SportsGamers,
This season, our ECL Elite Player Awards vote will return and all of you will have the opportunity to impact who will receive the individual awards at the end of the season. We have six categories in total with five nominees in each category. While some nominees have been selected due to their statistically superior performance, there has been space for a slightly more subjective approach too. We've had a jury pick out two of the five nominees in all five categories based on their votes.
Voting will open effective immediately and we're asking you to cast your votes by Tuesday, February 21st at 23:59 CET. The awards will be presented in the ECL '23 Winter Finals broadcasts on Friday, February 24th. Make sure to cast your vote in order to support your favorite player!
Here's a list of all the nominees in all the different award categories. You'll find the embedded poll at the end of each category, so make sure to cast your votes!
Top Forward
The Top Forward award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their forward position.
Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen, Tunnel Vision 
The young winger moved from GOONS to Tunnel Vision in the offseason as the replacement of Jere @jxrska Laukka and took off immediately. He has been able to score from anywhere in the offensive zone and with the hot stick, bounces seemed to favor him all season long too!
Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, hREDS 
Perhaps the best centerman in the game is able to elevate players flanking him while simultaneously being very reliable defensively. An unusually high scoring centerman, who finished #2 in the scoring race this season.
Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen, hREDS
The hREDS prodigy has cemented his position as one of the absolute top forwards in the Elite division and had an excellent season, earning him 3rd place in the scoring race.
Wade @Wpaanane Paananen, JANO 
Ahead of the season, expectations for JANO were somewhere around the no-mans-land, but the team quickly showed that they've been able to gel together, and winger wpaanane had greatly elevated his level of play just in time for his rookie season in Elite.
Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, Tunnel Vision
One of the most efficient scorers in Elite already last season continued in great form also this season. Now with a different winger duo beside him, Vattuyy looks even more versatile than before.
Top Defender
The Top Defender award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their defenseman position.
Veeti @Wenger Paloneva, Tunnel Vision
While Wenger has been a part of successful Elite squads in the past, and even played forward back in the days, he surpassed his personal best in terms of points this season. The #1 scoring defenseman by a 4-point margin.
Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, JANO
The former JYP Jyväskylä defenseman blossomed this season with JANO, more than doubling his personal best in scoring. Really found a connection to feed his forwards in scoring chances.
Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila, hREDS
After managing to establish a dominant position among the ranks of top defensemen last season with SAWO Esports, Teemuyy made his return to hREDS and continued right where he left off.
Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen, Nordic Stars 
Patsberg has been developing nicely for a couple of seasons already and this run with Nordic Stars was one where the team kind of surprised everyone, much as the result of their players overperforming their expectations.
Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen, hREDS
Ever since transitioning to defense, KingOfApes has been a mainstay in the discussion of top defensemen. He's one of the most dynamic defensemen in the league, with the ability to quarterback plays while keeping all of his teammates involved.
Top Goalie
The Top Goalie award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their goaltender position.
Casper @ICappeI Lundgren, Frölunda HC 
Sharing responsibilities with Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen in ECL Elite's toughest goalie tandem, the lesser amount of games didn't show in Cappe's touch at all. Still one of the absolute best.
Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes, Reality Check HC 
With his comeback after several seasons away from the Pro division, SeRe played a massive part in the success of Reality Check HC this season. Battled with the best of them in terms of SV% and GAA.
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, Tunnel Vision
An excellent backstopper for an excellent team. Could have had bunches of shutouts, but characteristically for the game, something always seemed to sneak by in the weirdest of ways.
Reto @afc_Tschitsch Ulrich, ZSC Esports 
The starter for the Swiss lions has greatly upped his game since gaining more experience at the Elite level. This season, the Lions even managed to mount a playoff push for the first time in team history.
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, Frölunda HC
One of the winningest players in NHL esports history and an excellent goaltender, forming one of the leagues best tandems together with Casper @ICappeI Lundgren. Definitely pulled his weight and more, helping Frölunda reach success this season.
Rookie Of The Season
The Rookie Of The Season award is awarded to a player in their rookie ECL Elite season, who has excelled above the competition regardless of position.
Wade @Wpaanane Paananen, JANO
Ahead of the season, expectations for JANO were somewhere around the no-mans-land, but the team quickly showed that they've been able to gel together, and winger wpaanane had greatly elevated his level of play just in time for his rookie season in Elite.
Aapeli @Frans-Fin Landström, JYP Jyväskylä 
It looked like a questionable decision from JYP to start two Elite rookies on defense, with both of them being fairly new to the position nonetheless. However, the duo quickly proved their doubters wrong.
Jani @Vamoux Jämsäläinen, JANO
Played on an excellent tandem together with veteran Saku @Mehukatti10 Serttilä, statistically besting his partner by a narrow margin. A name to keep an eye out for in the future.
Eemil @Eeemill_ Törnvall, JANO
The JANO captain has put in an impressive amount of work over the course of the past few seasons and while he has been surrounded by several different constellations, this season was a home run both for the team and on a personal level.
Teemu @tkantola Kantola, GOONS 
Another move that was questioned rather heavily ahead of the season, but proven to at least work out in some capacity for GOONS. The team had somewhat of a turbulent season with tkantola being one of their brights spots throughout the campaign. Proved his ability to compete at the Elite level.
Comeback Player Of The Season
The Comeback Player Of The Season award is awarded to a player that after one or more seasons away from ECL Elite competition, makes an impactful comeback to the highest level.
Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes, Reality Check HC
With his comeback after several seasons away from the Pro division, SeRe played a massive part in the success of Reality Check HC this season. Battled with the best of them in terms of SV% and GAA.
Markus @Makeaxl Lahti, JANO
The skilled defenseman made his return to Elite after a few seasons away from the top level and it looked like he hadn't missed a stride. Quarterbacked the play of JANO all season long and certainly had a calming effect on the play of his team.
V-V @vvlampela (cTunkeilija) Lampela, Reality Check HC
The high scoring winger has been a part of the dangerous Reality Check offense for a few seasons already and always seems to reach close to potting at least a goal per game. Showed this season, that it's no issue for him in the Elite division either.
Harri @Pursuitti Haaksiala, Reality Check HC
The fast winger has made a trademark of blowing past defenders on his right flank, and did just that with impressive efficiency this season. Miles ahead of the level of player we saw on his last Elite appearance with HC Wildcard back in ECL 8.
Adam @dzouvi Mensik, Växjö Lakers 
The Czech superstar was one of the few bright spots of Växjö Lakers' season, leading his team in scoring and surpassing his former record from ECL '22 Winter with Granit Gaming by one point!
Transfer Of The Season
The Transfer Of The Season award is awarded to a player who after a transfer is deemed to have been the most impactful player for their new team.
Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen, Tunnel Vision
The young winger moved from GOONS to Tunnel Vision in the offseason as the replacement of Jere @jxrska Laukka and took off immediately. He has been able to score from anywhere in the offensive zone and with the hot stick, bounces seemed to favor him all season long too!
Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen, JANO
We saw an excellent season from the entire JANO roster, complemented greatly by the performances of SadaPoika, who was acquired from Falun Coal Miners in the offseason. This experienced player managed to almost double his point totals from last season.
Veeti @Wenger Paloneva, Tunnel Vision
While Wenger has been a part of successful Elite squads in the past, and even played forward back in the days, he surpassed his personal best in terms of points this season. The #1 scoring defenseman by a 4-point margin.
Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, JANO
The former JYP Jyväskylä defenseman blossomed this season with JANO, more than doubling his personal best in scoring. Really found a connection to feed his forwards in scoring chances.
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, Frölunda HC
One of the winningest players in NHL esports history and an excellent goaltender, forming one of the leagues best tandems together with Casper @ICappeI Lundgren. Definitely pulled his weight and more, helping Frölunda reach success this season.
As stated, the voting will be open until Tuesday, February 21st at 23:59 CEST, so make sure to cast your votes before that and tune in to the finals broadcast on Friday February 24th for all the action and the voting results!
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