News: News

ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs: Quarterfinals

Mon, 30 May 2022 12:17:34 +0000

SportsGamers,

Only eight teams remain in the Core playoffs at this point and all of them certainly hold the capability of going all the way. At this point it's all about will and focus, and we'll follow along eagerly to see who will advance one step closer to the trophy. In Core, the playoffs consist of the top 8 teams from each group being seeded against other teams who finished in the same position (e.g. group winners are seeded #1-4, group runners-up are seeded #5-8 and so on.). The second round of the playoffs will start on Monday the 30th of May 2022 and end on Thursday the 2nd of June 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Core playoffs:

~~Round-of-64: 01.05 – 05.05 (BO7)~~
~~Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)~~
~~Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)~~
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 09.06 (BO7)
Finals: 13.06 – 14.06 (BO7) [Provisional date]

For the relevant rules regarding these playoffs, please find extracts from the ECL Rulebook below. Essentially, each series will be a best-of-seven and the higher seeded team will play 'at home' first, then alternate back and forth with the lower seeded team.

Lainaa

5.8 ECL Core Playoffs
In ECL Core, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Core from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-8
• Group runners-up #9-16
• Teams that finished 3rd #17-24
• Teams that finished 4th #25-32 Page 14 of 44
• Teams that finished 5th #33-40
• Teams that finished 6th #41-48
• Teams that finished 7th #49-56
• Teams that finish 8th #57-64

The winner of ECL Core will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the semifinalists. Additionally, not only will these teams have secured their spot in ECL Lite, but they will also be granted a position within the ECL Pro – Lite qualifier

Click here to view the matchups for the Quarterfinals of the ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Pro Playoffs: Semifinals Preview - Who wants it the most?

Mon, 30 May 2022 06:56:32 +0000

The long and hard-fought spring season is nearing its culmination, as we're down to the final four. The remaining teams have already secured an Elite qualification series, but now we'll get to see who advances to the Pro finals! In this article we will take a closer look at the matchups.

Schedule

Lainaa

10.6.2 ECL Pro

Playoff Schedule

~~Round-of-16: 08.05-12.05 (BO7)~~

~~Quarterfinals: 15.05-25.05 (BO7)~~

Semifinals: 30.05-02.06 (BO7)

Finals: 05.06-06.06 (BO7)

Preview

(1) Reality Check vs AHJO (10)

Reality Check started off the regular season with insane form, although it seemed to falter a bit towards the end. Come playoff time, when it matters the most, they have definitely been back to their best: currently boasting an 8-0 record, they plowed through the first two rounds with clean 4-0 sweeps in both series. AHJO on the other hand has not had such ease in their progress, with their first round bout against Hokurit going all the way to seven games. Even AHJO did actually manage a 4-0 sweep in the quarterfinals though, impressingly topping last season's semifinalist RCTIC.

Both teams are coming in with plenty of momentum after their quarterfinals success, which anticipates a hotly contested battle. Some familiarities should also make sparks fly in this matchup: first of all, these teams already faced each other in the Winter season's quarterfinals, the result going 4-3 in favor of Reality Check that time. Secondly, @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) has made the switch from Reality Check to AHJO since then. The teams have naturally seen changes in their rosters, but both of them have retained their main core. Thus, a hunger for revenge is surely to be expected from AHJO's side. For whatever it is worth, Reality Check were able to pull through in a similar situation when facing familiar faces in the semifinals last season.

One question that is up in the air is Reality Check's lineup. It seems like they will have to cope without standout RD @kim_johan for at least part of the series, which could signify a clear beacon of hope for AHJO's final aspirations. Especially if kim_johan misses the majority of games, it will be extremely interesting to see how an inexperienced @Zeipii574 can step into a starting six that has been set in stone since day one of the season. Expect LD @Mikax222 to take on an even bigger role to help offset the change and alleviate pressure, having been the team's puck possession monster. As another rather inexperienced player though, Mikax222's numbers have been slightly down from the regular season. Now if ever is the chance to step up and take the team to the finals.

Even though being the number one seed may debatably have helped them get favorable matchups, Reality Check has still been tremendously impressive in closing their battles in a timely manner. They must not fall into too much of a comfort zone after their early success, as this round is most likely going to be a tougher test. They need to be ready from the get go, especially with their unusual lineup, as a hot start from AHJO could tilt the series towards the underdogs.

A common denominator between these teams is their will to rise to Elite, and a trip to the finals would give them an additional kick at the can. AHJO can most certainly mount an upset campaign, and the uncertainty brought about by their opponents' mishmash lineup offers further help in a significant way. For now though, before any games are played, Reality Check should still be viewed as the favorites to prevail.

Prediction:

@Mikka: Reality Check 4-2
@Wpaanane: Plays for AHJO

(2) Växjö Lakers vs HanaaHC (3) Written by @Wpaanane

Växjö Lakers started their regular season with the record 15-1 and from the beginning they wanted to show everyone that this team wants to win the Pro division after a disastrous winter campaign. On the other hand, HanaaHC started their regular season equally good with a 9-1 record. Both of these teams had the same record after the regular season (23-5-2).

In the first round of playoffs, Växjö didn’t have any problems and they managed to win the series 4-1 against Geekz Energy eSports. Moving on to the second round, Växjö faced Herlev Eagles and continued their run by winning the series 4-2.

HanaaHC’s playoffs start hasn’t been the easiest, as they started their run with two game seven series and winning both of them.

HanaaHC’s @xLeikku has been phenomenal in these playoffs by leading his team and the entire Pro division with 12+21=33 points. On the other hand Växjö’s @Kattenj has been great and is leading his team in points by having 7+19=26 points.

Växjö’s goalie @MrAllsvenskan has been great in net having 87,63 as his save percentage with 1.33 GAA. On the other side HanaaHC’s @Simbanho has had some difficulties in the first rounds of playoffs having 77.24 as his save percentage with 2.0GAA. On paper Växjö takes the goalie battle to their way, but we’ll see if HanaaHC can silence Växjö’s offensive trio.

Although we are seeing a battle betweenseed #2 and #3, Växjö is the favourite to win this series and continue their way to the Pro division final. We’ll see what happens, can HanaaHC stop Växjö’s offensive core to battle their way to the Pro finals.

Prediction:

@Mikka: Plays for HanaaHC
@Wpaanane: Växjö Lakers 4-2

Stay tuned to the teams' socials to easily keep up with the ever-living schedules and streams, as we eagerly await to find out who gets to participate in the finals action beginning on Sunday! If you are interested in any individual statistics, visit the league page or reach your preferred team's page by clicking their name in this article.

PS: We would love for you to follow our social channels, as they are an integral part of the ECL season.

ECL '22 Spring Lite Playoffs: Quarterfinals Preview - Trading Blows

Sun, 29 May 2022 13:42:28 +0000

In the Quarterfinal round of the ECL '22 Spring Lite Playoffs we're in for some very tough battles, where these teams are expected to trade blows back and forth. There's really no telling who will come out as the victor in the end, but we'll do our best to predict some outcomes!

Structure & Prize Pool

Lainaa

5.7 ECL Lite Playoffs

In ECL Lite, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Lite from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-4
• Group runners-up #5-8
• Teams that finished 3rd #9-12
• Teams that finished 4th #13-16
• Teams that finished 5th #17-20
• Teams that finished 6th #21-24
• Teams that finished 7th #25-28
• Teams that finish 8th #29-32

The winner of ECL Lite will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the bronze-game winning team. Teams finishing from 4th to 9th in the playoffs will be placed in the Pro – Lite qualifier for the ensuing ECL season. Teams that finish 15th and 16th in their group will be directly relegated to Core, whilst teams that finish 13th and 14th will find themselves competing in the Lite – Core qualifier for the ensuing ECL season to secure their position in Lite.

Schedule

Lainaa

10.6.3 ECL Lite

Playoff Schedule

• Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)
• Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 05.06 – 08.06 (BO7)
• Finals: 15.06 – 16.06 (BO7)

One interesting fact about the Quarterfinals this season is that Group 3 is very well represented, in fact 50% of the teams at this stage played in that same group in the regular season. All of these teams have a very experienced roster, which simply goes to show that despite perhaps not always performing to their best ability in the regular season, that x-factor is a much needed commodity for a deep run in the playoffs. Now it's time to turn our heads toward the upcoming round and see if that experience and skill can carry some of these teams onward, or if we'll continue seeing upsets. The Quarterfinals are to be played between Monday, May 30th and Thursday, June 2nd.

(2) Tadpole vs Valco (26)

We've got a group 3 rivalry on tap. These two split victories in the regular season, but Tadpole walked away with a point more due to an OT loss. It seems like most teams have beef with Valco and they've really embraced being the villain, taking down Arkham Asylum in the second round. Arkham, who were the favorites by a long shot have built a reputation of falling short in the playoffs, but Valco sure had to put in work in order to advance. We should be in for a similar story in this one, as Tadpole has all the skill in the world and on paper looks like the easy pick in this one, but the good old Valco with @itspardytime up front should never be counted out.

Prediction: 3-4 Valco

(3) Destiny vs Synergy Hockey (10)
Destiny is another one of those teams that are able to dominate games with sheer skill and excellent puck movement, but now they'll be going up against Synergy Hockey, a team that brings back a lot of memories for long-time community members. While perhaps not as individually skilled, these guys have patented a special brand of hockey, which is recognized by great puck movement and a strong five man defense. Synergy simply seems to be build for the playoffs and if they are able to employ their own style of play in this series, they'll be the ones to advance.

Prediction: 2-4 Synergy Hockey

(4) Project X vs IK Oskarshamn (7)
Project X has been on an impressive run in the playoffs, advancing with relative ease from both rounds as they dropped only one win each. On the other hand, IK Oskarshamn has had to fight a bit more, especially in the first round against the 26th seed Lemmenvelhot. We should be in for a very tight series that comes down to small margins, but Project X might be the more established team by a bit, which tips the scales in their favor for me. Neither team is very known for scoring explosions, but especially Project X would benefit from keeping the scores low and extending the games, even into overtime if required.

Prediction: 4-2 Project X

(5) Bastu vs Spirit (6)
The Bastu is really heating up just in time for springtime and the biggest games of the playoffs. These guys have advanced through both of their opponents thus far quite easily and are looking to do the same against Spirit, who are naturally going to pull out all the stops in order to end their run. Spirit has been in even better form, sending both Resurrection and Hyperion packing with sweeps in the first two rounds. This one isn't going to be a sweep, that's for sure, but the offense of Bastu has a bit more sides to it, whereas Spirit has to rely a lot on @Toivonen_ to produce for them. This could also end up being a big battle between goalies @Giinis for Bastu and @Misantti for Spirit, and they are very close right now.

Prediction: 4-3 Bastu

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Note: It is very helpful and critical for us to succeed in getting our partners tagged, so they get the necessary mentions and interaction to validate their participation in the future. That being said, it is understandable that there may be circumstances due to your other partners where you are unable to tag competition etc. Your support is appreciated.

As there are quite a few hashtags by now, especially from a Twitter perspective with limited characters, we recommend using at least #ECL22Spring in the text part of the tweet and leave the sponsor tags for the end. If you need to cut out tags, remove #esports and #NHL22. For Instagram this shouldn't be an issue.

ECL '22 Spring Neo Playoffs: Quarterfinals

Sun, 29 May 2022 12:01:44 +0000

SportsGamers,

A total of 24 teams reached the playoffs in the Neo division, and now we're down to only eight remaining. The top eight seeds had a bye week for the first round and some extra time to hone their game, and for the most part that advantage seemed to work well for them. Now it's time to start it all over again against new opponents. The third round of the playoffs will start on Monday the 30th of May 2022 and end on Thursday the 2nd of June 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Neo playoffs:

~~Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO5)~~
~~Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO5)~~
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO5)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 08.06 (BO5)
Finals: 12.06 (BO5)

For the relevant rules regarding these playoffs, please find extracts from the ECL Rulebook below. Essentially, each series will be a best-of-five and the higher seeded team will play 'at home' first, then alternate back and forth with the lower seeded team.

Lainaa

5.9 ECL Neo Playoffs

In ECL Neo, 24 teams will make the playoffs. These 24 teams will be made up of the top 6 from each of the 4 groups. The top two teams from each group will progress directly to the second round (seeds 1 – 8), whilst the remaining teams (seeds 9 – 24) will play in the first round, with the victor joining the top 8 seeds in the second round. As is the case with ECL Lite, the teams will be seeded based on finishing position within their group, as well as the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

Click here to view the matchups for the Quarterfinals of the ECL '22 Spring Neo Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Elite: The Final Stretch

Wed, 25 May 2022 13:31:02 +0000

We are winding down towards the end of the regular season and while we had last week off from media coverage, the teams were still hard at action. Perhaps not as actively as usually, but regardless there were some games played here and there! At this point we're seeing most teams have already finished their games, but there's still a few meaningful battles to be played between tonight and tomorrow.

As it stands right now, a minimum of 31 points will be required to make the playoffs, but we're expecting that total to rise by a bit as over the past five seasons, the average amount of points required has been at 32 and Roots Gaming, Conquer Gaming and Färjestad BK who are in the race for the final spots all have one matchup left to go. Let's take a look at the scenarios that could transpire as we head down the final stretch.

Out of the teams that are currently sitting below the line, Färjestad is the only one who still has a chance to sneak into the playoff picture, whereas above the line it's looking tough for Conquer Gaming, who has a must-win matchup left against the Swiss lions ZSC Esports. That matchup in combination with FBK's bouts against JYP Jyväskylä will decide the fate for both of those teams. Färjestad isn't in particularly hot form as of late, but neither is their opponent and Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson, Johan @McSavid Rundqvist and the boys will be giving it their all, that's for sure.

The relegation zone is also looking very interesting, with some very high stakes in the remaining games for these teams. Currently, IQUE is in last place, which would mean direct relegation for them, whereas Stargazing at 15th, JYP Jyväskylä at 14th and Falun Coal Miners at 13th would be in for relegation battles against up-and-comers from the Pro division. Thursday will feature a massive matchup between IQUE and Stargazing to determine who will end up facing relegation. After their sensational winter season, IQUE has fallen into tough times and are now clawing their way out of last place to salvage the future of their team in the Elite division, whereas Stargazing has had a rough go in their inaugural season at the top level. Regardless of the result, one of them will still have to fight for their spot in a relegation matchup.

JYP Jyväskylä, Falun Coal Miners and ZSC Esports all have one matchup left each, and they'll fight between the three of them for a spot in no man's land and a guaranteed continuation to their story in Elite next season. Both JYP and ZSC have the opportunity to spoil the postseason dreams of their opponents Conquer and Färjestad, whereas Falun is in for a tough battle against Roots, who are looking for at least two points in order to secure their 7th place, but could also pass HAVU Gaming for 6th if everything goes their way.

Barring any exceptional performances in the last few nights of play, we're also ready to crown Frölunda's Paul @PleeMaker Arontie both the top point producer and top goal scorer of the regular season despite him missing out on one game due to a walkover situation earlier this week. The highest scoring defenseman will be Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila for SAWO ESPORTS, who has seen some impressive growth with the added experience from his time in Frölunda and the increase in responsibility since moving on. In terms of goaltending, hREDS' Filip @Faze91- Azri is way ahead of the competition this regular season. Despite missing out on a few matches where Saku @Mehukatti10 Serttilä covered for him, he racked up an impressive 10 shutouts and is a level above everyone else in other statistical categories too.

Follow the teams on social media to stay up to date on the schedule!

Player Spotlight: Mirco "Komir_90" Salvi

Tue, 17 May 2022 06:26:02 +0000

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other!

This time, we decided to head on a Central-European trip, and that's why we're venturing into the promised land of cheese, chocolate and quality watchmaking to get to know Lausanne HC captain Mirco @Tron1x90 Salvi, the country I'm referring to is Switzerland of course. The Italian Citizen has grown up in the city of Biel/Bienne and now calls it his home, and he's grown to love the local hockey club, who have played at the Swiss top level since 2008.

1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL?

I've played EASHL since the beginning on Xbox 360, I think it was in 2008 with NHL09. I started to play with one of my best friends @JuuMzz just for fun, we started by creating a club, but sometimes we played in the same lobby and selected the goalie on both sides, it was really fun. Then we played for five years with three other friends, but when the next generation consoles were released, some of our friends stopped playing.

After winning a 1vs1 tournament in Zurich in 2018, an old friend @Freeman7187 asked me if I wanted to play with them, and that’s how my journey at SportsGamer started. The club was called The Black Jacks back then, but they're now known as ZSC Esports.

2. What’s the best part of playing for your current club Lausanne HC Esports?

I've had a lot of support from the fans since the club of Lausanne HC started with this project in 2020. I also think covid helped with it to some extent, since the Swiss leagues were shut down, so the fans had more time to follow the esports games and they were maybe also in need of hockey, regardless if that was virtual or the traditional form. Sadly we won't be continuing our partnership alongside Lausanne HC after this season.

3. What is your greatest NHL gaming memory?

In 1vs1 for sure my two Swiss national titles from 2021 vs @Original-SnuS and 2022 which I’ve won with Lausanne HC and also reaching the round of 16 of the IIHF fan tournament with Italy in 2020.

In 6vs6 the win of ECL 7 Lite with The Black Jacks even if I didn't play a lot but a title is still a title. Personally, my most successful season was in ECL 11 with Grenoble when we lost the Bronze game but still managed to gain promotion to Pro. It was also a very good personal season as I ended in the top 5 of the highest scoring defensemen, both in the regular season (5th) and in the playoffs (2nd). Then in ECL 12 we managed to reach the playoffs for our first season in Pro with the new renamed team Spartiates x MCES after a very bad first half of season. I think I was the only one who was still believing for a spot in the playoffs. That was amazing because we could reach the spot on the last gameday. We then had a very tight and intense series against the team that would later be promoted, BoxinElite, where we pushed on to a huge game 7 and finally lost in OT.

4. Describe your perfect breakfast!

A capuccino, fresh pressed orange juice and a French croissant.

5. You're GM for a day and get to pick any player for your 6v6 team but none of your current teammates. Who's in your starting six and why?

I will change a bit and not chose the top players in the ECL, but I think this lineup could be the best with only Swiss players, like a national team:

@Romy88 @Original-SnuS @Freeman7187
@Haldeem "Joker"
@afc_Tschitsch

6. What was your dream job growing up and what do you currently do?

As a kid, I always dreamed to become a professional football player. But I soon realized it wasn't possible because of my weak skills. I now work for the authorities, more specifically in tax collection.

7. Do you play or have you played hockey?

No, my skating skills are too bad.

8. What’s your best hockey memory?

In 2008 when my hometown hockey team, EHC Biel/Bienne, was promoted to the Swiss elite division. The following two seasons, the team finished last in the ranking and had to play the promotion/relegation series against Lausanne HC, they could always save themselves and win the series in a close game 7, that is something I will never forget.

9. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL?

I like to watch some football, hockey and NBA games, chilling out with friends and travel with my girlfriend. I also like to spend some time with family or friends at restaurant or having a beer. I watch series or play less competitive video games to unwind.

10. Pizza with three toppings, what are your choices?

Nice question for an Italian guy! Tomato, raw ham and mozzarella cheese.

11. You're the locker room DJ and get one song to hype up your team. What do you play?

Europe - The Final Countdown

12. How did you come up with your PSN ID?

My name is Mirco, but some friends call me Komir, and I was born in 1990, so that’s how I chose that PSN ID.

13. Who’s the best player in the ECL according to you?

Who else than @Eki? We don't even have to describe him anymore!

And as a D-man @xDoumi, the way he has improved in the last years is amazing. I use him as a reference to improve my gameplay. If we compare our stats, we have a bit of a similar playing style, we use to have a lot of puck possession and a lot of assists instead of goals, we like to play as a playmaker from behind and find the right key passes. Of course, this comparison is made on a smaller scale given the skill difference!

14. Describe your ideal holiday!

I haven't traveled much, but I've had the chance to discover beautiful places in Mexico, Florida, Greece and Italy. For me my ideal holidays are on the beach with a lot of sun, beautiful clear water and we also have to eat very well. So I think my best place was Sardinia at the moment, I can only recommend it.

15. Now it's up to you to suggest who we should interview next. Who do you want to hear from and why?

The daddy cool @Hansulinho. I used to play against him in 1vs1 online versus in 2008-2009 and we were already competing for the top spots in the ranking. I was then surprised he was still playing on SG when I arrived on this website back in 2018.

Feel free to also suggest who you'd want to see in the Player Spotlight-series - let us know in the comments below!

ECL '22 Spring Pro Playoffs: Quarterfinals Preview - Better late than never

Mon, 16 May 2022 07:48:17 +0000

If parity was the name of the game in the regular season, it surely seemed to be the case in the first round as well. Four game sevens and two six game series, only the group winners were able to fend off their competition without lengthy nights. Who's going through now? Let's take a look.

Schedule

Quote

10.6.2 ECL Pro

Playoff Schedule

~~Round of 16: 8.-12.5.~~

Quarterfinals: 15.-25.5.

Semifinals: 30.5.-2.6.

Finals: 5.-6.6. (TBC)

Preview

(1) Reality Check vs Sulkavan Sudet (14)

Due to time constraints this preview couldn't be finished before these teams already settled the score: Reality Check advances with a clean 4-0 sweep. Reality Check hasn't lost a single game in these playoffs so far, sweeping both opponents.

(2) Växjö Lakers vs Herlev Eagles (12)

Växjö Lakers had a fairly dominant regular season, especially offensively. That seemed to continue right away in postseason play with a 9-3 win to open off the series against Geekz Energy eSports, but they were instantly brought back to earth with a 1-4 loss in game two. After having a day off and some time to regroup, they went on to win the following three games to clinch the series, though the margins were a lot smaller with two 1-0 games and a 4-3 overtime win.

Herlev Eagles played in the same group as Växjö, and were also considered among its top teams ahead of the regular season. The start to their campaign wasn't an easy one, and they had to go down to the wire to clinch a postseason spot only on the last gameday. That wasn't in any way apparent when watching their first round series against Tohtorit though: the Eagles won the first three games in a row to gain a chance to complete the sweep. In the end they needed a few extra games to get it done, finally finishing it up in game six after what proved to be a controversial end to the series with some disconnect drama.

As both teams played in Group 2, we (and the teams, obviously) already have some data on how they match up against each other. While Växjö won both games that time, 3-1 and 6-3, it was one of the first meetings of the season. A month has already passed since then, so there's definitely been time for improvements.

Without in any way undermining their defense or especially the exceptional goaltenders, both of these teams live through their forwards. The trios of @vibholm10 - @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_) - @keranee and @Kattenj - @dzouvi - @Birkedal96 of Herlev and Växjö, respectively, will be going head to head with chips on their shoulders. The material advantage goes to the latter, though in contrast Herlev's roster has been together for some time now. That accumulated chemistry could really help them when trying to shut down Växjö's offensive prowess.

These teams possess a lot of skill, and the series will be decided by who can use it the best and who, in turn, is able to make their opponents' life a nightmare. While the seed difference may be quite substantial, Herlev Eagles aren't as big of an underdog as it would suggest. Växjö Lakers is still the clear favorite here though, let's not get that mixed up. Watch out for an upset, but don't hold up your hopes for it too high.

Prediction:

@Mikka: Växjö Lakers 4-2
@jahajaha93: Växjö Lakers 4-1

(3) HanaaHC vs Renascor (11) Written by @jahajaha93

HanaaHC came out swinging in the first round of playoffs both on and off the ice, stirring the pot a bit just in time for their first games against VISU Gaming to start. The3 long-time Pro dwellers went into the series with good spirits and high confidence, until VISU Gaming struck back in ways very characteristic to their game. Despite the setbacks, Hanaa stayed in control throughout the series and we saw them even dominate possession at times, but VISU kept themselves in the game, always posing a threat with their effective counter attacking and well executed passing plays. Now, HanaaHC is up against a new kind of challenge, one they seem to have fended off quite well as they are in a commanding 3-1 series lead after the first night of gaming.

The Russian outfit Renascor is a bit of a surprise to be seen at this stage of the playoffs, but they've really grown over the course of the season and overcoming the very talented Sinister squad in the first round is a commendable effort by them. The team has really rallied around the excellent play of goalie @sumskoy26 (SumkaX) and is looking to continue on that path to beat HanaaHC too. Some similarities can be found in Hanaa and their previous opponent, mainly the high level of individual skill and tendency to hold on to the puck rather than shoot at times, but HanaaHC definitely has the experience card up their sleeve.

The series currently stands at 3-1 in favor of HanaaHC.

(9) RCTIC vs AHJO (10)

Due to the amount of first round upsets, the fourth best seed remaining is *9th*! RCTIC finished 6th in Group 1 in the regular season and followed that up by nearly sweeping Be a Bro in the last round. The clean sweep didn't end up happening after their 3-0 series lead got reduced to 3-2, but they still got the job done in the end in six games. On the other hand AHJO didn't have as easy of a time, trailing 1-2 and 2-3 against Hokurit before extending the series to seven and clutching it home.

RCTIC had some troubles at the star of the season, but they seem to have found their footing recently. While @Limbe65 carried a heavy scoring load in the regular season, fellow forwards @yrjoo and @Naikou88 have stepped up to match the production come playoff time. @MrNipsuli hasn't found the points yet, but defensive performances have been stellar as expected. An interesting note from the first round, MrNipsuli-'s unorthodox build: a 178cm tall puck moving defenseman is definitely shorter than what we typically see at this level.

As noted, AHJO didn't exactly cruise through from the last round. They even resorted to some lineup shuffling after the first night of play, swapping @xHatsi to center and @Eeemill_ to right-winger for the last four games. Perhaps that's what eventually helped them over the hump, but we'll see if the positions get reshuffled yet again if they start off cold.

The "Icy Boyz" reached the semifinals with this exact same 9th seed last season, and it seems likely to reoccur now as well. However, AHJO can definitely mount a challenge and even end up on top, as long as they keep on improving with their relatively fresh lineup having added @Wpaanane at the transfer deadline.

This series could go any way without it being a huge surprise, and it will come down to who's done their homework better and can perform when it matters the most. For now RCTIC takes the edge on paper with their experience, though we also have to remember that AHJO (then named Dynastia) took number one seeded Reality Check all the way to a game seven in their series at this same stage last season, only revamping their left side of the ice since then.

Just to reiterate one last time, this should be the tightest series in this round. Does experience prevail, or will a honeymoon phase power a slight upset? Let's go with the bold prediction for a change.

Prediction:

@Mikka: 2-4 AHJO
@jahajaha93: 4-3 RCTIC

This round is a bit longer than usual, but we'll have our final four clear soon enough. Good luck and have fun everyone, whether it's playing or cheering on your favorites!

PS: We would love for you to follow our social channels, as they are an integral part of the ECL season.

ECL '22 Spring Lite Playoffs: Round 2 Preview - Bold Assumptions

Sun, 15 May 2022 13:21:00 +0000

In Round 2 of the ECL '22 Spring Lite Playoffs, it's time for new success stories to be made and for old start to polish up and shine again! We've got several exciting matchups on tap, and here are some comments about them to follow.

Structure & Prize Pool

Lainaa

5.7 ECL Lite Playoffs

In ECL Lite, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Lite from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-4
• Group runners-up #5-8
• Teams that finished 3rd #9-12
• Teams that finished 4th #13-16
• Teams that finished 5th #17-20
• Teams that finished 6th #21-24
• Teams that finished 7th #25-28
• Teams that finish 8th #29-32

The winner of ECL Lite will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the bronze-game winning team. Teams finishing from 4th to 9th in the playoffs will be placed in the Pro – Lite qualifier for the ensuing ECL season. Teams that finish 15th and 16th in their group will be directly relegated to Core, whilst teams that finish 13th and 14th will find themselves competing in the Lite – Core qualifier for the ensuing ECL season to secure their position in Lite.

Schedule

Lainaa

10.6.3 ECL Lite

Playoff Schedule

• Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)
• Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 05.06 – 08.06 (BO7)
• Finals: 15.06 – 16.06 (BO7)

Well, my first round predictions were kind of hit and miss. Let’s discuss those a little bit later. First congratulations to all teams who managed to advance to the second round. Some first round games were tight, whereas other not so much. Especially all matchups that went to game seven. Those nervous moments end with great celebrations or big disappointments. Eventually always the best team continues.

So let’s talk about my predictions. My first round predictions were a bit short, and let's see how they went:

Arkham Asylum - Frölunda HC Academy

Prediction: 4-1 to Arkham Asylum
Result: 4-3 to Arkham Asylum

Knowing Arkham pretty well I was convinced that they had recovered from last season’s disappointing first round exit and would come back stronger, but Frölunda showed that seed doesn’t matter and put up one hell of a fight. When the seventh game had 10 minutes of play time left, Frölunda were up 3-1 and this writer had cold and sweaty hands. Arkham’s experienced squad still showed why they are the top squad. They tied the game in regulation and an overtime winner from @Hj_projekti (Jorgeniii) sealed the deal.

Tadpole - Pata Hellalla

Prediction: 4-0 to Tadpole
Result: 4-2 to Tadpole

What a series Pata Hellalla managed to turn this into. Even though Tadpole controlled the games @L1ttle_Pony93 (Supermaaario) with the great defence from Pata made the series tighter. Despite the experienced squad the former Pro team still couldn’t find the path to the next round. @Janne Hietala (Hiatala_) held his ground and @ROUHEEE scored those big goals to put them through to the next round.

Destiny - Timrå IK

Prediction: 4-2 to Destiny
Result: 4-1 to Destiny

Almost. Tight games between two good teams. Destiny was in the drivers seat for the entire series. Timrå IK defended well and was able to shut down Destiny’s scoring chances. It seems biased that I always praise goalies but @Mesimaki really played well and gave every chance for his team to win. Destiny calmed their game in game five and that calmness gave them more time to look for opportunities to score. They also held their defensive ground well and minimized Timrå's chances.

Spirit - Resurrection

Prediction: 4-1 to Spirit
Result: 4-0 to Spirit

Almost got this, but no. Spirit showed no mercy. Well the first game ended in overtime and in terms of the result, was the closest. When looking at the stats though Spirit had the control. @Jiihooo86 almost could handle the little pressure I gave him on the first preview but you cannot win alone. Spirit, on the other hand, looked like a really solid team throughout the series. Only allowing three goals shows good team defence and a solid goalie. And @Toivonen_ continued his regular season Spirit into the playoffs.

Synergy Hockey - Neptune Hockey

Prediction: 4-0 to Synergy Hockey
Result: 4-0 to Synergy Hockey

I’m never wrong. More than once. Okay let’s take a look at the only series I predicted right. Synergy Hockey is full of old Pro and Elite players so this wasn’t really a surprise. Standard to expectations, and that's not to sayNeptune Hockey isn't also a great team. It's your first season in the Lite division and getting eliminated in the first round is no shame, ask the Arkham Asylum guys how that feels. Synergy Hockey’s experienced squad walked off to the next round as expected.

Round 2

Now, let’s discuss about the next round. Some very interesting teams managed to move on. Teams like the Carolus Icemen are one of them. A Swedish based team with some British reinforcements, and at the same time the British National team is on a visit in Finland to play in the Ice Hockey World Championship.

But now to the part that everyone has been waiting for. Round 2 predictions. I will go through every pair this time and add some comments if I feel it's needed. Remember to discuss, argue and prove me wrong.

Arkham Asylum - Valco

Prediction: 4-1 to Arkham Asylum

Comment: Even though Valco came through in the first round, Arkham is an opponent on an entirely different level.

Tadpole - Team NGU

Prediction: 4-3 to Tadpole

Comment: Server advantage, but NGU could still challenge Tadpole like Pata Helalla did in the past round.

Destiny - Södertälje SK

Prediction: 4-2 to Södertälje SK

Comment: Destiny played very well against Timrå but Södertälje is definitely a step up in the level of opponent. This is going to be an interesting watch. Fast-paced hockey against tough defense first mentality.

Project X - HC SHH

Prediction: 4-1 to Project X

Comment: Golden close quarters may not be enough in round two.

Bastu - Linköping HC

Prediction: 4-3 to ?

Comment: This can go either way, but I'll predict it's in a game seven.

Spirit - Hyperion

Prediction: 4-1 to Spirit

Comment: Do your magic @Toivonen_.

IK Oskarshamn - Carolus Icemen

Prediction: 4-0 to IK Oskarshamn

Comment: Sorry Carolus, I kinda fancy you, but I don’t see you going through this stage.

Free From Rodents - Synergy Hockey

Prediction: 4-1 to Synergy Hockey

Comment: No comment read above

Bold assumptions. Go play.

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs: Round 3

Sun, 15 May 2022 11:53:24 +0000

SportsGamers,

We're one step closer to glory! The Core division playoffs have been running for quite some time already and now we're down to the top 16. In Core, the playoffs consist of the top 8 teams from each group being seeded against other teams who finished in the same position (e.g. group winners are seeded #1-4, group runners-up are seeded #5-8 and so on.). The second round of the playoffs will start on Sunday the 15th of May 2022 and end on Wednesday the 25th of May 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Core playoffs:

~~Round-of-64: 01.05 – 05.05 (BO7)~~
~~Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)~~
Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 09.06 (BO7)
Finals: 13.06 – 14.06 (BO7) [Provisional date]

Lainaa

5.8 ECL Core Playoffs
In ECL Core, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Core from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-8
• Group runners-up #9-16
• Teams that finished 3rd #17-24
• Teams that finished 4th #25-32 Page 14 of 44
• Teams that finished 5th #33-40
• Teams that finished 6th #41-48
• Teams that finished 7th #49-56
• Teams that finish 8th #57-64

The winner of ECL Core will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the semifinalists. Additionally, not only will these teams have secured their spot in ECL Lite, but they will also be granted a position within the ECL Pro – Lite qualifier

Click here to view the matchups for round 3 of the ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Neo Playoffs: Round 2

Sun, 15 May 2022 11:52:14 +0000

SportsGamers,

Out of the 24 qualified teams, we're now left with only 16 in the Neo playoffs. Now also the top 8 will start their postseason runs and we'll see if they've used their bye week in a smart way on the practice ice. Let the action begin and may the best teams win! The first round of the playoffs will start on Sunday the 15th of May 2022 and end on Wednesday the 25th of May 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Neo playoffs:

~~Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO5)~~
Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO5)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 08.06 (BO5)
Finals: 12.06 (BO5)

Lainaa

5.9 ECL Neo Playoffs

In ECL Neo, 24 teams will make the playoffs. These 24 teams will be made up of the top 6 from each of the 4 groups. The top two teams from each group will progress directly to the second round (seeds 1 – 8), whilst the remaining teams (seeds 9 – 24) will play in the first round, with the victor joining the top 8 seeds in the second round. As is the case with ECL Lite, the teams will be seeded based on finishing position within their group, as well as the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

Click here to view the matchups for round 2 of the ECL '22 Spring Neo Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Pro Playoffs: Round 1 Preview - Time To Shine

Sun, 08 May 2022 17:40:00 +0000

Action is just about to kick off in the playoffs of the Pro division! The theme of the regular season was parity unlike what we've seen before. Many teams expected to be at the top struggled immensely, opening up opportunities for other teams to thrive. Let's kick off the postseason!

Structure & Prize Pool

Lainaa

5.6 ECL Pro Playoffs

In ECL Pro, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be cross-seeded best against worst according to the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3. After the first round has been played, the teams will then be seeded based on PPG. The winner of ECL Pro will be instantly promoted, however the runner up will have to play (and win) a series vs. an Elite opponent in order to attain promotion. The two ECL Pro semifinal losers will each play one ECL Elite team ranked 13 or 14, cross-seeded according to the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3. Teams that finish in places 9-11 will neither play in the playoffs nor be subject to a qualification tournament or relegation. Teams that finish 12th – 14th will be placed into a qualification tournament to secure their spot in Pro for the next ECL (see section 5.11 for more information). Finally, teams that finish 15th – 16th will be instantly relegated.

Schedule

Lainaa

10.6.2 ECL Pro

Playoff Schedule

Round of 16: 8.-12.5.

Quarterfinals: 15.-25.5.

Semifinals: 30.5.-2.6.

Finals: 5.-6.6. (TBC)

Broadcasts

As you have grown accustomed to during the regular season, there will be at least one Pro broadcast per week on Tuesdays, with a 19.45 CEST start time. You can access that and our other live content on the SportsGamer Twitch, where you can also find our up-to-date stream schedule.

This preview was written in co-operation by @Wpaanane & @jahajaha93.

(1) Reality Check vs (8) GHETTO FIREBIRDS

Reality Check really flexed their muscles by once again going all out in a powerful regular season showing. They showed their power at goal scoring, getting the most goals in group 1. Adding @Mikax222 and @JesseL2002 to their lineup has made Reality Check maybe the favorites to win whole Pro Division.

On the other hand, GHETTO FIREBIRDS didn't have as good of a regular season as expected but they still managed to claim the needed points for a playoff spot. Adding @Valluxet and @Talonmies69 (Talonm1es) to their lineup hasn't really worked out in the best way yet but this team is capable of winning games when they find good form and get the real mentality.

This series will be tough and we'll be excited to see if GHETTO FIREBIRDS can challenge Reality Check for the spot to the Quarterfinals.

Key players from both teams can be found on the wing as Reality Check's @Pursuitti 29+31=60 scored most goals for his team in the regular season. GHETTO FIREBIRDS' winger @Valluxet 25+23=48 also scored most goals for his team in the regular season. We'll see if these players keeps scoring goals in the increasingly important games.

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: Plays for GHETTO FIREBIRDS
@Wpaanane: 4-2 Reality Check

(1) Växjö Lakers vs (8) Geekz Energy eSports

Finishing 1st in Group 2, the mixed nationality roster repping the Swedish hockey club Växjö Lakers delivered as they were expected to, perhaps even a bit better. Having that successful regular season Växjö Lakers must have confidence for the upcoming first round of the playoffs and they aren't looking to slow down any time soon. Växjö Lakers scored the most goals in the entire Pro division with 110 goals in 30 games played.

Geekz Energy eSports started their season by losing six games in a row, but after that something clicked and they started to claim points on a nightly basis and they finished 8th in group 1. They are a dangerous counter-attack team that can strike in the blink of an eye.

Key players for both of these teams you can find on center position. Växjö's @dzouvi with 26+26=62 is a former Elite division player, who had a wonderful regular season alongside @Kattenj on his left flank, who was the teams leading point getter with the phenomenal 35+47=82 points. Geekz Energy eSports' centerman @Krinke 21+26=47 is also a former Elite player, a very skillful center with great faceoff ability (53.4% as his faceoff percent). We'll see can Geekz Energy eSports answer to this huge challenge when they are up against another contender Växjö Lakers.

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-0 Växjö Lakers
@Wpaanane: 4-0 Växjö Lakers

(2) HanaaHC vs (7) VISU Gaming

HanaaHC, the runner-up from Group 1, hopes to make a deeper playoff run than last season. They fell short against noRex Gaming in game six of the Winter season. They had a great regular season and if they are keeping the same form up, they are going trough from this round with relative ease. VISU Gaming missed playoffs last season but they were active in the offseason and added @IKarkkiI, @Pontinho(I-CLAUGHTON-I) and @jubex0r to their core and made their way to the playoffs this time around. This matchup will bring us tight and small margin games.

Key players in this series are both playing on the left wing. Hanaa HC's @xLeikku 33+34=67 continued where he left off last season and had a great regular season. VISU Gaming's experienced left wing @hpkfani(MuKiMaisteri) 39+23=62 also has a great regular season behind. MuKiMaisteri scored 39 goals in 30 games, being the top scorer for VISU Gaming and the second best finisher in the division. Also VISU Gaming's rookie defenseman @Pontinho (I-CLAUGHTON-I) 6+25=31 had an excellent regular season as a rookie. We'll see how he performs in the playoffs.

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-2 HanaaHC
@Wpaanane: 4-3 HanaaHC

(2) Deadly Phantoms vs (7) Sulkavan Sudet

The German pride Deadly Phantoms is on a mission to make their way back to the Elite division and will make life miserable for anyone that will try to stop them. This is one of the most complete teams in the division and despite not outright dominating in the regular season, the German outfit is built to take down strong opposition in gruelling playoff competition. Coming into the playoffs in 8-1-1 form also is very telling of their form right now, and they look like they could be on the brink of peaking at the right time.

Sulkavan Sudet, on the other hand were a team that many expected to be in the middle of the pack or even finish outside of playoff position. The team is a true Pro division juggernaut and possess a tremendous amount of experience to get the job done. The grinding they've done in Pro thus far has only fuelled the fire and these guys must be very hungry to show everyone that they have the necessary skill to move up the ranks. Statistically, it looks like it's going to be mission impossible for the wolfpack to overcome the German side, but we'll be smarter after a minimum of four games.

The Phantoms have some of the best players in the division at several positions, but especially important to them are centerman @PlaymakerSJ (28+25=53), defenseman @xXPsykoSkillsXx (12+32=44) and goalie @RPH_31 (17 W, 83.33 SV%, 1.42 GAA), not only due to their excellent numbers, but the intangibles that these guys possess through the experience they've got with the team. Sulkava doesn't quite have the roster to match, but the pressure to get his team to perform to the best level will be on captain @Oxdoggi (14+28=42).

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-0 Deadly Phantoms
@Wpaanane:

(3) Tohtorit vs (6) Herlev Eagles

We're going to see tight small margin games in this matchup. Tohtorit is 11-0-1 in their last 12 games, whereas Herlev Eagles barely managed to pave their way to the playoffs. Both of these teams are very skilled so we're expecting to see some nice plays and nice goals between these two teams. Especially puck movement and the pace of it will be an important factor.

From Herlev Eagles' side @TeikDaun and also from Tohtorit's side @Stammer70 will be important, both goalies can win games for their own side and could end up tipping the scales if one of them gets hot early on. Also wingers from these both teams are in the spotlight as @keranee and @vibholm10 are very dangerous especially in the offensive zone. Also Tohtorit wingers @Ojala16 and @Ristimaki12 are both passing playmakers but have the ability to sniff a scoring chance when the opportunity presents itself.

This will be a tough one but Tohtorit are a slight favorite to win this matchup. Herlev Eagles needs to step up after a difficult regular season if they are going to win this series.

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-2 Tohtorit
@Wpaanane: 4-1 Tohtorit

(3) Be a Bro vs (6) RCTIC

We're going all the way in this one! Be a Bro and RCTIC are clashing in a matchup between two very experienced and skilled rosters. Despite Be a Bro being assembled over the offseason, the squad still holds several veteran players that have found chemistry nicely along the way. RCTIC, on the other hand, are now in their third consecutive ECL Pro season with increasingly good results. Some fluctuation to start the season really did RCTIC in when trying to gain a higher finish, but they managed to find their form later on, much alike their competition in Be a Bro.

Key players for both teams can be found on the wing, as Be a Bro's @imosi and @rakkauspakkaus- have been great with production for them, but they've been nowhere near the production level of RCTIC's @Limbe65, who finished third in the league and first in goals with 47+24=71. While Limbe will be the definite X-Factor for RCTIC, it's undeniable that Be a Bro has the wider arsenal and they've still got the highest scoring defenseman @MCH_98 (8+33=41) in their ranks, who we haven't even mentioned yet!

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 3-4 RCTIC
@Wpaanane: 4-2 Be a Bro

(4) Sinister vs (5) Renascor

Sinister has some of the most exciting up and coming players in the game on their roster with @OsquuG and @JerePaloranta (Harlowi-) leading the way, but they are lacking in the experience department. Look for their defensemen @xeblax1 (TonninHazzi) and @Thewix93 (thewix_1) to hold down the fort while the youngsters up top try to wreak havoc in the Renascor end.

The Russian side surprised this season with a great run thus far after losing some key components in the offseason. The departure of star player @Valluxet has perhaps forced players like @Virusactive and @ilyagolubev (tendeerly) to elevate their game, and they have done so on command. Quite some time has passed since any of these players have made a deep Pro playoff push, so consider them as green to the stage as the Sinister side.

The difference in individual skill and scoring power tips the scales heavily in favor of the Sinister squad, but if the Russians can find a way to really pull things together in their own end, you never know what could happen in a one-goal game. The further we go without a goal on the board, the better the situation is for Renascor throughout.

In terms of goalie duels, this one is quite interesting. Renascor have their mainstay @sumskoy26 (SumkaX), who actually improved statistically quite a lot from last season (+5,03SV% and -0,06GAA, +3 shutouts). Sinister will be icing @PuukAesi (rransu), who very much alike his teammates, isn't overly experienced at this level and has slowly grown into the goalie he is today. Statistically, he is better than his counterpart, but it's tough to draw conclusions based on that when both teams have competed in different groups. We're calling this even for now, and the guys will show us who takes the cake come puck drop.

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-1 Sinister
@Wpaanane: 4-2 Sinister

(4) AHJO vs (5) Hokurit

We're in for a tight one in this matchup. Hokurit were one of the sensations last season, but suffered some big losses in the offseason. Despite that, they have been able to bounce back nicely and the experience they've gathered has now solidified them as a bona fide playoff team in the Pro division. On the other side we have AHJO, the former Dynastia. This squad has had a rather streaky season, but their campaign has been good enough thus far. In the playoffs, they'll need to elevate their level even more and they seem to be at the brink of peak form with their 7-2-1 record in the last ten games.

Statistically, the two squads are very similar, and one team running away with games shouldn't be expected. If any differences should be highlighted, the AHJO squad looks a bit more individually skilled and since putting @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) on defense, their game has clicked very well. However, we mustn't forget that Hokurit definitely do possess that skill too, and a player like @J-_-Jamaltheman could be a difference maker for them.

Both of these teams are on the aggressive side, and like to put pressure on the opposing team with physical play. AHJO with their 113 PIMs were among most penalized teams in the division, and Hokurit with 105 PIMs aren't close behind. This leads us to expect a fair amount of special teams play in this series, which again gives a slight advantage in the favor of AHJO both on the powerplay and penalty kill.

Prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-2 AHJO
@Wpaanane: Plays for AHJO

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

ECL '22 Spring Lite: Playoffs Round 1 Preview - The Best of The Rest

Sun, 08 May 2022 16:50:00 +0000

Here we go again, the regular season has ended and it's time to turn our heads towards the playoffs. After the long winter we are now slowly also in spring time up north. Who will shine? Who will fall? Time will tell.

Structure & Prize Pool

Lainaa

5.7 ECL Lite Playoffs

In ECL Lite, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Lite from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-4
• Group runners-up #5-8
• Teams that finished 3rd #9-12
• Teams that finished 4th #13-16
• Teams that finished 5th #17-20
• Teams that finished 6th #21-24
• Teams that finished 7th #25-28
• Teams that finish 8th #29-32

The winner of ECL Lite will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the bronze-game winning team. Teams finishing from 4th to 9th in the playoffs will be placed in the Pro – Lite qualifier for the ensuing ECL season. Teams that finish 15th and 16th in their group will be directly relegated to Core, whilst teams that finish 13th and 14th will find themselves competing in the Lite – Core qualifier for the ensuing ECL season to secure their position in Lite.

Schedule

Lainaa

10.6.3 ECL Lite

Playoff Schedule

• Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)
• Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 05.06 – 08.06 (BO7)
• Finals: 15.06 – 16.06 (BO7)

Arkham Asylum topped the regular season groups. Conceding less than one goal per game in the regular season is impressive and achieved through good team defence and final lock @PCJP (Pelkonen-I92I) had been solid throughout the season.

Even though hockey is a goal scoring game, defence always plays a big part especially in the playoffs. Teams that defend tight and shut down opponents' scoring chances will always go far in the postseason. Good examples of this are the aforementioned Arkham Asylum (group2), Bastu (group2), Södertalje SK (group3) and Project X (group4). In the midseason report I noted that even though Destiny was at the top of the standings, they conceded much more goals than other top teams and that continued throughout the regular season. Let’s see if they can continue scoring goals when the teams start to defend tighter.

When looking into the stats there are a couple surprises to be found. @Jusa (JusaSoLow) scored 50 goals in the regular season but if you have played against his team HC Shh you'll know where those numbers stem from. The overall top scorer came from Spirit in the form of @Toivonen_, who topped the player stats. The best defenseman on the scoring sheet was @Eemil (eKoski_) from Tadpole, the strong team definitely helps, without even going into the skillset of the man himself. In terms of goaltending, @Jiihooo86 was on a level of his own - the captain of the Resurrection was a key player for them to advance to the playoffs. His impressive SV% and GAA shows that he still is one of the best goalies around. Let’s see how he will perform in the playoffs.

Resurrection had a slow start to the regular season and almost didn’t make it to the playoffs as I predicted on the midseason report. They proved me wrong and showed that they belong in the playoffs with the lead of their veteran captain.

The first playoff round usually is a bit slower and there's an adjustment process going on, so it doesn't always show the complete diraction of the playoffs. Some teams may have slow starts to the runs and some teams may outperform in the first round. There are interesting matchups so let’s try to predict a little and speculate who will continue from the first round. Here's a few predictions on a couple of the first round marquee matchups:

Arkham Asylum - Frölunda HC Academy 4-1

Even though Frölunda have skilled individuals, Arkham’s defense is so good they shouldn't have any problems to advance. Maybe they take this series in four games but I'd like to see that Frölunda can steal one game.

Tadpole - Pata Hellalla 4-0

Former Pro team Pata haven’t found their game this season. They clinched a spot in the playoffs in the last round of the regular season. I don’t want to ruin anyone's day but I don’t see them in the second round.

Destiny - Timrå IK 4-2

Offensive power meets the solid fast puck movers. In terms of defense these teams are even, but Destiny has the fire power and shouldn't have any problems to advance from here.

Spirit - Resurrection 4-1

If JiiHooo86 can shut the net they can make it more even. Still Spirit’s offense is the key to their success and I'd expect them to run over Resurrection.

Synergy Hockey - Neptune Hockey 4-0

Synergy's former Pro and Elite players didn’t shine too much in the regular season but now playoffs are a different beast. Neptune Hockey played well in their first Lite season but the experience from Synergy Hockey will take them to the next round.

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ECL '22 Spring Elite Weekly: Conquer Gaming on a great run as of late

Sun, 08 May 2022 11:01:00 +0000

We're closing down on the main stretch with a bit over a week to go in the season and the standings are looking tight! Conquer Gaming is one of the teams who had a great past week and they've been one of the most pleasant surprises thus far. What will happen moving on?

All teams but two have now passed the midway point of the season and with a bit over a week left to go, now is definitely the time to start pushing and collecting those crucial points to make a playoff push. It looks like hREDS and Frölunda HC are running away from the pack a little bit, but elsewhere, it seems like there's so much parity in the league right now which makes for a very exciting last week of action.

The week started with a classic battle as HAVU Gaming and Frölunda HC split points in the broadcast games. The week was positive for HAVU in other ways as well when they were able to get full points from Färjestad BK and ended their week against Roots Gaming with three points from those games. Roots had their second full four points night against ZSC Esports and that definitely did them good as right now they are battling for the same spots in the standings with the Swiss group.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the week was when Conquer Gaming managed to overcome hREDS twice in their matchups on Thursday evening. hREDS have reigned supreme throughout the season and have definitely been in great form, but the disciplined outing from Conquer led to difficulties converting on chances. hREDS salvaged two points through overtime losses, but for Conquer these additions to their totals were more than welcome, as they now sit at 1.25 points per game, which should grant them a playoff spot if they're able to keep up the pace - something that we could not foresee prior to the season. Also, will this blow to hREDS' confidence have an impact on their performance in their next few games?

hREDS wasn't the only top team that Conquer went up against this week, as they also met Frölunda HC earlier. Winning also them in one game makes Conquer's week nothing short of amazing. The fact that they were able to win both recent European Champions in the same week makes them definitely the biggest dark horse so far this season and no one would have expected an outcome like this in any preseason prediction.

Frölunda HC had a bit of a slump this week, unusually for them. Despite winning one game with a 7-1 landslide against GOONS, they also lost one game in regulation. GOONS have now played 10 games with Veeti @Wenger(re_Wenger) Paloneva on defense and their record in those games is impressive as they have won eight and lost only two. When you look at the points per game you can right now find the skunk-predators in 5th place in the standings.

One the teams that had tough time this week was ZSC Esports. Losing all their four games during this week puts them at a five game losing streak. They have 0.9 points per game after 20 games and that puts them in 14th place in the standings. They will have to figure out how to keep the puck away from their net because they allow 2.7 goals per game, which isn't sustainable if they are looking to climb the standings in the final push of the season.

Individually, we've got the scoring race also tightening towards the end of the season. GOONS only played two matchups this past week, so the lead for Arttu @laitineen64 (Laiitinen) Laitinen is diminishing and quite a few players are closing in on him. Paul @PleeMaker Arontie is two points behind with a few games less played, but also SAWO duo Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Jere @jxrska Laukka are getting close with four games less at the moment, and these are the kind of guys that can pop off at any given time. PleeMaker ended up being the first player to reach 20 goals with six in total scored in the past week.

It also seems like the transition for Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala to defense is really working out for him. As the highest scoring defenseman he is showcasing both premier production and excellent overall play down low, not that there was ever any doubt about it. However, the most complete player on defense thus far has been ZSC Esports' Max @Toneee9 Tonitz, who we already mentioned last week. The Austrian defenseman is having a real breakout year now in his third Elite campaign with the Swiss club.

Among the goaltenders, two names currently rise above the others and we are not surprised. Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and Filip @Faze91- Azri finding their form and look like they'll be peaking at the right time, just in time for playoffs to start. These guys have stood the test of time and are still among the best in the business. Also notably, Christoffer @Tiipponenii (Coffelainen) Eriksson is looking very good for his team HV71 as of late despite the team struggling a bit. Look for them to perhaps steal some points as get down the main stretch of the regular season.

Tonight we'll be back with some great ECL Elite action for you guys at 17:45 CEST as usual! We've got JYP Jyväskylä going against SAWO ESPORTS and hREDS - Färjestad BK on tap with Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Paul @Cyn Anderson to call the action!

ECL '22 Spring Core: Playoffs Round 2

Sun, 08 May 2022 09:59:26 +0000

SportsGamers,

64 teams went to battle in the first round and they're now down to 32. It's time to ramp up the heat and the stakes are certainly high enough, who will be the teams to advance and to get one step closer to promotion. In Core, the playoffs consist of the top 8 teams from each group being seeded against other teams who finished in the same position (e.g. group winners are seeded #1-4, group runners-up are seeded #5-8 and so on.). The second round of the playoffs will start on Sunday the 8th of May 2022 and end on Thursday the 12th of May 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Core playoffs:

~~Round-of-64: 01.05 – 05.05 (BO7)~~
Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)
Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 09.06 (BO7)
Finals: 13.06 – 14.06 (BO7) [Provisional date]

Lainaa

5.8 ECL Core Playoffs
In ECL Core, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Core from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-8
• Group runners-up #9-16
• Teams that finished 3rd #17-24
• Teams that finished 4th #25-32 Page 14 of 44
• Teams that finished 5th #33-40
• Teams that finished 6th #41-48
• Teams that finished 7th #49-56
• Teams that finish 8th #57-64

The winner of ECL Core will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the semifinalists. Additionally, not only will these teams have secured their spot in ECL Lite, but they will also be granted a position within the ECL Pro – Lite qualifier

Click here to view the matchups for round 2 of the ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Neo Playoffs: Round 1

Sun, 08 May 2022 09:58:10 +0000

SportsGamers,

It's time to kick off the playoffs in our Neo division! First of all, congrats to all teams who made it to this point, and to those who end their season now, we hope you'll be back stronger next time. A total of 24 teams have qualified, out of which the eight best teams based on PPG will receive a bye for the first round. The rest of the teams will be seeded based on PPG and play each other in the first round, after which we will continue as usual. The first round of the playoffs will start on Sunday the 8th of May 2022 and end on Thursday the 12th of May 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Neo playoffs:

Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO5)
Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO5)
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO5)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 08.06 (BO5)
Finals: 12.06 (BO5)

Lainaa

5.9 ECL Neo Playoffs

In ECL Neo, 24 teams will make the playoffs. These 24 teams will be made up of the top 6 from each of the 4 groups. The top two teams from each group will progress directly to the second round (seeds 1 – 8), whilst the remaining teams (seeds 9 – 24) will play in the first round, with the victor joining the top 8 seeds in the second round. As is the case with ECL Lite, the teams will be seeded based on finishing position within their group, as well as the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

Click here to view the matchups for round 1 of the ECL '22 Spring Neo Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Elite Weekly: Örebro Hockey finding excellent form

Sun, 01 May 2022 13:58:00 +0000

The third week of ECL Elite has now been played and the battle starts to get tougher and tougher all the time. Teams have now played 1between 10 and 16 games and we can start to see who is hot this season and who still needs to get their bearings straight for the final push.

Like you could expect before the season, it's no surprise that the two teams we find at the top of the standings after about half of the games have been played are hREDS and Frölunda HC. hREDS' week included matchups against SAWO ESPORTS and HAVU Gaming and they showed once again their great teamplay by collecting all 8 possible points and letting opponents score only one goal per game in those matchups. Frölunda HC also played against two teams this week but weren't able to secure all the points as JYP Jyväskylä were able to beat the Indians once in overtime. Thursday night was good for Frölunda HC as they managed to get back to the 4/4 points rhythm against Stargazing. Paul @PleeMaker Arontie showed once again how good of a goal scorer he is by notching 6 goals in 4 games this week.

In third place if you look at points per game you can find Örebro Hockey, who have had a great start to their season, quite surprisingly. Winning hREDS in week two clearly gave them some positive energy as they were able to win five out of six games this week, continuing their great run. Especially their start to the week was absolutely incredible as Örebro won both ZSC Esports and Falun Coal Miners without allowing a single goal. Elie @eliekamel87(Eliekamel_) Kamel in net was a brick wall, and secured four consecutive shutouts to his name. They ended their week against SAWO ESPORTS by splitting wins and both walking away with two points.

Speaking of SAWO, they had a heavy workload this week with eight games to play on total. This weeks disappointment for them was a loss against YMCA Esports, but on the other hand they were able to make comeback against Färjestad BK in the first game as they were down 2-0 when there was only 30 seconds left in the game. Eventually, SAWO won in overtime. They have managed to grab 18 points in 14 games which means that they are in 4th place in the standings tied with Färjestad BK when you look at the points per game.

After a little break from the games also IQUE made their comeback this week by playing against three opponents. The week definitely wasn't what they were looking for because they ended up winning only one of those six games. Now IQUE is sitting at last place in the standings and has only got seven points in their 12 games played.

If GOONS had gotten ahead of the pack a bit early, they've now slowed down their pace a bit to allow other teams to catch up in terms of games played. However, it still seems like Arttu @laitineen64 (Laiitinen) Laitinens production pace is unmatched at the moment. The young winger is scoring at a pace of over two points per game and had a great seven point double-header against Conquer Gaming last week, putting him ahead of the competition. Also worth noting is ZSC's rookie Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg, who sits in 5th place with 9+14=23 points - not bad for a rookie! Someone who is struggling a bit along with his team is IQUE captain Janne @Nieppii Niemelä, who only has eight points through his first twelve games, and sits at a -6 as we speak. There's still time to turn things around, however, and something he still does very well is stay on the puck and draw penalties, now IQUE only needs to find a way to turn up the production.

Defensively, the last week was a show of excellence by Örebro Hockey as a unit. We already touched on the topic, but the feat of four consecutive shutouts truly is incredible at this level of competition. Örebro isn't known for such things, and we're used to seeing them play a fast counter-attack hockey, and not really being one of the best teams at completely shutting down opposition. Anyway, a great effort by the entire team and especially goaltender @eliekamel87.

In terms of production down low, the most efficient defenseman thus far has been ZSC's Max @Toneee9 Tonitz, who have managed to keep up a very consistent pace, almost getting his name on the scoresheet in every game played. If the Swiss are looking to find playoff pace this season, he'll need to continue his great play.

ECL '22 Spring: Core Playoffs- Round 1

Sun, 01 May 2022 13:03:56 +0000

SportsGamers,

The ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs are here and we have got some very strong teams that are ready to go to war in the postseason. In Core, the playoffs consist of the top 8 teams from each group being seeded against other teams who finished in the same position (e.g. group winners are seeded #1-4, group runners-up are seeded #5-8 and so on.). The first round of the playoffs will start on Sunday the 1st of May 2022 and end on Thursday the 5th of May 2022.

Here is a full schedule of the ECL '22 Spring Core playoffs:

Round-of-64: 01.05 – 05.05 (BO7)
Round-of-32: 08.05 – 12.05 (BO7)
Round-of-16: 15.05 – 25.05 (BO7)
Quarterfinals: 30.05 – 02.06 (BO7)
Semifinals: 05.06 – 09.06 (BO7)
Finals: 13.06 – 14.06 (BO7) [Provisional date]

Lainaa

5.8 ECL Core Playoffs
In ECL Core, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams in ECL Core from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

• Group winners are seeded #1-8
• Group runners-up #9-16
• Teams that finished 3rd #17-24
• Teams that finished 4th #25-32 Page 14 of 44
• Teams that finished 5th #33-40
• Teams that finished 6th #41-48
• Teams that finished 7th #49-56
• Teams that finish 8th #57-64

The winner of ECL Core will be instantly promoted, along with the runner up, and the semifinalists. Additionally, not only will these teams have secured their spot in ECL Lite, but they will also be granted a position within the ECL Pro – Lite qualifier

Click here to view the matchups for round 1 of the ECL '22 Spring Core Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Spring Elite Weekly: Many teams still in the search of form

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 10:23:34 +0000

The second week of the Elite season is coming to an end today and the past week certainly shed some light on questions we might have had for some teams, but very much still lies unanswered. Many teams that were expected to be in the playoffs are still yet to heat up.

Last Sundays early broadcast games included GOONS challenging hREDS and HV71 playing against YMCA Esports. hREDS dominated their games involving Filip @Faze91- Azri's two shutouts. GOONS have had a tougher start then maybe expected. The still to be identified badgerlike creatures made a change to their lineup for their games against Falun Coal Miners as they replaced Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen with new player Veeti @Wenger(re_Wenger) Paloneva who was added last week from Pro's FILADELPHIA ACADEMY. YMCA Esports and HV71 split points in their games by both getting a win in regulation time. HV71 had a pretty decent week as they were able to collect full points against fellow Swedish team Färjestad BK and took hREDS all the way to overtime in the second game between them.

HAVU Gaming has had an incredibly tough start with their new roster. The multiple European Champion has only won two of their eight first games of the season. One player from the black and green who is still waiting to heat up is Ilmari @Buantso(Puantso) Lehkonen who has only one goal to his name thus far. That goal was big for HAVU as it was an overtime game winning goal against JYP. We have seen HAVU doing some rotation early on and they still don't seem to be sticking with one ensemble, so it'll be interesting to see what they go with in the end. JYP stole three points out of HAVU but got no points from Conquer Gaming on Thursday, which was an upset for them. Speaking about Conquer Gaming they started season on a five game losing streak but were able to turn the tide and right now are on five game winning streak.

Roots Gaming ended up having a six game losing streak after winning Conquer in their first games of the season, but that ended against Frölunda HC which is a big steal for the still very young team. Linus @Limu95 Christiansson has been on fire by scoring 10 goals and 16 points to this point. More can still be expected with the highly efficient shooting the guy is doing - 52.6% going in at the moment. You have to also mention Niko @vVoDee Vottonen who has scored 5 goals which is most among defenders. One of the teams who has had a decent start for the season is ZSC Esports who sits at 5th place in the standings when you look at points per game. Points from seven out of eight games is a great feat thus far and if they keep going, they'll be in the playoffs for sure. Örebro Hockey has split wins with every opponent so far and the biggest win out of those games came against hREDS, handing the defending champions their first loss of the season. The hero for Örebro in that game was Jan-Mikael @Janski (jansku23)Aittoniemi who scored all three of his teams goals.

It's tough to have a complete outlook on the standings when teams have various amounts of games played, and the same goes even more for the individual stats. Arttu @laitineen64(laiitinen) Laitinen is still leading the point producers with his 26 points in 14 games. The two other guys in the top 3 are Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen. Both guys have two points per game as they have 20 points in 10 games. In total, hREDS have scored 3 goals per game which is most in the league. Another guy you have to mention is Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg who has 15 points in 8 games and has had a great start to his rookie season in Elite.

Last seasons top defender Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen has continued where he left off and leads all defensemen with 14 points in 10 games. Vvodee isn't the only defender who has found a way to light the lamp this season as there are four different defensemen who have notched five goals thus far.

Among goalies, this weeks mention goes to cover gamer Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, who leads the pack with his great 87.14 SV% and added two shutouts to his name against HAVU Gaming this week.

Remember to join us tonight in the last broadcast of the week! We'll start off at 17:45 CEST with two great clashes between teams desperate to add to their point totals.

ECL '22: Spring Mid-season Report - Hot 'N Cold & Reality Check's Dominance

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 09:23:03 +0000

Now that we're actually a bit past the Spring season's midway mark, it's finally time to take a look at some of the hottest and coldest teams in the competition. Who's on the up and who's been on the way down? Keep on reading to find out.

Similar to the previous season, this article will be highlighting two kinds of teams: those who have been on a roll, or, in turn, performing below the expectations we set out to them in our season preview. To see exactly how the standings stack up, and to find out all the individual statistics you would possibly want to, take a look at the league page. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Bear in mind that the teams within each category are listed purely in alphabetical order. Every team's record as of 22 April is in brackets.

Group 1

HOT

HanaaHC (15-3-0) Written by @jahajaha93

ECL Pro mainstay HanaaHC looks to be on the up as of late, and are sporting a really hot record throughout their first 18 games of the season. They really seem to be clicking on all fronts as statistically, the squad is performing up to par with just about any top team in the division. Hanaa's sole weakness this season seems to be in the faceoff circle, in which they are only besting the opponent at a rate of 45.74%, so that is one of the quirks in their game they'll still have to iron out before the playoffs. Their goalie situation also seems to have been sorted out nicely, as both @Simbanho and @Esko-etikka have done their part in clinching some important wins, and are expected to continue sharing the workload.

Individually, left winger @xLeikku has been in a class of his own for Hanaa with his 18+22=40 points thru 18 games. This leads his team by a wide margin and puts him in 9th in the scoring race for the entire division. Also worth a mention is defenseman @ripKeisari, who in his second season with the team now leads the league in scoring for defensemen with 6+20=26 points. On top of that, he has been on fire intercepting pucks and launching counter attacks for his team.

Hokurit (9-4-3)

They were listed here last season as well, but it looks like Hokurit keep proving any doubters wrong. New additions LD @Frans-Fin (16 GP, 2+8=10) and C @J-_-Jamaltheman (16 GP, 14+17=31) have seemed to fit right in, perhaps in part fueled by their old Hotbox chemistry. Especially the latter has been on fire, clicking at nearly two points per game during his first season as a forward in Pro. The team's left-winger and leading scorer @Jondeezz (16 GP, 17+18=35) has already proved his ability to put up points at this level in seasons past, but goalie @wilinhoo (12 GP, 83.58 SV%, 1.83 GAA, 1 SO) seems to have taken a meaningful step forward in his development, currently posting a SV% five points higher than what he finished with in ECL '22: Winter.

While Hokurit cooled down a bit during the second half last season, the same shouldn't be expected this time: they've already played against most top opponents, opposite of last time around when their start of schedule was weaker. Don't be surprised if they keep climbing up towards higher seeds.

Reality Check (19-0-1)

As the title says, Reality Check has absolutely dominated Group 1. Currently sporting a 19-0-1 record in the midst of a 14-game winning streak, the only team they dropped a point against was GIFU Hockey. Matching Delusion's (now hREDS) 29-0-1 record from ECL 9 Pro may not happen, but for example Vesa Pompa HC's 26-2-2 from the same contest or FILADELPHIA's (now Frölunda HC) 27-1-2 from ECL 6 Pro surely seem attainable. Finishing off the regular season strongly is always a big plus, but their sights are surely set on postseason success and finally getting that championship they've been yearning for.

It's safe to say that the two new faces compared to last season's runner up squad, @JesseL2002 (20 GP, 14+25=39) and @Mikax222 (20 GP, 7+18=25), have fit in nicely, with the former being joint-leading scorer among their forward group and the latter leading the way for defense.

Notable mentions: Hawaii Hockey, Sulkavan Sudet

COLD

Almtuna eSport (2-14-0)

The ECL '22: Winter Core Champion has had a tough time adjusting to the higher level of competition. They've only managed to claw points from fellow bottom table team Pasilan SKA, and just two of their 14 losses have been by a one goal margin. Having a 1.06 GF/GP and 4.75 GA/GP is far from ideal, with the former being 0.32 less than second-worst, and the latter a whopping 1.75 higher than second worst. They've had a lot of rotation with ten different skaters and two goalies making appearances, so perhaps having a bit more longevity in their lineup would be beneficial.

Luckily for the Swedes sitting last place, multiple teams above them in the table are well within reach. All they have to do is start winning games to avoid instant relegation. Sounds simple enough, right? Most of their remaining opponents are at or below the playoff line too.

Nemesis (5-9-2)

For a team predicted to be in the playoffs or at most barely missing the cut, Nemesis surely has had a lot of troubles to start off the campaign. They've been pretty good at keeping the puck out of their own net as expected, with a 1.94 GA/GP good for sixth in the group, but finding ways to put it in at the other end has been tough: they've only scored 1.38 goals per game, second lowest in Group 1.

They have to win all but a few of their remaining games to even think about making the playoffs, but, like Almtuna, they mostly have bottom half of the table teams left in their schedule. They have dropped too many points thus far, but their season is still salvageable if they can right the course quickly and start performing at their own level.

RCTIC (4-4-6)

Reaching the quarterfinals last season and being predicted to finish in the top four, RCTIC has had a start reminiscent of some quite big upsets from past seasons. A light at the end of the tunnel is Deadly Phantoms' performances from two previous seasons: they were able to reach the playoffs after being in a similar position at the midway mark, even going all the way to the finals in ECL 12. The "icy boyz" have steadily taken two points from every opponent, but they're soon going to have to start winning some more if they want to get there.

RCTIC's playing style will thrive in postseason play as seen the last time out, but first they have to get there and a P/G of 1 isn't going to cut it. Captain/backup player @layout (JxLayout) (6 GP, 1+2=3) has slotted back into the lineup during the past week, so it'll be interesting to see whether that continues. Something of note, @Limbe65 (14 GP, 23+6=29) has scored almost two times as many goals as everyone else in the team *combined*.

Notable mentions: Djurgården Hockey, Mora IK/Pasilan SKA

Group 2

HOT

Deadly Phantoms (11-3-4)

After having cold starts to both previous campaigns since their relegation back to Pro, the longstanding German outfit has finally arrived in the hot column. Getting @Timasy (8 GP, 5+9=14) and @PlaymakerSJ (16 GP, 16+12=28) back was expected to push them towards the top again, but the acquisition of @GERxVillain (12 GP, 2+4=6) to bolster their depth options has also helped. Utilizing meaningful rotation hasn't exactly been in style for some time now, but DPH has been pulling it off with enough quality and existing chemistry.

Preventing goals has been their forte as usual, with the Phantoms sitting clearly above the rest in GA/GP in Group 2 alongside Växjö Lakers.

Renascor (9-4-1)

The lineup changes were expected to hit really hard on Renascor, but they've been able to pretty much continue where they left off last season. Their goalscoring hasn't been at the rate it was before, but in turn their defense has been top notch and they've been able to turn tight games into wins with the help of goalie @sumskoy26 (14 GP, 82.72 SV%, 2 GAA, 1 SO). It's not to say that they would've had a tough time scoring though, with captain @Virusactive leading the way with a solid 8+21=29 points in 14 GP. While they're currently sitting at third place, it's an extremely even group so we'll see how far their flight lasts.

Växjö Lakers (15-1-0)

Offense was always going to be Växjö's strong suit, and that's definitely been the case: their 3.88 GF/GP is a whole goal more than the second highest mark in their group, Fiasko's 2.85. Wingers @Kattenj (16 GP, 18+26=44) and @Birkedal96 (16 GP, 20+20=40) have scored well over two points per game, meanwhile center @dzouvi (16 GP, 16+15=31) isn't too far off either. The players' quality was never a question, but the uncertainty around how their squad would click seems to have been cleared. They have some tough opponents left, but the group's number one spot looks slated to remain theirs.

Notable mentions: Powerhouse HC, Fiasko

COLD

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY (6-8-2)

The ACADEMY started its season with @Tappu (TAPPUU_) playing four games at RD, but soon signed @Wenger (re_Wenger) (4 GP, 0+3=3) to move TAPPUU_ back to goalie. When re_Wenger left to Elite division GOONS after another four games, last season's RD @Ipana27 (8 GP, 0+3=3) stepped back in and seems to have taken the spot for now. Coping without @xAaro89x's scoring has been tough, and in addition to being one of the lowest scoring teams, FILADELPHIA ACADEMY has also conceded the most goals per game (3.06) in Group 2. They don't have the easiest opponents left, so clawing back lost ground is a tough task ahead.

GHETTO FIREBIRDS (7-6-1)

GHETTO FIREBIRDS have usually been known for their tight team defense, but troubles in their own end have been prevalent this season: they've conceded the second most goals per game in their group, an even three. Their goalscoring has been decent enough, but if they want to climb towards the top four we expected of them, limiting goals allowed should be priority number one. They have ascended above the playoff line during the past week, so maybe it was just a rocky start with a changed roster and the FIREBIRDS are on the up now.

Herlev Eagles (6-7-1)

Herlev Eagles have the exact same roster they reached the quarterfinals with last season, so it's unclear as to why and how they are struggling the way they are. The offseason was unusually short too, so it can't really be chalked to having a long break either. They've actually managed to keep the puck out of their net quite well, but their 2.07 GF/GP is only above Joukkue and Björklöven Esport among their group. We know they have the skill, so it's just a matter of getting out of a slump for the Denmark-based organization's squad. They need to win most of their remaining games to get into the playoffs.

Notable mentions: Björklöven Esport, Company of Geeks

There's still plenty to play for as the ECL '22: Spring Pro regular season is set to end on 5 May, so keep on following the action and stay tuned for our Round 1 preview come playoff time. If you're one of the players involved, good luck and have fun trying to clinch that postseason spot!

PS: We would love for you to follow our social channels, as they are an integral part of the ECL season.

ECL '22 Spring Lite: Mid-season Report - High skill individuals scattered across the division

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 12:58:00 +0000

As we're at the midway point of the ECL '22 Spring Lite season, it's time to take a look at where some teams stand at the moment, some top performers of the season and how we're expecting things to turn out in the last few weeks. Join us for the ride!

About half of the season is in the rearview when almost all teams have played more than 14 games in the regular season. A couple of new teams have risen and some “old faces” have shown that they still can hold the controller. When looking at groups now it is hard to quickly see the true leader of the group due to the fact that teams have played at different pace. Of course when looking at group 1 you can see that Destiny has been very solid throughout the season and none other than then should be topping the group. However, my point is that at this point you shouldn't blindly stare at the points in the standings, since teams have played at different pace and are facing different opponents at different stages of the season.

When looking at groups now and comparing it to the Winter season there are a couple similarities. Last season it was FILADELPHIA ACADEMY who were almost unstoppable during the regular season. This season it has been Destiny. However, one big difference sticks out in the comparison of these two teams. Destiny already has outscored all of FILADELPHIA ACADEMY from last season, but they've also allowed almost a goal per game more, so you'd expect them to address that defensive slack at some point in a way or another. Of course you have to remember that FILA was playing their second season together, so they had the chemistry advantage already going into their campaign.

Even though Lite isn't the highest level, the characteristic of the league is very highly skilled individuals scattered across several teams. Players who score those big goals in important games, and those who will find that fifth hole in the blink of an eye when given the chance.

Players to watch:

@xSagwa from Destiny

The top point scorer in Lite. Most goals, most assists, flawless on a few faceoffs. Perhaps this guy is playing in the wrong division? The most complete player in Lite at the moment.

@juusoskari from TTK

A true puck hog in the division and the fifth best defenseman in terms of scoring. Playmaker behind the lines that has an offensive upside. Solid down low with great hands and playmaking ability.

@PCJP (Pelkonen-I92I) from Arkham Asylum

An experienced and really skilled fast moving goalie. Reads the game like an open book and is really hard to score against. With a goalie like this, Arkham Asylum doesn’t need to worry about easy goals going in.

Sometimes, these reports can be quite tricky to write. If all the teams played at exactly the same pace it could be easier to draw comparisons and judge form, but we're working with what we've got right now. Now, we know how much you guys love some good tongue-in-cheek predictions, so that's exactly what we've gone for. Let's create some controversy between writer and reader.

So - Here are my predictions and assumptions for the rest of the season, unfortunately not including every team, but some out of every group.

Group 1

Destiny will top their group.

Lemmenvelhot will drop to the eight seed.

Bellizi will claim the second spot.

Rusty Bulls will drop outside the playoffs.

Tequila Sunrise will sneak into the playoffs.

IK Oskarshamn will be the third.

Linköping HC will battle to the end to make the playoffs.

Stone Age battles for the eighth seed if @Ma26one can continue being an accurate passing machine.

Group 2

Arkham Asylum will top their group.

Sawolanche will be a playoff team.

RoKi Esports will fight to gain a playoff spot.

Pirati Chomutov Esports will drop from the playoff line.

Bastu will be int he top 4.

Free From Rodents will not make the playoffs.

United Front will fight their way into the playoffs with @Kuolio10's clapper and body checking power.

Including Me has an enforcer defenceman - good or bad, you decide!

Group 3

Spirit will top the group.

Tadpole will be second.

Södertälje SK will lose out on the playoffs.

Valco will not make the playoffs.

Synergy Hockey is battling for top 4 position.

Luleå Hockey Is in the playoff battle.

Oulunsalo HT still has a chance.

Group 4

Hunters will top the group if the writer can catch some pucks.

Technical Disaster will battle for that top seed.

HC SHH will drop from the top four.

Neptune Hockey will drop from the top four.

Resurrection doesn’t make it to the playoffs.

Project X will finish eighth.

Lutunilkat will miss out on the playoffs.

Tic Tac Toes battles for top four if @Artuzio gets the puck in front of the opponents net.

Argue, discuss, and prove me wrong, show why every prediction is false. Maybe even I can admit I was wrong - someday. We're wishing all teams good luck in their final push for the season. Get out there, play hard and most importantly have fun!

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

PlayStation 5 giveaway winner Juuso "juusto18" Karhila is impressed with the next gen console

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 12:08:00 +0000

SportsGamer hosted a PlayStation 5 giveaway as part of a community survey during the ECL '22 Winter season and the winner of the console was Juuso @juusto18 Karhila, who is an avid NHL gamer currently playing for Bastu in ECL '22 Spring Lite.

The 2021 release of the PlayStation 5 still generated lots of buzz with the limited availability of the console, and it's undeniable that the new console offers a true generational leap in comparison to the PS4. Some of the new features including 4K/120hz gaming, the fast SSD and great haptics of the all new DualSense controller is what make this console worth the money and the hype.

Now that our giveaway winner Juuso has had some time with his new console, we reached out to him for some comments about his experiences, and a short comparison to the predecessor.

What do you like most about the PlayStation 5 in comparison to the previous model?
"The best thing is definitely the speed compared to the PlayStation 4! For example all the menus are really smooth, and of course the graphics are excellent on the PS5 when compared to before."

What are your thoughts on the new DualSense controller?
"I think it's very good. It fits my hands better than the old Dualshock and feels a bit sturdier. Although I still think the issue persists that the thumbsticks tend to break quite easily."

What games have you been playing and are there any new ones you are excited about?
"My gaming is pretty much centered around NHL. Of course I've tested out your basic Warzone and FIFA, but NHL is definitely my go-to game."

Naturally, we also had to get in a few ECL questions for the man:

How has your ECL '22 Spring season went both individually and for the team?
"Our ECL season has started off quite well with a 10-2-2 record. We've been a bit off from time to time and can definitely do better still. I'm not really satisfied with myself thus far and thin I've contributed to our game not really hitting its stride yet. Luckily we're only halfway through and still have time to improve as a team, our one and only goal is to secure a Pro spot at the end of the season."

Who's your pick to take home the ECL '22 Spring Elite title?
"I'm going to say Frölunda HC or hREDS. They're the two best teams out there and I think they'll make it to the finals again. Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha is undisputedly the best signing of the offseason so that's why I'll say Frölunda wins it out of these two, and I'd also love to get to see the Grand Final!"

Thanks for the chat, Juuso and enjoy the rest of the season on your new PlayStation 5!

REMINDER: ECL '22 Spring Transfer Deadline

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 15:21:07 +0000

SportsGamers,

We would like to remind every team that the transfer window for ECL '22 Winter Neo, Core, Lite and Pro expires today on Monday, April 18th at 23:59:59 CET.

Lainaa

14. 1 Transfer Deadline
The deadline for transfers is set to 23:59:59 CE(S)T, on the following days:

ECL Elite: 1st of May 2022

ECL Pro: 18thof April 2022

ECL Lite: 18th of April 2022

ECL Core: 18th of April 2022

ECL Neo: 18th of April 2022

Please remember to make sure your trades are in line with the rulebook before making them and check with support if you aren't sure. Remember, only one transfer per player is allowed per season - unless the player has played 0 games (overall, for any team) the entire season, which is covered in rule 14.1.

If you're a player still looking for a team or a team still looking to add to your roster, please head to the Free Agents section or the Clubs Looking For Players section on our forum.

Please post any last-minute transfers in the comments section below so everyone can enjoy them.

ECL '22 Spring Elite Weekly: Frölunda's rotation paying dividends early

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 13:14:03 +0000

The first week of ECL '22 Spring Elite included several interesting storylines, such as how the revamped Frölunda roster would play together, would hREDS still have enough hunger after two consecutive titles and how Falun Coal Miners would fare in their comeback after several years away from the ice.

Already the opening night last Sunday featured two very tough matchups with teams that all had lots to prove in the early rounds. GOONS were predicted to have success already last season, but didn't quite get going despite their very talented roster. Perhaps now would be their time to realize all that potential? HAVU Gaming, on the other hand, have been in a spiral of steady decline over the past few tournaments and are looking to change that direction, but with the departure of long-time captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, the task at hand does not look easy. Frölunda Hockey were also a team on many people's minds before the season due to their acquisition of the aforementioned FlyerKungen, but also due to them shuffling around their roster a bit, in the sense that Erik @Eki Tammenpää would take the center spot which we already saw him test out in the ECL '22 Winter Elite finals. Also, Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala would be stepping down to the defenseman role alongside Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta. SAWO ESPORTS were one of the most sensational teams last season with their young and talented roster, and their emergence at #2 in the standings at the end of the regular season was a surprise to everyone, but the playoffs were a disappointment with a harsh first round exit. Could they bounce back and continue with the same determination?

Obviously, one night of action will hardly give us any actions, but some indication that most of these teams could all be on a good path this season. So, let's leave these questions lingering for GOONS, HAVU Gaming, Frölunda HC and SAWO ESPORTS to answer as the season progresses. After their respective first weeks of action, Frölunda are topping the tables with six consecutive victories and FlyerKungen making a grand contribution to their success with ten points in total. GOONS have snuck into second place, but with already eight games played, including some worrisome losses against JYP Jyväskylä and Stargazing. SAWO ESPORTS are at 9th after facing tough opposition in the first week and HAVU Gaming are at 13th after a difficult week, and the overhauled roster is struggling to stick together for a full 60 minutes, leading to unfortunate losses at times.

Falun Coal Miners, the beloved hard workers have made a surprisingly successful return to the ECL ice after their long absence. Many predicted Falun to be able to challenge other teams simply due to the sheer experience on their roster, but questioned how ready they were for the season after completing the roster with short notice. Well, challenge they certainly have, and after losing out on points in their debut, they are now on a four game win streak, besting Conquer Gaming and IQUE along the way. The entire team has been hard at work, but Connor @MartindalexC Martindale seems to have been most effective with his pickaxe, now at nine points in total.

Elsewhere, we've seen newcomers Stargazing making their debut at the Elite level in somewhat successful fashion. A first week with matchups against HAVU Gaming and GOONS didn't warrant for too many wins for the rookies, but they ended up splitting points in both matchups. Despite them hardly having any Elite experience from before in their ranks, they look very comfortable with the pace and as expected, could be challenging for a playoff spot if their form keeps from slumping further on. Currently, the duo Miikka @xColeslaww (Koleslaav_) Kolehmainen and Miro @Flopper71 (Flopperii) Heikkinen are doing most of the production, with 8 and 7 points respectively.

As far as individual effort goes, no one has been as effective as GOONS winger Arttu @laitineen64 (Laiitinen) Laitinen, who racked up 10+8=18 points in the first week for a #1 spot in the top scorers race. That is naturally helped out by having played already eight games, but GOONS are in fact the highest scoring team in the league at this point, together with hREDS at 2.75 goals per game. Frölunda HC's Paul @PleeMaker Arontie sits in second place with 7+5=12 points in his six games played, but has been the most eager to put pucks on net with 33 shots in total thus far. His shooting percentage tends to be just below 30% on average, so if he keeps this up you can expect a high scoring season yet again for the winger.

The most physical player by far has been GOONS captain Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola, and we are not surprised, having watched him mow people down for several seasons already. The aggressive style seems to come with some drawbacks, though, as his team is struggling to keep the puck out of their own net. Overall, the best defensive squad in the first week has been Frölunda HC and the transition of their captain to the defensive spot seems to work out for them. Patzlaf had an excellent week at his LD spot and is putting up points while shutting down the opposing offense, immediately claiming a place in the discussion among the best defensemen in the league. While on that topic, we naturally still have to mention Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto, who is taking the lead in the HAVU defense alongside Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos, whom we are used to seeing strapping on the goalie pads. While the duo by no means were completely out of their element, they were bleeding a bit too much in the first week, something we're hoping to see improvement on as we move further in the season.

The early discussion of the best goalies in the league will revolve around familiar faces, mainly Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and Filip @Faze91- Azri, whom are both continuing their season with clean records and some shutouts each to their names. We'll have to wait a bit more to see if anyone can emerge to challenge these guys, maybe JYP Jyväskylä youngster Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt or someone completely out of the blue?

With that, were done recapping last week, and will be moving on toward the broadcast of the night, which you'll see starting at 17:45 CEST over at our Twitch-channel, see you there!

ECL '22 Spring Elite: Season Preview Part 3 - Championship Caliber

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:12:00 +0000

Let's not tiptoe around it, these art the teams that are here to challenge for the throne and with that, a golden ticket to the Grand Finals in mid-June. We've already gone over most of the division and you know who we'll be previewing here, but let's try to dig a bit below the surface, so join us for the journey!

Season information

To find out about the prize pool specifics, check out our earlier prize pool info article. For a look at the whole ECL framework, check out the sign-ups article.

Notable dates for the ECL '22: Spring Elite season:

Regular season: 10.4-25.5.
Playoffs:
- Quarterfinals: 30.5-2.6.
- Semifinals: 5.-8.6.
- Live Finals: 17.-18.6.
Grand finals (if needed): 19.6.

Default gamedays for the ECL '22: Spring Elite division will be on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday with feature broadcasts on every gameday at the SportsGamer Twitch at 17:45 CEST on Sundays and 19:45 CEST on Mondays and Wednesdays. Stay tuned for the season opening broadcast on 10.4.

You can access the rulebook, schedule, standings, statistics and full rosters from the ECL ‘22: Spring Elite league page.

The best of the best - Championship caliber

The countdown is over and it's time for us to reveal the final order of our championship caliber teams. To no one's surprise, we're expecting both hREDS and Frölunda HC to top the tables and go the full length to determine who will come out on top in the ECL's new El Clásico. For all teams at the top but hREDS, the offseason was certainly one for the ages and it'll remain to be seen if that ended up strengthening these squads or not. On paper, all of them look stronger than ever and we are privileged to watch these teams clash for the title, starting on Sunday, April 10th at 17:45 CEST!

1. hREDS (Written by @ose16)
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Champions

We're really at a lack of words at this point for how you could describe the domination of hREDS over the past two seasons as they became the first back-to-back Champions in the ECL Elite history. This season, the Reds will continue with the same lineup of course. Maybe the biggest question for these guys next season is, can they have that much needed hunger for the third title in a row because if that doesn’t exist, the likes of Frölunda HC are itching for a chance to pass them by. Captain Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen has a massive role on that front together with his assistants, as they need to make sure to pull everything they can out of this well oiled machine. With the new format you have to remember that making it a three-peat this season, would simultaneously crown them the ECL '22 Grand Champions, but if not, they still have that golden ticket to fight for the title.

Player to watch: Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen

It's really hard to pull just one guy above the others from this lineup but if we had to, it'd be this guy. It's no coincidence that after @xDoumi came to hREDS they have started winning titles. Last season, he dominated all the stats and was crowned as the top defender in the league. Can he repeat that this season and control games with his team throughout the spring too?

2. Frölunda HC
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Runner-ups

Frölunda HC made the transfer that couldn't be missed this offseason by acquiring long-time HAVU Gaming captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha to boost their offense and add even more of that winning mentality to their roster. How it's going to look for their lineup is that Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala will take the LD spot, whereas Erik @Eki Tammenpää will move from the wing to center, a move that was previewed already in the ECL '22 Winter Elite finals. This means that if they didn't have enough experience from before, now they definitely do, as they could very well be the team with the most combined LAN and finals appearances under their belt. The thing that's plagued Frölunda for some time was their evident dislike of the game meta and the difficulty to find joy in improving themselves, something that should probably have seen a change with their big acquisition this spring. We're privileged to be able to watch first hand how this experiment will turn out, as arguably one of the greatest offensive trios ever gets separated and is being infused with a new, equally great player. There's a high likelihood of this season going down to the wire between Frölunda and hREDS once again, and if these guys can get as excited about the game as their competition, the race will be tighter than ever.

Player to watch: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha

The former HAVU Gaming captain possesses second to none leadership qualities, a winning mentality and all the skill you could wish for, a perfect package. Without a doubt the most exciting transfer in recent memory and everyone will be watching to see how he will slot into the Frölunda lineup.

3. SAWO ESPORTS (Written by @ose16)
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Quarterfinals

Last season, SAWO ESPORTS came in with a bang with the new lineup. Former Tunnel Vision's changes turned out to work wonders for them as the young team was 2nd in the regular season standings. The Playoffs were different story and with the disappointment, it could be good that spring came quickly for these guys, they must be eager to show that they can perform in the postseason too. This season, their offense stays the same and we will see if dynamic duo Jere @jxrska Laukka and Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen can continue on their productive paths. Center Aleksi @MozjaTG(Mozjayh) Kähkönen doesn’t maybe score that many goals but brings a great balance to this offensive trio with his abilities to make plays in the offensive zone but at the same time being a huge factor on defense. Down low, we'll see some changes as captain Tomi @tombo_02(tomboo-_-) Laitinen will get Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila by his side from Frölunda HC. They should have no problem with goaltending as cover gamer Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen will continue saving pucks between the goal posts.

Player to watch: Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila

It'll be interesting to see how big of a role the former Frölunda HC and hREDS defenseman will take this season. Despite the fact that he's played on two championship caliber teams, he is still looking for his first title. Still brings a lot of experience and winning culture to the squad.

4. Färjestad BK
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Semifinals

There's been a number of players moving in and out of the Färjestad BK roster over the past few seasons, but captain Christoffer @I-Maise-I (I-Mallen-I) Berntsson, goalie Johan @McSavid Rundqvist, winger Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg and their standings position have been somewhat consistent. This season, the team from Karlstad will be icing a fully Swedish lineup again, by bringing back Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann and having him take superstar Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund with him from the ashes of Granit Gaming. There's some history between several members of the team in having represented Vesa Pompa HC back in the day, where Affe, Lehmann and Eken actually won the very first SCL title at Birdie in Uppsala back in 2019. The new Färjestad is definitely more individually skilled than ever before and now has a tremendous amount of young talent in their ranks, but the biggest question is will the one puck be enough for them to share on the ice? Centerman Maise, defenseman Lehmannens and winger Eken all love quarterbacking plays and being in control, but can they find a suitable balance between the three of them?

Player to watch: Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann

His latest outing with Färjestad BK back in ECL 12 was a success story and truly brought him into the discussion of the very best defensemen in the league, in fact, he was crowned best defenseman and best offseason transfer to end the season, maybe we'll see a redo?

To recap it all, here's our full ranking ahead of the ECL '22 Spring Elite season:
1. hREDS
2. Frölunda HC
3. SAWO ESPORTS
4.  Färjestad BK
5. HAVU Gaming
6.  IQUE
7.  GOONS
8.  JYP Jyväskylä
9.  Roots Gaming
10.  ZSC Esports
11. Stargazing
12.  Falun Coal Miners
13. HV71
14. Örebro Hockey
15.  Conquer Gaming
16.  YMCA Esports

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Meet The ECL '22 Spring Cover Gamer: Niklas "UhNikke" Nieminen from SAWO ESPORTS

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 18:06:00 +0000

After his dominant showing in the ECL '22 Winter Elite season, it is only right that the selection for the Spring season cover gamer would be Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen. In his first season as a bona fide Elite starter, he outclassed the competition and helped his team reach a #2 seed into the playoffs, which eventually ended up in a disappointment.

after having started his competitive gaming career back in early 2018 with a team called Hokidogit, things have progressed quite fast for uhNikke. The 20 year old born and raised in Lohja, Finland took to the goaltender position due to necessity and has stayed on that path ever since. What really calls to him in playing the position is the fact that every game, you have a chance to either make or break it for your team. Things really took off in the fall of 2018, when the then very inexperienced netminder was picked up Delusion (now hREDS) to be their sole goaltender for their inaugural campaign in ECL 9 Pro - a season that ended in a Championship and promotion to the Elite division.

Eventually, his tenure with hREDS ended up extending all the way until the fall of 2021 with one short sting with Tunnel Vision in between, but due to completing his military service, the goaltender didn't play too much and actually considered calling it quits at that point of his career.

Now, six months and one ECL campaign with SAWO ESPORTS later, we are looking at a player at the top of his game, very eager to strap on the pads and to get the new season going. We reached out to Nikke for a short chat about the honor of being named ECL '22 Cover player alongside the prestigious group.

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

First of all, congrats on the selection! You're entering great company, what does it mean for you to be the Spring season cover gamer?
"Thanks! I'm very grateful to be in this position at this point of my career. I was close to calling it quits when I got our of the military but decided to give it one last shot with Tunnel Vision (now SAWO ESPORTS), and the result ended up being something great. Back in ECL 12 when my then teammate Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen was the cover gamer I dared to dream of one day being at the top myself, and it's amazing how that's been manifested."

You are now representing the entire league as a role model for other players, but also as the archetype of what the current top level gamer is, what do you think are some of the most important qualities a person in that position should possess?
"Definitely a certain level of humility, but at the same time an immense hunger to succeed. With that I think you need to have a constant will to better yourself and take advice in order to do that. What separates a good player from a great player is often calmness, communication, and the ability to read the game."

You've been a part of several different teams over the course of your career, barring your current one, what has been the most fun time of your career and why?
"Probably the biggest step for my career has been when I joined Nordic Stars in 2019, which kind of put my name out there. Things progressed rather quick and when I joined Delusion for their first season in Pro, I was in for the biggest learning experience of my career. The atmosphere in that team is something else and it was evident from day one how much they really want to be the best out there."

When you joined Delusion for ECL 9 Pro, you were filling the shoes of legendary @ICappeI as a rookie goaltender at the level, how did that feel?
"Obviously I knew the stature of my predecessor, but I'm not the type to put too much pressure on myself and honestly didn't think about it too much. The boys put a lot of faith in me and I just did my thing."

Who are some of the players you've looked up to over the course of your gaming career, not only because of their skills but perhaps their personalities?
"Well, for my personal success a big thank you would go to Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and the entire hREDS team, I looked up to them then and still respect them a lot for their desire to improve on a daily level. One player I've never played with but have followed closely throughout in Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos, who I hold in high regard and have tried to emulate my own game after. Last season I felt I was in the zone and haven't really followed others that much."

Last but not least, a couple of thoughts on the upcoming season, who do you think will be contenders? Any interesting new outfits to look out for?
"Firstly, I'm very excited for our own team. After the season we had in our last outing and with the addition of Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila from Frölunda HC I feel we're stronger than ever and are destined for success. The return of Falun Coal Miners is interesting and they've got a decent chance at the playoffs due to the history they've got together and their experience level. Some of the teams that are going to elevate their level should be YMCA Esports and Örebro Hockey. YMCA has one of the best goalies in the league (Ben @benu Rinnet) and a roster that's been together for a long time, whereas Örebro is getting an influx of talent through Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen, who I can see helping them out a lot. Besides ourselves, the biggest contenders are hREDS and Frölunda HC."

Sunday, 10th of April marks the start for our ECL '22 Spring Elite season and you'll see uhNikke take the ice with SAWO ESPORTS right away in their featured matchup against ECL '22 Winter runner-ups Frölunda HC. We expect to have a thriller on our hands, so make sure to join us at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG on Sunday at 17:45 CEST!

ECL '22 Spring Elite: Season Preview Part 2 - Throwing down the gauntlet

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 19:16:00 +0000

It's time to get underway with he second part of our ECL '22 Spring Elite Season Preview, consisting out of teams predicted to finish in the middle of the pack. Find out who we've put outside of the playoff picture, and who will grab the last available postseason spots.

Season information

To find out about the prize pool specifics, check out our earlier prize pool info article. For a look at the whole ECL framework, check out the sign-ups article.

Notable dates for the ECL '22: Spring Elite season:

Regular season: 10.4-25.5.
Playoffs:
- Quarterfinals: 30.5-2.6.
- Semifinals: 5.-8.6.
- Live Finals: 17.-18.6.
Grand finals (if needed): 19.6.

You can access the rulebook, schedule, standings, statistics and full rosters from the ECL ‘22: Spring Elite league page.

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Teams battling for playoff position - Throwing down the gauntlet

It's time to introduce the middle of the pack, the positions where we expect the fiercest battles to go down, where all teams will be throwing down the collective gauntlet so to speak. As usual, we should see quite the fight go down all season long and into the very final rounds of the regular season. In the winter season, a rather unusually large gap was formed between the 9th and 8th spot, but with all teams seeing exponential growth over the offseason, we're expecting a tough grind to the finish line. Some of these squads are still young and possess the tools to go all they way if they end up clicking, but they have fallen short in previous seasons. This is the time to do all they can and see if all of their potential and hard work will come to fruition.

5. HAVU Gaming (Written by @ose16)
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Quarterfinals

The long-time contenders have seen a steady decline over the past few seasons and with the transfer of former captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha to rival Frölunda HC, it appears that the glory days of HAVU Gaming would be over, at least for now. As a result, it's seemed that the team has rotated their lineup wildly over the course of the offseason, and they still might not have a final answer for which ensemble they're going to go with come opening night. Regardless of what they will choose, we are certain that the sheer routine level in their roster will be enough to earn them at least a playoff position.

Player to watch: Ilmari @Buantso(Puantso) Lehkonen

A massive comeback to ECL Elite and the familiar HAVU. After many championships in the black and green, played one season with JYP Jyväskylä in the Pro division. Like you could predict, he was on a completely different level among the Pro players and was the biggest factor for JYP winning the championship. Looking to help HAVU climb back toward the top.

6. IQUE (Written by @ose16)
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Quarterfinals

IQUE was one of the most pleasant surprises last season, as they managed to gain fifth place finish for a rather favorable postseason push, but didn't quite find their game against the notoriously difficult opponent Färjestad BK. Like almost all the teams also IQUE had some movement happening in the offseason as Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila already came to IQUE from Frölunda HC but before the start of the season moved on to SAWO ESPORTS. Now it's expected that IQUE will continue with exact same lineup. Goalie Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen had his breakout last season and if not earlier at least now has proven to be a solid Elite netminder. It's interesting to see could last season's biggest dark horse renew their playoff spot and maybe get to the next round.

Player to watch: Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko

After a couple of Pro and Lite seasons, he made the comeback to Elite last season and did so in successful fashion as he was the best goal scorer and point producer for his team. If IQUE was the surprise team last season, Ikavalko was the surprise individual.

7. GOONS
ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Quarterfinals

Whereas IQUE were a pleasant surprise last season, GOONS definitely disappointed and there's no tip-toeing around that fact. The team led by Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola has all the tools to be a true contender, but is yet to fully come out of their shell. They have the experience in goaltender Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu and defenseman Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen, whereas forwards Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen and Roope @pikkuroger Bergström represent some of the most highly touted prospects in the game. Now, if ever, is the time for this team to start improving and inching towards performing at their own level, there is lots of room to improve and if these guys manage to hit a home run, they're championship caliber.

Player to watch: Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen

After surprising with IQUE back in ECL 12, the young center decided that a move to GOONS would benefit his career. While his individual numbers were slightly better due to the higher production of the team, his overall play didn't progress as much as expected. Now is the season he should make the step to the top player discussion.

8. JYP Jyväskylä
ECL '22 Winter Pro season: Champions

After one season away from ECL Elite action, JYP Jyväskylä is back at the top where they arguably belong. The team has had an intensive offseason with a hard grind, mainly in order to facilitate the arrival of new left winger Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala, who has some big boots to fill as the replacement of Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen, without any competitive experience above ECL Lite for that matter. The rest of the team more than makes up for that experience and the fact that the other forwards Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen and Santeri @indi969 Pendolin have played side by side since late 2018 will certainly make the adjustment process much easier. As no other major changes happened for the squad, we are expecting them to be a fringe playoff team that could end up taking off big time if they are able to utilize their full potential.

Player to watch: Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala

It's highly unusual to see such a green player entering Elite competition. The potential of the young man is undeniable and it's not like we haven't seen similar tricks from JYP in the past, this signing has some striking similarity to that of Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen back before ECL 11. It's easy to predict a breakout season incoming.

9. Roots Gaming

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: 9th

Roots Gaming took the Elite division by storm last season, as they managed to pave their way into the division through additional Qualifiers and immediately made an impact, falling just short of the playoffs. Since then, the team hasn't made any changes and frankly, why should they? They have everything going for them with their young roster and the generous amounts of untapped potential. We'd be surprised if this team hasn't only gotten better with the time they've spent together and they should definitely be able to challenge for a spot in the playoffs. Look for the great puck movement and individual skill between forwards Linus @Limu95 Christiansson, Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen and Samuli @ssampee37 Mäntylä.

Player to watch: Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen

The captain is arguably his teams most important player. After being the most productive forward last season, now is a good time to build on that accolade and rise to the discussion of the top players in the division.

10. ZSC Esports

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: 10th

The Swiss lions hailing from Zürich have successfully claimed their place in Elite. A 10th place finish in the winter season can be seen as a moderate success for them and they are definitely starting to get more comfortable competing against the big boys, despite still being in an underdog position in most of their matchups. Zürich have made only one change in the offseason, bringing in former noRex Gaming forward Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg, who is going to man the left wing besides captain Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi and Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner. This entails that offensively, the team looks to be their most balanced ensemble yet, with the wingers having scoring responsibility and center supporting as the complete player he is. On defense, these guys continue going with Max @Toneee9 Tonitz and Reto @Haldeem Haldemann, which has worked for them in the past and in net Reto @afc_Tschitsch (eTschitsch) Ulrich hopes to continue building on a great last season.

Player to watch: Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner

The winger is notorious for being very aggressive off the puck and plays a hard hitting game. Possesses a lot of mechanical skill and would definitely be eager to improve on the personal level after not really getting the scoring going in the winter season.

Now we've only got one more to go! On Friday evening, we'll return for the final part of our ECL '22 Spring Elite season preview and with that, finish off our prediction rankings. Who do you think will be the call for Champion?

ECL '22 Spring Elite: Season Preview Part 1 - On the outside looking in

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 08:43:00 +0000

We're finally inching closer towards the start of the new Elite season and excitement is in the air! We'll get our season previews started by looking over teams that we expect to finish outside of the playoff race first.

Season information

To find out about the prize pool specifics, check out our earlier prize pool info article. For a look at the whole ECL framework, check out the sign-ups article.

Notable dates for the ECL '22: Spring Elite season:

Regular season: 10.4-25.5.
Playoffs:
- Quarterfinals: 30.5-2.6.
- Semifinals: 5.-8.6.
- Live Finals: 17.-18.6.
Grand finals (if needed): 19.6.

You can access the rulebook, schedule, standings, statistics and full rosters from the ECL ‘22: Spring Elite league page.

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Teams out of the playoff picture - on the outside looking in

After an unusually short break between ECL season, we're back already, continuing into the Spring on our intense virtual hockey fiesta that is the ECL '22 Spring season. Our other divisions have already seen their start, but we'll still have to wait for one week to get the action started in the crown jewel, the pinnacle of European virtual hockey - the ECL Elite. In the winter season, hREDS were crowned the Champions and they punched their ticket to the first ever Grand Finals, while simultaneously making history as the first ever squad to secure consecutive ECL titles. Now it's time to shift our sights towards the future and take a look at what the Spring season and an influx of fresh talent could bring us. Will a new challenger emerge or are we in for another duel between Frölunda HC and the reigning Champions? Can a team like YMCA Esports snap out of their downward spiral and gain back the form of their glory days? What about the welcome comeback of Falun Coal Miners - how will they fare in their first strides on ECL ice since 2018?

In this first part of our season preview, we'll be taking a look at teams that are expected to be out of the playoff picture - on the outside looking in. These rankings are made based on an average score from a number of panelists and doesn't exactly represent the individual views of the writers.

11. Stargazing (Written by @jahajaha93)

ECL '22 Winter Pro season: Semifinals (promoted through Qualifiers)

Stargazing is one of those squads that have climbed the divisional ranks in quick pace, after first emerging in Core back in ECL 12, and taking the Pro division by storm in ECL '22 Winter, they are now in the European top 16. Already that is a success story unlike any other in the ECL history books to this date, but they also look to be in somewhat of a decent position to challenge for a potential playoff spot this season. The starting lineup will see no changes, which should serve the newcomers well despite the lack of Elite experience in their ranks. The forward trio Miro @Flopper71 Heikkinen - Oskari @ose16 Juntunen - Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen is lethal and should have no issue whatsoever translating their game to a higher level, whereas Toni @Pirtsa89 Pirttimäki's ability as an Elite netminder has already been questioned and proven back in ECL 12 with IQUE. Defense is the biggest question mark for this squad, Niklas @Bobiraataja (nikhaa27) Haataja is a highly touted prospect with an excellent stick on defense, while Kalle @James (Jamechkin) Riihelä possesses great puck skills acquired while playing on offense, but can they manage to gel together for a defensive unit that is sufficient at this level?

Player to watch: Miro @Flopper71 Heikkinen

The left winger has a knack for scoring big goals and coming in clutch at the most important moments. The chemistry up front for these guys is great, so realistically any one of their forwards could be their finisher, but the 200-foot play and clutch ability of Flopperii- earns him this spot over his linemates.

12. Falun Coal Miners

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: Semifinals

Falun came to replace Granit Gaming in Elite and are now making their return after a long absence. The only skater left from the Granit lineup is 1/2 of last season's cover player duo Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt. Three players came from Northern Ascendancy, who were relegated to Pro after last season. Last but not least, the Swedish group managed to get Andrè @Foppatofflan Liljegren, reuniting with several of his old friends after a season with Färjestad BK. He will pla a huge role in how this team is going to play next season and has a lot of responsibility with he puck. It will be also interesting to see foppatofflan and Connor @MartindalexC Martindale playing together after a short break. Captain l-Furyan-l is definitely one of the best defensemen in the division at supporting offense. We can expect Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström to share goaltending responsibilities with Reittu @Roisto999 Hynynen and Pontus @LastMandalorian Duvefelt, so there's lots of room for rotation down low.

Player to watch: Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen

Last season definitely wasn’t what he expected even though individially, Sada had a good season as he was 9th in the league when it comes to goals scoring. Has a lot of experience and is looking to finally elevate himself to the discussion of the very best in the league with this team.

13. HV71

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: 14th

HV71 avoided relegation to Pro by winning their relegation series against RCTIC in game 7. The Swedish team hailing from Jönköping had changes in their defense because both defensemen from last season transferred to Rögle BK. An interesting addition to the HV71 roster is talented Anton @antoniomannen004(antoniomannen_) Svensander ,who played last season with Granit Gaming and got a taste of the ECL Elite semifinals there. Their reaction with defensive changes could very well have been warranted because HV71 surrendered 96 goals in 30 games last season, which was the most in the league by a clear margin. There could be potential for better season but also goaltending has to get better.

Player to watch: Tuukka @Tukexi(MATILAISKA_) Matilainen

Had a great Elite debut last season individually and scored 20 goals in 30 games and produced most points in his team. Was on fire especially in the relegation series by scoring eight goals in seven games including one hat-trick. Like the entire team, is looking to take the next step this season.

14. Örebro Hockey

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: 11th

Last season wasn't good for Örebro. After being one of favourites to have a breakout season, they were not able to get to the playoffs. For this season Örebro got Väinö @Pikkardz(pikkarii) Pikkarainen from Dynastia, and he is definitely a very mechanically skilled forward who will suit their system well. This team has many dangerous individuals especially in the offensive zone and Örebro is one the best counterattacking teams in the league. I think the key point for these guys next season will be how they can shut their doors in the defensive zone. Last season this team allowed three goals per game, which was second most in the league and is too much. You can find a lot of experience from Örebro's defense as captain Tero @Terodee Dahlström is a season 1 ECL veteran.

Player to watch: Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen

The skilled forward is back at the highest level. @Pikkardz already has some Elite experience split between KOVA Esports, Almost Famous and Tunnel Vision. Last season he spent in Pro with Dynastia and was a massive offensive producer there. Their season ended in the quarterfinals and now this young gun is looking for a new chance to shine among the best players.

15. Conquer Gaming

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: 15th

Last season, conquer had acquired a trio from Otukset and their expectations were set high. In the end, their season didn’t go how Conquer wanted and they ended up battling for their Elite spot in the relegation series, which they managed to win. Now, there's a wind of change blowing as the entire Otukset trio has left and the team has replacements coming in. An interesting new face on offense is Jere @Jerax13 Hellström who came from GHETTO FIREBIRDS and has some extnesive previous history with several other Conquer players. The question mark for Conquer is their defense and Eren @Kucherov86(jalkkin-) Yalcin needs to take some big leadership there. In the offense once again team captain Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho needs to take big role on point producing without forgetting to tighten up the middle defensively. It's hard to see that this season would be any easier for Conquer, but we'll have to wait and see.

Player to watch: Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck

A solid Elite goalie that made some big saves for his team in the relegation series. Has a lot of experience and even though he is a goalie, could bring some ideas to the skaters as well. Once again, has to be on fire throughout to keep Conquer away from the relegation spots.

16. YMCA Esports

ECL '22 Winter Elite season: 12th

Last season ended luckily for YMCA as they ended up having same amount of points that Northern Ascendancy and HV71 but didn’t have to play relegation series as they already secured spot in the Elite for this season by being 12th by tiebreakers. A very positive thing for YMCA is that they will get to play this season with the exact same roster as the last one. That wasn’t guaranteed for any Elite team because especially this offseason was a wild one. It's interesting to see how the chemistry has developed during the offseason, but practice has shown some shaky form. Their start needs to be way better than that of last season, when they only got three points out of their first eight games. YMCA's weakness is that they feel a bit dull at the moment and are missing that last piece of the puzzle that would elevate the game and make them a serious threat. Las season, their scoring was atrocious at 1.5 goals per game, so they need new ways to finish. Especially getting the defensemen Jukka @Jugeh_ Salokoski and Julius @Exel56(julius97_) Rissanen more involved with the offensive game.

Player to watch: Ben @benu(benuh_) Rinnet

Saved over 300 shots last season and had the best saving percentage out of the goalies whose teams didn’t make it to the playoffs. Has to make big saves this season again if YMCA wants to keep their Elite spot.

You can expect the next part of our three part season preview to drop already this evening! In the meantime, please let us know what you thought about this one and if our ranking looks similar to yours, we'd love to hear from you regardless!

ECL '22 Spring Pro: Season Preview - Getting up to speed

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 21:30:00 +0000

Strap up and get ready for some exciting ehockey action coming up, it is already time for the Spring season! Getting up to speed with the league is key, so stay with us and read this piece to gain an insight on what to expect.

Season information

To find out about the prize pool specifics, check out our earlier prize pool info article. For a look at the whole ECL framework, check out the sign-ups article.

Notable dates for the ECL '22: Spring Pro season:

Regular season: 4.4-5.5.
Transfer deadline: 18.4. 23:59 CEST
Playoffs (Best-of-7)
- Round of 16: 8.-12.5.
- Quarterfinals: 15.-25.5.
- Semifinals: 30.5.-2.6.
- Finals: 5.-6.6. (TBC)

Default gamedays for the ECL '22: Spring Pro division will be on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with a weekly broadcast on the SportsGamer Twitch at 19:45 CEST primarily on Tuesdays. Stay tuned for the season opening broadcast on 12.4.

You can access the rulebook, schedule, standings, statistics and full rosters from the ECL ‘22: Spring Pro league page.

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Season preview

Whereas there has usually been quite a lengthy break in between two ECL seasons, this time around the sojourn was rather brief. The short offseason did not make teams stand pat though, and, similarly to the other divisions, Pro squads have had their fair bit of roster roulette going on. We will dive more into those in the following team previews, but first let us quickly recap the qualifier process.

The Pro Qualifier was played during the past few weeks, as usual. A number of Pro-eligible teams disbanded after last season, boosting the total of spots up for grabs to ten. The teams that succeeded in making it through include newly founded wildcard Be a Bro, ECL '22: Winter Core Champion Almtuna eSport, as well as teams who played Lite last season in Golden Nights, Powerhouse HC and Pasilan SKA. This actually marks an immediate return to Europe's second-highest level for Golden Nights, whose ECL 12 Pro campaign resulted in relegation.

In the inaugural Pro Qualifier, ahead of ECL 12, none of the participating earlier Pro teams were able to retain their divisional spots. That changed last season with PENTA and RCTIC clawing their way through, though the majority (three) previous Pro teams still failed back then. The trend upwards has continued, and this time the majority in Joukkue (ex-AfroDunk), Company of Geeks, Fiasko, Hawaii Hockey and Nemesis did in fact get the job done, meanwhile Pata Hellalla and Luleå Hockey were the only ones to fail and will be playing in Lite for the foreseeable future.

One thing to note is the change of power balances between represented areas: with noRex Gaming disbanding and PENTA and SPARTIATES X MCES relegated, Deadly Phantoms and Geekz Energy eSports are now the only Central European teams remaining in Pro. There is also one less Finnish and one more Swedish team this season, but the Finns are still at the forefront by a wide margin, 21 of the 32 teams being majority-Finnish.

There are nine teams that did not play in Pro last season, most of them being more or less new to this level. The rest have seen some personnel changes as well, so let us take a closer look at the teams.

Group 1 Written by @jahajaha93

Almtuna eSport

ECL '22: Winter result: Core Champion

The ECL '22 Winter Core Champion managed to pave their way to the Pro division through the Qualifiers and are now in for a massive challenge. The core for this team has stayed intact and the main addition will be @eSwahn joining them in net from Södertälje SK. Some other interesting additions are @gtasir and @albin tinglert on offense, both of whom are yet to take their first strides on the Pro ice. Despite them seeing moderate success in the Qualifiers, a very tough season could be expected for Almtuna this spring.

Player to watch: @BeastBenn14

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 13-16th place

@Mikka: 12-16th place

Djurgården Hockey

ECL '22: Winter result: 16th place in Elite

Djurgården Hockey were crowned Champions during their last Pro stint back in ECL 12, but their Elite journey was quite short lived. As expected, they had a tough time adapting to the speed and skill level, and at the end of the season they were relegated. In the offseason, the team has made some changes, mainly losing @Strumpan87 and former captain @Jungledonk. They've brought in four new guys, in the form of @SPB_AlexZver_22, @Mistertyppo95, @Nampa77 and @lidman1. We'll have to wait and see what kind of lineup they ice on opening night, but if they end up clicking, there is a decent amount of skill in their ranks.

Player to watch: @Sorsa103

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 6-12th place

@Mikka: 8-14th place, extremely new team

Geekz Energy eSports

ECL '22: Winter result: 10th place in Pro Group 2

Geekz Energy eSports is one of those teams that are quite tough to get a read on. They have quite a wide roster with some scoring power, and a great goaltender in @PLA77NER. Some of these guys have player cards as long as my annual Christmas shopping list with all the competitive games they've played, so it definitely won't be about experience for Geekz. The team has also had time to perfect their craft in a competitive environment in the CSCL Relax Cup 5 over the past few weeks.

Player to watch: @Stefan_397 (ViSi0nZ97_)

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 6-12th place

@Mikka: 8-12th place

GIFU Hockey

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

Another team that shouldn't have too much pressure to perform, but could very well end up surprising some good teams if they have a great night. @Baranizer has grown into a solid Pro level goalie with GIFU, and their skaters are all very mechanically skilled. New defenseman @Frompa- will have to take on a big role on breakouts and puck possession play, while @OzziX35 is the more defensive of the two. @Timotei97, who spent last season in Lite with Bellizzi could end up being an important piece for GIFU's scoring.

Player to watch: @Timotei97

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 8-12th place

@Mikka: 8-12th place

Golden Nights

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Lite Quarterfinals

Golden Nights already made a Pro appearance back in ECL 12, but their stint was short lived that time. Now, after some success in the Qualifiers, they are back for more, with some more experience and individual growth under their belts. Especially @xSaski_ and @JJimbo- are very skilled individually and know how to handle the puck, but the biggest downfall of Golden Nights could be insufficient puck movement.

Player to watch: @xSaski_

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 8-14th place

@Mikka: 8-14th place, boom or bust

HanaaHC

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

Hanaa has one of the longest streaks competing in the Pro division and they seem to be a lock for playoffs each year. Forward trio @Mikka - @Hazard-laser - @xLeikku is a very strong ensemble for pro and the team has strengthened their defense with @juhkis96, joining them from Conquer Gaming, so you should expect yet another playoff push. The one question mark lies in net, as the team currently has three netminders signed out of which @jg697000 (Gresu__) will most likely not play. @Simbanho could end up being their go-to-guy with zero experience above the Lite level.

Player to watch: @xLeikku

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 1-4th place

@Mikka plays for HanaaHC

Hawaii Hockey

ECL '22: Winter result: 12th place in Pro Group 2

Hawaii Hockey placed 12th in their group last season and had to partake in Qualifier action prior to the Spring season, which could've been a good thing for the team, as they passed with relative ease and got their competitive mindset going early. They've retained their core and acquired mainly @jiibada_ to boost their offense. This team really needs to dig deep in order to stay with the competition this season, and need big performances in net both from @JaxonRules93 and @vokial2 (SolidElli).

Player to watch: @jiibada_

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 12-16th place

@Mikka: 10-14th place

Hokurit

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

The ECL ‘22 Winter campaign for Hokurit was an interesting one. Defenseman @MCH_98 had a sensational season, outscoring several forwards and slotting in second for all defensemen. The routine level of the team managed to earn them a playoff spot, but their berth was short lived, as they were eliminated in the first round. They lost the aforementioned @MCH_98 to Be a Bro, but have brought in very capable replacements in the form of @jamal-_- and @Frans-Fin, who should elevate the base level of the team a bit. Could end up in no man’s land.

Player to watch: @Jondeezz

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 8-12th place

@Mikka: 8-12th place

Mora IK

ECL '22: Winter result: Lite Champion

The ECL ‘22 Winter Lite Champions step up to the next level and these are always interesting situations to see how they’ll adapt their game. Some changes have been made, but mainly the roster has been condensed. A notable absence is their top scorer from ECL ‘22 Winter @Robban kaudern (Kaudomovic), who joined Frolunda HC Academy in the offseason. On paper, it looks like Mora IK could be in a world of trouble this season, but their most important player, goaltender @Jeqque44 can salvage some big points for them on any given night.

Player to watch: @Jeqque44

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 13-16th place

@Mikka: 12-16th place

Nemesis

ECL '22: Winter result: 12th place in Pro Group 1

Nemesis is another squad consisting of very skilled individuals, that need time together in order to find that perfect balance and perform at their very best, and that is exactly what they've done. After a tough ECL '22 Winter, they dug deep and decided to double down on their familiar core, only adding @profiilipakki on offense to take the center position, in which he has slotted in nicely for them based on the Qualifiers. On defense, however, they acquired @N44TTI_16, who is a great addition and will elevate their game significantly.

Player to watch: @N44TTI_16

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 5-10th place

@Mikka: 5-10th place

Pasilan SKA

ECL '22: Winter result: Failed to make the playoffs in Lite

After competing in the Core division and being eliminated in the Quarterfinals by Resurrection, it might be a bit confusing to see this team Pro this season, but in fact we’ll be seeing an entirely overhauled team, consisting of a Hotbox - Pasilan-fusion. The only previous Pasilan SKA players continuing are @Macentoitunu and @musta_surma1, who definitely were key players for them. Of course, a former Core team joining forces with a team that was relegated at the end of last season wouldn’t indicate a lot of success being on the horizon, but we’re not opposed to seeing these guys surprise big time.

Player to watch: @Macentoitunu

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 12-16th place

@Mikka: 12-16th place

RCTIC

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro Semifinals

The icy boys had a surprisingly solid winter season showing and are looking to continue on that path in the emerging spring sunlight. The roster is virtually unchanged with the exception of the very solid signing of @MrNipsuli, who joins the team from Färjestad BK and an excellent season in Elite. The new recruit will match up with veteran @Aze down low, and the trio @Naikou88 - @yrjoo - @Limbe65 will continue potting goals up front. If the team can stay as solid defensively, while improving their firepower, they should be a lock for at least the quarterfinals.

Player to watch: @MrNipsuli

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 1-4th place

@Mikka: 1-4th place

Reality Check

ECL '22: Winter result: Pro runner-up

Last season, Reality Check paved their way all the way to the Finals, where they came up short against JYP Jyväskylä. Postseason success is a thing these guys are no strangers to, but they do have an extensive record of never really coming through all the way. Since their last on ice appearance, they’ve replaced center @TheArska with @JesseL2002 and defenseman @jezbaru with @Mikax222, who both should be decent additions and the success of it all should come down to how their chemistry turns out.

Player to watch: @Mikax222

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 1-4th place

@Mikka: 1-4th place

Sinister

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

Sinister is a team with tremendous offensive potential and several young, hungry players with tons of upside. Most notably, they’ve exchanged @topikeranen with @Vale16, who obviously doesn’t have the experience, but has that scoring talent that seems to be a theme for this squad. Offensively, there’s no doubt that Sinister couldn’t hang with the big boys, but their biggest downfall could be their goaltending, as they don’t seem to have that bona fide top Pro level starter in their ranks.

Player to watch: @OsquuG

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 4-8th place

@Mikka: 4-8th place

Sulkavan Sudet

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

Long-time Pro division dwellers had a solid winter regular season but fell short in a round 1 seven game series at the hands of Tohtorit. Captain @Oxdoggi has managed to strengthen his squad for the upcoming season by acquiring former HAVU Gaming backup @vviljo and winger @apettaja, who bounced around a bit last season but has a decent track record of succeeding in a scoring role in the Pro division. The wolves have quite a wide roster with several options, so it’ll be an interesting thing to see what kind of setup they will be going with and if they will make changes moving forward. Sulkavan Sudet should without a doubt be a playoff team.

Player to watch: @Oxdoggi

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 6-8th place

@Mikka: 6-10th place

Tohtorit

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro Quarterfinals

Tohtorit made a splash last season by pushing all the way to the Quarterfinals against all expectations, and the team definitely has the capability to accomplish a similar feat this time around, only now we'll be able to see it coming. Whereas they've held on to their starting lineup from last season, they've built on that and added depth and several options in acquiring players like @ADETIKKI (Dillynger) and @jezbaru to star in supporting roles.

Player to watch: @Wpaanane

Regular season prediction:

@jahajaha93: 1-4th place

@Mikka: 1-4th place

Group 2 Written by @Mikka

AHJO Previously Dynastia

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro Quarterfinals

The former Dynastia lineup got recently picked up by esports organization AHJO, and are looking to keep on the same constantly improving trajectory as thus far. After ending their rookie Pro campaign with a first round exit in ECL 12, they had already by last season improved enough to make the second round. Can they reach the semis this time around? Losing your by far top scorer in @Pikkardz (Pikkarii) is always going to hurt, but getting experienced @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) from the runner-ups Reality Check may have made them more well rounded. AHJO should comfortably be in the playoffs and can easily challenge for the higher seeds.

Player to watch: @xHatsi

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 4-8th place

@jahajaha93: 4-10th place

Be a Bro

ECL '22: Winter result: Did not participate

Even though Be a Bro is a completely new team, their players have plenty of shared history. The core of the roster in @Vaporik, @Janikka, @imosi and @Niskalaukaus all played for the hugely disappointing VISU Gaming last season, and captain @MCH_98 knows the NHL scene's longtimers @Janikka and @imosi from SIKA of seasons past. This is a chance for all of them to prove they belong back among Pro's top end. It will also be exciting to see what @rakkauspakkaus- can accomplish with another team than his old Björklöven Esport.

Player to watch: @MCH_98

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 4-8th place

@jahajaha93: 5-10th place

Björklöven Esport

ECL '22: Winter result: 9th place in Pro Group 1

There have been some sizable changes with Björklöven, most notable being the acquisition of dynamic duo @Pappen (pappeen-) and @LukasGudinge (Gudinge) from Core's Carlstad Kings Esports. Björklöven's offense seems to be fully redone and jumping from Core to Pro is a challenge, so it remains to be seen if they start clicking. However, Tohtorit proved last season that you can jump straight from Core and do some damage, even though they had a longer offseason.

Player to watch: @Pappen(pappeen-)

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 8-12th place

@jahajaha93: 6-12th place

Company of Geeks

ECL '22: Winter result: 14th place in Pro Group 1

The team that first started in 2008(!) has been on a downward trajectory for the past few years, going from 6th to 10th to 14th place in the regular season in their past three campaigns. They escaped relegation by showing up big time in the Pro Qualifier, winning all but two games. What they need the most is some consistency in their roster composition, as in being able to retain more players between seasons. That is going to come with solidifying a spot as a playoff challenger, so the sights should really be in the long term even though another fight for survival seems probable for now. They have reportedly already lost @Mikax222 to Reality Check, so finding an ample replacement for a key player in their dominating qualifier performance is of utmost importance.

Player to watch: @PyroNiko

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 10-16th place

@jahajaha93: 12-16th place

Deadly Phantoms

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

The German outfit has had two quite weird campaigns at this level since getting relegated from Elite. In both ECL 12 and ECL '22: Winter, they had some troubles during the first half of the regular season, but finished off strong with a 9-1-0 L10. They lost in the finals in ECL 12, but were eliminated already in the first round last season. They have steadily, no matter what, been a playoff team, and getting @Timasy and @PlaymakerSJ back in the playing lineup, at least in some capacity, is going to be a huge help on their quest back to Europe's top. Even though they will not be playing a 100% of the games, they can alleviate some pressure off the Phantoms' high-scoring defensemen.

Player to watch: @xXPsykoSkillsXx

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 4-8th place

@jahajaha93: 4-8th place

Fiasko

ECL '22: Winter result: 14th place in Pro Group 2

Avoiding instant relegation by just a tiebreaker is something that these guys would probably call a... Alright, now that that is out of the way, a season considerably better than their last one does not seem too likely for Fiasko. Their roster has remained largely the same, adding @StuPittman, @Jammelson and @Toimitusjohtaja3 from Lite's Its a nice city. @Jammelson and @Toimitusjohtaja3 had decent statistics for their old team, but they do not appear to have the kind of skill that would mask the squad's collective troubles. Unless they can make their game a lot more organized, another season of Survivor seems to await. Looking at the bright side, they may have taken lessons from last season and now be readier to do more than surviving.

Player to watch: @Xkeineri

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 12-16th place

@jahajaha93: 13-16th place

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY

ECL '22: Winter result: Lite runner-up

As previously stated, losing your top scorer is never going to be easy, let alone after you get promoted to a higher division. Even though @xAaro89x moving on to last season's Pro champion JYP Jyväskylä is a tough blow, it tells that they have been doing things right. While their new starting six has not been confirmed, the talk around town is former standout defenseman @samza96 will be making a comeback at the center position. Whoever the replacement is, the Academy should be good enough and have the resources and support behind them to make the playoffs. Worst case scenario, they barely miss.

Player to watch: @TEST0-RYTZE (Rytze_)

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 5-10th place

@jahajaha93: 5-8th place

GHETTO FIREBIRDS

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

Thus far there has been quite a lot of talk about losing players, and GHETTO was not spared from that either: their captain since the beginning in ECL 4, @KepakkoFIN, decided to step away from competing. Getting @Talonmies69 (TaIonm1es) back after a year away should be more than ample replacement on the ice at least, and he is not even the only old friend making a return: ECL '22: Winter Pro top scorer @Valluxet is back as well! The last time he was here they ended up getting promoted, is it finally time for FIREBIRDS to make the return to Elite? They do have the strongest squad they have had during their current Pro stint.

Player to watch: @Valluxet

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 1-4th place

@jahajaha93 plays for GHETTO FIREBIRDS

Herlev Eagles

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro Quarterfinals

The Eagles are entering their fifth Pro season, seemingly continuing with the same lineup that got them to the quarterfinals the last time out. They are perceived as one of the favorites now, and should be one of the higher seeds come playoff time. Retaining the same starting six could be a huge advantage, with most other teams making multiple impactful changes during such a short offseason. Their forwards had way more Time with Puck than their defensemen did in ECL '22: Winter, so perhaps they should get the back end involved a bit more in the future.

Player to watch: @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_)

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 1-4th place

@jahajaha93: 1-4th place

Joukkue Previously AfroDunk

ECL '22: Winter result: 13th place in Pro Group 1

Half of their lineup has changed, and the ride through the qualifier was far from smooth. Looking at their roster though, with the additions of RW @Sluibaaja_88 and LD @kungenkurwa (Kungenkirwa), they *should* at least on paper mount a good challenge for the playoffs. A tremendous addition with those ambitions in mind is @theMaddias from Elite's Conquer Gaming, joining his former Otukset teammates @obivop (HaaganHamilton) and @Empuuz_24. They have the potential to be playoff bound, just need to start executing like it.

Player to watch: @theMaddias

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 8-14th place

@jahajaha93: 8-14th place

Powerhouse HC

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Lite Quarterfinals

After five seasons in Lite, Powerhouse HC has finally made it to Pro. They do not look the strongest, but could they be another Hokurit and impress everyone right away with the sheer experience of seasons played together? Would not really bet on it, but certainly possible. While Hokurit had some players with earlier Pro experience leading the team, @suitsukemestari is the only one in Powerhouse. He only has six games from last season and two in ECL 10, so it is not exactly like he is some extremely experienced veteran either. The chemistry built up from playing together for a long time is going to come in handy, and it is their main resource for hoping to cause some upsets.

Player to watch: @Burritokuningas

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 12-16th place

@jahajaha93: 13-16th place

Prima eSport

ECL '22: Winter result: Lite Bronze Game Winner

Third place in Lite last season, Prima does not exactly have a lot of experience aside from captain @iSvamp (Svampbot). Their forwards do have a previous Pro season each though, and especially @Philip Deemus (PHDeemus) and @Daniel Asplund (Dasplund_) scored quite nicely ECL 12 Pro. As is always the case with their captain's teams, they have a strong identity. That identity is the factor that can bring them to the playoffs already in their debut season, if things go right. The competition for the last playoff spots is going to be fierce, but Prima has a decent chance to take one of those. Breakout seasons from the forwards would go a long way.

Player to watch: @Philip Deemus (PHDeemus)

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 8-12th place

@jahajaha93: 8-12th place

Renascor

ECL '22: Winter result: Eliminated in Pro RO16

Not much remains of the old Renascor, with most of their big pieces now gone. New additions @Winci (Winci-_o) and @TuomoP83 have huge shoes to fill, having played last season in Core and Lite respectively. Both have performed at a decent level in Pro in the past, but time has passed since then and the competition has gotten better. Forwards @ilyagolubev (tendeerly) and @Virusactive, along with veteran defenseman @MAYZIIX, need to step up and take a big role if they want to achieve anything.

Player to watch: @ilyagolubev (tendeerly)

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 10-16th place

@jahajaha93: 13-16th place

Växjö Lakers

ECL '22: Winter result: 9th place in Pro Group 2

If any team has a wide range of possible outcomes this season, it is Växjö Lakers. They had an uninspiring Winter season, but since then they have already gained some silverware by winning the eSHL. Granted, they did have some extremely important loanees and should not be expected to be at that high of a level moving forward. But to get to the point, they signed forwards @dzouvi and @Birkedal96 from Elite teams, and are now looking like one of the strongest sides in Pro. There is practically zero data on their play though, and the uncertainty comes from that. If they can get their game rolling, they should be one of the top contenders. If not, the regular season is quite short...

Player to watch: @dzouvi

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 1-6th place

@jahajaha93: 1-4th place

VISU Gaming

ECL '22: Winter result: 11th place in Pro Group 1

Last season's result was a straight up farce for VISU, who were not too far off from getting promoted in the Elite qualifier ahead of the contest. Changes were made, and now is the time to prove it was a one off incident. They had a tough time finding new players, but got them in the end with @IKarkkiI and @Pontinho (I-CLAUGHTON-I) joining the organization. @jubex0r (jubeex0r) should also be a nice addition in between the pipes. VISU's strength has always been tight defense and collective play, we will see how well gelled the squad is without much practice under their belts. Should constantly improve as the season goes on.

Player to watch: @hpkfani (MuKiMaisteri)

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 6-12th place

@jahajaha93: 4-8th place

WannaCry

ECL '22: Winter result: 11th place in Pro Group 2

A newly formed team ahead of ECL '22: Winter, WannaCry did not have an easy time during their first campaign. They managed to avoid the qualifier only by a tiebreaker after a tumultuous season. There has been some time to reset though, and are now looking to get into the playoffs for a taste. Captain @Okke40 (hifk_FANI) moves down to defenseman after being the center last season, with @selänne8 (BiggestEight) and @Jjomppa joining the forward group from now-disbanded Boomers. A lot of things need to go right for WannaCry to make it, but there is a chance.

Player to watch: @kkostiiii

Regular season prediction:

@Mikka: 8-14th place

@jahajaha93: 5-12th place

With that, it has come time to wrap up the season preview. Stay tuned for the first Pro broadcast on 12.4. and we will be right back at you with the midseason report in a few weeks!

PS: We would love for you to follow our social channels, as they are an integral part of the ECL season.

ECL '22 Spring Lite: Season Preview - New challengers emerging and old favorites longing for success

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 16:57:00 +0000

Here we go. After a short break the show must go on and a new season of virtual hockey is yet again on the horizon so let's preview the upcoming Lite division and break it down a little.

Season information

To find out about the prize pool specifics, check out our earlier prize pool info article. For a look at the whole ECL framework, check out the sign-ups article.

Notable dates for the ECL '22: Spring Lite season:

Regular season: 4.4-5.5.
Playoffs
- Round of 32: 8.-12.5.
- Round of 16: 15.-25.5.
- Quarterfinals: 30.5.-2.6.
- Semifinals: 5.-8.6.
- Finals: 15.-16.6. (TBC)

Default gamedays for the ECL '22: Spring Lite division will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, with one scheduled double-header for each team.

You can access the rulebook, schedule, standings, statistics and full rosters from the ECL ‘22: Spring Lite league page.

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Season preview

The short break was intense and the games will start already tomorrow, on Monday April 4th, we'll surely see several teams get to action right away so keep your eyes peeled on the social media channels. What teams have improved most during the offseason? Will we see new challengers? Will the likes of Arkham Asylum recover from the Playoff disappointments faced in the winter season and how will the overhauled roster of Resurrection play in front of the long time captain @Jiihooo86?

We have a few interesting new teams that have surfaced from the Core division, and Sawolanche even took part in the Pro qualifiers, coming up short this time but gaining some valuable experience, they are a squad to look out for this season with a great deal of potential. Rahinage is another new team that has a few seasons worth of Core experience under their belt and they certainly look ready for a challenge at the next level.

What can we expect from this season, then? At the time of writing, we are yet to see the groups, so it's tough to predict an outcome for the regular season. However, there are a couple really strong teams that will most likely top the tables regardless of the group they get put in. As mentioned earlier, Arkham Asylum had a disappointing end to their previous campaign but is looking strong as ever coming into this one. They have a very experienced roster with the likes of @ReDMisTi and @tominointi possessing experience from higher up and the skill to help others by their side become better players. Also their goalie @PCJP has a long career behind and has been really solid. Captain @Hippitukka has done a good job in building the team to this state and the team is one of the favourites no doubt.

Swedish clubs Linköping HC and Luleå Hockey should also definitely be mentioned in the favorites category and their experience from higher levels will definitely help them in the postseason too. Linköping HC played in the Pro Qualifiers but didn’t find the pieces for going through, even though the team is very strong and can challenge a better squad. If they can keep their consistency throughout the regular season, it's easy to predict them playing meaningful games long into the spring. Look out for prolific veteran scorer @Lamsa.

Luleå Hockey played in Pro last season and lost their top scorer @Tkautto98 to HV71 but got a couple really strong reinforcements as replacement. @Tacterz was a backup for Frölunda HC in Elite last season and has been a part of generating success for Mora IK previously, he is very experienced and by that will help his team a lot. Also with solid defenders @basseman_ and @Vesterberg89 joining, the team is looking very strong.

Another very interesting Swedish team making a comeback after some absence is Synergy Hockey, who have gathered their old familiar ranks, looking very strong. Players like @Mumsi-, @Supremski and @J-Foppa are are some legendary names with lots of skill and most importantly - hockey IQ. Look for Synergy to be a contender for sure.

There are also a couple of dark horses in the race. Destiny, which was created for this season played in the Pro Qualifiers but couldn’t find their game yet but we can expect them to gel more as the season progresses, the roster consists of several experienced players with the necessary skill to do very well in Lite. Also Tic Tac Toes is back. Can @Artuzio lead the team to success - their squad holds perhaps more individual and mechanical skill than any other team in Lite, but if they can't translate all that to the 6's game, they could end up flopping. Finally, you can't forget Pata Hellalla. Losing their long term captain @kungenkurwa may be a tough pill to swallow but the team has played so long together we can probably expect some kind of a comeback story.

We'll get the action started tomorrow and in June we'll have a new Champion! Get ready for the season and we'll see you on the ice!

ECL '22 Spring Neo: Season Information

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 15:39:50 +0000

ECL Neo is for new or teams who want to play on a relaxed schedule and it's time to get that action going, starting tomorrow, on Monday April 4th! Official gamedays for the ECL '22 Spring Neo division will be on Wednesday and Sunday, and the playoffs will be played in a best-of-five format. A total of 32 teams will make the playoffs.

ECL '22 Spring: Neo Schedule

Regular season: 4.4-5.5.
Playoffs
- Round of 32: 8.-12.5.
- Round of 16: 15.-25.5.
- Quarterfinals: 30.5.-2.6.
- Semifinals: 5.-8.6.
- Finals: 12.6. (TBC)

Here are your ECL '22 Spring Neo groups:

Lainaa

Group 1
Nordic Lightning
No Respect
Hannover Indians eSports
DrWitt Squad
ERSC Amberg eSports
VHC NEVA
Force Majeure
Turkunummi
SC Rackelhahn eV
EPINAL HC ESPORT II

Group 2
EPINAL HC ESPORT
KH Torun Esports
Kompaniet
Muumilaakson Maple Leafs
Red Ice Peppers
Penguins Ingolstadt
Starbulls Esport
CaMe Gaming C1C
Eishockeynet Yetis
Capish

Group 3
Cirkus
HC KOROBKA
Crocodiles Hamburg
Pirates eSports Origins
Waldstadt Boys
Austrian Force
Dirty Tacklers HC
SwissBamClan
FRONTALIERS ESPORT
RED BALLS

Group 4
SWISS TIGERS
London Lightning
CardiffDevils
Hurricanes Esports
Nelos Ketju
Vaden orjat
SWISS TIGERS 2
Canada 1c
Eishockeynet Academy
ESC Duisburger Bulldogs

Socials

Here's an update to the social media instructions. Our sponsors this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, St Hockey & Wilhelm.

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Spring
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Good luck to all participating teams, have fun and play hard!