ECL '25: Spring - Elite | Finals Preview

Over two months and 272 games later, the fight for ECL Elite Division title is down to just two teams. It's been a long road for these two teams to have made it here, and both sides have plenty on the line outside of just the championship trophy, but just four wins separates them from that coveted prize and only one will stand alone at the ECL's mountain top. A finals matchup this good, deserves a look back at each team's journey and a preview of the battle that they get set to face off in. And yes, some predictions of who we believe will walk out as champions of the Elite Division. So let's not waste any more time shall we? Let's dive into series preview and look back at how each side earned their way here. 

 Last Dance

• Regular Season: 24-2-1-3 (77pts) - 1st in Elite Division
• 4-1 series win vs (8) Tohtorit
  • 6-0 OTW,  2-3 OTL,  2-1 OTW,  4-2 W,  4-2 W
• 4-0 series win vs (4) EXEN
  • 5-1 W,  7-3 W,  5-2 W,  3-2 W

Season Summary

Last Dance have been arguably the Elite Division's most consistent and dominant team throughout the Spring season, and their stellar form has now carried them to the Finals for the first time since the ECL '23: Spring season two years ago (this team was under the Frölunda HC brand). 

Overall, this team was able to make the regular season look like a breeze, and they continued that form in the playoffs. They have only lost two games this season by more than one goal. A 7-1 loss to Heimo on April 8 and a 3-1 loss to Parasite on April 23. They have also yet to lose back-to-back games this season and have only played in 10 one-goal games this season (including the playoffs).

That dominance carried over for them in the postseason, as if it weren't for a late collapse in Game 2 vs Tohtorit, where Last Dance surrounded a 2-0 lead in the last 30 seconds of regulation to later lose in overtime, this team would be perfect so far in their playoff run. They ultimately were able to knock off a very respectable Tohtorit team in five games, and followed that up with a dominant semifinals victory of EXEN, sweeping them in the series and scoring 5+ goals in three of the four games.

Storylines to Watch

A Team Of Many Stories

Coming into the season, there were multiple big talking points about this team. Would long lauded players such as Eki, Puantso, and Hansulinho finally be able to snap their lengthy championship droughts? What would the addition of NikkeDangles at RW and the reformation of Jamal and Lxndstrom on defense mean for this team? Last Dance answered all of these questions in style, as they were able to put together one of the most complete regular seasons that we've seen in the Elite Division.

There was also the recent news of Eki's planned retirement, as he officially announced on his X account prior to the Quarterfinals that he intends to step away from competitive sixes (at least for the time being). It's currently unclear if Eki will be the only one calling it quits after this season, but regardless, Eki is one of the legendary names of the European esports scene. You can't tell the story of the ECL, or this club, without him. His last championship victory was in ECL 11 with FILADELPHIA nearly four years ago. This team will be eager to send him off with one final championship trophy.


A Wealth of Championship Experience

Another story with this group is their wide variety of championship and Finals experience. This team has players from 13 of the past 19 Elite championship teams. It shouldn't be a surprise that a club with an all-time record of 749-145-69 in 959 games has players on its roster with championship gold, but most teams could only dream of having this much championship success in its lineup.

No matter what happens in this series, the moment will not be too big for this team. Even their lone two players without previous finals experience (more on them later) will have multiple players in their lineup to lean on while playing in the biggest series of their respective careers.

Historically Great Offense

Their three forwards of Nikke (87pts), Eki (81pts), and Puansto (73pts) all ranked Top 3 in the division points during the regular season, helping to charge Elite's highest-scoring offense at 4 GF/GP, which ranks tied for third in Elite Division history. They tied with Tunnel Vision in ECL 23 Winter, and only rank behind Parasite last season (5 GF/GP) and Linköping HC in ECL 10 (4.3 GF/GP). Interestingly enough, this Last Dance team has one player from both of those teams, as Eki was a part of Linköping HC, and NikkeDangles was with Parasite.

They've actually picked up their scoring pace in the playoffs so far, as in nine playoff games, Last Dance are averaging 4.22 GF/GP. 

Long-Time Duo Makes Their Long-Awaited Finals Debut

Along with sporting the division's best offensive attack, Last Dance were also one of the best teams in their own end as well. Their 2.13 GA/GP ranked third-best in Elite, trailing only Mythix (1.77 GA/GP) and Parasite (2 GA/GP). Though this stat is a team stat like any other, much credit must go to the additions of Lxndstrom and Jamal. The two long-time defense partners have a history that goes all the way back to ECL 11, where they were teammates at Hotbox in the Lite Division.

The two continued to climb the ranks together, later moving up to the Pro Division with Hotbox and later Hokurit, and in the ECL 23 Winter season, the dynamic duo made the move up to the Elite Division with JYP Jyväskylä. Though they spent two seasons apart in the ECL 24 Spring and ECL 25 Winter campaigns, they came back together this season and have helped lead this team on the back end, and with their efforts, have earned their first-ever trip to the Elite Division finals.
 

Watch the full interview on tonight's broadcast - starting at 19:00 CEST LIVE at twitch.tv/ReactioMedia!

The Legend of Hansulinho

Behind those two is the savvy veteran in net, Hansulinho. For a player who has a career save percentage of 82.36% in 346 starts, the multi-time champion has yet to see his game dip, as he was able to start all 30 games in the regular season while posting an 81.01 SV% and 2.13 GAA. No matter the season or situation, Hansulinho being one of the best goalies in the game feels like a constant, and when you consider the fact that his playoff numbers were even more impressive (84sv% and 1.78 GAA), it's easy to say that he is still one of the top goalies in all of Europe. 

Hansu's last title came in ECL 10 with HAVU GAMING, and it'll be just the second Finals that he's played in since. It wouldn't shock me in the slightest to see a vintage performance from one of the league's most accomplished goaltenders, and he'll certainly be someone to look out for in this series.

Projected Starting Lineup

LW - Ilmari @Puantso Lehkonen - (19 GP, 16 PTS, 11 GOALS, 5 ASSISTS, 47 SHOTS, 34 HITS)

C - Erik @Eki Tammenpää - (9 GP, 22 PTS, 10 GOALS, 12 ASSISTS, 4 GWGs, 9 BLOCKED SHOTS,  51% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE)

RW - Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen - (9 GP, 17 PTS, 8 GOALS, 18 ASSISTS, 29 SHOTS, 27.6% SHOOTING PERCENTAGE)

LD - Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen - (9 GP, 18 PTS, 4 GOALS, 14 ASSISTS, 47:03 TIME WITH THE PUCK, 32 HITS)

RD - Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström - (9 GP, 15 PTS, GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, 66 HITS, 28 TAKEAWAYS, 59 INTERCEPTIONS)

G - Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen - (9 GP, 84% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 1.78 GAA, 100 SHOTS FACED, 1 SHUTOUT, 16 SHUTOUT PERIODS)

 Mythix

• Regular Season: 19-4-2-5 (67pts) - 2nd in Elite Division
• 4-1 series win vs (7) SSK ESPORTS
  • 2-1 OTW,  5-2 W,  2-1 OTL,  3-0 W,  3-2 OTW
• 4-2 series win vs (3) Parasite
  • 2-1 L,  3-2 OTW,  2-1 OTW,  4-1 W, 5-4 OTL, 3-2 W

Season Summary

If you had told ECL fans back in March that in the next three months, Mythix would win the FCL Championship and then follow that up by making it to the ECL Elite Finals, few would've been likely to believe you. Yet despite many doubts, here they are, with a championship trophy and the chance to add one more. This has been one of the more pleasantly surprising stories that I can remember in my time covering the ECL, and it's safe to say now that Mythix are officially one of the best teams that Europe has to offer right now.

Though many still believed that this team was a safe bet to make the playoffs, very few would've expected them to go on the run that they have. This is their third season of Elite division competition, and though they were able to make it to the playoffs in each of their first two campaigns, never were they seriously considered to be a legitimate championship threat. A pair of quick exits quarterfinals and a roster that lacked any previous playoff success seemed to back that belief coming into the season. Their key additions of Temppanen, Sokkelo, and Akunkku were meant to give this core a shake-up to hopefully push them into that next level, and to say that they've done that would probably be understating it. 

Mythix emerged as the best defensive team in the league this season, allowing just 1.71 GA/GP and pairing that with an offensive attack that averaged 3.5 GF/GP, good for second-best in the Division only behind Last Dance. Their standout regular season was enough to earn them the #2 seed, where they would take out another surprise story in SSK ESPORTS in the quarterfinal in five games, and would then go on to knock out the defending champions Parasite in a tight six-game series. 

Storylines to Watch

Proven That They Belong

What separates this team from some of the other "surprise" championship teams of the past is that very would've thought that this team would belong here not that long ago. Now, to be clear, it is very obvious that they do. You don't stumble your way into an FCL Championship, a #2 seeding in the ECL, and a Finals appearance by simply being lucky. This team is legitimately good, but what makes them so fun is that their roster is filled with players that prior to now, never had reached this level of success in their respective careers.

Coming into this season, Mythix's roster had a combined zero playoff series wins in the Elite Division. To take that fact a step further, two of their players had never even played in the playoffs before in the Elite division prior to this season. See why this is all so crazy? Something clicked with this group in March during the FCL tournament, and ever since that point, they haven't seemed to look back.

Whenever Mythix seems to be doubted, they've always found an answer. Thought that their FCL Championship was a fluke? They answered with a second-place regular season finish in ECL. Thought that they were fortunate to play an inexperienced team in the Quarterfinals? They responded by knocking off the defending champions in Parasite in the Semifinals, something that very few teams can say they've done. Mythix belongs here, and though they will almost certainly be the underdog in this Finals series, the one thing that you can't say is that they don't belong or don't deserve to be here. Doubt them at your own risk.


Can They Meet Their Biggest Moment?

As much as I would love to continue singing this team's praises, there is one palpable storyline that will be interesting to watch for, and that's the difference in experience between this team and their opponent. Last Dance have players on their roster who played on this stage countless times. This is nothing new to most of them, and they will be plenty adjusted to playing for a championship in front of the bright lights.

Mythix, on the other hand, will be in totally new territory. Yes, they played in the FCL Finals and won, and that means something, but the ECL Finals are a little bit different. You aren't just playing to claim a championship within your country; this is a battle to call yourselves the best team in all of Europe, and arguably one of the best teams across the globe. A bigger audience and a bigger moment are palpable in this setting, and it's going to be something that Mythix has never been a part of before.

There is no teacher like experience, and nothing can replace it. At the end of the day, Mythix can take on the mentality of it "just being another series", and that's probably the best mindset that they could have coming into this series. However, deep down, they know what is on the line. You can't avoid it, no matter how much you try to deny it and block it out. Mythix will have to embrace to moment and the big stage, while sticking to the principles that have gotten them to this point. It'll be interesting to see how Mythix's mindset is and how long it takes for them to get comfortable playing on this stage, especially during the early stages of the series. I personally believe that they will be fine, but we won't know for sure until the puck drops on Sunday. 

Special Teams Dominance

You would be hard pressed to find a team that has been better on special teams than Mythix has this season. They led the division in both power play percentage (51.11%) and penalty kill percentage (87.8%) during the regular season. In fact, their power play actually ranks as the highest percentage in the history of the Elite division. 

Though their special team numbers have cooled off a touch in the playoffs, that's to be expected with how high their regular season stats were. All three of their forwards ranked in the Top 10 in power-play goals during the regular season, with Sokkelo having a league-high 12 power-play goals, which was five more than the next-best player.

On the penalty kill, Mythix were actually called on a lot. This team took 82 PIMS during the regular season, which ranked tied for fourth-most in the league (ironically, the team that they tied with was Last Dance). Though no team wants to find themselves in the penalty box that often, there is some added comfort in knowing that you're good enough to clean up those mistakes without any harm being done on the scoreboard.

It Takes Two Wings to Fly

Both transfer additions over the offseason, Mythix winger duo of Temppanen and Sokkelo, have proven to be one of the best in the Elite division this season, have led the charge to what has become a truly potent offense for this team. And though Mythix's offense goes far beyond what their wingers are able to do on the left and right side of the ice, there's no denying that they're a key cog to what Mythix wants to do offensively, and their combined 16 game-winning goals during the regular season would back that up.

Going back to the regular season, Sokkelo finished Top 5 in the division in both points (69) and goals (37), both of which rank as career bests for the veteran forward. Sokkelo is someone who, despite his lack of prior postseason success, has arguably been one of the more underrated forwards in the Elite division for a while. He's always been a consistent 40-point player on non-playoff teams, but when finally given the opportunity to play on a playoff caliber roster, he's shown that he's capable of doing even more than what he has in the past. This shouldn't come as a major surprise in hindsight, as despite playing on a Root Gaming team that was eventually relegated last season, Sokkelo finished the season with 32 goals, which ranked Top 10 in the division and accounted for 50% of Roots' goals scored. He's a legitimate goal-scorer, and he's fully hit his stride since joining this Mythix group.

Temppanen, on the other hand, came over from a Voittamaton team is a constant championship threat and made it to the semifinals a season ago, and has been a part of a playoff team every season that he's been in the Elite Division. This season, however, has been undoubtedly some of his best work, though, as his 61 points and 31 goals both ranked Top 10 in the division. He's been arguably even better so far in the team's postseason run, as so far he's registered 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points in 11 playoff games. He's also scored four game-winning goals for his team so far in this postseason. 

Watch the full interview on tonight's broadcast - starting at 19:00 CEST LIVE at twitch.tv/ReactioMedia!
 

Can Anyone Take Down TeikDaun?

Undoubtedly a contender for Goaltender of the Season, TeikDaun has, similarly to the rest of his teammates, emerged as one of the best players at his position with his play this season. During the Winter campaign, TeikDaun posted a 77.78 SV%, 2.8 GAA, and 4-6-0 record in 10 starts. He also didn't play in the team's playoff series against Voittamaton.

With KDoneof1 transferring to Tohtorit during the offseason, however, the crease for Mythix became open. They opted not to add another goalie to their roster in the offseason, giving TeikDaun the opportunity to be the uncontested starter for his club and for the first time in his Elite division career. To say that this decision paid off for the club would be an understatement, as not only has he been a key contributor to their Finals run, but he's also placed himself in the conversation to be one of the league's top goaltenders.

TeikDaun started in every game for his team so far this season, and his 83.49 SV%, 1.77 GAA, and five shutouts during the regular season all ranked the best of any goalie with at least 10 starts. His form has been just as stellar so far during the playoff run, as he's managed to earn an 85.29 SV% and 1.82 GAA in 11 starts, including one shutout. Few teams have been able to break past him this season, and we have seen special goaltending performances win championships in the Finals before. Can TeikDaun add himself to that list with legendary names? To do so, he'll have to step up in what could be his toughest test yet.

Projected Starting Lineup

LW - Teemu @temppanen Karvonen - (11 GP, 25 PTS, 15 GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, 42 SHOTS, 35.7% SHOOTING PERCENTAGE), 4 GWGs

C - Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila - (11 GP, 15 PTS, 6 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 31 TAKEAWAYS, 11 BLOCKED SHOTS, 48.4% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE)

RW - Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli - (11 GP, 16 PTS, 6 GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, 42 SHOTS, 2 GWGs, 30 HITS)

LD - Atte @Akunkku Kuningas - (11 GP, 11 PTS, 1 GOAL, 10 ASSISTS, 81:30 TIME WITH THE PUCK, 84.1% PASSING PERCENTAGE, 46 TAKEAWAYS, 78 INTERCEPTIONS)

RD - Veeti @WeDuX_ Misikangas - (11 GP, 12 PTS, 3 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 6 SHOTS, 83.2% PASSING PERCENTAGE, 35 HITS, 12 BLOCKED SHOTS)

G - Jani @TeikDaun Honkasaari - (11 GP, 85.29% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 1.82 GAA, 136 SHOTS FACED, 116 SAVES, 1 SHUTOUT, 24 SHUTOUT PERIODS)

Predictions

This is one of the more intriguing Finals matchups that I think we've seen in a while. It's the two top teams from the regular season, yet it's two completely different names than the Finals series that we've seen over the past two years. One side has a lineup that features multiple champions and names that are forever etched in the history of the ECL; the other side is a group that had never even won a playoff series in the division prior to this season, let alone made it to the Finals. 

Coming into this series, the consensus feeling is that Last Dance are the favorites heading into this series. That is probably to be expected, as they've been the most consistent, and dominant team in the division and have yet to show any signs of weakness at any point this season. They also are the more experienced team and won both meetings in the regular season (4-2 and 4-3). However, this doesn't mean that Mythix can't pull off a series win. Will it be difficult? Yes. Would it be an upset? Probably, but it doesn't mean that it can't happen, and in fact, I would argue that the narrative of this series going into it, probably plays right into Mythix's hands because of that.

This team has nothing to lose compared to Last Dance. No one expected them to be here, fewer expect them to win, and some don't even believe that they belong in the Finals to begin with. They're out here to do what they've done all season. Prove themselves right, while proving their doubters wrong.

Last Dance, on the other hand, have all of the pressure. They are the favorites who are expected to win. They have multiple players on their roster who haven't won an ECL Championship in over four years and two who have never won one at all. They're the #1 overall seed and have been the dominant force in this division. And the big one, their captain and one of the most accomplished players in the history of NHL esports, is retiring at season's end.

Last Dance has an undeniable amount of pressure, while Mythix, though they have the pressure of playing for a title, are basically playing with house money, knowing that few expect them to be here and even fewer expect them to beat Last Dance four times. Only one of these teams will go home truly satisfied, though at the end of the night, and the one that doesn't, though proud of their season's work, will have the undeniable feeling of disappointment from knowing that they just fell short of European 6v6's biggest prize.

@bMaJuH: Last Dance in 6 

@Mozjayh: Last Dance in 6 

@sopulii_: Last Dance in 7 

@Allupekkaz: Last Dance in 5 

@antoniomannen004: Last Dance in 6 

@Vattuyy: Last Dance in 5 

@wengerii: Last Dance in 5 

Tune in to the Finals Tonight!

The ECL '25: Spring - Elite Champion is decided tonight live at twitch.tv/ReactioMedia, so be sure to tune in and enjoy this nail-biter of a series hosted by Brandon @bMaJuH Bigsby and Lauri @sopulii_ Enström. The broadcast starts at 19:00 CEST and will feature the full best-of-seven series, along with some other goodies, such as interviews and the ECL '25: Spring - Elite Awards. See you there!
 

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