News: News

ECL '22 Winter: Core Playoffs - Round 2

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 18:00:34 +0000

NHLGamers,

After some all-out brawling in the first round of the ECL '22 Winter Core Playoffs, it's now time to move on into the second round! Some exciting matchups are on the table and we recommend staying up to date on any streams and results by following the teams on social media. 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 13th of February 2022 and end on Friday the 18th of February 2022.

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

~~Round 1 6.-11.2~~
Round 2 13.-18.2
Round 3 20.-25.2
Quarterfinals 27.2.-4.3
Semifinals 6.3-11.3
Finals TBA

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 round 2 of the ECL '22 Winter Core Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Winter: Neo Playoffs - Round 2

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 17:59:35 +0000

NHLGamers,

We're well underway in the postseason of ECL '22 Winter Neo, and some interesting results came out of the first round of playoffs. In the second round, it's time for the higher seeded teams to enter the action now, after a bye week in the first round. In Neo, the playoffs consist of the top 6 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 13th of February 2022 and end on Friday the 18th of February 2022.

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

~~Round 1 6.-11.2~~
Round 2 13.-18.2
Quarters 20.-25.2
Semis 27.2.-6.3
Finals TBA

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.

Here are the matchups for round 2 of the ECL '22 Winter Neo Playoffs:

Latvian Hockey Federation (1) vs Starbulls Esport (22)

Uudenmaan Oilers (2) vs The Flying Elbows (20)

RAUTANE REMMI (3) vs Caterpillar HC (17)

Old Hogs (4) vs Pirates eSports Origins (15)

Swiss Mountaineers (5) vs London Lightning (14)

Huimat (6) vs GKS Tychy Esports (12)

Unknown Heroes (7) vs Oldies Hockey Club (10)

The Black Pirates HC (8) vs HC JEUSSEN (9)

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Winter: Lite Playoffs Round 1 Preview - Any upsets?

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:30:12 +0000

The ECL Winter '22 Lite season has progressed to the playoff stage. You can expect the best games to be close at this stage full of drama, tough battles and hard hitting. Not to mention all the great goals and individual contributions of star players. As always, there is going to be some upsets and in fact we're very excited to see some underdogs eliminating major favorite teams. In this preview, we'll try to grasp a general view on each of the pairs and give prediction based on both teams performances thus far.

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY vs RoKi Esports

The best team in the regular season versus the last seeded team. FILADELPHIA ACADEMY has been dominating throughout the season with their stars and disciplined approach to their strategies. It can also be stated that they are coming into this series in great form with 9 wins out of their last 10 games. But - like it often goes - this is also a great opportunity for the underdog to perform some of their magic an pull the rug out from under FILADELPHIA's feet. Last year RoKi Esports did not redeem all their potential and they have a huge wall to climb in this series, in addition they aren't looking all that hot with 3-5-2 in their last 10 going into the playoffs. These teams played each other in the regular season, and back then FILADELPHIA ACADEMY won both clashes 4-1 and 2-1 OT. The 4-1 was closer in terms of the game events and in the 2-1 game FILADELPHIA ACADEMY dominated the whole game even though the decisive goal didn't come until in the OT periods. Similar luck and some massively disciplined defensive play is needed for RoKi Esports if they want to continue onwards from this series.

Prediction: 4-0 to FILADELPHIA Academy

Golden Nights vs HC SHH

Golden Nights has an impressive form with 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. After a tough season in Pro last season, they are having a nice bounce back and are now redeeming their huge potential. This team has players blessed with tremendous skill that are now playing using their own strengths, with great confidence. Playing against these players that have that surprising factor is never easy, which is why HC SHH has a very tough hill to climb in this one. With their significantly weaker record overall and worse form coming into this one, thay'll need to turn thing around immediately. They are better than their 10 game record 5-3-2, and have proven that by challenging the likes of group winner Prima eSports in the group stage. If they improve from their last games they have all the ingredients to cause an upset.

Prediction: 4-1 to Golden Nights

Prima eSports vs Ace Hockey

In the mid-season report I highlighted Prima eSports to be playing a great season and the form has stayed great for them, with few mishaps along the way. Prima eSports also have a remarkable 8-1-1 record in their last 10 games, whereas Ace Hockey are coming into this one in a bit of poorer form. However, Ace Hockey had a very tough run to even qualify for the playoffs and have played under immense pressure already in the group stage, which could indicate a minor advantage for them in that department at least. That's basically all we can gice Ace Hockey, though, Prima looks to simply be the stronger team and is expected to bring all they've got going into the postseason, meaning they will be a tough train to stop. With a complete tight package of defensive strategy, Ace Hockey can hangi in there somehow and extend this a game or two, but I see Prima eSports advancing quite comfortably.

Prediction: 4-0 to Prima eSports

Linköping HC vs Central Hockey Canucks

Linköping HC have a great deal of experience and despite having a few hiccups in the group stage, they managed to course correct and win their group in the end, with great form coming into these playoffs. Central Hockey Canucks have managed to win six games in their last 10 and extend into overtime three times, which indicated their defensive strength and composure. They played close games against Golden Nights losing both 4-3 and 3-1. Although it is only two games, the two close games show that they are capable of challenging the top teams in Lite. A similar battle could be expected in this one against Linköping HC. The Swedes are the clear favorite here but I don't think this series will be over in four games.

Bellizzi vs SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS

Likely to be an even series. Although we're seeing a 2nd seed going up against a 7th seed, the base level and form difference isn't that massive between these two. Despite being a great team, Bellizzi have possibly inflated their record a bit by going on a very hot eight win streak mid-season, beating teams like Oulunsalon HT along the way. Whereas SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS similarly were a bit streaky and managed to go on a six win streak, beating the likes of Linköping HC. These teams have played some very close games over the course of the season and could end up doing the same in this head-to-head. Despite the difference in seeds, I expect this to be way tighter.

Prediction: 4-3 to Bellizzi

Mora IK vs It's a nice city

Mora IK is the favorite in this series. But you should not let the placement in the standings affect the judgement of It's a nice city. They have beaten teams like Oulunsalon HT and were able to earn a point against FILADELPHIA Academy over the course of the regular season, so they are definitely able to challenge better teams in individual games, now they have to do it in a playoff series. For the part of Mora IK, they can move the puck and if they're able to keep up their tempo, they will outplay It's a nice city with relative ease. A good indication of their skill is the fact that they split points with Golden Nights earlier in the season.

Prediction: 4-2 to Mora IK

EHC Tatneft AK Bars vs Stone Age

It could be stated that this one is a tough one to predict. Stone Age has achieved some promising results in their campaign for example beating FRÖLUNDA HC ACADEMY and Tadpole twice. In addition to that, the team is very experienced, their downside, however, is their history of folding under pressure, and they've had issues performing in the postseason before. EHC Tatneft AK Bars is still a minor favorite as they have managed to string together a very stable group stage performance and definitely don't lack individual skill. If they're able to play as a unit, this could be in the bank for them, but all the ingredients for Stone Age taking the win are there.

Prediction: 4-2 to Stone Age

Tadpole vs Toxicity

Tadpole is the hottest team around coming into the playoffs with a clean 10-0-0 through their last ten games. In fact, their winning streak is now at 14 game, which shows how they have caught fire in the later half of the season. Toxicity has a 7-1-2 record in the last 10 games. They have beaten teams like Mora IK and Golden Nights during that 10 game span, which definitely indicates that they should be taken seriously, and that these games won't be a cakewalk for Tadpole. Tadpole are favorites but I can see Toxicity putting up a good fight.

Prediction: 4-2 to Tadpole

Valco vs Ultimatum

Ultimatum has played and won against teams like The Last Line and Murohoki this season, with close games against group winners Linköping HC also to take account of. Valco, on the other hand are in a great run of form with a record of 8-1-1 in their last 10. They have beaten both Golden Nights and Mora IK once in the regular season and proven their skill that way. They also had an impressive six game winning streak in the end of the regular season. It's notable that out of 30 games, Valco have extended 12 games into overtime (9 wins and 3 lost). The amount of OT wins is a telling sign about the determination and good nerves in their team. That along with their great form earns them the favorite spot in this series, while Ultimatum is looking to spoil the party.

Prediction: 4-2 to Valco

Hunters vs TTK

These teams were in the same group in the regular season and shared points in some very close battles back then (3-2 to Hunters and 4-3 to TTK). Hunters have had many close games in general in the regular season with only four games in total extending the margin to over four goals. They are currently a strong team in good form, but are going up against a squad of very similar stature. Not much time has passed since these two clashed, so both teams have very recent knowledge of each other. Hunters have managed to string together better performances over an extended period of time, but TTK have surely gained confidence from challenging Hunters in their head-to-head.

Prediction: 4-2 to Hunters

Arkham Asylum vs Project X

Both of these teams have played many close games in the regular season. Arkham Asylum has 10 OT games with 7 wins out of them. Project X ended the regular season with a close game against group winners Prima eSports, where despite a 4-1 loss, the possession and play was very closely matched, which proves their ability to stick up against more skilled squads. Arkham Asylum ended the regular season in four wins and are looking good going into the series. They've struggled with scoring throughout the season but seem to have overcome their issues. The experience they have should be of high importance in the playoffs. This series looks quite even and Game 7 won't be a miracle.

Prediction: 4-3 to Project X

Powerhouse HC vs Baby Goons

Baby Goons started the regular season well with three wins including a 7-1 thrashing of Mora IK. They also won Golden Nights in the beginning of the season. By the end their flight has slumped a little bit, causing their record in the last 10 to stand at 5-5-0 but they are still a good team and capable of succeeding in the postseason. Powerhouse HC are minor favorites in this series and look like a team that is slowly getting stronger as they go. They've got a great foundation and are in good form right now, but in general the starting point to this series is a rather equal situation. Baby Goons have a history of causing upsets in the playoffs and have last season in fresh memory, so they could cause some waves early on.

Prediction: 4-2 to Baby Goons

Bastu vs EHC Biel Bienne eSports

EHC Biel Bienne eSports are in great shape just before the playoffs: 5 wins out of their last 6 games and they've been able to gain some important points in big matchups throughout the season, putting them in decent position in the playoffs. Bastu has been a bit of an underperformer when looking at the roster, but some winning streaks that they've managed to go on throughout the season has put them around the middle of the pack in the postseason. I'd say that Bastu still has a lot in the tank and they could elevate their level by a few notches in the big games. EHC Biel Bienne could be able to pose a great challenge but Bastu most likely will advance to the next round.

Prediction: 4-2 to Bastu

Kymmenelta Baariin vs Armada Hockey

Kymmenelta Baariin had a strong start to the season with five consecutive wins including some big scoring outings early on. They also had a 9 win streak around the midway point of the season. Armada Hockey is an experienced squad that have beaten great teams in their history, and have had some runs of good form this season too. Armada Hockey have had better recent form but Kymmenelta Baariin had the better overall regular season. I wouldn't be surprised to see these two battle it out in a game 7. Kymmenelta Baariin will most likely elevate their level and it remains to be seen how Armada Hockey can maintain their recent form.

Prediction: 4-3 to Kymmenelta Baariin

Alliance HT vs Including Me

Including Me has looked like they're finding their form just in time for the playoffs. Three consecutive wins at the end of the regular season and a last 10 game record 9-1-0 is comparable to some teams in much higher seeds. Alliance HT also sports a similar record 8-1-1. The Russian squad sports the more experienced roster, which could be an important factor for them in this one.

Prediction: 4-2 to Including Me

The Last Line vs Spirit

The Last Line is on an eight win streak just in time for the playoffs. The form of Spirit is quite the opposite. Spirit started the season with a nine win streak beating teams like Toxicity and Bastu. More recently close games against two best teams Golden Nights and Mora IK in their group are prove also what Spirit is capable of, which means you shouldn't look too much at their form from the last five games, as they've generally been against very good teams. I see The Last Line as a minor favorite, but the fact that Spirit has recent clashes against good teams could help them going into this one.

Prediction: 4-2 to The Last Line

Players to watch

Let's take a look at some players to keep an eye on. As always, a few will get their time in the spotlight, but there are a lot of others out there of similar talent!

@Timotei97 - Bellizzi, 24GP, 47+64=111
The Bellizzi winger is having a great season for himself and was miles ahead of the competition in the regular season despite playing fewer games. Is a difference-maker on the ice every night.

@xAaro89x - FILADELPHIA ACADEMY, 28 GP, 56+35=91
The talented winger is growing to be a great scorer and one to be on the lookout for in the higher leagues. 56 goals is enough for second in the regular season behind the experienced @itspardytime.

@itspardytime - Valco, 30 GP, 58+32=90
The stats speak for themselves. Pardy is a pure goal scorer, but also draws a lot of penalties.

@Kusimaakari - Tadpole, 30GP, 37+43=80
A very experienced player proven at higher levels. Is a heart-and-soul player for Tadpole and can carry his team far if needed.

@Awptim - Alliance HT, 30GP, 49+28=77
Also one of the more experienced players around, excels at scoring and is a very important piece on the wing for Alliance HT.

@Philip Deemus - Prima eSports, 30 GP, 53+34=87
Has had a few seasons to mature and seems to have really benefited from his appearance in Pro with Lekstugan HC last season. A great scorer.

@ReDMisTi - Arkham Asylum, 30 GP, 26+43=69
Perhaps the most important individual for his team in the division. Redmisti has experience from higher up and has managed to surround himself with talented players that need guidance, and mental strength to be able to take the next step.

@Giinis - Bastu, 30 GP, 82,29 SV%, 1,7 GAA, 7 SO
Could be the best goaltender of the regular season. Despite Bastu struggling a bit from time to time, the team has a lot of potential and Giinis could improve a great deal in the postseason.

ECL '22 Winter: Pro Playoffs Round 1 Preview - Taking a closer look

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:32:20 +0000

Teams like Tohtorit and GIFU Hockey managed to exceed expectations over the hard-fought regular season, meanwhile perhaps the biggest upset was Elite Qualifier runner up VISU Gaming completely failing to make the playoffs. The competition is only starting to ramp up, so join us in taking a closer look at the playoffs!

Structure & Prize Pool

Quote

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.

Schedule

Quote

10.6.2 ECL Pro

Playoff Schedule

Round 1: 7.2-11.2
Quarterfinals: 14.2-18.2
Semifinals: 21.2-25.2
Finals: 28.2-3.3 (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 CET 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.

Preview

(1) Reality Check - Hokurit (8)

Reality Check had a powerful showing in the regular season, amassing 50 points en route to the Group 2 top spot. They had the best penalty kill (90.91%) in the whole Pro division, along with a 3rd best 36.17% powerplay. They have been plowing through the opposition quite steadily without dropping too many points, especially with Geekz Energy eSports being the only team outside the playoff picture that managed to beat them.

Hokurit on the other hand have been more streaky: they started out hot off the gates with only three losses in their first 12 games, but fell soon after into a six game losing streak against tough opposition. They rebounded a bit in the end though, winning five of their last eight.

Hokurit’s story of the season so far has been their left side of the ice, with LW @Jondeezz (30 GP, 29+22=51) and LD @MCH_98 (30 GP, 12+35=47) combining for a total of 98 points, more than twice what their right side amassed (45). The dynamic duo leads the team in almost every stat category, including Time with Puck (TwP) by a significant amount.

Looking at the TwP stat for Reality Check, we can notice the same trend: the puck spends the most time with their LW @vvlampela (cTunkeilija) (30 GP, 35+32=67) and LD @jezbaru (30 GP, 4+30=34). Individual points within the team are more even by a lot though, which would suggest that Reality Check’s production is not as reliant on their leading puck possession players.

The general opinion seems to be that deflections have been nerfed in the latest patch, even if that was not announced in the patch notes. It will be interesting to see how that affects Reality Check’s play, as their center @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) (30 GP, 30+25=55) likes to operate the netfront, especially on the powerplay. He finished top of the division with 42 deflections during the regular season, with the next closest tally being only 32.

Hokurit have been rotating both of their goalies evenly, and with them having roughly equal stats it remains to be seen which one they will trust to carry them through. Reality Check have two goalies on their roster as well, but @FINSeRe (30 GP, 83.83 SV%, 1.43 GAA, 4 SO) has played every single one of their games thus far. He boasts the division’s second best save percentage, so definitely watch out for him.

These teams faced each other last season in the Lite Quarterfinals, with Reality Check taking the edge with a 4-3 series score on their way to the title. Hokurit have only swapped @Oicteppotulppu for Jondeezz since then, meanwhile Reality Check has changed half of their lineup and gotten some sweet additions in those players.

Hokurit got 24 out of their 37 points in the regular season against teams that failed to make the playoffs, so they still have a lot to prove against top competition. What better way to do that than to take down the #1 seed? Honestly though, they may very well take at least a game or two but winning the whole series does not seem too likely right now.

Prediction:

@Mikka: Reality Check 4-1

@Franky__2768: Reality Check 4-0

(2) GHETTO FIREBIRDS - Dynastia (7)

Runner up in Group 2, the former Elite side embarks once again on a quest back to the top. Last season they were upset in the quarterfinals, as the #1 seed, by the now-Deadly Phantoms. Looking to build from that disappointment, they made some changes in their offense which propelled them to another nice regular season finish (22-5-3).

Dynastia is another team that was clicking right away with only two losses in their first 12 games, and their season has been eerily similar to that of Hokurit: they fell into a seven game losing streak a bit after the midpoint, but bounced back to win five of their last six.

@Pikkardz (Pikkarii) has been clicking with 30 GP, 29+30=59 points, 17 more than offensive partners @Majuri20 (Diktaattori62) (30 GP, 20+22=42) and @xHatsi (30 GP, 24+18=42), though he does have the worst passing percentage in the division (59.7%). Either way they need to find a way to work as a tight unit to be able to compete against the FIREBIRDS’ strong game identity.

Similarly to Dynastia, and apparently countless other teams, GHETTO FIREBIRDS has been running a lot of their offense through LW @Jertsicc (30 GP, 33+33=66). Their play seems to revolve a bit more around that side, as all of their RWs and RD @jahajaha93 (30 GP, 4+20=24) had significantly lower TwP than the other players. Center @Santtu (santtu3333) has respectable stats as well, 30 GP, 21+31=52. They had some turmoil on the RW spot early on, though deadline-day addition @Jerax13 (20 GP, 22+9=31) has since put those question marks to rest.

While Jertsicc and santtu3333 only hit around once per game, Jerax13 had 78 hits in 20 games to go along with the 244 hits their defensive pairing dealt out. Dynastia does not hit nearly as much, with @FakiiR1 (TheFakiiR1)’s 114 hits accounting for 42,6% of their team total. That seems to only be a difference in playing styles, as a difference cannot really be found between the teams’ amount of takeaways or interceptions.

@Jeresti (30 GP, 85.11 SV%, 1.53 GAA, 9 SO) takes the goaltending battle over the less-experienced @Vamoux (24 GP, 76.92 SV%, 2.13 GAA, 2 SO) by quite a margin on paper, being the Pro division leader on most statistics this season and showing stellar play throughout the years.

A lot of this matchup will be decided by the form of Dynastia. They could make this tight and even run away with it, if they can do what they did at the beginning of the season. Should they fail to do that though, they could even be facing a sweep. One of the more exciting matchups to look out for if both perform true to their level.

Prediction:

@Mikka: GHETTO FIREBIRDS 4-1

@Franky__2768: GHETTO FIREBIRDS 4-2

(3) Herlev Eagles - Deadly Phantoms (6)

Finishing 3rd in Group 2, the mixed nationality roster repping the Danish hockey club Herlev Eagles delivered as they were expected to, perhaps even a bit better. It must feel good to have a strong regular season after missing postseason play the last time, but surely they will not be complacent with just that. Looking to march on to Elite, they face an extremely tough opponent immediately.

Deadly Phantoms are a team with long traditions going back years and years, and it remains reflected in their play even if the roster sees some changes. They had an almost identical regular season as last summer, struggling during the first half before going on a tear towards the end. They went all the way to the finals that time, leaving them full of hunger after losing the series. They have won 12 of their last 14 games, ten of which were in a row, so there should definitely be some good momentum carrying over. Herlev on the other hand has fainted a bit, losing their last three games.

RW @keranee (30 GP, 22+42=64) and C @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_) (30 GP, 31+31=62) carry the Eagles up front points-wise, though LW @vibholm10 (Vibholm_10) is no slouch either (30 GP, 28+22=50). On the contrary to most other teams, they seem to run the game a lot more through the right side: RD @Dreamickie (30 GP, 6+19=25) has the team’s highest TwP, 136:53, meanwhile LD @oSandello (30 GP, 1+15=16) has the lowest: only 85:47. This is reflected in their points as well with Dreamickie clearly taking the edge.

While Herlev gets most of their offense from forwards, Deadly Phantoms has two of the division’s top three scoring defensemen: @xXPsykoSkillsXx (30 GP, 6+44=50) and @Franky__2768 (30 GP, 5+39=44). The pairing does not score a lot of goals, but they clearly have the puck on their sticks the most and dish out some sweet assists.

Both teams had the best FOW% in their respective groups, so stay on alert for the battle on the dot between DPH’s @Pathen-21- (30 GP, 28+24=52) and Herlev’s Suth98_. The edge goes to Suth98_’s 56.9% on paper, though Pathen-21-’s 54.8% is really good as well. Also, faceoffs are always a one-on-one mind game.

Even though the clash between the pipes does not initially look as close as the faceoff one, @RPH_31 (30 GP, 74.75 SV%, 2.53 GAA, 3 SO) can still steal games for the Phantoms on his own. Granted, Herlev’s @TeikDaun (26 GP, 82.03%, 1.77, 7 SO) clearly has the edge on consistency at the moment.

Deadly Phantoms loves to throw the puck to the net, which is reflected on their stats as well: only JYP Jyväskylä and Sulkavan Sudet had more shots on goal during the regular season, in addition to the the Germans’ center Pathen-21- having the 2nd most deflections by an individual player. As was previously mentioned, the latest patch could affect teams with a playstyle reliant on redirects and tip ins, so it will be interesting to see how they adapt. They have scored the most goals out of any team thus far though, and it must also be noted they have won five out of their six ECL games since the patch went live.

The server aspect plays into this matchup as well, with Deadly Phantoms playing their home games on the Central server as opposed to the currently dominant Northern one. Herlev Eagles took three out of four possible points from the two higher-ping Central games they played during the regular season, so based on that minimal sample size it does not look like too big of a problem for them.

If there is one series to watch in the first round, this is it.

Prediction:

@Mikka: Herlev Eagles 4-3

@Franky__2768 plays for Deadly Phantoms

(4) Renascor - RCTIC (5)

Renascor were a slight surprise last season, taking since promoted HV71 to a game seven in the quarterfinals before falling short. They are now back where they left off with some more shared experience, only replacing @Tiltsson with @ilyagolubev (tendeerly) (30 GP, 41+35) at the LW spot. They had a bit of an up and down regular season, taking full points from top teams like Reality Check and Herlev Eagles, but on the other hand also dropping way too many points to weaker teams.

After last season’s letdown performance, RCTIC came into the season with the task of making it through the Pro Qualifier. They did just that, and then clawed their way to a decent #5 finish in Group 1. The last time they were in Pro playoffs was ECL 11, where they actually managed to upset a higher seed Inter Iceland in the first round. Time has passed since then though, and captain & RD @layout (JxLayout) (30 GP, 1+32=33) is the only one still left from the lineup that got swept by current Elite top team GOONS in the quarterfinals.

Even though Renascor’s play has been streaky thus far, at least they have gotten their offense clicking at a high level. As expected, the Elite-experienced captain RW @Valluxet (30 GP, 40+40=80) leads the pack and even won the division’s scoring title. If the team has in the past perhaps been too reliant on Valluxet’s scoring, that does not seem to be the case anymore: tendeerly finished second in points, as well as assist machine @Virusactive (30 GP, 14+60=74) joint-third, making them the only team to have three players in the top ten in scoring, let alone top five.

Even though TwP is distributed almost evenly between everyone in the Renascor squad, except RD @Serg1vratar (Nyabml4) (24 GP, 4+10=14), the goals appear to be mainly coming through the forward trio’s play with LD @Motov (zMotzz) (30 GP, 6+19=25) being under a point per game as well.

RCTIC have a lot of experience on starting lineup with leading scorer RW @Naikou88 (30 GP, 37+26=63), C @yrjoo (30 GP, 22+25=47) and LD @Aze (AzeStiNe) (30 GP, 4+18=22) all being ECL 1 originals. JxLayout and LW @Limbe65 (30 GP, 31+26=57) are not exactly rookies either, so the Finns should have a good routine level and knowledge around what to do when the games get tight. They clearly build attacks from out back with AzeStiNe and JxLayout having the lion’s share of puck possession.

Neither of the matchup’s projected goalies have eye-popping stats, 30 GP, 76.07 SV%, 2.23 GAA, 2 SO for Renascor’s @sumskoy26 (sumkaX) and 26 GP, 74.52 SV%, 2.54 GAA, 0 SO for RCTIC’s @Jjmakkeli (JussinSisko).

Looking at the GA/GP and GF/GP stats, both teams seem to have had a bigger focus on offense while getting by with rather mediocre defending. Could high scoring matches be the name of the game, or will the focus switch more towards defending as it usually does in the playoffs? RCTIC’s offense is not at the level of Renascor, but they should be able to compete if they can tighten up a strong team defense and be clinical in counter attacks.

Prediction:

@Mikka: Renascor 4-2

@Franky__2768: Renascor 4-3

The rest of the matchup previews were written by @Franky__2768

(1) JYP Jyväskylä - GIFU Hockey (8)

The former Elite division team JYP Jyväskylä is trying to fulfill their ambition to climb up again directly. They topped their group with an impressive 23-5-2 campaign - they have a strong offense (3.2 GF/GP) and strong defense (1.77 GA/GP) with good special team numbers (29.27% PP, 73.17% PK).

In the offense JYP lost @Joukki, but replaced him with who? Well, @Buantso (puantso). I do not know if you can even call that a “replacement”, he can be considered one of the scene’s best players. The former Elite champion delivered with 30 GP, 29+38=67 points (8th in scoring), while center @tbnantti is their finisher (30 GP, 35+30=65, 10 GWGs) which is quite atypical.

Captain @indi969 contributed offensively as well (30 GP, 21+36=57 points), but JYP’s clear strong side is on the left: Well known @vSilenttio (vee_SILE) (30 GP, 5+37=42) had another strong season and is the engine in this team. He scores as well and finished 4th with his 42 points, while dishing out nearly 1 000 passes over 30 games. His counterpart @Sakkem (Sakkem95) (26 GP, 6+18=24) backs him up pretty good and even had three more takeaways in four less games, but he also has an awesome 84.7% passing percentage as well.

@Kaz_zu, their addition in net, played pretty good as well - 19 wins with five shutouts in 26 games. His 77.78% save percentage might not look THAT good, but I guess that is the curse of being the goalie of a top team: facing high percentage shots more likely than anything else.

GIFU Hockey gained their Pro Ticket via the qualifier, and they are pretty happy to qualify straight for the playoffs especially after starting the season with four losses. What comes now is a bonus for the team.

GIFU’s defenders @N44TTI_16 (Naatti__) (30 GP, 2+24=26) and @OzziX35 (30 GP, 1+12=13) are driving the plays while the left side from Naatti__ and LW @Sluibaaja_88 (30 GP, 22+28=50) seems to be the dominating one. Nevertheless it is @krospi (krosspi) on the right wing who finishes the plays and got himself a nice 35+20=55 points in 30 games. Captain @seegasormi (30 GP, 14+26=40) contributes besides his points in the defense as well, as he has 30 blocked shots. Goalie @Baranizer’s season so far has been decent: winning 14 of his 24 starts with a 77.08% save percentage and even a shutout, posting a 2.42 GAA.

This series is probably one of the clearest ones, as GIFU is the only playoff team with a negative goal differential. They might be able to steal a game or two if they can keep the scores close, but JYP is probably too strong both defensively and offensively.

Prediction:

@Franky__2768: JYP Jyväskylä 4-0

@Mikka: JYP Jyväskylä 4-0

(2) HanaaHC - noRex Gaming (7)

HanaaHC, the runner-up from Group 1, hopes to make a deeper playoff run than last season. Back then they fell short in six games to the eventual Pro champion Djurgården Hockey in the quarterfinals.

The Finns revamped their defensive core with @ripKeisari (30 GP, 6+24=30) and @kongi- (30 GP, 3+23=26) joining, and got them a new offensive idea in LW @xLeikku (30 GP, 33+36=69) who directly fulfilled all of their hopes by finishing 6th in the division in points. ripKeisari’s and kongi-’s TwP indicates that they have had an immediate impact as well. They both also finished in the top three in pass attempts and passes completed. Captain @Hazard-laser (30 GP, 29+28=57) on the other wing still has a high scoring value (9 GWGs), while @Mikka (Mikkaah) (30 GP, 19+32=51) can dish out some apples.

HanaaHC’s special teams should scare every playoff team out there – while they scored on 32.08% of their PP chances, they also have a 86.84% PK while xLeikku even scored 4 shorthanded goals, most in the division. After a slow start with a 3-3-0 record after six games, they found their footing with a seven game winning streak and they never took their foot off the pedal.

@jg697000 (Gresu__) in net had a decent regular season as well, as he recorded 19 wins in 24 games with a 82.05 SV%, 1.75GAA and five shutouts. HanaaHC has a rock solid defense (1.83 GAA) while not playing that physical (190 hits), and one of the better offenses with 90 goals in 30 games.

On the other side is noRex Gaming, the ECL 12 Lite runner-up whose goal was to stay in the Pro division – that goal has been achieved, with some playoff sprinkles added in. They lost their two top scoring forwards and replaced them with two Swedes, @Tiltsson (30 GP, 32+21=53) and @Melguss (26 GP, 22+19=41). They knew pretty quickly in the offseason that this offensive combination could click and it did. Well, except for the start of the season when they went 4-8-0 in the first 12 games.

@DiMatteo70 (10 GP, 65.98 SV%, 3.3 GAA, 1 SO) started in net over @Fightlocke3 but was not able to replace him, going 3-7-0 in the process. At the same time @Nagneigel (10 GP, 0+6=6) had a tough time doing the same thing with @Paddyy1903’s RD spot. After Paddyy1903 (20 GP, 2+15=17) and Fightlocke3 (20 GP, 83.59 SV%, 1.6 GAA, 5 SO) rejoined the squad, the team went on to one of the most impressive regular season comebacks in quite a while: a 14-2-2 record to turn around the season while beating or splitting against Renascor, GHETTO FIREBIRDS, Stargazing and Herlev Eagles.

Assistant Captain and RW @Keuschemisch is their go-to-guy - topscorer with 22+38=60 points and 130 minutes TwP in 30 games, while Tiltsson does the finishing (32 goals, 8 GWGs). While Paddyy1903 and Keuschemisch are their dominant duo on the right side, @GERxVillain should not be forgotten either. He is a physical defensive partner, while still doing his job on the first pass and contributing to the offensive side with nearly a point per game.

The special T-rex teams are well rounded – 28.57% PP and 77.08% PK – but sometimes they find themselves in penalty trouble (97 PIM).

The big question is: can noRex keep their brilliant form and turn the regular season hype into a deep playoff run? Or does the more experienced HanaaHC cool their heads immediately in the first round?

Prediction:

@Franky__2768: HanaaHC 4-2

@Mikka plays for HanaaHC

(3) Tohtorit - Sulkavan Sudet (6)

Tohtorit’s way to the top is quite impressive – after gaining a chance for the ECL ‘22: Winter Pro Qualification due to their semifinal performance in the ECL 12 Core division, they had a nearly perfect record there (18 Games, 15 Wins, 3 OTL).

After a “slow” start with a 6-3-1 record in the first ten games the squad around @Ojala16 stood its ground and won nearly all of their remaining games to finish the regular season with a 22-6-2 record. The captain at left wing led the internal scoring race with 30 GP, 28+46=74 points, which makes him a top 3 scorer in the division. RW @Wpaanane was directly behind him with 30 GP, 39+34=73 points (3rd highest goal scorer, 5th highest point total). Between those two high danger weapons, @Ristimaki12 (Ristimaeki) stands a little bit behind in the point department with 30 GP, 22+31=53, but still has quite a portion of their game winning goals (6).

On the defensive side @Kkarkass (30 GP, 8+17=25) is the more physical one (88 to 36 hits), while @johtaja_lebi (28 GP, 5+23=28) is crucial for their passing game. What stands out the most is that Tohtorit do not have any dominant go-to-guy, they all have around the same puck possession time so you cannot focus on only one player, you have to neutralize the whole team to be able to beat them.

Tohtorit had a pretty impressive offensive output and achieved the third highest goal total (103) all around the league while not disregarding their defense (53 GAA) doing that. Their special teams (PP: 34.15%, PK: 77.27%) can give them an advantage in tight battles.
@Stammer70 in net has had himself a season as well: 22 GP, 79,13 SV%, 1.77 GAA, 7 SO and 58 shutout periods, he is definitely one of those guys you can rely on.

Sulkavan Sudet had nearly the same record as last season: while finishing second last time, they “only” got to the 6th place in Group 2 this time. Their season was embossed with ups and downs, no real winning or losing streak was going on. Both RW @jjokke19 (28 GP, 24+30=54) and C @Oxdoggi (30 GP, 19+35=54) had team-leading 54 points, while jjokke19 wins the goal-tie-breaker (24G, 7 GWG).

The biggest question for Sulkavan Sudet will be: where does @Koppipelaaja (jamoyy) (28 GP, 14+29=43) play? He played 20 games as LD, but mainly switched to LW after the deadline day acquisition of @Prom99 (Svetsjenko) (10 GP, 6+11=17). @Luokkala_ (18 GP, 18+15=33) was their LW at the start of the season, while @Kemppane_ (4 GP, 6+2=8) played the position in the last few games. @Pirkkalope (30 GP, 4+22=26) is the other incisive defensive player who loves to throw some bodies around (111 hits).

Sudet’s lineup rotation does not stop between the pipes either: a total of three goalies laced up their skates this season: @Jaakkomusta won five out of his 14 games with a 72.9 SV%, 3 GAA, 0 SO statline, while @eissi83 put up the more impressive numbers in ten games (8 W, 80.46 SV%, 1.7 GAA, 2 SO). @TheSpeedo also played 6 games before transferring to Arkham Asylum.

Will the rotation stop in the playoffs or will Sudet change throughout the series to gain advantages for special matchups? That will be exciting to see! In general the wolves can put some numbers on the scoreboard (3.03 GF/GP) but concede a little bit much as well (2.4 GA/GP). They do also shoot quite a lot (406 shots, 2nd most in the league) while their special teams are not that effective (PP: 21.31%, PK: 75.56%).

Which philosophy comes out on top? Steady line up vs rotation?

Prediction:

@Franky__2768: Tohtorit 4-1

@Mikka: Tohtorit 4-1

(4) Sinister - Stargazing (5)

Sinister improved from last season, where they fell two points short of the postseason. In this campaign they managed to gain home-ice advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs with a 19-7-4 record. They are known for their well-controlled game and outstanding defense, which has actually been one of the league's best (only 47 GA). They had quite a good start with ten wins in their first 12 games, followed by a small losing streak (3L, 2 OTL) and ending the season with a little bit of ups and downs.

RW @JerePaloranta (Harlowi-) leads the team with 30+16=46 points in 28 games (they had two WO wins), while LW @OsquuG and C @topikeranen finished with 20+24=44 and 11+24=35 points respectively in their 28 games. Their faceoff percentage of 42.56% can be quite alarming, and they tend to get themselves into penalty trouble (92 PIM), which could be a disadvantage with a 69.57 PK%.

SInister clearly has the “weakest” offense among both groups' top four teams, with 78 GF, and their PP is not that strong either (22,73%). As stated in the beginning, Sinister’s strength is the defense anyways: @Thewix93 (thewix_1) (28 GP, 6+17=23) is the architect for the team's success, while @PuukAesi (rransu) had a strong season between the pipes: 17-7-4 record in 28 GP, with a 82.46 SV%, 1.68 GAA and division-leading 9 SO (tied with Jeresti).

On the other side, Stargazing is a “new” team which had an impressive start for their new mix of players, finishing 5th in Group 2. Captain and RW @xColeslaww (koleslaav_) leads the team with 30 GP, 26+23=49 points, and LW @Flopper71 (Flopperii_) is right behind with 30 GP, 23+24=47 points. The biggest factor in their game might be @Bobiraataja (nikhaa27) (30 GP, 7+31=38) on the right defensive side though. In general, Stargazing’s defense draws up the game (141 and 124 minutes Time with Puck). nikhaa27 is joint-third in team-scoring and 6th among defensemen in the division, while both he and LD @James (Jamechkin) (30 GP, 7+23=30) contributed 7 goals each.

In net for Stargazing @Nisse142 (I-Nisse-I) (16 GP, 76.32 SV%, 2.25 GAA, 0 SO) and @Pirtsa89 (Pirtsa-) (12 GP, 78.41 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 5 SO) shared playing time. Will they continue that in the playoffs, or will they choose a starting netminder? Special teams are in general a big factor, and they need to get better (19.05% PP) in the first round to beat their opponent who leans towards drawing some penalties. Furthermore Stargazing need to shake off their sloppy finish of the regular season (5-5-0 record) that they had after a pretty promising start.

Prediction:

@Franky__2768: Sinister 4-3

@Mikka: 2-4 Stargazing

That wraps it up for now. Good luck in the first round everyone, and remember to tune in tomorrow for our Pro broadcast at 19.45 CET. Drop your flaming hot takes and predictions in the comments as well, if you have any!

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

ECL '22 Winter: Core Playoffs - Round 1

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 17:25:19 +0000

NHLGamers,

The ECL '22 Winter 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 6th of February 2022 and end on Friday the 11th of February 2022.

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

Round 1 6.-11.2
Round 2 13.-18.2
Round 3 20.-25.2
Quarterfinals 27.2.-4.3
Semifinals 6.3-11.3
Finals TBA

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 Winter Core Playoffs

Good luck for everyone!

ECL '22 Winter: Neo Playoffs - Round 1

Sun, 06 Feb 2022 17:23:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

The ECL '22 Winter Neo Playoffs are here and we have got some very strong teams that are ready to go to war in the postseason. In Neo, the playoffs consist of the top 6 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 6th of February 2022 and end on Friday the 11th of February 2022.

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

Round 1 6.-11.2
Round 2 13.-18.2
Quarters 20.-25.2
Semis 27.2.-6.3
Finals TBA

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.

Here are the matchups for round 1 of the ECL '22 Winter Neo Playoffs:

(9) HC JEUSSEN vs Absolute (24)

(10) Oldies Hockey Club vs Engerau Pythons (23)

(11) Team IronFist vs Starbulls Esport (22)

(12) GKS Tychy Esports vs EHC Kaernten (21)

(13) SWISS TIGERS vs The Flying Elbows (20)

(14) London Lightning vs Black Wings HC (19)

(15) Pirates eSports Origins vs Crocodiles Hamburg eSports (18)

(16) EC Bad Nauheim eSports vs Caterpillar HC (17)

Good luck for everyone!

Rulebook update - Misc. Changes

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:00:19 +0000

The League Administration has made some changes/clarifications to the rulebook. Please see the specifics below. You may access the rulebook through the usual links, or by clicking here.

Neo: Playoffs

Given ECL Neo’s unique standing in the ECL system, we often have to examine the current state of play regarding the division, and this season is no different.

In the rulebook published for this season, we stated that five teams from each group, plus the next two highest ranked teams would progress to the playoffs – this would have given us 32 teams when working under the assumption that there would be six groups of teams.

However, due to this season having four groups of teams, we have decided to make the following adjustments:

The overall number of playoff teams will be moved to 24 from 32
The number of teams making the playoffs from each group will rise to 6

To make this number of playoff teams work (24 cannot work in a standard playoff structure where exactly half the number of teams are eliminated each round), 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 victors joining the top 8 seeds in the second round.

Pro / Core / Lite Prize Pool

The Licenses have been tallied up for each division and we can announce the final prize pools for the Pro, Lite and Core Winter seasons.

The number of licenses purchased for the divisions were:

Pro 32 (Compulsory)
Lite 28
Core 37

After deducting the payment provider fees and VAT, the payouts for the divisions will be as per the below image.

As a reminder, the prize pool only applies to teams who purchased the license. For a full list of Lite and Core licenses, see below:

Quote

ECL Lite Licenses:

Arkham Asulym

Armada Hockey

Baby Goons

Bastu

Blessed Suedis

DEG eSports

Deggendorfer SC eSports

EHC Biel Bienne eSports

EHC TATNEFT AK BARS

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY

Free From Rodents

Frolunda HC Academy

Golden Nights

Hyperion

IK Oskarshamn

Including Me

Lutunilkat

Mora IK

Pasilan SKA

Powerhouse HC

Prima eSport) (

Project X

Resurrection

RoKi Esports

Sjukstugan, now Linköping HC

Stone Age

TTK

Ultimatum

ECL Core Licenses:

Almtuna eSport

Carlstad Kings Esports Club

Carolina Reapers

Carolus Icemen

CZ JDOUCI NA SMRT SK

DUNDER

EHC Basel Esports

Eisbären Lauf

EiSKALATiON

Eliel Kings

EPINAL HC ESPORT

Ersc Amberg eSports

Frolunda HC Region

Hammer time

HC Palosaari

Herforder Ice Dragons eSports

Immortal Street Dogs

Iserlohn Roosters eSports

Khoomat

Lausanne HC esports

Masari

Mighty Stixxx

Nordic 65

noRex Academy

Nurnberg IceTigers eSport

Occitania HC

Old Primates

Pass The puck

Rahinage

Sawolanche

Seinajoki Noms

Stayhard Stallions

Stick Magnetico

Techno Vikings

The Expendables

Wasp

WRAH

Disconnect Protocol: Update

Due to a set of cases pertaining to disconnects and how teams are supposed to act, we have decided to update and add further clarification as to how team's should approach the situation:

If the player has disconnected (icon not shown above their in-game player's head) before face-off, the game will stop immediately and teams are required to clear the puck.

If the player has disconnected (icon not shown above their in-game player's head) and the puck is in the neutral zone, the game will stop immediately and teams are required to clear the puck.

The above rule does not apply if a player disconnects outside of the game situation, e.g., while a counter-attack is taking place. If this occurs, then teams must:
- Play out the immediate game situation. Once the initial game situation has been played out (e.g., odd-man rush no-longer applies) teams are required to clear the puck as soon as possible.
If there are disagreements whether a goal scored during this time should count or not, teams must submit video proof to League Administration for review

If a player drops in either offensive/defensive zone the immediate game situation should be played out. The game situation cannot be extended beyond this and teams are required to clear the puck as soon as possible

If there are disagreements whether a goal scored during this time should count or not, teams may submit video proof to League Administration for review

EA Update Issues & Subsequent Rescheduling

In a recent update that EA published, it made entering World of Chel difficult for some players, meaning that unfortunately some games were postponed. As such an event is outside the realm of control for teams, we have decided to make some slight modifications to some of the deadlines to finish the regular season.

As such, the rulebook now states that:
All regular season games in ECL Elite must be finished by the close of the 10th of February 2022;

ECL Pro by the 6th of February 2022
ECL Lite by the 6th of February 2022
ECL Core by the 3rd of February 2022
ECL Neo by the 3rd of February 2022.

With that being said, we ask that teams try to finish and report their games as soon as possible, in order for our staff to set up the playoffs and for our writers to write the playoff previews.

ECL '22 Winter: Elite Weekly - ZSC Esports on the uprise?

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 07:42:57 +0000

NOTE: This article was written on Monday, 31st of January and reflects the situation prior to the matchups that evening.

We started off the week with a very hot matchup in the broadcast, as SAWO ESPORTS and HAVU Gaming clashed. Both teams are currently in great form and the games had both big points and pride at stake. SAWO have started off with an explosion and surged towards securing a playoff berth with the lead of Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Jere @jxrska Laukka on the wings, whereas HAVU Gaming have slowly found their winning ways after an exceptionally slow start to the season. Eventually, it all came down to the clinic that SAWO ESPORTS goaltender Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen put on display to clinch wins in both games for his team, earning him one of the best performances of the week already on Monday evening.

Atop the standings we can still find hREDS, who suffered their first few losses of the season over the course of the last week. It was a tough week to say the least for the big, bad REDS, who faced IQUE, Frölunda HC and GOONS with three wins, two losses and an OT loss as the outcome. Frölunda HC currently stand back in 5th place, but have some games in hand on the teams ahead of them. The Indians are looking strong as usual and won all of their four games over the past week, despite extending to overtime against both hREDS and Roots Gaming. Especially the big wins against hREDS will give them a big boost of confidence if the two end up clashing in the postseason eventually.

Around the middle of the pack, it's great to see that Swiss outfit ZSC Esports have managed to mount a formidable playoff push by racking up a nice four wins in their six games of the week, including two massive OT wins against Örebro Hockey. Big efforts by captain Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi and his winger turned backup goaltender Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner have propelled them on an upwards trajectory that might just be enough to reach into the playoff race. There's still a lot of work left to be done, but things are looking good if they can keep their form up.

One team that started their season in great form, but has cooled off quite fast is Örebro Hockey. The team managed to win great teams like Frölunda HC and IQUE early on, but have now fallen into a losing fashion, faltering in games against ZSC Esports, Conquer Gaming and Färjestad BK lately. There's still a case pending investigation by the League Administration regarding their home matchup against Färjestad, so the end result for that one is yet to be determined. Either way, Örebro will need to course correct sooner than later if they want to sneak into the playoffs this season.

In addition to Örebro, another team that started their season in great shape but have since slipped into losing ways in GOONS, who have only collected four points out of their eight latest games. They have had some minor issues with scoring, but also with possession play to some extent, not in terms of being outpossessed, but they are having some trouble setting up plays from time to time and have to resort to counter attacking a bit too much as a result. This week will bring games against Roots Gaming, Örebro and ZSC Esports, so GOONS are hoping to turn their ship around and rack up some much needed points in these games.

HAVU Gaming had an excellent week as a team, but individually, Juho @RutonMosse Kinnunen (Juigelson) seems to be heating up too. The younger Kinnunen brother is now cashing in on the potential and all the hype surrounding him over the years. With 19+19=38 points in 18 games at this point of the season, the winger is on track for a career season and is manning the #1 spot in league scoring at the moment.

Our newest site update has brought some new individual statistics, bringing new layers to statistical analysis. Among skaters an interesting notion is that IQUE forward Janne @Nieppii Niemelä sticks out like a sore thumb as the forward with the most possession time by far. This further emphasizes the importance of Nieppi for his team, but also raises some questions about the style of play that IQUE are enforcing. An impressive stat going along with that possession time is the fact that Nieppi has drawn the most penalties league-wide with 17 infractions by opposing players toward him.

It's been an equally impressive week for both HAVU Gaming defensemen Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto and Wille @willekunq Juntunen, who are currently manning the #1 and #3 spots in point production for defensemen. Especially Nassustelija boosted his stat line with a good 11 points in the past six games. Young Niko @vVoDee Vottonen continues impressing for Roots Gaming, despite not topping the tables in any statistics, he has been very active all around the ice by laying the body causing turnovers, and jumping in on the offense when given the opportunity. He is an early nominee for rookie of the season in my mind.

ECL '22 Winter: Elite Weekly - IQUE On Fire

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 19:19:00 +0000

Another week of ECL Elite has been played and I don’t think the action thus far has left anyone hanging. We are getting closer to the mid-season point as every team has now played against five or six opponents. This week, the last teams got their first wins of the season but we still got one team without any losses as hREDS won all of their six games this week, continuing undefeated.

When we are talking about hot teams there is no denying that SAWO ESPORTS is one of those. Right now, they are at 2nd place in the standings and have won eight games in a row. They have three losses under their belt but two of those were against hREDS and one against IQUE, equally hot teams. All of those games were one goal games. Goal scoring hasn't been a problem for these young guys as both of their wingers Jere @jxrska Laukka and Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen have snuck into the top 5 of goal scorers within the league. Especially @Vattuyy was on fire last week with 13 goals in eight games.

Another team that has just kept improving their game is IQUE. They started the week with full points against Conquer Gaming which isn't that surprising as they are right now manning the last place in the league. After that IQUE had their toughest challenge so far this season against Frölunda HC. A win against them in the other game was already a surprise but IQUE didn't stop there as they managed to get four points against another favorite GOONS. A huge week for IQUE and this week definitely gave them keys to the future. Captain Janne @Nieppii Niemelä showed his leadership for the team by scoring three of five goals against GOONS including the game winning goal in both games.

On the other hand, those games against IQUE were not what GOONS wanted. Those two losses increased their losing streak to four games, as earlier in the week they lost both games to Färjestad BK. The Swedish team is right now in 5th place but their week ended in a loss against YMCA Esports. At the same time Färjestad BK said goodbye to their winning streak which ended up being seven games long. One important factor for them being in good form is definitely their goalie Johan @McSavid Rundqvist who gave them a chance to win in the last game of the week allowing only one goal. Speaking of YMCA Esports, they still have a lot of improvement to make in their game even though they managed to get four points out of another Swedish group, Granit Gaming.

After a bit of a slow start, multiple champion HAVU Gaming is seeming to get back into form. We have to remember that this week their opponents weren't top tier but still, you have to get points from all possible games and that's what HAVU Gaming did as they got their six game winning streak going. An important thing for the future was that Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha got much needed success on the goal scoring front with eight goals last week, including two hat-tricks against Northern Ascendancy.

The last four teams in the league right now are Northern Ascendancy, Djurgården Hockey, HV71 and Conquer Gaming. Djurgården Hockey have troubles scoring, only averaging a goal each game. The other three have to find a way to shut their doors as they are getting scored on at a rate of 3.0 goals per game or higher. Out of these team's, we have to mention Daniel @Demski_ Gadd and his performance last week for HV71 as against Roots Gaming. In the first game he scored the overtime winning goal and after that had a hat-trick in the second match.

A big reason for hREDS keeping their winning streak alive this week was Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen, who scored a total of 11+7=18 points this week and had a 4 goal night against Örebro Hockey. We've also seen two new scoring duos sneak into the top 10. HAVU's Risto @Dominointi Järvi had a good week with together with @FlyerKungen, while SAWO dynamic duo @Vattuyy and @jxrska scored 27 goals combined out of SAWO's 31 in the past week.

Our top 3 is the exact same as last week in terms of defender scoring. Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta is still in search of twine in 1st place with 14 assists. Niko @vVoDee Vottonen from Roots Gaming has found a way to put the puck in the net, leading all defensemen with four goals. In 7th place, we can find Fredrik @maharajah2014(sparkaronnberg) Mickelsson-Holm who, besides scoring points also blocked 28 shots which is the most among defensemen by a clear margin. Wille @willekunq Juntunen had a crazy six-point night against Northern Ascendancy, which boosted him a bit, let's see if he can repeat that later on.

Transfers

Granit Gaming
IN Reittu @Roisto999 Hynynen, Goaltender
The first transfer has been seen as Reittu @Roisto999Hynynen went to Granit Gaming. Last season he played in SAWO ESPORTS and has been on the free market until now. The goalie, who has been playing since ECL 4 will bring them a lot of experience and a culture of winning. We will see if he gets games for the Swedish team but one thing is sure that he will be good motivator for Edvin @Thunborg5Thunborg to stop pucks at an even better rate than before.

ECL '22: Winter Pro Mid-Season Report - Who's Hot & Who's Not?

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 12:43:00 +0000

Around two and a half weeks of competition have passed. Now it has come time for us to take a look at the teams exceeding expectations, and on the other hand the ones who have been underperforming.

This time for the Pro mid-season report I have decided to mainly highlight teams that have either played better or worse than they were expected to prior to the season. To see how even the as-expected teams have done, along with a few milder surprises like Geekz Energy eSports, please take a look at the standings. On the league page behind that link you can also find out all the individual statistics you would possibly want to. Now without any further delay, let’s take a look at who has been flaming hot and who, in turn, icy cold during this ongoing regular season.

NOTE: This article was written based on the standings and statistics after the games played on Monday 17 January, and further updated after Tuesday 18 January with honorable mentions and up to date info. Any further results are not reflected.

Group 1

HOT

Hokurit

This is a team that definitely took their time to reach the Pro division, having played in Lite for five seasons prior to finally gaining the promotion through the qualifier. Even though their lineup has obviously changed over the years, all that chemistry building seems to have led to an instant adjustment to the higher level. Based on points per game Hokurit currently sit tied at first place with Dynastia, JYP Jyväskylä, Tohtorit and HanaaHC.

Elite-experienced @MCH_98 in his second Hokurit-season is having an otherworldly one for a defenseman, 7+24=31 points in 16 games and leading his team in scoring by a clear margin. We will see if the team can keep up on a similar pace during the second half, as thus far they have not really faced any of the fellow top-table teams. They even lost one game against each of the teams currently in the bottom three.

Sinister

With a 1.44 ppg (points per game), just below that of the top5's 1.5, Sinister is another team that were expected to be in the playoff battle but perhaps not by such a margin, the next highest ppgs being 1.14 by AfroDunk and 1.13 by Björklöven. ECL rookie @JerePaloranta (Harlowi-) (14 GP, 16+8=22) has been firing goals at around a 1.14 per game pace and is leading the team in scoring, meanwhile our season preview’s player to watch @PuukAesi (rransu) has been backstopping the team with decent enough stats as well: 14 GP, 79.34 SV%, 1.79 GAA, 5 SO.

Whether or not Sinister will cool off during the remainder of the regular season remains to be seen, though it seems likely with most of their opponents being below the playoff line, similarly to Hokurit. A cooling of some sorts has already started happening with them losing their last four games. To change that trajectory they will have to try to feed off of the strong start, as well as the upset of narrowly missing the playoffs last season. It should also be noted that two of their wins were walkovers from SPARTIATES X MCES.

Tohtorit

Tohtorit sit firmly at a playoff spot amongst the five-way tie for first place, which in itself is a surprise. Although they only got one point against JYP Jyväskylä, they have not dropped more than two to anyone else while taking down some strong names. Granted, both VISU Gaming and Deadly Phantoms have had rough starts, but getting full points against projected top teams is not a small feat for an inexperienced team that only has one Core season under their belt.

After making the team miss the first week of play due to his beach vacation, @Wpaanane (14 GP, 17+15=32) has more than made up for it with his scoring. The break of a couple weeks does not seem to have done any harm to Tohtorit, and it will be exciting to see how their second half will fare.

Dynastia

Top of the table, Dynastia went on a solid nine game winning streak soon after the season started. Most of their opponents have been around the mid-table, but they also showed up against top competition by stomping JYP Jyväskylä with a convincing 6-2 result, even if they lost the first game 1-4. In their last two matchups they lost one game against both RCTIC and PENTA, which is a trend they need to stop on its tracks immediately if they want to stay in the tight battle for the top seed. @Pikkardz (Pikkarii) (16 GP, 17+21=38) has been truly on fire, scoring 1.46 times the points his fellow forwards @xHatsi and @Majuri20 (Diktaattori62) have.

Honorable mention: AfroDunk took another three points on Tuesday and have thus clawed their way to seventh place in points per game. Initially predicted to only have an outside shot at the playoffs, it will be interesting to find out if they can keep this up.

COLD

VISU Gaming

Widely seen as a title contender prior to the season, the Finns have performed nowhere near to the expected level. After losing their season opener against Deadly Phantoms they went on to win the next four, losing the next five before snapping the streak with an overtime win against Hokurit on Monday. With their routine and amount of time logged practicing, it seems only a matter of time when they will return to what they can be. On the other hand, Rookie Mistakes showed last season how those title dreams can evaporate in no time unless they start executing on a proper level. They lost their last game 7-1 against RCTIC on the NHLGamer broadcast on Tuesday night.

Deadly Phantoms

Another team that was expected to be surefire playoff caliber, this former Elite side has not had a dream start either. Even though there have been way too many losses, some of their wins have been quite convincing. There is another beacon of hope for the Germans though: their current record after 14 games is 6-6-2, meanwhile last season they went all the way to the finals after only having managed 4-7-3 at the same point. Repeating that feat may be quite a task to ask, but they have only lost one player from their starting six since then.

PENTA

PENTA is currently sitting at third last, which is not an ideal position to be at near the midway point for a team that was predicted to be battling for the playoffs. They have some extremely experienced names on their roster, so perhaps that is the way they will have to look at to help turn the ship around. They only have two wins if the walk overs against SPARTIATES X MCES are left out of the equation, though those came against top table teams Hokurit and Dynastia. Maybe there is something to be implemented from those wins, or otherwise the Germans will be looking at another trip to the qualifier for the second consecutive season.

SPARTIATES X MCES

The third Central European side on our list of underperformers, the French outfit has been in big trouble thus far. Having to give out four walk over losses is not doing them any favors either. The ten game losing streak (including the WOs) needs to be snapped as soon as possible if they want to even avoid immediate relegation, meanwhile a playoff spot is looking practically impossible at this point. Even if they were not expected to repeat their playoff berth from last season, this kind of start has been a sizable letdown. Trailing the second-to-last place Company of Geeks by only 0.07 points per game, they both need to do something if they want to keep on playing in Pro next season.

Honorable mention: Company of Geeks. While somewhat expected, with a 3-10-1 record and 15th place there is not much that needs to be said here.

Group 2

HOT

Hawaii Hockey

For a team that did not even have a forward trio locked up just days before the season begun, Hawaii Hockey has been doing extremely well. They have played a bit more games than most of the others, so their position in the standings drops from third to seventh when sorting by points per game. That is still above the playoff line though, and if they can continue at a pace around their 1.25 ppg they will make the playoffs quite comfortably.

Fiasko is the only team Hawaii Hockey managed to win in both games, but they have still been able to get at least one win against everyone except GHETTO FIREBIRDS. Not many full point nights are needed if they can keep on getting 2-3 points steadily from every team they face.

Herlev Eagles

After finishing 3rd in their group in ECL 11 Pro, the Eagles missed the playoffs last season. That led to some changes, and now with a revamped roster led by the whole division's top two scorers, @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_) (16 GP, 21+22=43) and @keranee (16 GP, 13+29=42), they are second in their group by ppg. Backed up with @TeikDaun's unreal 12 GP, 90.65%, 0.83 GAA, 6 SO statline, a playoff spot seems inevitable at this point. That should lead to their focus being shifted towards making it past the first round this time, something they failed to do in ECL 11.

GHETTO FIREBIRDS

We predicted GHETTO to be a contender, though with the uncertainty regarding their roster this kind of a start has been a slight surprise. Their first try for a new RW in @Chevikov (Hikoilija__) did not work out, but bringing in @Jerax13 just before the transfer deadline will be a tremendous addition, if he can play often enough. Aside from Reality Check they have not really faced any top table opponents, so it remains to be seen if they cool down as the challenge ramps up. @Jeresti (12 GP, 85.71%, 1.42 GAA, 5 SO) has been great as usual, sitting in second place among starting goalies' SV% in the league.

Reality Check

The Finns' return to Pro level after a few seasons' absence has been quite successful thus far, with them sitting firmly at the top of the table. @kim_johan (18 GP, 3+21=24) and @vvlampela (cTunkeilija) (18 GP, 17+20=37) have been able to fit in to the ECL 12 Lite Champion right away, along with netminder @FINSeRe (18 GP, 85.35%, 1.28 GAA, 2 SO).

Reality Check has been able to rack up wins left and right no matter who they have played against, even going on a nine game winning streak. The playoff spot is practically clinched at this point with only a few more wins needed, so there is only one question: can they become back to back champions?

Honorable mention: GIFU Hockey fought their way through the qualifier and are currently in the last playoff spot with an 8-6-2 record.

COLD

noRex Gaming

With one more Central European team entering the cold category, one has to start thinking how much of an effect the current matchmaking system has on these teams' seasons. Last season we saw most of the Central teams starting to heat up towards the end, so maybe noRex is another team that just needs some high level games to get used to the competition again.

Sitting near the bottom in both points and points per game at the midway mark is definitely not what they wanted, nor what was expected. There is still time to turn the course though, with the German organization still having 16 games left to play. Getting RD @Paddyy1903 back from an absence and immediately beating top team Renascor twice in regulation could corral them on that path.

Pata Hellalla

Pata's lack of practice seems to finally have an effect on them now that the game changed so much compared to the last version. This friend group is near the bottom of the table, so a quick u-turn is needed to keep the race on. They have been scoring at a decent enough rate, but a GA/GP of 3.5, the worst in Group 2, is dragging them down. After only winning two of their first six, they were on a better path with three wins out of the last four games before losing twice to top table Stargazing. Avoiding relegation should be the priority at this point.

Hotbox

Another ECL 12 Pro playoff team, Hotbox was not predicted to repeat that feat either. Currently tied with Fiasko for last in their group by points per game, they better start getting some wins on the board to avoid instant relegation and hopefully the qualifier as well. Defense should be their main focus for improvement with them having the group's second highest goals allowed per game (3.31), though a 1.69 GF/GP, worst in the group, is not looking great either. A huge step up all over the ice is needed right away.

Fiasko

A team with an unfortunate name, Fiasko has already played almost all of their games without much success. Avoiding instant relegation is not going to be easy, with all of their remaining opponents being near or clearly above the playoff line. Many of their players were part of ECL 12 Core Champion Resurrection, and the huge difference in competition level between the divisions has been thrown to their face quite hard.

Honorable mention: WannaCry. After the addition of @Crisu_rottis they seemed to have picked up the pace a little, but they fell further under the playoff line again after having to throw in defenseman @Nikiiz_89 as an emergency backup LW against Reality Check, resulting in two losses on our Tuesday broadcast.

There are still a lot of points left up for grabs as the ECL ‘22: Winter Pro season is set to end on 3 February, so good luck and have fun as you look to clinch that coveted playoff berth. We will be right back at you come playoff time with the Round 1 preview, see you then! And as always, feel free to comment with any interesting tidbits you might have

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

ECL '22 Winter Lite: Prima eSport have found another level

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 14:09:21 +0000

We're past the midway point in ECL Lite, and it's time to go through some of the phenomenons of the season so far. One has been above all others, and that is Prima eSport, who are on another level completely. Who will rise to the occasion and challenge them?

As in the very beginning of the season it looked like the season will be very exciting and new teams are about to make their mark in the Lite division, this season it has already been evident. Let's briefly look through each of the groups what they look like and some of the few players that have made a significant contribution towards their team's success. We'll also highlight some games that look interesting for the later part of the regular season. As usual, most of the teams in the division certainly deserve their time in the spotlight, but due to the size of the division, we won't be able to highlight them all.

Group 1

The most unexpected result is that Powerhouse HC has stuck down below the playoff line and is most likely to battle for the last spot in the postseason with Project X - another favorite in the group. Prima eSport was one contender candidate in the beginning of the season and has performed above all expectations. They were a potential team to have success but leading their group with a remarkable record at this stage is more than expected.

EHC Biel Bienne eSports was before the season considered to be one of the teams of the season. At this point, they lie below the playoff line, but nothing has been lost yet. A lot of good teams are on the hunt for those last playoff spots, so I'm sure we'll see a tough and hard fought battle in the later half of the season.

Tadpole is one of the many teams with Core experience that have made the step up this. So far they have achieved good results and have chances of finishing in the top 4 of the regular season. There's a minimal margin between positions 2-8 so in this very even regular season anything is still possible. Except for the top spot solidified for Prima eSport, all other positions are still up for grabs.

Group 2

Arkham Asylum has started well like expected. They are capitalizing on their potential now and are one of the strongest teams in the league at the moment, only looking better as time goes. Linköping HC has also been strong like in previous seasons and their experience really shows. It remains to be seen if they can keep up the form towards the end of the group stage too. At the moment they are leading the group quite comfortably but EHC TATNEFT AK BARS and Ace Hockey are trailing with some games in hand.

We'll also see a tough race for the last playoff positions as several teams lie within a few points margin in the middle of the standings. Lutunilkat, Murohoki, The Last Line and Hyperion are likely to have fierce battles in the last rounds for positions 7-8. Murohoki, The Last Line and Hyperion have less games and Lutunilkat. Upcoming games between the four of them will hold some big points up for grabs, possibly determining the outcome of the season for some teams.

Group 3

Golden Nights and IK Oskarshamn are among the teams who should fight for the top spot of the group, although IKO have quite a few games played more than others at this point. There are a few teams like Spirit, Baby Goons and Bastu pursuing top 4 positions and could end up making a convincing case for themselves.

there's still a lot of hockey to be played and the mid-table spots are up for grabs for teams like Punakala, Thunder United and Toxicity. Unexpectedly Rusty Bulls has had a slow start. They need to improve in order to keep their postseason dreams alive. In favor of them, they have some games in hand at the moment, so if they can be effective there's time to turn the ship around.

Group 4

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY has taken their place at the top in this group as expected, they are continuing with a close to perfect record. Bellizi and It's a nice city are trailing and both could be considered to be mild surprises that high in the standings at this point. Oulunsalo HT and TTK are also the teams that are in hot pursuit of top 4 placement.

Kymmenelta Baariin, RoKi Esports, Including Me and 5th Line Heroes are some of the teams that are playing for the last remaining playoff spots. Both Including Me and Roki will still meet group leader FILADELPHIA ACADEMY for a true test of their form, and they could possibly have a say in the race for #1 within the group too if all goes well.

Players to watch

@Philip Deemus (PHDeemus) Prima eSports GP 26 48+32=80
One of the phenomenons of the season so far in Prima eSports has this weapon up front, who combines for a dangerous duo with eBasstian.

@eBasstian Prima eSports GP 24 25+41=66
Same goes as for his teammate, both of these players must be in shape to secure success for Prima eSports to continue their tremendous season.

@xAaro89x FILADELPHIA ACADEMY GP 14 38+14=52
Remarkable record: 52 points in 14 games. Is definitely one of the biggest ingredients of FILADEPHIA ACADEMY in competing for the title this season.

@iSvamp Prima eSports GP 26 11+41=52 +55
Leads defensemen in almost all statistics and is in great form. Also has contributed a huge deal to Prima eSport's great season.

@RaNtA (Ranta83) Linköping HC GP 18 W 14 84,42 SV% 1,33 GAA 7 SO
Statistically one of the best goalies in the league right now. Can steal games for his team and if he stays hot, could take LHC far.

@denkaan_ Prima eSport GP 26 W 23 79,29 SV% 2,23 GAA 3 SO
Leads all goalies in wins, but is playing on a slightly more dominant team than for example Ranta83 for LHC. An interesting statistical comparison.

Games to watch

FILADELPHIA Academy vs Including Me Tuesday January 18th Group 4
Timrå IK vs Tadpole Wednesday January 19th Group 1
IK Oskarsham vs Spirit Tuesday January 25th Group 3
FILADELPHIA ACADEMY vs RoKi Esports Tuesday January 25th Group 4
Linköping HC vs Ace Hockey Sunday January 30th Group 2
EHC Biel Bienne eSports vs Project X Tuesday February 1st Group 1

In general most of the groups look like they could be very open in terms of both the #1 spot and the last playoff spots. In fact, Prima eSport is the only current group leader with a clear margin to their competitors. Linköping HC is close to gaining a good lead, but with some games more played than the competition. Overall, we can expect a very exciting end to the regular season, and a lot of tough battles as we move closer to the last rounds.

ECL '22 Winter: Elite Weekly - hREDS continue undefeated

Mon, 17 Jan 2022 15:29:00 +0000

It's been a wild first week of Elite action in the ECL and we've seen quite a few surprising outcomes. Still, the defending champions hREDS remain the sole undefeated squad and we'll be left to follow how long that streak will extend. On the other end of the spectrum, HV71 and Northern Ascendancy are still in pursuit of their first wins of the season.

Some exciting matchups were on display right from the get-go as the season opener broadcast featured four team expected to make the playoffs. The new Swedish superteam Granit Gaming met with Färjestad BK in their newly formed rivalry and shared wins in their low-scoring bouts, after which HAVU Gaming and GOONS did just the same in their games. The dynamic between HAVU and GOONS is also interesting, as HAVU is that long time contender on the decline, whereas GOONS is emerging to take their place at the top in contention with the likes of Frölunda HC and hREDS.

Speaking of Frölunda HC, the former FILADELPHIA had a great start to the season, but didn't quite find their scoring form early on. Despite overwhelming Northern Ascendancy with attack throughout 120 minutes of play, a combined 43 shots including more than a few high-danger chances yielded only five goals for their first night of play. The same dominant offensive pressure continued against the notoriously good defensive team HV71 and the total opposite in Örebro Hockey, who tend to play a fast paced counter-attacking style. Although not converting on chances to the best of their abilities yet, Frölunda HC are still the second highest scoring team in the league at this point - one goal behind GOONS. On top of that, Erik @Eki Tammenpää, who's been involved in nearly every goal they've scored sits at #2 in scoring with 18 points in total.

A bit of an unexpected outcome of the first week is the fact that IQUE has seemingly managed to patch some of the defensive gaps that they struggled with last season. They currently sit at #7 in the league with an impressive GAA of 1.17. However, they've not yet been that productive on offense either, which should pick up if they'll want to stay in their current playoff position in the standings. In that department, especially experienced winger Jere @jergelii Jortama will need to up his game, as he has currently only amassed 1+2=3 points in the first six games.

One of the most exciting stories early on could be that of Roots Gaming, who managed to sneak into the European top 16 at the expense of the former SAWO ESPORTS roster that ended up disbanding in the preseason. Roots have a tremendously skilled ensemble that plays a fast passing style of play that can dismantle any defense in the league when given the opportunity. These young guns currently sit at #8 with only four games played. Tonight's matchup against hREDS will be a big test for them, and especially captain Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen holds a big role in anchoring his team ahead of their first big games in the bright lights.

The ECL 12 Pro Champions Djurgarden Hockey were also expecting a type of learning curve with their first Elite experience, but it has perhaps been a bit steeper than predicted. Like so many other squads in the bottom half of the standings, they've struggled mightily with scoring, which is looking like it might be a theme for the season if the same trend continues. Djurgarden have, however, managed to grab their first win of the season at the expense of established Elite squad YMCA Esports, who haven't started out on the right foot. Undeniably, YMCA's schedule wasn't too favourable as they met both GOONS and hREDS in their first few bouts, so they are expecting a bounce back as the season moves on.

At the bottom of the standings, we find HV71 for now. The newly promoted club hailing from Jönköping didn't quite find their stride in the first week of competition, but we'll admit their schedule wasn't too favorable either. Having kept the games close against Örebro and Frölunda is already a good start, and getting a point out of their matchup against GOONS will send them on their way towards a hopefully bigger catch in the second week.

Individually, GOONS youngster Roope @pikkuroger Bergström has been at the top of his game early on this season. The left winger leads the league in scoring after six games at a total of 13+6=19 points and a contribution to almost all of the goals scored by his team. As mentioned previously, also @Eki has started off hot and is in second place. The man is used to topping the scoring tables, but has now taken on the role as the main finisher for Frölunda, a position usually occupied by teammate Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, who we're expecting to heat up later on.

Among defensemen, the most productive players have been Frölunda RD Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta at 0+9=9 and hREDS' Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen at 1+7=8 points. However, as defensive individuals perhaps surprisingly Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen from YMCA Esports and Putte @Putteekiing Unasin from HV71 stand out as the most effective at separating offensive players from the puck. Rimpe leads all defenseman at 25 takeaways, while Putte leads the league in hits at 45. Both of these guys represent teams who have struggled early on and will benefit from these guys keeping their form going.

Transfers
It's a somewhat rare occasion to see some movement at the Elite level after the start of the season, and to this point nothing ground-breaking has happened during the first week of action. The rumor mill is also running on fumes, so this one will be up to you guys - post your transfer rumors in the comments section!

Remember to tune in for tonight's ECL Elite broadcast at 19:45 CET! Tonight we'll get to enjoy Conquer Gaming vs IQUE and hREDS vs Roots Gaming. Join us at www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

REMINDER: ECL '22 Winter transfer deadline

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 15:53:25 +0000

NHLGamers,

We would like to remind every team that the transfer window for ECL '22 Winter Neo, Core, Lite and Pro expires on Monday, January 17th at 23:59:59 CET. Originally the deadline was on Sunday, 16th of January, but due to a mistake where the wrong month was mentioned in the rulebook, LA has decided to allow an extension of two days.

Lainaa

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

ECL Elite: 23rd of January 2022

ECL Pro: 17thof January 2022

ECL Lite: 17th of January 2022

ECL Core: 17th of January 2022

ECL Neo: 17th of January 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 Winter Elite Guide - Back to back?

Sun, 09 Jan 2022 11:19:00 +0000

The new Winter-Spring split for the ECL kicks things into high gear for the biggest year of competitive virtual hockey to date. Check out all you need to know about how the action in the European top 16 is going to unfold.

Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt and Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann from Granit Gaming are your ECL '22 Winter Cover Gamers, check out their presentation and interview here.

Season information

To find out about everything that's new with ECL '22, check out our earlier season information article.

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

Regular season: 10.1.-3.2.
Transfer deadline: 16.1. 23:59 CET
Quarterfinals (BO7) 14.2.-17.2.
Semifinals (BO7) 04.3 [LAN] / 21.02 – 24.02 [Not LAN]
Finals (BO7) 5.3

Default gamedays for the ECL '22: Winter Elite division will be on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with broadcasts on the NHLGamer Twitch at 19:45 CET on every gameday.

The very first broadcast will be on Monday, January 10th at 19:45 CET, and in the booth will be your favourite caster duo Cody @Tougie24 Tougas & Paul @Cyn Anderson! Make sure not to miss the season opener between Färjestad BK and Granit Gaming, followed by the clash of two potential contenders in GOONS vs HAVU Gaming.

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

The prize pool for ECL '22 Winter Elite is going to be 11000 EUR and will be split as visualized below. As you can see, ECL '22 Spring Elite will follow the same split and an additional 11000 EUR will be up for grabs in the grand final.

Season preview

Welcome to the first ever ECL '22 Winter Elite season. Our new Winter-Spring split brings everything up a notch as we'll be crowning one grand champion to cap off the ECL year. The stakes are higher than ever as this season gives the top 16 teams in Europe the chance to punch their ticket to the grand finals, and earn the biggest share of the 11 000 EUR prize pool.

Over the past few competitive tournaments here at NHLGamer, it's been a back-and-forth battle between the reigning champion hREDS and Frölunda HC, who managed to win the FCL title to cap off the NHL 21 competitive season. The new NHL 22 game brings an interesting spice to the mix, as by now everyone would have had enough time to get accustomed to the game and apply any needed changes to their strategies and tendencies. One interesting thing to watch out for is who will have adapted in the best way to benefit them this season.

In this preview, we've ranked the teams based on insights from a group of panelists, and will be giving some additional info on what to keep an eye on for each squad. Without further ado, let's get to it:

1. hREDS

The reigning champions are heading into the season with an unchanged roster and look as strong as ever based on their competitive form as of late in NHL 22. hREDS is a quick moving puck possession team that can and will outplay any other team in the division with their excellent puck movement and creative plays. Each of their skaters possess that X-Factor and it seems like newest recruit Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen has finally found a squad to really thrive with. The big, bad REDS are definitely one of the clear contenders this season and measured in raw skill could very possibly be the best team out there. However, it'll be interesting to see how they will be able to transition into a more straight forward game if they end up getting shut down at some point of the season. As we know, NHL 22 sometimes will call for players to make the simple, and sometimes boring plays - do they have that side of the game in them?

Player to watch: Filip @Faze91- Azri - Goaltender
The young Swede was a rising star some time ago but has now cemented his place as one of the top netminders in the league. Everything should be set for hREDS to take another title, and if he can up his game yet another level, there's no stopping them.

2. Frölunda HC

As customary for this team, they haven't played as much as some other outfits during the offseason, in fact significantly less than most of the competition - but it hasn't slowed them down in the past either. This always begs the question, when is it going to catch up to them? It's tough to really question Frölunda with a straight face, as they always seem to prove doubters wrong, which is more than likely going to be the story this year again. Their roster will be unchanged and the chemistry is without a doubt still there, which is a massive factor every year, but especially in a game like NHL 22. On the individual level, it seems like especially Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila has taken a step forward and it'll be interesting to see how that translates to his 6v6 game. All in all, it's easy to say we know what we are going to get from Frölunda HC and that is top tier virtual hockey every night, based on their chemistry and routine.

Player to watch: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta - Right defenseman
Perhaps the best all-round defenseman to ever play the game. Has several titles under his belt despite being paired up with various - albeit top tier defensemen by his side. Always brings his best game.

3. GOONS

Last ECL season for GOONS ended against Farjestad BK in the Quarterfinals. In the FCL, GOONS managed to win bronze and they are looking to get into the top 4 places again in the ECL. After the FCL, youngster Arttu @laitineen64(laiitinen) Laitinen came from IQUE where he played his first Elite season. He will join one of best offense trios as he is playing with Kristian @kriketski17(kriketsi17) Veijola and Roope @pikkuroger Bergström. To boost their defense they got Ilmari @iilmarii Töyrylä from JYP and he will bring experience to their own zone as talented Viljo @viba2008 Kähkönen is the youngest player in Elite. In goal they have the most experienced goalie Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu who has played in net in every single season since ECL 1. For example he has played with both hREDS and Frölunda HC. GOONS' next step is to really challenge those two big teams.

Player to watch: Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola - Center/Right Wing
Knows how to put up points but great in the defensive zone as well. Captain and now with two younger guys next to him on offense, he needs to take leadership on and off the ice.

4. HAVU Gaming

It was a tough 2021 for the former champions and continuous contenders. HAVU Gaming ended up having some turnover and losing their edge momentarily, but have still managed to stay within striking distance of the ultimate top. Despite not perhaps looking quite as good as the well-oiled machine they once were, the black and green are still a force to be reckoned with and especially the comeback of superstar defenseman Wille @willekunq Juntunen is going to be a massive factor in their success. For HAVU Gaming, the biggest challenge is going to find a way to incorporate their new left winger Juho @RutonMosse(Juigelson) Kinnunen into their game in an effective way. The younger Kinnunen brother has a lot of skill and is definitely good enough to play at this level, but will he be the right fit for HAVU?

Player to watch: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha - Right wing
HAVU will be relying on their captain a lot this season and FlyerKungen will really need to step up his game in some situations. He's shown it before, but can he do it again and again when counted upon?

5. Granit Gaming

Granit Gaming formed after the last ECL season ended and they've grown into the next Swedish superteam, with some Czech spice in the form of Adam @dzouvi Mensik at center. We're talking about a group of individuals with a tremendous skill level, but they haven't quite yet managed to show that teamplay factor that a true contender team has. Granit is one of the newest outfits in the Elite division alongside the new Conquer Gaming roster with the difference of being a lot more experienced, especially at the level. Their strength will lie in the offensive zone and the ability to stay on the puck, with two of the most elite defensemen in the league in Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann and Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt. One thing that could be worrisome is their goaltending situation - currently it looks like Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg is their sole netminder, and despite being able to perform in a big way in decisive moments, his average SV% in Elite lies around 76, which leaves some room for improvement.

Player to watch: Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann - Right defenseman
The ECL 12 Defenseman of the year AND Transfer of the year returns after his dominant outing. It'll be interesting to see if there's still some potential left in the bank to up his game, and will he be able to improve also on the defensive aspects of it. Definitely one of the most skilled defensemen in the league.

6. SAWO ESPORTS (Former Tunnel Vision)

SAWO ESPORTS’ defense is the same as it was in the last ECL and FCL with Tomi @tombo_02(tomboo-_-) Laitinen and Veeti @Wenger(re_Wenger) Paloneva but their offense has had some big changes. Jere @jxrska Laukka's comeback is important for SAWO and if he continues where he left off in Pro he can be one of top goal scorers in this league. YMCA Esports and SAWO had some player changes between them as Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli went to YMCA and Aleksi @MozjaTG (Mozjayh) Kähkönen came back in return. Like jxrska, also the last piece of the puzzle Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen didn’t get to participate in the last ECL but was allowed play again in the FCL where he represented IQUE and from there he came to SAWO. This group has a lot of potential and one of their biggest strengths is chemistry. Friendships from off the ice can bump their whole game a lot. If their development keeps going, SAWO can battle for top 4 places.

Player to watch: Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen - Right wing
His first season in Elite showed already that he can be a really good asset at the highest level as well. Because of his one season absence, there must be some hunger for more. A really skilled player and has the potential to become one of the best players in Europe right away this season.

7. IQUE

FCL ended in a disappointment for IQUE as they were swept by Otukset. After that, their roster had a few changes. To noost the defense with Nico @zNico(zNicoPS) Tuoreniemi they got Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen from KOVA Esports, who will replace Markus @Makeaxl Lahti. Captain Janne @Nieppii Niemelä is the only forward remaining from FCL. Newcomers to the squad are experienced guys Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko and Jere @jergelii(jergeli) Jortama. Even though all new players have a lot of good history in Elite it won't be an easy season when half of your squad has changed. Their defense will have to get better as last ECL they allowed the third most goals.

Player to watch: Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen - Left defenseman
A great defender who is good in both ends of the ice. Will be in a big role next season if IQUE wants to succeed.

8. Örebro Hockey

Örebro hockey is the former POGGERS and they had a pretty good offseason as they won Sauna Cup which contained basically all the top teams in Europe. Their strengths are definitely in the offensive zone because if they get their game going it is usually a sign for a high scoring game especially from Örebro.A big thing for Örebros game development has been center Jiska @Naeppae Näppä who has really taken some steps forward in his career. The question mark is their goalie Elie @eliekamel87(Eliekamel_) Kamel, he has to prove this season that he is a top goalie capable of performing in Elite. The upcoming season Örebro are looking to take develop even further and based on their recent performances, it would not be the biggest surprise seeing them getting past the first playoff round.

Player to watch : Jan-Mikael @Janski(Jansku23) Aittoniemi - Right winger
As we are talking about goal scoring power from Örebro there is no more important player for them than jansku23. Being the third highest scorer in ECL 12 doesn't require any more explanation. A huge part of which direction Örebro is going this season.

9. Farjestad BK

FBK have been the top Swedish team around for quite some time already, but it feels like we're in for a change with all the turnover that Farjestad ended up having in the offseason. A big part to their success last season was their dominant defensive pairing that is now playing for Swedish rival Granit Gaming, but they've still got their true and tested sniper Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg on the left wing as usual. In the driver seat manning the center lane is Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson, who likes to be the playdriver for the team, but this season he'll have support on his right flank in the form of André @Foppatofflan Liljegren, who joins the green and white to bolster their attack. The biggest question mark is going to be their defensive corps consisting of new recruit Roni @MrNipsuli Kaján and Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen. No doubt, the individual skill is there, but can these two find that much needed chemistry and perform in harmony throughout a gruelling regular season, or the playoffs for that matter? Only time will tell.

Player to watch: Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg - Left wing
It's not that hard to tell why he's the guy to keep an eye on. Affe seems to be the leading scorer for FBK every year and he has also snuck in there among the very Elite of scorers in the scene. Everyone knows he is their go-to-guy, but to this point, there's been no stopping him.

10. YMCA Esports
After their 4-1 Quarterfinals loss to HAVU Gaming in ECL 12 YMCA Esports are looking for a playoff spot again. Joona @jm98II Muona and Antti @Anhel_Kuru Kuru have been playing together now for a couple of seasons. For this season they get Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli from Tunnel Vision as the final piece to the puzzle on offense. Julius @Exel56 Rissanen has also played two seasons in YMCA Esports and his defense pair will be Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen who had his last outing in ECL 11 for Gotham Knights. A lot of things have to get improved For YMCA to repeat a playoff appearance, but we'll have to wait and see.

Player to watch: Joona @jm98II Muona - Left winger
Got his game developed a lot last season and as a result he scored 10 more goals than in ECL 11. We'll see if he can continue trending upwards this season, which would be a big help for his team. Can be a real highlight machine at his best.

11. ZSC Esports

After their first Elite season, ZSC Esports did make only one change to their roster but the new player Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner is a familiar face because he played for ZSC Esports in ECL 10 and 11. The Swiss teams strength is definitely the fact that they have had the same core for a long time. In defense they have a good balance between offense and defense. Reto @Haldeem Haldemann is great in the defensive zone as the other defender Max @Toneee9 Tonitz was the top scorer for his team in ECL 12. Forwards have to get more offense going because last season they were the second lowest team in scoring.

Player to watch: Reto @Haldeem Haldemann - Right defenseman
Has taken big steps forward along his long career. One of the biggest reasons that ZSC made Elite back in ECL 11.

12. Roots Gaming

In the offseason BoxinElite signed under Roots Gaming and will represent them in future tournaments. It wasn't the only good thing that happened to them because they got a chance to qualify for Elite from Pro and Roots didn’t let it slip out of their hands as they won Visu Gaming in the finals 3-1. The offense is the same old for Roots but defensively they've had changes after last ECL. Before the FCL they got Jonas @LE1PAKONE(NordZman_) Nordman from Rusty Blades and promising Niko @vVoDee Vottonen from Bjorkloven. We will see if playing under an organisation will give them an extra boost but at least the Elite qualifiers showed that they belong among the best 6v6 teams in Europe.

Player to watch: Linus @Limu95 Christiansson - Center
Much alike the entire team, he has really elevated his level of play over the past couple of seasons. If development continues could be one of the best forwards in Elite.

13. Djurgarden Hockey

The ECL 12 Pro Champions will be taking their first strides on the Elite ice with the hopes of solidifying their spot among the European top 16. Captain Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg has managed to gather a solid squad that really does teamplay better than anything. They are a really strong unit and can utilize that in any area of the ice, in any game situation. They do have options up front but are most likely going to start out with Amadeus @amadee21 Carlsson, William @Mumsi- Lindblad and Philip @Strumpan87 Ström as their go-to-guys. They will however not be shy to change things up and have some great reserve in Joacim @LordStanley46_ Wilhelmsson if need be.

Player to watch: Valtteri @Sorsa103 Mulari - Goaltender
Sorsa will be making his rookie appearance on the Elite ice, despite his young age, he has slowly made an ascent towards the very top of the goltending talent pool. There's still some way to go, but this could be his real breakout season.

14. Northern Ascendancy

Northern Ascendancy has played many seasons in Elite but almost every season their journey has ended in the regular season or in the first round of playoffs. Fredrik @maharajah2014(sparkaronnberg) Mickelsson-Holm played for the crabs defense already last season, but his partner Juhani @Tanski87Tanskanen came to Northern Ascendancy from Rusty Blades in the offseason. In offense they have captain Connor @MartindalexC Martindale who has played almost every season for Northern Ascendancy since ECL 1. The offense got two Finnish players as Jimi @SadaPoika Leskinen and Aleksi @ADETIKKI(dillynger) Kinnunen came to finish up the roster. Goalie Ville @Supreex Korhonen has to be one of best goalies again this season and their experienced guys needs to step up big for them to have a shot at the playoffs again this season.

Player to watch: Ville @Supreex Korhonen - Goaltender
No doubt one of the best goalies in Europe. Many top teams would want this guy in their net, but he is tough to lure away from the crabbos.

15. HV71

One of the new Swedish teams at the highest level with a great hunger to prove that they do belong among the very best. The meaning of captain Daniel @Demski_ Gadd to this team cannot be understated, but as seen in the ECL 12 Pro playoffs, the addition of Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist has given them some much needed support on the leadership front. However, with the exception of these two, their roster is very green at the Elite level. This means that 4/6 players on their starting roster are rookies, which of course makes for a very interesting story to follow. It's looking like Putte @Putteekiing Unasin and Martin @Zupancic_King424 (Zuppe_29) Zupancic will be their defensemen for the season, while Rubituss and Demski will be joined by new recruit Tuukka @Tukexi (MATILAISKA_) Matilainen on their right flank. Much alike many other Swedish teams, teamplay is the key factor for HV71, but the fact that they are relying on very many players to take a successful step up to the next level puts some clouds on the horizon.

Player to watch: Daniel @Demski_ Gadd - Center
The captain returns to the Elite division for the first time since ECL 8, where he played for one season with Bucketeers (now Färjestad BK). He is the true heart and soul of the team and without a doubt will determine the course of their season.

16. Conquer Gaming

Conquer gaming or former KOVA Esports had a wild offseason to say the least. After last ECL and FCL both their defense and offense have changed almost completely. Juho @juhkis96 Katajamaa, Matias @theMaddias Kilpinen and Valtteri @Kaikkien Janoisten Sankari (Kihan64) Yli-Olli came from Otukset who were the biggest dark horse in the FCL. Eren @Kucherov86(jalkkin-) Yalcin came from Rusty Blades where he played last FCL. There is no denying that their Otukset trio has a good chemistry but it’s interesting to see how their only players left from the original team Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck and Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho will adapt to playing with them and Jalkkin-. Conquer has potential in their squad but the first season with new players will be tough and it’s looking like a relegation battle for them.

Player to watch: Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho - Center
The experienced forward will face his biggest challenge in his career in keeping Conquer in Elite. This season, there's a lot more on his shoulders than only offensive production.

Meet The ECL '22 Winter Cover Gamers: Johan "Lehmannens" Lehmann & Hampus "l-Furyan-l" Duvefelt

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Hampus & Johan, Johan & Hampus - They are your new dynamic duo in the ECL. This duo excel at joining the rush and quarterbacking plays from the point, but never sacrifice their defensive responsibilities in the process. They are now joining great company as the ECL's first ever duo Cover Gamers.

Trust us, the accolades don't stop there. Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann and Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt are also the first defensemen to be honored as ECL Cover Gamers, and the second and third Swedish players to get that title. ECL 12 was a home run for both players, but especially so for Lehmannens, who was crowned the best defender in the ECL and the best offseason transfer. Furyan, on the other hand, holds the position as the all-time leader for points by defensemen in the ECL.

Last season, we saw something beautiful when these two came together with Färjestad BK and seemed to click right away. It seemed like we were featuring Lehmannens every week in our reports as he eventually finished the season with a career high 43 points in the regular season. A career high 34 points was also the case for Furyan, who is a season 1 veteran and now enters his 8th season at the Elite level. After their joint breakout season, the duo combined with Vesa Pompa stars Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund and Adam @dzouvi Mensik and brought with them Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander from Färjestad to create the new Swedish superteam, now signed to Granit Gaming. The squad started their story off with a Swedish championship in the SCL.

Former 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

It's quite evident that Furyan & Lehmannens are now joining some absolutely Elite company as Cover Gamers. We reached out to the duo for some thoughts and feelings about the honor:

First, a classic. What are your thoughts on being named the ECL Cover Gamers and what do you feel that title entails?

"As someone who’s been in the community since the very beginning of the NHLGamer era, it’s hard to put into words just how much of an honour this is - especially considering all the incredible players who have previously been featured on the cover. Playing in these tournaments and being a part of this community has been a huge part of my life for years, and so it truly means the world to me to be a part of the ECL in this way. Not to mention how special it is to be able to do it together with a close friend like Johan", Furyan comments.

Lehmannens quickly chimes in with a similar statement: "I could have never imagined being in such a prominent setting when I started off my career back in ECL 7. I'm truly honoured to join such a prestigious group of previous cover gamers, all of whom I have the utmost respect for. Being the first defenders to feature on the cover and doing so together with my brother in arms Furyan makes it feel even better."

You guys are the first duo to be featured as cover gamers after an excellent first ECL together and championship-caliber continuation in the SCL. What is the secret behind your great chemistry?

Lehmannens states that it's tough to believe they've spent less than a year on defense together: "This has been the pattern from day one, things just clicked, and it seemed like our way of playing was in sync right out of the gate. In a way for me, it was the sense of being unlocked in the way I play, based on trust towards my D partner in every scenario. Along the way I have realized this doesn't just apply for gaming, but in general terms as well - resulting in a highly valued friendship off the ice as well."

It's obvious that there is a lot of mutual respect between the two defensive greats, and Furyan also emphasizes how much they learn from each other: "It’s been quite a crazy ride this past year, from ECL 12 to eSHL and finally SCL, but one constant during this time has been how much fun we’ve had playing together. We hit it off right away in Färjestad and just kept building towards this partnership that today feels like the most natural thing in the world. Gameplay-wise, I’ve learnt a great deal from Johan and continue to draw inspiration and motivation from the way he is able to transition from defense to offense."

A couple of thoughts on the upcoming season, who do you think will be contenders? Any interesting new outfits to look out for?

"First of all, it’s great to see the increase in Swedish teams and players in Elite this season. Seeing HV71 and Djurgården reach the highest level of European virtual hockey is great for the Swedish-speaking side of the community. With POGGERS becoming Örebro and FILA becoming Frölunda, the Swedish side is certainly well-represented this season. As for contenders, the usual trio of hREDS, HAVU and Frölunda is never a bad bet. It will be interesting to see if a team like GOONS can continue their ascent and challenge the Big Three. Finally, Conquer Gaming and Roots Gaming both look to be interesting additions - with the potential to do some damage - to Elite this season", both guys agree.

You can see Granit Gaming take the ice for the first time in ECL Elite in our broadcast on Monday, January 10th at 19:45 CET. They'll be facing off against fellow Swedish contender and a club they've got a lot of history with - Färjestad BK. Tune in on Monday to our Twitch channel!

ECL '22: Winter Pro Guide - The stakes are higher than ever

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 15:47:00 +0000

The new year has come, and with that a new season as competitive as ever is once again set to begin. Among the improvements there will even be a weekly Pro division broadcast on our Twitch channel, so join us in taking a look at how the contest stacks up this time around!

Season information

To find out about everything that's new with ECL '22, check out our earlier season information article.

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

Regular season: 3.1.-3.2.
Transfer deadline: 16.1. 23:59 CET
Playoffs (BO7) 7.2.-1.3.

Default gamedays for the ECL '22: Winter Pro division will be on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, with a weekly broadcast on the SportsGamer Twitch at 19:45 CET primarily on Tuesdays.

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

The exact prize pool for the Pro Winter season will be confirmed in the upcoming days, but it is expected to be around 5600 EUR and will be split as visualized in the below image (see the leftmost box for Pro).

Social media

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

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
#ECL22Winter
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

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

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Winter
#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 #ECL22Winter 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.

Season preview

We are once again on the brink of an exciting season, with ECL ‘22: Winter bringing on a new era of virtual hockey. The addition of a new qualifier system prior to ECL 12 already brought the Pro teams some added pressure to raise the bar, but now with the introduction of prize money the competition is sure to become even fiercer, hopefully elevating the hunger further up a notch and on to another level.

The long and hard fought qualifiers have concluded, and with that comes a fresh set of teams joining the ones whose Pro status were already secured based on last season’s merit. Along with new squads WannaCry and Fiasko, we also find some familiar returnees from seasons past in Reality Check, Nemesis, noRex Gaming and Vaxjo Lakers. After gaining qualifier eligibility from the lower divisions last season, AfroDunk, GIFU Hockey, Hokurit and Tohtorit were also able to successfully match the challenge.

In the Pro qualifier preceding last season, not a single earlier Pro team wounding up there got through. This time, two of the participating ECL 12 Pro outfits, PENTA and RCTIC, were able to fight through the battle and regain their spots. At the same time Golden Nights, Sjukstugan and EHC TATNEFT AK BARS (previously METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK) were not as fortunate and now find themselves down in Lite for the Winter season.

An extra Elite qualifier had to take place over the holidays as well, after the last second disbandment of SAWO ESPORTS left a spot open among the continent’s best. Last season’s Pro quarterfinal teams and Elite relegate JYP Jyvaskyla took part, with Pro semifinalist BoxinElite (now Roots Gaming) emerging at the top. They may not have Elite in their name anymore, but in the end they proved to be just that by gaining the promotion to join Europe’s top 16. Their departure decreases the total number of teams returning from last season down to 20, while increasing the amount of new ones up to twelve.

Not only is there a good amount of possibly unfamiliar teams, a lot of the returning ones have seen big changes too. It has also been quite a long time since we have seen any ECL Pro action, so taking a brief look into every team taking part could be relatively nice. If anything, just to help refresh memories, right? Keep on reading to get familiar with the teams just in time before the new campaign gets going!

Björklöven Esport, Group 1

Björklöven barely squeezed through to the playoffs last season and were instantly eliminated by GHETTO FIREBIRDS (then known as Conquer Gaming) in five games. Other than losing defenseman @vVoDee to newly Elite bound Roots Gaming, they seem to have retained largely the same group and can keep building on that foundation.

Player to Watch: @rakkauspakkaus-

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

BOOMERS (previously Sack Brothers), Group 1

None of the original Sack Brothers remain, thus the name change. On the offensive side they have lost two important forwards in @snippystatue and @Tukexi (MATILAISKA_), but have strengthened a bit in net with the addition of @jubex0r. Despite the decent outing in FCL during the fall, the Boomers haven’t found the same touch yet in NHL 22. If they can start off good and build on the momentum, there’s a chance they can barely sneak into the postseason.

Player to Watch: @kemppainen39

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

Company of Geeks, Group 1

The Geeks got quite close to the playoffs with good under the radar signings last season, and it looks like they are trying to do the same thing for the second season in a row. Losing top scorer @xLeikku and defenseman @ripKeisari to HanaaHC only a few weeks ago could hurt, so they need to hit on the unknowns again to make it happen. Captain @Jesus (JezuzKristuz) will be making the switch to defense to make some room in the offense for ECL 9 Neo Champion @Hagerstrom_99, meanwhile @Chevikov (Hikoilija__) is hoping to have as good of a debut ECL season as xLeikku did. We will see where they end up but at the moment playoffs are not looking likely.

Player to Watch: @Chevikov (Hikoilija__)

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

Dynastia, Group 1

The roster of Dynastia keeps on changing seemingly after every competition and even in between them, but they have a good foundation in place. The two young and hungry offensive guns @xHatsi and @Pikkardz (Pikkarii) should be good additions along with new starting goalie @Vamoux. They should not have too much trouble reaching the postseason if they can play on their own level.

Player to Watch: @Pikkardz (Pikkarii)

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

GHETTO FIREBIRDS (previously Conquer Gaming), Group 2

Even though they fell short of the playoffs in the Elite qualifier, the Firebirds still got two points in a way or another against every opponent they faced. They proved to be able to win against anyone in Pro, just need to find a way to consistently reach that level. It will be interesting to see how they will be affected after parting ways with forward @Iltapeli (apetttaja) mere days ago, as it remains to be seen what kind of value they can find by foraying into the transfer market this late. @Santtu (santtu3333) gets a good chance to step back a bit and focus on the lessons learned after a hard last season in Elite with Rusty Blades, jumping there straight from Lite and then getting instantly relegated.

Player to Watch: @Jertsicc

@Mikka's prediction: Contender

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Contender

Hotbox, Group 2

After winning bronze (and promotion to Pro) with Hotbox in ECL 11 Lite, assistant captain @ItzPoro stayed back there with Reality Check for one more season, adding a championship to his trophy case. Now he is back in Hotbox, though in turn they have lost @James (Jamechkin) to Stargazing. An important piece, Jamechkin joined a 1-7-1 Hotbox from Reality Check last season and helped them turn that into an eight game win streak on their way to a playoff berth. Hotbox has also signed the former Elite goalie @s_w1ld_rus (someth1ng_w1ld) and a high scorer from Core in @Macentoitunu. Reaching the postseason would not be some huge shock, but there are too many teams looking better right now.

Player to Watch: @ItzPoro

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

Luleå Hockey, Group 2

In the footsteps of Hotbox, Luleå Hockey will try to follow up their ECL 12 Lite bronze with a trip to the playoffs in their Pro debut. @Buffy (Duh-ha) brings in a ton of high-level experience to complete a fairly promising looking forward trio with @Tkautto98 (Kautto_) and @Jarvinder. Their defensive end and goaltending remains to be tested though, with only the fresh signing of @Toobbiiee (Vesterberg89) having experience higher than Lite. Luleå’s focus should mostly be on trying to learn and gain experience during the season, with the hope of avoiding the qualifier. They only managed a win and an overtime loss in ECL Warmup.

Player to Watch: @Tkautto98 (Kautto_)

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

Nemesis, Group 1

Having made the last appearance with this name in ECL 5 Pro during a season that resulted in relegation, Nemesis is finally back! In fairness, most of their roster did play on the Pro level in ECL 9, 10 and 11 under the We Kings banner. Even though they should be able to cause some trouble to unsuspecting opponents, in the end they are not going to get into postseason play without a rather sizable hot streak.

Player to Watch: @Viltzup

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

noRex Gaming, Group 2

An ECL 11 Pro team, noRex failed to gain back their spot in last season’s Pro qualifier, but then went all the way on to a finals game 7 against Reality Check in Lite. They are now back stronger after having had a season to grow and reflect on what went wrong the last time. Bringing in @DiMatteo70 adds years of experience between the pipes, and @Tiltsson should be hungry to push the team far after already getting a good taste of Pro playoffs last season with Blackdawgs. @Melguss, while inexperienced, adds on another hungry Swede to the roster. Making the postseason should be a realistic goal for the German organization.

Player to Watch: @Tiltsson

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch plays for noRex Gaming

Pata Hellalla, Group 2

Pata had a bad showing in the Warmup, wounding up at the bottom of the table. Though as it has previously been stated over and over again, never count out Pata Hellalla. On a good day they play like a good Pro team should, meanwhile on others… Not quite. Finding consistency is key for them, and having good goaltending plays a massive part in that. It remains to be seen what the inexperienced @XAPPN is capable of doing inside the crease with a winning team in front.

Player to Watch: @kungenkurwa

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

RCTIC, Group 1

Despite having had a tough stretch during ECL 12, RCTIC managed to claw their way back to Pro through the qualifier. They have added two former VISU players in goalie @Jjmakkeli (JussinSisko) and LW @Limbe65, who should be a nice upgrade after @meicci retired. They have also managed to upgrade at the LD spot with the tremendously experienced @Aze (AzeStiNe), so they are looking a lot better on paper.

Player to Watch: @Aze (AzeStiNE)

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

Reality Check, Group 2

The ECL 12 Lite Champion managed to lure some big fish, adding first time Pro players @vvlampela (cTunkeilija) and @kim_johan from Elite team Northern Ascendancy, although the latter acted only as a backup last season. They have also strengthened in net with the addition of @FINSeRe, who was a part of the inaugural Reality Check in ECL 8. Winning back to back championships will be tough, but they will have a chance if they can keep on getting better throughout the whole season.

Player to Watch: @vvlampela (cTunkeilija)

@Mikka's prediction: Contender

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Contender

Sinister, Group 1

Having lost their former captain @Jimisebastian to WannaCry, Sinister went on to add quite a few new names to their roster. Former HAVU backup @topikeranen has been playing in Lite for the past few seasons, but he has a lot of experience, including the title of ECL 5 Pro Champion from the last time he played in the division. They have also added ECL 2 Champion @Hoosii (Hoo-Sii), who was the ECL 6 Pro runner up with FILADELPHIA. The final new addition is the inexperienced yet promising forward @JerePaloranta (Harlowi-), making his ECL debut.

Player to Watch: @PuukAesi (rransu)

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

Tohtorit, Group 1

A team that took the scene by storm in the FCL this past fall, Tohtorit made Pro through the qualifier, having clinched eligibility by finishing 4th in ECL 12 Core. Jumping from Core straight to Pro is a big challenge, but they are going to be just fine if they can play at the level they showed at their best in FCL. They have not done much to tinker with their roster after that, other than adding @Wpaanane who already made a successful run through the Pro qualifier last season with Dynastia. After the qualifier he decided to step back to Lite for one more season though, so he will be finally taking his first strides in this division alongside the other Tohtorit players. Bringing in the only Pro experience in their squad, @Kkarkass also joins them from the now-disbanded Patience.

Player to Watch: @Wpaanane

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

Växjö Lakers, Group 2

Making a return after a season’s absence is Växjö Lakers, who paved their way all the way from a Pro Wildcard Battle to make it back. They have retained almost half of their old roster, so there is some chemistry already built. The positions have been changed a bit though, with former defensemen @EDHOLMEN3 and @Hockeyjohannes seemingly stepping up to forward positions alongside @Kattenj. Their defensemen are a bit inexperienced, though they will be receiving a good amount of help from their goaltenders, especially after managing to snag ex-SAWO goalie @Mehukatti10. The Lakers need to keep their heads cool and execute on a steady level to fulfill their talent and make the postseason.

Player to Watch: @Kattenj

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

WannaCry, Group 2

Built on the ashes of a decent FCL run by Reign, WannaCry is another Wildcard team that made their way to Pro. All of their three defensemen played together in the ECL 11 Lite BoxinElite, so there is already some common chemistry within the backline. They played the qualifier with @zMikkeez, who has already departed onwards to Roots, knowing that they would have to replace him due to his conscription service beginning right at season start. Finding the replacement took some time, so it remains to be seen how well the late addition @Jimisebastian can gel together with the team, and how it may affect their game.

Player to Watch: @kkostiiii

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

The rest of the team previews were written by @Keuschemisch

AfroDunk, Group 1

Another team that managed to pave their way through the qualifier into ECL Pro. AfroDunk squeezed themselves into Europe's second highest division by a small margin in the second stage of the qualification tournament. After being eliminated by Project X in the second round of ECL 12 Lite, the Finnish outfit added goalie@Empuuz_24 who played a decisive role in Otukset’s FCL run, as well as announcing a huge move right before the start of the season: @apettaja will reinforce AfroDunks offensive power. The team needs their perfect game in every matchup to make a postseason appearance possible.

Player to Watch: @apettaja

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

Deadly Phantoms (previously Team LEISURE), Group 1

Under their old and new name the famous German powerhouse Deadly Phantoms are back! After falling short in last season’s ECL Pro finals against Djurgarden Hockey and losing the relegation series against KOVA Esports, the team around captain @Franky__2768 is keen on bouncing back. After the return of their lost son @Timasy from YMCA Esports, the Germans added @Pathen-21- to their roster. Taking a look at their lineups during the warmup tournament as well as the Elite Qualification Tournament it seems like Timasy and center veteran @PlaymakerSJ are going to take the spots as backup players in the coming season. It will be crucial if Pathen-21- will be able to follow in PlaymakerSJ's footsteps.

Player to Watch: @Pathen-21-

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

Fiasko, Group 2

The freshly built squad around @tkantola fought their way throughout the Pro Wildcard Battle and both Qualification stages into Europe’s top 48. Finishing on a strong third place behind WannaCry and RCTIC, Fiasko has to prove consistency in the regular season to prevail in ECL Pro. @Xkeineri and @Tzon93 have been their top scorers in all competitions so far and they will need their scoring touch to fight their way through ECL Winter.

Player to Watch: @Tzon93

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

Geekz Energy eSports (previously Inter Iceland), Group 2

The former side of Inter Iceland has been part of ECL Pro for the 5th consecutive season now. Only adding @rene hackberger (NoFun4U_96) in the offseason we are seeing familiar faces in the German-speaking outfit. After falling short to, later on promoted HV71 in the first round of last season's playoffs, the squad around @PLA77NER (Hasek-39—) is always a bit of a surprise box. Winger veteran @Stefan_397 (VISIONZ97_) will be once again their key player. If he maintains his scoring abilities Geekz Energy Esports will surely find themselves in the playoffs. But will they have the ability to persist in a best-of-seven series?

Player to Watch: @Stefan_397 (VISIONZ97_)

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

GIFU Hockey, Group 2

Seed #3 of last ECL 12 Lite. GIFU Hockey found a quite early exit in round 2 with a heartbreaking game 7 loss against Hokurit. Participating in the offseason transfer carousel, the Finnish side managed to gain their Pro spot throughout the Qualifier. ECL Season 1 veteran @Sluibaaja_88 will be a key player to GIFU's success as well as captain @seegasormi who has been on a long ride with the team since FCL 2020 and ECL 11.

Player to Watch: @Sluibaaja_88

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

HanaaHC (previously Kiekko-Espoo Esports), Group 1

The former Kiekko-Espoo Esports made a big comeback under their old and new name. The Finns who started back in ECL 9 Lite played a big role in the Elite Qualification tournament, right before the start of the season. After finishing on rank 1 HanaaHC found an early exit against later on promoted Roots Gaming, though they were forced to play goalie @jg697000 (Gresu__) at the LW spot with @xLeikku absent during the playoffs. Adding xLeikku from Company of Geeks to their roster gives the experienced squad a big offensive boost.

Player to Watch: @xLeikku

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka plays for HanaaHC

Hawaii Hockey, Group 2

Paving their way through last season’s Wildcard battle and qualification tournaments, Hawaii Hockey finished on rank 11 of last ECL Pro. With the departure of their two strong forwards @Kumbik and @theMaddias, Hawaii Hockey had a rough time in the Warmup Tournament. It will be crucial for captain @MaciPapi to find adequate replacements to get their game going in the regular season. Will Hawaii Hockey turn things around and find their level in time?

Player to Watch: @MaciPapi

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

Herlev Eagles, Group 2

Herlev Eagles will be one of the biggest contenders in the upcoming season. Reinforcing the whole team around their core of @oSandello, @Dreamickie and Danish dynamite @vibholm10, the Eagles added huge offensive power to their side. Norwegian center @Mr Steffmeister (Suth98_) and Finnish veteran @keranee will give them the edge in tight matchups and are well known for creative plays all over the ice. If Herlev maintain their consistency they will have a long season ahead of them.

Player to Watch: @vibholm10

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Contender

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

Hokurit, Group 1

After being among the top teams in the last ECL Lite seasons Hokurit have finally found their way to ECL Pro! Reaching the Lite quarterfinals gave them the crucial spot in the Pro Qualifier where they made nearly no mistakes. Adding @Oliverigood gives them the needed depth in their roster. It will be interesting to see if Hokurit can prevail in a very tight league.

Player to Watch: @Jondeezz

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

JYP Jyväskylä, Group 1

Yet another big contender for ECL ‘22: Winter Pro. JYP Jyväskylä got relegated after spending 6 consecutive seasons among Europe’s best teams in competitive virtual hockey and surprisingly fell short in the Elite Qualification. This will surely incite JYP even more to fight their way back into ECL Elite. Former HAVU winger @Buantso (Puantso) joined the SM Liiga side in the offseason and is one of the most exciting forwards to watch in the upcoming season. If JYP finds their consistency the Finnish outfit is the top contender on this season's ECL Pro title.

Player to Watch: @Buantso (Puantso)

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Contender

@Mikka's prediction: Contender

PENTA, Group 1

The third German Esports organization in the upcoming season. After winning their first title in the GCL 7 Cup, PENTA added two experienced players to their roster. Former Elite players @Krinke and @gzell60 found themselves in the starting six, after joining from the German Lite participant Central Hockey Canucks. By a very small margin the German outfit defended their Pro spot in the Qualifier and seem to be in search of more consistency. After rotating @Domi_PENTA back to the right Defense it will be very interesting to see how their offensive game will develop throughout the season.

Player to Watch: @Krinke

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

Renascor (previously Blackdawgs), Group 2

The RCL powerhouse Renascor, formerly known as Blackdawgs, will be a very exciting squad to watch. The squad around Ukrainian winger @Valluxet smashed their opponents in RCL 2 Cup during last summer but could not find their way into the Elite Qualification playoffs, even though beating many strong teams. Renascor had a strong preseason and is keen on continuing their offensive striking power in ECL Pro as well. The key to success will be consistency and improving on defense.

Player to Watch: @Valluxet

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

SPARTIATES X MCES, Group 1

For the first time in NHLGamer history we will see five teams from the central server in ECL Pro. SPARTIATES X MCES will play their second consecutive season among Europe’s top 48 but are expected to have a rather tough time next season. After losing their top forward @Winci (Winci16) to Toceny Salamy in ECL Core, and the eNLA 1v1 champion, Defenseman @Tron1x90 (Komir_90) to HC Lausanne Esports, the French side is in desperate need of adequate replacements. Captain @Tromi13 rotated from center to left defense after adding Finnish Center @vizka13 (Vizka-) to their squad. The Spartiates will be underdogs in most matchups in upcoming ECL Winter Pro.

Player to Watch: @Tromi13

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Outside shot

@Mikka's prediction: Outside shot

Stargazing (previously Rookie Mistakes), Group 2

Stargazing, taking the spot of Rookie Mistakes, is a new team on the horizon of ECL Pro. After combining players from ECL Core semifinalist Stargazing and Pro veterans Rookie Mistakes, the Finnish side decided to attack under a new name. With an exciting combination of talented and experienced forwards and an important allrounder like @James (Jamechkin), the new club on the block will be one of the favorites to qualify for the postseason in ECL '22: Winter Pro. When might their journey end next season?

Player to Watch: @Flopper71

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka's prediction: Contender

Sulkavan Sudet, Group 2

The experienced roster around @Oxdoggi is set for their 4th season on Pro level. Last season the Wolves finished in an astonishing second place but fell victim to Team LEISURE (now Deadly Phantoms) who just found their excellent form which led them to the finals of ECL 12 Pro. After a few changes in their lineup and a solid FCL performance during autumn, Sulkavan Sudet is once again another team which should be on everyone's playoffs participant list. How far their journey will go will depend massively on their chemistry within the team.

Player to Watch: @Koppipelaaja (jamoyy)

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Battling for playoffs

@Mikka's prediction: Battling for playoffs

VISU Gaming, Group 1

After falling short in the finals of ECL 11 Lite as Exerceo, the squad around captain @Saviinainen has arrived among the top teams in ECL Pro and is one of the few big contenders on the Pro Title – or at least promotion to ECL Elite. Being beaten by Roots Gaming in the finals of the Elite Qualification the Finns will be keen on taking the next step this year. Drawing the right consequences from the preseason will strengthen the mentality and consistency of VISUs game and might lead them to Europe’s Elite.

Player to Watch: @hpkfani (MuKiMaisteri)

@Keuschemisch's prediction: Contender

@Mikka's prediction: Contender

And with that it is time to wrap up our Pro season preview. Predictions are never perfect and the more the merrier, so if you think you know better or have some interesting nuggets of info, please let us know in the comments down below We will be back with the midseason report in a couple of weeks, good luck everyone & see you then!

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

ECL '22: Winter Lite Guide- Former Core teams to challenge for the title at the Lite level?

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 15:46:00 +0000

ECL along with Lite division are back finally in the NHL22 version. You can expect to see exciting drama throughout the season with skilful players, tactical prowess, lots of fierce, physical battles in all games and much more. NHL22 with a new game engine provides teams with a great tool for a super enjoyable 6vs6 experience. In this preview you'll read briefly about the outlook for the upcoming season, what to expect from some interesting teams and players participating. Several new teams are entering from either a higher Pro level or from Core, will some of these squads challenge for the title?

Season information

To find out about everything that's new with ECL '22, check out our earlier season information article.

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

Regular season: 2.1.- 6.2.
Transfer deadline: 16.1. 23:59 CET.
Playoffs (BO7): 8.2.- 14.3.

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

Social media

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

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
#ECL22Winter
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

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

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Winter
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Groups and schedules were released just December 31st and games will begin already today, on January 2nd. Due to the extremely tight schedule before the start it's not possible to go through every team in detail, but I'm briefly highlighting some interesting teams and players that might be making a great impact this season and with concluding words describing my views on the what season could look like overall.

Group 1

Powerhouse HC and Project X played well last season but did not achieve the biggest triumph back then. Powerhouse HC advanced to the semifinals and eventually faltered in the bronze match against Lulea Hockey. Project X was eliminated in the quarterfinal stage.

Lemmenvelhot and Resurrection who played last season in Core are also some interesting names that could be worth following. Their level is definitely enough for Lite and they should be ready to challenge every team at this level.

Prima eSport participated in the Lite qualifiers and was impressive there. They have some Pro and Elite experience on their roster so although they are in for their first season in Lite, they are a team to consider as one of the favorites to have some success right away. EHC Biel Bienne eSports was eliminated last season in Round 2, but they have an experienced roster and are not to be left out in speculations on the contenders of the season.

This group you might call "The group of death" because there are so many teams to consider in the favorite category. Frölunda HC Academy is one of them. They made their debut in ECL Winter Lite and Core warm up and showed potential by reaching the playoffs right away. Despite the toughness of this group, they should not be forgotten as one of the squads who could rise above and take it all. Also being the academy of a prestigious team, they are one team to watch this season.

Games to watch in Group 1

Resurrection vs Powerhouse HC (scheduled January 2nd)

EHC Biel Bienne eSports vs Lemmenvelhot (scheduled January 4th)

Powerhouse HC vs Project X (scheduled January 11th)

Prima eSport vs Resurrection (scheduled January 5th)

Frölunda HC Academy vs Prima eSport (scheduled January 2nd)

Group 2

The Last Line, Murohoki and Sjukstugan are among the best teams in this group. All are strong contenders to win the Lite title. Sjukstugan participated in Pro last season but didn't quite find their stride there. Arkham Asylum is also one of the teams from Core last season, who have strengthened a lot over the past few months. They lost to Tohtorit in the quarterfinals after a strong regular season. The Last Line was eliminated in round 1 against noRex Gaming last Lite season, but are now back to challenge anyone who might step in their way. Murohoki is one of the longest standing teams around and had a disappointing last season, so they're back for redemption too.

Games to watch in group 2

The Last Line vs Arkham Asylum (scheduled January 2nd)

Sjukstugan vs The Last Line (scheduled January 4th)

Group 3

In this group there are some underdogs to this season in Lite. Golden Nights participated in Pro last season and the season before performed well in Lite. Back then, they advanced to round 3, only to be eliminated by eventual champions Björlöven Esports, who have since seen success in Pro. BIK Karlskoga Esport advanced to round 2 last season, losing to champions Reality Check HC. They are expected to improve this season and are definitely capable of challenging the favorites.

Toxicity is former Syndrome, whose Experienced ECL players have the potential to be better than in their last ECL 12 Lite season. Rusty Bulls with RCL experience and also previous ECL Lite background are also one of many interesting teams to watch. Bastu qualified through the Lite qualifier tournament and earned their place in Lite. They have players with Lite, Pro and even Elite background in their roster and definitely could be one of the success stories to follow.

Games to watch in group 3

Bastu vs Golden Nights (scheduled January 2nd)

Toxicity vs Rusty Bulls (scheduled January 2nd)

Group 4

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY, despite not having their big brother in name in Elite anymore, are still affiliated with one of the all time greatest teams and with that have some pressure to their name. Last season they lost to Project X in the very first playoff round and after that disappointment they surely have a lot to prove. If they end up facing Frölunda Academy at some point, we could be in for some rivalry action. I expect them to perform better this season and be one of the contenders.

Some other potential teams in this group are RoKi Esports, Oulunsalon HT and TTK, who all have ECL experience they are likely to capitalize in the near future.

Games to watch in group 4

FILADELPHIA ACADEMY vs Oulunsalo HT (scheduled January 2nd)

RoKi Esports vs TTK (scheduled February 1st)

Players to watch

@L4nnisto Powerhouse HC ECL 22 Winter Pro qualifier GP 8, 1+4=5

New player in Powerhouse HC. Played for Tic Tac Toes for several seasons in Lite and is very skilled individually.

@Bugimir Lemmenvelhot ECL 22 Winter Lite qualifier GP 6, 6+4=10

Experienced player previously in Core. Has some merit to his name from the European top from several years back.

@sannteri Arkham Asylum ECL 12 Elite Regular season GP 30, 23+17=40

Has experience with IQUE/Enigma in Elite from recent seasons and is a very strong player at the Lite level. A strong contender for player of the season.

@Khemnos Rusty Bulls ECL 22 Winter Lite qualifier Stage 1 regular season GP 6, 2+6=8

Played previously for Alliance HT. Experienced player in RCL and ECL at various levels. Joined Rusty Bulls for this season in Lite. Is a leading player for his team and a centerman to rally around.

@juusto18 Bastu ECL 22 Winter Lite qualifier Stage 1 regular season GP 8, 6+12=18

Pro experience from recent seasons. Some teams like Bastu might be relatively new but on the rosters of these teams there is an enormous amount of experience and skill. @juusto18 is one of these players who might make big impact on this season in Lite.

@Mrantonn Frölunda Academy ECL 22 Winter Lite & Core warm up regular season GP 16, 76,07 SV%, 2,44 GAA, 1 SO

Goalie with ECL Pro experience. Not the best statistics in warm up tournament but expected to improve and to provide a solid base for his team to build on this ECL Lite season.

In general, this ECL '22 Winter Lite season looks very tough to predict. So many great teams will take the ice. We've got many quality teams in each group and I'm predicting the playoff race to go down to the wire for many of them. It's also great to see new teams from Core taking the step up and with the potential to make a positive impact right away. All in all, we've got an extraordinarily interesting season ahead in the Lite division.

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

ECL '22 Winter - Season Information

Sun, 02 Jan 2022 02:20:00 +0000

Happy New Year NHLGamers!

The reinvented ECL '22 is just around the corner with several of our divisions about to start within the next few days and the Elite campaign kicking off in a bit over a week. This marks the start for the ECL '22 Winter season, but also for a period of prime NHL esports competition all the way until June. Here we have collected the most relevant information for you in one place.

For our newer users, if you have any questions, we suggest you start by taking a look in our Frequently Asked Questions section. If you're unable to find the answer to your question, please contact support.

If there's someone reading this, wondering what the ECL is: The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports - a league where all the best European NHL gamers create teams and compete against each other in the game mode EASHL (6v6) for the title of Best EASHL Team in Europe. The league currently features five divisions, so action is guaranteed for everyone regardless of skill level and experience! For a deeper look, read this article.

PLEASE NOTE:

Below are a few key notes that we wouldn't want any of our players and captains to miss:

⚠️ Due to changes to the EA API, currently only the statistics for the last five games per team can be retrieved for reporting. This means that games should be reported immediately after they have been completed.

This also means that any issues with reporting must be resolved immediately. Thus, please contact support immediately if you are unable to report your game. ⚠️
ECL '22 Winter Rulebook is now downloadable and can also be accessed through the link via the league menus.
Communicating with your opponents: Teams must, at the very least, attempt to reach out and contact their opponent(s) before a default schedule game. Simply waiting until the time as generated by the schedule, challenging an opponent, then filing for WOs if the opponent does not show will not be deemed acceptable. In addition to this, teams ideally should be in contact 12-24hrs before the default scheduled time, if no reply has been received by the other team despite your best attempts to contact them, then please contact support.

Regular Season Dates:
- ECL Neo 2.1.-3.2.
- ECL Core 2.1.-3.2.
- ECL Lite 2.1.-3.2.
- ECL Pro 3.1.- 3.2.
- ECL Elite 10.1.-10.2.

* All games must be played and reported by 23:59 CET on the last game day. If the games are unreported and there is no support request made on time, no points will be awarded to either team.

Playoff Dates:
- ECL Neo 6.2.-6.3.
- ECL Core 6.2.-13.3.
- ECL Lite 8.2.-16.3.
- ECL Pro 7.2.-1.3.
- ECL Elite 14.2.-5.3.

* Each playoff round must be played according to the period defined in the rulebook.

Transfer Deadline:
- ECL Neo 16.1.
- ECL Core 16.1.
- ECL Lite 16.1.
- ECL Pro 16.1.
- ECL Elite 23.1.

* Transfers must be made by 23:59 CET on the Transfer Deadline date.

ECL '22 Winter Gamedays

In ECL '22 Winter, Neo will continue acting as the entry level into competitive virtual hockey and with that, will continue at the pace of two gamedays each week. Our other divisions will run at the pace of three weekly gamedays with Elite hosting three broadcasts weekly and Pro one.

Gamedays:
- ECL Neo
  - Wednesday
  - Sunday
- ECL Core
  - Tuesday
  - Thursday
  - Sunday
- ECL Lite
  - Tuesday
  - Wednesday
  - Sunday
- ECL Pro
  - Monday
  - Tuesday -> ECL Pro Broadcast 📺
  - Thursday
- ECL Elite
  - Monday -> ECL Elite Broadcast 📺
  - Wednesday -> ECL Elite Broadcast 📺
  - Thursday -> ECL Elite Broadcast 📺

The divisions framework for the ECL '22 Winter will follow the same logic as for the previous season. We will have a total of five divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams, Pro 32 teams, Lite 64 teams, Core 103 teams and Neo 40 teams.

ECL Elite: 16 teams

Regular season: One group
Playoffs:
- 8 teams
- Best-of-7
Gamedays:
- Monday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
Prize pool: 11 000 € (total 33 000 € in ECL '22 Elite)

Quote

ECL Elite Teams

Conquer Gaming

Djurgarden Hockey

Färjestad BK

Frölunda HC

GOONS

Granit Gaming

HAVU Gaming

hREDS

HV71

IQUE

Northern Ascendancy

Roots Gaming

Tunnel Vision

YMCA Esports

ZSC Esports

Örebro Hockey

ECL Pro: 32 teams

Sign up: ECL Pro eligible teams
- Open spots will be decided based on Qualifiers
Regular season: Two groups
Playoffs:
- 16 teams
- Best-of-7
Gamedays:
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Thursday
Prize pool: TBA once licenses have been processed.

Quote

ECL Pro Teams

AfroDunk

Bjorkloven Esport

BOOMERS

Company of Geeks

Dynastia

Fiasko

Geekz Energy eSports

GHETTO FIREBIRDS

GIFU Hockey

HanaaHC

Hawaii Hockey

Herlev Eagles

Hokurit

Hotbox

JYP Jyvaskyla

Lulea Hockey

Nemesis

noRex Gaming

Pata Hellalla

PENTA

RCTIC

Reality Check HC

Renascor

Sinister

SPARTIATES X MCES

Stargazing

Sulkavan Sudet

Team LEISURE

Tohtorit

Vaxjo Lakers

VISU Gaming

WannaCry

ECL Lite: 64 teams

Regular season: 4 Groups of 16 teams
Playoffs:
- 32 teams
- Best-of-7
Gamedays:
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Sunday
Prize pool: TBA once licenses have been processed.

Quote

ECL Lite Teams

5th Line Heroes

Ace Hockey

Alliance HT

Arkham Asylum

Armada Hockey

Baby Goons

Barys eSports

Bastu

Bellizzi

BIK Karlskoga Esport

Blessed Suedis

BonusAmbers

Central Hockey Canucks

Darkwing Ducks

DEG eSports

Deggendorfer SC Esports

Dynamo Dragons

EHC Biel Bienne eSports

EHC TATNEFT AK BARS

FILADELPHIA Academy

Finnish Hockey Legends

Free From Rodents

Frolunda HC Academy

Golden Nights

HC SHH

Hunters

Hyperion

IK Oskarshamn

Including Me

Its a nice city

KohKae Esports

Kymmenelta baariin

Latvian Warriors

Lemmenvelhot

Lutunilkat

Mora IK

Murohoki

Oulunsalo HT

Pasilan SKA

Powerhouse HC

Prima eSport

Project X

PunaKala

Resurrection

RoKi Esports

Saucer Hockey

SCB eSports

SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS

Sjukstugan

Sodertalje SK

Spirit

Stone Age

Tadpole

TEAM MODO

The Last Line

Thunder United

Timra IK

Toxicity

TTK

Ultimatum

United Front

VALCO

VANHAT KYLJYKSET

Virtuoso

ECL Core: 103 teams

Regular season: 8 groups of 13
Playoffs:
- 64 teams
- Best-of-7
Gamedays:
- Tuesday
- Thursday
- Sunday
Prize pool: TBA once licenses have been processed.

Quote

ECL Core Teams

ADMIRAL ESPORTS

ALMAZ CHEREPOVETS

Almtuna eSport

Ambri eSports

Asgard

Bees Bees

BerlinEagles

Black Phantoms

Blacklist

CapeTown Kings

Carlstad Kings Esports

Carolina Reapers

Carolus Icemen

Clowns On Ice

CZ JDOUCI NA SMRT SK

Dark Tigers

DOGGY BOYS

Dompa HC

DUNDER

Ebangalakata

EHC Basel eSports

Eisbaeren Lauf

EiSKALATiON

Elegance Hockey

Eliel Kings

EPINAL HC ESPORT

ERSC Amberg eSports

Ettan IK

EV Duisburg

Finnish Finishers

Frolunda HC Region

Gleumes Hockey Krefeld

GREED

Guldkallan HC

Hammer Time

Hawks HC

HC ARMATA

Hc Kahlaajat

Hc Marko

HC No Name

HC Northmen

HC Palosaari

HC PONTTO

HC Smolensk Lynx

HC SOKOL MOSCOW

HC Wild Hogs

Herforder Ice Dragons

IclinicBa Capitals esport

IF Norrland

IHL RAMS

Immortal Street Dogs

Iserlohn Roosters eSports

Kanukit

Karhukissat

Karkirysty

Katri Ylanders

Khoomat

Lassen Lampaat

Lausanne HC Esports

Loimaan Rockets

Los Diablos

Lumparlan Leijonat

Marshalls

MASARI

Memento Mori

Mighty Stixxx

Morganchipsen HC

MotiNation HC

Neptune Hockey

Nordic 65

noRex Academy

Nurnberg IceTigers eSport

Occitania HC

Offside Lions

Old Primates

Pass The puck

Pirati Chomutov Esports

Pure Hockey

Rahinage

Remparts de Tours Esport

Russian Lightning

Savo Bears

Sawolanche

Seinajoki Noms

Sibir Cyber Team

SKYFALL

SSKA HC

Stayhard Stallions

Stick Magnético

Stockholm Black Knights

Superbad Hockey

Swiss Seniors

Swiss Vikings

Taikina

Techno Vikings

The Expendables

Točený Salámy

TROJANS

VHC NEVA

Wasp

Wild Panthera Gaming

WRAH

Yellow Jackets

ECL Neo: 40 teams

Regular season: 4 groups of 10
Playoffs:
- TBD
- Best-of-5
Gamedays:
- Wednesday
- Sunday

Quote

ECL Neo Teams

Absolute

Black Wings HC

CaMe Gaming C1C

Caterpillar HC

CociNasene

Crocodiles Hamburg eSports

EC Bad Nauheim eSports

EHC Kaernten

Eishockeynet Yetis

EiSUJU

Engerau Pythons

EPINAL HC ESPORT II

Flying Hirsche

GKS Tychy Esport

HC JEUSSEN

Huimat

London Lightning

No Respect

Old Hogs

Oldies Hockey Club

Penguins Ingolstadt

Pirates eSports Origins

Puckrats

RAUTANE REMMI

Rava HC

Starbulls Esport

Swiss Mountaineers

SWISS TIGERS

SWISS TIGERS 2

SwissBamClan

SwissBamClan II

Team IronFist

The Black Pirates HC

The Flying Elbows

Tohtorit Akatemia

Työväen Kiekko

Uganda Chickens

Unknown Heroes

Uudenmaan Oilers

Vitkovice Steel

Social media

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

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
#ECL22Winter
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Instagram:

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

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL22Winter
#NHL22
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi
#MukanaWilhelm

Note: It is super 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.

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

Reminder: ECL '22 Winter (Core & Neo) sign-ups close today!

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 13:17:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

While we're still enjoying the holidays, it’s time to move our gaze to the upcoming year. The new ECL Winter season is already at the doorstep. If you haven't read our general information yet, we suggest you head over to our ECL '22 Winter season article.

We would like to remind you that registration for Core and Neo teams for the upcoming ECL Winter season will end today Monday 27th of December at 23:59 CET.

~~ECL Elite: 2.- 17.12.~~
~~ECL Pro: 2.- 17.12.~~
~~ECL Lite: 2.- 17.12.~~
ECL Core: 2.- 27.12. ⚠️
ECL Neo: 2.- 27.12. ⚠️

*If you're an existing team that wants to change names, simply sign up with the old name and contact support for the name change. If you're having issues with signing up overall, please contact support.

Reminder: ECL '22 Winter (Lite, Pro, Elite) sign-ups close TOMORROW!

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 20:51:42 +0000

NHLGamers,

Christmas is just around the corner and the many months of waiting are soon over. The new ECL Winter season is already on the doorstep. The ECL experienced some structural changes for the coming season, which we are very confident will only strengthen and grow the league moving forward. If you haven't read our general information yet, we suggest you head over to our ECL '22 Winter season article.

We would like to remind you that registration for Elite, Pro and Lite teams for the upcoming ECL Winter season will end tomorrow, Friday 17th of December at 23:59 CET. Core and Neo teams can still sign-up until on Monday 27th of December at 23:59CET.

ECL Elite: 2.- 17.12. ⚠️
ECL Pro: 2.- 17.12. ⚠️
ECL Lite: 2.- 17.12. ⚠️
ECL Core: 2.- 27.12.
ECL Neo: 2.- 27.12.

ECL '22 Winter - Qualifiers Info

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 19:51:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Ahead of the first ever ECL Winter for the '22 season, we have some qualifying ahead of us and with that, let's get right to it with the info to follow below:

Firstly, ECL '22 Winter Pro and Lite Qualifiers will start officially on Monday, December 13th.

The Qualifiers will be completed at an intensive pace, and therefore it is advisable for teams participating in the Qualifiers not to attend our ECL Warmup playoffs. Here are the schedules for the respective Qualifiers (all dates in December):

NOTE! The games of Monday 13th will be moved to Thursday 16th due to issues caused by the newest EA Sports NHL tuner.

Pro Qualifiers:
- Round 1: Monday 13th, Tuesday 14th, Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16th
- Round 2: Sunday 19th, Monday 20th, Tuesday 21st
- BO5 series (where needed): Wednesday 22nd
Lite Qualifiers:
- Round 1: Monday 13th, Tuesday 14th, Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16th
- BO5 series (where needed): Sunday 19th, Monday 20th, Tuesday 21st, Wednesday 22nd

In our Lite & Pro Qualifier registartions article, we stated the following logic as a basis of filling potential open spots in divisions and Qualifiers:

Lainaa

Teams will not be promoted directly and all open spots will be filled through qualifiers (excluding automatically relegated/promoted teams). If there happens to be more open spots than anticipated (e.g. from teams disbanding which would have been invited to play in the qualifier) spots are filled as follows:

Pro Qualifiers

Pro relegated teams

Lite #10-16

Wildcard teams #5-8

Lite #17-32

Core #5-8

Lite Qualifiers

Lite relegated teams

Core #13-16

Wildcard teams #9-12

Core #17-32

Based on that logic, to fill the available spots after sign-ups, the following ECL 12 Lite teams have gained the right to participate in the Pro Qualifier:

Spirit
AfroDunk
Baby Goons

Lainaa

ECL Pro Qualifier Teams

Powerhouse HC

Södertälje SK

Hokurit

Project X

GIFU Hockey

Sjukstugan

RCTIC

PENTA

Golden Nights

EHC TATNEFT AK BARS (METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK)

Resurrection

Stone Age

Tohtorit

Spirit

AfroDunk

Baby Goons

Nemesis

Vaxjo Lakers

Fiasko

WannaCry

Due to us having a total of seven Pro Wildcard applicants fulfilling the requirements for a Pro Qualifier Wildcard spot, we made the decision to allow these teams play a pre-qualifier determining which teams will get the four Pro Qualifier spots. The teams not entered into the Pro Qualifier will be entered into the Wildcard spots in the Lite Qualifier.

Below are the Wildcard teams:

Alliance HT
Bastu
Fiasko
Nemesis
Prima eSport
Vaxjo Lakers
WannaCry

After sign-ups closed and the number of available spots was determined, none of the ECL 12 Lite relegated teams were interested in participating, due to that the following ECL 12 Core teams have gained the right to participate in the Lite Qualifier.

Its a nice city
Virtuoso
Mora IK esport
Including Me
Kymmenelta baariin
New Jersey
Blessed Suedis

Lite Qualifier teams:

Lainaa

ECL Lite Qualifier Teams

Arkham Asylum

Pasilan SKA

Tadpole

Darkwing Ducks (Jokers Hockey)

Lemmenvelhot

BonusAmbers

PunaKala

Toxicity (Syndrome)

TEAM MODO

Helter Skelter

Dynamo Dragons

HC SHH

Hunters (Klassikko)

Its a nice city

Virtuoso

Mora IK esport

Including Me

Kymmenelta baariin

New Jersey

Blessed Suedis

Prima eSport

Alliance HT

Bastu

SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS

Teams that applied and are eligible for an ECL '22 Winter Lite Wildcard spot:

SEVERSTAL CHEREPOVETS

The Lite Qualifier teams will be played in two stages, here is a breakdown of the structure:

Four groups, six teams - the Top 2 out of each group will gain direct promotion to Lite, the Mid 2 will advance to stage 2 and the Bottom 2 will play in Core.
The remaining eight teams will clash for best-of-five series to determine the who will gain spots in the Lite division.

We wish all participating good luck in the Qualifiers, play hard, play fair and most importantly have fun!

Sign up for ECL '22 Winter now!

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 17:54:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

The European Championship League is back with some new touches! We are confident that our reinvented format will bring bigger and better things not only this current season, but also in the future. The signups are now open, so tell your friends and get ready for the greatest NHL gaming experience to date!

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports - a league where all the best European NHL gamers create teams and compete against each other in the game mode EASHL (6v6) for the title of Best EASHL Team in Europe. The league currently features five divisions, so action is guaranteed for everyone regardless of skill level and experience!

Basic information/requirements of ECL:

Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude North American or Russian players. A European server will always be used. In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players.
6v6 tournament: ECL is played 6 vs. 6 only, using the EASHL Challenge Club game mode in NHL 22.
Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at NHLGamer.com and create their personal player card.
Roster requirements: Teams in ECL Elite need to have at least 7 players to sign up. Teams in ECL Pro, ECL Lite, ECL Core and ECL Neo need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players.
ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro will be require their respective ECL '22 Winter license in order to play. Optional licenses are available for the ECL Lite and Core levels. More details below.
Rules: The ECL '22 Winter ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 12. The updated rulebook will be available before the season.

~~Wildcard Battle: 2.- 6.12.~~
~~ECL Lite Qualifier: 2.- 6.12.~~
~~ECL Pro Qualifier: 2.- 6.12.~~
~~ECL Neo: 2.- 27.12.~~
~~ECL Core: 2.- 27.12.~~
~~ECL Lite: 2.- 17.12.~~
~~ECL Pro: 2.- 17.12.~~
~~ECL Elite: 2.- 17.12.~~

* Sign-up will close 23:59 CET on the last day mentioned unless otherwise specified

Below you'll find the condensed version of what's new this year in the ECL. For a longer look, please read our article about the new era of ECL.

ECL Winter & Spring

ECL seasons will no longer carry the same numerical distinctions next to them as before. Instead, NHLGamer will be hosting two annual ECL seasons: ECL Winter and ECL Spring.
The combined prize pools for ECL Winter, ECL Spring and the ECL Grand Finals will be larger than anything seen before here in NHL esports!
We’ll be hosting an ECL Grand Final – with an additional prize pool – to crown the annual ECL Champion. This much-anticipated best-of-seven event will feature the ECL Elite teams who won ECL Winter and ECL Spring, respectively.

Prize pools for ECL Pro, Lite and Core

ECL Elite remains the pinnacle of virtual hockey gaming in Europe but as our community continues to grow and the competition becomes increasingly tougher, playing in ECL Pro, Lite and Core is more prestigious than ever before.
We’ll be adding a license and prize pool for our second-tier division; ECL Pro – and voluntary licenses and prize pools for ECL Lite and Core.
ECL Pro will feature a mandatory license fee and prize pool. All the money from the team licenses goes into the prize pool. The top sixteen (16) out of the divisions’ 32 teams will be awarded a share of the prize pool.
ECL Lite and Core will feature a voluntary license fee and a prize pool for the teams who choose to acquire a license. The top 16 teams that choose to acquire a license in ECL Lite (64 teams) will be awarded a share of the prize pool. The top 32 teams that choose to acquire a license in ECL Core (128 teams) will be awarded a share of the prize pool.

See more about licenses in our Licenses section.

Please use the below links for more detailed info about each division and which teams are eligible to sign up:

Wildcard Battle information (for ECL Lite and Pro Qualifiers)
ECL Lite & Pro Qualifiers information
ECL Neo Season Information
ECL Core Season Information
ECL Lite Season Information
ECL Pro Season Information
ECL Elite Season Information

Don't have a team yet? Team looking for additions to your roster?

If you are a free agent looking to be picked up, please head over here.

If you are representing a team looking for players, please head over here.

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

Fill in this form. (Only if your organization has unlockables available in NHL 22)

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

Welcome to the new era of ECL

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 17:44:00 +0000

Gamers, the time has come to step into the future.

Today, we invite you to join us for “A Song of Winter and Spring” as we introduce the next step in the evolution of ECL. We’ll also walk you through some incoming improvements to the website and the overall EASHL team experience here at NHLGamer.

You’ll find all the details below but before we get to the grand reveal, I’d like to take a moment to address the community directly.

Introducing something new in the world of gaming comes with a certain responsibility. Especially when presenting it to a group of loyal, passionate consumers. Like you, our 14,000+ members here at NHLGamer.com.

How the invention itself is received can be difficult to predict, but for better or for worse the launch itself is often memorable.

Who can forget the celebrated Cyberpunk 2077 presentation at E3 2019 when Keanu Reeves set the internet ablaze by shouting “You’re breathtaking!” to the crowd? Memorable, for the right reasons.

But like Cyberpunk proved, the introduction itself is nothing without a solid product launch.

Today, we aim to deliver on both fronts as we write yet another new chapter in the already storied history of the European Championship League.

And, just like when we introduced our Divisional system in ECL 4 or when we hosted our first LAN event in ECL 8 or even when we re-imagined the divisional framework for ECL 12, we welcome your thoughts, opinions and above all – your passion.

After all, that is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Now, let’s get to it.

INTRODUCING… ECL WINTER & ECL SPRING

Moving forward, our ECL leagues will no longer carry the numerical distinctions next to them as before. Instead, NHLGamer will be hosting two annual ECL seasons: ECL Winter and ECL Spring.

What’s more, we’ll be crowning an annual ECL Grand Champion – exclusive to the Elite division.

The combined prize pools for ECL Winter, ECL Spring and the ECL Grand Finals will be larger than anything seen before here at NHLGamer.

Furthermore, the divisional framework as presented in ECL 12 will remain, but we are happy to announce we’ll be adding a license and prize pool for our second-tier division; ECL Pro – and voluntary licenses and prize pools for ECL Lite and Core.

Here’s how it will work.

ECL Winter

ECL Winter takes the place of ECL 13, as it were, and will be played from January through March 2022. This will be the tentatively scheduled slot for ECL Winter in the future as well, but we are open to starting the Winter edition even as early as November – depending on feedback from the community.

Knowing ahead of time when the seasons are set to start allows our players and teams to plan ahead in a way that was previously difficult.

ECL Spring

ECL Spring replaces ECL 14 and will be played from April through June 2022. Just like ECL Winter, Spring will be tentatively scheduled for the same slot next year. Having ECL Spring finish before midsummer allows our players and teams to take the summer off from playing ECL games, as per requests from the community.

Annual ECL Champion

Come June, we’ll be hosting an ECL Grand Final – with an additional prize pool – to crown the annual ECL Champion. This much-anticipated best-of-seven event will feature the ECL Elite teams who won ECL Winter and ECL Spring, respectively.

Should the same team win both seasons, that team will be crowned the ECL Grand Champion in conjunction with the ECL Spring Finals.

INTRODUCING… PRIZE POOLS FOR ECL PRO, LITE AND CORE

ECL Elite remains the pinnacle of virtual hockey gaming in Europe and will feature our biggest prize pool yet - a total of 33 000 EUR!

As our community continues to grow and the competition becomes increasingly tougher, playing in ECL Pro, Lite and Core is more prestigious than ever before. Now, for the first time ever, we are set to further elevate the status of these divisions by introducing the concept of prize pools.

ECL Pro will feature a mandatory license fee and prize pool. All the money from the team licenses goes into the prize pool. The top sixteen (16) out of the divisions’ 32 teams will be awarded a share of the prize pool.

ECL Lite and Core will feature a voluntary license fee and a prize pool for the teams who choose to acquire a license. The top 16 teams that choose to acquire a license in ECL Lite (64 teams) will be awarded a share of the prize pool. The top 32 teams that choose to acquire a license in ECL Core (128 teams) will be awarded a share of the prize pool.

ECL Neo will continue as our division for new teams who want to get accustomed to league play on a relaxed schedule. There will be no license or prizing for ECL Neo.

INTRODUCING… NEW WEBSITE FEATURES

As a community, you’ve been asking us for upgrades to the website infrastructure. You’ve given us feedback; you’ve outlined what you want to see in terms of a competitive esports platform. And we thank you for it.

We continue to listen – and ask for – your thoughts and feedback when it comes to the long-term development of the platform.
Here’s an outline of what we’re doing to improve the website experience in the short term.

We’ll be improving and expanding the admin tools with a singular focus on streamlining the support process. As the community grows, the need for a quick and efficient support system has never been greater – and this is something we’ve put a lot of work into.
We’ll be improving and expanding the amount of stats from the EA SPORTS NHL game we’re able to track. As you might have seen in the Player Summary screen, several new statistical columns have been introduced and we’ll be introducing them to our website. The stats in question will be available retroactively for the previous ECL seasons where they were available in-game.
We’ll be introducing a social sharing tool for the teams and organizations that make up our user base. No longer will teams need to grab a screenshot of a game report on NHLGamer or an in-game screen grab of a result for posting on social media. Instead, you’ll be able to share results and stats conveniently to social platforms directly from our website.
We’ll be eradicating the website bugs that exist today, while also improving our general response time when it comes to fixing them.

Above all, we introduce a pledge that this is just the opening salvo in what will be a renewed focus to further develop the platform thousands of you choose to visit on a daily basis.

INTRODUCING… SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMS AND ADDED TEAM VISIBILITY

More and more esport organizations continue to join the ECL ecosystem and here at NHLGamer, that is something we take great pride in. In order to take further steps towards professionalism and allow all our teams – not just the ones signed to an organization – to attract sponsors and develop their franchise in terms of visibility and competitive efforts, we are introducing the concept of sponsorship programs.

We will build and share free of charge sponsorship packages which will include high-class sales presentations, best practices, and other supporting materials for teams to elevate their commercial efforts.
We will also set up a sponsorship pool for the community which will be allocated by competition rankings and other community incentives.
We will continue to broadcast Elite games with the same passion and intensity as before, while also adding a weekly broadcast dedicated to our second-tier division, Pro.
We’ll be introducing the opportunity for added sponsorship visibility during our broadcasts. As an example, an Elite team could be given the chance to have one sponsor visible at a designated area during our wide-reaching league broadcasts.

I want to take this moment to thank you all for being on this journey together, we are very excited for the upcoming year and looking forward to share more with you in the near future.

So without futher ado, welcome to ECL '22!

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

A young champion - Henrik "eken45jr" Eklund still seeks missing ECL championship

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 18:45:00 +0000

Today, we've got an interesting interview with a young champion, who has quickly taken his place among the very best of talent in both the 6v6 and 1v1 game modes. Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund has won a lot, but is still on the hunt for his first European Championship.

Despite his young age, Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund is a very experienced player in competitive NHL esports. Over the years, he has won a combined six Swedish Championships in the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes. In fact, he's won every SCL tournament organized thus far by NHLGamer.

He was also the inaugural champion of the Bolts Chel Challenge in the 1v1-mode.

The way Eklund tells it, hockey has been close to his heart ever since he was a child. He thinks back to getting his first ever NHL game as a Christmas present at a very early age, after which there's been no looking back.

"I’ve been a massive hockey fan for as long as I can remember. I believe I got my first NHL game as a Christmas gift and since then it’s been a no-brainer to get the game every year. NHL has always been my main game but I really enjoyed FIFA back in the days as well."

Even though Eklund has been playing the NHL series games for a very long time, it was only a few years ago that he switched into a more competitive mindset and started practicing harder.

"I think my first NHL was NHL 06, so I was 6 years old. I’ve owned every game since then. I started to play competitively at the start of NHL 19 so I’d have to say that the Capitals Esports Faceoff is one of my first and best memories from playing among the best in the world, it was really cool earning that trip there."

"At the start of NHL 19 I was starting to figure out that I was pretty good at the game and, well, I’ve always loved to compete. So after the first tournament I felt like this is something I really want to continue doing", Eklund states.

Eklund is very successful in both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes. We asked the Swedish winger which of the game modes he thinks is more exciting to play.

"I enjoy both game modes but I would say that 6v6 is my favourite. The feeling of team play and winning together with others is amazing and something you don’t really get when playing 1v1. I would say that my main strength in both game modes is my hockey IQ."

Earlier this year, the youngster won the Bolts Chel Challenge tournament in the 1v1 game mode. He also mentions the first SCL championship back in the spring of 2019 when we asked for his best memory in competitive NHL.

"My best memories while playing competitively is either winning the Bolts Chel Challenge earlier this year, or the first Swedish Championship we won with Vesa Pompa at the LAN-event in Uppsala a few years back."

When preparing for a big matchup the theme of calming yourself with a walk and some good music, that we've seen with other players in the communty, continues with Eken.

When looking back at his first appearances in the 6v6-scene, it brings to mind a special journey with a squad all new to the format.

"Our first Swedish Championship with Vesa Pompa holds a special place in my memory. The players were all new to the 6v6 scene and had created a team with all the top 1v1 guys from Sweden. We were just playing ECL for fun on the side of 1v1 before the SCL got announced and when it did, we decided to go for it. We brought in Erik @Eki Tammenpää, who was a big help and taught our team the basics of playing 6s. We started to grind the game a lot and eventually we managed to win the whole thing".

As is customary with our interviewees, Eken got to name his top 6 - and the squad sure has some talent:

Left wing: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie - One of, if not the best goal scorers in the scene. When he’s on his game he’s unstoppable.

Center: Erik @Eki Tammenpää - In my opinion the most complete player there is. Can play any position, very good on both ends of the ice and has great hockey IQ.

Right wing: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha - A very smart player who is very reliable on both ends of the ice. Also has that offensive upside and can decide games on his own.

Left defenseman: Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen - One of the premiere defenders in the game. Especially in the ECL 12 finals, that was the best performance by a defender that I’ve ever seen.

Right defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta - Unmatched at the RD position. Outstanding two-way defender who rarely makes any mistakes.

Goaltender: Casper @ICappeI Lundgren - His experience and tournament success speaks for itself and also having the ability to always play his best game when it matters the most.

That'll be it for this time - let us know in the comments section who you'd like to hear from in the future!

ECL Warmup Tournament: Launch info

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 23:00:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

We're happy to have had a good amount of teams register for the ECL Warmup Tournament, which starts today! The exact number of teams registered were 27 for the Elite & Pro-tournament, 112 for the Lite & Core tournament and 54 for the Neo & Newcomers tournament.

Here's how it's all going to unfold:

Elite & Pro
Groups
Schedule

Three groups holding 9 teams each
Double-header gamedays
Regular season 18.11 - 8.12
Default gamedays on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Five teams from each group make playoffs + best 6th ranked team (BO3)
- Playoff dates:
  - 9-12.12 (RO16)
  - 13-14.12 (Quarterfinals)
  - 15-16.12 (Semifinals)
  - 19-20.12 (Finals)

Lite & Core
Groups
Schedule

Please note that some changes have been made to the format due to the amount of teams signed up. Mainly one playoff round has been added.

Ten groups holding 11-12 teams each
Double-header gamedays
Regular season 18.11 - 6.12
Default gamedays on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Six teams from each group make playoffs + four best 7th ranked teams (BO3)
- Playoff dates:
  - 8-9.12 (RO64)
  - 12-13.12 (RO32)
  - 14-15.12 (RO16)
  - 16-19.12 (Quarterfinals)
  - 20.12 (Semifinals)
  - 21.12 (Finals)

Neo & Newcomers
Groups
Schedule

Six groups holding 9 teams each
Double-header gamedays
Regular season 18.11 - 6.12
Default gamedays on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Five teams from each group make playoffs + two best 6th ranked teams (BO3)
- Playoff dates:
  - 8-9.12 (RO32)
  - 12-13.12 (RO16)
  - 14-15.12 (Quarterfinals)
  - 16-19.12 (Semifinals)
  - 20-21.12 (Finals)

Rules

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

Tiebreakers

If teams are tied in points after the group stage, we will utilize these usual tiebreakers *

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

*In the event of the tiebreakers being applied to teams from differing group sizes, ‘wins’ will be
represented as a percentage, head-to-head will naturally be disregarded, goal difference will be made
into an ‘average per game’ amount, goals scored will (like goal difference before it) be converted into
an ‘average per game’, then finally, if all else fails to break the tie between two teams, a coin flip will
decide.

Playoffs

Playoff teams will be seeded against all playoff-bound teams from best to worst according to the system detailed below, as well as with the general tiebreakers mentioned above

Group winners
Group runners-up
Teams that finished 3rd
Teams that finished 4th
Teams that finished 5th
Teams that finished 6th

We hope you're as excited as we are to get back into the action - have fun!

NHLGamer brings you the ECL Warmup Tournament - Sign up here!

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 21:50:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

Last season’s warmup tournament received positive feedback, which is why we've decided to continue the tradition this season as well. The ECL Warmup Tournament is a friendly tournament with three tiers for teams to get into the competitive mindset, without the heavy structure that comes with the actual ECL divisions framework. The difference to last season is that we've added playoffs for each tier and we also decided to add a third level for the Neo and newcomer teams to give new interested teams an opportunity to try out the competitive games in a relaxed environment.

What is the ECL?

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation.

Before we move on to the details of the ECL Warmup, we want to tackle the big question of when the actual ECL season starts:

Registrations for the ECL season will begin in early December
Qualifiers are scheduled to be played before the end of the year
The ECL season will start in early January 2022

We will share more information about the schedule and other exciting developments early December. With that said, now is the perfect time to register for the warmup tournament and fine-tune the lineups for the upcoming season!

ECL Warmup

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

Elite & Pro

Only ECL Elite & ECL Pro teams
This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (no League Admin cases)
The final format is determined by the number of teams
Double-header gamedays
Regular season 18.11 – 7.12
Playoffs (BO3)
- 9-12.12 (RO16)
- 13-14.12 (Quarterfinals)
- 15-16.12 (Semifinals)
- 19-20.12 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, November 17

SIGN UP HERE

Lite & Core

Only ECL Lite & ECL Core teams, and by special request wildcard teams
This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (no League Admin cases)
Qualifier teams can participate, but the final rounds of the playoffs may coincide with the qualifiers
The final format is determined by the number of teams
Double-header gamedays
Regular season 18.11 – 7.12
Playoffs (BO3)
- 9-10.12 (RO32)
- 11-12.12 (RO16)
- 13-14.12 (Quarterfinals)
- 15-16.12 (Semifinals)
- 19-20.12 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, November 17

SIGN UP HERE

Neo & Newcomers

Only ECL Neo & Newcomer teams
This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (no League Admin cases)
The final format is determined by the number of teams
Double-header gamedays
Regular season 18.11 – 7.12
Playoffs (BO3)
- 9-10.12 (RO32)
- 11-12.12 (RO16)
- 13-14.12 (Quarterfinals)
- 15-16.12 (Semifinals)
- 19-20.12 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, November 17

SIGN UP HERE

Uniform and logo unlocks

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

Here is a link for the unlocks form - please feel free to request for both consoles: https://forms.gle/eGyEQwYqDRLPEMyk7

Rules

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

The tournament will be played on the NHL 22 PlayStation 4 version

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

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

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

ECL 12 Lite: Finals & Season Recap

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 13:09:16 +0000

The ECL 12 Lite season ended in a Reality Check HC victory. It is time to look back briefly at the exciting season: phenomenons, upsets, star players and so much more, not forgetting the final series which offered huge drama and truly acted as prime PR for virtual hockey and the ECL leagues in general.

Finals game by game

Game 1: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC 2-4

noRex Gaming started very strongly. The longer the game went, Reality Check HC got better and mounted the start of a comeback from 2-0 in the second period. Reality Check HC went to victory after convincingly improving their game over the course of the first clash.

Game 2: Reality Check HC vs noRex Gaming OT 1-2

Reality Check HC continued basically from where they left off in Game 1. In the first period they took the lead. However, in the second period noRex came back with a goal on the follow up of great passing plays and movement of the whole line. Game 2 was a relatively even battle with rather few shots on goal and no penalties in the first two periods. In the third period, however, there were three penalties but no goals on those opportunities. noRex grabbed the vital win in OT just about 30 seconds in scoring the winner. Reality Check headed into OT shorthanded so they had that going against them.

Game 3: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC OT 2-3

Reality Check HC took the lead in the first period. In the second period noRex Gaming came back and took the lead. In the third period Reality Check HC scored the equalizer with tremendous skill in front of the net at the later half of the period. Reality Check HC eventually scored the winner in OT. Just like in Game 2, the winner was a 5-on-3 PP-goal.

Game 4: Reality Check HC vs noRex Gaming 0-3

noRex Gaming came into this fight with a tremendous defending approach and it paid off. Two great goals in the first period gave a huge advantage moving forward since the defence was tight. In the first period noRex Gaming was truly in flames and an 8-0 shot advantage after the first 20 tells that story. In the second period the same disciplined defending continued but no goals in either direction. noRex Gaming was a little ahead of Reality Check HC in every area of the game especially through 40 minutes. In the third period Reality Check HC mounted a bit more pressure than in the first two periods but they couldn't find the back of the net.

Game 5: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC 3-4

Before Game 5, wins were 2-2 and both teams knew the win in this game would take them one win away from the title. Unlike some of these kind of important games the game did not commence securely, instead both teams attacked bravely and it paid off in the form of three goals - two for Reality Check HC and one for noRex Gaming. There were plenty of events in the second period too but only one goal. Reality Check HC scored just seconds before the end. Reality Check HC opened the scoring in the 3rd period with a huge breakaway. noRex Gaming fought and came back to 3-4 but couldn't get closer than that. A massive cornerstone on the road to the title for Reality Check HC.

Game 6: Reality Check HC vs noRex Gaming 1-3

Before Game 6, noRex Gaming was at breaking point. Reality Check HC had the match point to secure the title and started off quick by scoring the first goal in under a minute. No more goals in the first period but some entertaining play like in Game 5. noRex Gaming started the second period with a Power Play, ending up unable to score and determined to get an equalizer, consequently without success. After the second period noRex Gaming has one last chance to keep their hopes alive. Shots were 7-3 in their favour but their good play hadn't yielded any success to this point. At the beginning of the third period noRex Gaming played shorthanded and scored the equalizer with a great combination and shot from the blue line and quickly after, noRex took the lead with a very effective counter-attack goal. Reality Check HC probably were in a bit of a too secure mindset after their opening goal and noRex realized that, running away with the keys to victory in the third period.

Game 7: noRex Gaming vs Reality Check HC 2-5

At this point, both teams had accomplished success in the series. It was real hard to see which team had the edge in this situation. Reality Check HC took the lead in the first period although seconds before their goal noRex had a huge opportunity to take the lead. After the first period the score was 1-0 to Reality Check HC. In the first six minutes of the second period, noRex finally got their reward with a beautiful one-timer goal. No more goals in the second period were seen although noRex had more opportunities and shots were in favor of them 10-3 at the end of the second period. The situation could not have been more thrilling as the teams ended the 2nd period at an even 1-1 score. In the third period, however, a strange blackout occurred to noRex Gaming. In under five minutes Reality Check scored three goals and although NoRex got one back the title slipped through their fingers during these five minutes. The whole series was incredibly tough but this last five minutes ended up being the turning point. Congratulations to the champions!

Notable players of the season

It is always appropriate to highlight players of the title-winning teams in the season recap along with some from the runner-up team because successor teams have always performed well individually as well. But there were of course some players that made major contributions in the teams eliminated in previous rounds. Here is just a glimpse of the good players in the Lite season and these choices are - like always - purely subjective ones.

@Mister (linuseliel) Reality Check HC GP 28 30+34=64 Regular Season / GP 31 22+22=44 Playoffs

@jezbaru Reality Check HC GP 28 7+28=35 +39 Regular Season / GP 31 6+34=40 +11 Playoffs

@TheArska Reality Check HC GP 28 24+36=60 +42 Regular Season / GP 31 26+24=50 +11 Playoffs

@GERxVillain noRex Gaming GP 28 14+27=41 +38 Regular season / GP 28 12+27=39 +32 Playoffs

@IDangledYouOut noRex Gaming GP 28 26+24=50 Regular Season / GP 28 26+31=57 Playoffs

@Paddyy1903 noRex Gaming GP 28 6+20=26 +39 Regular Season / GP 28 3+27=30 +32 Playoffs

@Fightlocke3 noRex Gaming GP 28 W 21 L 1 OL 6 SV% 83,71 GAA 1,29 SO 8 Regular Season / GP 28 W 19 L 8 OL 1 SV% 80,93 GAA 1,46 SO 7 Playoffs

@Kauppias4 Reality Check HC GP 16 W 14 L 1 OL 1 SV% 88 GAA 1,31 SO 5 Regular Season / GP 31 W 20 L 8 OL 3 SV% 80,34 GAA 1,84 SO 6 Playoffs

@egoapina Grilli Tulille GP 12 7+14=21 Regular season / GP 2 1+3=4 Playoffs

@Valdoboii Grilli Tulille GP 15 10 4 1 SV% 86,21 GAA 1,87 Regular season / GP GP 2 W 0 L 2 OTL 0 SV% 82,35 GAA 3 SO 0 Playoffs

@KG12PK88 EHC Biel Bienne eSports GP 20 2+12=14 Regular Season / GP 10 2+7=9 Playoffs -3

@Red09Dragon08 EHC Biel Bienne eSports GP 24 22+31=53 Regular Season / GP 10 6+6=12 Playoffs

@Tumpp1A Royal HT GP 30 5+27=32 +66 Regular Season

@Jarvinder Lulea Hockey GP 28 33+31=64 Regular Season / GP 32 32+15=47 Playoffs

@ESSRV Hokurit GP 6 5+3=8 Regular Season / GP 21 10+13=23 Playoffs

@rize1988 Södertälje SK GP 28 15+27=42 Regular Season / GP 20 8+11=19 Playoffs

Concluding words of the season

Lite season offered numerous great games as well as numerous players that made great contributions like previously mentioned. Every season there are always great teams writing new, interesting stories even though only one can win and only few can succeed in the very brightest of lights in the end. Teams that made great impressions during the season were for example Grilli Tulille, who proved that established players are able to make an impact across multiple games. EHC Biel Bienne was also one of the teams that made a great effort. Royal HT was good in the regular series but did not do their best in the playoffs. Hokurit and Södertälje SK were among the teams that did well and performed close to the level that was expected from them.

On a more general level, it was evident throughout the season that top tier virtual hockey exists not only on the highest level in Elite but also in Pro and Lite. In Lite there are numerous players and teams that would challenge opponents in Pro and some even posses the skill to play in Elite and have the experience from these divisions higher up. Like always, it has been a pleasure to follow along over the course of the season, and we're already excited to see who will be coming back next season.

Severstal Cherepovets form team out of experienced Russian gamers

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 10:40:35 +0000

Severstal Cherepovets is a traditional Russian ice hockey club, that was founded in 1956. The team has been playing in the Russian elite league (KHL) since 2008. In the past, many other KHL teams have announced their transition to virtual hockey and Severstal will be joining them in the near future.

The upcoming Severstal NHL roster consists of players who live in the city and also support the KHL team in real life. In the future, the KHL team will assist their virtual hockey team by, among other things, giving as much visibility as possible to their own social media.

"Today, the Severstal hockey club is one of the oldest in Russia. The history of hockey in Cherepovets has been going on for six decades. For more than 20 years, Severstal has consistently played in the" highest light" of Russian hockey, being one of the main old-timers of the national championship." - Denis @The Great Dany Goryachev (zGrtDanny)

Twice Severstal hockey players have reached the podium - they have won bronze and silver medals in the Russian Super League. Many students of the Cherepovets hockey school defended the honor of the Russian national team at major international tournaments. A wide array of young players are now candidates for the Russian national team.

The Servestal NHL roster also has experience from the real ice in the same uniform, as one of their players has represented the KHL team Servestal for several seasons.

“One of the players, Evgeniy @mons3223 Mons is actually a professional hockey player, who played for Severstal for more than four seasons in the KHL. Last season he spent in Ukraine and his in-game leadership skills have been a massive asset for us, it really helps us to improve. Great leadership from our LD.” - Juris @JLopatko Lopatko

"Almost all players have spent all seasons in the RCL. Everyone has played in RCL Pro, but in different teams. There are a lot of connections there and many players have played together in the past." - Denis @The Great Dany Goryachev (zGrtDanny)

Although there is a great deal of experience on the team, the players of the team admit that it is better to start their journey with small goals and not get too hungry from the get-go. In the future, the team wants to qualify for and succeed in the ECL Lite qualifiers. At a later stage, ECL Pro would be a realistic goal.

hREDS are your ECL 12 Elite Champions!

Sun, 01 Aug 2021 15:03:00 +0000

NHLGamers,

This weekend, we got to witness a crazy show, mainly put on by your new ECL 12 Champions hREDS! The finals were in general very tight battles with the exception of game two that ended in a 6-0 whooping by hREDS. The big, bad reds suffered defeat by a sweep last season and came back to dish out the same kind of punishment to FILADELPHIA this year, we congratulate the champions and thank FILADELPHIA for their great effort!

hREDS have come a long way in a relatively short time and after their devastating loss against FILADELPHIA back in the ECL 11 Finals, their will to win was obvious this time - turning the team into an unstoppable winning machine. Especially their defense was outstanding, conceding only one goal in the four games played. Defenseman Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen answered some questions amidst their celebration:

"We didn't really change anything for the Finals, me and Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen are just that good at the moment. It's easy to play together and I guess it shows on the ice. We're definitely a tough team to beat at the moment. Amazing job by Filip @Faze91- Azri. Especially against FILA, allowing just one goal is unheard of, so he's been a backbone for us throughout. Also, when me, Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen and Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen have played together we haven't lost a single tournament, so the connection is definitely special and we're hoping to keep that momentum going."

@Beniittto was chosen as the Playoff MVP by his teammates and he truly had a dominant outing throughout the series, with a whopping 4 goals and two assists in game two to really take charge. He commented on his prowess to the NHLGamer studio:

"I mean I always try to be at my best level, and I guess in that 2nd game everything just worked out for me. Having Vilu and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen by my side make my game so much easier and it's a big thing for me to get to play with those guys. They definitely elevate me."

The day after their amazing feat, social media is filled with posts of former teammates and friends congratulating these guys on their journey towards the top and finally conquering the mighty FILADELPHIA. with that, NHLGamer also took the time to reach out to General Manager Christer Kasurinen for some insight from behind the scenes.

"We're really trying to build something more than just a one hit wonder here. There's been talk of "the big three" for quite some time already, but ultimately, we want to be "the big one". This championship is a big thing for hREDS and even though NHL Esports is a small niche in the grand scheme of things, the title is even bigger for us with HIFK being our main owners and all. You could talk about bridging that gap between traditional and virtual hockey."

The manager does his best to stay involved with the team and allow them the best chances to succeed.

"Behind the scenes, we've tried to do everything we can to help our boys succeed. Whether it's been going through mental stuff over a cup of coffee with some players or setting up some discussions with hockey players, we try to stay involved with the day-to-day of our team. For the Finals, it helped tremendously to get most of our players playing from a LAN location and the chemistry really showed in how comfortable the guys were. We're sad Filip couldn't make it due to travel restrictions, but we tried to set him up with similar conditions in a LAN location in his hometown so that he'd have the best circumstances to succeed."

hREDS - Road to the championship:

Regular season record: Group 1 - 25-4-1 (2nd)
Quarterfinals: vs POGGERS 4-0
Semifinals: vs HAVU Gaming 4-2
Finals: vs FILADELPHIA 4-0

Championship roster:
GOALTENDERS
#91 Filip @Faze91- Azri
#1 Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen

DEFENSEMEN
#27 Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen
#94 Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen

FORWARDS
#23 Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
#89 Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen
#96 Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen

Playoff MVP: #96 Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen

Congratulations on behalf of the entire community, and see you next season!

Djurgarden Hockey is your ECL 12 Pro Champion!

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 11:18:06 +0000

It was a hard fought battle as predicted, but in the end, the better team prevailed! The ECL 12 Pro Finals went down at the start of the week and Djurgarden Hockey was seen hoisting that trophy, claiming their spot in the ECL 13 Elite division. The Swedish ensemble have worked hard to achieve this goal, and now several of their players will have the chance to take their first strides in the brightest of lights when it comes to NHL Esports.

We reached out to captain Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg for some comments about their journey. The captain himself had an impressive season, breaking the ECL Pro record for most goals by a defenseman in the playoffs - now at 10 goals by the man himself.

Congratulations! It must feel extra special to accomplish the championship and promotion with guys that you have worked alongside for such a long time. What are some of the factors that have led your to this point, looking back at past seasons?

"As you said, we've been working extremely hard and for a long time. We've worked both on our game as a team as well as the mental aspects of the game. Our players have grown as people, individuals and team players along that way. There truly is no 'I' in this team and it's harder to accomplish that than you'd think when we're composed of such individually skilled players. The fact that everyone fights for each other is the biggest factor to our great run."

Next up for you guys is the step up to the European Top 16. What will DIF look like moving forward and what are your thoughts on what to develop?

"Actually, we haven't given that too much thought just yet. Obviously it's in the back of your head, but our full focus has been solely on claiming the Pro title, the promotion is a welcome bonus. When it comes to our composition next season, we won't be shuffling things around too much. I'll reveal that we've picked up William @Mumsi- Lindblad from Leksand, but overall I'm very hapy with what we've got. We know it's going to be a tough job in Elite and our primary focus lies on retaining our spot in our first season. From there we'll learn and develop into coming campaigns."

Djurgarden Hockey - Road to the championship:

Regular season record: Group 1 - 18-7-5 (3rd)
Round 1: vs 4-0 Hotbox
Quarterfinals: vs 4-2 Kiekko-Espoo Esports
Semifinals: vs BoxinElite 4-1
Finals: vs Team LEISURE 4-2

Championship roster:
GOALTENDERS
#26 Valtteri @Sorsa103 Mulari

DEFENSEMEN
#1 Andreas @Clumpyindiana79 Storbacka
#81 Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg
#92 Tobias @svetidaje Karlsson

FORWARDS
#46 Joacim @LordStanley46_ Wilhelmsson
#71 Philip @Strumpan87 Ström
#91 Amadeus @amadee21 Carlsson

Congratulations on behalf of the entire community, and see you next season!