudotuspeleihin. Tämän lisäksi pudotuspeleihin pääsee mukaan kolme parasta lohkovitosta.

Pudotuspelit pelataan paras viidestä - menetelmällä. Turnaukseen kutsuttu Havu Gaming on turnauksen 1. sijoitettu ja kohtaa ensimmäisellä pudotuspelikierroksella 32. sijoitetun joukkueen. Runkosarjan paras (eli 2. sijoitettu) joukkue kohtaa 31. sijoitetun joukkueen ja niin edelleen.

According to the above excerpt from the FCL 6v6 rulebook, the first round of playoffs are played in best-of-five manner and are to be played between 14.9 and 18.9.

With the formalities now out of the way, let's present our first round playoff matchups with brief previews of each battle:

(1) HAVU Gaming vs Cheers Hockey (32)

The reigning champions HAVU Gaming get their first taste of competitive hockey since early June in this best-of-five series against Cheers Hockey, who are a skilled team in their own right but in all fairness in an entirely different league compared to HAVU. The champs might be a bit sleepy to start it off, but should be able to advance without any issues.

(2) FILADELPHIA vs Gotham Knights (31)

FILA is another juggernaut who seem to top the tables in every tournament regardless who they are facing and when they are doing so. They'll be going up against Gotham Knights, who just barely squeezed through as a best 5th placing team, the prestigious franchise has had a troublesome FCL so far, trading points in unfavourable ways in the group stage. FILA advances with ease.

(3) YMCA Esports vs SJ Gaming (30)

Who'd expect two Elite caliber teams going up against each other at this stage? YMCA has proven themselves in the past few seasons and have continued performing at a high level whereas SJ Gaming had some turnover after ECL 10 and have run into issues at the start of the FCL. A big improvement will be required from SJ if they want to have the slightest chance of advancing.

(4) hREDS vs Oulunsalon Pallo (29)

The big, bad reds might just be the most skilled team on the virtual ice and they have shown that by dominating their group throughout the group stage. they should have no issues overcoming Oulunsalon Pallo, who are up for perhaps the biggest challenge of their competitive careers so far.

(5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs Angry Cats (28)

JYP is eager to get back to playing high stakes games after a heartbreaking disappointment in the ECL 10 playoffs. The team topped their group with ease and are looking to continue on that path from now on. Angry Cats have proven to be a capable team but will need to speed up their game by at least a few notches if they want to have a chance.

(6) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs Sulkavan Sudet (27)

After flexing their offensive guns in the group stage games, GHETTO FIREBIRDS have proven to be a serious contender. Sulkavan Sudet will have their hands full if they want to contain the wide arsenal of the FIREBIRDS while maintaining some scoring danger of their own.

(7) KOVA Esports vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles (26)

KOVA was the lowest scoring group winner but also is among the teams with least goals conceded - playoff mode already perhaps? Kouvola has a dangerous offense but can compromise in their own end. They will need to find stability if they would want to salvage some wins in this series.

(8) SAWO ESPORTS vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (25)

SAWO ESPORTS had some issues coming into the tournament, dropping points in unfortunate games for them, but the team managed to find their pace and finished the group stage in spectacular fashion, topping group 7. They'll be facing dear rivals Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa in the first round. The group stage games were even between these two, with the aggregate score 7-6 in favor of Frosty, though. SAWO should be able to win this series however.

(9) Tunnel Vision vs Hundred Acre Wood (24)

We'll be in for an interesting bout between the very young and talented roster of Tunnel Vision and the Finnish-Swedish connection in Hundred Acre Wood. Tunnel Vision should be able to notch the required victories if they can keep their cool and play true to their level.

(10) GENESIS vs Roots (23)

What happened here? You'd imagine these two should be switched around when it comes to seeding but the fact is that GENESIS put on a show in the group stage overcoming Roots twice in their matchups. Roots on the other hand dropped important points in the opening round against GENESIS, which pushed them down in the standings. An even battle should be expected, but I'd personally chalk up a series win for Roots.

(11) Kaupallinen Yhteistyo vs TIKI TALK (22)

Both of these teams have seen some turnover as of late, but it seems like the level of competition has remained high on both sides. Kaupallinenhas a skilled offense with lots of hours in the game, but TIKI is known to be strong on counters and dangerous from every position on the ice. This will be an even one.

(12) Exerceo vs CRY IS FREE (21)

The recently formed ensemble of Exerceo looks good on paper and is expected to improve even further when they get more games together under their belt. CRY IS FREE has a wide array of talent in their roster, but I'm expecting Exerceo to come away with the series victory, just like they did in both group stage games.

(13) Black Horse vs Children of Ice (20)

A slightly renewed Black Horse will be taking on Children of Ice consisting of some of the most experienced players around the scene. Black Horse gets a minor advantage in the amount of talent but Children of Ice should prevail through sheer experience.

(14) HC Dynastia Hockey vs Blackdawgs (19)

These two faced each other already in the group stage, where the tight games both ended in a victory for HC Dynastia Hockey. Hard fought battles are to be expected, but Dynastia should be the ones advancing.

(15) Enigma vs SOPPAJENGI (18)

Enigma didn't have the easiest start for their FCL campaign as they dropped points against the likes of CapeTown Kings and Hundred Acre Wood, but they clawed their way into the playoffs and have prove themselves before. SOPPAJENGI has an impressive roster with limited time together, it'll be a matchup to keep an eye out for and it's definitely one of the toughest ones to predict.

(16) Nordic Stars vs Pata Hellalla (17)

This has been said a million times before, but Nordic Stars is definitely one of those teams that seem to have a ton of hours in the game every year and it shows in their game. Pata Hellalla on the other hand seems to be rejuvenated since the acquisition of scene legend @JOHTAJAVIRTANEN. This series in anyones for the taking!

Make sure to follow the teams on social media for information on possible broadcasts!

FCL 6v6: Send in your clips

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 12:19:51 +0000

NHLGamers,

Did you score the sweetest goal, make the greatest save or biggest hit? Whatever your clip from FCL 6v6 may be - please send it in by linking it in the comments below!

Some of the nicest clips will be featured on Gigantti Gaming's Instagram. The submission determined the nicest clip will be awarded an NHLGamer hoodie and T-shirt. We will also randomly award one submission with a t-shirt or hoodie - so even if you don't win, you can win. Makes sense, right?

The first deadline for submissions is Saturday 12th of Septemer, but please send in your clips throughout the playoffs too.

If your clips are good enough quality, they might be featured on the FCL broadcasts too.

Reminder about social media

Twitter:

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

@NHLGamerCOM
@Gigantti
@esm_gg
#FCL
#eSM

Instagram:

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

@NHLGamerOfficial
@GiganttiGaming
@esmkisat
#FCL
#eSM

FCL 1v1 Kick-off Info

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 04:42:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

The first week of 6v6 competition is in the record books, but the 1v1 action is just getting started. With starting the action, you'll naturally also need some information. We're happy to have around 200 participants that all are looking to challenge the champion Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola for the throne.

Below is a quick walkthrough of the most important information for participants:

Schedule

Regular season: 31.8.-20.9.
Playoffs: 21.9.-1.10.
Finals (Top 4): 10.10.

The schedule is accessible through the league page, please remember to contact your opponents in time before the scheduled date.

Brief season description

The regular season will commence with group stage play. Players will be divided into 15 groups with approximately 13-14 players in each group. In these groups, all players will face each other once and finally the top eight 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 Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola 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 about your tournament progress or any other related content - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@NHLGamerCOM
@Gigantti
@esm_gg
#FCL
#eSM

Instagram:

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

@NHLGamerOfficial
@GiganttiGaming
@esmkisat
#FCL
#eSM

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

FCL 6v6: Kick-off Information

Mon, 24 Aug 2020 14:19:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

The time has come for the Finnish Champions League to kick off. Last year when the FCL was introduced for the first time, 37 teams signed up for the competition. This year we’ve seen a massive increase in numbers as an outstanding 72 teams have registered for the race! We are happy to see such big growth happening once again, especially in a competition that requires the players to purchase a license. Let's make sure we are as welcoming to new members as possible to make sure we continue on this path.

Below we have collected the most important information for our teams and captains:

Schedule

The season kicks off today, Monday 24th of August, with the following default game days and times:

Monday 20:00 CEST
Wednesday 20:00 CEST
Thursday 20:00 CEST

The schedule is available through the menu both on the main page and here on the community side.

Schedule for FCL 6v6:

Group stage: 24.8-11.9
Playoffs round 1: 14.-18.9. (BO5)
Playoffs round 2: 21.-25.9 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 28.9-1.10 (BO5)
Semifinals: 3.10-5.10 (BO5)
Finals: 10.10 (BO5)

If you're looking for FCL 1vs1, you can still sign up!
SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE!
Sign-ups for 1v1 will be open until Thursday 27.8. end of day (CEST).

Groups

Below is the complete list of the teams participating this season and in which groups they will play (teams displayed in random order):

The reigning Finnish Champion HAVU Gaming will be invited to round 1 of the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per eSM 2020 rules (restrictions apply).

Brief season description
The regular season lasts 3 weeks. Top 4 teams of each group + three best #5 based on PPG will advance to the playoffs. This means 32 teams (31+HAVU Gaming) will make the playoffs. Playoffs will be played in BO5 series'. Please see the rulebook for a more detailed description.

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 and at the very least that the captains do so. The rulebook is in Finnish, so any foreign players will have to turn to their captains for a recap. The rulebook strongly builds on the ECL 10 rulebook, but there are some minor differences, such as the instigation of fights being forbidden.

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, teams 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 the NHLGamer Discord you will find an FCL 6v6 group with designated channels for each group, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below)

A cool feature on Discord is also being able to get a team role (example above), which enables people to see what team you represent. See the channel #team-commands-guide for instructions on how to get your own role. If you need help with this, please see the #discord-support channel.

Broadcasts

The official NHLGamer broadcasts will be on NHLGamer's Twitch channel. Please follow our channel to support us and to get notified when we go live.

The broadcast schedule will be published later, but we have put together a small streaming guide for you. This guide applies for when your team is featured on an official broadcast.

Team management tools

All teams have been created, the team management tools on the main page have been unlocked for the team captains. All players need to be invited to the team rosters ahead of playing their first game. Please note that all invited players need to accept the invitation (there will be a popup alert on the main page for them) before they show up on the team roster and can start playing!

In case you have further questions, feel free to use the comment section below this article, or contact support.

Licenses

All players require an eSM 2020 license in order to participate in FCL 6v6 and/or FCL 1v1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2020 leagues and tournaments (for 1v1 you must be a Finnish citizen).

We have contacted all teams (private message from @iRSPe) to get the necessary license information. There are some individual discrepancies on teams, but there are also still teams who have not sent their lists at all.

Please note that playing without an active license is against the rules and can lead to forfeits and/or disqualification.

Social media

Twitter:

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

@NHLGamerCOM
@Gigantti
@esm_gg
#FCL
#eSM

Instagram:

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

@NHLGamerOfficial
@GiganttiGaming
@esmkisat
#FCL
#eSM

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

The FCL is back! Looking for the next Finnish Champion!

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 09:42:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Last year, the FCL concluded at the Summer Assembly event and we finished by crowning Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (1v1) and HAVU Gaming (6v6) champions. This time we’re proud to announce our recurring partnership with Gigantti to bring you another immensely exciting season of FCL action. Like last year, the FCL holds the official Finnish Championship license (eSM 2020) from the Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL) and the league will feature both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes. The FCL will be played through August and September and is planned to finish on the 10th of October with a live event* in the capital area of Finland. The combined prize pool is 10 000 EUR.

Like last year, this iteration of the FCL will 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. All players require an eSM 2020 license in order to participate in FCL 6v6 and/or FCL 1v1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2020 leagues and tournaments (for 1v1 you must be a Finnish citizen).

SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE!
Sign-ups for 1v1 are open now and will be open until 27.8.

Preliminary schedule for 1v1:
- Group stage: 31.8-20.9
- Playoffs: 21.9-1.10
- TOP 4 Finals: 10.10 (BO3)

Sign-ups for 6v6 are now closed.

Schedule for FCL 6v6:

Group stage: 24.8-11.9
Playoffs round 1: 14.-18.9. (BO5)
Playoffs round 2: 21.-25.9 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 28.9-1.10 (BO5)
Semifinals: 3.10-5.10 (BO5)
Finals: 10.10 (BO5)

*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 FCL 2020 Finals.

Due to the majority of the FCL being played online and cross-platform play not being available, this year FCL will be played only on the Playstation 4 console.

The final formats and schedules for both the 1v1 and 6v6 portions of FCL will be determined based on the number of signups.

Invitations

FCL 6v6:

Reigning Finnish Champion HAVU Gaming will be invited to round 1 of the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per eSM 2020 rules (restrictions apply).

FCL 1v1:

Reigning Finnish Champion Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola will be invited to the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per eSM 2020 rules.
The Finnish player who finishes highest in the NHL GWC 2020 European Finals will be invited to the playoff stage as the #2 seed.

*Note: NHLGamer and Gigantti reserve the right to alter or cancel the live portion of the FCL in accordance with regulations and restrictions that may apply, or based on the judgement of the event organizer.

Photo: Arttu Kokkonen / SEUL

About us

Gigantti is the largest consumer electronics retailer in Finland, with 41 stores and 1200 employees. Gigantti has been an active player in the esports scene for a few years already. Their Overwatch-squad Team Gigantti bears the flag of Europe's most successful team, whereas the Gigantti CS:GO Cup and last year's FCL finals have proven to be great examples of what the tech retail giant can do in the field. Gigantti will continue on the path of developing Finnish esports and a key factor of that is partnerships with the industry-leading players.

HAVU Gaming Is Your FCL 6vs6 Champion!

Sat, 03 Aug 2019 18:10:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

That's another one in the books! What a weekend we've had at Assembly Summer 2019. Four tremendously skilled teams showed up to battle for the brightest medal, but one prevailed as champion - HAVU Gaming! It's been a year of success for the team, as they've now acquired three major titles during NHL 19. The ECL 8 and Spring League championships under the Written In The Stars banner and now the FCL championship in their new green HAVU Gaming colours. All in all, we can state that HAVU was the team to beat in NHL 19.

The Top 4 of FCL 6vs6 season 1:

HAVU Gaming 🏆
Regular season record: 12-2-0
Round 1: vs POGGERS 2-0
Quarterfinals: vs Almost Famous 2-0
Semifinals: vs Butterfly Effect 2-0
Finals: vs FILADELPHIA 3-0

LW #6 Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen
C #13 Risto @Dominointi Järvi
RW #91 Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha
LD #78 Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto
RD #43 Wille @willekunq Juntunen
G #88 Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen

FILADELPHIA 🥈
Regular season record: N/A
Round 1: vs Invictus 2-0
Quarterfinals: vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS 2-0
Semifinals: vs Symphony 2-0
Finals: vs Havu Gaming 0-3

LW #44 Paul @PleeMaker Arontie
C #86 Joonas @Juunas Paatiala
RW #25 Erik @Eki Tammenpää
LD #82 Janne @Janzuh Nyqvist
RD #7 Aleksi @vatalisti Loimuvirta
G #88 Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos

Butterfly Effect 🥉
Regular season record: 9-2-1
Round 1: vs Rusty Blades 2-0
Quarterfinals: vs Northern Ascendancy 2-0
Semifinals: vs Havu Gaming 0-2
Bronze Game: vs Symphony 1-0

LW #89 Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen
C #91 Jere @jergelii Jortama
RW #23 Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
LD #27 Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen
RD #39 Ville-Petteri @vviljo Särmä
G #85 Reittu @Roisto999 Hynynen

Symphony
Regular season record: 9-2-1
Round 1: vs Dynasty 2-1
Quarterfinals: vs SOPPAJENGI 2-0
Semifinals: vs FILADELPHIA 0-2
Bronze Game: vs Butterfly Effect 1-0

LW #92 Joakim @Joukki Nyholm
C #96 Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen
RW #9 Santeri @indi969 Pendolin
LD #4 Markus @Makeaxl Lahti
RD #63 Ilmari @Ilmari_30 Töyrylä
G #25 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren

Champions, enjoy this feeling! NHLGamer extends a warm thank you to everyone who made their way to Assembly Summer and checked in on the stream. Also a big thank you to Gigantti who made it all possible!

Next up is the Summer Cup, if that's not for you, we'll see you in NHL 20!

FCL 6vs6 Finals - Preview

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 22:30:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

The FCL season has been played in a quick pace so we can't really be talking about a "long, exhausting season" here. Instead we'll bring up the interesting and somewhat extraordinary circumstances that we're heading into the final weekend from. Everyone that's somewhat caught up with what's happening around the EA Sports NHL franchise is aware of the fact that the NHL 20 Beta has been out for the past few days. The fact that all of the players involved have spent the days leading up to a major tournament playing a completely different game might be mind-boggling to some, but I've heard through the grapevine that these guys trust their skill enough to not let that faze them. Nevertheless, all of that adds to the interesting nature of these finals. There's a lot on the line and the best team is going to take it home come Saturday evening.

(#1) FILADELPHIA vs Symphony (#8)

FILADELPHIA
Regular season record: N/A
GF/GA (Regular season): N/A
Road to the Semi's: vs Invictus (2-0), vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS (2-0)

FILADELPHIA headed into the tournament from an interesting position. It's customary in esports for a reigning champion to participate by invite but this is the first time that model is put into practice at NHLGamer. Some people worried if their form would be there and I would personally feel a bit odd coming into a tournament directly into the playoffs, but FILA passed that test with flying colours. Playing with exactly the same lineup as last time they took the title, we can surely expect them to put forth an impressive campaign once again. The advantage FILA has is certainly their established chemistry and according to themselves on multiple occasions a relaxed team spirit. FILADELPHIA has done some team practice in NHL 19 during the past week, so that might also benefit them.

Symphony
Regular season record: 9-2-1
GF/GA (Regular season): 54/13
Road to the Semi's: vs Dynasty (2-1), vs SOPPAJENGI (2-0)

We saw symphony at the finals of IS Cup 3 too, as they finished 3rd after an outstanding campaign in which they dominated their groupstage and suffered their only playoff series loss against the eventual champion FILADELPHIA in the semifinals. The team has experienced some player turnover since then, but the efforts so far seem to be indicative of an eventual top 3 finish again. It'll be interesting to see how they fare against FILA this time, as their opponents are sporting exactly the same lineup as last time. The changes in Symphony has sacrificed a bit on their defensive end but bolstered their goaltending as they signed Swedish superstar netminder @ICappeI, which has turned out to be a great move. The Swede has been hard to beat and will definitely make scoring difficult for FILA.

(#4) HAVU Gaming vs Butterfly Effect (#7)

HAVU Gaming
Regular season record: 12-2-0
GF/GA (Regular season): 72/17
Road to the Semi's: vs POGGERS (2-0), vs Almost Famous (2-0)

The former Written In The Stars kicked off FCL with a boom as they announced their affiliation with HAVU Gaming and with that also assumed their name and appearance. The first few games under the new banner were a bit shaky, but in reality, no concern was warranted. The players were still the same and so was the game. After all, these are your reigning European champions. HAVU quickly took up pace and finished 2nd in their group after SOPPAJENGI. The playoffs haven't proven to be a challenge for these guys as they've swept the opposition in both matchups, and as a 4th seed these opponents were viable teams to put up a fight in POGGERS and Almost Famous.

Butterfly Effect
Regular season record: 9-2-1
GF/GA (Regular season): 58/15
Road to the Semi's: vs Rusty Blades (2-0), vs Northern Ascendancy (2-0)

Butterfly Effect has played a tournament for the ages so far in the FCL. They quickly made their come up by grinding through our ECL divisions system and has been a consistent Elite performer ever since - though never really pushing past the last barrier. With the FCL they allowed themselves the possibility to do so by putting forth a satisfying groupstage effort but going off on a tear in the playoffs by dominating both Rusty Blades and Northern Ascendancy in their BO3 series. Youngster @NikkeDangles has been their main new recruit and he has performed extraordinarily alongside captain @jergelii and top-scorer @Vilupoika. FLY is looking good and are now also hoping to prove it in their first lan event. HAVU is a big mountain to climb, but an upset is not out of the question.

Preliminary schedule for Saturday 3.8: (Times in CEST)

12:30-13:00 FILADELPHIA vs Symphony - Game 1
13:00-13:30 Symphony vs FILADELPHIA - Game 2
13:30-14:00 FILADELPHIA vs Symphony - Game 3

14:00-14:30 HAVU Gaming vs Butterfly Effect - Game 1
14:30-15:00 Butterfly Effect vs HAVU Gaming - Game 2
15:00-15:30 HAVU Gaming vs Butterfly Effect - Game 3
——————————————
30 MIN BREAK
——————————————
16:00-16:45 SF1 Loser vs SF2 Loser - Bronze Game

17:00-20:10 Finals, BO5

Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta will be your commentators throughout the day.

All games will be streamed on the Pelaajat.com Twitch channel.

Kriketski17 Is Your FCL 1vs1 Champion!

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 19:01:21 +0000

NHLGamers,

It's been a long Friday at Assembly Summer, but at the end of the day we're pleased to announce your new FCL 1vs1 champion - @kriketski17!

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

Group stage record:
9-1-0-0
Knockout stage:
vs Janeccu91 2-0
vs @Ojamoska 2-0
vs @Vilupoika 2-1
Finals group stage:
2-0-1-0
Quarterfinals
vs @Dreamickie 2-0
Semifinals
vs @FlyerKungen 2-0
Finals
vs @Eki 2-0

The top 3 of FCL 1vs1 are:
1. @kriketski17
2. @Eki
3. @FlyerKungen

NHLGamer would like to congratulate Kriketski17 on a tremendous tournament and the championship!

See you tomorrow for some FCL 6vs6 action!

FCL 1vs1 Finals - Preview

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 21:45:14 +0000

NHLGamers,

Tomorrow, on Friday, 2nd of August it's time for 16 of the best NHL 19 1vs1 players to battle it out for the title of Finnish Champion at Assembly Summer in Messukeskus, Helsinki. There's multiple Finnish champions, both former and current among these players - also the former NHLGWC champion Eki can be found in these ranks, as probably the biggest favourite too! It's not only the title that's at stake, though. The 16 contenders will be fighting for their share of the 5000€ prize pool in the tournament. It'll be a long day full of joy, disappointment, exciting games and at the end we'll know who deserves the title - without further ado, let's get on by reviewing our groups.

Group A

@Eki - Erik Tammenpää
@Nieppi - Janne Niemelä
@SUPERVIRTA - Joonas Virta
@FlyerKungen - Tuukka Kuha

This is one pickle of a group as we see four very high level and high profile players go up against each other. Eki is the obvious favourite, but then we've got the extremely skilled FlyerKungen, who's admittedly more accomplished on the 6s side but also a force to be reckoned with in versus. We also see SUPERVIRTA, who's maybe more known as an entertaining streamer, but showed his competitive capabilities by going to the NHLGWC regionals this spring. Nieppi isn't one to count out either, he's a consistent performer who hasn't really stepped up to the bright lights yet, but we always seem to see him breathing down the neck of the top players. Eki is a safe bet, but otherwise it'll be a free-for-all.

Group B

@Hansulinho - Hannes Kettunen
@xKeskitalo - Samuli Keskitalo
@kriketski17 - Kristian Veijola
@Xteemuz - Teemu Polttila

Hansulinho and Kriketski are the favourites to advance from this group, but they won't do so without a fight. Hansu always seems to make it to the final events, but he has had some off-days in the past. I've heard some reports about xTeemuz looking good and having a proper chance to stand up to these guys, so don't count him out just yet! xKeskitalo will have his work cut out for him if he wants to advance from this group tomorrow, it should be noted that there are no bad players at this event so don't take these predictions for a fact!

Group C

@Artuzio - Arttu Mustila
@PleeMaker - Paul Arontie
@xDoumi - Aaro Ruuhinen
@Sagee95 - Saku Björn

Group C is without a doubt a group of death in this contest. The top contenders here are Plee and Doumi for sure, but I doubt Artuzio and Sagee will give anything up for free. It's a bit unfortunate to see so many talented players in the same group up front but hey - to be the best you will need to beat everyone at some point anyway. It's looking like Pleemaker and Doumi will advance and Artuzio together with Sagee will end up the odd men out.

Group D

@Dreamickie - Vesa Rajamäki
@Hullued - Joona Saarinen
@Spearzz_ - Olof Forsbacka
@Aatu (Nuarikukko_) - Aatu Aarnio

Group D is in contrast to group C, the weakest one in this event. Dreamickie is known to usually pave his way into the playoffs at these events, so there's your group winner. My sources tell me Spearzz_ isn't a bad bet to make it either.

Preliminary schedule for Friday, 2.8: (Times in CEST)
11:00-11:30 Player check-in
12:00-14:00 Group stage
14:30-15:30 Quarterfinals BO3
15:30-16:30 Semifinals #1 BO3
16:30-17:30 Semifinals #2 BO3
------- 30 MIN BREAK -----
18:00-18:30 Bronze game BO1
18:30-19:30 Finals BO3

Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Rasmus @Rapsu Virtanen will be your commentators throughout the day.

All games will be streamed on the Pelaajat.com Twitch channel. Good luck to all players and hope to see everyone else either live or in the stream chat!

NHLGamer and Gigantti head to Assembly Summer for the FCL Finals!

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 13:47:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Friday, 2nd of August, 2019 doesn't only mean you get to turn pages in your almanac and enjoy the start of the weekend - it also marks the day of the FCL 1vs1 Finals at Assembly Summer 2019. NHLGamer together Gigantti are heading to Messukeskus for the biggest NHL gaming event of the summer and we invite you guys to join us! Head over to Assembly.org in order to purchase you tickets and get more info on the event itself.

Let's continue by going over the agenda for the weekend.

NHL 19 1vs1 - Friday 2nd of August starting at 12:00 CEST

As stated, we'll kick things off on Friday with the NHL 1vs1 Finals, where the 16 best Finnish players will be going head-to-head in order to determine a new champion and also leave with a nice chunk of change.

Without further ado, we present to you the final groups of the FCL 1vs1 Final:

Group A

@Eki - Erik Tammenpää
@Nieppi - Janne Niemelä
@SUPERVIRTA - Joonas Virta
@FlyerKungen - Tuukka Kuha

Group B

@Hansulinho - Hannes Kettunen
@xKeskitalo - Samuli Keskitalo
@kriketski17 - Kristian Veijola
@Xteemuz - Teemu Polttila

Group C

@Artuzio - Arttu Mustila
@PleeMaker - Paul Arontie
@xDoumi - Aaro Ruuhinen
@Sagee95 - Saku Björn

Group D

@Dreamickie - Vesa Rajamäki
@Hullued - Joona Saarinen
@Spearzz_ - Olof Forsbacka
@Aatu (Nuarikukko_) - Aatu Aarnio

These players will first compete in a group stage, after which the two top seeds from each group will advance to the playoffs, which are played in a best of 3 manner. Group 1 will be matched against group 2 and group 3 against group 4 in the playoffs. The evening will culminate in a best of 3 final series. The bronze game will be played prior to the final.

Preliminary schedule for Friday, 2.8: (Times in CEST)
11:00-11:30 Player check-in
12:00-14:00 Group stage
14:30-15:30 Quarterfinals BO3
15:30-16:30 Semifinals #1 BO3
16:30-17:30 Semifinals #2 BO3
------- 30 MIN BREAK -----
18:00-18:30 Bronze game BO1
18:30-19:30 Finals BO3

Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Rasmus @Rapsu Virtanen will be your commentators throughout the day.

Watch the action live on Twitch starting 12:00 CEST.*

NHL 19 6vs6 - Saturday 3rd of August starting at 12:30 CEST

In addition to absolute top-tier 1vs1 action, you'll be treated to arguably the best 6vs6 ehockey in the world on Saturday! We're delighted to bring you four Elite level teams who all are eager to fight for the second ever title of Finnish 6vs6 NHL champion.

Here are your Semifinal matchups for the FCL 6vs6 Final event:

FILADELPHIA (#1) vs Symphony (#8)

HAVU Gaming (#4) vs Butterfly Effect (#7)

The semifinals will be played in best of 3 fashion after which the losers will face off in a bronze game. The night will culminate in a best of 5 final series.

Preliminary schedule for Saturday, 3.8: (Times in CEST)
12:30-14:00 Semifinals #1 BO3
14:00-15:30 Semifinals #2 BO3
------- 30 MIN BREAK -----
16:00-16:45 Bronze game BO1
17:00-20:10 Finals BO5

Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta will be your commentators throughout the day.

Watch the action live on Twitch starting 12:15 CEST.*

Prizes are subject to tax as per Finnish law and the tax is withheld before payment

Stay tuned for more detailed previews coming soon!

* Times might be subject to change

FCL 6vs6 Playoffs - Quarterfinals

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 14:30:21 +0000

NHLGamers,

First round action in the FCL was short but sweet! The games continue in quick succession as we are closing in on the grand final at Assembly Summer 2019.

The quarterfinal round of playoffs is to be completed and reported by end-of-day Wednesday July 24th. Playoffs are played best-of-3 - meaning two wins takes you to the next round.

FILADELPHIA (#1) vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS (#11)

The reigning champion kicked off their FCL campaign by a first round matchup against Invictus, in which they showed no signs of rust or struggle to get going. Although Invictus put up a good fight in game 2 by taking it to double overtime, FILA were in the drivers seat all along. That is exactly what we are expecting of this series. The Firebirds have already played a sensational tournament by making it this far and have a chance of extending their streak by upsetting a giant in this series. They are heavy underdogs and have nothing to lose going into these games.

The games will be played on Wednesday, 24th of July at 21 CEST.

SOPPAJENGI (#2) vs Symphony (#8)

I'll bet you most people hadn't even heard of SOPPAJENGI prior to the FCL. Their tournament so far has been a fairytale for them as they had an incredible road paved for them, starting with splitting points in their very first group stage matchup against HAVU Gaming. SOPPAJENGI is a wildcard and is by no means to be counted out of the top 4 contention. Although being one of the more established top-tier teams, Symphony only came in 3rd in their group 3. Swedish import goaltender @ICappeI paired with their overwhelming offensive firepower will be the tools they need in order to make a second consecutive final event appearance.

According to current information, the games will be played on Wednesday 24th of July, time TBA.

Northern Ascendancy (#3) vs Butterfly Effect (#7)

Northern Ascendancy are sporting a somewhat different lineup than usual, as they are now trying to invade Finnish soil and therefore forced to comply with FCL rules. The teams new recruits are no slouches, as they've brought in veterans @Aze and @Nampa77 together with goalie @Supreex, who we're used to seeing between the posts for Rusty Blades in the past. Butterfly Effect are a younger team who made a fast rise to the top and have been steadily improving in the recent tournaments. Their lineup is stacked with talent. Don't be surprised if they manage to take the series.

It looks like the games will be played on Tuesday, 23rd of July at 20 CEST.

HAVU Gaming (#4) vs Almost Famous (#5)

HAVU dropped a few positions due to surprising group stage losses but still managed to climb to a #4 spot overall. Despite not having an undefeated record this time around, they are as big of favourites as ever to take the trophy home. Almost Famous is going into the series with a rather heavy underdog status. The team has never beaten HAVU in a competitive setting and needs to do that twice in the coming days. To quote NHLGamer insider @vSilenttio: "aF good luck :D"

Currently it looks like the series will be played today, Monday 22nd of July at 22:00 CEST.

Stay tuned for possible broadcast announcements!

FCL 6vs6 Playoffs - Round 1

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 10:47:04 +0000

Hi NHLGamers!

We want to start by thanking all teams and players for making the hectic group stage as efficient and problem free as it has been! We've seen some great battles within each of the groups and it really was a nail-biter all the way to the last round!

As the FCL was wrapped up tonight, a situation has arisen in which tiebreakers will have to be applied. The situation in question is as follows:

Butterfly Effect (+43), Dynasty (+25), GHETTO FIREBIRDS (+22), Rusty Blades (+23), Symphony (+41) and TIKI TALK (+15) all finished the season with 12 games played, 9 wins, & 19 points. The numbers in the brackets denote the goal differential for each team.

Per the rulebook, in the event of such a tie occurring the following tiebreaks shall be used:

Quote

Original - in Finnish:

Joukkueiden ollessa tasapisteissä runkosarjan jälkeen, paremmuusjärjestys erotellaan seuraavasti:

voitot (jatkoaikavoitot mukaan lukien)

pisteet keskinäisistä otteluista

maaliero

tehdyt maalit

arpa

Translation:

When teams are tied in points after the regular season, these are the used tie-breakers:

Amount of wins (including OTW)

Head-to-head results

Goal differential

Goals scored

Coin toss (randomized)

Unfortunately, we failed to spot that having ‘head-to-head results’ would lead to some pretty major complications due to the multi-group setup that we are running with the FCL. While it works excellently within the groups or solely involving teams that played each other, it can not be implemented in this case. As such, we have decided that as this tiebreaker is only relevant to some of the teams (GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs Symphony and TIKI TALK vs Butterfly Effect), we will have to disregard it from the tie-breaking process and move straight to goal differential instead. Once again, this error is on us for not spotting the possible discrepancy in the rules, as the tie-break procedure was drawn up to be applied in a tournament setting where there is only one group, such as ECL: Elite, or at the very least a tournament with an even number of groups and cross-seeding in the first round.

Ergo, as no teams are tied regarding ‘goal differential’, Butterfly Effect will take #7, followed by #8 Symphony, #9 Dynasty, then Rusty Blades, and finally bringing up the rear of the group we have GHETTO FIREBIRDS at #11 and TIKI TALK at #12.With this out of the way then, we can now give everyone a full rundown of the seeding for the playoffs, which will be shown below. As always, we would like to extend a thanks to everyone for competing thus far, as well as wishing good luck to all of the remaining teams!

The first round of playoffs is to be completed and reported by end-of-day Sunday July 21st. Playoffs are played best-of-3 - meaning two wins takes you to the next round.

Dynasty (#9) vsSymphony (#8)

Rusty Blades (#10) vs Butterfly Effect (#7)

GHETTO FIREBIRD (#11) vsRaccoon Rampage (#6)

TIKI TALK (#12) vs Almost Famous (#5)

POGGERS (#13) vsHAVU Gaming (#4)

HC Wildcard (#14) vs Northern Ascendancy (#3)

Mockba (#15) vs SOPPAJENGI (#2)

Invictus (#16) vs FILADELPHIA (#1)

For future leagues/tournaments involving more groups, we believe that defining the head-to-head result being applied only within the group and adding a tie-breaker using the placement within the group (i.e. Dynasty #1 in group 4) as the third tie-breaker would help value the group standings better. Please share your opinion with us in the comments.

Good luck to all the teams in the playoffs - we can't wait to see what happens next!

FCL Broadcast TONIGHT!

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 14:02:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

As promised, we'll be delivering a good amount of FCL action tonight. The group stage of the league is heading into the conclusive fixtures and we've secured some crucial games to be streamed for you guys. Arttu Hämäläinen and Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta will be your casters.

Tonight's matchups:

20:00CEST Symphony - Blackdawgs

Symphony were one of the favourites to win group 3, but due to unfortunate point losses against a surprisingly strong GHETTO FIREBIRDS and Virtual Horizons, their chances to win the group are looking slim. Blackdawgs are still in the playoff race, but this matchup will seal their fate.

21:00CEST POGGERS - Cannonieris

POGGERS didn't do a lot of training efter their last ECL stint so their form was a bit in question, but they have surely proven themselves, going 5-1-0 so far and looking like very strong candidates to win their group. Cannonieris haven't performed up to par, but can put a dent into POGGERS' playoff aspirations tonight.

22:00CEST SOPPAJENGI - Supernatural
Group 1 has a surprising leader as SOPPAJENGI has taken the league by storm. The eccentric mix of players managed to win favourite HAVU Gaming in their debut and have gone 10-0-0 in their last ten. Supernatural are out of the playoff race, but will be looking to effect SOPPAJENGI's playoff seed.

Tune in tonight at www.twitch.tv/pelaajatcom

FCL: Run-up to the Playoffs

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 08:52:54 +0000

Hey NHLGamers!

After a week of games fraught with upsets and demolition jobs, the groups are slowly coming together, and we are starting to get a good idea of who will end up making it in to the playoffs. Indeed, it appears as though the end of this week will be one entertaining way to end a season as almost every group is still up the air, so much so that for many groups, the final three playoff bound teams may not be properly decided until the final night of the season in a few days.

Let's quickly look over what we are looking at with the FCL: The FCL is an abbreviation for the Finnish Championship League, which is an independent follow-up to our national GCL, RCL and SCL leagues. We're partnering with tech giant Gigantti in order to bring you this experience, which will culminate at Assembly Summer 2019 in Messukeskus of Helsinki, Finland.

A total of 36 teams are divided into five groups of 7-8 teams. These teams will play every group opponent once in a home-away matchup, after which the top three out of each group will advance to the playoffs, starting already on Friday, the 19th of June. The playoffs will be played in a best of three format.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 16th of July, we'll be broadcasting two FCL matchups - your favourite caster Arttu Hämäläinen will be calling the action. Stay tuned for a more specific announcement later today or early tomorrow.

Anyway, let's get into how each group is doing, who are favourites to finish in the top 3 based off of p/g averages, who are within range of making a challenge and gaining entry in to the top 3, and finally who are in danger of missing out / have already been eliminated.

Group 1

1. SOPPAJENGI (1.8 P/G, 10gp)

2. HAVU Gaming (1.67 P/G, 12gp)

3. Mockba (1.36 P/G, 14gp)

Group 1 probably holds the lone distinction as the only group where the top three teams have all but clinched their playoff spots already. In fact, the only team within range is Supernatural, who would have to win at least 4 of their remaining games, although in practice they would probably have to roll closer to 5 if they wanted to become a lock for the playoffs. Nevertheless, if they are able to trade blows with SOPPAJENGI, then run the rest of the table then stand a very good chance of displacing Mockba and entering as the third seed.

Group 2

1. Rusty Blades (1.75 P/G, 8gp)

2. Northern Ascendancy (1.67 P/G, 6gp)

3. TeQuila Sunrise (1.5 P/G, 6gp)

If group 1 was all but finished already, then group 2 is the antithesis of that as every team bar one (Uuteen Nousuun) stand a decent enough chance of cracking the top 3 providing they go on a bit of a run. It is especially cliché, but the adage that "every game counts" has never been more applicable than it is here.

Group 3

1. Almost Famous (1.83 P/G, 6gp)

2. Ghetto Firebirds (1.5 P/G, 10gp)

3. Symphony (1.38 P/G, 8gp)

Moving on to group 3 we have another somewhat open set of teams, Virtual Horizons eSports for instance are currently in 6th place with a measly 2pts, however they have only played 4 games, with 2 of them coming against Symphony where they were able to steal a win in regulation. Ghetto Firebirds head up the group currently with 15pts in 10 games, however if they are to lose any more games, they may very well find themselves on the outside looking in once the dust has settled.

Group 4

1. POGGERS (1.67 P/G, 6gp)

2. Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (1.5 P/G, 6gp)

3. LIONHEARTS (1.43 P/G, 7gp)

You wanted an absolute free-for-all as a group? Well, look no further! Every team bar one not only are 'technically' within range of a top three finish, hell, they each stand a decent enough chance at it. Cannonieris for instance are currently sitting in 6th place with 6pts in 8 games, a total that in other groups may very well have spelled doom for them, in group 4 however all that means is that they are just 3pts out of a playoff spot, throw in some upset wins against the leading teams and the mounting of a comeback from those in positions 4,5 & 6 should not be deemed to be out of the realm of possibility.

Group 5

1. Raccoon Rampage (1.83 P/G, 6gp)

2. TIKI TALK (1.75 P/G, 4gp)

3. Butterfly Effect (1.29 P/G, 7gp)

Last, but certainly not the least we find group 5. A group in which no one has been mathematically eliminated, and one in which one slip up by any team could cost them very dearly as far as their playoff hopes go. Raccoon Rampage & TIKI TALK are perhaps the only ones who have some breathing room, although if this 'breathing room' ends up being squandered due to two losses they could very easily find themselves back fighting in the thick of it to claw back those lost points. As every other team is seemingly on their tails.

That's all for now! Remember to stay alert for our broadcast announcement, which matchup would you guys like to watch?

Are You The Next Finnish Champion?

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 16:31:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

It's with great pleasure we're able to announce that we have teamed up with Gigantti in order to bring you the Finnish Championship League! The FCL has the official Finnish Championship license (eSM 2019) from the Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL) and it will be played in both the 6vs6 and 1vs1 game modes. The FCL will be hosted over the next upcoming weeks and will culminate at Assembly Summer 2019 in Helsinki on Friday the 2nd (1vs1) and Saturday 3rd of August (6vs6) 2019. The game used to decide the new Finnish champions in ehockey will be NHL 19. The combined prize pool is 10 000 EUR, with both 6vs6 and 1vs1 getting a 5 000 EUR split (see below for a more detailed look)!

This time around also non-Finnish citizens will be able to participate in the 6vs6 portion! The upcoming tournament will feature a foreign player quota, which entails that a majority (51%) of the teams roster (and line-up) must be Finnish. In addition, all captains must be Finnish citizens. All players require an eSM 2019 license in order to participate in FCL 6vs6 and/or FCL 1vs1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2019 leagues and tournaments (for 1vs1 you must be a Finnish citizen).

"Why now, it's the Summer!?", someone might ask. To get to play for the Finnish championship at Summer Assembly powered by Gigantti is simply a great opportunity that fits together with our vision of providing high quality leagues and tournaments for our gamers all year long. We have been looking to give the teams and players an opportunity to prepare a bit longer for the Finnish championships than they have in the past and this enables us to do so also in the future.

Signups are open effective immediately and will be open until Friday, 5th of July at 23:59 CEST.

Please find a preliminary schedule for FCL 6vs6 below:

Sign-ups: 28.6.-5.7.
Group stage: 8.-17.7.
Playoffs Round 1: 19.-21.7. (BO3)
Quarter Finals 22.-24.7. (BO3)
Semi-Finals (BO3), Bronze game (BO1) and Finals (BO3) @ Assembly Summer 3.8.

SIGN UP YOUR TEAM FOR FCL 6vs6 HERE

Please find a preliminary schedule for FCL 1vs1 below:

Sign-ups: 28.6.-5.7.
Group stage: 7.-17.7.
Round of 112 19.-20.7. (BO3)
Round of 56 21.-22.7. (BO3)
Round of 28 23.-24.7. (BO3)
TOP 16 Finals @ Assembly Summer 2.8.

SIGN UP FOR FCL 1vs1 HERE (Finnish citizen only)

NHLGamer reserves the right to adjust the schedule and structure based on the number of teams and players signed up to the FCL.

The qualification stage for FCL 1vs1 is open to users on both Playstation 4 and Xbox One. The total amount of finalists from either console is yet to be determined but will be confirmed once the sign-up period has ended. The final tournament is played on the Playstation 4 console. FCL 6vs6 is played only on the Playstation 4 platform.

Invitations

FCL 6vs6:

Reigning Finnish champion FILADELPHIA will be invited to round 1 of the playoff stage as the #1 seed as per eSM 2019 rules (restrictions apply).

FCL 1vs1:

Reigning Finnish champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää will be invited to the final tournament as the #1 seed as per eSM 2019 rules. Eki also finished #4 in the NHL GWC 2019. Eki represents Team Sampi.
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, who finished 6th in the NHL GWC 2019 will be invited to the final tournament as the #2 seed. Hansulinho represents HAVU Gaming.

About us

Since its inception, NHLGamer has continuously strived to offer the best possible experience for any and all gamers who have come to enjoy the competitiveness of playing the EA Sports series of NHL games. We made our biggest stride forward yet when we in late 2015 introduced the first ever European Championship League (ECL) - a league where all the best European NHL gamers create teams and compete against each other in the game mode EASHL (6vs6) for the title of Best EASHL Team in Europe.

While proud of our achievements and the success we've had in creating and maintaining such a great community of talented gamers, we are not done yet. Our long-term goals include growing the community, hosting larger leagues with prize pools and working together with organizations at the cutting edge of gaming and esports.

About our partners

Gigantti is the largest consumer electronics retailer in Finland, with 41 stores and 1200 employees. In 2017, Gigantti started its own esports organization Team Gigantti. Team Gigantti's top achievements include among others Overwatch Contenders European and Finnish Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Assembly is a bi-annual computer festival, esports event, demoscene and lan party in Helsinki, Finland. Assembly Organizing is a community of over 200 volunteers who passionately arrange the unique Assembly events in Finland since 1992.

Their roots trace back to the early 90's when demo groups and individuals from the demoscene organized the first Assembly events. Assembly has been a catalyst to the Finnish game industry. They have been part of the birth of Rovio, Supercell, Remedy, Housemarque and many more gaming companies from the talents of the Finnish demoscene. Today they are backed by the Finnish non-profit company "Assembly Organizing".

The Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL) works as the umbrella organization for Finnish competitive electronic gaming. Our mission is to improve and promote electronic sports and the activities of our members. The federation was established in December 2010 to respond to the growing need for an organization to promote esports as a hobby and as a respectable sport.

The activities performed by SEUL are divided into the development of esports, protection of player’s interests and communicational work. The development of esports is done partly by utilizing workgroups, which are based on the work of our volunteers. The board is responsible for the day to day operations in co-operation with employees.

The federation co-operates with many national organizations such as VERKE, EHYT ry and KAVI, promoting a positive image of gamers and gaming in general. The federation’s participation in international field is strong, since we represent Finland in the International Esports Federation (IESF). SEUL is also on the receiving end of the yearly grants given out by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture for youth programs.

On behalf of NHLGamer.com,