Jump to content
  • OGjahajaha
    OGjahajaha

    ECL '23 brings 1v1, bigger prizes and World Finals to the table - are you ready to ramp things up to the next level?

    Lots of news are here along with the new ECL season, as always - bigger and better than ever before. This season we will also be able to realize a long-time community dream by organizing the first ever 6v6 World Finals!

    The ECL is back, and this time we’re in for a wild ride, leading up to the World Finals! Yes, you read that right - this season, we’ll have our ECL ‘23 Winter Champion go head-to-head with the NACL Champion in a World Finals event live at Assembly Winter 2023 in Helsinki. The event hosted in Messukeskus of the Finnish capital is the same venue where so many legendary moments have taken place. FILADELPHIA hoisted the trophy to cap off the unbelievable IS Cup 3 Finals, whereas HAVU Gaming celebrated their FCL 2019 victory at the very same spot. Who will be the next team to hoist the trophy in Helsinki and are you ready to ramp things up to the next level? 

    The ECL has established itself as the superior European NHL esports league and the objective is to continue solidifying that position with even bigger and better things in the future without forgetting our trademark quality. The new season ramps up the heat in several ways and we're extremely happy to announce a new record high prize pool of up to 28 000€ for only the Winter Season spread out across the divisions. Let’s also take a look at some of the other news our next season brings.

    ECL_23_Winter_Cover_Play_the_best.jpg

    Introducing ECL 1v1

    The first and most visible change will be the introduction of the all new 1v1 European Championship League. This is the new 1v1 league to rule them all in the European market, with the ultimate prize being the 1v1 European Championship. The format is designed to follow the true and tested format of our national 1v1 competitions, and as this falls under the ECL umbrella, you can also expect big production and a hefty prize pool to go along with it. 
     

    Changes to licenses

    The ECL has been on a steady growth trajectory over the past few years and we’re keen on continuing that trend. In order to help with that ambition, we will be introducing player licenses, and increasing team license fees for the upcoming ECL. 

    The new ECL Player License will cost 20€ and allow for participation in both the ECL 6v6 and 1v1 leagues for the full ECL ‘23 year including both the ECL '23 Winter and Spring seasons. This license will grant you access to compete in the most prestigious and biggest competitive NHL esports league in Europe. An ECL season spans over the course of two to three months and guarantees a minimum of roughly 20 games of competition on the 6v6 side*, whereas the 1v1 league adds - at the very least - the opportunity to participate in four single-elimination qualifier events that are used to qualify the top 128 players that move forward to the group stage.

    Starting this ECL Winter season, ECL Neo will continue being available at no license fee for teams wishing to get a taste of competitive virtual hockey, whereas all other divisions are subject to a team license fee. The license is exponentially higher at higher levels of competition, given the increased spotlight and additional content around the divisions in question.

    Each team can name up to 3 backup players (outside of the primary 6) that can help the team out and play up to 10 games without having to own the player license.

    The ECL ‘23 Player License can be purchased during the season if a backup wants to play more games than expected.
    ECL Neo will remain free to play, with no player license required to compete, however

    • To uphold the integrity of ECL Neo as the beginner level, we reserve the right to deny teams to participate in cases where they are clearly above the amateur level, as it could significantly impact the experience of what ECL Neo is intended for.
    • The ECL ‘23 Player License can be purchased by an ECL Neo player if they want to participate in ECL 1v1, benefit from the additional advantages that come with the license (more on this later), or simply as a form of supporting the league.

    License fees will be allocated to fund prize pools and developing operations, such as our broadcasts, live productions and promoting the league.

    *Based on the minimum amount of games played in a starting role in the ECL '22 Spring: Core regular season.


    ECL Legacy for PlayStation 4

    As the ECL is moving over to new generation consoles, we realize that a number of teams have still chosen to continue playing on the previous generation. In order to satisfy their need for competitive action, we will be hosting an ECL Legacy league that will be based on our ECL ruleset. ECL Legacy will be open for all PlayStation 4 teams, only requiring a player license. 

    ECL_23_Winter_Licenses_16_9.jpg

    Taking the next steps for the ECL into a more professional direction has been a long time coming already, and it has been an inevitable step to take in our journey to developing the league and platform as a whole. The league has been active since 2015 and ran without profit every season. Since the start, we’ve grown from a 50 team single division into a five division league with around 300 active teams, which has led to the requirements of the team increasing. These changes allow us to focus on core operations and develop even further, with the first step being the all new ECL 1v1.

    ECL23-Headers-What-Is-The-ECL.png

    The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports  - a league where all the best European NHL gamers compete against each other in both EASHL (6v6) and Online Versus (1v1) for the European Championship title. ECL 6v6 currently features five divisions, so action is guaranteed for everyone regardless of skill level and experience!

    Basic information/requirements of ECL:

    • 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. In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players.
       
    • Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card.
       
    • ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘23 Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player needs to have a valid ECL ‘23 Winter Player License before taking the ice.
       
    • Rules: The ECL ‘23 Winter ruleset will follow the same foundation as the previous season. The updated rulebook will be available before the season.
       

    ECL23-Headers-Divisions-Framework.png

    The divisions framework for the ECL ‘23 season will follow the same logic as for previous seasons. We will have a total of five divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams, Pro 32 teams, Lite 64 teams, Core 128 teams and Neo 32+ teams.
     

    ECL_23_Structure_red.jpg

    Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division.

    ECL23-Headers-Sign-Up-Period.png

    Wildcard teams: 14.-19.11.2022 ⚠️
    ECL Lite Qualifier: 14.-22.11.2022 ⚠️
    ECL Pro Qualifier: 14.-22.11.2022 ⚠️
    ECL Neo: 14.11.-8.12.2022
    ECL Core: 14.11.-8.12.2022
    ECL Lite: 14.-30.11.2022
    ECL Pro: 14.-30.11.2022
    ECL Elite: 14.-30.11.2022

    *Signups will close at 23:59 CET on the last day mentioned unless otherwise specified.

    Schedule

    Qualifiers: 24.11-7.12.2022  ⚠️
    Season duration: 11.12.2022-1.3.2023

    ECL_23_6v6_Sign_up_HERE_btn.jpg                 ECL_23_1v1_Sign_up_HERE_btn.jpg

    Signups are open right now, so now is time to brace for that final push in building your teams! Get your team together and sign up for the biggest event of the year!

    For our North American members who are eagerly waiting for the NACL announcement, we can reveal that it is in the works and will be dropping within the coming days. 

     

    Read more about specific division schedules, prize pools and more:

    ECL '23 Winter Wildcard
    ECL '23 Winter Lite & Pro Qualifiers
    ECL '23 Winter Neo
    ECL '23 Winter Core
    ECL '23 Winter Lite
    ECL '23 Winter Pro
    ECL '23 Winter Elite
    ECL '23 Winter 1v1
    Purchase Licenses

     

    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.
     

    Did your team sign with an organization that is represented in the game and needs in-game unlocks?

    Fill in this form. (Only if your organization has unlockables available in NHL 23)




    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments



    I won't comment on this form anything but shouldn't it be worth paying the prize money of the last ecl first before collecting new bigger pots? Guys have wait now couple months of prizemoneys...

    • Like 9
    • Thanks 4

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    8 minutes ago, tkantola said:

    I won't comment on this form anything but shouldn't it be worth paying the prize money of the last ecl first before collecting new bigger pots? Guys have wait now couple months of prizemoneys...

    Absolutely agree. Can you reach out to me on Discord (Kenu#0001) or a private message here and we’ll see what went wrong. The teams that provided the requested information should have been paid by now. 

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    How fcl cost only 5e and this 20e? Dont say that its big money for me or allmoust anyone but how about younger players who have to Ask money from parents etc... And If so is there promises that people who work for free doing nothing starts to do their work without saunakamu meininki? This is only my opinion with experience.

    • Like 2

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I agree with the individual license but not for that price. Further I see a huge shift happening towards ECL Neo. An additional fee of approx 30 euros minimum (license + part of team) is a very steep increase just to play one version of NHL. And that's for Core only. Add 10 to 15 PER LEAGUE upwards.

    I hate to play that card, but in this economy, that might alienize a lot of our player base and the fundamentals we worked for four so many years. This league was for everyone regardless of your background, age, income and so on.  Now I see a real danger of driving a stake thorough the communities heart. 

    • Like 16

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Ok without knowing anything what is going on in the background or taking a stand here are some numbers from Pro division point of view:

    5500€ prize pool

    300€ per team x 32 teams = 

    9600€

     

    + 20€/player x 7 players (at least) x 32 = 4480€

     

    Equals to 14080€ compared to 5500€ prize pool.

     

    • Like 7
    • Thanks 8

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    This is ridiculous. I’ve been around since 09, participating in most of the tournaments, ups and downs. Been fortunate enough to play at the highest level, competing with the very best and at the same time surrounded by wonderful team mates in Synergy Hockey trough most of the seasons. 
    That will come to an end personally if these new changes are here to stay. 
     

    ECL has always been what keeps me at least somewhat motivated, even if the game itself sucks. 
    It’s worth the grind in EASHL when you got ECL coming. 
    But paying money to be able to participate? And not even by choice,  even in the lower divisions, absolutely baffling decision. 
    I won’t do it, I could, but I won’t. 
    very disappointing news. 
     

    My opinion, I don’t care what anyone makes of it. 

    • Like 30

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    8 minutes ago, Kaikkien Janoisten Sankari said:

    Ok without knowing anything what is going on in the background or taking a stand here are some numbers from Pro division point of view:

    5500€ prize pool

    300€ per team x 32 teams = 

    9600€

     

    + 20€/player x 7 players (at least) x 32 = 4480€

     

    Equals to 14080€ compared to 5500€ prize pool.

     

    Wait till someone takes out calculator for Lite and Core , that is where it gets really interesting 

    • Like 4

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    vor 1 Minute schrieb kriteris:

    Wait till someone takes out calculator for Lite and Core , that is where it gets really interesting 

    Don't worry. We Core-Players don't know how to use a Playstation-Controller let alone a calculator.

    • Like 4

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    11 minuuttia sitten, iSvamp kirjoitti:

    SCL 2022-Prizepool? Looking Joe Biden GIF by GIPHY News

    Wilhelm Hockey-tour Super League Money GIF by Anderson .Paak

    NHLGamer high roller jackpot GIF by University of Alaska Fairbanks

    Do not disrespect the mighty sausage tournament!

    • Like 4
    • Love it! 1

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    There is not schedule and rulebook for 1vs1 tournament? Are they added here later? Is 1vs1 in HUT or online versus? Most of the info was about 6vs6 tournaments so I assume you add more info on 1vs1 later.

    • Like 5

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    vor 43 Minuten schrieb kriteris:

    Wait till someone takes out calculator for Lite and Core , that is where it gets really interesting 

    I tried my best anyways. First time it said "Syntax error", 200.gif

    the second time around for the ECL Core in it current state with 89 teams and 700 players (forwards only) that's 23.000 Euros in entry fees. Prize pool is 2.620 Euro. Equals 20.380 Euro profit.

    • Like 2

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Together with our community, we want to continue developing the ECL and this platform as a whole. The league has been active since 2015 and ran without profit every season. Since the start, we’ve grown from a 50 team single division into a five division league with around 300 active teams, which has led to the requirements of the team increasing. These changes allow us to focus on core operations and develop even further. This year, we have decided to make one of our community dreams come true with the World Finals. This is a substantial investment from our side, but we feel like now is the time to make that happen.

    It's understandable how it may appear on surface level like all of the costs are related to prize money. What is less apparent is the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. When speaking about pure administrative work, the lower divisions take exponentially more effort to run, while Pro and Elite tend to operate more smoothly due to the experience of the teams and players in these divisions, and the lower number of teams involved.

    • Like 15
    • Thanks 8

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    12 minutes ago, Kenu said:

    Together with our community, we want to continue developing the ECL and this platform as a whole. The league has been active since 2015 and ran without profit every season. Since the start, we’ve grown from a 50 team single division into a five division league with around 300 active teams, which has led to the requirements of the team increasing. These changes allow us to focus on core operations and develop even further. This year, we have decided to make one of our community dreams come true with the World Finals. This is a substantial investment from our side, but we feel like now is the time to make that happen.

    It's understandable how it may appear on surface level like all of the costs are related to prize money. What is less apparent is the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. When speaking about pure administrative work, the lower divisions take exponentially more effort to run, while Pro and Elite tend to operate more smoothly due to the experience of the teams and players in these divisions, and the lower number of teams involved.

    But is it really community dream? Or is it only the dream for the like top 5 elite teams who have the chance to get there. Feels like everyone else in elite, pro, lite, core and neo is paying unnecessarily much for making the «dream» of maybe the top 5 elite teams.

    Edited by Suth98_
    • Like 42

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    It is so funny how people always want to count someones money and also get everything free of charge)))) so pathetic

    It is understandable to ask about the prize money which you didn't receive for some reason. But to whine about a little fee is nonsense. Especially if you compare it to the cost of the game or Playstation5 ffs. You get the finest experience playing ECL and guys doing this stuff for free for so long... 

    But usually its like that - do something for free once and almost everyone around will think you owe them that and you'll have to do it like that for eternity)))) 

    Want a better experience - pay. Its how it works. Dont wanna pay? Make your own free of charge league))

    • Like 12
    • Thanks 5
    • Love it! 1

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    2 minuter sedan, Baranizer säger:

    It is so funny how people always want to count someones money and also get everything free of charge)))) so pathetic

    It is understandable to ask about the prize money which you didn't receive for some reason. But to whine about a little fee is nonsense. Especially if you compare it to the cost of the game or Playstation5 ffs. You get the finest experience playing ECL and guys doing this stuff for free for so long... 

    But usually its like that - do something for free once and almost everyone around will think you owe them that and you'll have to do it like that for eternity)))) 

    Want a better experience - pay. Its how it works. Dont wanna pay? Make your own free of charge league))

    If you compare it to the cost of the game the license is more expensive than the game was for me. 🙃

    • Like 1
    • Love it! 1

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    It turns out I buy a player's license, and then I still have to raise money together with the team for a license for the team or the money I paid as a license for the player, go to the team? @Kenu

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    1 minute ago, benjamint737 said:

    If you compare it to the cost of the game the license is more expensive than the game was for me. 🙃

    And i want to know how 40€ will change our experience in Core ? Imagine asking someone to be a backup goalie for few games .and pay all these licenses.

    4 minutes ago, RamboViking88 said:

    It turns out I buy a player's license, and then I still have to raise money together with the team for a license for the team or the money I paid as a license for the player, go to the team? @Kenu

    You buy players licence and then you pay Team licence . They are seperate . Players licence for all the broadcasting , hosting and few articles a month covering Elite . Team licences for prize pool , broadcasting , hosting and few articles a month covering Elite . For some people it does make sense believe it or not .

    • Thanks 1

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I guess it all comes down to how fun you think it is, I understand some people will pay the fee without hesitation, that’s fine. 
    I won’t, I barely manage to motivate myself to participate when it’s free. 
    Good thing there’s a lot of other competitive games out there for free eh. 
    Let’s evolve and grow this thing, let the players pay. What a load of bullshit 😁

    • Like 1

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    17 минут назад, benjamint737 сказал:

    If you compare it to the cost of the game the license is more expensive than the game was for me. 🙃

    All is possible. My point was - there is always an explanation to some actions. Maybe Kenu just have to write it straight - I want a Ferrari. Then everyone will understand and pay the fee with no further questions))))))))

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    12 minutes ago, Baranizer said:

    All is possible. My point was - there is always an explanation to some actions. Maybe Kenu just have to write it straight - I want a Ferrari. Then everyone will understand and pay the fee with no further questions))))))))

    No one expects this to operate for free , we just want to know reasoning for such a steap increase. You have to understand that 80% of this community won’t see any changes what so ever and the excuses we have heard so far are “bollocks” for a average non Elite ,Pro player. You know something is wrong when they start charging total beginners (Neo ) for let’s be honest joining the community . If servers are struggling with influx of new players over the years then I agree this will definitely cleanse them not even talking about new “subscribers “ , pardon community members 

    • Like 4

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    14 минут назад, kriteris сказал:

    No one expects this to operate for free , we just want to know reasoning for such a steap increase. You have to understand that 80% of this community won’t see any changes what so ever and the excuses we have heard so far are “bollocks” for a average non Elite ,Pro player. You know something is wrong when they start charging total beginners (Neo ) for let’s be honest joining the community . If servers are struggling with influx of new players over the years then I agree this will definitely cleanse them not even talking about new “subscribers “ , pardon community members 

    Agreed. Didnt see anything saying NEO is totally free (only that teams are free of charge) so if we talk about entering the league and paying the fee straight away then it is not a very smart decision. 

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I could see something like 20-40e from team and how meany players you have you share payment and teams dont need have More then 6 players becouse nobody wants to play from backup role when probably dont get More then 1-3 rounds of games. And with prize pool lite should Be biggest, why lower lvl should pay elite or Pro teams dont Make sence. If this Gösta through i see someone making new league where people van play for free and thats end of nhlgamer at least out of elite or Pro.

    • Like 1

    Share this comment


    Link to comment
    Share on other sites




    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy