NHLGamers,

We are extremely excited that the ECL 12 Neo season is already entering the Quarterfinals, which means that we are inching closer to crowning a new champion! Now we're left at only the eight best teams, who are all eager to hoist the trophy on July 4th. Good luck on your journey!

The ECL 12 Neo Quarterfinals are to be played between Sunday, 13th of June and Wednesday, 16th of June.

Here's the full ECL 12 Neo playoff schedule:

Lainaa

10.5.4 ECL Neo Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 30.5-2.6 (BO5)
• Playoffs Round 2: 6.6-9.6 (BO5)
• Quarterfinals: 13.6-16.6
• Semifinals: 20.6-23.6
• Finals: 4.7

Find all the ECL 12 Neo Playoffs: Quarterfinals matchups here.

As usual - have fun - play hard!

NHLGamers,

After an exciting first round of playoffs in the ECL Core division, we are down to only 32 teams left! We are moving on with rapid pace and some teams have already started their series in round 2, so without further ado, let the games begin!

Round 2 of the playoffs is to be played between Sunday, the 13th of June and Thursday, the 17th of June.

Here's the full ECL 12 Core playoff schedule:

Lainaa

10.6.4 ECL Core Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 6.6 – 10.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 2: 13.6 – 17.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 3: 20.6 – 23.6 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 29.6 – 4.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 6.7 – 11.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 16.7 – 17.7 (BO7)

Find all the ECL 12 Core Playoffs: Round 2 matchups here.

As usual - have fun - play hard!

NHLGamers,

The ECL 12 Lite regular season has finished and we are ready for the playoffs. It is time to speculate briefly on the fixtures and predict the outcome of those exciting series. There are many very even matchups ahead and some with a bit more of favorites but like we have seen in previous ECL seasons, the playoffs are full of surprises and there are many competitive teams so anything can truly happen.

Note: At the time of writing this GIFU Hockey vs VANHAT KYLJYKSET series has already begun so it is left out in this preview for that reason.

Lainaa

10.6.3 ECL Lite Playoff Schedule
• Playoffs Round 1: 15.6 – 20.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 2: 22.6 – 1.7 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 4.7 – 8.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 11.7 – 15.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 19.7 – 21.7 (BO7)

(1)  Reality Check HC vs Grilli Tulille  (32)

Number one seed with lots to prove Reality Check HC faces the very multi-talented team Grilli Tulille, consisting of several players merited on the virtual football pitch. Grilli Tulille had a very tight situation to even reach the playoffs with both Thunder United and them being tied in all tie-breakers. The two completed a best-of-three series, ending in Grili Tulille claiming the last Playoff spot.

In this game, we've got the top seeded team versus the bottom seeded team. Reality Check HC had a huge regular season as expected and Grilli Tulille barely managed to squeak into the playoffs by the narrowest possible margin. Grilli Tulille is already accustomed to playoff style hockey, but they are unlikely to beat a team as talented as Reality Check.

Prediction: Reality Check  HC wins 4-2.
 

(2)  noRex Gaming vs The Last Line  (31)

Two teams from the same group in the regular season will face off. noRex Gaming won both regular season games. Both squads are in good form to start the playoffs - The Last Line beat Powerhouse HC in the last game and had an impressive 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, whereas noRex finished their regular season campaign with a 7-1-2 record in their last 10. Quite an interesting point is that The Last Line beat Powerhouse HC in the last game and noRex Gaming lost to the same team in their last game. Despite that, noRex Gaming is without a doubt the favorite in this clash.

Prediction: noRex Gaming wins 4-2

(3)  GIFU Hockey vs VANHAT KYLJYKSET  (30)

This series has already started and is even at 1-1.

(4) Royal HT vs BIK Karlskoga Esport  (29)

Both teams were in same group. Royal HT won the group and BIK Karlskoga Esport barely reached the playoffs. Royal HT won both their games between each other quite comfortably so there is a clear favorite in this series. BIK Karlskoga Esports needs all going exactly as planned and lots of luck to advance from this series as their opposition has already proven their skill against their system in the groupstage. Goaltending must be on top and BIK would need to convert on any chance they get, although unlikely, anything could theoretically happen.

Prediction: Royal HT wins 4-0
 

(5)  Barys eSports vs United Front  (28)

Barys eSports have been quite impressive in their debut season in the ECL. They finished second after noRex Gaming in their group and with that reached a favorable position in the postseason. United Front finished 7th in their group after a decent regular season. They had quite the roller-coaster form throughout but overcame teams like FILADELPHIA Academy and in the last matches played rather tight games against group winners GIFU Hockey. Barys eSports seems to be a slight favorite but this series is likely to be tighter than you might expect. 

Prediction: Barys eSports wins 4-2
 

(6)  UNI Gaming vs Hokurit  (27)

UNI Gaming finished 2nd in their group and Hokurit 7th respectively. Hokurit had a fluctuating regular season but beat teams like Powerhouse HC so they have the caliber to challenge UNI Gaming for sure. On the other hand, UNI Gaming has been strong throughout and possess quality and experience from Pro last season, they also beat their group winner GIFU Hockey an both occasions in the regular season, which is a show of strength. UNI Gaming is the favorite but Hokurit is capable of challenging well in this series.

Prediction: Hokurit wins 4-2
 

(7)  IK Oskarshamn vs Almost Retired  (26)

Two teams that were in the same group. Both games between these teams went the way of IK Oskarshamn, but one of them did take overtime. IK Oskarshamn is a favorite no doubt. We could restate the same mantra as in many other series, we've got a heavy favorite going up against an underdog that needs all the hockey gods on their side in order to overcome the big obstacle and move on.

Prediction: IK Oskarshamn wins 4-0
 

(8)  TuTo Esports vs Baby Goons  (25)

Again we've got two Finnish squads who already clashed in the groupstage. TuTo won both tight games, out of which one extended to OT. This series is likely to be tight even though TuTo finished second and Baby Goons 7th in the group. Baby Goons have underachieved and could fulfil their potential come playoffs.

Prediction: TuTo Esports wins 4-2
 

(9)  Powerhouse HC vs Tic Tac Toes  (24)

Both of these squads were in the same group and if we looked at it ahead of the season, the seeds should perhaps be inverted. Powerhouse came through this season, though and won both games between the two with two goal margins. Tic Tac Toes is a team with tremendous talent and has challenged the likes of noRex Gaming very well. 

Prediction: Powerhouse HC wins 4-3
 

(10)  Central Hockey Canucks vs Södertälje SK  (23) 

Central Hockey Canucks has put forth impressive efforts against top teams like Project X and GIFU Hockey throughout the season. Södertälje SK has also in their own group had some good games against top teams like IK Oskarshamn. Therefore, there isn't any major favorite in this series and it could eventually swing either way.

Prediction: Central Hockey Canucks wins 4-2
 

(11)  Lulea Hockey vs Hyperion  (22)

Lulea Hockey did pretty well in their group, which included some high seeded teams like IK Oskarshamn and Reality Check HC. They played tight games against both, winning once in each matchup. Hyperion finished 6th in a tough group as well, beating teams like GIFU Hockey and Project X both once along their way. Hyperion has potential although Lulea is a favorite in this series.

Prediction: Lulea Hockey wins 4-1
 

(12)  Spirit vs Ducktales BK  (21)

Spirit ended their regular season in good form: 10 games and 8 wins (1 OT win) and 2 losses (one in OT), which pushed them into 3rd place in their group. Ducktales BK also had similar form at the end of the regular season (8 wins/3 OT and 2 losses/1 OT). Both were in the same group and played two even games against each other. Spirit won both times but with narrow goal margins on both occasions. We're expecting a tight series with lots of drama, especially as both clubs come into the clash in good form.

Prediction: Ducktales BK wins 4-3

(13)  Unwanted vs RoKi Esports  (20)

Unwanted finished 4th and RoKi Esports 5th in the same group. The two played each other just before the end of the regular season and shared wins, but Unwanted walked away with a point more through an OT loss. RoKi Esports had a disappointing last season so they have a lot to play for. Game 7 is most likely a very good guess in this series.

Prediction: RoKi Esports wins 4-3
 

(14)  Project X vs FILADELPHIA Academy  (19)

These teams were in positions 4th and 5th in the same group. Project X won both their tight regular season games so FILADELPHIA Academy has it out for them in the form of revenge on their minds. FILADELPHIA Academy has the reputation and integrity of their mother club to play for alone, but also has the backing of FILA-fans alike behind them going into this bout. A lot of pressure for success in Lite this season. We're in for an exciting and tight series with potential to extend into a game 7.

Prediction: Project X wins 4-3
 

(15)  AiKnown vs EHC Biel Bienne eSports  (18)

These teams finished 4th and 5th in their groups respectively. AiKnown has the skill and experience in their roster and has showcased it by beating a strong squad like Royal HT which is an achievement in itself. HC Biel Bienne eSports beat IK Oskarshamn 4-2 and lost only in OT so you could say they've done exactly the same on their own part. 

Prediction: HC Biel Bienne eSports wins 4-2
 

(16)  AfroDunk vs TTK  (17)

TTK started the regular season in their group with 7 consecutive wins, but later on their form has cooled off a bit. There is potential for the better, however. AfroDunk challenged teams like Reality Check and IK Oskarshamn in their group and won once each without conceding a goal and just before playoffs. AfroDunk finished 4th in their group and TTK 5th. Expecting a 7 game series.

Prediction: AfroDunk wins 4-3

Players to watch

As usual, Lite has showcased some exceptional skill this season and with that, here are just few players to follow in the playoffs. Grilli Tulille is an exceptional team due to their multi-game talent and their goaltender has also done well against tough opponent - if the mechanical skill isn't there, the mental strength definitely should be.

It'll be exciting to see new names rise to stardom in the crucial moments of these series. Here we are trying to highlight top players for their teams that are expected to shine in these big games of the season too. 

some defensemen have also been highlighted, and for these guys the +/- stat is something that was looked at besides point production. The +/- is a decent measure of individual defensive skill but even more than that, team defensive skill. A high production paired with a good +/- is a sign of a winning team.

@egoapina Grilli Tulille GP 12 7+14=21 

@Valdoboii Grilli Tulille GP 15 10  4 1 SV% 86,21 GAA 1,87 

@Pursuitti Reality Check HC GP 28 35+54=78 

@Toivonen_ Spirit GP 29 40+44_84 

@Oliverigood TuTo Esports GP 30 29+47=76 

@s_w1ld_rus Barys eSports GP 28 22 4 2 SV % 82,05 GAA 1,75 

@Burtsi980H Baby Goons GP 28 48+38=86 

@GERxVillain noRex Gaming GP 28 14+27=41 +38 

@Tumpp1A Royal HT GP 30 5+27=32 +66 

@Fightlocke3 noRex Gaming GP 28 21 1 6 SV % 83,71 GAA 1,29 

@PSchibra Barys eSports GP 28 9+32 =41 

@JLopatko noRex Gaming GP 28 27+27=54 

We're now midway through the ECL 12 Elite season, which means that some teams have by now been able to solidify their spot - be it for good or for bad - in the standings, whereas others might have fluctuated a bit more. One thing that is certain is that now, if ever, would be a great time to turn on the jets for the home stretch of the season.

Surpassing the midway point of the season marks for an exciting time, as it is just about the last chances for any team to attempt turning things around for their season. We've got the usual suspects HAVU Gaming and FILADELPHIA up top. Although HAVU has four games in hand already, there should be no reason for them dropping too much below 3rd place at the furthest if they are able to keep things up. For FILADELPHIA, there's some clouds on the horizon with the potential absence of centerman Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala for some games in the near future, but with solid backup goaltending by Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg and the offensive skillset of Casper @ICappeI Lundgren on the wing, the team should be able to remain competitive, should they schedule any games in Patzlafs absence.

One of the most surprising outcomes around the league this past week was KOVA Esports clinching two victories against contender hREDS by winning 3-2 in regulation and 2-1 in OT, thus leaving hREDS with only one point from a matchup they should have had in the bag. It was in fact an all around very solid week for KOVA, led by clutch efforts and big goals mainly from right winger Jere @Jerax13 Hällström and a string of excellent performances by goaltender Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck.

While the middle of the pack is very even and we have around eleven teams in total still fighting for remaining playoff spots, it is looking grim for a few clubs. Newcomers ZSC Esports and Tunnel Vision have fallen into bad runs and haven't been able to convert tight games into points for at a favorable rate. With that, the Swiss are currently sitting at 14th, while the Finnish outfit is dead last, tied in points with Rusty Blades, but at a disadvantage due to tiebreakers. The biggest issue for the teams at the bottom has been an inability to defend as a team at a high enough level combined with some immense struggle scoring. Especially Tunnel Vision is in a pickle, converting at a rate of only 1,29 goals for per game.

When it comes to the individual scoring side of things, hREDS have stepped things up despite their stinging losses against KOVA this past week. Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen have secured a double lead for the big, bad reds just ahead of FILADELPHIA's Erik @Eki Tammenpää and Paul @PleeMaker Arontie. As for netting goals, the Swedish sniper Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg continues to impress with 23 notches to his name so far and is en route to a career high, should he keep up the pace. FBK only played two games last week, but the left winger managed to cash in on five goals against Tunnel Vision.

Seems to be a weekly theme to highlight Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann in these reports too, but the fact is that despite playing only two games this past week, the FBK defenseman is still topping the points department for defensemen throughout the league. However, Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen from HAVU Gaming is creeping up on him by collecting FIVE goals and seven points in four games throughout the week. With that performance in the books, jtorro now also leads the goal scoring table for defensemen.

As far as goaltending goes, @ICappeI is still performing at the very highest level together with several of his Swedish colleagues, Filip @Faze91- Azri and Johan @McSavid Rundqvist in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. The very experienced Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu for success story GOONS breaks up the Swedish dominance with his 9 wins, putting him at 4th place. Erik @MrAllsvenskan Rotsenius and Ben @benu Rinnet stand out from the pack with exceptionally high saving percentages due to a higher amount of shots faced compared to their peers.
 

Power Rankings Provided by @MartindalexC

1.   FILADELPHIA (12-0-0) [+3.75 | +16.00]

2.  SAWO Esports (9-7-0) [+3.50 | +9.25]

3.  JYP Jyvaskyla (7-8-1) [+3.00 | +2.625]

4.  KOVA Esports (7-7-2) [+2.50 | -2.00]

T5.  Färjestad BK (9-4-1) [+2.25 | +6.25]

T5.  IQUE (4-5-3) [+2.25 | -0.90]

7.  HAVU Gaming (12-3-1) [+2.00 | +10.75]

8.  YMCA Esports (7-6-1) [+1.625 | +2.375]

9.  hREDS (9-2-1) [+1.25 | +6.00]

T10.  GOONS (9-4-1) [+0.25 | -0.625]

T10.  ZSC Esports (3-8-3) [+0.25 | -5.00]

12.  POGGERS (7-7-0) [ 0.00 | +1.75]

13.  Vesa Pompa (7-3-2) [-0.75 | +0.50]

14.  Northern Ascendancy (5-7-2) [-1.00 | -4.125]

15.  Tunnel Vision (2-9-3) [-2.50 | -8.25]

16.  Rusty Blades (3-10-1) [-4.125 | -7.125]

The first half of the regular season in ECL 12 Pro is done and with that it is a good time to take a closer look at what happened in the first weeks of virtual hockey action. Which teams are performing well? Which players are making the difference and who are the new kids on the block? Only a few points will make the difference and things begin to heat up in the race for the playoffs as well as in the battle of escaping relegation. We can look forward to an exciting race to the finish line in the 12th season of the second highest tier in the European Championship League.

Written by @Keuschemisch

Djurgarden Hockey and VISU Gaming are leading Group 1 with 31 points each while the freshly promoted group of former Exerceo still has two games in hand on the yellow, red and blue. The Swedish side built around captain @Jungledonk seem keen on repeating their strong performances from last season when they finished at a solid rank 2 behind the eventual Pro-finalists GOONS in the group stage. With 47 points in 22 games, @Strumpan87 is Group 1's top scorer and underlines the offensive standards of Djurgarden. Goalie @Sorsa103 already has 5 shutouts and is performing on a high level to strengthen their defense. VISU Gaming's @Sagee95 is on his way to become one of this seasons most dangerous forwards and already contributed to 21 goals and 23 assists to help his team gain a good spot in the playoffs. Especially his performance in the 7-2 win over RCTIC, where he scored 7 points, stresses his offensive abilities. Both teams look very strong and on the road to home ice advantage in the postseason if they are able to continue in their winning ways. With only 16 games played so far, BoxinElite is one of the special teams to keep an eye out for in the second half of the regular season. Scoring more than 3 goals per game and and rocking an outstanding record of 12-4-0, the Finnish side is trying to gain one of the top spots in group 1. If they manage to set up yet another winning streak and maintain their focus, BoxinElite can surely secure home ice advantage in the playoffs.

Right behind we find yet another two Swedish squads: HV71 and ECL 11 Lite Champions Bjorkloven Esport are on their way to playoff qualification. Led by their captain @Demski13, the esports team of the 5-time SHL champion HV71 has seemed to take their next step in their development after missing the playoffs by only three points in ECL 11. Bjorkloven's captain @Kallmanius made the right decisions and brought in @rakkauspakkaus- from Ringette HC as well as ECL Season 1 veteran @Janzuh. After starting their Pro campaign with 8 wins in their first 10 games, Bjorkloven Esport immediately made an impact in the league and showed that they can compete on that higher level. Both Swedish squads need to continue gaining as much points as possible, especially with Kiekko-Espoo Esports and Blackdawgs breathing down their necks. The Finnish and Russian warhorses started rather well and are on a decent run with room to improve still. Blackdawgs' @Valluxet is performing at a high level once again, contributing with 20 goals and 15 assists and is one of the main reasons for the success of his team. It will be interesting to see which sides are able to repeat their strong first half in ECL 12 Pro and manage to gain a spot in the playoffs.

In the middle of the pack we find Sinister, Hawaii Hockey, Golden Nights and Rögle BK. All four teams are quite new to the league after managing to gain promotion following ECL 11 Lite or find their way in through the Pro Qualifiers. While Sinister and Hawaii Hockey both started with a negative record, they seem to have acclimated themselves to the Pro level and were able to start winning streaks and find themselves in a tight battle for a playoff spot as we speak. @Kumbik was one of Bjorkloven's top scorers last season before changing colors and joining Hawaii Hockey in the Pro Wildcard Battle. The Czech forward and his center @theMaddias crucial pieces in the offense of their team and are surely some of the most exciting players to watch on the last stretch of the regular season. Will they be able to lead Hawaii Hockey into the postseason? A bit surprisingly, we find Herlev Eagles in 10th place in the standings of group 1. The Eagles who finished on a solid third place last season have failed to live up to their expectations. Especially with Danish superstar @vibholm10, who found himself among the leagues top scorers the past few seasons. Starting with five losses in a row, Herlev is still lacking in offensive efficiency. In the last eight games the team around captain @oSandello needs to turn course in order to keep their dream of making the playoffs alive.

At the bottom of the table we find freshly promoted Russian team Nearbird Fighters, who have only managed to win two out of 16 games so far. Just ahead of them, Finnish outfit RCTIC find themselves in 15th place and are currently suffering from a six game losing streak against Rogle BK, Herlev Eagles and VISU Gaming respectively. @Janikka's Finnish Roosters continue to lag behind compared to last seasons performances also. After a negative start, the Roosters got back on track with five wins in their last six games. A qualification for the playoffs seems to be very unlikely but after splitting points with the very strong HV71 and Bjorkloven Esport, the Finnish side can be optimistic to avoid relegation if they continue to play like their most recent games. Another surprising face in the bottom of group 1 is the 5-time GCL Champion Team LEISURE. After getting beaten by Tunnel Vision in six games in the Elite relegation, the former Deadly Phantoms HC were keen on proving themselves and paving their way back into Elite, but after starting with three wins including two shutouts on the first matchday, LEISURE's ambitions turned around. Nine losses in a row followed by three matchdays with split points are not what they want to see in terms of results. Defender @xXPsykoSkillsXx finds himself among the best defensemen of the league while the offense is lacking in efficiency - LEISURE needs to find a way to decide tight matchups in their favour to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Germans have 12 matchdays left to prove everyone wrong and find themselves a spot in the Top 8 of group 1!
 

Written by @Mikka

In the second group, Conquer Gaming seems to have separated themselves from the rest of the pack by only losing once in regulation and once in overtime, backed by a strong start from their goalie @Jeresti and the entire division’s leading scorer, centerman @Jertsicc. Pata Hellalla has also been able to immediately reach a high level, fueled by their top scoring defensemen @kungenkurwa and @JOHTAJAVIRTANEN alongside the last minute addition of current internal top scorer @apettaja. There are two teams at the middle of the table that have not broken from their tradition of relying strongly on their captains: Inter Iceland and Sulkavan Sudet, led by @PLA77NER (Hasek-39--) and @Oxdoggi respectively. Their squads have been up and down, struggling to get into consistent winning streaks but on the other hand have also avoided losing too many times in a row. A bit below them the two Swedish teams with more or less Finnish reinforcements, Sjukstugan and Lekstugan HC, have fallen to gruelling losing streaks after starting out okay. They need to quickly gain their focus back and start turning the streaks into positive ones, or else they will have to battle to retain their divisional spots instead of eyeing for the last potential playoff spots.

At the bottom end of the standings we find SPARTIATES X MCES in a somewhat similar, yet more challenging situation as the aforementioned teams ending in -stugan. The French outfit have seemed to have some trouble adjusting to the Pro level of play, only winning two of the first 13 games. Could they now be on the up though, having won their last three against top teams Pata Hellalla and Rookie Mistakes? The later mentioned squad has not had as strong of a start as maybe expected, but led by captain @Niskalaukaus and his assistant @xColeslaww (Koleslaav_) they have still managed to claw their way to pose a challenge at the top. Along with SPARTIATES X MCES towards the bottom is another team with a freshly signed esports contract, METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK. After winning four of their first seven games, the Russians have had losing streaks of five and four, with only a win in between. Any playoff hopes are probably over for the French and the Russians, leaving them to fight for their lives to at a minimum avoid instant relegation and even the qualifiers if all goes well.

Company of Geeks had quite a decent beginning but have only won one of their last nine, with only the two most recent losses coming in overtime. The young rookie @xLeikku has taken his first strides on the ECL ice quite effectively, leading the team and at one point the whole division in scoring alongside with his captain @Jesus (eJezuz). The story of the German organization PENTA has been different, starting the season with an eight game losing streak before they began to pick up steam. Despite the tough adjustment period at the new level, their current form has them right at the brink of a playoff spot with Dynastia trailing them closely behind. The Finns started the season playing a lot of games with up and down results, ending up with a 8-7-1 record after the first seven days. As they have continued on a similar path since, captain @Majuri20 (Diktaattori62) definitely needs to lead his team towards more consistent results if they want to solidify their spot in the playoffs. They have had some trouble scoring relative to the rest of the group, so that should be a big area of focus for the remainder of the season.

Despite never being a team expected to be seen in the relegation battle, the quite recently formed Patience has still managed to exceed expectations by mounting a challenge at the top of the table. Contrary to the best inexperienced newcomer teams we have grown accustomed to seeing in seasons past, it has not come with crazy offensive fireworks, but instead with the second fewest goals against per game in the group after Conquer Gaming. Their most experienced skater and former ECL 3 champion @Karkkyjaa has proved valuable, leading them in a fight for a top seed with an A on his chest. If Patience has been overachieving relative to pre-season expectations, bottom of the pack Sack Brothers have done exactly the opposite of that. Heading into their sophomore campaign after a first round exit last season, they looked like one of the group's better teams on paper with some added strength on the back end. That wasn’t necessarily reflected in their on-ice performance, with them only managing to cough up three points in the first 10 games alongside a couple of big margin losses. Perhaps they have finally started to gel together after the roster changes and are now back on their way up though, with four wins in their last six games.

Finally, there is the squad that managed to upset team after team as a lower seed in the ECL 11 Lite Playoffs: Hotbox. Their rookie season in Pro began as anticipated in the season preview, with only three points amassed in the first eight games. After the rough start their lord and saviour emerged though, in the form of forward @James (Jamechkin), who joined them from Lite’s Reality Check HC after his qualifier related roster lock ended. Before the season got underway it looked like he was slated to be acquired as a defenseman by Rookie Mistakes, but fortunately for Hotbox that did not end up happening. Things have seemed to click for Hotbox and Jamechkin from the get go, with the Finns going on an eight game winning streak as soon as the move happened and only dropping three points overall during that period. If they can keep on going with the same flow, Hotbox now looks like a lock for the playoffs.


Some of the pre-season predictions have been accurate and others have not, meanwhile some have been in the correct range but still not quite. That is the nature of the game though, and we will excitedly await to see how the rest of the season shapes up. Still a lot of points left up for grabs as the ECL 12 Pro regular season is to end on June 23rd, so fight hard and have fun doing so - see you on the ice!

The second week of ECL Elite is usually when we start seeing the trends of the season as teams get more games under their belt and start showing their current form. The season is surprisingly short and we're soon at the halfway point and some teams are desperate to pick things up, will they do so moving forward?

Trends have surely developed, and on the positive side of those, we've got HAVU Gaming, FILADELPHIA and hREDS as expected. This power trio has managed to stay on top of things through the first two weeks of action and are now all boasting a point average of 1.75 or more, which will surely put them in the top three at the end of the season should they be able to keep up their great work. On the other hand, we've also got teams like SAWO ESPORTS and POGGERS at somewhat surprisingly high positions in the standings - although with games in hand on competition. Both SAWO and POGGERS are currently sporting point averages of 1.00, which historically won't put you in the playoffs in Elite competition, but these squads still have room for improvement and could find a way to sneak their way into the top eight if they are able to steal points in big matchups. At the bottom end of the standings, it looks tough for recently promoted squads ZSC Esports, Tunnel Vision and IQUE, whereas Elite mainstays KOVA Esports and Rusty Blades are struggling even more. What seems to be a common factor for all these teams is having trouble scoring, as all of them are currently below 1.6 GF/GP, which is rarely enough at the highest level. An interesting notion is that Rusty Blades are defending very well and are 6th in the league in terms of goals allowed per game, but struggle mightily with scoring at only one notch per game, which has put them at the bottom of the pack. 

So far, FILADELPHIA is the only team on a perfect run, as they have right out dominated the league with fairly routine wins through their first ten matches. They will be going up against HAVU Gaming on Wednesday and hREDS on Thursday, two clashes that will set the tone for the rest of their season.

FILADELPHIA and hREDS have been the highest scoring teams in the league so far and naturally it is not surprising to see both Erik @Eki Tammenpää and Paul @PleeMaker Arontie continue at the top of the scoring table, followed by Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen. In terms of goals, though we are pleased to see Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg continue his good form for FBK, but more surprisingly POGGERS' right winger Jan-Mikael @Janski (Jansku23) Aittoniemi has went off and is at 17 goals in 14 games this season so far - that's just below half of all of the goals for that POGGERS have scored.

Last week we highlighted FBK defenseman Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann with 10 points in 6 games and somewhat questioned his ability to keep up pace, but the man has proved us wrong as he now sits at 21 points in 12 games and is truly playing a career season. Tero @Terodee Dahlström has also been great production-wise for POGGERS and Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta has stepped up his overall play and reached entirely new highs beside Teemu @Xteemuz (Teemuyy) Polttila for FILADELPHIA.

In terms of goaltending, we still have Swedish dominance! Casper @ICappeI Lundgren is still on top with a perfect record, followed by Filip @Faze91- Azri, Johan @McSavid Rundqvist and Elie @eliekamel87 Kamel. Outside the top five, we've got the experienced Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen and Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos, who are sharing responsibilities for HAVU Gaming. Hansu is sporting an impressive 89.36 SV%, leading the league in that department.

Transfers
It's a somewhat rare occasion to see some movement at the Elite level after the start of the season, but some transfers have come to knowledge in the past week or so, we'll also be recapping possible movement in these reports. Here are the transfers that have come to light since last week:

 Rusty Blades
IN Mikko @DieCutterMC Paloviita (Free agent)
The experienced defenseman of former Nordic Blizzard and Dynasty fame is now back at the highest level after spending ECL 10 with RPEAT Esports in Pro and ECL 11 with Oton Letkutemppu in Lite. He has made an immediate impact for the better in the Rusty Blades team and slots in very well on that LD spot next to team captain Juhani @Tanski87 Tanskanen. Rusty Blades are despite their new signing struggling mightily with scoring and unfortunately DieCutterMC is unlikely to help them too much on that front.

 ZSC Esports

IN Mikkel @Birkedal96 Birkedal (Djurgarden Hockey)
The Swiss Elite rookies have struggled making their entrance into the highest tier of competition, ableit they get the benefit of the doubt due to a somewhat challenging schedule in their first week. Now, the team has decided to recruit an offensive force, when former Djurgarden Hockey right winger @Birkedal96 joins the ranks of the Lions. He is hardly a player that creates offence on his own, but is a very intelligent team player that can slot into a system like the ZSC are playing very well. Known as a proficient scorer, Birkedal should help the rookies find the back of the net at a higher percentage if he is able to translate his skill to the higher level.

Power Rankings Provided by @MartindalexC

This season, the logic behind the power rankings have been overhauled in order to make them based on something tangible that can actually be quantified - as opposed to just, "well these guys are doing kinda bad, right?". In short, a number (or points rather) is generated for each matchup a team plays that they should attain, going above this number (by collecting more points) means that they are above average, whereas going below (failing to collect points) means that they are below average. Said positive / negative number will be reset each week and the rankings will be based solely off of that, this decision was made so that each week's rankings are truly separate, and teams are not afforded a higher position simply based on previous weeks (i.e. the rank decay is incredibly high). With that said however, each team will also have their 'season-wide' rating visible so everyone can see how precarious, or safe, each team is based on their current form. 

Furthermore, this week I have a (hopefully) final addition to the 'background' data for these rankings and as such will attach the updated week 1 rankings below* - there should not be any further changes beyond this point though! As well as this, since we are now moving into Week 2, two numbers will be assigned to each team in brackets. The first number represents their performance in the past week, whilst the second number represents how the team is doing over the entire season thus far. 

In any case, here are the ECL Elite Week 2 Power Rankings:

1.   FILADELPHIA (10-0-0) [+6.00 | +12.25]

T2.  HAVU Gaming (10-1-1) [+5.75 | +8.75]

T2.  SAWO Esports (6-6-0) [+5.75 | +5.75]

4.  GOONS (6-3-1) [+3.125 | -0.875]

5.  hREDS (7-1-0) [+2.25 | +4.75]

6.  Northern Ascendancy (4-5-1) [+1.75 | -3.125]

7.  POGGERS (7-7-0) [+0.25 | +1.75]

8.  Vesa Pompa (5-2-1) [-0.25 | +1.25]

9.  JYP Jyvaskyla (4-6-0) [-0.375 | -0.375]

10.  Färjestad BK (7-4-1) [-0.50 | +4.00]

T11.  Rusty Blades (2-5-1) [-0.75 | -3.00]

T11.  YMCA Esports (5-4-1) [-0.75 | +0.75]

13.  ZSC Esports (3-6-1) [-1.25 | -5.25]

14.  Tunnel Vision (2-5-3) [-1.75 | -5.75]

15.  KOVA Esports (2-6-2) [-4.00 | -4.50]

16.  IQUE (2-5-3) [-5.25 | -3.15]

*Updated ECL Elite Week 1 Power Rankings:

1.  FILADELPHIA (6-0-0) [+6.25]

2.  Färjestad BK (5-1-0) [+4.5]

3.  HAVU Gaming (4-1-1) [+3]

4.  hREDS (4-0-0) [+2.5]

5.  IQUE (1-2-1) [+2.125]

T6.  YMCA Esports (4-2-0) [+1.5]

T6.  Vesa Pompa (4-1-1) [+1.5]

T6.  POGGERS (5-3-0) [+1.5]

T9.  JYP Jyvaskyla (2-2-0) [0]

T9.  SAWO Esports (1-3-0) [0]

11.  KOVA Esports (2-2-0) [-0.5]

12.  Rusty Blades (0-4-0) [-2.25]

13.  Tunnel Vision (0-4-0) [-2.5]

T14.  GOONS (3-2-1) [-4]

T14.  ZSC Esports (0-5-1) [-4]

16.  Northern Ascendancy (1-4-1) [-4.875]

NHLGamers,

ECL Core is the largest of our divisions and with that also hosts the largest playoffs, which are starting today! 64 teams have qualified and will from, this point on be fighting to advance against increasingly tough opposition in best of seven series, until we will be able to crown our first ever ECL Core champions in mid-July. Core is a division stacked full of talent and any team could rise to the occasion on any given day, we wish all participants good luck moving forward!

Round 1 of the playoffs is to be played between today, the 6th of June and Thursday, 10th of June.

Here's the full ECL 12 Core playoff schedule:

Quote

10.6.4 ECL Core Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 6.6 – 10.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 2: 13.6 – 17.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 3: 20.6 – 23.6 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 29.6 – 4.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 6.7 – 11.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 16.7 – 17.7 (BO7)

Find all the ECL 12 Core Playoffs: Round 1 matchups here.

As usual - have fun - play hard!

NHLGamers,

We're entering the second round of playoffs in our ECL Neo division already! The heat of the summer is here and so is the heat of the truly meaningful games of the season. We've dwindled down to only 16 teams remaining at this point. Who will be the ones to push trough and get yet another step closer to etching their name on that trophy? The teams surely are excited, and so are we! Round 2 of the playoffs is to be played between today, the 6th of June and Wednesday, 9th of June.

Here's the full ECL 12 Neo playoff schedule:

Lainaa

10.6.5 ECL Neo Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 30.5-2.6 (BO5)
• Playoffs Round 2: 6.6-9.6 (BO5)
• Quarterfinals: 13.6-16.6
• Semifinals: 20.6-23.6
• Finals: 4.7

Find all the ECL 12 Neo Playoffs: Round 2 matchups here.

As usual - have fun - play hard!

The 22-year-old Erno @egoapina Parkkonen is a multitalent, as his selection of competitive games includes both NHL and FIFA. Hockey is a big part of his life, and he's been playing the sport for several years at a reasonably high level.

Erno Parkkonen is very well known on virtual football grounds, but not necessarily so well known for virtual hockey. 

"As a kid I spent a lot of time with NHL all the way until NHL 15 when the  EASHL-mode disappeared on next gen. Joakim @Joukki Nyholm is one of the guys I played with and really liked 6v6 mainly cause of getting bored with playing HUT alone. After NHL, I've played FIFA and got some success by accident and just stayed on that path. I still buy NHL every year and really enjoy the game as hockey is very close to my heart."

Parkkonen has a rather peculiar PSN-ID that stands out from the mass, at least for the Finnish-speaking. When asked about the origin story, he attributes that to his big brother:

"I remember creating my user together with my big brother, all the names I suggested were taken so we went back to the drawing board. After a bit of thinking, my brother suggested egoapina - ego monkey. We had some laughs about it, but my brother thought it described me as a person to a tee. I haven't changed it later since people know that name by now."


Parkkonen represented FC Honka in the recent eFutisliiga on FIFA together with Grilli Tulille teammate Jesper @jjesu3 Hietarinne.

By playing both NHL and FIFA competitively, Parkkonen has grown very familiar with the scenes of both those games. Naturally we asked him for a comparison. 

"In FIFA, I'd say everything is bigger, so to speak. Their 1v1 format has gone worldwide and the prize money is bigger with far more tournaments to play in. The 11v11-format is comparable to the 6v6-games in NHL, but it's far more geographically widespread and you'll find more players of various nationalities on your own squad, which I find interesting and fun. At it's current stage, I think FIFA is better than NHL competitively and despite it not being perfect either, it has way less uncontrollable factors than NHL. I think in Finland the 6v6 LAN events have been great steps towards developing the scene and I don't think that'll realistically happen anytime soon in FIFA."

It can be said that Parkkonen knows the FIFA scene like the backs of his palms and that there are a few things from that environment that the NHL scene could learn from.

"In order to grow, I think we need more competitive tournaments. At the current stage it's not realistic for players to sustain a professional status without added revenue streams such as streaming or other work."

During his junior years, Parkkonen has played ice hockey for Kiekko-Espoo, where he also got to play a few mens games. We asked him if he feels that playing hockey has helped with virtual ice hockey, or the other way around.

"All the same elements apply to virtual hockey, of course they must be applied according to the meta of the game. Especially in the 6v6 format, communication and the movement of players off the puck is really important if the team wants to succeed. Playing as a unit is emphasized in the defensive, neutral and offensive zones, as no one can carry their team alone. I'd also say that puck control and controlled breakout plays are more prevalent in virtual hockey due to dump-and-chase hockey not being as effective. Set plays and special teams formations are discussed just like in traditional hockey. When it comes to skills I've learned and used in both it's definitely the eye for the game combined with a certain kind of niftiness in scoring situations."

"On our trip up North, we had a PlayStation on the bus and as we had our teams NHL-tournament, i ended up going up against the coach at some point. In the heat of the game he told me "Now I know why you're always looking for that extra pass", so I guess that might be something I've taken away from the console game."

#11 for Kiekko-Espoo always likes to look for that extra pass. Picture by Riku Eskelinen.

Parkkonen has been away from virtual hockey for a while. He notes that virtual hockey is a good change for competitive FIFA.

"I'm taking a break from competitive FIFA for the summer Competitive FIFA will now take a break for the summer. I was asked to play ECL Pro, which was my original plan, but that team ended up folding. When I was contacted by Grilli Tulille I immediately knew that was the right decision. The group of guys I know from before and having fun is a guarantee regardless of our results."

The Grilli Tulille team includes people familiar to Parkkonen. He feels that the team has a great deal of potential.

"I knew I could bring experience and new strategies in order to develop the style of play. As I said, I was really happy to join Grilli since I know the guys from before and having fun is a guarantee with this group. There's a lot of potential, which I hope we'll be able to realize over the course of the season."

Parkkonen has been in good form during the early part of the season and we asked how to keep this good vibe in the coming games.

"I've always been a pass first player. As long as we play well as a unit and Jesper @jjesu3 Hietarinne is ready on the far post we should be able to keep things going!"

You can follow egoapina and Grilli Tulille on their playoff hunt in Group 3 of the Lite division, where the team is currently outside of playoff positions but with some games still left to go, they are looking for a strong finish to their regular season run.

It's been an exciting start to the season, which surely sets expectations high moving forward. We're excited for what's to come and brought friends Wilhelm, Kouvolan Lakritsi and Viaplay along for the ride!

The first week of Elite action featured three full broadcast nights, out of which Thursday was hosted in Finnish by Oskari Koski, Julius Sorjonen and special guest Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, who chimed in for color commentary in the first game between Tunnel Vision and YMCA Esports. As we're used to, the golden voices of Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Paul @Cyn Anderson carried us through both the Monday and Wednesday broadcasts, with lots of more action to expect.

We saw the first goal of the ECL 12 Elite season early on in the matchup between KOVA Esports and Rusty Blades in our broadcast on Monday evening, when Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho not only opened the scoring for the season, but also opened scoring for his ECL Elite career  - congrats! The Elite rookie does since then lead scoring for his team, that has struggled mightily with getting the puck to the back of the net, only racking up four goals in as many games played. Another team that somewhat surprisingly struggled with scoring has been HAVU Gaming, who only netted nine goals through their first five games played, but managed to salvage things on the statistical side by crushing ZSC Esports by 7-1 in their sixth game of the season. Consequently, the consistent contenders have dropped some points early on in matchups against YMCA Esports and Vesa Pompa, out of which their bouts against the Swedes extended into overtime on both occasions.

A big talking point ahead of the season was definitely how Teemu @Xteemuz (Teemuyy) Polttila would fit in with his new team in FILADELPHIA and how the squad would rally around him in the adjustment period. Well, as you'd have it, FILADELPHIA has had a rather favorable schedule to start their season which arguably could have helped the adjustment, but Teemuyy has looked great in orange and black as of late. With five points in six games, he seems to be on par for similar production pace as in his previous ECL Elite campaigns, but most importantly he has played a big role in helping his teammates reach even higher highs - Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Paul @PleeMaker Arontie and Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala currently hold a triple lead in the scoring department.
 

A defenseman who has produced exceptionally well, on the other hand, is Farjestad BK defenseman Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann. In his first season with the squad from Karlstad, the right defenseman has racked up 3+10=13 points thru his first six games, and is rightfully topping the scoring table for defensemen in the league. Keeping up a pace of above two points per game in the best league in the world is unlikely, but his feat this far surely is admirable, it'll remain to be seen for how long he can keep this going. 
 

Finally, when it comes to netminding in the ECL 12 Elite, our Swedish brick walls seem to have things on lock this season with a five man lead and who else than Casper @ICappeI Lundgren topping the tables. Honorable mentions in this department go out to Elite rookies Erik @MrAllsvenskan Rotsenius and Ben @benu Rinnet, who have taken the league by storm and solidified themselves as formidable contenders in the rookie of the season-race early on.
 

Transfers
It's a somewhat rare occasion to see some movement at the Elite level after the start of the season, but some transfers have come to knowledge in the past week or so, we'll also be recapping possible movement in these reports. Here are the transfers that have come to light since the ECL 12 Elite season preview:

 JYP Jyvaskyla

IN Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari (Free agent)
The former Roots goaltender joins the ranks of JYP Jyvaskyla, after leaving the black and green on the brink of the season start. As a very experienced netminder at the Elite level, swagx88 is expected to form a very capable duo together with Santeri @Sandr0hh Reijasalo. Known for his aggressive style in net, he could very well be utilized especially against opponents who could have had trouble overcoming his style in the past. While swagx88 is very skilled on the ice, he is also an important player in the chat and as a vocal player he will surely help out his teammates in any way possible. 

OUT Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen
ITemeI leaves the team as is only natural, after being pushed down in the depth ranks due to the acquisition of swagx88. His new team is currently unknown, but he will surely be a great addition at least to any team in the Pro division on the lookout for a capable netminder with experience against top players.
 

Power Rankings Provided by @MartindalexC

This season, the logic behind the power rankings have been overhauled in order to make them based on something tangible that can actually be quantified - as opposed to just, "well these guys are doing kinda bad, right?". In short, a number (or points rather) is generated for each matchup a team plays that they should attain, going above this number (by collecting more points) means that they are above average, whereas going below (failing to collect points) means that they are below average. Said positive / negative number will be reset each week and the rankings will be based solely off of that, this decision was made so that each week's rankings are truly separate, and teams are not afforded a higher position simply based on previous weeks (i.e. the rank decay is incredibly high). With that said however, each team will also have their 'season-wide' rating visible so everyone can see how precarious, or safe, each team is based on their current form. 

There are some downsides, for instance the current 'model' is not fully fleshed out and this has led to some anomalous data entries that are kind of messing with the predicted points, so it may be that some teams are a little iffy in where they have been placed. However, for next week I will try to expand the data points that it's drawing from and that should hopefully even out any problematic entries. Either way, here are the ECL Elite Week 1 Power Rankings:

1.  FILADELPHIA (6-0-0) [+4.5]

2.  hREDS (4-0-0) [+4]

3.  YMCA Esports (4-2-0) [+3]

T4.  Färjestad BK (5-1-0) [+2]

T4.  IQUE (1-2-1) [+2]

T4.  Vesa Pompa (4-1-1) [+2]

7.  JYP Jyvaskyla (2-2-0) [+1.5]

8.  HAVU Gaming (4-1-1) [+1]

9.  POGGERS (5-3-0) [0]

10.  SAWO Esports (1-3-0) [-0.5]

T11.  Rusty Blades (0-4-0) [-1]

T11.  KOVA Esports (2-2-0) [-1]

13.  Tunnel Vision (0-4-0) [-2.5]

T14.  GOONS (3-2-1) [-4]

T14.  ZSC Esports (0-5-1) [-4]

16.  Northern Ascendancy (1-4-1) [-5]

NHLGamers,

The first of our divisions is entering the Playoff stage in the 12th iteration of the European Championship League. That means that a total of 32 well-equipped squads will fight for their right to move on to the next round and eventually be crowned the ECL 12 Neo champion, entering great company together with Olympia (ECL 9), Jarnkaminerna (ECL 10) and Pinaattikone (ECL 11). The playoffs are ready to start tomorrow, Sunday, May 30th. We wish all teams good luck moving forward!

Here's the full ECL 12 Neo playoff schedule:

Lainaa

10.5.4 ECL Neo Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 30.5-2.6 (BO5)
• Playoffs Round 2: 6.6-9.6 (BO5)
• Quarterfinals: 13.6-16.6
• Semifinals: 20.6-23.6
• Finals: 4.7

Find all the ECL 12 Neo Playoffs: Round 1 matchups here.

As usual - have fun - play hard!

NHLGamers,

Right before the start of the 12th iteration of the European Championship League, Swiss hockey club EHC Biel-Bienne signed the roster of former The Black Jacks! The 3-time Swiss champions from the bilingual city of Biel/Bienne are after ZSC Esports, HC Lugano, EHC Basel and SC Bern already the fifth professional club from Switzerland who enters the EA Sports NHL 6s scene. After being founded in 1939 and reaching their three titles in 1978, 1981 and 1983, EHCB had to gain promotion back to NLA (the Swiss top tier) in 2008. In their red and yellow, EHC Biel-Bienne is on their hunt for the playoffs – in real life as well as on the virtual ice!

Team captain Bryan @CuteTerminator7 Bolliger looks optimistically to the future: "We want to represent the club in its best light and with that we also hope that other clubs from Switzerland will enter the esports scene. Maybe we will see even more teams from the NLA on NHLGamer? We want to develop as a team and improve our style of play. Making the Playoffs this ECL will be the next step as well as finishing as good as possible in the next German Championship League!"

Captain CuteTerminator7, Oliver @Red09Dragon08 Knapp and Dean @Sm0kez13_Bachmann played together since GCL 6, where they managed to win the Division 2 Championship with the Redlight Jokers. After that season, former Zürich defenseman Mario @Cami_7 Camenzind rebranded the former The Black Jacks as a partner team of ZSC Esports and added the mentioned trio as well as goalie veteran Peter @wobfighter Stein and big EHCB supporter Kyle @KG12PK88 Grossen to the team. In their first ECL 11 campaign in Lite the team managed to secure a strong 6th place in Group 1 but eventually got swept by TTK in the first round of the playoffs. Before the start of GCL 7, Sebastian @Sebwies2139 Wieser joined the "Eidgenossen“ to complete the goalie duo and later on received the Rookie of the Season-trophy for his efforts. Kevin @Gregson91 Householder and Janick @Janick_97 (ovechkin97) Hauser also joined the club to strengthen their offensive force. The Black Jacks managed to gain promotion in the qualification tournament and underlined their ambition by making the playoffs on a solid 4th seed but eventually found an early exit against PENTA in Round 1. Before the start of ECL 12 Lite The Black Jacks started the cooperation with EHC Biel-Bienne and is currently in a tight battle for a spot in the playoffs in group 2!
We welcome EHC Biel-Bienne eSports to NHLGamer and wish them good luck in their first season in red and yellow!

An exciting ECL 12 Lite regular season is about to reach the midway point. It is an appropriate time to review the season so far with all it's phenomenon and highlights.

(The report was written on Sunday, May 23rd and reflects the situation at that point)

Group 1

The favorite teams of this group were definitely Royal HT and TuTo Esports have not been directly dominant but have played more or less as expected. Royal HT hasn't lost any games in regular time and is looking to continue on that hot streak. However, some teams could be expected to be higher on in the standings, such as TIKI TALK, Murohoki and Ducktales BK. These squads are all at the moment below the playoff line looking up. There are plenty of matches left and TIKI TALK have fewer games played than most teams at the moment so anything still can happen. TTK is leading the group at this point but with lower PPG than some of their rivals which indicates that teams like TuTo and Royal HT will pass them at some point. A notable feature in terms of performances is TIKI TALK - the team used to play in Elite back in the ECL 9 season but they've been sent in a downwards spiral in the past few seasons. There is quite a simple explanation to that  since although there are still quality players in TIKI TALK, they've seen major roster changes since the ECL 9 season and their prime. They've ended up in a vicious cycle of changing things and not having time to find chemistry, leading to poor performance and yet more changes. TIKI TALK is likely to improve but the question is will it happen in this season or in future seasons. There is a tight playoff battle between several teams in positions 6-10. One interesting match in that battle is Ducktales BK vs DEG esports scheduled on May 30th. There is likely to be a lot on the line on this game, keep your eyes peeled!

Group 2

Södertälje SK has quite unexpectedly stuck below the playoff line and need to improve moving forward. Reality Check HC is high in the standings as they should and are battling for the top spots in the group and the entire division. IK Oskarsham is a minor surprise alike TTK in Group 1, but due to their quality acquisitions they have managed to improve drastically. On June 1st, Södertälje SK and EHC Biel Bienne Esports are scheduled to take on each other, which might be one of the crucial games in the fight for the last playoff spots. TuTo Esports vs TTK scheduled on Tue, May 25th is an important match for the race of the group title.
 

Group 3

FILADELPHIA Academy as new exciting team is on pace for playoff but as for their potential, they have definitely underachieved so far - could have performed better. Project X and UNI Gaming are currently leading the group, which might come to some as a bit of a surprise.  Wednesday, June 2nd features a big match between these teams that could most likely lead to be decisive in the race for the group title if both teams are performing at their current level as they are both seeing great play from their skaters and goaltenders. GIFU Hockey is another success story, who are looking to keep their streak of being unbeaten in regular time alive.

Group 4

Tic Tac Toes and noRex Gaming are at the top positions in this group as expected - both have seen great play with few blunders to talk about. RoKi Esports and Barys Esports are also currently in playoff positions but you might have expected Barys Esports a bit higher than their current position 8 in the group - look for them to improve moving forward. One of the interesting games among others in the last rounds is Tic Tac Toes vs RoKi Esports on May 30th. In that match the group title could be on the line for Tic Tac Toes and also in for RoKi Esports the race for the final playoff spot could be in full swing.

Players to watch

There are dozens of players who have already made impressive contributions to their teams and it's impossible for us to highlight everyone. Here are just few of those players: 

Royal HT @keranee with 11 GP and 26+23=49 is the current leader in scoring across the league. Another Royal HT player in @Ikavalko has also managed to climb into the top 10. There are two IK Oskarsham and TTK players in the same top 10 - @Gson996 (16 GP, 22+27=49) and @norre1337 (16 GP 21+18=39) from IKO @Valtter1111 (18 GP, 21+17=38) and @Unrealhave (18 GP, 14+24=38) from TTK have all performed outstandingly and all of them have been massive reasons for their teams performing at the level they currently are.

As for goalies, Reality Check HC goalie @Kauppias4 has maintained an impressive 90,16 for SV% and other stats  9 W, 1,2 GAA in 16 GP, which are telling of both the skill of the team in front of him and the level of his own play. UNI Gaming goalie @Vamoux boasts with stats 10W, 86,3 SV% and an 1,67 GAA that are just about equally as impressive. Project X goalie @Easygame20 (Torvelajr__) is the winningest goalie in the division so far, with 14 wins to his name.

As for defenders, you should mention the likes of @Tumpp1A from Royal HT, who has a +36 in +/- stats and 4+13=17 in his 12 games played. The top scoring defenseman is currently @juusoskari from TTK with 15+15=30 in 18 games played and @Taunomaister1 from Project X trailing with 1+20=21 in 16 games played.
 

Some interesting upcoming matchups

The original scheduled date in in brackets, please note that teams have the option of rescheduling.

TuTo Esports vs TTK (Tue 25th May)

Barys Esports vs Armada Hockey (Tue 25th May)

Ducktales BK vs DEG Esports (Sun 30th May)

Royal HT vs AiKnown (Tue 25th May)

IK Oskarsham vs Reality Check HC (Sun 30th May)

IK Oskarsham vs Afrodunk (Sun 6th June)

Södertälje SK vs EHC Biel Bienne Esports (Tue 1st June)

Project X vs UNI Gaming (Wed 2nd June)

Tic Tac Toes vs RoKi Esports (Sun 30th May)

It is yet again time to crown the best of the best - ECL 12 Elite is here! Last season was the triumph of FILADELPHIA, but now winds of change are blowing and we can hear the whispers about a new champion on the rise. Who will it be?

We've been waiting for long - but the biggest and baddest are finally here! It's ECL 12 Elite time. So gather round and tell your friends, because this is going to be a season unlike any other. The season will kick off on Monday, 24th of May with a Pre-season show hosted by Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Paul @Cyn Anderson before the puck drop at 20:00 CEST for a wild battle between KOVA Esports and Rusty Blades after which hREDS and IQUE will clash in the second game of the night. We will confirm the start time of the Pre-season show tomorrow morning. 

The partners for this season are Kouvolan Lakritsi, Viaplay & Wilhelm.
 

ECL 12 Elite will feature a prize pool of 15 000€. Due to the pandemic situation, the ECL 12 season is planned to be played entirely online. The playoffs will be played between the 5th of July and the 31st of July on set game dates. More details about the playoffs will be shared as the season progresses towards that point.

The division of the ECL 12 Elite prize pool will be as follows:

#1. ECL 12 Elite Champion: 10 000 €
#2. ECL 12 Elite Runner-Up: 3 000 €
#3.-4. ECL 12 Elite Semifinal losers: 1 000 €

*Prizes are subject to tax as per Finnish law and the tax is withheld before payment. Prizes will be paid out within 90 days of the ECL 12 Finals.

Notable dates for the ECL 12 Elite season:

• Regular season: 24.5-1.7
• Transfer deadline: 13.6. 23:59 CEST
• Quarterfinals: 5.7, 7.7, 8.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 12.7, 14.7, 15.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 30.7, 31.7 (BO7)

Default gamedays for the ECL 12 Elite division will be on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with broadcasts on the NHLGamer Twitch at 19:45 CEST each of those days.

Access the rulebook, schedule, standings and statistics from the ECL 12 Elite league page.
 

The ECL 12 Elite broadcast team consists of your beloved duo Cody @Tougie24 Tougas & Paul @Cyn Anderson as the main casters joined by Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen, Oskari Koski and Julius Sorjonen with appearances on Thursdays for Finnish broadcasts. Nick @f5penguin DiMeo and Drew Goldfarb are also on call for playoff time.

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: 

• @NHLGamerCOM
• #ECL12
• #NHL21
• #esports
• #kouvolanlakritsi
• #MukanaWilhelm
• #viaplayECL

Instagram:

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

• @NHLGamerOfficial
• #ECL12
• #NHL21
• #esports
• #kouvolanlakritsi
• #MukanaWilhelm
• #viaplayECL

Meet the ECL 12 Cover Gamer

ECL 8 started our tradition of Cover Gamers and so far we've had the pleasure of highlighting true superstars of the game that are great personalities both on and off the ice. We surely have no intention to stop, and for ECL 12, we've picked yet another special player to join the ranks of Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha as the fifth ECL Cover Gamer in history - with that, we introduce Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen.

NikkeDangles started his competitive career back in 2018 and took his first strides on ECL ice in ECL 7 Lite with The Next Gen, where at that time 14-year old Nikke immediately made an impact totalling 110 points in his first season that ended in a finals loss at the hands of The Black Jacks - now known as ZSC Esports. Since then, the youngster has taken massive steps forward with his game and is now one of the most dominant offensive forces around. The hREDS right winger is a creative mind, who can generate dangerous chances out of seemingly nothing and make the players around him better. 

"I've watched hockey since I was a little kid and playing NHL was a natural extension of that. It is a great honor to be featured as the ECL 12 Cover Gamer in great company with the players that have had the title before me. I feel like the competitive scene has taken massive strides forward in recent years and take pride in that and developing it even further."


When given the opportunity to send a greeting to all 15 other Elite teams, the youngster responds tongue-in-cheek:

"GLHF."

It's been an exceptional preseason in more ways than one and an interesting factor has been the multitude of preseason tournaments that have been organized by NHLGamer, but also by various teams and players in our community. The longer lead-up to the regular season has offered the chance for teams to really hone their play but as always, there have been some surprises and some squads have experienced last minute changes that might quite drastically turn the tables. Most interestingly though - there's been a lot of movement on the transfer market, and in negotiating those moves toes have been stepped on, drama has ensued, been resolved and started back up in the endless cycle that is related with the scene. without a doubt the biggest transfer of the offseason was Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen suddenly switching sides from reigning champion FILADELPHIA to their fiercest rival HAVU Gaming. They have an ongoing rivalry that has been brewing in good spirit over the years, but the sudden transfer and underlying reasons behind it could add some spice to that matchup moving forward. 

The sudden departure of one of the strongest ofensive defensemen in the game left the reigning champion clinching for whatever they could find in the search for a replacement so close to the season. Erik @Eki Tammenpää has admitted that training has been limited in the offseason, but perhaps the departure of jtorro was the nudge they needed to get going. It looked for a while like FILADELPHIA would be placing old trusted allrounder Mika @mikaasi Heikkilä at that open LD spot, but an announcement last night suggests Teemu @Xteemuz (Teemuyy) Polttila will be taking on the challenge after being allowed a transfer from JYP Esports.

The expected top of the pack isn't the only place where wild movement has taken place prior to the season - freshly promote Tunnel Vision has had their fair share of turbulence over the offseason, but they look to have turned out fine in the end, whilst leaving a trail of bloodshed in their wake. Since last season, they have lost top scorer Jere @BensaPoju (Jerskayy) Laukka due to suspension and looked to replace him with Juho @RutonMosse (Juigelson) Kinnunen, who suddenly left for SAWO ESPORTS. In the aftermath of that announcement, Tunnel Vision scrambled to find a new player and acquired Kim @Kim_20_00_ Suokas from Supernatural only to drop him a week later due to the sudden availability of Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen from Roots. Both Supernatural and Roots were since sent into a downwards spiral, perhaps due to the player poaches made from them, perhaps not - you be the judge of that.

We can also not glance over the fact that this season will feature an array of four freshly promoted teams in the Elite division, as ECL 11 Pro champion IQUE gained direct promotion and GOONS, Tunnel Vision and ZSC Esports managed to win their respective relegation battles against Elite squads on their way down. All of the drama that took place between established teams over the offseason might end up in benefit of the freshly promoted teams, and it remains to be seen which one of them will pounce on those opportunities as they present themselves over the course of the long season.

Then, we've also got the middle of the pack, which feels like even more of a free-for-all than we're used to. It's really the mantra we keep repeating season after season, the middle of the pack is tougher than ever. Established teams such as Northern Ascendancy, KOVA Esports or YMCA Esports will have to do everything in their power to keep young and hungry up-and-comers from switching on the turn signal and passing them.
 

Without further ado, let's move on with our prediction for the ECL 12 Elite season:

1.  HAVU Gaming (ECL 11 Elite: 3rd)
ECL 11 top scorer: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha - 40 GP, 34+53=87

HAVU Gaming is my pick for a champion this season, just to state that right off the bat. They were in a tough spot to start ECL 11 when having to replace their x-factor Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen, well guess what - he's back. This time, HAVU had replace Wille @willekunq Juntunen on the RD position and looked like they were struggling to do so, but found a way to sign jtorro from FILADELPHIA in the biggest move of the offseason. This means Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto moves over to the right side, while torro takes over his LD spot. On offense, HAVU reunites their deadly line FlyerKungen - Risto @Dominointi Järvi - Puantso that is arguably on par with the best line in virtual hockey ever. With that, their starting five is stronger than ever before and with the experience carried from a touch ECL 11, one could make the case for a more resilient HAVU returning to play with the goal of showing their competition what they really are made of. 


2.  hREDS (ECL 11 Elite: 2nd)
ECL 11 top scorer: Joakim @Joukki Nyholm*  - 44 GP, 46+55=101

The runner-ups of ECL 11 surprisingly let last seasons top scorer Joakim @Joukki Nyholm walk after their finals push, replacing him with equally offensively prevalent Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen and also changed up their defense by upgrading Teemuyy for Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen. On paper, these are some interesting changes that can be seen as upgrades depending on who you ask, but it is notable that roster changes always switch up chemistry. In this case, the added players are very familiar with the hREDS system and in fact, Vilupoika has combined for a dangerous radar pair with Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen in the past. Youngster NikkeDangles on the right wing might get a bump from being awarded the honor as ECL 12 cover gamer and elevates his game yet another level, which would push hREDS on an ever steeper upwards trajectory this season - championship incoming perhaps? Definitely a strong candidate.


3.  FILADELPHIA (ECL 11 Elite: Champions 🏆)
ECL 11 top scorer: Erik @Eki Tammenpää - 43 GP, 34+60=94

FILADELPHIA is undisputedly the most successful team in ECL history with their three titles. Their last ECL outing finished in spectacular manner, with several records broken along the way and a dominant 4-0 outing against hREDS in the finals. The team has made the finals in each of their five seasons at the Elite level so far and are surely not going to stop. The offseason has been quiet for the team as the squad mostly has focused on resting up for yet another championship push, but at the final stretch of the preseason, there was some action to say the least. Mainstay LD jtorro suddenly left for HAVU Gaming in a high-profile transfer, but FILADELPHIA managed to find a replacement by waving an undisclosed amount of cash in the face of JYP Esports management as Teemu @Xteemuz (Teemuyy) Polttila joins the black and orange just in time for the new season. FILADELPHIA is not getting a replacement with the experience that they lost, but skill-wise, Teemuyy is right there with the best of them. We'll see how he blends in with the new team as the season progresses but one thing is sure, offensively Paul @PleeMaker Arontie - Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala - Eki will deliver, as will Casper @ICappeI Lundgren in net and Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta at his RD spot. We know that FILADELPHIA is a championship caliber team and that is why all that's on the menu is championship or disappointment.


4.  JYP Jyvaskyla (ECL 11 Elite: 4th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen - 40 GP, 22+46=68

In command of captain Santeri @indi969 Pendolin, the JYP Jyvaskyla squad have at this point made ECL Elite playoffs in five consecutive seasons in different formations since beginning their journey as Symphony back in mid-2018. Their greatest feat still remain a finals push that ended in a game 6 defeat at the hands of FILADELPHIA in ECL 7. Now, hurricanes have managed to sign one of the strongest individuals of the last ECL season as Joakim @Joukki Nyholm will play besides the well-established Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen and captain indi, forming an offensive trio that should work very well both ways and have that x-factor for a scoring threat that JYP hasn't had before. The team is also glad to have Väinö @vSilenttio (vee_Sile) Pietilä return after a career season with Roots in ECL 11, pairing back up with a matured Ilmari @iilmarii Töyrylä. Having experienced goalie Santeri @Sandr0hh Reijasalo, who is rumored to be joined by a very capable tandem behind them is what makes this seasons JYP roster as strong as they've ever been.


5.  Farjestad BK (ECL 11 Elite: 5th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Christoffer @I-Maise-I (I-Mallen-I) Berntsson - 36 GP, 20+34=54

The long-standing pride of Swedish virtual hockey have established themselves as a surefire playoff team in the Elite division, but seem to be unable to punch their way into the top 4 in a convincing way. The Swedes are quite famous for their style of play and catch a lot of flack for continuing to ride that train. It is quite apparent that the team will either sink or swim with the performances of Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg, who has established himself as one of the top pure goal scorers in the Elite division by netting a total of 76 goals over the past two seasons spent at the highest level of competition. Center I-Mallen-I loves the puck and is their number one setup artist along with setting the tone for the entire team oftentimes. The defensive pairing Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt and Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann is one of the more balanced ones in the league and definitely Sweden's finest if nothing else, both are very solid with the puck and can handle pressure with relative ease. Also, being backed by Johan @McSavid Rundqvist who is one of the best goaltenders in the league makes FBK's back-end a solid foundation for their team all around. 


6.  GOONS (ECL 11 Pro: 2nd)
ECL 11 top scorer: Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola - 51 GP, 60+71=131

We're in for an exciting season watching GOONS, that is a relatively young team both due to the age of their players, but also due to the team only being founded just ahead of ECL 11 Pro, when they acquired Kriketsi to lead the way for their inexperienced squad. Krike will continue to lead from his center position, flanked by rising star Roope @pikkuroger Bergström and the more experienced Jere @jergelii Jortama, while young stud Viljo @viba2008 Kähkönen and Elite journeyman Ville-Petteri @vviljo (veepee___) Särmä combine for an interesting defensive pairing down low. Viba2008 actually becomes the youngest ECL Elite player in history at only 13 years old and with all that talent, he can be a great fit alongside someone like veepee, who has been around for a long time, but struggled to find a proper home. The team is capped off with a strong goaltender tandem in Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu (the winningest goaltender in ECL history) and Santeri @SanteriAK47 Puumalainen, who could very well share the responsibility throughout the season. GOONS have all the skill in the world, but as a young squad they might find themselves drifting off in a bad direction if they can't get things going right away. A playoff push is entirely possible.


7.  IQUE (ECL 11 Pro: Champion 🏆)
ECL 11 top scorer: Janne @Nieppii Niemelä - 52 GP, 33+69=102

As a team, IQUE (former Enigma) has experienced virtually no changes since their championship campaign back in ECL 11 Pro. They've been a dominant Pro force for quite some time already, but have now found the way to elevate their play to the next level with the lead of captain Nieppii. With an unchanged roster, it can very well be in their favor to keep their good momentum going into their first Elite run. IQUE has a solid offense centered by Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen, who is one of the most talented young guns in the game at the moment, but especially wingers Nieppii and Santeri @sannteri Niemi has some history of going on cold streaks and getting stuck in their ways a bit. If they can find a way to keep things creative up front while not sacrificing their defensive responsibilities, IQUE is a squad that could very well make a playoff run. On defense, Markus @Makeaxl Lahti and Nico @zNico Tuoreniemi will be the teams main pairing, Makeaxl is the more experienced part, but both should be able to handle themselves in the Elite pace quite well. Toni @Pirtsa89 Pirttimäki has been their choice in net, this season in a probable tandem with Rami @ramseyy2(Ramsiil) Rissanen - neither one has ever carried the starter role at this level, so that could be considered a minor question mark.
 

8.  Northern Ascendancy (ECL 11 Elite: 6th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Juho @RutonMosse (Juigelson) Kinnunen* - 36 GP, 24+29=53

After being one of the consistent performers in the Elite division for quite some time, Norther Ascendancy had their downfall after the team dissolved and key pieces spent some time with Rusty Blades back in ECL 8. After a few seasons under the Lulea Hockey flag, ECL 11 saw the return of Northern Ascendancy in a very different constellation that before, but the team still managed to push their way to the playoffs. This season, NOR returns with one of the most inexperienced rosters they've ever iced, meaning a heavy reliance on captain Connor @MartindalexC Martindale, returning Aleksi @Tehh (TehhAhola) Ahola and André @Foppatofflan Liljegren to lead the way for the likes of 2nd year Elite players V-V @vvlampela (cTunkeilija) Lampela and Fredrik  @maharajah2014 (Sparkaronnberg) Mickelsson-Holm, who are taking on big roles in the team this season. It is interesting to see how a playmaking force such as Foppatofflan will fit at the defensive position and if he will stay there throughout the season, after all cTunkeilija played as a defenseman in ECL 11, so we might be in for a switch at some point if the team feels it's warranted. Despite their continued success even in tough times, Northern Ascendancy will be struggling to reach the last playoff spot this season.


9.  YMCA Esports (ECL 11 Elite: 12th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Tim @Timasy Hess - 30 GP, 19+25=44

Six consecutive ECL Elite seasons have yielded three postseason appearances for the team that still continues without their captain Antti @Anhel_Kuru Kuru due to military service. YMCA Esports have definitely solidified their spot in the Elite division, but also as a mid-level team at best so far in their careers. After a disappointing ECL 11, the team has seen some changes mostly on the back end, as both defensemen are going to be swapped with Janne @Koppipelaaja (Jamoyy) Viitanen and ECL 5 Elite champion Nico @nylanderi Laitinen will pair for an interesting duo. The team also sees a fresh face in net, as former Nordic Stars netminder Benjamin @benu Rinnet joins the team after three consecutive very solid seasons in the Pro division. There surely are some question marks around the team, mainly due to their reorganized starting lineup and the chemistry issues that might relate to it, but YMCA has both skill and experience to take them to the playoffs. It remains to be seen if they can harness both of those traits to take them that far, or if their season will be yet another disappointment.


10.  KOVA Esports (ECL 11 Elite: 10th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Valeri @Valluxet Reihel - 30 GP, 27+24=51

KOVA Esports has as tradition seen a lot of player turnover over the offseason. Interestingly, long-time LD trustee Ari @FakiiR1 Palviainen leaves the squad as Jean-Patrick @Patsberg_ Kotonen takes over that position besides Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, who has become the new trusted man on defense for KOVA Esports. The duo on the back end will most likely combine for a rather well-balanced OFD-DFD combination that could work out well for the team. Up front, captain Kimi @Zip player Nordberg has managed to secure an interesting package deal to play beside him as former Nordic Stars dynamic duo Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho and Jere @Jerax13 Hällström will enter as elite rookies. The two have made an impact in Pro together for several seasons already and if they can combine with an offensive force like ZipPlayer, that bodes well for KOVA Esports. Trusted Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck will be sharing responsibilities in net with ECL 1 original Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes, as captain Zip has been quoted stating the form of the day will determine who gets the call come gameday. It's not an unusual thing for KOVA to ice an entirely new squad each season and while that begs a multitude of questions, the squad always manages to at least retain their spot in no man's land. That is exactly what will happen also this season for KOVA Esports.


11.  Vesa Pompa (ECL 11 Elite: 7th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Jere @jergelii Jortama* - 34 GP, 21+21=42

Swedish Vesa Pompa has experienced some major roster turnover in the offseason and in fact will only retain captain Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund in their starting lineup. Their other five starters are joining the team from former Växjö Lakers HC, being Fredrik @Kattenj Jansson on the left wing, Adam @dzouvi Mensik on center, Samuel @EDHOLMEN3 Edholm and Johannes @Hockeyjohannes Hultmark on defense capped off with Erik @MrAllsvenskan Rotsenius in net - all of them Elite rookies with the exception of Kattenj, who has eight combined games in ECL 7 and 8. A positive is that the squad has a lot of experience together even despite a majority of the players being new with Vesa Pompa and their skill is proven at the Pro level. However, this squad without Eken has never went past the quarterfinals in the Pro division, which begs the question - why would they go far in the Elite division? One can hope they'll prove doubters wrong, but Vesa Pompa is looking for big steps forward on every position if they want to reach playoffs this season.


12.  POGGERS (ECL 11 Elite: 9th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Jussi @JaKurrii Koivuniemi - 26 GP, 26+24=50

The former SJ Gaming ended their org affiliation at the end of ECL 11 Elite and are with that returning to the more casual POGGERS. On the ice, some minor changes have also been made. That means Jan-Mikael @Janski (Jansku23) Aittoniemi replaces Mikko @EABUNKA Kärkkäinen on the right flank, and Elie @eliekamel87 Kamel replaces Janne @Janne Hietala (Hiatala_) Hietala in net. Offensively, their most important weapon is still multi-game talent JaKurrii, who will continue netting goals on the virtual ice when he isn't winning trophies on the FIFA pitch. Jiska @jorma2001 Näppä is their choice at center, and after gaining some valuable experience in Elite last season, the talented centerman is expected to take yet another step forward. Captain Tero @Terodee Dahlström pairs with Eemil @Eemil (eKoskii) Koski for a great defensive duo, where eKoskii is expected to carry most of the load with the puck and prove his fabled talent to be true by putting forth a strong season. POGGERS should be able to retain their Elite spot, but they are not a playoff team.


13.  Tunnel Vision (ECL 11 Pro: 3rd)
ECL 11 top scorer: Jere @BensaPoju (Jerskayy) Laukka* - 46 GP, 50+41=91

It was a turbulent offseason for ECL 11 Pro semifinalist Tunnel Vision, who suffer immensely from losing their top scorer due to suspension. The team is stacked with talent and players who enjoy spending time with the game and finding out the mechanics of it, but they are for the most part players that enjoy playing with intuition and trusting their individual skill in beating opponents. It worked wonders for them at the Pro level, but will it be enough in Elite? The squad had to scramble ahead of the season start, when they suddenly lost Juigelson to SAWO ESPORTS, which started a transfer roulette ultimately finishing with Tunnel Vision acquiring Sadapoika for their center lane. They have also upgraded their defense with Veeti @Wenger (re_wenger) Paloneva, who joins them from YMCA Esports. All in all, we're seeing a very skilled squad that has some Elite experience but have struggled to find success at that level. They will need to add a more structured approach beside their skill to see that next level. A playoff could be a tough ask, but the team should at the very least be able to maintain their Elite spot.


14.  ZSC Esports (ECL 11 Pro: 4th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner* - 46 GP, 48+37=85

The Swiss lions have grown under the reigns of captain Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi since their first competitive season back in ECL 6 Lite, and goaltender duo Mike @burban26 Mueller, Reto @afc_Tschitsch (eTschitsch) Ulrich and forward Claudio @Freeman7187 Salamoni have stayed alongside their captain for the entire success story. Now, making their first appearance at the highest level as the first Swiss team in history, ZSC Esports are determined to make an impact. Their task is not easy, as the squad is losing their top scorer Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner and replacing him with an inexperienced Tino @Timotei97 Saksi, who is extremely untested at a higher level of play. The team will be relying on their long-time success factors but also heavily on one of the most solid defensive pairings out there in Max @Toneee9 Tonitz combined with Reto @Haldeem Haldemann, who makes a return to the Elite level after three seasons in the Pro division as the only player from the ZSC squad with Elite experience on his resume.


15.  SAWO ESPORTS (ECL 11 Elite: 11th)
ECL 11 top scorer: Atte @Akunkku Kuningas - 30 GP, 16+20=36

The Cocks, as the like to call themselves have had an offseason with quite some turnover. They've changed captain by bumping up Roni @MrNipsuli Kaján, while long-time leader Jonne @TackleControl Nikkinen takes a step back as a backup player. They've also added two new starter forwards, a new starter defenseman, and a goaltender to play in a 1A - 1B tandem with Saku @mehukatti Serttilä. Up front, Juigelson and Mikko @EABUNKA Kärkkäinen will be flanking Kristian @Krisutus Räsänen while the defense will consist of Niklas @Talonmies69 Tamminen and MrNipsuli-. The goaltender acquisition is Reittu @Roisto999 Hynynen, who has been backing up for HAVU Gaming for a few seasons, now returning to competitive games for the first time since ECL 9. It's tough to evaluate SAWO to start the season due to them having changed so much, but it's a fact that they have some good pieces that are proven to work at the ECL Elite level. It is however up to debate if they've made an improvement when comparing to their former roster, which consisted of players that knew each other well but perhaps couldn't find their form last season. I have a tough time seeing SAWO in the playoffs and therefore predict for them to have to fight their way out of the relegation spots.


16.  Rusty Blades (ECL 11 Elite: 8th)
ECL 11 top scorer: André @Foppatofflan Liljegren* - 34 GP, 21+35=56

Nothing ever comes without a fight in the ECL, and the Elite division for that matter. For Rusty Blades, however, that fight started way before the season. With just a few weeks to go, everything seemed to be in order for the squad playing under the Roots Gaming organization, but in the blink of an eye it all went south. The team captained by Juhani @Tanski87 Tanskanen lost two starting forwards and their long-time starting goaltender Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari just before the season and in the aftermath also lost their affiliation with Roots. Now going back to their true and tested Rusty Blades name, the squad has an all-new roster that has a tough task ahead of them, but it is certain that a true veteran leader like Tanski will not be giving up any time soon, Rusty Blades have come to play. Despite the difficult situation, the team has made some interesting acquisitions. Aleksi @ADETIKKI (Dillynger) Kinnunen and Tanski will be their most experienced members, whereas Miko @Migo_boo Nurmi is the only starter continuing alongside his captain from last season. Santtu @Santtu (santtu333) Malin is joining the team after two seasons for Ringette HC in Neo and Lite - a massive step up for the rookie centerman. Joonas @LE1PAKONE (NordZman) Nordman is joining the team at the LD position after spending last season in Pro with Rookie Mistakes. A lot of unknowns for this squad going forward, they will be in for a massive task and the battle will be about staying in the Elite division this season. 

That's all for this time, gamers! Remember to tune in for our Pre-season show and season openers tomorrow, on Monday, May 24th at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. (Exact time TBA - estimated start time 18:30 CEST)
 

The young and aspiring esports organization IQUE from Tampere, Finland is expanding to succeed among Europes virtual hockey Elite.

ECL 11 Pro Winner Enigma signs with IQUE who are already competing in other titles like DOTA2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and PUBG. The talented and succesful roster around team captain Janne @Nieppii Niemelä will take the next step to professionalize and establish themselves in ECL Elite in a new and fresh colorway. Does black and green suit as well as black and red already did? The euphoria certainly is huge. Just before the start of ECL 12 Elite on Monday, IQUE is joining the World of CHEL.



After being one of the top contenders in ECL Pro for the last few seasons, Enigma managed to pave their way to Europes Top 16. Since losing in the Finals of ECL 10 to superior Black Horse, Enigma bounced back in big fashion in the 11th version of the European Championship League. Finishing on Rank 3 in Group 2, the squad around captain trio Nieppii , Aleksanteri @sannteri Niemi and Tapani @Tappu Anttila beat Växjo Lakers, Tunnel Vision and finally GOONS in seven games to gain promotion.



IQUE's roster looks stronger than ever. With a good mix of experienced horsemen and young talented players, the Finns are keen on establishing their team on the highest level of European 6v6 hockey. Captain Nieppii has a clear vision in his mind: "Our goals in this organization are to prove ourselves as a team who belongs in ECL Elite and are also able to succeed on the highest level. We have a good mix of veterans and young talented faces. We need to adjust our game style to play against the best of the best. Of course we are aiming to go to the playoffs – but first things first, we have to establish IQUE and stay in the league“.

After adding former YMCA Esports and Butterfly Effect Goalie Rami @ramseyy2 (Ramsiil) Rissanen, who brings experience of 24 Elite games to the roster, the team is set to compete against the big guns. Defenseman Markus @Makeaxl Lahti will build the defensive core together with Nico @zNico Tuoreniemi. Center Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen completes IQUE's cadre and aims to continue his strong scoring streak from last season (29+26=55 in 24GP).

We welcome IQUE to the NHL esports scene and wish them good luck in their starting ECL 12 Elite season!

Almost three and a half months have passed since Enigma was crowned the ECL 11 Pro Champion, but it’s getting close to showtime again! The upcoming season has seen the new qualifier system being implemented and has resulted in a big team turnover, which is sure to stir the pot we’ve come to know.
 

While the Pro division only saw six new squads last season compared to the previous one, this time is different: compared to ECL 11, there are a total of 16 teams that either played in a lower division or simply didn’t exist at the time. The ECL 12 Pro Qualifier didn’t see a single prior Pro outfit being able to retain their spot at the second highest tier of competition in Europe, with multiple mainstays such as Södertälje SK and TIKI TALK facing relegation to Lite. With the exception of the newly assembled Hawaii Hockey, all of the teams finding their way through the qualifiers played in Lite last season, meanwhile Ducktales BK and noRex Gaming end up back there following only a season of Pro competition. 

With star-studded powerhouses like Enigma getting promoted after last season, some may say that Pro lacks in true top team talent that is already close to or even at the Elite level of play. That might be what it seems like on paper, though it leaves the path open for new contenders to emerge from the shadows. We’ll see by the end of the season how the teams that finish at the top perform against Elite competition in the battle of promotion to - or relegation from - Elite.
 

It’s harder than ever to accurately predict the standings due to the sheer amount of new teams that are still unproven at this level, but we’ll take a look at the groups overall and highlight a couple of teams from both ends of the table: ones expected to put up a challenge for the title and the ones that could be facing relegation unless they manage to right their course. Without further ado, here are the groups along with some analysis:
 

Written by @Keuschemisch

As stated before, we find many new teams in Group 1, who now have the chance to prove themselves on the Pro level for the first time. ECL 11 Lite Champion Bjorkloven Esport will be keen to establish themselves in Pro after beating VISU Gaming (former Exerceo) in a thrilling 7 game series to cap off their most recent campaign. With the likes of the Russian squad Nearbird Fighters as well as Rogle BK and the freshly founded Hawaii Hockey we find three teams that made it all the way through the Pro Qualifier and even the Wildcard Battle to secure their place in the second highest tier. Will players like @Kumbik or @Hair be able to perform up to the standards they've set at the Lite level? How big will the influence of experienced players like @cHIIMEERa and @Lamsa be for Rogle BK? For those teams it will be even more important to perform as a good unit to avoid relegation or even pave the way for a possible playoff appearance and it can't be stressed enough how important it is for freshly promoted teams like BoxinElite or Sinister to play good defensive hockey to lay a good foundation for their future. Teams like Herlev Eagles with their top scorer @vibholm10 or HV71 with their well established unit surely want to take advantage of that situation and have the quality in their roster to secure one of the top spots of their group.

Experienced teams such as Djurgarden Hockey, Finnish Roosters, RCTIC and Kiekko-Espoo Esports are favorites for yet another postseason appearance. DIF winger duo @Birkedal96 and @amadee21 can be the difference makers for the 16-time Swedish National League champions from Stockholm. Kiekko-Espoo’s defenseman @Raikkoneeh as well as Blackdawgs’ fresh forward acquisition @Valluxet have shown their quality and value in the past seasons and will play important roles in ECL 12 to lead their teams.

Without a doubt it will be a hard battle - whether to secure home ice advantage in the playoffs or to avoid relegation back to ECL Lite. Especially at the Pro level nearly any mistake will be punished right away and in Group 1 of ECL 12 Pro there is no leeway - no stone will be left unturned in the look for success.

Championship contenders:

HV71
The Swedish ensemble captained and built by @Demski13 has grown stronger by the season and is now looking at peak form after making arguably one of the biggest additions of the offseason by signing @Rubituss from Farjestad BK and adding @Putteekiing on top of that. The two will definitely boost the offense of the blue and yellow, while hopefully maintaining the defensive strength that the team has built their reputation on.
 

Herlev Eagles
After being one of the success stories in the regular season of ECL 11 Pro, Herlev Eagles faltered at the hands of Rookie Mistakes in the first round of the playoffs. Now, a largely unchanged roster of Eagles look to return to action with that experience in mind and nothing but an even better result in sight!
 

Team LEISURE
What goes up, must eventually fall down - that has been the story of German powerhouse Team LEISURE, who proudly carried the German flag with the very best of them in European virtual hockey for four entire seasons. Furthermore it will be interesting to see how @Flo_goes_grazy(flgr93) or @xDurchf4ll_- will be able to replace @Krinke on the left wing. @PlaymakerSJ remains a big piece of their puzzle and he needs to connect the defense with offense and set up his teammates for open looks, as they are used to. With the experience and individual class within Team LEISURE’s squad they might have the recipe for success at the tip of their fingers.

Under relegation threat:

Nearbird Fighters
The Russian squad has pushed their way through a long and bumpy road ever since ECL 5 Lite in the steady charge of captain @Hair. After a successful run in the ECL 12 Pro Qualifiers, they will now see Pro contention for the first time and look to solidify their place at the second highest level. They are very inexperienced at this level, so a tough season is to expect.
 

Sinister
Sinister is a new team at the Pro level, consisting of several experienced gamers that now combine for an ensemble that like a fast paced game and know how to score when given the chance, but lack experience of success at higher levels of competition. They will need to mature their game if they want to see another season at the Pro level.
 

BoxinElite
BoxinElite is a team of young players with tremendous potential that like spending time with the game and know the ins and outs of the mechanics related to it. As a young squad, their season can be a hit or a total miss, widely depending on how they are able to combine and gel together as a team. We know they have offensive firepower - but the pro level requires strong team defence, which we hope they can develop!

Written by @Mikka

This group only has 15 teams after Supernatural (previously RPEAT ESPORTS) ceased to exist just prior to the season start, though there’s still as many (eight) newly promoted teams as in Group 1. After the ECL 11 Elite season, Conquer Gaming got relegated following three seasons at the highest level, and are now joined in the same group by two other teams with prior Elite experience in Pata Hellalla and Sjukstugan. Sjukstugan and Conquer Gaming have forayed into the transfer market in search of a stronger squad to boost them back to the top sooner than later, meanwhile Pata Hellalla have seemingly only shuffled around the positions without making any new signings after left winger @vizka13 departed to play in the Core division. They’re always an interesting team to follow in their search for consistency, sometimes beating top teams with ease but other times struggling to get points from weaker opponents.
 

Some of the other teams promoted from Lite alongside Sjukstugan include the teams that finished 3rd and 4th in Hotbox and SPARTIATES X MCES, the regular season 2nd seed PENTA and the Russian outfit METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK. The two Central European squads PENTA and SPARTIATES X MCES trust their respective processes and have only had minimal new signings, meanwhile the Russians and the Finnish Hotbox have had a bigger roster turnover. PENTA’s wingers @Wowa_1995 (Wowa_PENTA) and @DaMan (Akin_PENTA) will have a tough time replicating the kind of scoring they had in Lite with the stabilizing force @domii_ecn (Domi_PENTA) in the middle, but the prior Pro experience from within their squad especially with Akin’s success will help with the jump in level of play. Even if it remains to be seen how much they play, METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK’s new signings @ilikkaa, @CMB-wf- and @mons3223 all have high level experience as well.
 

Company of Geeks, Sack Brothers and Rookie Mistakes have all been in Pro for some seasons now, and will be looking to continue their journeys on that path. Company of Geeks will most likely have a hard time after changing big parts of their roster, meanwhile Sack Brothers and Rookie Mistakes seem to only have gotten stronger in the offseason with bolstered defense and goaltending departments.
 

We’ll see if a familiar lineup or some bigger name acquisitions at the cost of chemistry end up being more effective in the end, but last minute roster changes have rarely been a sign of anything good. Although Lekstugan HC did actually find their way through the ECL 12 Pro Qualifier with only two players remaining from their ECL 11 roster playing a part, similarly to Patience who, along with their name, changed everything except the captain @N44TTI_16 ahead of this season. Both outfits consist of largely unproven players, so they have a lot of work ahead to establish themselves in Pro. Patience will get a ton of help from the former Elite goaltender and ECL 10 Pro champion @PCJP (Pelkoneen), who can surely steal them some tight games between the pipes and keep them out of the bottom places. Time will tell who will rise and who will fall, so be sure to catch up on the games and see for yourself!
 

The only newly promoted team still left unmentioned is Dynastia, who are a tough one to predict after facing the last minute departures of @Wpaanane (wpaananen) & @valta15. They were convincing in the qualifier, but we’ll see if the team will be able to rebound quickly enough with the lead of captain @Majuri20 (Diktaattori62) and veteran @FakiiR1 (TheFakiiR1) to avoid relegation or even aim for the playoffs. Another team that has its level of play up in the air is Inter Iceland, who have struggled in the domestic GCL and the ECL Warmup after losing to lower ranked RCTIC in the ECL 11 Playoffs as the 2nd seed following a promising regular season. The Germans haven’t made much changes to their roster despite losing assistant captain @x Holtbeast (Reutsch_PENTA) to PENTA, so it will be up to the long time goalie @PLA77NER (Hasek-39--) and forward @Stefan_397 to try to carry their team back and beyond where they finished earlier on in the year. Sulkavan Sudet lost their best scorers in @Stiffenhoand @Janski (jansku23) to Dynastia and Elite team POGGERS, respectively, but still got decent results in the Warmup and so seem to be right on track for another fight around the final playoff spots.
 

Championship contenders:
 

Rookie Mistakes

Coming into their 3rd ECL Pro season, Rookie Mistakes have always been an offensive minded team, but have now gotten significantly stronger on the other side of the puck with the signings of defensemen @bot_dole and @tominointi, who played against each other in the Pro finals just a few seasons ago. They will also be adding the skilled allrounder @James (Jamechkin) to their defense from Lite after his roster lock in Reality Check HC ends on May 27th, which gives them three good options there. The playing time in net will be shared 50-50 by @Ilezki_ and newly added, Elite-experienced @Jonitski, meanwhile the forward core sees an original player at the LW position in @Flopper71 being replaced by @Jondeezz and leaving for Conquer Gaming. As previously stated, Rookie Mistakes have only gotten stronger and the path to the top appears to be open for them, they’re most likely the strongest team in Group 2.
 

Sack Brothers

Similar to Rookie Mistakes, the strength of Sack Brothers has always been offense. Also similarly, their forward core stays the same meanwhile they acquire two new goalie options in @Randomjanne and @Tuhmakalastaja91 in addition to some newly signed experienced defensemen. @IKarkkiI comes back to Pro after a season of Elite competition with Dark Horse, meanwhile @Katunarski looks to achieve what he couldn’t in his previous team Nordic Stars: turn regular season prowess into playoff success and eventually advance to Elite. If Sack Brothers manage to gel together well enough, they’ll be one of the stronger challengers to Rookie Mistakes in Group 2.
 

Conquer Gaming

Although they didn’t perform up to expectations in the ECL 12 Warmup, there’s still hope for a bounceback. Their best players @Jeresti and @Jertsicc are still in the squad and the longtime captain @KepakkoFIN has managed to sign experienced @jahajaha93 to be his defensive partner, in addition to @Flopper71 coming over from Rookie Mistakes to provide offense in the traditionally defensive minded roster. Losing @Sakkem and @Valluxet prior to ECL 11 was a tough blow and resulted in Conquer Gaming being relegated to Pro, but could jahajaha93 and Flopper71_ be their new Sakke & Vallu? It remains to be seen, but what we know is that KepakkoFIN already led this team to Elite once after getting first relegated from Pro to Lite, so never count on them giving up after a lackluster season. Their track record still indicates them being one of the top teams this season, five out of six players in their starting lineup have Elite experience as well.
 

Sjukstugan

An original ECL 1 team, Sjukstugan played four consecutive Elite seasons before going on a hiatus and restarting from the bottom in ECL 10. After two Lite seasons they’re now back in Pro, adding goaltender @poliskontroll, defenseman @Sluibaaja_88 and forward @Tzon93 in the offseason. Poliskontroll is a great goalie who keeps the games close and is able to steal some, meanwhile tzon93 is one of the most effective counter attacking goal scorers in Pro history. They’re an annoying team to play against with their stellar net front turtle defence, and while they may not dominate in time on attack, they will punish on breakaways and odd-man rushes with a high percentage. There’s plenty of examples of similar teams thriving in Pro, especially during the regular season, but we’ll see how far they get in the playoffs.

 

Under relegation threat:
 

Company of Geeks
They got into the playoffs pretty comfortably last season, but the high roster turnover and rumours about their level of off-season preparations cast a suspecting light on the longstanding team’s future. Higher prestige recruits could have given a different impression, but the new signings aren’t ones to rock the media sphere: @pinppikeisari and @Eric Perdjaks (Taskig) come from Lite and @Okke40 (hifk_FANI) from Neo, although he does have Pro experience. The last piece of their renewed roster, @xLeikku, only got his first taste of ECL hockey this season in the new Core division. Maybe they’re hidden gems that will instantly produce, but captain @Jesus (eJezuz) along with his long-serving assistant @Varabajare (eCeleste31) will have to put their knowledge to the table to ensure the relatively unknown signings end up adjusting to the Pro level quick enough, otherwise they’ll find themselves in the relegation spots.
 

Hotbox

Hotbox hasn’t been that impressive during the offseason and is facing sudden roster changes just before the season. They went on an amazing run in ECL 11 Lite playoffs after a mid table finish to end the regular season, but a lot has changed since then and they will have to prove themselves again at the higher level. @Jann3_67_’s prior Pro experience will be handy, but what will their roster come puck drop look like? 
 

Lekstugan HC

Another team with a largely different roster compared to last season, the only returnees when looking at the Pro Qualifier were @Daniel Asplund (Dasplund_) and @Philip Deemus (PHDeemus). The now-captain and assistant captain suited up as winger partners instead of a d-pairing like they did last season in Lite. They also appear to have lost their top scorer and probably best player in @Pappen to Lite team Unwanted after the qualifiers, so it remains to be seen how they plug that hole on their quest to establish themselves in Pro. All in all, even with the addition of @denkaan_from HV71, Lekstugan HC seems to be a prime candidate to go straight back down if they don’t quickly find a replacement center and get a hold of the Pro game from the get go. A bad start could spiral into something worse for an inexperienced and unproven squad.
 

SPARTIATES X MCES

The French outfit switched organizations during the offseason, but what they didn’t switch was their roster. The only new signings are presumed backup player @julien-meudon (Julien-peltier) who played in Neo last season, and goalie @Darcam (Darsivo) who played last season with PENTA’s squad. Their starting lineup is still intact, but it remains to be seen if the already built up chemistry and stellar team play is enough to retain their long chased Pro spot. It’s refreshing to see a French squad in ECL Pro once again three and a half years since Hawks Hockey Club disbanded, but that sighting may only last for this season unless the ex-Hawks HC goalie @Trollstivegen (Trollstivegen28) can reach the level he was at a few years ago and steal some serious points. Left winger @Adri1_SCP (AdriF_23) seems to be their best bet on scoring, which they will need.

With that, we wish all participating ECL 12 Pro teams good luck in their respective campaigns! Remember to post about your games on various social media platforms using the tags #NHLGamer, #NHL21 and #ECL12 in order to get noticed and for other community members to find your posts.

NHLGamers,

Here is the newest update to the ECL 12 rulebook. Generally speaking, most of the changes in this edition focus on the qualifiers and their structure (incorporating things you suggested earlier), as well as of course the usual miscellaneous tweaks that typically go on over the course of a season.

The full changelog can be found in the rulebook, but for the changes since the last edition you can find them listed below:

• Added a clause which states that any additional spot(s) must be filled via the qualifier, as well as tweaked the seeding order so that relegated teams are placed above playoff teams (rules 5.10, 5.11)
• Added rule 5.13, expanded on the description of how the roster lock works in conjunction with the qualifier systems
• Updated section 7.6, expanded the numbers of staff members involved in LA
• Updated 7.7, included the most recent LA rulings
• Added rule 11.7.3, goalies are now allowed to wear non-standard ‘CHEL’ equipment without restriction
• Expanded upon rule 12.1.2, now includes a run-down on how to input stats from a game that had a disconnect part-way through
• Tweaked definition 15.17 regarding what counts as a starter
• Updated appendix 3 with details regarding empty spots both in and outside of the qualifier
• Added appendix 5, roster waiver form for ECL Pro teams

What this means in practice is that instead of, for example, ECL Pro relegation teams being seeded behind ECL Lite playoff teams, they will now instead switch so that they are entitled to the higher seeds. Furthermore, in the event that a team from outside the qualifier drops out and creates an opening prior to, as well as during the qualifier, said spot will be filled via the qualifier. Meanwhile, if a spot opens up in the qualifier before it commences, we will fill it with a team from the following:

• ECL Pro relegated teams (29^th – 32^nd)
• ECL Lite teams who finished 10^th – 16^th
• Wildcard teams ranked 5^th – 8^th
• ECL Lite teams who finished 17^th – 32^nd
• ECL Core team who finished 5^th – 8^th

ECL 11 Lite ended with some huge drama in the final series between Björklöven Esports and Exerceo that quite epically concluded in a game 7. Björklöven Esports won the series 4-3 after a phenomenal comeback from being 1-3 down. Both squads now compete in the Pro division, opening the place in the spotlight for new contenders and all new hero tales to be written.
 

In addition to the finalists, the other two ECL 11 Lite semifinalists Grenoble BDL Esport and Hotbox are playing in Pro so quite extraordinarily the top 4 teams will be completely new in ECL 12 Lite this season. There are several teams relegated from Pro and also players in rosters with experience from upper levels so we can expect to see a season unlike any other in ECL Lite. The team cap is now 64 so the margins between the teams is smaller than ever before which makes battles from playoffs positions and also the regular season title way tougher.

Hokurit reached Round 2 in the playoffs last season and is expected to play well again this time. Teams like TIKI TALK, Ducktales BK, NoRex Gaming and Södertälje SK played in Pro last season and with that experience are favorites bounce back and perform well in Lite. Royal HT has managed to gather an impressive roster that for some reason underperformed in their qualifier run, but they should find their form in the regular season. I think it is safe to predict that the top 8 includes at least a few of these teams I have mentioned. We're happy to also expect several dark horses to emerge and gladly welcome those squads to prove everyone wrong!

Season information

The default gamedays for ECL 12 Lite will be Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 20:00 CEST and teams are required to contact each other prior to the scheduled date as per ECL rules. 

Please get acquainted with the rulebook and refer to it in case of any problems over the course of the season. If any questions arise, please contact support.

Notable dates for the ECL 12 Lite season:

• Regular season: 9.5 – 9.6
• Transfer deadline: 25.5. 23:59 CEST
• Playoffs Round 1: 15.6 – 20.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 2: 22.6 – 1.7 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 4.7 – 8.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 11.7 – 15.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 19.7 – 21.7 (BO7)

In the first of four groups, we have several contenders for the group title and playoffs spots. Murohoki and TuTo Esports were eliminated early last season after a promising regular season, so they surely have something to prove this time. TIKI TALK were relegated from Pro and are one of the favorites due to their experience from Pro and their resilience and willingness to bounce back. Royal HT has as stated gathered an impressive roster that should be able to use their individual skill to find wins and contend. Ducktales BK also played in Pro last season. On Sunday evening - the very first matchday - they are scheduled play against TIKI TALK which could serve as a measuring of power between these two squads. That is also one of the highlights of the first matchday.

In Group 2, Syndrome reached playoffs Round 2 last season which was kind of a disappointment for them, so they are expected to perform better this season. Reality Check HC has played even in the Elite qualifiers in past seasons and participated in the Pro qualifiers, which did not go their way. With that experience however, they are one of the teams to follow this season in Lite. Södertälje SK played in Pro last season and are one of the big favorites in this group and also one of the squads that could be taking the division title.

This is a relatively even group and no big favorites stand out of the pack. I expect to see many tight games and fierce battle for the playoff spots. Nordic Nosebleed knocked out a strong Armada Hockey last season in Round 1 of the playoffs, proving that they are a team that could win any given matchup. FILADELPHIA Academy is a team to follow already because of their affiliation, but it is a delight to see how their reserves are performing in their first competitive season together. If the players in this academy team are anywhere near as talented as the players in the first team I expect FILADELPHIA Academy to finish high in the regular season and in a top 8 overall at least.

Probably the tightest group in advance. There are 4-5 teams who performed well last season or have exceptional potential for succeeding such as Hokurit, Armada Hockey, NoRex Gaming, The Last Line and RoKi Esports to mention a few. RoKi Esports have increased their potential with experience and is one of the teams to watch this season. Tic Tac Toes is also a tremendously skilled ensemble that I expect to finish high. Barys eSports is a new team in ECL that has done well in the RCL. They are scheduled to go up against RoKi Esports on Sunday which is one of the highlights of the first matchday. The Barys eSports roster also includes some players with experience from Elite and Pro so the team is going to be a serious contender in their first ECL outing.

Notable players to watch

Across all 64 teams this season in Lite, there are dozens of interesting players you might want to follow during the season. It's impossible for us to include everyone and when picking some of them, some will be left out. On the following list are just few of the players that are expected to stand out this season. 
 

@L4nnisto ( Tic Tac Toes)

ECL 11 Regular season 26 GP 6+33=39
Playoffs 11 GP 4+3=7

@Artuzio ( Tic Tac Toes)

ECL 11 Regular season 26 GP 35+44=79
Playoffs 11 GP  5+15=20

@jubex0r ( Spirit)

ECL 11 Regular season 28 GP 80,74 SV % 2,04 GAA 3 SO
Playoffs 5 GP 73,44 SV % 3,4 GAA 0 SO

@Rosvo_Joel (Zei_Tsei) ( Saucer Hockey)

ECL 11 Regular season (Night Shift Hockey) 30 GP 5+35=40
Playoffs 4 GP 2+4=6

@Crisu_rottis ( Royal HT)

ECL 11 Regular season (Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa) 30 GP 5+31=36
Playoffs 5 GP 1+1=2

@JanneK. (JANURI98) ( Royal HT)

ECL 11 Regular season (Dark Horse) 24 GP 75,88 SV % 3,42 GAA 1 SO
(Tunnel Vision) 12 GP 76,27 SV% 2,33 GAA 1 SO

@topikeranen ( Royal HT)

ECL 11 Regular season (TuTo Esports) 18 GP 19+28=47
Playoffs 6 7+4=11

@keranee ( Royal HT)

ECL 11 Regular season (Gotham Knights) 30 GP 18+23=41
Playoffs 5 GP 2+1=3

@rize1988 ( Södertälje SK)

ECL 11 Regular season (Almtuna Esports) 24 GP 15+41=56
Playoffs 7 GP  4+4=7

@Ollizhki ( Barys eSports)

ECL 11 Regular season (Dark Horse) 24 GP 10+5=15

@Awptim ( Barys eSports)

ECL 11 Regular season (Alliance HT)  28 GP 15+17=32

@itspardytime ( TIKI TALK)

ECL 11 Regular season 30 GP 26+22=48

With that, we wish all participating ECL 12 Lite teams good luck in their respective campaigns! Remember to post about your games on various social media platforms using the tags #NHLGamer, #NHL21 and #ECL12 in order to get noticed and for other community members to find your posts.


 

Based in southern Russia, Metallurg Magnitogorsk has established themselves as a steady contender in the KHL in recent seasons, and clinching two titles back in 2014 and 2016. This year, the club has also expanded into NHL esports by signing one of the most talented Russian rosters in the scene.

There's a special kind of excitement to start the season for METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK. The squad has been atop of the Russian scene for a few RCL seasons already and recently felt that it's time to take the next step for the club - They surely have done so in more than one way. In early 2021, after a moderately successful ECL 11 Lite campaign, the former NOVA squad signed a deal with KHL club Metallurg Magnitogorsk and adding to that excitement, they managed to play their way to the ECL 12 Pro division through preseason qualifiers. With that, METALLURG will continue proudly flying the Russian flag in the Pro division, replacing Alliance HT at the second highest tier.

Team captain Maxim @Haiissey Trukhanov is a Magnitogorsk resident and has worked hard to finalize the deal. He is very happy with the performances of the team so far, but feels like there are several benefits both on and off the ice that their new contract brings: "Our decision to join Metallurg Magnitogorsk was well planned and we wanted to play for a serious and well organized club. Metallurg Magnitogorsk is a club with a big history, this team is one of the strongest in the KHL and has a solid fanbase to back them up. We as back-to-back RCL champions believe that this is a mutually beneficial partnership and that we deserve to represent a club of this stature."

Despite the roster experiencing some changes, they now look stronger than ever and have managed to recruit a healthy mix of both experienced horsemen and young talent. Their freshest recruits are long-time Alliance HT defenseman Evgeny @mons3223 Mons and Ilya @The1xTab (Cefurtuninen) Elchaninov on the back-end, whereas Latvian up-and-comer Daniels @CMB-wf- Magonis and Finnish addition Ilkka @ilikkaa Rekilä look to bolster their offensive guns. The captain describes his squad as a hard working, energetic and strong willed group who always leave it all out on the ice.



The new roster has already been tested quite extensively in the RCL 8 Pro division, where Magnitogorsk currently tops the table, and youngster Artem @Nester4343 Nesterov has managed to net 24 goals and add 43 assists for a 4th place in the league scoring race. The team is aiming for a third consecutive RCL championship and is eagerly looking forward to their first outing in ECL 12 Pro.

We welcome METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK to the NHL esports scene and wish them good luck in both the RCL 8 Playoffs and their starting ECL 12 Pro season!

Team captain Maxim @Haiissey Trukhanov was interviewed by Viivi @viivimaria Rönnberg.

 NHLGamers,

Tomorrow on Sunday, the 2nd of May we'll be starting action in the largest division in the ECL competition - our newcomer ECL Core! That division holds several established teams that are starting their journey in our competitive framework. We're looking forward to tons of exciting action over the course of the season and some fierce battles for three guaranteed promotion spots at the end of the campaign. 

As previously stated, the Core division will from now on hold the bulk of teams participating in the ECL and with that currently holds 128 teams in total. These teams have been seeded and divided into eight groups, holding 16 teams each. The eight best teams out of each group will reach the playoffs. Finally, the winner, runner-up and bronze-game winner will gain direct promotion to ECL Lite for the next season. All groups and league info can be found on the league page.

The default gamedays for ECL 12 Core will be Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday at 20:00 CEST and teams are required to contact each other prior to the scheduled date as per ECL rules. 

Please get acquainted with the rulebook and refer to it in case of any problems over the course of the season. If any questions arise, please contact support.

Notable dates for the ECL 12 Core season:

• Regular season: 2.5 – 3.6
• Transfer deadline: 18.5. 23:59 CEST
• Playoffs Round 1: 6.6 – 10.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 2: 13.6 – 17.6 (BO7)
• Playoffs Round 3: 20.6 – 23.6 (BO7)
• Quarterfinals: 29.6 – 4.7 (BO7)
• Semifinals: 6.7 – 11.7 (BO7)
• Finals: 16.7 – 17.7 (BO7)

The remaining ECL 12 divisions will be starting as announced in the ECL 12 Season Information-article back in mid-March.

With that, we wish all participating ECL 12 Core teams good luck and hope to see as much of your action as possible through your own streaming and social media channels. Remember to use the hashtags #NHLGamer, #ECL12 and #NHL21 for other community members to find your posts!

NHLGamers,

The first version of the ECL 12 rulebook is out now and can be accessed here. You can also always access it through the league menu.
 

In ECL 12, we will use the rule book from ECL 11 as a foundation. In addition to this, we have tweaked some rules based on feedback from ECL 11 and subsequent tournaments. As always, it is very important for us to be as clear as possible regarding League Administration procedures, as such if you have any difficulties understanding specific rules then feel free to contact us via the support tool! We ask every team to familiarize themselves with and memorize the different sections. Team captains must be aware of the entire ruleset, as it includes lots important guidance that stays relevant throughout the entire league/tournament. Regular players on the other hand should be aware of member registration requirements, etiquette, fair play and game rules.

Play hard, play fair and have fun!

NHLGamers,

We're here to officially kick off the ECL 12 regular season with the start of our Neo division, which will be happening as announced on Sunday, the 25th of April. Our Neo division is the entry level of competitive virtual hockey and with that holds a vast amount of undiscovered and unpolished talent, in fact 90 registered teams worth of that. Now due to preserving the original intention of having ECL Neo be the true entry level, we have decided to place a total of 25 teams that originally applied for ECL 12 Neo into the ECL 12 Core division - please see a full list of those teams below:

Quote

Moved to ECL 12 Core:

1. KulmalaHengaus
2. EHC TATNEFT AK BARS
3. Ace Hockey
4. Hc Gamemakers
5. Gucci Legends
6. Dark Tigers
7. Remparts de Tours III
8. XK KOPCAP
9. VHC NEVA
10. Hc Total Chaos
11. HC Korobka
12. Gleumes Hockey Krefeld 
13. Uudenmaan Oilers
14. Sesku Patversme
15. HC Northmen
16. HC Armata
17. Redlight Jokers
18. Slovak Legends
19. Hirvimafia
20. Seventy Sixers
21. Rantaleijonat
22. Moscow Capitals
23. Alistajat
24. Centurion Esports
25. HC SOKOL MOSCOW

After placing those teams up a level, we end up with a total of 65 teams in the Neo division. These teams have been seeded and divided into six groups, holding 10-11 teams each. The five best teams out of each group will reach the playoffs along with the two best 6th placing teams across the division (based on PPG). All groups and league info can be found on the league page.

The default gamedays for ECL 12 Neo will be Sunday & Wednesday at 20:00 CEST and teams are required to contact each other prior to the scheduled date as per ECL rules. 

The full rulebook will be available for access through the league page and will be released on Sunday, 25th of April.

Notable dates for the ECL 12 Neo season:

• Regular season: 25.4-26.5
• Transfer deadline: 13.5. 23:59 CEST
• Playoffs Round 1: 30.5-2.6 (BO5)
• Playoffs Round 2: 6.6-9.6 (BO5)
• Quarterfinals: 13.6-16.6
• Semifinals: 20.6-23.6
• Finals: 4.7
   

The remaining ECL 12 divisions will be starting as announced in the ECL 12 Season Information-article back in mid-March.

With that, we wish all participating ECL 12 Neo teams good luck and hope to see as much of your action as possible through your own streaming and social media channels. Remember to use the hashtags #NHLGamer, #ECL12 and #NHL21 for other community members to find your posts!

NHLGamers,

Starting today, Thursday, April 15th we are starting the qualifiers ahead of the ECL 12 season to determine recipients of the final open spots in each of the divisions. This article gathers all the base information required to carry out the qualifiers.

Roster Lock

As we've already received some questions about player movement during and around the ECL Qualifiers, we need to remind parties concerned about the soft roster lock rule applied to all teams and players participating in ECL Qualifiers (including Wildcard battle participants):

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To prevent teams from taking advantage of the staggered divisional start time that we have instituted for ECL, specifically recruiting players to bolster your chances in the qualifier that have no intention of remaining in the team beyond that, we have decided to enforce a soft roster lock post qualifier play. What this means in practice is that if a former Elite player wants to participate in a qualifier for a Pro or Lite team, then they will be locked into that division for four weeks (starting from the first game played in Elite that season). If a former Pro player wishes to do the same, then they will be locked into the division for 2 weeks (starting from the first game played in Pro that season).

Upon further reflection we have realised that this piece of information may not have received enough attention as it was embedded in the main body of text from the article detailing the overhaul of our promotion system.

As such, we would like to take this opportunity to outline the rationale behind this rule, as well as better illustrate this for the players that it may impact in the current ongoing qualifiers.

The rationale behind this rule was to heavily discourage players from ‘helping out’ other teams in the qualifiers, just to change team afterwards. That said, we originally quoted weeks as the duration of the ‘locks’ and realise that this can be a little confusing at a glance.

Therefore, for Elite players, if they wish to join a team and help them out in the qualifiers, then they are locked to playing within that division (where the qualifying team ends up) for the entirety of the season. As for Pro players, if they wish to do the same, and play for a team in Lite, then they will have to stay within the Lite division until the 27th May, at which point they will be allowed to transfer into Pro or Elite teams.

For next season this rule will be reviewed. As in previous seasons, players are only allowed one transfer per ECL. This includes the Qualifiers.

Note regarding feedback on structure and qualifiers

We hear and appreciate the passionate feedback received about the qualifying and promotion process. As stated, the promotions have occurred as defined in our first communications and we intend to keep it as such for ECL 12. We will take all feedback into consideration and aim to improve based on that for upcoming seasons.

In the mean time however, the Pro and Lite Qualifiers are underway, and in the event that any more teams decide to not take part, their qualifier spot will remain empty.

Additionally, a Pro team has decided to drop-out from taking part in ECL 12, normally this would mean that we would grant automatic promotion to a team from Lite, however as we were only made aware of this at this point, so far into the qualifier process, we will instead be allocating an extra spot that will be up for grabs through the qualifier structure. This means that the teams ranked #4 in the 2nd stage of the Pro Qualifiers both will be promoted rather than having to play a BO5 series.

Pro Qualifiers
Groups
Schedule (all dates in April)

• Round 1: Thursday 15th, Sunday 18th, Monday 19th, Wednesday 21st
• Round 2: Sunday 25th, Monday 26th, Wednesday 28th
• BO5 series (where needed): Thursday 29th
   

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 ECL Pro Qualifier Teams

1. Södertälje SK
2. Ducktales BK
3. UNI Gaming
4. TIKI TALK
5. noRex Gaming
6. We Kings
7. Orebro eHockey
8. KAJAK Esports (previously Beast Hockey)
9. Nearbird Fighters
10. Lekstugan HC
11. Golden Nights
12. METALLURG MAGNITOGORSK (previously NOVA)
13. Patience (previously TeQuila SunRise)
14. Hokurit
15. Project X (previously Northern Legacy eSports)
16. Birka Vikings
17. Rogle BK
18. Reality Check HC
19. Dynastia
20. Hawaii Hockey
    
    

Lite Qualifiers
Groups
Schedule (all dates in April)

• Group Play: Thursday 15th, Sunday 18th, Monday 19th, Wednesday 21st, Thursday 22nd. All games to be played by Sunday 25th.
• BO5 series (where needed): Wednesday 28th
   

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 ECL Lite Qualifier Teams

1. Baby Goons
2. Team opted out after groups were formed
3. PunaKala
4. EHC Biel Bienne eSports (previously The Black Jacks)
5. The Last Line
6. Finnish Hockey Legends
7. StickLifters
8. Northern Dust
9. Clowns On Ice
10. Thunder United
11. Bare Knuckles Hockey
12. Helter Skelter
13. Vasteras IK
14. Verket
15. Lassen Lampaat
16. Odd eSports (previously No Name)
17. Burning Goats
18. United Front
19. TEAM MODO
20. Virtuoso
21. KohKae Esports
22. Lutunilkat
23. Sopranos
24. Saucer Hockey
25. VANHAT KYLJYKSET
26. Hyperion (previously KSE Teutons)
27. Seinajoki Noms
28. Pinaattikone
29. Vemppaosasto
30. UKnighted HC
31. Herforder Ice Dragons
32. 5th Line Heroes
33. FILA DE LA HC
34. SCB eSports
35. Dynamo Dragons
36. DEG eSports
37. Team SIKA (previously EN HUND)
38. Barys eSports
39. Royal HT
40. Almost Retired
41. Unwanted

NOTE: The team seeded #2 opted out after the groups were formed. This lead to an even 40 teams in 8 groups, meaning all teams will fit the top 5 and will after the group stage either be promoted directly (TOP 2 per group) to ECL Lite, or play a BO5 series in order to secure a spot. Seed 41, Wildcard team Unwanted is now in Group 2.

NHLGamers,

We're happy to have had a good amount of teams register for the ECL 12 Warmup Tournament, which starts today! The exact number of teams registered were 26 for the Elite & Pro-tournament and 70 for the Lite & Core tournament.

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

Elite & Pro
Groups
Schedule

• Two groups holding 13 teams each
• Double-header gamedays
• Default gamedays on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
• Eight teams from each group make playoffs (BO3)
  • Playoff dates (Playoffs practically ECL Pro-style, with cross-seed in first round etc):
    • Monday, May 10th (RO16)
    • Wednesday, May 12th (Quarterfinals)
    • Thursday, May 13th (Semifinals)
    • Monday, May 17th (Finals)

Lite & Core
Groups
Schedule

• Seven groups holding 10 teams each
• Double-header gamedays
• No playoffs

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 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. 

The Marseille Spartiates and MCES (Mon Club Esport) have joined forces to launch their first official NHL esports team: the Spartiates x MCES. You can see the team in action in the Pro division this upcoming ECL season and with that, the Spartiates x MCES become the first French squad to play at that level.

Having established themselves as the most prestigious French team in NHL esports under the banner of Grenoble BDL Esports, it is only natural for the team to develop and with that move on to new things. Today we're announcing that the roster led by captain Maximilien @Tromi13 Tromeur have signed with the Marseille Spartiates and MCES, who will combine for a new virtual hockey club called the Spartiates x MCES. 

At this point, festivities have already been held in Marseille, where captain @Tromi13 has attended the Spartiates offices for a contract signing and press event. A ceremonial puck drop and a full team bootcamp was planned but due to recent increased travel regulations in France, only the captain attended the press event.

"This is an accomplishment for our team and by extension for the French or French-speaking European gaming community. It is important to understand that we can't be compared to a scene like FIFA where the pool of players is huge. On the NHL side of things, we are lesser in numbers and about a year ago before the first French league, we were 40. Today we are 200 (in the French community)! Knowing that we can now interest an organization like MCES makes us proud! I feel like gaming organizations partnering with French hockey clubs will only feed the phenomenon and more and more players will arrive. When it comes to the ground level, the partnership between MCES and the Marseille Spartans allows us to anchor down as the team of a city and a club, it gives meaning to our work." - @Tromi13 on the meaningfulness of their partnership with Spartiates x MCES.

The mostly French ensemble has experienced a lot together on the virtual ice and after a successful season in ECL 11 Lite and the WECL, they have now gained the opportunity to prove themselves at the next level as the first French team in ECL history. With a roster that has only seen minor changes, the squad is now confidently facing that challenge.

NHLGamer founder Kenneth @Kenu Lehtinen on having the Spartiates x MCES join NHLGamer leagues: "We at NHLGamer are excited to have the Spartiates x MCES squad join our league. The scene has seen a tremendous amount of growth over the past few years and while we do our best to lay the groundwork as effectively as possible, teams and individuals have impressed us with their hard work and dedication in working towards the common goal of becoming a mainstream esport and involving various parties at the very cutting edge of esports. The Spartiates x MCES seem to be a partnership of utmost potential and we can't wait for what they will bring to the table on their NHL esports journey. Welcome!”

About the Marseille Spartiates
The hockey club of southern French port city Marseille wasn't founded until 2012, but despite their short history the Spartiates have established themselves as an extremely ambitious force in the field of French hockey. After gaining promotion to the national division 1 (2nd tier) back in 2019, the club now has their sights set on advancing to the Ligue Magnus. The Palais Omnisports is the arena that the Spartiates are privileged to call their home, seating 5600 fans and with that achieving the status of the biggest ice rink in France.

About MCES
MCES (Mon Club Esport) is a Marseille-based major player in French esports with subsidiaries in Italy and Morocco. The objective of MCES is to develop both the professional and amateur practices in all of esports. With representation currently in League of Legends, Fortnite, FIFA, Clash of Clans, Virtual Regatta, Rocket League and Valorant, the organization has gained lots of success across several of these games. The MCES method is to provide their players with all the necessary tools to succeed, such as sports practice, diet monitoring, neurocognitive performance testing, stress management and more. The method is defined and applied by MCES Sports Director and double Olympic swimming gold medalist Yannick Agnel.

NHLGamers,

As you know, we're adding the Core division into our framework for the new season and with that we're in for a series of Qualifiers ahead of the ECL 12 season. Info to follow below:

Pro and Lite Qualifiers will be starting officially on Thursday, April 15th.

Qualifiers will be completed at an intensive pace, and therefore it is advisable for teams participating in the qualifiers not to attend our ECL 12 Warmup tournament. Here are the schedules for the respective qualifiers (all dates in April):

• Pro Qualifiers:
  • Round 1: Thursday 15th, Sunday 18th, Monday 19th, Wednesday 21st
  • Round 2: Sunday 25th, Monday 26th, Wednesday 28th
  • BO5 series (where needed): Thursday 29th
• Lite Qualifiers:
  • Group Play: Thursday 15th, Sunday 18th, Monday 19th, Wednesday 21st, Thursday 22nd, Monday 26th, Wednesday 28th
  • BO5 series (where needed): Thursday 29th

In our New Division and Promotion Structure article, we stated the following logic as a basis of filling potential open spots in divisions and Qualifiers:

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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, or owned a spot to the division in question), we will award the next highest ranked playoff team each spot, whilst the next highest ranked potential qualifier eligible team will replace them in the qualifier. This procedure will be carried out for each and every extra unforeseen spot.

Based on that logic, to fill the available spots after sign-ups, the following ECL 11 Lite teams have gained direct promotion to ECL 12 Pro:

• Grenoble BDL Esport 
• Sjukstugan
• BoxinElite
• Sinister
• PENTA (previously ECDC Memmingen eSports)

Also, based on the same logic, there are updates to the teams participating in the Pro Qualifier:

Lainaa

 ECL Pro Qualifier Teams

1. Södertälje SK
2. Ducktales BK
3. UNI Gaming
4. TIKI TALK
5. noRex Gaming
6. We Kings
7. Orebro eHockey
8. Beast Hockey
9. Nearbird Fighters
10. Lekstugan HC
11. Golden Nights
12. NOVA
13. Patience (previously TeQuila SunRise)
14. Hokurit
15. Project X (previously Northern Legacy eSports)
16. Birka Vikings
17. WILDCARD 1
18. WILDCARD 2
19. WILDCARD 3
20. WILDCARD 4

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:

• Dynastia
• Reality Check HC
• Royal HT
• Hawaii Hockey
• Rogle BK
• Barys eSports
• IK Oskarshamn
   

Some of these teams might already hold a divisional spot in ECL Lite due to their performances in ECL 11 and should they be promoted will open up a spot in their place.
 

After sign-ups closed and the number of available spots was determined, the following teams have gained a direct spot in ECL 12 Lite based on their performances in ECL 11 Lite:

• Armada Hockey
• FILADELPHIA Academy (previously Hammarby Hockey)
• Murohoki
• RoKi Esports
• Dynastia
• IK Oskarshamn
• BIK Karlskoga (previously Northern Falcons)
• TuTo Esports
• Oulunsalo HT
• Rogle BK
• Remparts de Tours Esport
• Spirit
• GIFU Hockey

 Lite Qualifier teams:

Lainaa

 ECL Lite Qualifier Teams

1. Calzone HC
2. Lulea Hockey
3. Baby Goons
4. HC TOTAL CHAOS (previously Black Sharks)
5. PunaKala
6. EHC Biel Bienne eSports (previously The Black Jacks)
7. The Last Line
8. Finnish Hockey Legends
9. StickLifters
10. Northern Dust
11. Clowns On Ice
12. Thunder United
13. Bare Knuckles Hockey
14. Helter Skelter
15. Vasteras IK
16. Verket
17. Lassen Lampaat
18. No Name/Odd eSports
19. Burning Goats
20. United Front
21. TEAM MODO
22. Virtuoso
23. KohKae Esports
24. Lutunilkat
25. Sopranos
26. Saucer Hockey
27. VANHAT KYLJYKSET
28. KSE Teutons/Hyperion
29. Seinajoki Noms
30. Pinaattikone
31. Vemppaosasto
32. UKnighted HC
33. Herforder Ice Dragons
34. 5th Line Heroes
35. FILA DE LA HC
36. SCB eSports
37. Dynamo Dragons
38. DEG eSports
39. Team SIKA (previously EN HUND)
40. WILDCARD 1
41. WILDCARD 2
42. WILDCARD 3
43. WILDCARD 4
44. WILDCARD 5 (if available)

Teams that applied and are eligible for ECL Lite Wildcard spot:
Unwanted
Almost Retired

Due to the large number of teams moving up automatically to fill the spots in Pro and the Pro Qualifier, and how the rules were written for this, we were forced to reduce the number of teams in the ECL Lite qualifier. Below is an image of how the seeding will look.

What works, what doesn't?

At the end of last year we released our plans for how the promotions, relegations and qualifiers will work. Now, we've seen the formula in action for the first time, and while it's worth noting that we believe the transition from four to five divisions and significantly shrinking the size of ECL Lite is a big cause of the complexity of the process for this season, there's always theory vs reality. Perhaps for next season all (except for auto-promoted) spots should be given out through the qualifiers rather than moving teams before them(?). 

What we set out to do with the new qualification process is to eliminate subjective opinions from the decision making. While we believe our pre-season seeding of teams into empty spots with the old system has historically been fairly accurate and based on the performance of those teams we would argue that it has been successful, the fact is that we are reaching 300 teams this season and forming an objective opinion on the constantly growing number of teams becomes a harder task each season.

Hence now is a good time to ask for your feedback - what part of the system do you like and what would you do differently?

NHLGamers,

Today we're pleased to welcome VISU Gaming to a hopefully successful and long-lasting venture into NHL Esports. The Helsinki-based organization had thought about entering the NHL scene for quite some time and finally found the right match when their path crossed with that of Exerceo, ran by Mika @Saviinainen Raivisto, Saku @Sagee95 Björn and Markus @Pettersson12 Pettersson. 

Despite being a rather new team, these guys have extensive history together. The trio first met back in 2019 while playing for the legendary TIKI TALK, but didn't band together for their new team until late 2020, when Exerceo was founded. Since the inception of their new squad, the roster hasn't seen much turnover, with their only additions being Nico @vVoDee Vottonen after their debut in FCL and Joonas @LE1PAKONE Nordman ahead of the upcoming ECL season. Moving forward as VISU Gaming, the squad hopes to be able to harness the professional attitude and backup they now have from a strong organization in order to reach their goals of one day being a true and tested top team in the scene. 

"It feels great to be able to represent a large organization alike VISU Gaming! After our initial call i felt, that VISU would handle things professionally and could provide us with the kind of support that we need to take the next step on our careers. I'm satisfies with our deal and can't wait for what the future holds for us", states @Saviinainen.

"I'm really excited about our new team! As soon as i met @Saviinainen, I knew that this team has the potential and desire it takes to fight their way to the top in the NHL scene." - Patrik Sulonen, VISU Gaming Chairman of the Board.

About VISU Gaming
VISU Gaming is a community reaching tens of thousands of young gamers with services like coaching, tournaments and events. Their newest endeavor is their kouluturnaus.fi-league, that currently hosts esports tournaments for schools, with already 100 schools in participation. The organization has a widespread array of teams that have seen great tournament performances in games such as Valorant, Fortnite, Rocket League and CS:GO. In addition to hosting online-events, VISU Gaming allows their signed gamers access to the VISU Gaming House in the Helsinki city center.
 

NHLGamers,

Upon having gauged interest for a warmup tournament ahead of the ECL 12 season, we saw a clear interest from teams of various skill levels to play some more competitive "friendly" games before the puck drops for the real deal. That is why NHLGamer is now bringing you the ECL 12 Warmup Tournament - a friendly tournament with two tiers for teams to get into the competitive mindset, without the heavy structure that comes with the real ECL divisions framework. 

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


Elite & Pro teams - sign up here!


Lite & Core teams - sign up here! *Neo teams also welcome, but note that your season starts April 25th.

Signups are open until Monday, April 12th at 12:00 CEST.

Edit: Sign-ups extended

NHLGamers,

ECL offseason has recently meant that we're going to see a new organization or two entering our scene, which is a great sign of how the sport is growing and getting noticed both by Esports orgs as well as traditional hockey clubs. Today we have the joy of showcasing the newly signed PENTA Sports NHL squad, formerly known as ECDC Memmingen Esports. These guys have spent a long time together, grinding their way up the ranks and establishing themselves as one of the strong emerging German teams around. 

Since joining the PENTA lineup, the team has significantly slimmed down their roster and are going for a more streamlined approach to achieving their goals, which are gaining promotion to the ECL Pro division and solidifying their place as one of the most successful German teams within the next year, says captain Kevin @Kevinator-373 Würterle. Their latest league showing and actually first campaign under the PENTA flag was the GCL 7, in which they eventually came short in the semifinals against Swiss powerhouse ZSC Esports.

The all-German ensemble feels that their biggest strength is their long-lasting friendship and experience together, and the new deal gives them a good outlook on the future.

"For us it's a pleasure to play for such a big name organization. With their reach we hope to generate more enthusiasm for esports, especially NHL", @Kevinator-373 says.

PENTA Sports
PENTA Sports was founded in 2013 and has since established themselves as one of the biggest German esports organizations with a wide variety of representation in various games throughout the years. Currently the org is represented in CS:GO, Crossfire, Clash of Clans, Rainbow Six Siege and EA Sports NHL. 

NHLGamers,

With the addition of our new ECL Core division comes a transition period, which takes time and to allow for that change we are now launching signups well ahead of the league start. The signups are now open, so tell your friends and get ready for the greatest NHL gaming experience to date!
 

Signups will be open until Wednesday, 7.4 OR Monday, 19.4 at 23:59 CET depending on division.

• Sign-up period 1: 23.3-7.4, applies to
  • ECL Elite
  • ECL Pro
  • ECL Lite
  • ECL Pro Qualifier
  • ECL Lite Qualifier
     
• Sign-up period 2: 23.3-19.4, applies to
  • ECL Core
  • ECL Neo

Divisions framework

The divisions framework for the ECL 12 will follow the same logic as for previous seasons with the addition of Core in between the Neo and Lite divisions. We will have a total of five divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams, Pro 32 teams, Lite 64 teams, Core 128 teams and Neo 32+ teams.

ECL Elite: 16 teams

• Sign up: ECL Elite eligible teams
• Regular season: One group
• Playoffs:
  • 8 teams
  • Best-of-7
• Gamedays:
  • Monday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
• Prize pool: TBA

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

ECL Lite: 64 teams

• Sign up: ECL Lite eligible teams
  • Open spots will be decided based on the Qualifiers
• Regular season: 4 Groups of 16 teams
• Playoffs:
  • 32 teams
  • Best-of-7
• Gamedays:
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Sunday

ECL Core: 128 teams

• Sign up: Without restrictions (but capped at 128)
• Regular season: 8 groups of 16
• Playoffs:
  • TBD
  • Best-of-7
• Gamedays:
  • Tuesday
  • Thursday
  • Sunday

ECL Neo: 32+ teams

• Sign up: Without restrictions
• Regular season: TBD
• Playoffs:
  • TBD
  • Best-of-5
• Gamedays:
  • Wednesday
  • Sunday

Preliminary schedule for the ECL 12 season:

ECL Pro & ECL Lite Qualifiers 12.4-29.4

• Regular season kick-off
  • ECL Neo 25.4
  • ECL Core 2.5
  • ECL Lite 9.5
  • ECL Pro 20.5
  • ECL Elite 24.5
• Playoffs
  • ECL Neo 30.5-4.7.
  • ECL Core 6.6-16.7
  • ECL Lite 13.6-18.7
  • ECL Pro 28.6-28.7
  • ECL Elite 5.7-31.7.

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 four divisions aimed at various skill levels. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation. 

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 21.
• 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 Elite license: Teams in ECL Elite will be required to pay for an ECL Elite license in order to play (more details to follow).
• Rules: The ECL 12 ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 11. The updated rulebook will be available before the season. 

*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.

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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.
 

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