NHLGamers,

The upcoming ECL 11 season will feature some more German colors as the Herforder Ice Dragons further add to the growth in the central European community. The German organization was founded in the early 2000s and although its history has not been long, it has risen in popularity in its home country. Currently, the Ice Dragons are competing in the German Oberliga, which is the third tier of national competition. The esports section has made their biggest goal of the ECL 11 season to make the playoffs of the Neo division.

The Herforder Ice Dragons stand for loyalty above all, as the virtual hockey team's colors will be represented by Dennis @NHLDennis86 Kuhlmann, who plays in net for the team and handles captains duties. He also happens to be the Zamboni driver in the home rink of the Herforder Ice Dragons.

Tobias @Hohner Hohner, who plays forward for the virtual hockey team, commented on the team's starting points for the upcoming ECL 11 season. "Our players come not only from one region, but from different regions around Germany. Furthermore we can consider ourselves lucky to have a Croatian in our team.  Most of us have already played together successfully in other clubs, so we can fall back on some experienced people."

The Herforder Ice Dragons' virtual hockey team is formed out of the former NHL4you Gaming team. Hohner says that the goal has been to form a completely new team, as only three players from the current roster have previously played for NHL4you Gaming. 

"Our esports team is formed from the former team of NHL4you Gaming, the team has now been completely reformed and completely repositioned with only three players from the original roster. Me, Marko @Tornado.hr Dominkovic and Dennis @NHLDennis86 Kuhlmann have together taken the goal to build up a new ambitious team. It was important to us that the chemistry in the team is right and of course the performance on the ice should be good too."

Despite seeing major changes since their last tournament, the team leans back on familiar forces to see success in their upcoming ECL campaign:

"Our strength is the cohesion with each other. We discuss a lot about tactics and moves, which we try to implement outside and inside the league games. Team chemistry is also extremely important to us, so that we have a good atmosphere in the team." says Tobias @Hohner Hohner.

With not too long left before the start of the season, the teams ambitious goals will be highlighted in discussions. 

"We want to develop as a team and have fun on the ice while also getting as far as possible in the ECL. The goal is of course the playoffs and everything else is a bonus."  Hohner states

 NHLGamers,

Ak Bars Kazan is a traditional ice hockey club that has been competing at the highest level of the Russian KHL since the leagues inception in 2008, when a total of 20 teams moved over from the former Russian Superleague. The word Ak Bars means comes from the Tatar language, spoken in the Tatarstan region in the southwest of Russia and means snow leopard, a vicious creature that is showcased on the logo of the club. It is the swift movement and vicious attack that the club also looks to emulate on the ice.

It's a joy for us to report that AK Bars is among the first KHL clubs to officially announce their esports involvement by signing the roster of EHC Tatneft Ak Bars, formed out of former Arctic Lightning players. The team consists of a rather inexperienced group of players that have earned their stripes in the Russian competitive gaming scene and are now looking to take their success into the European ice by moving up in the ECL ranks. 

"We had a long discussion about the forming of an esports team for Ak Bars, and the club was fully on board with our ideas, so there weren't really any difficulties in that regard. Our goal is to be competitive at the European level and at the highest Russian level. We're going to start working our way up from ECL Neo and hopefully will qualify for Lite after our first season under the AK Bars colors." - Captain Ivan @Ivanjunior34 Schetina 

The roster has come together over a longer period of time, when captain Schetina brought together the most skilled players from his former team Arctic Lightning that saw a second round exit in the most recent Russian RCL Cup. 

"Ehc Tatneft Ak Bars will be fully operating under the Ak Bars organization, the club will be backing us and helping us on our way to hopeful success even on the European ice. We are really happy to be working with such a professional organization." - Schetina on their cooperation with Ak Bars

Interestingly enough, Ak Bars will be one of the first clubs to issue a cooperation between two teams at the ECL and RCL level, when EHC Tatneft Ak Bars will be serving as the KHL clubs first team in the esports scene and their second team will be EHC Tatneft Bars. NHLGamer leagues do not allow back and forth transfers between teams during leagues, but according to the club, the objective of their second team is allowing fans of Ak Bars Kazan to get acquainted with esports hockey in a low-pressure environment. 

NHLGamers,

EHC Amur is one of the newer clubs to be put on the esports map and they're doing so with a bang in representing the famous KHL club Amur Khabarovsk. Located in the city of Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East, the team takes their name from the Amur River. The logo of Amur is a Siberian tiger, sometimes also referred to as the Amur tiger.

Due to their geographic isolation from competitors in the KHL, it's been hard for Amur to get proper rivalries going, but that's going to change, since they are together with EHC Tatneft Ak Bars now the two new KHL clubs joining esports competition. The two Russian powerhouses will now be able to fight for the throne of best KHL club on the virtual ice, hopefully with lots of other competition following close behind.

The esports roster of EHC Amur has in fact already participated in a few leagues under the KHL clubs name, but their entry to the european ice will be when they really look to come into their own. Captain Taras @Taras Nosulko informs NHLGamer that their roster has been heavily overhauled, with the possibility to still recruit some additional strength if required: "We have quite heavily renewed our team. Several guys were unhappy with their role in the team and we wished them well in future endeavors. Me, Stepan @SteBastian Belyakov and Semyon @Sokollito Sokol are the remaining original members of the club. In net this season I think we have one of the most underestimated and talented goalkeepers in Russia - Vadim @Vadim87 Losev. We're still on the lookout for a strong defenseman to help our journey in the Neo division and in the RCL. Of course I would like to sign one of the talented Finnish or Swedish defenders on the market and we'll be trying our best to accomplish that."

"We have to understand that representing HC Amur in the ECL is a privilege and we simply cannot afford to perform poorly. We've already established ourselves in the Russian scene over the summer by conceding minimally to a top team like Exen and imposing a fight on Nova. We always prefer training against high level opponents from the Lite and Pro divisions in order to ready up for the ECL season."

Nosulko believes that their cooperation with the KHL club allows their team to up their level on social media and increase visibility also on other channels. The objective is translating this into recruiting better players for the team. 

NHLGamers,

Västerås IK is a Swedish ice hockey club with a very long history. At the moment, it is playing at the second highest tier of competition in Sweden. In their past also lies a 12-season stretch in the national top league between 1988 and 2000. With a long history in hockey, moving to console hockey was their great next step.

Jimmy Gerdin, media officer at Västerås IK, commented on the club's decision to join console hockey. "From the club side, we thought it was time to try to get the team into esports. We have received a lot of requests in recent years to start a team, so we put the ball in the hands of our own fans, who had the opportunity to form a team that would represent Västerås IK."

The pandemic situation around the world also affected the club's willingness to build a new console hockey team alongside their hockey team. Gerdin highlights the locality of the players and their passion for the club.

"First of all, we see it as a fun initiative because it is a team made up of local players who are passionate about the club. When it comes to the situation with the pandemic and the economy, this is not a burden on the association either financially or in terms of workload. This is run entirely voluntarily by the dedicated supporters and players who are passionate about both VIK and esports. Moreover, this is a sport that is not affected by either crowd restrictions or the spread of infection among the players."

Daniel @Gunde021 Gunstedt, who's the acting netminder of the Västerås IK console hockey team, commented on his interest in console hockey and his association with the club's colours: "We are all very passionate about console hockey and the fact that we will then get the chance to represent our favourite team Västerås IK setting up a team for esports is an absolutely amazing feeling. Hockey is a great sport and playing alongside teammates and competing is probably the best thing."

Västerås IK is heading into the upcoming ECL 11 season with an experienced team, as there are several players who have previous experience in the ECL, among other leagues.

"We are part of a team with previous experience competing in esports such as the ECL but we also have some players that are brand new to the competitive scene as well. Many have previously played club games and such, but simply haven't taken their game to the next level yet, so it's a little new for some."

Expectations for the team are high, as several players are looking to up their level or get back to their prime: "The goal of the team is to get as far in the divisions framework as possible. Me and a few more of the team have previously played in the Pro and that's where you want to be again, preferably higher than that of course!"

The players took initiative in starting up the esports club for Västerås IK in the offseason. Gunstedt opens up about the steps in building their squad.

"It started with the gang deciding to leave the Xbox for Playstation and talking to some of the Swedish community on Facebook. In the recruitment process when we got to know each other I realized they were also supporters of Västerås, which made the selection rather smooth. The idea really took off and when connecting with the club we learned that also they were extremely interested in setting up an esports team."

"As a team, we try to be hard to play against, focusing a lot on team play, where everyone has to do their part to succeed. As a goalkeeper, I want to say that I have a pretty good idea of the game, but there is still a lot of work to be done." - Gunstedt on their team strengths and his own play in net.

NHLGamers,

SC Bern is a truly traditional and successful hockey club whose history dates back all the way to the 1930s. On the hockey side, success has come in the form of several championships and other trophies. However, they are now looking towards taking over a new kind of segment, as the traditional sports club joins esports and virtual hockey with NHL21.

Esports has gained popularity among Swiss people quite quickly. 2009 was the last time Bern had an esports team represent the city.

Sina Wymann, Marketing Manager of SC Bern says that the current situation spurred the club exploring opportunities with esports. "In Switzerland we are living in a huge crisis – considering economy but also society. Before Corona it was my job to investigate new business opportunities. Looking for chances in a crisis like this you must think about the isolated activities which remain even in times like these. So, gaming and eSports was the closest thought. Back in 2009 Bern already had an eSports team for a truly short amount of time. We were much ahead and not able to establish this team. SCB is very traditional as you mentioned, but we are always trying to be a pioneer in everything".

Wymann states that getting the esports team to Bern was a very quick decision. Together with team captain Adrian @adu83 Siegenthaler, they went through the concept and common goals.

"Our interests are of course driven by new target groups. If you want to reach generation Y, you must consider new ways – especially ways which are connected in the virtual world such as gaming. We’re also hoping for new sponsorships with less “traditional’’ partners."

As stated, esports is gradually receiving increasing attention in Switzerland, and the population is accepting it as a form of culture alongside traditional sports. SC Bern and their newly signed esports roster see tremendous opportunities in developing their operations. 

"Well, almost a third of the Swiss population perceives esports as a real sport which shows that esports gained quite some popularity and is growing every day! We are clearly not the only club with the idea to build an eSports Team: Basel, Geneva and Fribourg are also in the middle of the building process. It is a great development because we are hoping for creation of an eNational League in the NHL", Wymann comments on the development of the scene.

Upon talking to team captain @adu83, he's on the same page as Wymann. "The Swiss population is accepting eSports as a popular sport. Of course, NHL is not (yet) among the most popular games here, but we hope this will change in the future", says the captain.

SC Bern's NHL team has been playing together for a long time. The club reports that Siegenthaler, who's the acting captain of the team, brought together some good players. The club did not participate in the team building, but the reigns were with the players entirely.

"This was my job as captain from the team. A few players of the actual team have been playing NHL together for the past 10 years. I found the rest of the players through connections and tryouts. I was born in Bern and therefore it was an easy choice for me which team I will want to play for. A few of the other teammates are supporters of SC Bern too."

NHLGamers,

As always, we look to bring you the most superior competitive gaming experience possible, and we're continuously looking to improve on previous iterations of our leagues. Nothing has changed in regards to that in our ECL, and therefore we assure you that ECL 11 will be run at the premium level you are used to. This time, we wanted to launch the signups as early as possible in order to allow entry for as many teams as possible, also minimizing the risk of someone simply missing the deadline. Without further ado - here you go:
 

Signups will be open until Wednesday, 11.11 at 23:59 CET.

Divisions framework

The divisions framework for the ECL 11 will follow the same logic as for previous seasons. We will have a total of four divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams, Pro 32 teams, Lite 96-128 teams*, Neo 32+ teams.

• ECL Elite: 16 teams
  • Sign up: ECL Elite eligible teams
  • Regular season: One group
  • Playoffs:
    • 8 teams
    • Best-of-7
       
• ECL Pro: 32 teams
  • Sign up: ECL Pro eligible teams
  • Regular season: Two groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 16 teams
    • Best-of-7
       
• ECL Lite: 96-128 teams
  • Sign up: Anyone can apply for ECL Lite
    • Teams will be decided by Franchise history, Roster composition, and EASHL record
    • ECL Lite registrants are also allowed to apply for a spot in ECL Pro
    • Teams signing up for ECL Lite that don't make it into ECL Pro or ECL Lite will be automatically placed in ECL Neo
  • Regular season: TBD
  • Playoffs:
    • TBD
    • Best-of-7
       
• ECL Neo: 32+ teams
  • Sign up: Without restrictions
  • Regular season: TBD
  • Playoffs:
    • TBD
    • Best-of-5

*NHLGamer reserves the right to alter the team allocation to ECL 11 Lite depending on the number of total teams signing up.

Preliminary schedule for the ECL 11 season:

• ECL 11 Neo: Start Wednesday, 18.11
• ECL 11 Lite: Start Tuesday, 17.11
• ECL 11 Pro: Start Monday, 23.11
• ECL 11 Elite: Start Monday, 30.11

Stay tuned for more info dropping over the coming weeks, we'll be releasing more detailed information about the season and announcing the cover gamer for ECL 11!
 

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 4. 

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 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 11 ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 10. The updated rulebook will be available before the season. 

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

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

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

NHLGamers,

Today we’re happy to announce a very special partnership, it’s the first of its kind, where Team Frosty and the Finnish Mestis club (second tier) Kiekko-Vantaa is entering a mutually beneficial partnership with the objective to strengthen the esports and traditional hockey culture in the city of Vantaa. The first step of cooperation between the two clubs is launching the esports hockey team Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (FKV) for the upcoming FCL season. 

The partnership entails that the NHL roster of Team Frosty will from now on bear the blue colors of Kiekko-Vantaa instead of the regular red accents of Team Frosty. Despite a change in colors, the team will be repping the familiar wolf emblem on their chest. Both clubs will have an increased visibility in each other's events and content creation around the partnership will be ramped up to the next level. 

“Our partnership was sparked from the simple desire to put Vantaa on the map in the esports world. Team Frosty is founded in Vantaa, so it was very natural to partner with a local sports club. Kiekko-Vantaa showed interest and we’ve been building this project together all summer.” - Team Frosty chairman of the board Semih Sahin

“Partnering with Team Frosty is a great thing for us. Esports has seen tremendous growth recently and we feel that there’s lots of unique opportunities in this partnership. We’re also very proud to be the first Mestis team to partner with an esports organisation.” - Kiekko-Vantaa communications officer Mikko Mannonen

“We’re over the top excited! It’s an honor to represent a club like Kiekko-Vantaa. Overall it feels like a dream come true to represent a traditional hockey club as a virtual hockey player. Our goal for next season is to improve our position from last season and to claim an Elite promotion spot.”  - Sami “imosi1” Ibrahim on representing the new Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa

Team Frosty and Kiekko-Vantaa are entering a partnership that’s new in the Finnish NHL esports scene in many ways. Kiekko-Vantaa will be the first Mestis club to join esports competition, but the tight cooperation between the two clubs is what will really set them apart from the competition. We’ll be eagerly waiting for what’s to come. 

Team Frosty
The esports organisation from Vantaa was founded in 2018 by Semih Sahin and Max Öhquist. The organisation made their first stint in the NHL scene in 2018 and made a comeback with a new roster in the spring of 2020.

Kiekko-Vantaa
As their name suggests, the hockey club represents the city of Vantaa. The club was founded in 1994 and has been competing at the second highest tier of Finnish hockey since 2000, when Mestis was founded. Most notably, Antti Niemi represented the club in his younger years and in fact his #39 hangs retired in the rafters of Trio Areena. Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo has also made two stints at Vantaa in his early career. 

NHLGamers,

YMCA Esports is an organization hailing from Tampere, Finland priding themselves in developing Finnish esports and has been a force in the field since being established, also receiving recognition in the Häme area sports gala 2019 as an actor of a new era. Previously, YMCA has been affiliated with GHETTO FIREBIRDS in the NHL scene, but the two parties went separate ways in March. Now YMCA is ready to make another push with the newly signed roster of Unlucky Boys HC. The team will continue under the name YMCA Esports.

"I'm extremely excited about our cooperation with YMCA. The organisation has seemed really professional right from the get go and our ambitions seemed to line up nicely. I believe that this partnership will help us take that last step that we've been longing for. We're going to go into the upcoming FCL and ECL seasons with the goal to win, and we're ready to compete whenever the puck drops." - Captain Antti @Anhel Kuru about the future with YMCA Esports

Kuru has captained the team since Unlucky Boys was first founded in ECL 4. The team started their journey in ECL Pro, but quickly claimed a spot at the top level and hasn't let up since. Last season was close to being their first showing in the semifinals, as the quarterfinals against hREDS ended in a heartbreaking game seven loss that none of the UB players will want to look back on. Determined to take the last step, the team is pushing forward with the same roster that worked for them in ECL 10.

Follow YMCA Esports NHL and YMCA Esports on social media here:
https://twitter.com/Ymca_NHL

https://twitter.com/EsportsYmca

https://www.instagram.com/ymcaesports

NHLGamers, 

It's been a quieter stretch news-wise over the summer, but after the silence was broken by EA Sports, we feel that it's also time to ramp up the volume on our side of things. With that being said, today we welcome another prestigious organization as Mora IK from Sweden joins our ranks and aims to claim titles also at the esports side of things in the future. 

"I simply decided to pick up the phone and reach out to Kenny Åström who is responsible for media and communication at Mora. We chatted back and forth about the esports scene whereafter we rather quickly received the acceptance of the club to push forward. Honestly, representing Mora IK feels like a dream to me. Our entire team is fired up and we're extremely proud to be sporting the colors of Mora IK from here on out." - Team captain Andreas @andreaskakan Alhall about signing with Mora IK

As we are getting excited about some news that are trickling out about the new EA Sports NHL title, we are also getting closer to the start of a new competitive season after a summer break filled with uncertainty. Mora IK is joining the race at the right time and has been preparing to face competition head-on in upcoming tournaments. Take a look at their roster below: 

Mora IK

Mora IK is a traditional hockey club founded in 1935, hailing from Mora in the central parts of Sweden. The club prides itself in being the first hockey club from the Dalarna area to play organized hockey, a whole three years before dear rival Leksands IF. Mora has had a very eventful history, competing at the highest level for several seasons but also spending time in the divisions framework. The club has seen exceptional talent in it's ranks especially during lockout seasons by having the likes of Marian and Marcel Hossa, Shawn Horcoff, Dan Cleary, Ladislav Nagy and Anders Lilja over in 2004/2005 whereas in 2012/2013, Anze Kopitar and Bobby Ryan made stints with the team.

NHLGamers,

With the surge of traditional hockey teams towards the esports scene before ECL 10, interest among other clubs have started rising. Hammarby IF is a prestigious club hailing from the nation's capital Stockholm, with operations in several different sports - now also esports. The person behind the initiative is team captain Pontus @Pontinho Claughton (IPontus-), who is a long-time supporter of "Bajen" and contacted the club in early April with an immediate positive response.

"Hammarby Hockey is a big trademark and well-known name, so I thought they should have an esports initiative alike other large Swedish clubs. The response was very positive and our discussions went along smoothly. I'm a supporter of Hammarby since childhood, so it's a dream come true to represent my dear club this way." - Captain Pontus Claughton in an interview at hammarbyhockey.se

L-G Burman is responsible for developing the esports side in the organisation and talks about the confidence that the club board has with Pontus and the boys: "We've had several suggestions on the table about getting into esports, but the contact we had with Pontus struck us as very professional and the board was convinced that he is the man for the job after the first meeting."

Here is the roster that will be representing Hammarby IF in the ECL and SCL:

Hammarby IF

Hammarby If is a traditional sports club from Stockholm with a wide variety of representation in various sports, such as football, icehockey, bandy and hanball to mention a few. The club was founded in 1889 as a rowing club that is still going strong as one of the biggest of it's kind in Sweden. 

NHLGamers,

With also our Neo division concluding in some very exciting finals, we can now state that the historical ECL 10 season is completely over and it's time to enjoy some summer sun for the players! Work is going on behind the scenes to bring you bigger and better things in the future, so stay tuned. 

It is always a challenge of it's own at the end of a season to give good and bad remarks about events that occurred over the course of the season, all the more so when a division like the Neo gives a hard time to the expected favorites.

Many were waiting for Pahat Pommittajat (2) or Ringette HC (1) on the top step of the podium to finish the season and yet neither of them even played in the final. For Pahat, the second seeding team in the regular season, things went smoothly until the third round of the playoffs where the Finns fell into the Evolution trap (41). It’s also the same team that forced Ringette to a game 5 in the next round. As a preamble, Ringette's big favorite status went down the drain in the semi-finals against ScandinavianFishingGroup.

If in the end the victory of Jarnkaminerna, 3-2, does not suffer from dispute as this formation has remained regular all season in front of the MVP of the season, goalkeeper @Fcoy_faze which is a name we will talk about in the future, let's try to see the season from the perspective of three other teams more or less chosen at random. Take Evolution, for example, 5th in a Group 1 ultra dominated by Ringette HC, this team has proven that the regular season is one thing and the playoffs are another. A 3-0 sweep of Dompa Poppers (24) in the 1st round and then from Bahamas Mamas (8) on the 3-1 mark, this team was one of the good surprises of ECL 10 Neo. Conversely, a team like Beastie Boys will without a doubt blame themselves for a poor performance in the regular season. Eliminated in the third round of the playoffs, the Germans paid dearly for a final seed probably not in line with the experience and talent of this team. Once again it goes to show that the playoffs are won or lost in the regular season. Still, even with a quality final ranking, we are never immune to surprise and this is unfortunately what happened to Grilli Tulille (7), Group 8 winners who faltered in the second round in a sweep at the hands of EIS Force Hockey (43).

We could thus continue for a long time a list which is ultimately quite complex to define. The 2nd Neo championship has again proven, not only its value, but also its immense complexity. 84 teams including some very strong and others much less had to fight to finally state that Jarnkaminerna would be the new champions. No doubt the next Neo championship will be just as difficult to predict and will once again reveal unexpected talents, just one of the great things we love about this division.

Individual awards of ECL 10 Neo  🏆

These awards are given to players who showed exceptional individual talent through whole season and helped their team in a race for the cup. 

MVP of ECL 10 Neo: @Fcoy_faze Jarnkaminerna
 

Best centers of ECL 10 Neo:

1st. @kim_johan Ringette HC

2nd. @theMaddias Otukset

3rd. @A_K_I_I_T_T_O ScandinavianFisingGroup
 

Best wingers of ECL 10 Neo:

1st. @JF1891 Jarnkaminerna

2nd. @HessuM8 Otukset

3rd. @Xx_Zetterberg40 Ringette HC
 

Best defenders of ECL 10 Neo:

1st. @Idko123 Ringette HC

2nd. @juhkis96 Pahat Pommittajat

3rd. @Camelguy86 ScandinavianFishingGroup
 

Best goalkeepers of ECL 10 Neo:

1st. @Fcoy_faze Jarnkaminerna

2nd. @snaasigi ScandinavianFishingGroup

3rd. @Seteligame20 Ringette HC

Until next time, gamers! Enjoy your summer and rest up, all that energy will be needed once you get back on the ice soon.

NHLGamers,

The ECL 10 Lite season started on the 7th of April, 2020 with 64 teams participating. Before the start of the season, six teams were promoted to the ECL Pro division through applications (Rookie Mistakes, Herlev Eagles, Company of Geeks, HanaaHC, Djurgarden Hockey and Team Frosty)  and some of the teams that signed up for the Lite division were chosen to prove their worth in the Neo division first. Every season, NHLGamers staff have to make the hard decisions of teams that will get the promotion to the Pro division or move down to the Neo division. These decisions are always facing some criticism especially from the teams that feels they are ready to play in Lite or Pro division, but after the season it’s fair to say that the staff made the right picks.

This season turned out to be maybe the most competitive season of ECL Lite history which was actually pretty expected since the community is growing fast and the Lite division isn’t the entry level of ECL anymore. Several former E lite and Pro division players chose to play in Lite teams this season and every one of them faced a worthy challenge. Something that makes the Lite division very unique is the high variation of different nationalities in teams and players competing against each other. This season we saw many new esports organizations from Finland, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Russia and teams and players from other nationalities too. As the organizations are starting to find their way into the community, it’s clear that the level of competitiveness and value of the Lite division will only keep growing in the future.           

We finished ECL 10 Lite season on the 14th of June, 2020 when Sack Brothers were crowned the division champions. Between the beginning and end there was lots of action and we wanted to do a little recap of the season and give some credit to teams and players who made an impression in this season. 
 

Regular season

Sixteen teams in four groups and only eight teams from every group continued to the playoffs. At the beginning of the regular season, everyone had their own guess of teams that were going to fight for the top spots in every group. In the Lite division there always seems to emerge a couple of teams that aren’t expected to be as strong as they end up to be. This season those teams were definitely Powerhouse hockey, who won Group 1 and newcomers Piiraaka Osuus ja Nakki, who ended up in 2nd place of Group 3. For the first time we had the pleasure of welcoming some of the best ECL 9 Neo teams to Lite but they couldn’t enjoy success in their first season at the higher level as only runner-up TanssiiTuhtienKansa was able to get to the playoffs. The playoff race stayed tight in every group all the way to the last rounds but especially in Group 2, Poston Fruits must feel devastated as they were left out of the playoffs only by one point by HockeyProfessorn HC who made a great run in the last half of the regular season and took the last spot. It's a rough tale about the competitiveness of the division for a few prestigious clubs alike Elamam Kiekko, Murohoki and Nearbird Fighters that were left out of the playoffs. Teams that made a major improvement from ECL 9 Lite were Ducktales BK, who improved their last seasons record from (4-13-1) to (21-4-5), Powerhouse hockey from (8-10-2) to (23-3-4) and Infamous from (9-7-2) to (21-8-1). Group winners were: Powerhouse Hockey, EBR eSports Official, HV71 eSHL and Sack Brothers.

The regular season of ECL 10 Lite will also be remembered for two outstanding attacking trios that dominated the stats table and destroyed defenses night in and night out. Those trios were Sack Brothers' @snippystatue, @luosttin and @Datupeijooni together with Angry Cats' @Korkokokorko, @Lowryy and @juusto18. The trio of Angry Cats managed to score a total of 329 points in 30 games and @Korkokokorko won the scoring title with 114 points (56+58) in 30 games. Hokurit winger @Nagyttaja was the best goal scorer with 57 goals in 30 games, @viba2008 from HUIPPUPASSI had the most points from defenders with 61 (11+50) points in 30 games and Angry Cats goalkeeper @Giinis had the best saving percentage of active goalies with 89,38% (244 svs) in 24 games. A couple of players that had outstanding regular seasons despite their team not being among the top 3 teams in the group. GENESIS winger @meicci with 91 (36+55) points in 30 games, @Unrealhave of TanssiiTuhtienKansa with 89 (32+57) points in 30 games and Fysical center @Frans-Fin with 87 (29+58) points in 30 games.

It’s obvious that the personal stats don’t tell the whole story of the season since there are multiple things that will determine a teams success in the end. For example there are several players in the league like Sack Brothers defender @Persusta95, HUIPPUPASSI defender @Mikax222 and Angry Cats defender @Demoni2016 (Myrkky_Maik) who are working hard on ice by keeping their own end clean and balanced which gives confidence and freedom for attacking players to try risky plays that will often lead to goals for their teams. These three players especially played big part in their teams success in the regular season and later stages as well.
 

Playoffs  

There weren't any major surprises in this seasons playoffs like in ECL 9 Lite where the last seeded Carolus Icemen made a sensational surprise by beating first seeded HanaaHC in the first playoff round. Teams that were strong in the regular season continued their good form in the playoffs as well. In the first round maybe the biggest upset was seen in the series between HC SKULL TOWN and SOPPAJENGI, where SOPPAJENGI who was one of the favourites at the start of the season and among the teams that were expected to get the Pro promotion through Pro applications before the season, was left out of the competition after losing the series with a score of 4-1. The second round of the playoffs will definitely be remembered for Angry Cats' and Hokurits comeback wins against their respective opponents. The third playoff round is always really special since the winners will advance to semifinals and will get the promotion to Pro division for next season. Maybe the biggest games were seen in the series EBR eSports Official vs HUIPPUPASSI and HV71 eSHL vs Ducktales BK, where  the underdogs HUIPPUPASSI and Ducktales BK were able to beat their strong opponents and earn the Pro promotion for next season alongside Sack Brothers and Angry Cats. The semifinals were extremely tight as they always are. Especially the matchup between Angry Cats and Ducktales BK that finally ended 3-4 to Ducktales BK victory was joy to watch. Sack Brothers continued their convincing run and not even HUIPPUPASSI who had found an excellent form in the playoffs couldn’t stop them from advancing to the finals. It was definitely a season to remember for Sack Brothers' players who ended the season in celebrations as deserved winners of ECL 10 Lite. Runner ups Ducktales BK can be proud of their season and display in the finals. There simply wasn’t a team that could have stopped Sack Brothers this season.   

The scoring leaders of the regular season continued their impressive form in the postseason too. Especially HUIPPUPASSI wingers @jjokke19 with 63 points in 22 games and @bergsti (pikkuroger) with 55 points in 22 games seemed to catch fire in the playoffs and they were both big reasons why HUIPPUPASSI ended their season in a top 4 finish. One of the players that catches the eye when scrolling the stats list is EBR eSports Official winger @Keuschemisch, who was his teams best scorer already in the regular season and managed to gather an impressive 45 points in only 16 playoff matches. There were two defenders who were in the spotlights throughout the season: Sack Brothers LD @Kucherov86 and HUIPPUPASSI RD @viba2008. They were clearly the two best attacking defenders of the regular season and the same goes for the playoffs. The closer we got to the end of the season, the more polished the play of Ducktales BK stars center @cHIIMEERa and defender @J-Foppa got and their vast experience showed. Especially the centerman was in flames in the finals where he scored 6 of a total 8 goals for his team and assisted for the rest of the goals as well.  
 

Individual awards of ECL 10 Lite  🏆

These awards are given to players who showed exceptional individual talent through whole season and helped their team in a race for the cup. 

MVP of ECL 10 Lite: @luosttin Sack Brothers
 

Best centers of ECL 10 Lite:

1st. @luosttin Sack Brothers

2nd. @cHIIMEERa Ducktales BK

3rd. @Lowryy Angry Cats
 

Best wingers of ECL 10 Lite:

1st. @snippystatue Sack Brothers

2nd. @Datupeijooni Sack Brothers

3rd. @Korkokokorko Angry Cats
 

Best defenders of ECL 10 Lite:

1st. @Kucherov86 Sack Brothers

2nd. @viba2008 HUIPPUPASSI

3rd. @J-Foppa Ducktales BK
 

Best goalkeepers of ECL 10 Lite:

1st. @mikeruud Sack Brothers

2nd. @Giinis Angry Cats

3rd. @Rymaan Ducktales BK

That’s it folks! The season is over. On behalf of NHLGamer I want to thank all 64 teams and their players for another successful ECL Lite season. We hope these articles have brought more spark to your season and you have enjoyed reading them. Now it’s time for off-season rest, practice and rebuilding. See you next season! 

Good evening NHLGamers,

On the starting-line, there were 84 teams to take part in this ECL 10 Neo tournament. Tonight two are remaining and ready to fight for Neo's title. Jarnkamineerna and ScandinavianFishingGroup will play the full best-of-5 matchup tonight. The Finals will be covered by Drew Goldfarb and Paul @Cyn Anderson, starting at 19:20 CEST on the NHLGamer Twitch Channel.

We couldn’t say this final is a surprise, both teams played great during the whole season. They both dominated their championship group. SFG made a 16-2-0 in group 3 while Jarnkaminerna concluded group 9 with 14-0-2.

Wednesday, June 17th
19:20 CEST - Full Series
 ScandinavianFishingGroup vs Järnkaminerna 

The road to the finals:

First round

Jarnkaminerna (4) - Bonusambers (61): 3-0

ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) - HC Berlin Eagles (59): 3-1

Second round

Jarnkaminerna (4) - Morganchipsen (48): 3-0

ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) - Bauer Ranger GmbH (46): 3-0

Third round

Jarnkaminerna (4) - MAXIMUM EFFECT (31): 3-0

ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) - Masiina (21): 3-0

Quarterfinals

Jarnkaminerna (4) - Otukset (12): 3-1

ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) - Veikkolan Veikot (10): 3-1

Semifinals

Jarnkaminerna (4) - Taavetin Starat (3): 3-0

ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) - Ringette HC (1): 3-0

The key points

- Jarnkaminerna played a massive season and the credit goes in particular to Fcoy_faze, MVP of the regular season and best goalie of the event. He stays at a huge 88.3% in playoffs (89.8% in RS)

- ScandinavianFishingGroup also achieved an immense performance by eliminating from a sweep in the previous round HC Ringette, a big favorite in the title race.
 

May the force be with both teams. Remember to join us on the NHLGamer Twitch Channel.

NHLGamers, 

Congratulations to Sack Brothers on winning ECL 10 Lite title. Your name will be written in ECL history alongside teams like Sulkavan Sudet, Oton Letkutemppu, The Black Jacks, EV Duisburg and Red Machine as the champions of Lite division. 

Sack Brothers started the season as one of the main favourites to win the trophy and they played true to those expectations right from the very beginning. They were the best team after the regular season with a record of record 28-1-1 and didn’t slow down in the playoffs. In the end no one was able to stop their victory march and the captain @Datupeijooni had the honor to lift the trophy above his head as a deserved winners. One of the main reasons for their successful campaign was definitely the quality to finish their attacks in goals. There was no better attacking team in the league than Sack Brothers was and coupled with steady defence and great goaltending this team was unstoppable. Hats off to Ducktales BK who also had amazing season and fought bravely in the finals.

 Sack Brothers 🏆

Group stage record: 28-1-1 (1st)
Round 1: vs HockeyProfessorn HC (32) 4-1
Round 2: vs Tic Tac Toes (25) 4-2
Quarterfinals: vs GENESIS (18) 4-1
Semifinals: vs HUIPPUPASSI (10) 4-2
Finals: vs Ducktales BK (7)  4-1

GOALIES

#41 M. Ruutiainen @mikeruud

#97 K. Teppana @KXnet1b

DEFENSEMEN

#6 B. Steel @Kossu80

#7 E. Söderholm @Persusta95

#14 P. Kytta @XippiX

#92 E. Yalcin @Kucherov86

FORWARDS

#40 J. Asikainen @snippystatue

#52 J. Luostarinen @luosttin

#55 T. Luukkanen @Datupeijooni (Datzonee)
 

Finals recap

We started the final series last Thursday with games 1-3. In the first game Ducktales BK was close to taking the lead in the series but 20 seconds before the final buzzer Sack Brothers captain @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) scored the tying goal and finally won the game for his team in overtime 3-2. In the second game, Ducktales BK changed their approach to a bit more of an aggressive style and was able to steal some puck possession from their opponent. However, counter attacking specialists Sack Brothers were able to benefit from this and won game 2 with a clean 0-4 score. In the third and last game of the day Ducktales BK showed why they are in the finals as they were able to find the balance between offense and defense and won game 3 with a score of 2-1. It was a big mental win for Ducktales BK who now didn’t have to start gameday two with their backs against the wall. After day one Sack Brothers were leading the series with score 2-1.

Three days later on Sunday, these two great teams were going to finish the season in games 4-7. Right from the first game of the day it was clear that both teams had made their homework and we saw the most balanced clash of the series so far. After regulation time that included lots of goals, both teams had their chances to end the game in overtime but  finally it was Sack Brothers who scored the winning goal that proved out to be maybe the biggest goal of the finals. Game 4 ended 4-3 and Sack Brothers put a chokehold on the series with a 3-1 lead. Now the pressure was on the shoulders or Ducktales BK, they had to win. Game 5 started promising for Ducktales BK as they were able to continue where they left off in the previous match and created good scoring chances. However @KXnet1b who was picked between the Sack Brothers pipes instead of @mikeruud proved why he had deserved his starting spot and made an impressively solid performance in the net and kept the game tied at 0-0. Sack Brothers were able to score two goals in the second period and kept their own net clear. The third goal at the start of third period was too much for Ducktales BK. Sack Brothers started their march to victory and were able to score four more goals behind Ducktales BK keeper @Rymaan. The game finally ended with a score of 1-7 and the party was ready to start. Sack Brothers won the final series 4-1 and were crowned as the ECL 10 Lite champions.    
 

Overall, this Lite season was really entertaining and packed with skilled teams and players. Now it’s time to take a little break from ECL games and begin the practice/rebuild stage because the next season will most likely be even more competitive. We hope you enjoyed the finals as much as we did. Once again congratulations to Sack Brothers! Enjoy your success and thank you to all finalists, viewers and casters for giving us an entertaining show.

Have a nice summer and stay safe.    

NHLGamers,

Approximately two months ago we started the ECL 10 Lite season with 64 teams in four groups. After the regular season we had a strong vision of teams that were going to fight for the promotion and final spots this season. The playoffs were as exciting as they always are and several teams had the quality to compete for the cup this time. In the end there were two teams that no one could stop. Now they will go head-to-head in the ECL 10 Lite finals! 

Here are the finalists of ECL 10 Lite:

 Sack Brothers (1)

Road to the finals

Regular season: (28-1-1) 1st in group 4 
Round 1: vs HockeyProfessorn HC (32) 4-1
Round 2: vs Tic Tac Toes (25) 4-2
Round 3: vs GENESIS (18) 4-1
Round 4: vs HUIPPUPASSI (10) 4-2

LW: @snippystatue (22GP: 22+31=55 pts)
C: @luosttin (22GP: 18+37=55 pts, FOW: 48,9%)
RW: @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) (22GP: 26+21=47 pts)
LD: @Kucherov86 (22GP: 9+22=31 pts)
RD: @Persusta95 (22GP: 4+11=15 pts)
G: @mikeruud (22GP: 234svs, 47GA= 83,27 SV%)

 Ducktales BK (7)

Road to the finals

Regular season: (21-4-5) 2nd in group 2 
Round 1: vs Remparts de Tours Esport (26) 4-2
Round 2: vs ECDC Memmingen eSports (11) 4-3
Round 3: vs HV71 eSHL (3) 4-1
Round 4: vs Angry Cats (5) 4-3

LW: @Zidso (21GP: 17+22=39 pts)
C: @cHIIMEERa (23GP: 21+20=41 pts, FOW: 49,8%)
RW: @Craig (oskuldsfull) (23GP: 11+20=31 pts)
LD: @J-Foppa (23GP: 5+17=22 pts)
RD: @tokFan (ItokFanI) (23GP: 1+5=6 pts)
G: @Rymaan (23GP: 200svs, 34GA= 85,47 SV%)

To spice things up we decided to contact the teams to ask them couple of questions before the the games and had the pleasure to interview @Rymaan from Ducktales BK and @snippystatue from Sack Brothers:
 

How does it feel to be in the finals? Was the finals your goal right from the beginning or where were the expectations set before the season started?

@snippystatue ‘’Of course it feels great! The ECL finals are the best that the season can offer and as the captain told us in the beginning of the season, our minimum goal is to win the title after last seasons disappointment.’’

@Rymaan ‘’Feels great! Our main goal for the season was to get that Pro-spot. Achieving that, of course our next goal is to win the tournament.‘’
 

What is your teams strengths and the reason for success? Why are you in the finals instead of your playoffs opponents? What makes you the champions of ECL 10 Lite?

@snippystatue ‘’Counter-attacks, tight team defense and good chemistry. We have practiced with the same players from the beginning of the off-season and the level of play has stayed good the whole time. The reason we are in the finals is that we have been able to minimize our opponents scoring opportunities with solid defending and the attacking has been working in every series. The reason we will be the champions is that we believe in our own playing. Even if we were losing with 4 goals we never give up and the atmosphere stays positive the whole time’’

@Rymaan ‘’Structure, defense, experience and a will to win. We had a game plan for every series and followed it well enough to be victorious. All opponents we played so far have been a challenge and played well, but we don’t want to comment other teams shortcomings. Beating us in 4 games takes great teamplay, individual skill and a solid defense. We've seen 2 out of 3 in Sack Brothers.’’
 

How well do you know your opponent in the finals? Have you faced them in the club games or earlier seasons? Done any scouting through the streams etc?

@snippystatue ‘’We don’t know them very well. Of course we noticed that they were playing really well already in the regular season but we haven’t faced them in club games. We haven’t done any special kind of scouting from the streams but we have seen couple of playoff games from them’’

@Rymaan ‘’Played them a lot during NHL20 (not with Ducktales though) and to be honest they have evolved a lot. They had a fantastic season so far, obliterating their opponents on the way. We scout every opponent in playoffs to learn their tricks.’’
 

What do you think is your opponents strengths? Will you adjust your own gamestyle to make their playing harder or will you continue the way you have done so far and trust that it will bring you the desiredresult?

@snippystatue ‘’We believe their strengths are especially in the defense but it’s hard to say yet since we haven’t faced them before. We will trust our own style of play since it has worked so well but of course we are ready for adjustments if the game isn’t working’’ 

@Rymaan ‘’They play a fast game and they are deadly when they get to scoring opportunities. We are confident in our style of play but will make adjustments if needed.’’ 
 

What will be the score of the series in the end? 

@snippystatue ‘’It’s going to be tight but I’ll say 4-3 to Sack Brothers’’

@Rymaan ‘’Ducktales wins in 7.’’
 

The confidence is high in both camps. As the interview tells us, both teams will trust their own style of playing and that’s exactly what they should do. Watching back the opponents that both of these teams have been able to beat it’s obvious that they have done everything right so far. Both teams are also prepared for a tough battle and it’s easy to join their predictions that the champions will be decided in a game seven.

As the stats tell, Sack Brothers have been really effective in the offensive zone which has been their theme through whole season, while Ducktales BK have been the team that is extremely hard to score against. It’s going to be really interesting to see how well Ducktales BK are able to shut down Sack Brothers attacks. I believe it’s also a new kind of challenge for Sack Brothers to play against team that is really disciplined at their defense. There may be a possibility that Ducktales BK could make their opponents frustrated which would most likely turn the series in favour of Ducktales BK. But as @snippystatue stated in the interview, the mental side shouldn’t be a problem for his team. While Sack Brothers are figuring out how to get through Ducktales BK they can’t give any leeway in their own defense. Even though Ducktales BK are known having the special quality at their team defense they are also to score if the chances are given to them.

Prediction: There is no doubt that the two best teams of the season are facing in the finals. This will be a battle of two different gamestyles and only the matches will tell us which approach will be the right one. If I was asked at the start of the playoffs which team was going to win from these two, I would have said Sack Brothers 4-1. I’m glad no-one asked because watching Ducktales BK journey through the playoffs I would have made a clown of myself. However I still believe Sack Brothers have the quality to break Ducktales BKs defense and captain @Datupeijooni will lift the cup at the end of the day. Sack Brothers will win the series with score 4-3.    

What a great season we have had and now it’s coming to an end. It will be a season to remember for both of these teams but only one can be crowned as champions. Play hard and fair, respect your opponents and enjoy the finals!   

How to watch?

The ECL 10 Lite finals will be streamed at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer.

Thursday, June 11th
20:00 CEST Games 1-3
 Sack Brothers vs Ducktales BK 

Sunday, June 14th
20:30 CEST Games 4-7
 Sack Brothers vs Ducktales BK 

NHLGamers,

With Saturday night and game seven of the finals still in fresh memory, what a way it was to end the season. The past ECL was a wild run with a diverse selection of storylines all around the league, perhaps more so than usually. As customary, we'll be taking you through the events of the past in this snapshot into ECL 10 Elite. 

First of all, on behalf of NHLGamer, I'd like to extend a thank you to our sponsors Prisma Gaming and IS Esports, without whom none of this would have been possible. It was a record-setting season and we're proud to have hosted a league with the biggest prize pool yet. We're at a good place as a community - a strong foundation is built and the trend is looking great! Naturally, we also want to thank the players who are at the very core of all that we do, for putting on such a show over the course of the season. Last but not least, thank you also to each and every one of you who have tuned in for a stream, given a like on social media or shared the notion of our league with a friend - your input to growing the community is invaluable.

To differ from the usual, the season had a fair bit of uncertainty at the start. Live-events were put on hold due to the still ongoing COVID-19 situation which naturally didn't effect the online side of things but let's be frank - all of us love that live action. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances out of our control we couldn't deliver on that front this time, but as things slowly get back to normal we're looking forward to providing the next live-event soon enough. 

Regular season

With the eSHL jumpstarting things, we saw a great influx of new organisations into the scene before ECL 10, which naturally is greatly appreciated. Some of these new teams included JYP Jyvaskyla, hREDS, KOVA Esports and SJ Gaming, who joined competition at the Elite level. Out of the new orgs, JYP and hREDS immediately signed up for title contention and put up a warning for HAVU and Linköping - a duo that had been reigning supreme for quite some time already. As seen in the final standings of the regular season, competition was tough. JYP came in hot right out of the gate and didn't let up, managing to close out the competition and secure a regular season win, whereas LHC and HAVU performed along the expected level. On the other hand, hREDS came in fourth but due to a less ideal start to the season, the talented bunch didn't quite keep up in pace with the other three big names. None of the four top teams made large adjustments over the course of the season, as hREDS were the only team to really have rotation in their lineup when founding member Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen stepped in for a few games here and there. 

The top four was a collective according to expectations, whereas the rest of the playoff-bound teams could have been a multitude of teams from the wide selection of remaining competitors. After a tough start, Unlucky Boys HC managed to pull it together by acquiring familiar face Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen and finished the season in 5th place with one of the hottest streaks in the league. Close behind came German powerhouse BRAYCE Phantoms, who have been causing waves in the community for a long time due to their impressive skill level, but also due to being the only Elite team from outside the Nordic countries. This has come with some downside for BRAYCE, since they have had trouble finding adequate practice games - an issue which evidently hasn't had too much of an effect on their play in the end. In seventh place, we find Roots who played a very balanced season. The team consists of some of the more experienced gamers in the scene, which was evident in their play throughout the season. While the team dropped points in some unfortunate matchups, they also managed to steal some important games against the likes of JYP and hREDS. Closing out the segment of playoff-bound teams is Farjestad BK, who were a somewhat unexpected addition to the playoff race with a high player turnover in the offseason. Both wingers were new faces, a new defenseman joined the squad and even the starting goaltender was acquired before the season. Despite being so new to each other, FBK managed to stay around .500 throughout the season and eventually edged out Checkmate for a spot among the top eight teams. 

Moving on to the bottom half of the standings, we have four teams within a points margin of each other - possibly a mere point away from making it into the postseason. Checkmate, KOVA Esports, Vesa Pompa HC and GHETTO FIREBIRDS all put forth very solid efforts but ended up coming just short this time around. Out of these teams Vesa Pompa and GHETTO were making their first run in the Elite division and immediately managed to make an impact around the league. Vesa Pompa had a difficult start but started improving after acquiring legendary scoring machine Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen, who naturally finished with the highest points/game average in the team - by far. GHETTO FIREBIRDS came in with a bang and made questionable ECL Elite history right out of the gate. The team took a whole 12(!) games to overtime throughout the season and managed to win the extra point in only one of these contests. With eight victories, the newcomers pushed to 12th place only a point away from tying 8th place (by points).

The unfortunate part about sports is that someone always has to lose, and that's what the bottom four teams did  a lot of this season. SJ Gaming had a solid start but drifted in the wrong direction rather quickly, dropping down to 13th which puts them in a relegation battle against HanaaHC (2-1 for SJ currently). Lulea Hockey has been in a somewhat turbulent state for the past few months with a disappointment in the eSHL and now not being able to produce as expected in the ECL either. The team faced off against Reality Check in a relegation battle and retained their Elite spot with four straight wins. Gotham Knights came in 15th place in their return to the Elite level, not the kind of performance the team would have hoped for, but one of the most long-lived teams in the scene now has a chance to redeem themselves against Pro runner-up Enigma in a relegation battle. The last team and therefore facing direct relegation was Almost Famous, who made a brave attempt at coming back from losing almost their entire roster in the offseason, but the struggle was in vain this time. 

Playoffs

I'm going to start off by using one of the most overused hockey clichés known to man - the playoffs are a different beast. That's the reality that Farjestad BK force fed JYP with in the quarterfinals, running over the #1 seed in five games with their unorthodox stretch passing and excellent play by goaltender Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist. Linkoping HC made quick work of Roots whereas HAVU Gaming provided the same treatment for BRAYCE Phantoms, who weren't a match for the #3 seed this time. One of the most exciting quarterfinal series in a while was seen between hREDS and Unlucky Boys HC. The series was taken all the way to a game 7, where Unlucky Boys looked like a certain winner with around 30 seconds to spare in the third period of game seven. UB were awarded a powerplay when Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila headed to the box for hooking at 59:34. After that - mayhem ensues. Joakim @Joukki Nyholm takes of directly from the faceoff, splits the defense and ties the game up shorthanded with 20 seconds to spare in the game. The teams headed into overtime and it was evident that UB had the wind knocked right out of them, as hREDS had the control for most of the 15 minutes until Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen put the nail in the coffin and sent hREDS to the semifinals.

Farjestad BK providing one of the greatest upsets in ECL playoff history certainly shuffled the playoff picture around a bit, but that did not stop the inevitable from happening. Both Linkoping HC and HAVU Gaming were set on making it back to the finals and getting their shot at the title. With 4-1 victories in both series, there was really no question about who we were going to se fight it our for the ultimate prize. 

The finals

The ECL 10 Elite Finals were a two-day event, this time online due to the COVID-19 pandemic putting plans on hold when it comes to live-events. Both Linkoping HC and HAVU Gaming had been at this stage multiple times before, in fact three straight times in the ECL between the two of them. Going into the first three games on Friday, tensions were high as the stakes were higher than ever before. Eventually we saw some exciting and low-scoring hockey for three games straight, all ending in a 2-1 result in favor of HAVU Gaming who were set on reclaiming the throne. Going into Saturdays games with a 3-0 chokehold on the series almost set the stage for an early finish but that was not what LHC had on their mind. The reigning champions completed an impressive comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in ECL 9 and looked to do even better this time when they came back step by step eventually tying the series at 3-3 and pushing the finals into a game seven that was one for the ages - a phrase that seems to be repeated opver and over again when it comes to battles between Linkoping and HAVU. Once again, the seventh game of the series was an intense back and forth battle that wasn't finished until overtime with who better to close out the season than HAVU Gaming captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, who managed to find an open opportunity head-to-head with LHC goaltender Casper @ICappeI Lundgren.

Here's the madness that ensued:

 🏆
AWARDS

Playoff MVP: Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, HAVU Gaming

Most Points: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linkoping HC, 78 Goals, 44 Assists, 122 Points in 46 games
Most Goals: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linkoping HC, 78 Goals, 44 Assists, 122 Points in 46 games
Most Assists: Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Linkoping HC, 42 Goals, 75 Assists, 117 Points in 46 games
Most Hits by a Forward: Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola, JYP Jyvaskyla, 409 Hits in 35 games
Best +/-: Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, Linkoping HC, +91 in 46 games

Most Points by a Defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linkoping HC, 13 Goals, 43 Assists, 60 Points in 46 games
Most Goals by a Defenseman: Wille @willekunq Juntunen, HAVU Gaming, 14 Goals, 27 Assists, 41 Points in 46 games
Most Assists by a Defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linkoping HC, 13 Goals, 43 Assists, 60 Points in 46 games
Most Hits by a Defenseman: Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, GHETTO FIREBIRDS, 245 Hits in 30 games

Best goaltender (SV%):Hannes  @Hansulinho Kettunen, HAVU Gaming, 340 saves on 403 shots, SV% 84,37 in 46 games

NHLGamers,

The season in our ECL 10 Pro Division ended recently as Black Horse managed to win the Pro Division title and with that gain direct promotion to Elite for next season. With all of the skill level and excitement involved, the finals were the best possible PR for console hockey and our beloved 6v6 game mode and most of all - the ECL and it's players. The ECL 10 Pro finals had a bit of everything: tight games, great goals, great defending, tactical and disciplined play and a very dramatic game seven conclusion. All in all a very worthy series to conclude our 10th season. The winner overcame tough phases during the series and Enigma´s title would not have been a major injustice. Black Horse held up against the opponents momentum in critical phases of the games and at the most important moment, scored the winner in overtime.

Regular season

The best team definitely won the Pro title although there were several good teams in contention throughout the season. Over the course of the regular season, Enigma was obviously one of them and the youngsters of Riven Johdolla also made an impressive run in their first Pro season. Växjö Lakers HC had a slow start but improved their record as the season progressed. Another great showing by a newcomer was seen from HanaaHC, who also played well in the regular season and eventually continued their form into the postseason.

In the regular season, Kaupallinen Yhteistyö had to fight hard for their playoff position, it's a bit surprising for a team that after all participated in the Elite Qualification series before the ECL. Also, Blackdawgs was a minor surprise for finishing 6th in their regular season group. The team is generally strong but improved the longer the season progressed. Exen Esports (former Alliance HT) I would have expected to finish a little higher at the end of the regular season, due to the sheer amount of experience in the team. Leksands IF won Group 1 with a tight margin but faced immediate elimination in a major upset against HanaaHC in the first round. The Swedes have to go back to the drawing board after an impressive eSHL run that did not continue in the ECL.

Playoffs

In the playoffs the most impressive contribution was made by Enigma and HanaaHC, who also left off where they ended their regular season - top form. Växjö Lakers HC improved from below average to their high standard level just in time for the playoffs but ended up running into Enigma in the second round whereas Reality Check also was a team that seemed to peak at the end of the regular season, in time for the playoffs. Riven Johdolla played a tremendous regular season but faced quick elimination and disappointment in the playoffs.

Blackdawgs caused a minor surprise by knocking TIKI TALK out in the first round. The bigger surprise was Hanaa HC knocking out the Group 1 winner Leksands IF - rumbling heard throughout the division as the newcomers were gunning for bigger opponents now. Kaupallinen Yhteistyö played against Black Horse in the first round - the future champion to be - and fought bravely taking the series into a seventh game.

Notable players in the regular season

The forward trio of Riven Johdolla were one of the most dominant collectives in recent Pro history throughout the regular season, continuing into the playoffs. Their playoff performance was slightly weaker than in the regular season but still significant - one of the biggest reasons for the newcomers faring well in their first Pro season.

@Nieppii transferred to Enigma for this season and instantly made a great contribution to his new team. He was one of the most impactful players in the regular season and a big factor to Enigma´s great performance in the playoffs and that fact they were able to challenge Black Horse as well as they did in the finals.
 

Notable Players in the playoffs

As previously mentioned, @Nieppii was arguably one of the most visible individual players that made a huge performance in the playoffs and had a major effect in Enigma´s journey to the finals. Black Horses @Tapparafan and @PCJP were also other great names in the playoffs and there's no doubt  about the fact that both of them had an instrumental role in the fact that their team eventually won the championship. The solid star players combined with competent backup led to the victory of BH. Especially in Game 7 @PCJP kept the team alive saving the crucial penalty shot at the later part of the third period.

Vaxjö Lakers HC star @EDHOLMINHO also deserves a shoutout for being one of the key factors in elevating his teams play. @EDHOLMINHO boosted his own standard of play significantly and helped his team to upgrade their level.
 

The top 6 of ECL 10 Pro

@Tapparafan (Black Horse) - @Pasi Modry (Black Horse) - @laitineen64 (Black Horse)
@Crisu_rottis (Enigma) - @Raikkoneeh (HanaaHC)
@PCJP (Black Horse)

These "top 6"-lists are always controversial and that's something to love in itself. Playoff performances and consistency was valued highly in these selections and that's why you'll see many finalists among the selections, but also a player like @Raikkoneeh was selected due to a high level of play throughout the season. This season it seemed like the competition at the LW spot was extremely tough, players such as @Nieppii and @EDHOLMINHO were left out due to the extreme scoring power of @Tapparafan. 

Which players would our NHLGamers pick? Please comment below.

 NHLGamers, 

What a showdown the two most prevalent ECL dynasties HAVU Gaming and Linköping HC put up for us over the course of these two nights! Based on the ECL 9 finals, we were expecting close games and the teams delivered. All seven games of the ECL 10 Elite finals were decided with a margin of one goal and four games required overtime to sort out a winner. Friday was all about HAVU Gaming as we witnessed three straight games ending 2-1 in favour of the green squad, when in turn Saturday was all about flashbacks galore when Linköping managed to clutch three games and push it to a seventh. Memories from the wild comeback in ECL 9 flashed through our minds, but ultimately - HAVU Gaming prevailed!
 

 HAVU Gaming 🏆

Group stage record: 26-3-1 (3rd)
Quarterfinals: vs BRAYCE Phantoms (6th) 4-0
Semifinals: vs hREDS (4) 4-1
Finals: vs Linköping HC (2) 4-3

GOALIES

#88 H. Kettunen @Hansulinho

DEFENSEMEN

#28 E. Koski @Eemil

#43 W. Juntunen @willekunq

#78 K. Katajisto @Nassustelija

FORWARDS

#6 I. Lehkonen @Buantso

#13 R. Järvi @Dominointi

#87 T. Keränen @topikeranen

# 91 T. Kuha @FlyerKungen

Conclusively, it's been one wild ride throughout this season. 16 teams went into battle with the same ambition - some more set on the final objective than others. We were expecting a tighter season than ever before and through some surprising turns of events along the road to the finals, we saw a three-peat of the HAVU & LHC duo in the last series of the season.

On behalf of the NHLGamer staff congratulations to our champions HAVU Gaming! We also extend a warm thank you ta everyone who tuned in to the streams over the weekend, if you happened to miss some of the action, the streams are archived on our Twitch-channel. Please find yesterdays broadcast here:

Last night we witnessed what was the start to the Elite Finals of the 10th ECL iteration. Giants HAVU Gaming and Linköping HC clashed in three expectedly tight games where the heart rates of both players and viewers skyrocketed from time to time. The teams are battling for a record-setting prize pool of 15 000 €, where the winner takes the biggest slice of cash, this being a hefty amount of 10 000 €. 

Action resumes tonight at 20:00 CEST as HAVU has a 3-0 chokehold of the series. Will LHC bounce back once again?

In case you didn't read our preview yet, you can do so here.

(3) HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC (2)

SCORES SO FAR

Game 1: HAVU Gaming - Linköping HC 2-1 OT
Game 2: Linköping HC - HAVU Gaming 1-2 OT
Game 3: HAVU Gaming - Linköping HC 2-1

How to watch?

The last day of the ECL 10 Elite Finals will be played tonight, Saturday, 6th of June with a broadcast on our Twitch-channel. The broadcast is also available on Ruutu.fi & ISTV. 

Saturday, June 6th
20:00 CEST Games 4-7 (puck drop around 20:25)

HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

Don't miss the afterparty!

NHLGamer proudly presents the ELC 10 Elite Finals official afterparty!

We'll be treated to a special one-hour B2B set by Luxonia, featuring artists NickyB & Samlight. The party will kick off on our Twitch channel right after the Finals!

NHLGamers,

The first championship of the ECL 10 season was crowned on Wednesday when the two ECL Pro title contenders Enigma and Black Horse clashed for games 4-7 of their final series. Going into the games, Enigma had a 2-1 series lead, but Black Horse came in strong and managed to turn the series around as they managed to win games 4 and 5, going into game 6 in a 2-3 lead. Enigma force a game 7 and teams went scoreless into the third period. With just 6 minutes remaining in the 3rd, Enigma received a somewhat questionable penalty shot. As @PCJP managed to make the save, the viewers were blessed with the most exciting thing a hockey fan could witness: game 7 overtime action! The digitals stopped at 77:01 as Wirtsuuu (@Tapparafan) managed to get the only goal of the game, securing Black Horse the ECL 10 Pro Championship and a place in ECL Elite for next season!

 Black Horse 🏆

Group stage record: 23-5-2 (1st)
Round 1: vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyö (16) 4-3
Quarterfinals: vs Children of Ice (15) 4-0
Semifinals: vs Hanaa HC (14) 4-0
Finals: vs Enigma (10) 4-3

GOALIES

#92 P. Pelkonen @PCJP

DEFENSEMEN

#4 R. Reijonen @bot_dole

#24 Originaljets29 @Mika

#81 M. Laitinen @Miika (MiiQu81-)

FORWARDS

#19 M. Virtanen @Tapparafan (Wirtsuuu)

#22 M. Vanhala @Pasi Modry (Makkeez22)

#64 A. Laitinen @laitineen64

All in all, the Pro season once again provided some very exciting action and surely showed the amount of skill that runs deep throughout the divisions framework. As mentioned above, as a reward for their ECL Pro Championship, Black Horse will be directly promoted to ECL Elite. Enigma will continue their season for one more series, as they meet Gotham Knights in a best-of-seven series to determine which of these two teams will play in ECL Elite next season. 

The decisive games of the finals were broadcast at the NHLGamer Twitch channel. @Tougie24 and @Cyn once again blessed us with their presence and put forth a great effort in the commentator booth. If you missed that action, you can watch it again below:

NHLGamers,

So, here we are - again. Facing down the third straight ECL Elite finals featuring HAVU Gaming and Linköping HC. The most intense rivalry in EASHL gaming.

The “El Clasico of NHL gaming”.

Quote

 

"With ECL 10 fast approaching and both teams looking as strong as ever, can anyone really be blamed for predicting another matchup in the ECL Elite finals between HAVU and LHC?

I certainly wouldn’t put it past them."

 

The words are my own, printed in the first part of our ECL Elite Season Preview here at NHLGamer. A piece entitled “The Big Two”. Because that’s really what they are, HAVU and LHC; in a league of their own.

(3) HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC (2)

PLAYOFF RECORD
4-0 (BRAYCE Phantoms), 4-1 (hREDS) vs 4-0 (Roots), 4-1 (Farjestad BK)

TOP SCORER
Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (7+13=20) vs Erik @Eki Tammenpää (5+22=27)

GOALTENDER
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (8 W, 86,05 SV%, 1,33 GAA, 2 SO) vs Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (8 W, 80 SV%, 1,44 GAA, 3 SO)

The big two.

It was not some sudden realization that struck me, inspiring me to put those words on paper. I didn’t suddenly develop the gift of foresight and managed to read the future. I’ve simply been around these teams and players long enough to know that their skill, experience and drive to succeed is simply unmatched in this community. It has been for the past year and a half, give or take.

That’s why we are here - again.

However, even if the destination we arrived at was the expected one, it doesn’t take away from the journey there.

HAVU and LHC once again had to earn their stripes.

Finishing 2nd (LHC) and 3rd (HAVU) in the ECL 10 regular season behind JYP Jyvaskyla, both teams sported identical 26-3-1 records and amassed 53 points each. LHC was the highest-scoring team in the regular season, lighting the lamp an impressive 129 times. Helped in part by Paul @PleeMaker Aronties record-breaking 58-goal campaign, no doubt. The second-best offense in the league? HAVU, of course, with 103 goals. When it comes to the defensive side of the puck, none were better than HAVU. Allowing just 40 goals in 30 games, goaltender Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen and his men kept opponents to 1,33 goals per game. Allowing a mere six goals more (46), ECL 10 cover athlete Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and his teammates were no slouches in the defensive category either.

When it comes to the man-advantage HAVU finished 2nd, connecting on an intimidating 34,39 percent of their chances. LHC finished 10th in the league with a powerplay percentage of 24,49 - solid, but not game-breaking. When it came to killing penalties, these two showed why they are the best in the business. HAVU killed 86,49% of their PK situations (1st in the league) while racking up 74 penalty minutes (8th most). LHC neutralized 84,21% of their penalties (2nd) but displayed military-like discipline by only collecting 38 PIMs.

In the playoffs, both teams once again proved their mettle by earning identical 4-0 series wins over Roots Gaming (LHC) and BRAYCE Phantoms (HAVU) in the first round. The second round offered more resistance as Linköping took on fellow Swedish SHL team Färjestad BK – a team who had just pulled off a massive upset against #1 seed JYP. LHC took the first game but FBK fought back and evened out the series 1-1. On the second gameday, FBK came dangerously close to collecting a 2-0 win in Game 3. But with mere minutes remaining of the 3rd period, LHC showed why they are the defending ECL Grand Champions. Striking lightning-fast three times over and turning the game into a 3-2 win, LHC broke FBK’s spirit and soon thereafter snagged two more wins to take the series. HAVU faced hREDS – a team known for their high level of individual skill. HAVU got out to a 3-0 series lead but had to fight tooth and nail for their advantage, winning the first two games in overtime and the third by a single goal. In Game 4, hREDS stepped up and managed to win an overtime game of their own but in Game 5 – once again overtime – HAVU punched their ticket to the finals.

Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin. Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens. Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees.

Sweden vs. Finland.

Like all the great sport rivalries, there is a level of mutual respect between the players involved. Skill recognizes skill, winners recognize winners. But while the LHC and HAVU players may be cordial off the ice, friends even, don’t think for a second these twelve men wouldn’t do just about anything to make sure their squad is the one that comes out on top in the end.

Strategy adjustments, hidden set plays saved just for this matchup – perhaps even some mind-games. You name it, we’ll probably see it.

LHC are here to defend their ECL 9 title. HAVU are here to exact revenge for that very event, especially since they actually led that series 3-1 at one point.

Forgive my indulgence, but I would like to end this Finals preview by including another quote from the ECL 10 season preview.

Because if you’ve read this far and still don’t feel like you know what we’re talking about here, we’re talking about…
 

Quote

… the battle between bearded beasts ICappeI and Hansulinho in net, the two-way talent in two of the strongest defender pairings of all time (Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto & Wille @willekunq Juntunen for HAVU; Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta & Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen for LHC) and the matchup of six of the best forwards NHL esports have to offer: the above mentioned trio of FlyerKungen, Dominointi and Puantso facing off against Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Paul @PleeMaker Arontie and Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala.

Be there this Friday and Saturday. You’ll be sorry you missed it.

How to watch?

The ECL 10 Elite Finals will be played on Friday, 5th of June and Saturday, 6th of June with a broadcast on our Twitch-channel. The broadcast is also available on Ruutu.fi & ISTV. 

Friday, June 5th
20:00 CEST Games 1-3 (puck drop around 20:25)
HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

Saturday, June 6th
20:00 CEST Games 4-7 (puck drop around 20:25)

HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

Don't miss the afterparty!

NHLGamer proudly presents the ELC 10 Elite Finals official afterparty!

We'll be treated to a special one-hour B2B set by Luxonia, featuring artists NickyB & Samlight. The party will kick off Saturday on our Twitch channel right after the Finals!

NHLGamers,

The days to the big finale are dwindling down as we eagerly await yet another clash of the titans. Tomorrow #2 seed and reigning champion Linkoping HC will be taking on HAVU Gaming in the third straight ECL Elite final between these two clubs. The score is even, who will take the advantage?

As we interviewed LHC goaltender and ECL 10 cover gamer Casper @ICappeI Lundgren last time, it is only right that we turn to HAVU goaltender and ECL 9 cover gamer Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen this time:

Both Linkoping and HAVU have been dominating the scene for way longer than any other team in recent memory. What do you think is the key to success here?
- A similarity is obviously that both teams have kept their core intact over their period of success. This has led to superior chemistry between the forwards and a suffocating defensive unit.

This is your third straight final appearance where you meet Linkoping HC, what similarities or differences do you see in this season when comparing to the previous ones?
- This time it was more of a surprise than earlier, thanks to JYP letting it slip in the playoffs 😅. ECL 10 was supposed to be the battle between three greats, but it turned out differently. In general I don't think much has changed - pokaali takas kotiin!

How have you developed personally if we'd look back at ECL 8 for example?
- ECL 8 was our championship season, so I've tried to emulate the same kind of game. Honestly, I don't think there's much development to be done, you do what you can and pray for the big man to give you fortunate bounces. 

Any last greetings to the fans or opponents?
- Let's fight hard and put on a great show!

How to watch?

The ECL 10 Elite Finals will be played on Friday, 5th of June and Saturday, 6th of June with a broadcast on our Twitch-channel. The broadcast is also available on Ruutu.fi & ISTV. 

Friday, June 5th
20:00 CEST Games 1-3 (puck drop around 20:25)
HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

Saturday, June 6th
20:00 CEST Games 4-7 (puck drop around 20:25)

HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

NHLGamers,

Third time's the charm?

As customary, ECL 10 Elite culminates at the pinnacle of the season - this being the final series between #2 seed Linkoping HC and #3 seed HAVU Gaming. It feels like I've written this text before and as a matter of fact I have. This duo has been dominating the scene for the past three seasons with this being the third straight ECL Elite final series, in which these powerhouses will be going to battle. This season, it was evident that competition are closing in, but for now it's time to find out who takes the crown once and for all, as reigning champions LHC defend the throne against former titleholder HAVU.

We reached out to Linkoping HC goaltender and ECL 10 cover gamer Casper @ICappeI Lundgren for a few comments on the season and the upcoming series:

Paul @PleeMaker Arontie has had an outstanding season, possibly drawing attention away from the fact that Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta also has performed at extraordinary level throughout the season. How does it feel to have these guys on your side and what do you see as the base for their excellent performances?
- Yeah, it's amazing to play behind these guys every night. A natural reason for the performances we've seen is the incredible amount of individual skill that both of these guys possess combined with the chemistry they have together with @Patzlaf, @Eki and @jtorro1233 on the ice. Every guy knows they can count on the one next to them and the high morale is one of the greatest assets we've utilized to come this far.

A while ago, you became a member of the gaming chapter at The Goalie Guild. The club consists of several of the worlds top goaltenders, how has that helped your game?
- It's a great asset and a helping hand. The greatest thing is being able to talk things through and exchange thoughts with some of the greatest in the world. In this years iteration of NHL, you've had to make a number of changes and GGG has been a great help in finding the right adjustments to make. 

This is the third straight ECL Elite final in which these two teams will go at each other. You're definitely familiar with the other team - what would you say will be the decisive factor?
- As said, we're two teams that certainly have become acquainted over the years. I'll give you the same old answer. The team that is better defensively will win the series. 

Any final greetings before the puck is dropped?
- Kom igen Cluben!



Photo credit: Elias Gammelgård

How to watch?

The ECL 10 Elite Finals will be played on Friday, 5th of June and Saturday, 6th of June with a broadcast on our Twitch-channel. The broadcast is also available on Ruutu.fi & ISTV. 


Friday, June 5th
20:00 CEST Games 1-3 (puck drop around 20:25)
HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

Saturday, June 6th
20:00 CEST Games 4-7 (puck drop around 20:25)

HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

NHLGamers,

We have reached the semifinals of ECL 10 Lite. This also means we now know the four teams that have earned Pro promotion for the next season. NHLGamer wants to congratulate teams Sack Brothers, HUIPPUPASSI, Ducktales BK and Angry Cats. You have achieved something that hundreds of players were after this season. Enjoy this moment and be proud of yourselves! Great challenge awaits you next season. However the battle isn’t over yet as the title of champions is still there for the taking. 

Here are the semifinalists of ECL 10 Lite:

 Sack Brothers (1) vs  HUIPPUPASSI (10)

Fast attacking hockey has been the theme for both of these teams as has been the overall trend for so many others this season as well. However, the reason why these teams are now playing in the semifinals is understanding the game both ways and bringing the balance to the ice - that is a game mentality that is really hard to break. There have also been two players in this matchup that have been especially fun to watch throughout the season: @Kucherov86 (SB) and @viba2008 (HP) have been the best attacking defensemen of this season. They were in a two way battle over winning the scoring title for defensemen in the regular season and have continued on the same path in the playoffs. Finally they will go head-to-head, who will take the upper hand?

Sack Brothers faced GENESIS (18) in a quarterfinal series that ended 4-1 in their favour. However the score doesn’t tell the whole truth of that series. GENESIS was able to put on real pressure to the Sack Brothers defense and made their attacking really hard, but with the lead of keeper @mikeruud Sack Brothers defense held up and in the end it was the quality of finishing that made the difference in the series. @snippystatue played the key role for Sack Brothers in this series and he was chosen as a first star in every win that Sack Brothers took. While the left side of Sack Brothers formation has clearly been the attacking one, some credit is due to @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) and @Persusta95 on the right wing for keeping the balance in the back as well so the team won’t be too vulnerable for counter attacks. 

HUIPPUPASSI showcased a thriller against EBR eSports Official (2) in the quarterfinals. The series ended in overtime of game seven, where defender @Mikax222 had the honour of burying the puck into the net from a rebound. HUIPPUPASSI have had a quite different path to the semifinals when compared to their opponent. While Sack Brothers have been among the best teams right from the very first game, HUIPPUPASSI had a rough start to the season and in the middle of the regular season it looked like they were one of the mid-table teams that were fighting for the last playoff spot but then something happened and since then there hasn't been a team that has been able to stop them. Wingers @jjokke19 and @bergsti (pikkuroger) have found excellent scoring form in the playoffs and the team is definitely ready for the challenge. Goalkeeper @IMadeGod (iceiceice-.-) isn’t currently enjoying an as high saving percent as his colleagues in the semifinals but there is no doubt about his ability to stop pucks at the same level as other keepers at this stage. 

Both teams will want to start the series strong. They both know that their opponents strength lies in their attacking and I believe that this could change the way of playing from their earlier series. We could see two teams heavily trusting in counter attacks and a tight defensive in their own zone. Sack Brothers is so used to winning it could make things really interesting if HUIPPUPASSI would manage to win for example the two first games utilizing the slightly more defensive style than they usually do. How would the ‘’Sacks’’ respond? As always, the centermen will play a big role. In this series @Aitis (Aitis81) (HP) will face maybe the best center of the season so far: @luosttin (SB). Aitis81 will have to continue his good work in the takeaway department if he wants to keep talented luosttin in check. This is definitely the pair of players you should follow throughout the series.

Prediction: Many have marked Sack Brothers as the favourites for the cup and I can see why. They are a great team all around and especially their victory over strong GENESIS proved that there might not be a team in the league that can stop them. On the other hand I believe that HUIPPUPASSI enjoys the underdog status here and they could have the element of surprise if they can take the lead in series and find the weakness in Sack Brothers playstyle that others haven’t figured out. In the end I believe that Sack Brothers have the quality to overcome every obstacle HUIPPUPASSI will throw at their way and ‘’Sacks’’ will advance to the finals with a series score of 4-1.  
 

 Angry Cats (5) vs  Ducktales BK (7)

This will definitely be a different kind of challenge for the Angry Cats than their earlier opponents this season. They will face Ducktales BK, who are one of the best defensive teams in the league. The theme of this series could actually be close to that of Angry Cats' series against Nordic Nosebleed in the first playoff round, where Nordic Nosebleed chose to pursue a very defensive style which led to three out of the five matches advancing to overtime. Only this time, the opponent will be a lot stronger and more dangerous in the offensive zone as well. This will also be a battle of two great goalkeepers. Angry Cats keeper @Giinis has an amazing 87,66 SV% in the playoffs and @Rymaan of Ducktales BK isn’t far away with his 85,57 SV%. Of course both goalkeepers will get help from their good defense but still these are really impressive numbers and deserve to be noted.

Angry Cats played against Hokurit (6) in the quarterfinals. At the start of the series it was hard to say which of the teams was going to win but the more play we saw between the two, the more clear it became that Angry Cats were the better team and finally ended the series with a score of 4-1. It isn’t a secret that attacking trio @Korkokokorko , @Lowryy (Lowryy8) and @juusto18 have been the best attacking trio alongside Sack Brothers trio this season, but it was the defender @Jesse6115 who scored the biggest goals in the final games of the series against Hokurit. It is really important for Angry Cats that the defenders @Jesse6115 and @Demoni2016 (Myrkky_Maik) can help their talented attackers offensively in the series against a team that will make getting to the scoring areas really challenging.

Ducktales BK have had a stable season and playoff run so far. In the quarterfinals they were able to beat HV71 eSHL (3) with 1-4 in a series that were expected to be as close as it was in the scoring department, but in the end Ducktales BK were the better team and deserved the spot in the semifinals. One of the key players for Ducktales BK in the series against HV71 eSHL was @Zidso, who seems to have found top form when it’s needed the most and as a result stirred the pot having a say in most of the goals that Ducktales BK scored. The team made some interesting changes to their roster in the playoffs, when @tokFan (ItokFanI), who started the season as a center and later switched places with @cHIIMEERa to the right wing, seems to be playing as a defender with experienced @J-Foppain the playoffs and its working very well. Also winger @Craig (oskuldsfull) started only half of the games in the regular season but has now been the starter for his team and there has been no problems finding chemistry right away.

This is going to be a different kind of series compared to the other pair where both teams rely on putting heavy pressure on their opponent and countering from the takeaways. In this series the game will most likely be more balanced and not so much risks will be taken by either of these teams. As said before, Angry Cats faced some troubles playing against a tight defensive team earlier but they came out as a winners and I don’t believe Ducktales BK will go full defensive mode at least when the game is tied. Ducktales BK did a great job against HV71 eSHL in avoiding clear 2vs1 and 3vs1 counter-attacks by always keeping two players at the back and that will be crucial against Angry Cats as well, since they have the quality to punish from every odd-man rush they will get. Ducktales BK will also face the best powerplay in the league so they want to avoid any extra trips to the box. However it will definitely not be a series where Angry Cats are the only team that is trying to find the way to score, Ducktales BK have the individual quality and good form going, so Angry Cats can’t blink their eyes in the wrong moment or they will see Ducktales BK smashing the puck in the net.       

Prediction: Both teams have had quite a similar route to the semifinals. Both have survived a game seven and in the quarterfinals, both teams were able to play their best hockey and take convincing 4-1 wins over their opponents. I believe Angry Cats will start the series strong and take wins from the first games. However, if Ducktales BK manage to take the lead in matches, they have the ability to shut down the opposing attack and then Angry Cats could be in trouble. I still believe that Angry Cats will be the winner of this series. I have also predicted Ducktales BK to lose their series two times in a row now and they’ve won both times so I don’t want to jinx anything at this stage. Angry Cats will advance to the finals with score 4-2.
 

Who will follow the path of Riven Johdolla and Sulkavan Sudet (ECL 9 Lite finalists) and play in the ECL 10 Lite finals? Follow the teams on social media to find out when the games are being played and give them your support. Enjoy the games and respect your opponents.  

NHLGamers,

Tonight we're a starting the final series of the season in our Pro division and it's going to be a fierce fight between two capable teams that will give their all in order to rise to the top. Black Horse finished the regular season as the #1 seed in group two and the top team overall, whereas Enigma has had to cause an upset or two as they didn't have a cakewalk through the regular season, but have risen tot he occasion during the playoffs. 

Road to the finals

 Black Horse

Round 1: vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyö 4-3

Round 2: vs Children of Ice 4-0

Semi-finals: vs Hanaa HC 4-0
 

 Enigma

Round 1: vs ZSC Esports 4-2

Round 2: vs Vaxjö Lakers HC 4-2

Semi-finals: vs Reality Check 4-3

The road to the finals has been very different for both of these teams. Black Horse had a tight first round against Kaupallinen Yhteistyo after which they have gone on an unbeaten streak and swept a bunch of skilled teams such as HanaaHC in the process. The key players of Black Horse have not been surprising. @Tapparafan as their top player in scoring stats and excellent goaltending by @PCJP has been the x-factor for this team without dismissing the contribution of the rest of the team. Especially the magnificient goaltending Black Horse have seen from @PCJP might provide an edge in the closing games of the season. As said, Enigma didn't run through the regular season without cough-ups, as expected from a newly formed team. The skilled guys went into the playoffs as 10th seed in total, which means they had to go up against better seeded teams in a few series - handled with ease. Enigma also has a very reliable goalie in @Jaakkomusta, who has been great for them in previous rounds. It is certain that the battle between the pipes will be one to keep an eye on throughout the finals. Enigmas offensive trio led by @Nieppii packs an impressive punch, but Black Horse is arguably a tighter unit.

Despite having a tougher run to the finals, Enigma is no slouch and will put up an impressive showing which might very well grab them a handful of victories in this series. It's also impressive how Black Horse has managed to disassemble very skilled teams with ease. This is a series you won't want to miss. 

Prediction of the series

The superb class of Black Horse will eventually be too much for Enigma who as experienced players with Elite experience under their belt could be exhausted by the season and not have the hunger that their opponents do. Although Enigma battled greatly in all rounds to the finals Black Horse is on a different level than Enigmas past opponents in terms of overall strength. Black Horse will win in 5-6 games.

Watch games 1-3 TONIGHT at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer starting 20 CEST!

NHLGamers,

Round 2 of the ECL 10 Lite playoffs is now behind and what a season we are having! We witnessed tight series going all the way to game seven, brave fighting from the underdogs and some massive comeback wins. These games have proven that nothing is impossible in the playoffs and even 0-3 lead in series won’t be a safe lead. Thanks once again to the teams that were eliminated in round 2. You gave us a great show and proved that with little improvements on the ice you are ready to go even further next season. 

Now we know the quarterfinalists of ECL 10 Lite. All of these teams have the tools to success and win the cup so there won’t be favourites anymore as every team will have to play at their best to process to the semifinals. At quarterfinals nothing less is at stake than a place in top four and promotion to ECL 11 Pro for the next season. Looking through the teams and players that will fight in the quarterfinals i’m convinced that every one of these teams have the quality to play in the higher division. It’s going to be extremely tough challenge for every team to beat their opponent at this stage and even harder to predict the winners from these pairs.
 

Ladies and gentlemen, here are the quarterfinalists of ECL 10 Lite:  
 

 Sack Brothers (1) vs   GENESIS (18)

Oh what a matchup! Both teams played their regular season in group 4 and the games between these two teams ended in a 2-3 OTW for GENESIS and 3-4 W for Sack Brothers. In the second round of the playoffs, GENESIS did really well against Powerhouse hockey (4) by winning the series with a score of 1-4 while Sack Brothers won their series against Tic Tac Toes (25) with a score of 4-2. Both teams play with similar strengths in trusting a smart, high pressure and a general attacking style of hockey. Their forward trios have been effective through the whole season while the defence have been stable and the keepers have had good form night after night. In the defence both teams have a dynamic, where one part has more responsibility in breakouts while the other one plays more safe at the back. It’s obvious that the forwards from both teams will be dangerous when ever they get the puck in the offensive zone so I predict that the role of the defenders will be big in this series.

Key points to follow:

Familiar opponents: Teams already met in the regular season and both managed to get one win from those games. You could say that neither of the teams have the mental edge over their opponent and some of the ‘’tricks up the sleeve’’ have already been revealed. The team that did their homework better since the last meeting will surely start the series better but it’s required to come up with something new to surprise your opponent and win the series at the end.   

Defenders: As said, the pressure given to the defenders will be high in this series. Especially puck moving defenders @Kucherov86 (SB) and @layout (JxLayout) (GEN) will have to be able to open the game up fast and smart to help their teams to get past the opposition defence. On the other end, defenders @Persusta95 (SB) and @Zoueli / @Mameluck88 (GEN) will have to be ready to react in fast counter-attacks and other giveaways in the defensive zone. 

Who will be the hero: Both of these teams are full of great individuals. I’m pretty sure there won’t be a player on the ice that doesn’t want to play the biggest part in their teams success. This could also have a negative effect for the team play so it’s up to the leading players of the team to keep these virtuosos disciplined.

Prediction: Sack Brothers have been superb, they have had an almost perfect season so far and the confidence is high. GENESIS was able to shut down Powerhouse hockey in the latest round and with that have experience of playing one of the best attacking teams this season. The series will be really tight but I believe that Sack Brothers will overcome GENESIS in the end of the series, 4-3. 
 

 EBR eSports Official (2) vs  HUIPPUPASSI (10)

The other pair that are familiar to each others in the quarters are EBR eSports Official and HUIPPUPASSI. Both teams played in group 2 in the regular season and the matches between the two teams ended in a 5-4 OTW for HUIPPUPASSI and a 3-2 W for EBR eSports Official. In the second round of the playoffs, EBR eSports Official had no problem winning Old Farts (21) with a score of 4-0 and HUIPPUPASSI was able to beat Sjukstugan (9) in their series with 1-4. Both of these teams had a real goalfest in their series, which could be the theme of this matchup as well. One of the players in this pair that has been absolutely on fire is @jjokke19 (HP) who is currently leading playoffs scoring with 36 (21+15) points in 9 games. This is the guy that EBR eSports Official must stop if they want to win. On the other side @Keuschemisch (14+17) and @Toews19 (BarriosLucas18) (16+10) have found the chemistry for EBR eSports Official that should be noted in HUIPPUPASSI's playbook. I believe these teams will continue where they left off and we will see lots of scoring and entertaining hockey on the ice. 

Key points to follow: 

Improvement from last season: Both of these teams have already done better than they did last season and for sure neither one wants to end the good form. In ECL 9, EBR eSports Official was beaten in the first round and HUIPPUPASSI in the second round. Now they are both only one opponent away from promotion to Pro for next season. The confidence must be flowing in both dressing rooms which for sure will add even more entertainment on the ice. 

Goal after goal: These teams know how to score and they both want to keep playing the attacking hockey they are so good at. For EBR eSports Official this will be a completely different kind of opponent than the physical Old Farts were, so they have to be ready to change their approach and be prepared to clash with the skilled HUIPPUPASSI team.  

Goalkeepers: Both of these teams were among the teams that had the most shots in the regular season. As the nature of the game is probably going to be pretty direct counter-attack from end to end there will be lots of good scoring opportunities and the keeper that has the ability to read these situations is going to play the key role for his team and can really devastate the opponents with the highlight saves. When the team likes to give pressure and attack a lot, it can sometimes make goalies look a bit vulnerable in the stats table, but both starting goalies @IMadeGod (iceiceice-_-) (HP) and @thesaw83 (EBR) knows what's coming for them.

Prediction: Really entertaining, free flowing attacking game in both ends where the winner of the series will be the team that simply manages to score more goals. It’s hard to believe that neither of these teams will set up any kind of turtle trap on the blueline and wait for their opponents to push through it. I believe that HUIPPUPASSI will be more prepared for this kind of hockey after a strong series against Sjukstugan and they will win the series with a score of 2-4. 
 

 HV71 eSHL (3) vs  Ducktales BK (7

If the matchup between EBR eSports Official and HUIPPUPASSI is expected to be the high scoring one, then this pair will most likely be the one with the lowest goals scored. HV71 eSHL was able to beat The UnderRated (19) in the second round of the playoffs with 4-1 and Ducktales BK won the series against ECDC Memmingen eSports (11) with a score of 4-3. Both of these series were really low scoring which tells that two extremely well defending teams will play against each others in this pair. When comparing to other teams that are still in the competition, the defensive approach could bring a positive ending to the season for whichever of these two teams that will continue to the semifinals. Just to make it clear, when we are talking about this smart defensive style of play that these teams are preferring we are not talking about devastating blueline-trap hockey that is extremely boring to watch and play against. The quality of the defense for these teams comes from smart positioning and skill to win one on ones, corner battles and especially loose pucks in front of the goal. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least half of the games would go to overtime and because of that the winner of this pair is really hard to predict. 

Key points to follow: 

Battle of the centers: The brightest stars for both teams will go head to head right from the first puck drop. Centermen @cHIIMEERa (DBK) and @Demski13 (HV) are the ones to watch in this series. These two players have played the key role for their team from very beginning of the season and actually the fact that they are both centers will even the odds in this pair even more because they are also defending against each others. Both of these players also have ~51 FOW % which makes every faceoff interesting.

Who will defend better: As said many times before, two defending teams will face each other and every mistake could become really costly as the team that will be able to score the first goal will have a huge advantage for the rest of the match. It doesn’t make scoring any easier that both teams have hot goaltenders that are ready to save the day if the defence leaks. The mental strength is also important because many games could end after several overtime periods and the risk of mistakes grow the further the game goes. 

Powerplay: The margins in 5 on 5 play will most likely be really small between these teams so the powerplay will play a massive role in this series. As the scoring is predicted to be really hard, taking advantage of even one powerplay could win the whole game. 

Prediction: Defensive hockey at its best. Few goals, great saves and long matches. The team that is going to win this series is the one that has more quality in the attack. HV71 eSHL have been able to find the net more times than Ducktales BK in this season without conceding many goals. That’s why I will predict that HV71 eSHL is the winner of this extremely tight series with a score of 4-3. 

 Angry Cats (5) vs  Hokurit (6)

The comeback kids! It almost feels like these two teams were meant to face off in the quarterfinals. In the second round of the playoffs both of these teams made an epic comeback in their series. Angry Cats were losing their series by 1-3 against HC SKULL TOWN (16) but fought back with three wins in regular time while Hokurit did it even better by coming back from the 0-3 losing position against Horror Hockey (13). Huge mental victories for both teams and I bet they can’t wait to get back on the ice. This one is going to be an interesting battle. The quality of forwards in both teams is outstanding and now they are facing two of the best goalkeepers in the league. Both of the teams must feel confident after last round, especially Angry Cats who have already improved a lot from the last season. It was this stage of the competition that Hokurit were beaten last season and I’m sure they have the hunger to overcome last seasons disappointment and play their way to the top four. Nothing will come easily, both teams surely know that even 0-3 series lead won’t get you through to the next round. 

Key points to follow:

Teamwork: Even though both teams have great individuals, the winner of this series will be the one that can group up those individuals better to play for the team. As both teams can be really effective in the attacking zone the team that wants to win will have to defend a bit more disciplined than they are used to. I don’t believe that either of these teams will want to take the defensive role so it will be about finding the balance between attacking and defending.

Finishing: The individual skill of finding the net is outstanding in both teams. This will be hard for the defenders when they have to choose whether to challenge the player with the puck or cut the passing lane. It’s important that the communication between the defence and goalkeeper is working. The team that is able to shut down every ‘’easy’’ scoring position will be the winner, since the keepers are ready to get all the normal shots without problem.  

Goalkeepers: Both keepers @Somerjoki (HRR) and @Giinis (AC) have been outstanding in the playoffs. Of course they could have not done this without their defence but still a save percentage near 85% for both of these guys is an amazing number. I believe that the best goalkeeper of this season will be the keeper that will advance to the semifinals from this pair. Now they are facing the best snipers in the league and the real MVP will help his team to victory.

Prediction: Both of these teams can be really proud of getting to the quarterfinals after challenging second round. However I don’t believe that neither of these teams will settle only for this as both feel they are ready for promotion. Angry Cats completely destroyed teams in the regular season and Hokurit have proven their quality now two seasons a row. It’s going to be close one but I believe that with the experience from the last season, Hokurit will be able to win the series with score 2-4. 
 

That's our small comparison of four great playoff pairs where all of the teams will want this to be the season where they earned the promotion to ECL Pro. It’s only four wins away but the road won’t be easy for anyone. I would like to hear the community opinion of the teams that you think will continue to the semifinals. Feel free to write it in the comment box below this article.

Huge matches! we hope you enjoy!    

NHLGamers,

In the latest edition of Player Spotlight, we asked Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen 17 questions. Today it’s once again time for a new article in the series and this time we are featuring the Swiss defender Reto @Haldeem Haldemann. We asked him 16 questions and as you already know, some are the same as earlier and some are brand new.

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

- I started playing EASHL in the summer of NHL 09, only with random people in drop-ins, but the mode itself got me into the game. First I tried as a forward, but my teammates told me because of my “good“ positioning and calmness, I should play in the defense.

2. What’s the best part of playing NHL 20 for the Swiss club ZSC Lions?

- My teammates, each individual is a bit crazy in their own way, but always with the right attitude when it comes to everything. Also the support from the fans increased enormously after we switched from The Black Jacks to ZSC Esports, which is a great feeling to watch in every game in the Twitch Chat.

3. What do you remember the most from your NHL 20 career??

- Three highlights came to my mind:
1. Playing in the team “The United Knights“ in NHL 12, with the forward Lineup @Foppatofflan, @hpkfani and @Urlauber61. Unbelievable what these guys were able to do.

2. The only EHL/ECL title I‘ve ever won in NHL 15 with MUKIMIEHET. Some guys say it doesn‘t count because it was on old gen, but hey - an EHL title is a title.

3. The 1vs1 tournament in Switzerland with over 100 participants. Every game was played on one monitor, so one player always had a disadvantage to play two periods downwards. The lucky fairy put me as top seed in the whole tourney and in every game I only played one period downwards. That was the advantage I needed to win the tourney.

4. Describe your perfect breakfast!

- A coffee with milk, some pancakes and bacon, looooots of bacon.

5. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team.

- In Net is Mr. Einstein @sibeelius. I have always been a big fan of him and his SV% in the current ECL shows the quality he has. My D-Partner would be another former teammate in @loimmu. Not only because of his offensive numbers but he‘s also reliable in defending the own zone and he‘s a Flyers fan, big plus. As forward I would take @FlyerKungen, in my opinion the best 6v6 player right now (let the debate begin). Great two-way game, pain in the ass in 1vs1 situations, good leader (that‘s a wild guess) and a fun guy in the party too.

6. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Swiss hockey league or the world’s best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6?

- I prefer to be the best in a smaller community than average in a large community, so I’d take the best NHL-player.

7.  Do you play or have you played hockey?

- No, never in real life. My skating is too bad.

8. What’s your best hockey memory?

- It was in 2015 when my local team SCL Tigers got promoted to the highest division in Switzerland. The series itself wasn‘t spectacular, but the party after is something I will not forget.

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

- I used to play football in a lower division but because of motivation problems I quit. Now it‘s mostly hanging around with friends.

10. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza?

- NEVER pineapple on a pizza!

11. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick?

- As I listen to basically every genre in music, I can’t decide on one specific song, so we go to the next question.

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

- My friends came up with the name “Haldem“, which is a short form of my last name. It wasn‘t available anymore so I Added an extra “e“ into it, now everybody says Haldim.

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

- Answer is in question 5, @FlyerKungen.

14. What kind of holiday is your favorite and why? 

- I guess it's a bit generic, but I‘d like to relax on a beach, enjoy the sun and go swimming. Combined with some day trips into hills/mountains.

15. For the last question, as you are from Switzerland, chocolate or cheese?

- Hahaha always something “sour“, cheese in every sort and form possible.
 

We thank Haldeem for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. For next time we want you to tell us who to interview. Please let us know which player you would like to hear more from below in the comments!

On the one hand, today is just a regular Wednesday. 

It could just be any day that ends with a -y really – keeping track of time tends to get bumped down on the list of priorities in the time of the pandemic.

On the other hand, today is not just a regular Wednesday. It is another NHLGamer ECL Elite Playoff Broadcast day. And you know those days are special. 

Especially when you have Elite teams like Färjestad BK, Linköping HC, hREDS and HAVU Gaming on the virtual ice and talent like @Tougie24, @Cynand @f5penguin in the broadcasting booth.

Check your local listings for information on when the broadcast starts. Or, you know, just take a look at the dashing poster art below. 

It starts at 20:00 CEST, okay? 

Playoff broadcast. 20.00. Write it down. See you there (twitch.tv/NHLGamer).

 Färjestad BK - Linköping HC 1-1  (0-5, 6-3)

The Färjestad underdog train just keeps on chugging, does it not? While it looked like the big, bad Linköping established dominance in Game 1 through a 5-0 drubbing, FBK dug deep and came back to win game 2 by way of a 6-3 score. And they did so in classic FBK fashion: solid defense, strong goaltending, smart decisions with the puck and X factors like @affelj96 and @eBasstian who both scored hat tricks in Game 2. The championship experience of LHC shouldn’t be underestimated, though. These guys have been here before. They’ve faced underdogs, they’ve been down 3-1 in the ECL finals… they’ve seen it all.

Goaltender @ICappeI said before Game 1 that LHC wouldn’t adapt to FBK's game style, instead choosing to play their game while forcing FBK to adapt. 

Perhaps that mindset has changed ahead of Games 3 and 4? It remains to be seen.

 hREDS - HAVU Gaming 0-2 (2-3 OT, 2-3 3OT)

One could argue the hREDS - HAVU series was actually a lot closer than the FBK - LHC series judging by Games 1 & 2. Even so, that series is tied at 1 whereas this one has HAVU in the lead 2-0. How did we get here? 

Well, by way of identical 3-2 (OT) scores.

Both games played in this series saw HAVU carrying a 2-1-lead heading into the 3^rd period with hREDS coming back to tie it late, once by leading playoff scorer @NikkeDangles and once by the lethal @Joukki. 

However, HAVU showed their championship pedigree by getting the deciding goal in overtime two times over – one by assistant captain @Dominointiand one by deadly defender @willekunq. 

As two games are set to be played tonight, Games 3 & 4, hREDS actually faces the very real danger of elimination. Can they stave it off and steal a game (or two) against the green and black? Tune in to find out.

NHLGamers,

As in all of our divisions, the playoffs are also underway in our entry level Neo division, and have been for a while already. We're currently in the third round with 16 teams remaining. It's a long way that these teams have come and there's still a good part left to push, purely looking at the effort in terms of games played in order to win it all - Neo is one of the divisions that require the most consistent effort and we all respect the teams who are able to grind through it. 

Lainaa

5.7 ECL Neo Playoffs

In ECL Neo, 64 teams will make the playoffs. These 64 teams will be made up of the top 7 from each of the 9 groups, with the final playoff spot being allocated to the highest team remaining ranked on PPG. As is the case with the ECL Lite, the teams will be seeded based on finishing position within their group, as well as the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

10.5.4 ECL Neo Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 10.5 - 16.5
• Playoffs Round 2: 18.5 - 24.5
• Playoffs 3: 25.5 - 31.5
• Quarterfinals: 1. - 7.6
• Semifinals: 8.6 - 14.6
• Finals: 15.6 - 21.6

Here are your third round matchups:

 Ringette HC (1) -  EIS Force Hockey (43)

 Pahat Pommittajat (2) -  Evolution HC (41)

 Taavetin Starat (3) -  Beastie Boys (32)

 Jarnkaminerna (4) -  MAXIMUM EFFECT (31)

 ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) -  Masiina (21)

 Suomen Dynamo (9) -  Wisby Islanders (20)

 Veikkolan Veikot (10) -  NHL4you Gaming (18)

 Polarbears HC (11) -  Otukset (12)

As always, play hard - have fun!

NHLGamers,

We're advancing on to the most exciting games of the season in our ECL Pro division. As we're down to four teams remaining, all of the teams left in the battle will earn a chance to fight for a promotion spot as the season comes to an end but the marching order still has to be determined and obviously the biggest price at stake is being crowned the ECL 10 Pro champion and being granted instant promotion. 

Lainaa

5.4 ECL Pro Playoffs

In ECL Pro, 8 out of 16 teams from each group will make the playoffs, in which they will be cross-seeded best against worst according to the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3. After the first round has been played, the teams will then be seeded based on PPG. The winner of ECL Pro will be instantly promoted, however the runner up will have to play (and win) a series vs. an Elite opponent in order to attain promotion. The two ECL Pro semifinal losers will each play one ECL Elite team ranked 13 or 14, crossseeded according to the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3. Teams that finish in places 9-12 will neither play in the playoffs nor be subject to relegation. All ECL Pro teams that finish in places 13-16 will play a cross-seeded relegation series, where all losers (4 in total) will be relegated instantly to ECL Lite.

10.5.2 ECL Pro Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 10.5 - 16.5
• Quarterfinals: 17.5 - 23.5
• Semifinals: 24.5 - 30.5
• Finals: 31.5 - 6.6

Here are the semifinal matchups of ECL 10 Pro:

(1)  Black Horse vs HanaaHC  (14)
Series score 2-0

Black Horse is a force to be reckoned with and seems to be absolutely unstoppable so far into the season. The team faced disappointment before the season when they were unable to advance trough the Elite Qualification Series but have bounced back nicely. @Tapparafan is leading the club from the front with solid backup from @Pasi Modry who recently made the switch over to the center position from his more familiar defensive post while @PCJP is a wall at the back end with an outstanding SV % of 85,11. Whereas Black Horse was considered a team able to qualify for Elite before the season, HanaaHC was among the group of Lite teams that were up for Pro consideration. After getting and proving a deserved promotion, the team has now risen out of nowhere into actual title contention. @Hazard-laser has proven to be a scoring weapon and is leading the team with his experience.

Players to watch: 

@Pasi Modry (10+15=25) Black Horse
@Hazard-laser (13+11=24) HanaaHC

(9)  Reality Check vs Enigma  (10)
Series score 0-2

Reality Check is a team that alike Black Horse that had to face disappointment before the season when being unable to advance in the Elite Qualification Series, but the consistently strong squad has been given second wind and are running with their chances. Their regular season performance granted the team a 9th seed into the playoffs, which has led them to going up against a very tough challenge in Enigma in these semifinals. Enigma is a group of guys with plenty of Elite experience both at the back end and in their forward department. Being one of the more high-scoring groups, Reality Check will have their work cut out for them. I'd keep an eye out for the battle between Enigma scoring leader @Nieppii and Reality Check goalie @Jann3_67_.

Players to watch: 

@jorma2001 (12+10=22) Reality Check
@Nieppii (11+13=24) Enigma

Both series are already underway, but there's hopefully a whole lot of good hockey left to be played. As always , have fun - play hard!