Hailing from the picturesque landscapes of Czechia, Adam @dzouvi Menšík has etched his name into the competitive esports scene as a formidable force in the world of NHL gaming. With a career spanning back to 2018, this skilled gamer embarked on his journey with the Blackdawgs, marking the commencement of what has thus far been a remarkable competitive career.

Dzouvi's rise in the ranks among fellow top centermen can be attributed to his excellent technical understanding of the game's intricacies. As a centerman, he has consistently been able to prove himself as not only a prolific scorer, but also as a player with an excellent 200-foot game. 

The pinnacle of Adam's career thus far unfolded during the ECL '23: Spring - Elite season with Färjestad BK. This season proved to be a defining moment for the Czech sensation, as he notched a career-high 45 points, steering his team through a captivating playoff journey. Although the dream of championship glory was halted in the semifinals by Frölunda HC, Dzouvi's resilience and skill on the virtual ice left promises for an even greater ECL '24 Winter Campaign. In addition to the success he saw on the 6v6 ice, he was also one of four gamers present at the ECL '23: Spring 1v1 Finals at the SportsGamer offices in Espoo and put up a valiant fight against the eventual Champion Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen. 

Now, making history as the first player from outside of Finland or Sweden to be honored as the Cover Gamer for the upcoming ECL '24 Winter season, @dzouvi takes center stage together with Vesa Pompa HC, in an attempt to recreate another successful season. 

List of previous ECL cover gamers:
ECL 8: Erik @Eki Tammenpää
ECL 9: Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen
ECL 10: Casper @ICappeI Lundgren
ECL 11: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha
ECL 12: Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
ECL '22 Winter: Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann & Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt
ECL '23 Spring: Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen
ECL '23 Winter: Erik @Eki Tammenpää
ECL '23 Spring: Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen

You're joining some top tier company is a list of previous Cover Gamers. What does it mean to you to be the poster boy for the top NHL Esports league in the world?

I really appreciate it and it's a big pleasure for me. Never thought that I would end up being the Cover Gamer. I think it's the first time having somebody outside of Finland or Sweden right? I'm looking forward to another ECL Elite season.

What are the factors that contribute to your success, and what tips could you give to players who want to develop their game?

I was always learning from the best ones. Spent a lot of time watching streams of the top players in the scene. Then it was just about grinding. Also I need to mention my former teammate Tony @Mistertyppo95 Laine here. Thanks to him I started playing ECL and also became decent in 1v1. NHL 21 was the best year for me, where I reached the Top 8 in the GWC. I don’t have any special tips, it is always the same in my opinion - just play the game, success will come one day.

Who would you name as your toughest competition over the course of your career, both on the 1v1 and 6v6 ice?

For sure I need to say Erik @Eki Tammenpää. And I think it's the same in both 1v1 and 6v6.

What's your greatest memory in competitive NHL gaming, why is that?

NHL 21 GWC, where I was with another Czech guy Josef @pepcastachurcik Stachura in the Top 8. In 6v6 side it was winning SCL title with Granit.

In terms of the upcoming ECL '24 Winter Elite season, what teams do you think viewers should keep an eye on especially?

You should keep an eye on the same teams as always. Straikers (formerly FILADELPHIA), hREDS, Tunnel Vision, and of course on us!

What is your personal goal of the NHL 24 competitive year?

I will try my best to qualify for the GWC and also to have the best results in all other 1v1 tournaments. Same for 6v6, top 4 in ECL Elite is the goal again.

We are wishing all teams an enjoyable ECL '24: Winter season full of tight games and hard competition! Make sure to tune in for our broadcasts at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

In response to mounting concerns raised by the community regarding packet loss issues on the Helsinki (Europe North East) server, a temporary rule is hereby implemented by the League Administration. This rule permits teams affected by packet loss on the Europe North East server to opt for matches on the Stockholm (Europe North) server as a viable alternative. This rule only applies to moving games from the Helsinki server to the Stockholm server - any games intended to be played on the Central server are still played on the Central server.

The decision comes after an outcry from players and teams who reported significant packet loss on the Helsinki server, which was impacting the quality and fairness of competitive matches. Two threads on the SportsGamer.gg community forum highlighted the widespread issue:

The League Administration has taken these concerns seriously and decided to address the issue by introducing this temporary rule. Under this rule, teams experiencing packet loss on the Helsinki server will have the option to play their matches on the Stockholm server instead. This move aims to ensure that competitive integrity is maintained and that all teams can compete on a level playing field.

While the decision is temporary, it reflects our commitment to providing a fair and enjoyable competitive environment for all participants. 

Teams and players affected by packet loss are encouraged to communicate clearly with the opponents by requesting server changes and ensuring the smooth transition of matches to the Stockholm server during this period.

SportsGamer is actively in touch with EA SPORTS regarding the issue and several community members are having an active dialogue with the DNA internet service provider. While nothing can be said for certain until the issue is located, we are fairly optimistic that we'll see an improvement or at least an update on the situation during the upcoming week.

If you wish to discuss the subject, please see the below forum thread:

SportsGamers,

With the most exciting time of the year (yes, Santa is coming) ahead of us, it's time to kick off the competitive season by releasing the groups and schedules for our respective ECL '24: Winter divisions. 

Here's a short recap of information for each division, but please note that all you need to know can be found in the ECL '24: Winter Official Rules. 

ECL '24 Winter Neo

Groups
Schedule

ECL '24 Winter Core

Groups
Schedule

ECL '24 Winter Lite

Groups
Schedule

ECL '24 Winter Pro

Groups
Schedule

ECL '24 Winter Elite

Groups
Schedule

Finally, a reminder: Please do not play before your license has been successfully purchased. If you have any questions, please contact support.

Without further ado, we wish you a successful and fun season!

SportGamers,

Our community is growing with new members every year. From time to time we are asked for tips on how to find a team or how to find players for your team.  In this post, we have put together a few links to our forum where you can either search for a team or sign up as a free agent. You'll also find some tips at the end, that might be just what you need to connect with that new group of potential teammates. This post is mainly intended for the European audience that is interested in playing in the European Championship League.

Free Agents EU - PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S

In this section of the forum, you can register as a free agent or search for new players for your team. 
You will find a "reply to topic" section under the last message on the page where you can post your own free agent message. In this message you can briefly tell us about yourself, what position you are looking to play, and how to best reach you.
Please note that a login to the forum is required in order to post a message. Please also note that this section of the forum is only for free agent messages.

EU Clubs looking for players - PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S

In this section of the forum, you can let everyone know when your team is looking for players, which means free agents can find teams by browsing this thread. You will find a "reply to topic" section under the last message on the page. Here you can write your "club looking for players" post where you tell us about the club and what kind of player you are looking for. You can look for good tips for your post in the numerous posts written by other clubs.

Please note that both of these above-mentioned forum threads are meant only for writing the "ads". When you see something you're interested in, please use private messaging (e.g. SportGamer, Discord, or PSN) to contact them. Usually, the writer of the post will let you know how to best get in touch. So here is your reminder: whenever you post, remember to mention how to best get in touch with you.

Useful tips

In addition to these previous tools, we recommend you to be active and try to play as much as possible. On our Discord channel, you will find a section called "free for tonight"
In this section, you can sign up for free play and of course, if you're lucky you might find some people that want to play with you in the future.

One good tip that works is to add "FA" or "Free Agent" to your player's name in the game so that your players can see during the game that you are looking for a team.

There you have it! We hope you find these tips useful. Feel free to share your advice in the comments. Good luck finding the perfect match!

SportsGamers,

The ECL '24: Winter - Official Rules are now available and can be accessed through the league pages. Generally speaking, the rulebook is a revised and improved version of the rules used in ECL '23 Spring.

Find the ECL '24: Winter - Official Rules here.
 

Some major changes/clarifications have been made as follows:

• 5.13: Wins in playoffs round replaced by regular season seed as a tiebreaker 
• 11.3: Win in regulation time is now worth three points instead of two 
• Player ability bans were removed from the rulebook with the new version of the game 
  • For any discussion and feedback about abilities and builds, please go here.
• The use of special builds such as Bones is currently allowed, but any new builds coming out are being monitored and could be decided to be prohibited in the future. 
• 11.7.6. The use of non-human characters, such as the werewolf, is not allowed in the ECL. 
• 13.1.5 In order to make the start of the season as clear and smooth as possible, the player and team licenses must be purchased and active (✅) before stepping on the ECL ’24: Winter ice. Failure to do so will translate into a forfeit of the game  
  • Please also remember to activate the necessary backup player licenses (max 3 per team) 
  • Note: ECL Neo does not require a team license or player license and as such, this rule does not apply to ECL Neo. 

We ask every team and its members to familiarize themselves with the Official Rules before taking the ice for the ECL '24 Winter season. Please refer to the rulebook in case of any issues that may arise over the course of the season. In case of any questions, please be in touch with support.

SportsGamers,

The ECL '24 Winter season is starting on Sunday and we want to remind you that today (November 15th)  is the last day to sign up for the ECL Core and ECL Neo divisions. 

If you're new to the ECL and don't know what this is about, please familiarize yourself with the below news story:

Wildcard teams: 18.-30.10.2023
ECL Lite Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023 
ECL Pro Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023 
ECL Neo: 18.10.-15.11.2023 ⚠️
ECL Core: 18.10.-15.11.2023 ⚠️
ECL Lite: 18.10.-6.11.2023
ECL Pro: 18.10.-6.11.2023
ECL Elite: 18.10.-6.11.2023  

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

Schedule

• Pro & Lite Qualifiers: 1.11->
• Elite Qualifiers 7.11->
• Regular Season duration:
  • 19.11.-21.12.2023 (Neo, Core, Lite)
  • 20.11.-21.12.2023 (Pro, Elite)

SportsGamers,

Plenty of speculation has been rumbling around about which teams will be filling open spots left by disbanded teams in the European Top 16, and we're here to shed some light on the Qualifier process!

UPDATE ON THE ELITE QUALIFIERS

At the moment, two spots were left open by the disbanded Tohtorit and Reality Check teams. We have invited a total of six teams from ECL '23: Spring - Pro to participate in the Qualifiers, based on their success the previous season. As many of you have seen, Golden Nights decided to decline their invitation and Purification will be taking their place as the next best team up. 

Here is a list of the participating teams:

Purification
RCTIC
Renascor
Unwanted
Deadly Phantoms
POGGERS

Schedule
Group stage: 8.11-15.11.
Playoffs (BO5): 16.11.

The group stage consists of double-headers against each opponent. The four best teams advance to the Playoffs, out of which the winners of each BO5 series will advance to ECL '24: Winter - Elite.

UPDATES ON THE FORMATS OF THE PRO AND LITE QUALIFIERS

ECL '24: Winter - Pro holds a total of 17 open spots, meaning that the Qualifier Stage 2 will not be played. The four best teams out of the Qualifier groups will advance to ECL '24: Winter - Pro, whereas the rest will play in the playoffs for the last remaining spot. The winner of the playoffs will clinch the last available Pro spot, whereas the remaining teams will play in ECL '24: Winter - Lite.

ECL '24: Winter - Lite will allow for all Qualifier teams to enter the division, as long as said Qualifier teams have proven a willingness and ability to compete in the Qualifiers.

SportsGamers,

We are only a couple weeks away from the beginning of the ECL '24 season and we want to remind you that today (November 6th)  is the last day to sign up for the ECL Lite, ECL Pro, and ECL Elite divisions. This applies only to the teams that are eligible based on last season's performance. Please see our previous post for the full list of eligible teams.

The ECL '24: Winter signups will still continue for the Core and Neo Divisions until November 15th, so there is still time to build or join a team and join the fun!

If you're new to the ECL and don't know what this is about, please familiarize yourself with the below news story:

Wildcard teams: 18.-30.10.2023
ECL Lite Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023 
ECL Pro Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023 
ECL Neo: 18.10.-15.11.2023
ECL Core: 18.10.-15.11.2023
ECL Lite: 18.10.-6.11.2023  ⚠️
ECL Pro: 18.10.-6.11.2023  ⚠️
ECL Elite: 18.10.-6.11.2023  ⚠️

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

For a full list of the default gamedays during ECL '24: Winter, please see the below image.

Schedule

• Pro & Lite Qualifiers: 1.11->
• Elite Qualifiers 7.11->
• Regular Season duration:
  • 19.11.-21.12.2023 (Neo, Core, Lite)
  • 20.11.-21.12.2023 (Pro, Elite)

SportsGamers,

The ECL '24 Winter Lite & Pro Qualifiers kick off today and we're in for a bunch of exciting gamedays leading up to the regular season, as the Qualifier teams will need to fight tooth and nail for open spots in both divisions. In a situation where all previous season teams sign up ECL Pro has seven open spots, while the Lite division has nine open spots. The amount may increase if teams eligible to sign up for the respective divisions drop out. The final numbers will be announced after November 6th, when the Elite, Pro & Lite signups have closed and the final number of spots open has been determined.

ECL '24 Winter Lite Qualifiers

Schedule

• Group stage:
  • Round 1: Wednesday 1.11.
  • Round 2: Thursday 2.11.
  • Round 3: Sunday 5.11.
  • Round 4: Wednesday 8.11.
  • Round 5: Thursday 9.11.
  • Round 6: Sunday 12.11.
  • Round 7: Monday 13.11.
• Playoffs (if needed):
  • BO3 Series: Tuesday 14.11.
  • BO3 Series: Wednesday 15.11.
  • BO3 Series: Thursday 16.11.

The following teams will be taking part in the Lite division Qualifiers:

The Lite Qualifiers will consist of four groups out of which at least the top two teams in each group will be securing a spot in the Lite division. The Playoff format will be announced after November 6th, when the Lite division signups have closed and the final number of Lite spots open has been determined. See the groups and schedule on the league page here.

ECL '24 Winter Pro Qualifiers

Schedule

• Group stage 1:
  • Round 1: Wednesday 1.11.
  • Round 2: Thursday 2.11.
  • Round 3: Sunday 5.11.
  • Round 4: Wednesday 8.11.
  • Round 5: Thursday 9.11.
• Group stage 2 (if needed):
  • Round 1: Sunday 12.11.
  • Round 2: Monday 13.11.
  • Round 3: Wednesday 15.11.
• Playoffs (if needed):
  • BO5 series: Thursday 16.11.

The following teams will be taking part in the ECL Pro Qualifiers:

The Pro Qualifiers will also hold four groups, out of which the top three teams in each group will be advancing to stage 2 (two groups - six teams) of the Qualifiers. The top three teams of each group in stage 2 will secure a spot in ECL '24 Winter Pro. The Playoff format will be announced after November 6th, when the Pro division signups have closed and the final number of Pro spots open has been determined. See the groups and schedule on the league page here.

SportsGamers,

With the ECL '24: Pre-Season tournament going on and getting closer to the puck-drop of the actual ECL season, we want to remind you that today (Oct 30th)  is the last day to sign up for the ECL Lite & Pro Qualifiers. If you're interested in playing in ECL Lite or Pro but haven't got your spot yet - sign up today.

The sign-up deadlines for all divisions can be found below.

If you're new to the ECL and don't know what this is about, please familiarize yourself with the below news story:

Wildcard teams: 18.-30.10.2023 ⚠️
ECL Lite Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023  ⚠️ 
ECL Pro Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023  ⚠️ 
ECL Neo: 18.10.-15.11.2023
ECL Core: 18.10.-15.11.2023
ECL Lite: 18.10.-6.11.2023
ECL Pro: 18.10.-6.11.2023
ECL Elite: 18.10.-6.11.2023

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

Schedule

• Pro & Lite Qualifiers: 1.11->
• Elite Qualifiers 7.11->
• Regular Season duration:
  • 19.11.-21.12.2023 (Neo, Core, Lite)
  • 20.11.-21.12.2023 (Pro, Elite)

SportsGamers,

With the new iteration of EA Sports NHL having dropped a couple weeks back, the time is right for us to launch registrations for the biggest and best league around. Another massive competitive season will kick off with the ECL '24 Winter season, starting officially on November 1st with the Lite & Pro Qualifiers. Whether you are an experienced gamer looking to take the next step, or are just starting out your career, one of our five divisions will be sure to offer you a challenge suitable for your skill level.

After the intense fights we saw go down at the finish lines of all five divisions last season, the ECL '24 Winter season will have lots to live up to, but with the skill level constantly increasing and the superstar talent across the league intent on bringing their top game on a nightly basis, we're confident that this will be an even better year! The total prize pool of the ECL '24 Winter season will be 23 420 EUR.

If you're itching to get things started already, remember to sign up for the ECL '24 Pre-season tournament here! Signups will close at 12:00 CEST, on October 19th, 2023. <- TOMORROW! ⚠️

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 17th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season.

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. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.
   
• Platform: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
   
• 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 ‘24 Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘24 Winter Player License before taking the ice. Purchase your license in the Store.
   
• Rules: The ECL '24 rulebook will be published closer to the season, but you can check out last season's rules here.

For a more extensive overview of the ECL as a whole, check out our “What is the ECL?” news story released a few weeks back. 

For a thorough look at the entire competitive year and event calendar, please refer to our ECL '24 Season Presentation.

Wildcard teams: 18.-30.10.2023 
ECL Lite Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023  
ECL Pro Qualifier: 18.-30.10.2023  
ECL Neo: 18.10.-15.11.2023 ⚠️
ECL Core: 18.10.-15.11.2023 ⚠️
ECL Lite: 18.10.-6.11.2023
ECL Pro: 18.10.-6.11.2023
ECL Elite: 18.10.-6.11.2023

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

Schedule

Pre-season tournament: 23.10.-6.11.2023
Qualifiers: 1.11-> (Pro, Lite) 7.11-> (Elite)
Regular Season duration: 19.11.-21.12.2023 (Neo, Core, Lite) 20.11.-21.12.2023 (Pro, Elite)

PLEASE NOTE: ECL '24 WINTER 1V1 SIGNUPS WILL LAUNCH LATER THIS YEAR

Rule Changes & Community Opinion

Reminder: We would like to raise two items up for a community vote and open up the floor for discussion. So far the topics have not attracted a lot of conversation, but there's still time to make your voices heard.
 

The 3-point system vs 2-point system
For the longest time, the ECL has used the 2-point system, where the winner gets 2 points, whether in regular time or overtime, and 1 point for a loss in overtime. We’ve heard some wishes for a change and the time has come to re-evaluate whether we should instead opt for the 3-point system instead. In the past, the polls have been pretty close to 50/50 on this topic, but it’s time to discuss this topic properly and if the discussion suggests a need for a poll, that can be implemented. You can already discuss the point-system here.  

Zone & Superstar Abilities - Yay or nay?
For the ECL ‘23: Spring season we made the decision to ban a selection of Zone & Superstar Abilities. As NHL 24 is a new release, our initial instinct is to start with a clean slate and not ban any abilities until the community gets to know the new game and has a chance to make up its mind about whether the abilities are working or not. While we have preliminarily set our minds on not banning any abilities for the first season, we welcome the discussion and would love to hear your opinion. You can discuss player abilities 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.

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.

Hey Gamers,

It's time to get the NHL 24 season started with the ECL '24 Pre-Season. The ECL Pre-Season Tournament is a friendly tournament with three tiers for teams to get into the competitive mindset, without the heavy structure that comes with the actual ECL divisions framework.The tournaments include playoffs for each tier and the lowest tier allows for new interested teams an opportunity to try out the competitive games in a relaxed environment.

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 17th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season.

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. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.
   
• 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 ‘24 Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘24 Winter Player License before taking the ice. The ECL '24 Pre-Season tournament does not require the license, but purchasing the license early on is recommended for faster processing.
   
• Rules: The ECL '24 rulebook will be published closer to the season, but you can check out last season's rules here.

For a more extensive overview of the ECL as a whole, check out our “What is the ECL?” news story released a few weeks back. 

ECL Pre-Season

As stated, the tournament will be hosted in three tiers without any major restrictions except for the ones mentioned below.

Elite & Pro

• Only ECL Elite & ECL Pro teams
• This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (no League Admin cases)
• The final format is determined by the number of teams
• Double-header gamedays
• Regular season 23.10-6.11
• Playoffs (BO3)
  • 7.-8.11 (RO16)
  • 9.-10.11 (Quarterfinals)
  • 12.-13.11 (Semifinals)
  • 14.-15.11 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, October 19th

SIGN UP HERE

Lite & Core

• Only ECL Lite & ECL Core teams, and by special request wildcard teams
• This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (no League Admin cases)
• Qualifier teams can participate, but the final rounds of the playoffs may coincide with the qualifiers
• The final format is determined by the number of teams
• Double-header gamedays
• Regular season 23.10-6.11
• Playoffs (BO3)
  • 7.-8.11 (RO32)
  • 9.-10.11 (RO16)
  • 11.-12.11 (Quarterfinals)
  • 13-14.11 (Semifinals)
  • 15-16.11 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, October 19th

SIGN UP HERE

Neo & Newcomers

• Only ECL Neo & Newcomer teams
• This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (no League Admin cases)
• The final format is determined by the number of teams
• Double-header gamedays
• Regular season 23.10-6.11
• Playoffs (BO3)
  • 7.-8.11 (RO16)
  • 9.-12.11 (Quarterfinals)
  • 13.-14.11 (Semifinals)
  • 15.-16.11. (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, October 19th

SIGN UP HERE

Uniform and logo unlocks

This form is intended for organizations associated with SportsGamer to request primarily uniform and logo unlocks in order to represent their team appropriately.

Here is a link for the unlocks form: https://forms.gle/eGyEQwYqDRLPEMyk7

Rules

We hope you all enjoy and remember to play by the ECL rules! Although the Pre-Season Tournament will not be under as strict scrutiny as the ECL, we want to remind you to respect your opponents and go about the games just as you would when playing real ECL league matchups.

• The tournament will be played on the NHL 24 Gen 5 version (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S)

If teams are tied in points after the group stage, we will utilize these usual tie-breakers:

• Wins (including OT-wins)
• Head-to-head record (points in mutual games)
• Goal difference (across all games played)
• Scored goals (across all games played)

We hope you're as excited as we are to get back into the action - build your team, sign up, and have fun!
 

Edit: Note - the campaign has now ended.

Hey Gamers,

I'm sure many of you have seen the reminders already, but we want to make sure nobody misses the fact that today is the last chance to purchase the ECL '24 licenses at the Early Bird pricing. This is final reminder for those who have not had a chance to purchase the Early Bird Licenses yet. Grab your Early Bird ECL '24 Winter Team license and ECL '24 Player License (Winter + Spring) at special pricing until midnight. After that, standard pricing applies, so get yours now!

If you're wondering "What is the ECL?", read this article.

If you're looking for information about the new ECL season and the NHL 24 competitive year, read this article.

Welcome to the ECL ‘24 season and the NHL 24 competitive year!

The ‘23 season was certainly one for the history books as most notably, we managed to pull off the first-ever 6v6 eHockey World Finals in a successful manner. With the continuous growth of the community supporting us, we are confident in our ability to make similar moves in the future and focus on the development of the sport from the ground up. This post marks the starting point of a new, great season with new, great Champions - will this be your time to shine? The prize pool for the ECL ‘24 Winter season will be 23 420 EUR!

Before we go any further, if you’re reading this and find yourself wondering “What is the ECL?”, or you're looking for a blast from the past listing of all ECL Champions so far you can find an article about that here.
 

One of the more frequent requests from our community through the years has been transparency in terms of upcoming plans. The benefits are clear, as it will help teams with preparation, strategizing, and assembling rosters, and of course, help players plan their holidays, trips, or other activities without sacrificing the opportunity to partake in the eHockey season to the fullest.

So, without further ado, here is what the NHL 24 competitive year looks like for Europe. Please keep in mind there are still lots of details being put into place, but we want to provide as good of an overview on the timing of the ECL ‘24 Winter and Spring seasons, as well as the National Championships, that are played in between the ECL seasons. 

ECL '24 Competitive Year

• The ECL ‘24 Pre-season tournament will kick off on October 16th, giving teams the ability to get right into action, get familiar with NHL 24, and test their line-ups against teams of equal skill levels. The Pre-season will consist of the following groups:
  • Elite & Pro
  • Lite & Core
  • Neo & Newcomers
     
• The ECL ‘24: Winter - Lite & Pro Qualifiers will kick off on November 1st. For this reason, we suggest that teams participating in the qualifiers skip the Pre-season tournament.
   
• The ECL ‘24: Winter - Regular Season will start on November 19th and be completed just in time to wind down for Christmas and the New Year. The last round of games before the holiday break will be played on December 21st.
   
• The ECL ‘24: Winter - Playoffs will start after the holidays, on January 3rd.
  • Most of the ECL ‘24: Winter divisions will be completed by the end of January, whereas the date for the Elite Finals is still TBA at this stage, and could be as late as the last week of February.
     
• After the end of the ECL ‘24: Winter season, it’s time to battle in the National Leagues, such as the CSCL, eHockey SM, GCL, SCL & WECL. Many of the details are still work-in-process, but rest assured weeks 6-14 are reserved for National League play.
   
• The ECL ‘24: Spring season will commence with the Lite and Pro Qualifiers in weeks 13-15. The regular season will be played weeks 16-20, and the playoffs will be played weeks 22-26, with most divisions done before midsummer and the Lite Champions being decided just after.

Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses

Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘24. Starting today and for the next two weeks (until September 14th), you can pick up the ECL ‘24 Winter Team license and the ECL ‘24 Player License (Winter + Spring) for the Early Bird pricing listed below. After that, standard pricing will be in effect.

PURCHASE YOUR ECL '24 LICENSES HERE

For those of you participating in the qualifiers and unsure which division your team will play in for the ECL ‘24: Winter season, you can still take advantage of this offer; Purchase the Early Bird license for the division you are qualifying for and if your team is unsuccessful in the mission, we will refund you the difference to the Early Bird price for the division your team ends up in. For example, if you enter the qualifiers for the Lite division, purchase the Early Bird Lite license. If your team doesn’t qualify for the Lite division, you will play in the Core division and we will refund you the difference - in this example: 100 EUR. The ECL Neo division will remain free of cost.

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

New and refreshed ECL 1v1

With ECL ‘23 we launched the first-ever ECL 1v1 seasons and while they were a blast and we saw some great games and worthy champions (1, 2) crowned, we have gathered the feedback and data and aim to improve the experience for players of all levels for the ECL ‘24 season. We’ll save some details for later, but what we can tell you is that there will be a TOP 4 selected from both the Winter and Spring seasons, that will then face each other at the end of the ECL ‘24 year to crown one ECL ‘24: 1v1 Champion.

Rule Changes & Community Opinion

We would like to raise two items up for a community vote and open up the floor for discussion.

The 3-point system vs 2-point system
For the longest time, the ECL has used the 2-point system, where the winner gets 2 points, whether in regular time or overtime, and 1 point for a loss in overtime. We’ve heard some wishes for a change and the time has come to re-evaluate whether we should instead opt for the 3-point system instead. In the past, the polls have been pretty close to 50/50 on this topic, but it’s time to discuss this topic properly and if the discussion suggests a need for a poll, that can be implemented. You can already discuss the point-system here.  

Zone & Superstar Abilities - Yay or nay?
For the ECL ‘23: Spring season we made the decision to ban a selection of Zone & Superstar Abilities. As NHL 24 is a new release, our initial instinct is to start with a clean slate and not ban any abilities until the community gets to know the new game and has a chance to make up its mind about whether the abilities are working or not. While we have preliminarily set our minds on not banning any abilities for the first season, we welcome the discussion and would love to hear your opinion. You can discuss player abilities 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.

Stay tuned for the official kick-off of the ECL ’24 Winter Signups, launching mid-September.

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 17th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season.

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. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.
   
• 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 ‘24 Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘24 Winter Player License before taking the ice. 
   
• Rules: The ECL '24 rulebook will be published closer to the season, but you can check out last season's rules here.

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 (up to) 128 teams
• and Neo 32+ teams.
   

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

Generally speaking, teams that are new to the ECL will start in the Neo or Core division. However, it is possible to apply for the ECL Lite qualifications to prove that you can compete at that level.

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.
 

Hall of Fame: The ECL Champions so far

ECL 6v6:

• ECL 1: Nordic Blizzard
• ECL 2: Mukimiehet
• ECL 3: X Factor
• ECL 4: Laser HT
• ECL 5: Aapon Taikasauva
• ECL 6: Carlsberg HC
• ECL 7: FILADELPHIA
• ECL 8: Written In the Stars
• ECL 9: Linköping HC
• ECL 10: HAVU Gaming
• ECL 11: FILADELPHIA
• ECL 12: hREDS
• ECL '22 Grand Champion: hREDS
  • ECL '22 Winter: hREDS
  • ECL '22 Spring: hREDS
• ECL '23 Grand Champion: Tunnel Vision
  • ECL '23 Winter: Tunnel Vision
  • ECL '23 Spring: Tunnel Vision

ECL 1v1:

• ECL '23 Winter: Sisu "sisu33_" Nurminen
• ECL '23 Spring: Väinö "Pikkarii" Pikkarainen

SportsGamers,

This news story is for you to understand the ECL Ranking for teams at the end of the ECL '23 Spring season. That means that this ranking determines the eligibility for teams entering various divisions this upcoming ECL '24 Winter season. 
 

Below you will find a list of teams that have secured a division spot at the Elite, Pro or Lite league level. If you didn't find your team on the list, don't worry! You can apply for a wildcard spot for your team in the Pro qualifiers or participate in the Lite qualifiers, which are open to everyone.

Pro Qualifier Wildcard requirements

• Three former Elite starters or four former Pro starters
• A starter is defined as having played 16 or more games in the ECL '23 Spring season, or 20 or more games in the ECL '23 Winter season
• If there are more players from the same team that relegated out of the Pro (in the same season) in the team applying for a wildcard, they will be counted as one player

What if all Pro Qualifier positions are not filled?

• Teams will not be promoted straight and all open spots will be filled through qualifiers (excluding automatically relegated/promoted teams). If there happens to be more open spots than anticipated (e.g. from teams disbanding which would have been invited to play in the qualifier) spots are filled as follows:
  • Pro relegated teams
  • Lite #14-16
  • Wildcard teams #5-8
  • Lite #17-32

All teams without an Elite, Pro or Lite league spot can participate in the Lite qualifiers without restrictions. The format of the qualifiers will be decided according to the number of participants, but a maximum of 64 teams can participate in the qualifiers. Spots will be filled in the order of registration, but the teams on the list below will have priority if the number of teams is full.

SportsGamers,

A long season and hard fought Finals series saw us crown an ECL '23 Spring Core Champion a while ago, and we are happily announcing that the ones to hoist the cup were the French Eagles! Their experienced squad were able to best Ismon Valinta in a thrilling seven game series where all players had their opportunity to shine and showcase themselves for further opportunities in their respective careers.

French Eagles' road to the Championship:

• #1 seed from Group 1 with the record 25-3-0
• Round 1: vs WarHeads (16) 4-0
• Quarterfinals: vs EV Duisburg (10) 4-0
• Semifinals: vs North Sawo Lions (9) 4-1
• Finals: vs Ismon Valinta (6) 4-3

The championship roster:

GOALIES
#76 @Trollstivegen (A)

DEFENSEMEN
#87 @André WerSonst87 (M-_-E_87)
#89 @matt05000gap (Chris05Gap)

FORWARDS

#23 @Aigeu
#85 @Caboli30
#96 @Edgard Goechon (xl-9-Bobby-6-lx) (C)
#97 @Coco (x--CoCo76--x) (A)

On behalf of the whole community we want to thank all participants and congratulate our Champions!

SportsGamers,

last week we have seen one of the most intense ECL Neo finals here on SportsGamer.gg! The German outfit Flaschback Skwad faced the Darra Stars in the Best-of-5 final. After being down 1-2 in the series, the experienced Germans managed to turn the finals around to bring the first ECL Neo title to the DACH-community. We could not have asked for any more tension than an exciting deciding game 5 OT-thriller as the "Skwad" managed to equalize a two-goal-deficit in the dying seconds of the game. Assistant-Captain Jonas @kandykills Fleischmann was the OT-hero as he hit the championship shot with a cheeky deflection! Captain Stefan @Toews19(BarriosLucas18) Schoierer was one of the most prolific scorers in the regular season (18GP: 36G + 38A) and during their playoff run (16GP: 31G + 19A). After a more than dominant playoff run the Germans stayed focussed and maintained their status as one of the juggernauts in ECL'23 Spring Neo!

Flaschback Skwad's road to the championship:

• #6 seed from Group 2 with the record 16-2-0
• Round 1: vs Freunde des Alkohols 3-0
• Round 2: vs FOX RIVER PENITENTIARY 3-1
• Quarterfinals: vs Engerau Pythons 3-0
• Semifinals: vs Kettukarkki 3-1
• Finals: vs Darra Stars 3-2

The championship roster:

• #19 @xeffektiiv (yasokuhlx)
• #74 @Laurentius (Larphox) (A)
• #89 @hoffmann_1995 (Waldstadt_0812)
• #24 @derfe (Fe-Hockey24)
• #41 @kandykills (A)
• #69 @Toews19 (BarriosLucas18) (C)
• #76 @Boogeyman (Alpenvulkan76)
• #81 @KlOis
• #91 @Jesufin

On behalf of the whole community we want to thank all participants and congratulations to the Flaschback Skwad!

SportsGamers,

A dominant showing throughout the season by a rather unexperienced squad with several rookies in their roster has awarded Mustaa Kultaa the ECL '23 Spring Lite Championship, and with that direct promotion to the Pro division. The team were in several tight positions throughout their Playoff run especially in the Semifinals and Finals, but as a well-oiled machine, they were able to work together to find their way to victory each time.

Mustaa Kultaa's road to the championship:

• #2 seed from Group 3 with the record 25-5-0
• Round 1: vs RoKi Esports (31) 4-0
• Round 2: vs Golden Sticks (25) 4-1
• Quarterfinals: vs HC Lugano eSports (29) 4-2
• Semifinals: vs Boost HC (9) 4-3
• Finals: vs Supernatural (5) 4-3

The winning roster:
GOALTENDERS
#69 @ANIMALpak82
#82 @Simbanho
#88 @PerfectGorilla

DEFENSEMEN
#3 @Velttola
#97 @xray65x

FORWARDS
#12 @jaageri_ (A)
#13 @Launonexx (C)
#61 @Allupekkaz (A)
#89 @Tumuttaja (xxHise)

On behalf of the entire SportsGamer community, we congratulate the Champions and extend a warm thank you to all participants!

SportsGamers,

Tonight we'll be treated to the first three games in a highly anticipated Lite division Finals between Mustaa Kultaa and Supernatural. Both of these teams could take the Cup, so strap in, and expect a long series!

(2)  Mustaa Kultaa vs (5) Supernatural

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
@Launonexx 22 GP, 24+24=48 vs @selänne8 (BiggestEight) 22 GP, 25+20=45

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
@Simbanho 17 GP, 12 W, 82,11 SV%, 2 GAA, 0 SO vs @Jugi9 22 GP, 16 W, 86,21 SV%, 1.45 GAA, 4 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
25-5-0 vs 22-3-5

REGULAR SEASON MATCHUP
5-4 OT, 3-2

We're in for an interesting battle in the ECL '23 Spring Lite Finals, which will be starting tonight at 19:45 CEST with the first three games of the series. As you'd have it, both Finalists have paved their way to this stage from Group 3 in the regular season, and they clashed for some very hard fought battles back in the group stage. Back then, Mustaa Kultaa managed to come away with both wins and @Launonexx lead the way for his team with 7 points to his name in the two games. Since then, both squads have solidified their starting goaltenders in the Playoffs and that'll be one to keep an eye on. Supernatural's @Jugi9 is experienced in these situations as he's now reached the Lite Finals for a third consecutive time with different teams - with a win still avoiding him. Both teams at this point are highly deserving Finalists and without a doubt the most skilled in the division at the moment. We could end up seeing a bit of a battle between styles, where Mustaa Kultaa could benefit from keeping the tempo up more, while Supernatural and their more experienced core would want to control the game more. I'd give the benefit to Supernatural due to their extensive experience. 

Prediction: Supernatural in 7.

SportsGamers,

At the end of an impressive Playoffs run and a hard fought Finals series against big brother Golden Nights, we are able to crown Polski Boys the ECL '23 Spring Pro Champions! Polski Boys took the community by storm earlier in the year and were self-proclaimed Champions before the season had even started - rarely do we see teams actually deliver on their promises like that!

With their Championship, not only does Polski Boys secure the largest share of the 5500€ prize pool, but also manage to gain promotion to the European Top 16 for their ECL '24 Winter campaign. 

Polski Boys' road to the championship:

• #3 seed from Group 2 with the record 22-7-1
• Round 1: vs Prestige (6) 4-2
• Quarterfinals: vs Renascor (6) 4-0
• Semifinals: vs Luleå Hockey (1) 4-3
• Finals: vs Golden Nights (4) 4-1

The winning roster:
GOALTENDERS
#35 @Miettinen14
#62 @Kирилл (W1nchester_62)

DEFENSEMEN
#13 @kungenkurwa
#44 @vote_10 (A)

FORWARDS
#4 @punt1la98
#22 @Brockela22 (C)
#97 @h3rmu__
#98 @xSaski_ (A)

On behalf of the entire SportsGamer community, we congratulate the Champions and extend a warm thank you to all participants!

SportsGamers,

Early into the new week, we'll be bringing you the ECL '23 Spring Pro Finals with broadcasted matchups today and tomorrow. The two finalists are Golden Nights and Polski Boys, who will be going at it in a heated rivalry battle, which was already extensively previewed by Polski's social media admin in a highly biased Twitter thread. Tune in for all the action on the SportsGamer Twitch channel!

Lainaa

ECL '23 Spring Pro Schedule

• Registration period: 18.3.-13.4.2023
• Regular Season: 24.4.-25.5.
• RO16: 29.5.-1.6.
• Quarterfinals: 5.-8.6.
• Semifinals: 12.-15.6.
• Finals: 19. & 20.6.

Golden Nights  (4) vs Polski Boys  (5)

A highly anticipated rivalry. These two already clashed in the last matchup of the regular season in what can now be seen as a prelude to this Finals series. Back then, the wins were split, but Golden Nights walked away with a point more, eventually awarding them the higher seed and the home advantage in this Finals series. It's been about a month since those clashed, but we are still expecting to see very similar games - a hard fought battle where both teams should have the opportunity to employ their respective gameplans. 

On Golden Nights' side, we know they'll rely heavily on defenseman @Mikka to kickstart their offense. Together with @jm98II, he forms the link on the left flank that will be key for the success of their team in the Finals. Both players are in great form and are among the leagues top scorers on their positions, Mikka in fact leads all defensemen. Golden Nights have been outstanding on the powerplay in the Playoffs thus far and are miles ahead of Polski Boys in terms of special teams, so that's one factor to definitely keep an eye on.

In terms of playing style, Polski Boys have employed one of the more simple playbooks all season long, but the way they manage to do it in an incredibly effective manner. In the Semifinals, they took down #1 seed Luleå Hockey in a testament of their strength and once again, the opponents weren't able to stop @punt1la98 from forcing a few pucks to the netfront for some easy tap-ins. Polski Boys would benefit more than their opposition from a fast-paced game and could try to take advantage of that. In net, they have the choice to make between two great options.

Prediction: Golden Nights in 7.

SportsGamers,

Another ECL Elite season was wrapped up at the SportsGamer offices in Espoo over the weekend and at the end of a hard fought Finals series, Tunnel Vision emerged as the winners, claiming their second consecutive Championship in their third consecutive Finals appearance. The team is in unstoppable form and finished the clean sweep for the ECL '23 season.

Tunnel Vision's road to the championship:

• #2 seed from with the record 24-3-3
• Quarterfinals: vs JYP Jyväskylä (7) 4-3
• Semifinals: vs hREDS (3) 4-3
• Finals: vs Frölunda HC (1) 4-1

The winning roster:
GOALTENDERS
#7 Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen
#86 Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos

DEFENSEMEN
#24 Veeti @Wenger Paloneva
#65 Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen

FORWARDS
#9 Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen
#37 Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen
#67 Aleksi @MozjaTG Kähkönen

SportsGamers,

An exhausting ECL '23 Spring 1v1 season has come to it's close last night and with that, it's time for several players to start their summer holidays. We had an incredible Finals event at the SportsGamer offices, where the top four European players battled it out for ultimate glory. Eventually one managed to rise above the others, and this time it was Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen, who caught fire and was in a class of his own throughout the Finals evening.

Pikkarii's road to the Championship:
Group stage: 11-0-0 (#2 seed into the Playoffs)
Round 1: vs @Danyyy452 2-0
Round 2: vs @J-_-Jamaltheman 2-0
Top 16 Group stage: 2-1-0 (#5 seed into the Playoffs)
Quarterfinals: vs @sisu33_ 2-1
Semifinals: vs @Artuzio 2-0
Finals: vs @dzouvi 2-0

SportsGamer congratulates the new Champion and extends a warm thank you to all participants! 

SportsGamers,

Get ready for an electrifying showdown as two NHL esports powerhouses collide once again in the highly anticipated ECL '23 Spring Elite Finals. The stage is set for an epic rematch between Tunnel Vision and Frölunda HC, reigniting the intense rivalry that captivated fans during their thrilling Winter season Finals series. Brace yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions, jaw-dropping plays, and nail-biting moments as these elite teams battle it out for supremacy.

Follow the ECL '23 Spring Elite Finals live at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG on Saturday, June 17th starting 18:00 CEST!

Lainaa

ECL '23 Spring: Elite Schedule

• Registration period: 18.3.-13.4.2023
• Regular Season: 24.4.-24.5.
• Quarterfinals: 29.5.-1.6.
• Semifinals: 4.-7.6.
• Finals: 17.6.
• Relegation: 26.-29.6. **

 

** Series can be started as soon as pairs are known

(1)  Frölunda HC vs (2)  Tunnel Vision

TOP SCORER (Playoffs)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää 12 GP, 8+15=23 vs Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen 14 GP, 14+5=19

GOALTENDER (Playoffs)
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen 12 GP, 8 W, 79,12 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 1 SO vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 14 GP, 8 W, 86,21 SV%, 1.71 GAA, 3 SO

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
24-3-3 vs 24-4-2

This Weekend, we'll get to witness a rematch from the latest ECL Elite Finals at Assembly Winter, back then Tunnel Vision drew the longer straw and came away with a 4-3 series win to go to the World Finals against Entourage. Earlier this season, the two split wins in two very hard fought battles in which Frölunda HC controlled the pace and centerman Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala was one of the most dominant players on the ice. In an interesting turn of events, Frölunda will be entering the Finals without their number #1 centerman, though. Their true and tested Finals stand-in Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta wil be subbing in on defense and we're expecting to see Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha taking over at center. They should've had plenty of time before the Finals to work things over within the team and the rearrangement shouldn't matter all too much in a team of their caliber, but margins are small at the top, and Tunnel Vision will strike at any sign of weakness they can spot. 

While Tunnel Vision were far from their best in their Semifinals clash against rivals hREDS, they've now had lots of time to digest the takeaways they've made from that thriller of a series. Their experience from big events pales at the side of Frölunda HC, but Tunnel Vision has a "prove it"-factor after managing to clinch their first ever ECL title in the Winter season but losing out on a World title in a rather disappointing World Finals series. Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen has managed to continue being their main man on offense, clinching the regular season scoring title for the second time in a row. Tunnel Vision's undeniable strength in this series will be the puck carrying ability of Veeti @Wenger Paloneva and his skill to jump in on the rush to assist his forwards. Coupled with excellent play throughout the season by goaltender Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, this looks like a tough team to beat at the moment. 

Statistically, a glaring difference between these two teams is the amount of shots they are allowing. Naturally the styles of their opponents will matter greatly, but thus far in the Playoffs, Frölunda HC have limited their opponents to less than half of the chances that Tunnel Vision have allowed. Frölunda is also statistically more prone to take shots than their opponents, do with that information what you will but to us these factors suggest that we're going to see a series where Tunnel Vision might be more conservative with their shots, whereas Frölunda HC could end up being the ones to throw more pucks on net, partially forced as a result of their roster rotation ahead of the big games. 

Prediction: Tunnel Vision in 6. 

SportsGamers,

It is finally time for the highly anticipated ECL '23 Spring Finals Weekend! Get ready for an extraordinary display of skill, strategy, and fierce competition as the top NHL esports players in Europe come together to battle it out for ultimate glory. This two-day extravaganza promises to be an unforgettable experience for all hockey and esports enthusiasts - everything live right at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

Schedule

Friday, June 16th
ECL '23 Spring 1v1 TOP 4 Finals - Start time 19:00 CEST
#1 Teemu @temppanen Karvonen vs #7 Adam @dzouvi Mensik
#5 Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen vs #6 Arttu @Artuzio Mustila

Saturday, June 17th
ECL '23 Spring Elite Finals - Start time 18:00 CEST
(1)  Frölunda HC vs (2)  Tunnel Vision

From the jaw-dropping individual skills on Friday to the awe-inspiring team plays on Saturday, you won't miss a single moment of the action from the comfort of your own screen. Join the passionate NHL esports community as we witness the pinnacle of European competition. The stakes are high, and the excitement is palpable as these skilled competitors vie for their share of the combined prize pool of 10500€.

So make sure to gather your friends, and prepare for an epic weekend of NHL esports excellence. Join us for the live stream on both days at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

SportsGamers,

We're excited to be closing in on the final games of the ECL '23 Spring Lite season as we are already in the Quarterfinals! All remaining teams certainly have what it takes in terms of skill to claim that ultimate prize, but at this point of the competition, it often comes down to intangibles. Look for experienced teams to thrive, teams that know what it takes to win in the Playoffs. Most of these series have already started yesterday, so make sure to check in to see how these thrilling matchups finish!
 

Lainaa

ECL '23 Spring Lite Schedule

• Registration period: 18.3.-13.4.2023
• Regular Season: 25.4.-24.5.
• RO32: 30.5.-4.6.
• RO16: 6.-11.6.
• Quarterfinals: 13.-18.6.
• Semifinals: 20.-25.6.
• Finals: 27.-29.6.

Mustaa Kultaa  (2) vs HC Lugano eSports  (29)

If you think one of these teams look out of place at this point of the competition, it's because they really do! HC Lugano eSports had a weak regular season campaign, barely finding their way into the Playoffs, where they've finally turned on the jets, so to speak. As one of the lowest seeded teams in the competition, they've been able to take down two very highly ranked squads in Dark Wild & Skelleftea AIK already. Now they'll try to crush the championship dreams of Mustaa Kultaa, who are on what looks like an unstoppable trajectory towards the cup. Spearheaded by what looks like one of the best offensive trios in the division this season, they will wreak havoc on the defense of HC Lugano in this series unless the Swiss team finds a way to counter that, perhaps with a supercharged offensive of their own?

Prediction: HC Lugano eSports in 7.

Supernatural  (5) vs Predators  (21)

As previously mentioned, Supernatural is one of the strongest squads in the division on paper, and they've got plenty of experience to get them out of tough situations, should they need it. @selänne8 (BiggestEight) has been an invaluable asset for the team, who hardly played in the regular season but really shines when the games are at their toughest. Predators are another one of those lower seeds, who are living off of their strong offense, but really need to tighten up in their own end against stronger competition. They had a tough time in round 1 against Hannover Indians eSports, but easily defeated Nappula in round 2. 

Prediction: Supernatural in 7.

PunaKala  (6) vs Cheeky Grinders  (10)

PunaKala is looking like they're in prime form just in time for the biggest games of the season, with an 8-2 record in the Playoffs, this team haven't been tested at all by their previous opponents. @Joniner is also sporting a good 87,44 SV% with two shutouts between the pipes. We've got Cheeky Grinders in equally good form though and since the first games of the round have already been played, the former Core Champions are already up in the series by 2-1. The Grinders have been able to keep more possession and generate slightly more chances in the three games played, so that bodes well for them moving forward.

Prediction: Cheeky Grinders in 6. 

Ultimatum  (7) vs Boost HC  (9)

Ultimatum is another squad that relies on high-octane offense to carry them in breaking down the opposing defense, but it might get tougher to do that when effective defensive squads start shutting down the netfront and best scoring positions up the middle. Boost HC have managed to do that very well early on in this series, and are already up by three after the first night of competition. 

Prediction: Boost HC in 4.

SportsGamers,

We're at the Semifinals stage in our ECL '23 Spring Core season already! While these teams certainly are looking for time to vacation in the summer sun, they are still very much hungry for bigger success and larger chunks of the prize money. #1 seed French Eagles remain undefeated in the Playoffs, whereas all other teams have been beaten at least once. An interesting last few series remain!
 

Lainaa

ECL '23 Spring Core Schedule

• Registration period: 18.3.-20.4.2023
• Regular Season: 25.4.- 24.5.
• RO16: 30.5.-4.6.
• Quarterfinals: 6.-11.6.
• Semifinals: 13.-18.6.
• Finals: 20.-25.6. *

French Eagles  (1) vs North Sawo Lions  (9)
#1 seed French Eagles have been on an undefeated streak throughout the first two rounds of the Playoffs. In this Semifinals series, they'll be taking on #9 seed North Sawo Lions, whom they've already met in the Group stage. Those clashes were two very different games, in which they ended up splitting points in a 2-0 Lions win, and a 7-2 Eagles win. This fight between two groups of predators from the wild will be an interesting one to watch, keep an eye on the top scorers @Caboli30 and @Liimatainenn in particular. 

Dompa HC  (5) vs Ismon Valinta  (6)

Dompa HC were extremely close to taking home the Group 2 top spot in the Group stage and have proven themselves even further in the Playoffs. This mainly Swedish outfit is reaping the benefits of having @STRANDMANNEN11 in their roster, tearing up the division offensively. He runs their play and controls what happens, for good or for bad. Ismon Valinta is another Group 1 team in the Semifinals, and they've been able to click quite nicely in the Playoffs. They've had a total of nine players take the ice for them in the Playoffs and really seem like a squad that is having fun with their game and being successful as a result of that. 

SportsGamers,

As the month of June is rolling on and the sun is slowly starting to find even us up North, the time has come to start with the Semifinals of the Pro division already! We're down to the top four teams in the division, and to be fair any one of these contenders could end up taking the title. At this point, the games will be decided by the smallest of margins, so keep your eyes peeled throughout the round not to miss a second of the action!

Lainaa

ECL '23 Spring Pro Schedule

• Registration period: 18.3.-13.4.2023
• Regular Season: 24.4.-25.5.
• RO16: 29.5.-1.6.
• Quarterfinals: 5.-8.6.
• Semifinals: 12.-15.6.
• Finals: 19.-22.6.

Luleå Hockey  (1) vs Polski Boys  (5)

This could be an interesting battle between the former ECL Twitter meme princes and the new annoying little brothers, who want to play with the big boys now! While Luleå Hockey (the former POGGERS) have cleaned up their social media game, it seems like their farm team Masin Maansiirto eSports had their account hijacked by some Polish farmers. Polski Boys obviously didn't let this slide and called the big squad out to play, but it seems like we'll have to wait until the action gets going tonight to watch any of it unfold. 

In terms of what will happen on the ice, Luleå Hockey definitely are the more well versed team that can pose a threat from a variety of situations in comparison to Polski Boys, who have been a bit of a one-trick pony this season. @Migo_boo and @vote_10 respectively will be the guys carrying the puck and being responsible for the breakouts, and @JaKurrii & @xSaski_ will be at the other end, potting pucks in from the back post. As stated, Luleå's offense will consist more of a cycle game when given the opportunity, while Polski poys have been exploiting @punt1la98's cross-crease force to Saski all season long with evidently tremendous success. Luleå Hockey also like to throw pucks at the net more, evident by the 15 deflections for JaKurrii thus far in the Playoffs.

These two teams have never played each other in a competitive setting before, so it'll definitely be an exciting series to watch and the first games should set the tones for what's to come in the rest of the series. The experience and chemistry Luleå has built over years of playing together shouldn't be understated in a situation like this, but on the other hand, this team has a history of fluctuating in form - let's hope it doesn't happen in this one!

Luleå Hockey and Polski Boys will be starting action tonight at 20:00 CEST - http://twitch.tv/YleTV_Polski

Prediction: Luleå Hockey in 6.
 

Deadly Phantoms  (2) vs Golden Nights  (4)

The Deadly Phantoms have really caught fire these Playoffs and look highly intent to keep on going. The German outfit was called out by @ripKeisari last week for a weak social media game and they've since upped their banter, highlighting an impressive snippet of ECL Pro Playoffs info - Ever since ECL 7, the Phantoms have always made the Finals if they've gotten past the first round in the Playoffs. Were not entirely sure that'll mean anything in this series, but nice to know nevertheless!



What is actually very interesting to me is the fact that the Phantoms have been able to advance to the Semifinals while playing rotating nine players in their roster in the Playoffs - take that, everyone whose opposed to playing their backups. @gzell60, @xXPsykoSkillsXx and @ProfaneKiss have been locks in the starting six, while everyone else has been in rotation for one reason or another. Regardless of who they end up putting on the ice, the Phantoms with their four forward formation will be a tough team to crack for Golden Nights.

While the Golden Nights have been considerably more quiet than their annoying little brother Polski Boys on social media, they found a way to fire back at Deadly Phantoms right off the bat. None of their current players have ever been on the losing side in a Playoff series against the Phantoms, which should make for an interesting story in this one, as their left defenseman @Mikka has never won a game in the ECL Pro Semifinals despite being a top player in the division on highly rated teams for years already. This season, the kid reigns supreme as an offensive defenseman and his squad is looking as strong as ever, but can they break that curse?

We're expecting Golden Nights to come out of the gates as the team looking to control the pace of the game, sticking with possession against the Germans. @Sagee95 will be the main man responsible for slowing down the counter attack spearheaded by @ProfaneKiss and his boys. In net, the statistical advantage goes to @RPH_31 and the Phantoms, but both goalies have been outstanding throughout the season and aren't known for letting soft ones slip through, so you can expect this one to go down to the wire as a battle of two different playstyles. 

Prediction: DPH in 7.

SportsGamers,

Our ECL Elite Player Awards vote is making a 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. Based on community feedback, this season all nominees have been selected through a vote within the Elite division captains. 

Voting will open effective immediately and we're asking you to cast your votes by Thursday, June 15th at 23:59 CEST. The awards will be presented in the ECL '23 Spring Finals broadcasts on Saturday, June 17th. Make sure to cast your vote in order to support your favorite player!

Cast your votes here!

List of nominees in each category:

Forward of The Season
The Top Forward award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their forward position.

Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen (Tunnel Vision)
Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (Frölunda HC)
Erik @Eki Tammenpää (Frölunda HC)
Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (Tunnel Vision)
Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (hREDS)

Defender of The Season
The Top Defender award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their defenseman position.

Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen (Tunnel Vision)
Veeti @Wenger Paloneva (Tunnel Vision)
Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (Frölunda HC)
Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen (Mayhems)
Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (hREDS)

Goalie of The Season
The Top Goalie award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their goaltender position.

Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (Tunnel Vision)
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (Frölunda HC)
Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen (Mayhems)
Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen (Leksands IF)
Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (hREDS)

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.

Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern (Leksands IF)
Teemu @temppanen Karvonen (Mayhems)
Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs (Mayhems)
Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen (Leksands IF)
Jami @N44TTI_16 Ruuskanen (Mayhems)

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.

Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen (Mayhems)
Adam @dzouvi Mensik (Färjestad BK)
Bajram @Katunarski Xhafa (Leksands IF)
Benjamin @benu Rinnet (Nordic Stars)
Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen (Reality Check HC)

Returning Player of The Season
The Returning 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.

Aleksi @ADETIKKI Kinnunen (Tohtorit)
Jere @jxrska Laukka (GOONS)
Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen (Mayhems)
Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (hREDS)
Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (hREDS)