Since 2015, the ECL has been the definitive stage for competitive eHockey in Europe. Now entering its 22nd season, the league continues to evolve — and ECL '26: Spring introduces a significant gameplay shift with all X-Factor and Superstar abilities banned, creating the most skill-pure environment the ECL has ever seen.
ECL '26: Winter has just wrapped up — Tohtorit claimed the title, and now all eyes turn to Spring. Rosters are being rebuilt, rankings have been reset, and for many teams, this is the season to make a move. With abilities banned across the board, the ice is level. What happens next is entirely up to you.
The European Championship League (ECL) is Europe’s premier competitive league for organized 6v6 eHockey, played in the EA SPORTS™ NHL franchise.
Featuring multiple divisions from Elite to Neo, as well as a 1v1 competition, the ECL offers players of all skill levels a structured and competitive environment. Every skater and goaltender is fully human-controlled, with all games played in EASHL mode on PlayStation and Xbox.
Established in 2015, the ECL now enters its 22nd season with a thriving community of players. The league also features ECL 1v1, introduced in the ECL ’23 Winter season, where Europe’s best solo players compete for the championship.
Basic information/requirements of ECL:
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Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format; however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.
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Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card.
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ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘26: Spring team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘26: Player License or ECL ‘26: Spring Player License before taking the ice. The Player License is also required in the Qualifiers. Players in ECL Neo require only an ECL '26: Spring Neo Player License. You will find more information about the licenses below in this article.
Teams may also register up to three backup players, who can be used as substitutes during the season. Each backup may appear in a maximum of 10 games combined across both the Winter and Spring seasons, including qualifiers, regular season, and playoffs. All backups must be listed on the team’s official roster before participating in any game.
The sign-ups close on the below-mentioned dates:
- ECL Pro Qualifier: 23.3.2026
- ECL Elite: 23.3.2026
- ECL Pro: 23.3.2026
- ECL Lite: 2.4.2026
- ECL Core: 2.4.2026
- ECL Neo: 2.4.2026
* Signups will close at 23:59 CET on the day mentioned unless otherwise specified.
⚠️ Please note: Failing to register for a higher-level division in time does NOT entitle registration and participation in a lower division for a team that is unfit to play at a lower level.
Schedule
This section briefly describes the key dates for the ECL '26: Spring season. For a more detailed breakdown, see the ECL '26: Spring - Information & Key Dates
Qualifiers:
The schedule for the qualifiers will be tight — as usual, to allow the maximum time for sign-ups. In most cases, you'll play on 3–4 of the evenings below. We're publishing all possible dates upfront so you can plan ahead — not because we expect to use all of them.
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Pro Qualifier starts 25.3.2026 | Please prepare to play on the dates below*.
- Gameday 1: Wednesday 25.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games
- Gameday 2: Thursday 26.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games
- Gameday 3: Sunday 29.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games
- Gameday 4: Monday 30.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games
- Gameday 5: Wednesday 1.4 | 2 Opponents, 4 games
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Gameday 6: Thursday 2.4 | 2 Opponents, 4 games
*Please treat all dates as reserved until further notice. Most teams will not need to play on all dates, but in order to guarantee the fairest outcome, we want to have enough game days available, if necessary.
- Elite Qualifier starts: 25.3.2026 (if necessary)
The exact details will be shared once the number of teams participating is known.
Regular Season duration: 6.4 - 8.5.2026
eHockey World Cup Break: 12.-24.5.2026 (read about the eHockey World Cup)
Playoffs duration: 25.5 - 28.6.2026*
* The exact details for the playoffs and division finals will be communicated once the final number of teams per division is known.
Free Agents & Teams Looking for Players
Don't have a team yet? Team looking for additions to your roster?
- If you are a free agent looking to be picked up, please head over here.
- If you are representing a team looking for players, please head over here.
Need more help? Check out the "How to Find a Team or Players for Your Team" article!
Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses
Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘26: Spring, available now. During the first few days, you will be able to pick up the ECL ‘26: Spring Team license for the Super Early Bird pricing listed below. After that, we will offer a slightly elevated Early Bird Price from March 16th, and finally regular pricing from March 23rd onward.
If you're a team looking to use your previous winnings toward a license, please contact support for assistance.
ECL '26: SPRING LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE - BROWSE BY USING THIS LINK
The ECL Neo division does not require a team license; however, ECL Neo players are required to have an active Player license at a cost of 10 EUR per season.
Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division.
The ECL prize pool will be determined directly by community participation.
Each season, a share of the collected license-fee income is distributed back to players as prize money across all divisions.
How it works
For the ECL ’26: Spring season, at least 35% of net license-fee income (after VAT and transaction fees) will be paid out as prize money.
The initial prize pool estimate will be published a bit after the start of the season, based on confirmed team and player purchases at that time. If additional licenses are purchased during the season, the final prize pool will be adjusted accordingly and disclosed once all registrations are complete.
Previously purchased full-year license fees are evenly divided between the Winter and Spring seasons.
Why this structure?
Prize pool shares reflect each division’s competitive level and progression within the ECL structure — ensuring that advancement through the divisions is both meaningful and rewarding.
The distribution between divisions remains consistent with previous ECL seasons.
For more specific information about the division-specific prize pool distribution, please see this forum post.
Rule Changes
The updated ECL '26: Spring rules will be available soon. For now, you can refer to the ECL '26: Winter Official Rules, however, keep in mind especially the major adjustments mentioned below. All team captains are expected to familiarize themselves with the rulebook before the season begins.
Here's a snapshot of some of the major adjustments/additions compared to ECL ‘26: Winter:
- 11.7.: Banned Player Abilities, Builds & Positional Builds section has been significantly updated - All Abilities are now banned and not to be used.
- Some final details, as a closer approximation of the prize pool, will be updated to the rules closer to the start of the season.
- League Administration will be keeping a close eye on teams and players trying to sign up for a division below their perceived skill level, and rules around this will be more clearly defined as a means of clearer transparency
Banned Player Abilities, Builds & Positional Builds
You can read about and discuss player abilities and bans here.
Are there some rule-related changes we’ve missed?
Now is your chance to discuss and suggest what type of changes you would like to see in the rulebook.
PLEASE NOTE: ECL '26: SPRING 1v1 SIGNUPS WILL LAUNCH SOON.
ECL '26: Spring is shaping up to be one of the most wide-open seasons in recent memory — new rules, refreshed rosters, and a fresh set of rankings. Whether you're a returning champion or signing up for the very first time, this is your shot.
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