NHLGamers,

The playoff train in our Pro division is chugging along and we surely saw some interesting turns of events in the first round! One of these surprises were definitely HanaaHC outplaying the #1 seed Leksands IF and advancing with a series score of 4-2. The same storyline applied in the series between Nordic Stars (#2 in their group) and Children of Ice (#7), where the experienced group in Children of Ice took the series home in a game 7 finish. We await with excitement if the underdogs will prevail again!

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 quarterfinal matchups of ECL 10 Pro:

 Black Horse (1) vs   Children of Ice (15)

Players to watch: 

@PCJP (4 W, 87,18 SV%, 1,43 GAA, 2 SO) Black Horse
@Jorma Parola (8+10=18) Children of Ice

 Team Frosty (3) vs   HanaaHC (14)

Players to watch: 

@imosi (4+7=11) Team Frosty
@Raikkoneeh (2+7=9) HanaaHC

 Reality Check (9) vs  Blackdawgs (13)

Players to watch: 

@Jann3_67_ (4 W, 90,54 SV%, 1,4 GAA, 1 SO) Reality Check
@Serg1vratar (4 W, 85,71 SV%, 1,5 GAA, 1 SO) Blackdawgs

 Enigma (10) vs  Vaxjo Lakers (11)

Players to watch: 

@Nieppii (4+7=11) Enigma
@Hullued (4 W, 94,74 SV%, 0,5 GAA, 2 SO) Vaxjo Lakers

Unfortunately the we didn't have the resources to generate an in-depth preview this time, but will aim to provide for the semifinals. The quarters start tonight, so good luck to all teams - play hard, have fun!

NHLGamers,

We’ve reached the end of the road as far as the NHLGamer ECL 10 regular season broadcasts go. With the playoffs looming large, we cap things off with two matchups that will decide how the playoff tree shakes out.

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight.

 SJ Gaming vs Roots 
RECORD
12-14-2 vs 13-10-5

TOP SCORER
Jussi @JaKurrii Koivuniemi (22+21=43) vs Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen (21+19=40)

GOALTENDER
Janne @Janne Hietala Hietala (12 W, 77,27 SV%, 2,86 GAA, 2 SO) vs Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari (13W, 82,39 SV%, 2,23 GAA, 2 SO)
 

First up, we have SJ Gaming taking on Roots Gaming. For SJ, a “perfect evening” with four points is needed to have a shot at sneaking in to the playoffs. The eight seed is still up for grabs, but a lot will need to go SJ’s way for them to qualify – starting with taking four points off of one of the best defensive teams in the game. At the same time, SJ is feeling the heat from teams like Ghetto Firebirds and KOVA Esports chasing them down to avoid the dreaded Elite Relegation Series. One win would secure the Elite contract for SJ, two would give them a shot at the playoffs. Zero wins? Well, that could mean playing for their lives in a couple of weeks. High stakes indeed for captain @Terodeeand his men. On the other side of the equation, Roots has secured a spot in the playoffs but the games against SJ will decide what seed they end up with. As things currently stand, they could end up 8th, 7th or 6th depending on various results. Either way, they’ll have to take on a powerhouse in the form of Linköping HC, HAVU Gaming or JYP Jyvaskyla in the playoffs. But if any team stacks up well against the top three, it’s the “big green team machine” that captain @Tanski87has built. All that remains is deciding which opponent will be theirs.
 

 BRAYCE Phantoms vs Vesa Pompa HC 
RECORD
16-10-2 vs 12-14-2

TOP SCORER
Simon @PlaymakerSJ Junker (17+27+44) vs Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund (23+13=36)

GOALTENDER
Patrick @RPH_31 Braun (16 W, 75,54 SV%, 2,19 GAA, 5 SO) vs Philip @Pippo Johansson (10 W, 79,29 SV%, 2,19 GAA, 2 SO)
 

For our second matchup, we’ll see Germany vs. Sweden as BRAYCE Phantoms play host to Vesa Pompa HC. In this battle between national champions, BRAYCE has already secured a playoff spot, with Vesa making a late-season push to qualify. BRAYCE can finish at worst 7th and at best 4th. Finishing 4th or 5th would mean avoiding the top three teams, which should see an inspired BRAYCE roster come storming out of the gates. For Vesa, it is do or die. Just like SJ, they need four points to have a shot at the playoffs. And just like SJ, they need at least one win to secure their contract in Elite for ECL 11. Good thing then that the “new-look” Vesa is one of the hottest teams in the league for the past two weeks. Will that be enough to complete a near-miraculous run to the playoffs? 
Find out tonight at NHLGamer Twitch.  
 

Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV, and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers,

A month ago we started ECL10 Lite with 64 teams. Now we have reached the point where we know the 32 teams that will continue to the playoffs. Congratulations, now the hard work begins. We'd like to extend a special mention to Sack Brothers for being the #1 team after an impressive regular season with the record of 28-1-1.

We also want to thank the teams that didn't manage to reach the playoffs but still fought bravely and gave us an entertaining regular season all the way to the last rounds. Come back stronger next time!

Let's refer to the rulebook for how our playoffs will commence:

Quote

 

5.6 ECL Lite Playoffs

In ECL Lite, the top 8 teams from each of the 4 groups will make the playoffs. Regarding the seeding however, we will be using the following system:

Group winners are seeded #1-4
Group runners-up #5-8
Teams that finished 3rd #9-12
Teams that finished 4th #13-16
Teams that finished 5th #17-20
Teams that finished 6th #21-24
Teams that finished 7th #25-28
Teams that finish 8th #29-32
Furthermore, the individual seeding of the teams will be in accordance with the tiebreakers mentioned in 11.3.

10.5.3 ECL Lite Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 12.5 -18.5
• Playoffs Round 2: 19.5 -25.5
• Quarterfinals: 26.5 -1.6
• Semifinals: 2.6 -8.6
• Finals: 9.6 -15.6

 

Here are the pairs for the first round of ECL 10 Lite playoffs : 

(1)  Sack Brothers vs  HockeyProfessorn HC (32)

(2)  EBR eSports Official vs  DIKTATUURI (31)

(3)  HV71 eSHL vs  Speedy Bros (30)

(4)  Powerhouse Hockey vs  Empire (29)

(5)  Angry Cats vs  Nordic Nosebleed (28)

(6)  Hokurit vs  NOVA (27)

(7)  Ducktales BK vs  Remparts de Tours Esport (26)

(8)  Piiraaka Osuus ja Nakki vs  Tic Tac Toes (25)

(9)  Sjukstugan vs  TanssiiTuhtienKansa (24)

(10)  HUIPPUPASSI vs  Grenoble BDL Esport (23)

(11)  ECDC Memmingen eSports vs  Fysical (22)

(12)  Saucer Hockey vs  Old Farts (21)

(13)  Horror Hockey vs  Storhamar IL Esport (20)

(14)  Suomen Sonnit vs  The UnderRated (19)

(15)  Infamous vs  GENESIS (18)

(16)  HC SKULL TOWN vs  SOPPAJENGI (17)
 

Due to a  tight schedule and the sheer amount of teams included, we decided to leave a closer preview of teams and players to the next rounds. Fight hard, respect your opponents and enjoy the series. Nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs. 

Let the race begin!

NHLGamers,

As discussed in last weeks recap, the battle for the top-seed was and is still running hot as the big trio JYP (50pts), HAVU Gaming (49 pts) and Linkoping HC (47 pts with two games in hand) are all within striking distance for that top spot. Based on point average, Linkoping is in the lead and the reigning champions still have matchups against Lulea Hockey and Gotham Knights to go this week - an expected four win run but you never know with these games. As you might expect, these three powerhouses have managed to pull away from the rest of the pack, but the battle for the rest of the playoff spots is still running fierce. 

Most notably, Unlucky Boys HC has been on a tear as of late, losing only single games against SJ Gaming and Checkmate in their last 12 bouts. The only team in the middle of the pack that has a notable amount of games in hand on others are hREDS, who are in 4th place with a mere 24 games played. At the moment of writing, 33 points would be required to secure a playoff spot and Roots together with BRAYCE Phantoms are close to that limit. In immediate proximity of the playoff line, we have an absolute free-for-all. Five teams in total all have four games left to go, and are within a 3-point range of each other.

At the bottom of the standings, Vesa Pompa and Gotham Knights still technically have their playoff hopes intact although these teams would have to win a majority of their remaining games with some help from teams ahead in the standings. Vesa Pompa has shown some good form as of late an are still to play Unlucky Boys HC, Almost Famous and BRAYCE Phantoms which means that a cinderella story is not entirely out of the question, albeit unlikely. Almost Famous is in dead last with not much to cheer about, the club have solidified their position in no man's land for a few seasons now, but complete full-team defensive lapses have plagued their season leading to multiple vicious beatings despite putting forth solid efforts in singular matches. 
 

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Last week, we were close with 46, but now we've got a new record with 52 total goals in the name of Paul @PleeMaker Arontie. With four games still to go in the season, Plee has set the bar extremely high and rising for future superstars and scoring machines alike.
 

FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen, JYP Jyvaskyla

JYP had a power week with a total of four scheduled matchups in which the team won 6/8 games. Centerman tbnantti played all of those games and picked up 22 points in the process. Having added a few last night, he is at 4th in scoring overall right now.
 

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen, JYP Jyvaskyla

Doumi is has been one of the up and coming defensemen for a long time already, but this is the season he seals the deal and puts his name right up there with the best in the game. Eight games last week yielded the young defenseman 14 points. 
 

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Joonas @Jombb- Koivukoski, Gotham Knights

Honestly, picking a goalie of the week wasn't easy this time. It would be a safe decision going with anyone stopping pucks for a team in the top three, but Jombb- has been doing a great job for an underdog team like Gotham Knights. Jombb dressed for four games last week in which he kept an average save percentage north of 85% and a GAA of 2. 

NHLGamers,

In an incredibly exciting start to the last week of the ECL 10 Elite regular season, we'll get to see some intense top tier virtual hockey as JYP Jyvaskyla takes on Linkoping HC in a brawl for the top playoff seeds. In the second game of the night, Farjestad BK and Lulea Hockey meet for the rivalry between Swedish organisations in the top division. 

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight.

 JYP Jyvaskyla vs Linkoping HC 
RECORD
23-2-1 vs 22-1-1

TOP SCORER
 Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen (28+34=62) vs Paul @PleeMaker Arontie (52+30=82)

GOALTENDER
Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (13 W, 86,54 SV%, 1,35 GAA, 8 SO) vs Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (22 W, 81,68 SV%, 1,46 GAA, 4 SO)

JYP and Linkoping meet in a battle that plays a massive role in determining how the top 3 of the regular season turns out. Both of these squads have been on impressive runs as of late and show no signs of stopping. League-leading scorer Paul @PleeMaker Arontie has surpassed his own all-time goal-scoring record, whereas Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos is two shutouts away from surpassing Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen for most shutouts in a regular season. Either way, this is a battle your'e not going to want to miss. It's been about record-setting all season and this night is no exception, let's go!

 Farjestad BK vs Lulea Hockey 
RECORD
10-11-3 vs 7-12-5

TOP SCORER
Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson (9+33=42) vs Ville @hpkfani Luukkonen (13+12+25)

GOALTENDER
Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist (10 W, 76,45 SV%, 3,04 GAA, 0 SO) vs Ville @Supreex Korhonen (7 W, 76,83 SV%, 2,5 GAA, 4 SO)

In the second matchup of the night, our two Elite division Swedish hockey clubs will clash for  bragging rights. Both teams have slightly underperformed and are in dire need for some wins if they are looking for postseason action. Playoffs are in hand for both teams and a double win tonight will drastically change the trajectory for either one of the clubs. It is notable that Lulea is the lowest scoring team in the division, but FBK on the other hand have a higher GAA, which might mean there will be some chances opening up both ways. 

Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV, and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers,

As I lost against @jahajaha93 in the final table of the ECL Staff Poker Event, it is I who have to present the playoffs of the second edition of ECL Neo. All joking aside, this almost new division has gathered an incredible audience. Thirty-two teams had launched the first season of Neo, half of which had entered the playoffs. This time, eighty-three teams registered, offering sixty-four seats at the forefront of the playoffs ... Absolutely extraordinary.

Let's be honest, making an exhaustive presentation of this first round of playoffs is unthinkable. To try to find out more clearly, we have chosen the unstoppable option of statistics. Point by point we will draw up a Top 5 of the regular season, in the most factual way. These figures, due to the inequity of the groups, will have to be weighted. The fact remains that they still give some notable indications.

Scoring leaders  (Points) – Individuals
1- kim_johan, RGT - 112 points (18 games)
2- Xx_ZetterberG40, RGT - 104 points (18 games)
3- santtu3333, RGT - 88 points (18 games)
4- Pathen-21-, NC - 85 points (17 games)
5- CMB-wf-, FK - 77 points (18 games)

Scoring leaders (Goals) – Individuals
1- kim_johan, RGT - 59 goals (18 games)
2- flgr93, NC - 46 goals (15 games)
3- Kihan64, POM - 46 goals (16 games)
4- otakiinnijossaat, GT - 41 goals (16 games)
5- andreaskakan, EHK - 40 goals (16 games)

Scoring leaders (Assits) – individuals
1- Xx_ZetterberG40, RGT - 66 assists (18 games)
2- CMB-wf-, FK - 58 assists (18 games)
3- kim_johan, RGT - 53 assists (18 games)
4- santtu3333, RGT - 52 assists (18 games)
5- Pathen-21-, NC - 50 assists (17 games)

Save percentage leaders – Individuals (10 games played at least)
1- Fcoy_faze, DIF - 89.8% (16 games)
2- l_-JigSawG-_l, SVK - 88.19% (12 games)
3- FoxGoalie, EVD - 87.66% (16 games)
4- sorkpippi, PHC - 87.12% (16 games)
5- Empuuz_24, TVS - 86.84% (10 games)

GAA leaders – Individuals – Individuals (10 games played at least)
1- Fcoy_faze, DIF - 0.94 (16 games)
2- Empuuz_24, TVS - 1 (10 games)
3- FoxGoalie, EVD - 1.19 (16 games)
4- sorkpippi, PHC - 1.31 (16 games)
5- snaasigi, SFG - 1.33 (18 games)

Shutout leaders – Individuals (10 games played at least)
1- FoxGoalie, EVD - 7 (16 games)
2- snaasigi, SFG - 6 (18 games)
3- Fcoy_faze, DIF - 6 (16 games)
4- Xx_sidthekid_87, RGT - 5 (18 games)
5- AltenPfleger_89, UKN - 4 (18 games)

Defensemen scoring leaders (Points) – Individuals
1- Idko_5, RGT - 57 points (18 games)
2- Much1979, NC - 34 points (17 games)
3- Sirzuxie, EHK - 31 points (12 games)
4- juhkis96, POM - 31 points (16 games)
5- CuteTerminator7, RLJ - 27 points (16 games)

Defensemen scoring leaders (Goals) – Individuals
1- Idko_5, RGT - 17 goals (18 games)
2- L_Karlsson97, CWC - 7 goals (6 games)
3- Anzinho8, GT - 7 goals (12 games)
4- Alessandro3891, JNS - 7 (13 games)
5- juhkis96, POM - 7 (16 games)

Defensemen scoring leaders (Assists) – Individuals
1- Idko_5, RGT - 40 assists (18 games)
2- Much1979, NC - 33 assists (17 games)
3- Sirzuxie, EHK - 29 assists (12 games)
4- juhkis96, POM - 24 assists (16 games)
5- Aksuboi94, RGT - 23 assists (12 games)

Power play goals leaders – Individuals
1- flgr93, NC - 9 goals (15 games)
2- JF1891, DIF - 9 goals (16 games)
  - Mwigh, DPS - 9 goals (16 games)
4- kim_johan, RGT - 9 goals (18 games)
5- otakiinnijossaat, GT - 8 goals (16 games)

Short-handed goals leaders – Individuals
1- bambulexx, BB - 2 goals (6 games)
2- xreflex54, GFT - 2 goals (7 games)
3- Lilk1046, CHC - 2 goals (11 games)
4- echannover, FH - 2 goals (14 games)
5- Goegi91, BR - 2 goals (15 games)

Game-winning goals leaders – Individuals
1- kim_johan, RGT - 9 goals (18 games)
2- otakiinnijossaat, GT - 8 goals (16 games)
  - Kihan64, POM - 8 goals (16 games)
4- Fuchs2534, WHC - 7 goals (15 games)
5- Zimowski95, FK - 7 goals (16 games)

Hits leaders – Individuals
1- gacorigavecit17, LAT - 211 (16 games)
2- Lek3b4b, POM - 186 (16 games)
3- Bothniablod, MOI - 183 (16 games)
4- Venca29, CZL - 181 (16 games)
5- Cigi19889, HYB - 153 (16 games)

Penalty box leaders – Individuals
1- bonny2275, FH - 49 PIM (14 games)
2- gandy6666cz, CSS - 47 PIM (15 games)
3- Venca29, CZL - 46 PIM (16 games)
4- LaxenHD, MHC - 42 PIM (10 games)
5- djadidai, MFZ - 38 PIM (14 games)

Tripping from almost the front side leader
1- ShawnHeins44, CHC – way too much (10 games)

Shooting leaders – Individuals
1- kim_johan, RGT - 128 shots (18 games)
2- otakiinnijossaat, GT - 121 shots (16 games)
3- andreaskakan, EHK - 115 shots (16 games)
4- sgt_soccer, WHC - 114 shots (16 games)
5- Chilenco, EHK - 107 shots (16 games)

NHLGamer’s ECL 10 Neo regular season Awards
ECL Neo MVP : Fcoy_faze, DIF
Best forward : kim_johan, RGT
Best defenseman : Idko_5, RGT
Best goalie : Fcoy_faze, DIF

Statement from Casper @ICappeI Lundgren, Cover Player of ECL 10 and goalie of Linkoping HC
“I want to congratulate Fcoy_faze for being named the MVP in Neo. Being named the MVP is the biggest individual award you can win. Seeing it from a goaltender perspective it means that you have together with your teammates created the best possible opportunity for you to perform at your highest level. I had the chance to play with him recently and I was really impressed with his performance. I felt right away that this is a goalie that we will see on the biggest stage very soon. Once again congratulations with your award and good luck to you and Järnkaminerna in the playoffs!”

Goals scored – Team stats
1- Ringette HC - 153 goals (18 games)
2- Niederrhein Canucks - 118 goals (18 games)
3- Pahat Pommittajat - 101 goals (16 games)
4- Bull Dozer - 97 goals (18 games)
5- Fearless Knights - 93 goals (18 games)

Goal against – Team stats
1- Jarnkaminerna - 15 goals (16 games)
2- EV Duisburg - 19 goals (16 games)
3- Taavetin Starat - 20 goals (16 games)
4- Polarbears HC - 21 goals (16 games)
5- Pahat Pommittajat - 22 goals (16 games)

Powerplay leaders – Team stats
1- Niederrhein Canucks - 47.83% (18 games)
2- Redlight Jokers - 41.67% (18 games)
3- ScandinavianFishingGroup - 36.36% (18 games)
4- Cancun Pirates - 35.29% (16 games)
5- Grilli Tulille - 34.62% (16 games)

Penalty killing leaders – Team stats
1- Morganchipsen HC - 100% (73 PIM)
2- Honeypunch - 100% (59 PIM)
3- Dompa Poppers - 100% (56 PIM)
4- Territorio Hockey - 100% (49 PIM)
5- Ringette HC - 100% (45 PIM)

Now let's move on to how the playoffs should then be played, here's a short quote from the rulebook: 

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: 17.5 - 23.5
• Playoffs 3: 24.5 - 30.5
• Quarterfinals: 31.5 - 6.6
• Semifinals: 7.6 - 13.6
• Finals: 14.6 - 20.6

Here are your first round matchups:

 Ringette HC (1) -  CSSR Legends (64)

 Pahat Pommittajat (2) -  Support Linne (63)

 Taavetin Starat (3) -  Territorio Hockey (62)

 Jarnkaminerna (4) -  Bonusambers (61)

 Meisselit (5) -  Arctic Blaze (60)

 ScandinavianFishingGroup (6) -  HC Berlin Eagles (59)

Grilli Tulille (7) -  CaeSarS (58)

 Bahamas Mamas (8) -  Hirviklubi (57)

 Suomen Dynamo (9) -  Black Ice Guards (56)

 Veikkolan Veikot (10) -  Latvian Warriors (55)

 Polarbears HC (11) -  KulmalaHengaus (54)

 Otukset (12) -  Varissuon Toverit (53)

 EV Duisburg (13) -  Eituumielee (52)

 Niederrhein Canucks (14) -  HC Hybridi (51)

 Fearless Knights (15) -  ALLSTAR TAMPERE (50)

 Savo Bears (16) -  Redlight Jokers (49)

 HC Grizzlies (17) -  Morganchipsen HC (48)

 NHL4you Gaming (18) -  Puliveivarit (47)

 Gentlemen's Club (19) -  Bauer Rangers GmbH (46)

 Wisby Islanders (20) -  BurritoBrothers (45)

 Masiina (21) -  Red Devils HC (44)

 Lassen Lampaat (22) -  EIS Force Hockey (43)

 Thunder United (23) -  Honeypunch (42)

 Dompa Poppers (24) -  Evolution HC (41)

 Wolfsrudel HC (25) -  Vemppaosasto (40)

 UKnighted HC (26) -  CZ JDOUCI NA SMRT SK (39)

 Oulunsalon Pallo (27) -  Charleswood Chiefs (38)

 Enkoping HKS (28) -  Bull Dozer (37)

 The Mighty Skunks (29) -  Asgard prospects (36)

 SLOVAK VETERANS (30) -  Russian Lightning (35)

 MAXIMUM EFFECT (31) -  TeamHazard (34)

 Beastie Boys (32) -  EBR eSports NEO (33)

The series not to miss : Beastie Boys (32) - EBR eSports NEO (33)
Focus on this series which seems to be announced as one of the most closed. Beastie Boys (4th seed in Group 9) and EBR eSports Neo (4th seed in Group 5) have had fairly similar trajectories in the regular season. Ten wins and six losses each, these two teams are likely to go head-to-head during this first round of playoffs.
In the register of goals scored, advantage to Beastie Boys with 65 goals against 51 for EBR. On the other hand, the German team takes the advantage in defense with only 32 goals conceded against 40 against their adversaries. The two defensive special units neutralize each other by being fairly close: 89% for Beastie Boys, 85% for EBR. But the Germans are making a big difference in powerplay with 27% of advantage situations converted against 10% at Beastie Boys.
NHLGamer's prediction: we will probably need a Game 5

NB: We draw your attention to the fact that all the statistics given here are for information only on the basis of the ranking elements of the NHLGamer site. A large part of them are however erroneous due to the fact that the game reports are not entered with sufficient rigor or vigilance, in particular concerning the goals scored in powerplay or shorthanded. For example, in Group 1 the NHLGamer Staff noted nearly sixty insufficiently reported goals. It is important for the game experience to be complete through reliable statistics that this part of the team coaching staff work is understood as essential. Thank you very much for your attention.

 NHLGamers,

The exciting regular season of our Pro division is over for now and heads are turning towards the postseason. For some teams that might mean shifting focus towards coming tournaments, but we'll be taking a look at the ones continuing into the playoffs. It's time to take a look at the round 1 matchups and examine some key points in each one of them. As always, all series are played in best-of-7 fashion, meaning that four wins will grant access to the next round. 

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

A general impression of the first round matchups show a bunch of really evenly matched teams. One of two clear favorites can be found but overall, it's a free-for-all. Predicting eventual winners could be an impossible task, but as per usual, speculation is what we will provide. Let's see how we fare this time around and start getting ready for the playoffs of ECL 10 Pro!

 Leksands IF (1) vs  HanaaHC (8)

Leksands IF played an incredibly strong regular season throughout. HanaaHC also had a great showing but had 3 consecutive defeats at the end, which pushed them down in the standings. Maybe they jumped the gun a bit and were concentrated on the playoffs?  HanaaHC has been playing very disciplined and had enough scoring power to win the tight games. The youngsters certainly do have what it takes to be successful, but it'll be exciting to see whether the sheer experience that Leksands IF has will prevail. As stated, an upset isn't out of the question and HanaaHC might steal a couple, but in the end Leksand should advance.

Players to watch: 

@Isindar (33+33=66) Leksands IF

@Hazard-laser (27+23=50) HanaaHC

@Mikka (16+32=48) HanaaHC

Prediction: Leksands IF in 6

 Black Horse (1) vs  Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (8)

Both teams had good regular seasons, although KY had some interesting player turnover which might have had an effect. Neither one went on longer losing streaks. Kaupallinen Yhteistyö got a major boost since acquiring JANURI98. They are a strong team and the 8th seed can give the wrong impression about their true capabilities. In this series, we've got all the ingredients for fierce battle and I predict we can be up for an upset and see KY win the needed tight games. Black Horse has had a major weapon in their attack with experienced Wirtsuuu. It'll come down to the battle between attack and defense, but also which team will have a stronger supporting cast.

Players to watch:                                      

@Tapparafan (49+29=78) Black Horse

@JanneK. (11 W, 75,79 SV%, 2,8 GAA, 2 SO) Kaupallinen Yhteistyo

@Krisutus (22+37=59) Kaupallinen Yhteistyo

Prediction: Kaupallinen Yhteistyo in 7

 Team Frosty (2) vs  Sulkavan Sudet (7)

Team Frosty is known for their good disciplined teamplay and great defending with the ability to win tight games. They are a big favorite in this series against Sulkavan Sudet, who had a pretty good regular season that finished with three consecutive wins. Perhaps Sudet are peaking to start the playoffs and can challenge Frosty? As said, Team Frosty gave an impression in the regular season to be able to win the low scoring games but playoffs are a different beast. On the other hand, it is a similar situation for Sulkavan Sudet. By playing a bunch of tight games and coming away on top, I'd say that Frosty are already in playoff mode and by finding that same focus, they will come out on top.

Players to watch:

@Naikou88 (25+26=51) Team Frosty

@SpiderRoyal (22 W, 77,82 SV%, 1,9 GAA, 1 SO) Team Frosty

@Oxdoggi (25+31=56) Sulkavan Sudet

Prediction: Team Frosty in 7

 Nordic Stars (2) vs  Children of Ice (7)

Both team have a high average level. Children of Ice have had a weaker season than expected whereas Nordic Stars probably performed a little better than expected. NS is one of those teams that seems to practice almost every night which could give them an advantage. Then again, Children of Ice consist of some of the most experienced players out there. I predict this series to be tighter than you might expect if you look only at the finishing positions in the regular season. Although NS is a major favorite, Children of Ice have the ability to extend this series.

Players to watch:

@Jerax13 (37+26=63) Nordic Stars

@Jorma Parola (23+29=52) Children of Ice

Prediction: Nordic Stars in 5

 RPEAT Esports (3) vs  Vaxjö Lakers (6)

Vaxjö Lakers had a slow start to the season. However, since then they have improved their game and results tremendously. Despite their struggles, the Swedes are a high-quality team that know how to play when going into a playoff series against a viable opponent such as RPEAT Esports. Most likely, both teams will find that next gear and we'll see an all-out battle on the ice. Vaxjö Lakers HC has EDHOLMINHO as their main weapon on attack which might turn the series in their favor even if RPEAT Esports have the advantage based on regular season performances. The key players for RPEAT are Aze and Magizam, who will do all they can to stop VLH.

Players to watch:

@EDHOLMINHO (32+45=77) Vaxjö Lakers HC

@Aze (21+25=46) RPEAT Esports

@Magizam (17 W, 83,73 SV%, 1,71 GAA, 5 SO) RPEAT Esports

Prediction: Vaxjö Lakers HC in 6

 TIKI TALK (3) vs  Blackdawgs (6)

To cap off the regular season, TIKI TALK took the giant leap from 6th to 3rd place. They are in good form and a slight favorite in this series. Blackdawgs aren´t by any means without a chance in this series. They managed to win group 1 1st seed Leksands IF twice in the regular season, which shows that they have the ability to win big teams. TIKI has one of the best goalies in the Pro Division with Petterson12, who is a giant obstacle for Blackdawgs to overcome. Pettersson is the determining factor which will push TIKI to a win in this series. TIKI TALK must be aware of Blackdawgs' two top players responsible for over a total of 100 points combined: XxProArskaxX and ItzYung_Dzouvi.

Players to watch:

@itspardytime (39+30=69) TIKI TALK

@Pettersson12 (21 W, 83,47 SV%, 2,07 GAA, 4 SO) TIKI TALK

@TheArska (30+30=60) Blackdawgs

@dzouvi (24+23=47) Blackdawgs

Prediction: TIKI TALK in 5

 Riven Johdolla (4) vs  Reality Check (5)

For me, this is without a doubt the series to watch in round 1. Riven Johdolla has a tremendously skilled line of attackers who all dominated the regular season in scoring statistics. They also have a very balanced team with reliable defense and a goalie that is capable of stealing games. Reality Check is a very similarily built team with equal scoring power and a capable defense. I predict a very tight series with few goals and a high likelihood of a game 7 finish. Playoffs are a different world compared to the regular season so can Riven Johdolla maintain their tremendous level in playoffs? Riven has all the chances to go through to the next round but I see Reality Check as a minor favorite in this series. The key to this series will be which offensive powerhouse can eliminate their counterpart.

Players to watch:

@Vattu__ (35+39=74) Riven Johdolla

@BensaPoju (30+44=74) Riven Johdolla

@ilikkaa (35+37=72) Riven Johdolla

@jorma2001 (28+33=61) Reality Check

@James (29+26=55) Reality Check

@Pursuitti (20+31=51) Reality Check

Prediction: Reality Check in 7

 ZSC Esports (4) vs  Enigma (5)

In the regular season Enigmas performances were notable, having former  Symphony player Nieppii lead the way for them. Although Enigma has some star players, I don't see the skill gap between these two teams as too large.  Enigma left a very positive impression on me in the regular season and I wouldn't be surprised to see them advance. ZSC Esports have a special weapon in their defense. Their two go-to guys are high-scoring Bille1009 and Haldeem, who know how to quarterback plays but can also shut down the opposition. On the other hand, Enigma also has firepower in the defense with Crisu_Rottis at the forefront. We'll see if ZSC can match what Enigma throws at them in this exciting series.

Players to watch:

@Bille1990 (4+20=24) ZSC Esports

@Haldeem (4+20=24) ZSC Esports

@Nieppii (25+45=70) Enigma

@Crisu_rottis (7+22=29) Enigma

Prediction: Enigma in 6

As always, have fun - play hard!

NHLGamers,

Tonight's games are offering up a bit of everything. The middle pack in the standings are desperately fighting for points to solidify their playoff spots and that's exactly the kind of battle we'll be in for tonight. In the first matchup, Roots are facing Checkmate whereafter we'll see hREDS go head-to-head with Lulea Hockey, who seem to have been finding a good run of form as of late.

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight.

 Roots vs Checkmate 
RECORD
10-8-4 vs 9-11-2

TOP SCORER
Miko @Migo_boo Nurmi (12+19=31) vs Jonne @TackleControl Nikkinen (19+10=29)

GOALTENDER
Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari (10 W, 82,37 SV%, 2,23 GAA, 2 SO) vs Juuso @Juizki Nikkinen (9 W, 79,67 SV%, 2,77 GAA, 0 SO)

The first matchup of the evening sees two teams effectively battle for the same spots above the playoff line. Roots have fallen on a losing path but look to turn things around after quite surprisingly taking 3/4 points out of their matchup against JYP last night whereas Checkmate are in a similar situation, recently having turned around a starting losing streak. Both of these teams have a realistic opportunity of making the playoffs and will fight tooth and nail for all points up for grabs. Roots are known for making games low-scoring, whereas Checkmate have had a tough time converting on chances with only a 1,77 goals for average. Might that be one of the key factors in the game or will we see something entirely different from these teams that are frantically trying to claw themselves into playoff position?

 Lulea Hockey vs hREDS 
RECORD
7-10-5 vs 12-6-2

TOP SCORER
Ville @hpkfani Luukkonen (13+12+25) vs Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (20+18=38)

GOALTENDER
Ville @Supreex Korhonen (7 W, 78,3 SV%, 2,32 GAA, 4 SO) vs Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu (4 W, 81,97 SV%, 1,83 GAA, 2 SO)

Lulea Hockey and hREDS will be offering some exciting virtual hockey in the later matchup of the evening. The two teams come into these games from rather different angles, as Lulea has been struggling mightily for a long time, but seem to have found some run of form to mount a final playoff push. The REDS, on the other hand were expected to finish among the top teams and have mostly performed accordingly. Their team offense was suffocated completely in their two latest games against JYP, so the big bad red will be itching to get their engines revved up again. Lulea have scored the least goals out of all teams in the division (1,45 GF average), which is a beast that might come to haunt them when facing hREDS and veteran goaltender Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu, who is making his 7th and 8th appearances of the season in these games. 

Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers,

We have reached the last week of the regular season in our ECL 10 Pro division. At this point it seems that Leksands IF and Black Horse are on their way to group victory while Clumsy Penguins, Bellizzi, Prowlers Esports and Me Carvoset are heading to the relegation battles. For the rest of the teams, there will be a lot at stake in the remaining matches, especially for the teams near the playoff line. Both groups will entertain us with epic battles for the last playoff spots and we decided to bring you some highlights of what to keep an eye on in the last week. 

Group 1 

Teams that will fight for the playoff spots in group 1 are Enigma, Kaupallinen Yhteistyö, Blackdawgs, Djurgarden Hockey, MOCKBA, Cheers Hockey and The Syndicate. Even though Team Frosty are currently at 8th place, they have less games played than others and with their current form they are expected to join the battle for top 3 positions. However, as you can see from the scheme below, Team Frosty will play a key role in the playoff battle as well.

Standings and the opponents for the rest of the season:

5th Enigma (26 GP, 33 pts): Djurgarden Hockey and The Syndicate

6th Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (26 GP, 33 pts): Blackdawgs and Leksands IF

7th Blackdawgs (26 GP, 32 pts): Kaupallinen Yhteistyo and Cheers Hockey

_______________________________PLAYOFF LINE________________________________

9th Djurgarden Hockey (24 GP, 28 pts): Enigma, Bellizzi and Team Frosty

10th MOCKBA (24 GP, 28 pts): The Syndicate, Leksands IF and Clumsy Penguins

11th Cheers Hockey (24 GP, 27 pts): Riven Johdolla, Team Frosty and Blackdawgs

12th The Syndicate (24 GP, 25 pts): Bellizzi, MOCKBA and Enigma
 

Enigma will start as the favorites against both of their remaining opponents but every point is absolutely vital for Djurgarden Hockey and The Syndicate so winning won’t be easy for sure. One of the biggest matchups will be Kaupallinen Yhteistyö vs Blackdawgs. The winner of this game could secure a playoff spot and in the best/worst scenario, a shared 3 points could see both of these teams running away from the teams below the playoff line. That’s why Djurgarden Hockey, MOCKBA, Cheers Hockey and The Syndicate have to play for only for full points in the remaining matches if they want to keep the playoff dream alive. 
 

Group 2

Sulkavan Sudet, Vaxjo Lakers HC, Rookie Mistakes, Herlev Eagles and We Kings will battle for the playoff spots in the Group 2. 5th place TIKI TALK will also play a big role in the battle while 6th placed Nordic Stars should be able to gather the points from rest of their opponents and fight for a top 3 finish with HanaaHC and ZSC Esports.  

Standings and the opponents for the rest of the season:

5th TIKI TALK (24 GP, 35 pts):  Herlev Eagles, We Kings and Vaxjo Lakers

7th Sulkavan Sudet (26 GP, 32 pts): ZSC Esports and We Kings

8th Vaxjo Lakers HC (26 GP, 32 pts): Pata Hellalla and TIKI TALK

_______________________________PLAYOFF LINE________________________________

9th Rookie Mistakes (24 GP, 28 pts): HanaaHC, Me Carvoset and Herlev Eagles

10th Herlev Eagles (24 GP, 27 pts): TIKI TALK, Company of Geeks and Rookie Mistakes

11th We Kings (24 GP, 27 pts): Prowlers Esports, TIKI TALK and Sulkavan Sudet
 

Just like Enigma in Group 1, TIKI TALK are the favorites for their remaining matches but especially Herlev Eagles and We Kings need all the points to remain in the fight. For Vaxjo Lakers HC it’s important to win both games against Pata Hellalla and get as many points as possible against TIKI TALK to secure the playoff spot. Rookie Mistakes will play big games against HanaaHC and with wins from those matches they could really put pressure on Vaxjo Lakers HC and Sulkavan Sudet. We Kings are expected to win against Prowlers Esports and with crucial points against TIKI TALK their last matchup against Sulkavan Sudet could be decisive for who gets to the playoffs. This could be the case with Herlev Eagles and Rookie Mistakes as well if Herlev Eagles manage to get full points against Company of Geeks and steal the points from TIKI TALK. 
 

As you can see, pretty much everything is still possible in the playoff battle. The importance of the remaining matches will grow the pressure in the dressing rooms as every point will be crucial. There is no room for errors and only the strongest teams will continue to the playoffs. This will be a great week in ECL 10 Pro, we hope you enjoy it. 

Play hard and fair!
Your ECL Pro Writing team
@Oliverigood & @JakePlay77

NHLGamers,

With just two weeks to go of the regular season, things are coming down to the wire for multiple teams. The battle for the top seed had an interesting wrinkle thrown into it when hReds defeated HAVU this past week, placing Linkoping and JYP Jyvaskyla in the driver’s seat to earn that coveted #1 seed. With a 17-0-1 record and 1,94 points earned per game, JYP are actually in the league lead when it comes to point percentage. With tonight’s featured NHLGamer broadcast including battles between JYP and hReds, followed by the re-match of the ECL 9 Grand Finals (HAVU vs. LHC), we should expect to see some movement in the standings as the top teams continue to jockey for position ahead of the playoffs.

In the midfield – to borrow a Formula 1 expression – we find Unlucky Boys HC continuing their good form of late. The burger boys have continued to climb up the standings and are now 8-1-1 in their past ten games, including a clean sweep of four consecutive victories their past week (over Roots and BRAYCE Phantoms, respectively). KOVA Esports seems to have fortified their position, winning four out of their last six games. They did get knocked over the head by Vesa Pompa HC in their final games of the week – a team recently made more dangerous by the addition of deadline transfer Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen – but overall, KOVA have proven their mettle and look poised to earn a playoff berth. 

The battle around the playoff cutoff line is, per usual, intense and unpredictable. In fact, between the #7 seed Roots and the #13 seed Gotham Knights, only a single point acts as a barrier. Roots, Färjestad BK and GHETTO FIREBIRDS sit at 19 points each, whereas BRAYCE Phantoms, Checkmate, SJ Gaming and Gotham Knights have all earned 18 points apiece. An intense two weeks are likely to follow for these playoff hopefuls. 

At the bottom of the standings we find Lulea Hockey, Vesa Pompa HC and Almost Famous. If these teams are to have any chance of digging themselves out of the deep pits they’ve created for themselves, they need to average 2-3 points per matchup the rest of the way. Impossible? No. But certainly a challenge at this level. Vesa Pompa showed signs of life with their recent dip into free agency, and Lulea did pick up six out of a possible twelve points last week. But is it too little, too late for these teams?

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

Scoring seven goals in the same game rarely happens in ECL competition. At the Elite level? Unheard of. Yet that’s precisely what Paul “PleeMaker” Arontie did in a 10-2 win over Almost Famous. Simply sensational. 

FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linköping HC

See above. Yes, the same player was featured here last week. But, well, scoring 23 points (14+9) in six games (!) makes Plees performance this past week hard to overlook. With 46 goals on the season already, he is approaching his own ECL Elite single-season goalscoring record of 49 (set in ECL 4). And LHC still has ten more games to play this regular season…

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, Linköping HC

It has been a good week for LHC’s left defender. Not only did he rack up two goals and ten assists in the six games his team played, he was also featured here at NHLGamer in our latest edition of Player Spotlight, an interview series by @Faydas. 

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos, JYP Jyvaskyla

Sibelius has been one of the most consistent goalies on the European EASHL scene for quite some time now. This season is no exception. With save percentages of 100, 87.5, 81.8 and 93.3 in the four games he played last week (all wins), the last outpost of JYP is your goaltender of the week. Perhaps even the goaltender of the season – at least thus far.

NHLGamers,

Tonight's broadcast starting 20:00 CEST offers up a treat like no other, when the two matchups will showcase all of the current top 4 teams in the league. Each and every one of these teams are on hot streaks unlike any other and will be heading for the playoffs with high seeds in mind. In the first clash of the evening, hREDS face storm warning, as they will take on JYP Jyvaskyla. The second matchup features dear rivals HAVU Gaming and Linkoping HC, who are showcasing what the current top two in the league has to offer. 

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight.

 hREDS vs JYP Jyvaskyla 
RECORD
12-4-2 vs 17-0-1

TOP SCORER
Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (20+18=38) vs Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (21+22+43)

GOALTENDER
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (8 W, 74,77 SV%, 2,33 GAA, 1 SO) vs Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (17 W, 87,77 SV%, 1,28 GAA, 5 SO)

In the first matchup of the night, hREDS and JYP Jyvaskyla will be battling it out for which franchise is the bigger, badder red in the league. In our most recent broadcast, hREDS indicated the kind of skill that the team possesses by overpowering HAVU Gaming in two straight games, causing the surefire title contender their second and third losses of the season. The team played experienced winger Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen at LD for his first games of the season, which turned out great. It'll be interesting to see if he is their choice for that spot again, pending his availability of course. JYP, on the other hand seems to have been mowing down opposition like the hurricane they are. The team has suffered only one loss this season and has exhibited stellar defensive play combined with the best goaltending in the league, resulting in a GAA of only 1,28. Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos in net is the man to keep an eye on for JYP.
 

 HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC 
RECORD
19-3-0 vs 19-1-0

TOP SCORER
Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (24+34=58) vs Paul @PleeMaker Arontie (46+25=71)

GOALTENDER
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (19 W, 81,1 SV%, 1,41 GAA, 5 SO) vs Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (19 W, 81,01 SV%, 1,5 GAA, 3 SO)

HAVU Gaming and Linkoping HC have built a strong bond and a rivalry between the two clubs. Names and colors might have changed, but the fundamentals do not differ as we still remember these two juggernauts going head-to-head in a multitude of competitions over the years. Most recently, LHC has managed to pull the longer straw and is now the reigning champion, but HAVU Gaming are fighting tooth and nail to retake the throne. HAVU suffered two losses last Thursday at the hands of hREDS in a set of games where they looked a bit out of focus, so a determined group of guys will be taking the virtual ice tonight. The white lions of LHC have the highest scoring offense in the league by a wide margin with Paul @PleeMaker Arontie leading the way and chasing his own all-time ECL Elite goal scoring record of 49 notches (currently at 46). We should be seeing a low-scoring affair, which ultimately will come down to which team can better capitalise on the oppositions mistakes. 

Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV, and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers,

With a brand new season going on it’s also time for the Player Spotlight series to make a comeback. In the latest edition, we asked now JYP goaltender Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos 19 questions and the guy has been on a heater since then. Today it’s finally time for a new article in the series and this time we are featuring Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, who's best known for his dominating performances at the blue line of Linkoping HC. We asked him a total of 17 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?

- My first memory from EASHL was that I played a drop-in match on NHL 13 with a couple of friends. I felt that I liked the game mode from the start and I have played a lot of it since then. 
 

2. What’s the best part of playing NHL 20 for the SHL club Linkoping HC?

- There’s a lot of things that are nice with representing Linkoping, but I feel that the best part is all the support from both staff and fans that cheer for us every game.

3. Who is the loudest player in your team during the games?

- It’s different from game to game but I would say me, @ICappeI and @Eki.
 

4. Describe your perfect meal!

- Fillet of Beef, potato gratin and red wine sauce.
 

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.

- I would choose @Eki as forward cause I think he is the best forward in the game and he is a person that works with everybody. As defender, I would choose @iilmarii because I think he has evolved a lot in a very short time and I think he can be one of the best in the near future. As goalie I would choose @Supreex cause regardless of what team he has played for, he has been one of the big reasons for the team performing really good. He would be an important player regardless of which team he would be playing for.
 

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

- I would rather be the best NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6 because of the simple reason that I am a very competitive person that always strives to be the best.
 

7.  Do you play or have you played hockey?

- I played hockey for 12 years and I quit when I was 16.
 

8.  Why did you quit?

- I got a couple of concussions during my career and I was afraid that they would do permanent damage to me, and I didn’t have the passion for hockey left.
 

9. What’s your best hockey memory?

- My best hockey memory would be when Finland won the 2016 Junior World Championships. I was watching with my family and everyone screamed with joy when Kapanen scored the game-winning goal on overtime against Russia.
 

10. Describe a normal day in Joel Tourunen’s life! 

- I get up at 05:00 and get to work that starts one hour later. I work as an electrician and work from 06:00 to 15:30. When the work is done I go home and sleep a couple of hours, then I grab something to eat and after that, I play NHL until it’s bedtime.
 

11. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza?

- Pineapple shouldn’t be on pizza.
 

12. 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?

- It’s a very hard question but I would either chose The Box with Roddy Ricch or Roses (Imanbek remix) with SAINt JHN and Imanbek.
 

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

- From the beginning, it was my big brother that made an account that was called jtorro123. Both I and he are sometimes called Torro. When my big brother quit playing Playstation I took over his account and during the years I’ve been doing some small edits to the name, like getting rid of the numbers.
 

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

- There’s a lot of players that could be the best but I would say that @Eki is the number one right now.

15. What are your top 3 places or countries you want to visit? 

- I would like to visit USA, Italy and Nassau.
 

16. Which team will win ECL Elite?

- I believe and hope that Linkoping will win, and we will do everything to make it happen. But it will be tough against HAVU and JYP. 
 

17. Last question, who’s the greatest Swede in Linköping, you or Cappe?

- Haha, that’s a good question. Cappe is great both on and off the ice, but if Cappe were to play forward and I would play goalie, then we would be equally great . 

We thank jtorro-.- for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. For next week we want you to choose the next player that is going to be interviewed. Please let us know which player you would like to hear more from below in the comments!


Photo credit: Elias Gammelgård

NHLGamers,

In the broadcast tonight we've got some heated action for you guys! Starting in just a few hours some of the very best will face off against each other, when Finnish esports talents HAVU Gaming and hREDS clash for the title of which org gets the bragging rights until next time. In the second matchup of the night, Lulea Hockey and BRAYCE Phantoms go head to head in a battle between two teams desperate for points.

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight.

 HAVU Gaming vs hREDS 
RECORD
19-1-0 vs 10-4-2

TOP SCORER
Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (23+34=57) vs Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (18+17=35)

GOALTENDER
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (19 W, 82,43 SV%, 1,3 GAA, 5 SO) vs Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (6 W, 72,22 SV%, 2,5 GAA, 1 SO)
 

The stakes in this one are high and they extend way beyond just points in the ECL standings. HAVU Gaming and hREDS will enter a heated battle on the ice, fighting over who gets the bragging rights between the Finnish esports orgs in the ECL. HAVU has delivered according to their usual level, which is at the very top night in and night out. Captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha leads the scoring way (57 points) and finds himself in third place overall for the season, but the challenge in playing HAVU is that each and every player can be a threat from pretty much any position. Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen will have a tough night in net and needs support from his defense if they are to challenge HAVU in this matchup. Interestingly enough, hREDS have chosen to switch things up tonight by including Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen at the LD spot for his first games of the season. The man is a mystery both at the position in question and in terms of form, as he has been spending his days in the service of the Finnish armed forces.

 Lulea Hockey vs BRAYCE Phantoms 
RECORD
4-10-4 vs 7-7-2

TOP SCORER
Ville @hpkfani Luukkonen (10+11=21) vs Simon @PlaymakerSJ Junker (9+16=25)

GOALTENDER
Ville @Supreex Korhonen (4 W, 74,86 SV%, 2,56 GAA, 2 SO) vs Patrick @RPH_31 Braun (7 W, 73,81 SV%, 2,75 GAA, 1 SO)

The matchup between Lulea Hockey and BRAYCE Phantoms is a big one for both teams. It might not shake the Elite standings at their core regardless of the outcome, but for the teams themselves it's huge. Lulea needs the full four points to shock their abysmal season back to life and give themselves a fighting chance at both avoiding relegation and sneaking into the playoffs as one of the latter seeds. For BRAYCE, collecting four points would mean breaking a minor losing streak and putting themselves right back in the playoff hunt for seeds 5-8. Luleas main problem all season long have been scoring goals and with 12 games remaining, time is running out on getting their offensive woes (1,39 goals scored/game – last in the league) fixed. Ville @hpkfani Luukkonen leads the team in goals (10) and points (21), but he also leads the entire league in PIMs (28). Thankfully for Lulea, their PK has been one of their few strengths this season – coming in at 4h overall in the league (82,76%). For BRAYCE, the opposite rings true. With a staggering 42,86% efficiency rate, their powerplay stands as the best in the league (tied with KOVA). Leading the charge is playmaking center Simon @PlaymakerSJ Junker with three PP goals. The center also leads the entire team in assists (16) and points (25).

Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV, and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers,

A bit over half of the regular season in ECL 10 Lite is now behind and we have a vision of teams and players that are going to be strong this season. It's also clear that the race for the playoff spots is going to be extremely tight in every group and every point is important from this point on. All of the teams want to finish as high as possible in their groups to have optimal seeding for the playoffs while mid-table teams are fighting to get above the playoff line before the regular season ends. For the teams that are finishing their season at the bottom of the table it’s going to be more of a learning process and gathering that important experience for the future. However, there are still many games left and time to improve for every team regardless their current position in the standings.

We took a look at the midseason standings and stats and made a little summary of every group.

Group 1 

Current leaders SOPPAJENGI have been victorious in recent games against teams that they’ve been clear favorites to win against but they have also lost some important points against their main rivals, which could see them losing the top spot at the end of the regular season. The strongest candidates to overtake SOPPAJENGI are Hokurit, who were able to take 3 / 4 points against SOPPAJENGI when they squared off. Also one of the most positive surprises in this season so far has been Powerhouse hockey, who recently took 4/4 points from Hokurit and closed the gap between these two teams. 

In the predicted mid-table, Murohoki have taken some impressive victories but also suffered some devastating losses that could drop them out of the top 4 battle. They have played against all the top teams already and are now required to win the teams below them to secure a good position in the standings. Saucer Hockey took some vital points from Old Farts (4/4 points), Tic Tac Toes (2/4 points), and recently from Murohoki (4/4 points) which quickly turned them into the strongest playoff candidates in the mid-table. It is also expected that teams like Infamous and Empire will win the points to join the fight. Elamam Kiekko is currently heading towards another disappointing season but they have already played against most of the top teams in the group and they should be still able to gather enough points to challenge for a playoff spot at the end. Kuutamokiekko and Basic Instinct have to continue their good work in the defensive zone and take big wins from the rest of the games if they want to get to the playoffs.

There could still be a glimpse of hope for KSE Teutons to challenge for a playoff spot if they manage to get the victories from the rest of their games. Rusty Bulls (who took two points from Powerhouse hockey last night) and CapeTown Kings needs to improve a lot if they want to rise from the bottom. Game is over for Team HulluPullo.

@Nagyttaja, who joined Hokurit just before the season started has played key role for his team with league leading 44 goals in 20 games. SOPPAJENGI winger @Jondeezzis continuing from where he left off last season with an impressive 68 points (33+35) in 26 games. @Verve(Boychuk39) from Powerhouse hockey represents one of the most effective offensive defenders with 34 points (8+26) in 20 games and @Vamouxfrom Basic Instinct has currently the best save percentage in the group from active goaltenders ( 8 GP: 84,76 %)

Key team stats
Most points per game: Powerhouse hockey (1,7)
Most goals per game: Hokurit (4,41)
Least goals against per game: Saucer Hockey (2,05)
Best power play: Powerhouse hockey (32,56 %) 
Best penalty kill: Powerhouse hockey (90,32 %)

Group 2

Leader EBR eSports Official has been amazing in this season so far. In their games against 2nd placed The UnderRated they took 4 points (3-5 W, 1-0 OTW) and are heading to group winners if they continue to play the way they do right now.

Right behind The UnderRated there are six teams that are only up to 4 points apart from each other. Ducktales BK with two games less played than the others could rise to challenge The UnderRated for 2nd place in the standings. The upcoming games between The UnderRated and Ducktales BK is going to be crucial for both teams and extremely tight because Ducktales BK have seen half of their games going to overtime this season. HUIPPUPASSI who won their group last time in ECL 9 Lite had a rough start for the season but now they are finding their form and are fighting with Suomen Sonnit and Poston Fruits for the best possible position for playoffs seeding. The games between Suomen Sonnit and Poston Fruits are going to be really important for both of these teams and could decide which team will challenge for the top 3 positions and who will fight for the playoff spots at the end of the season. TanssiiTuhtienKansa and Remparts de Tours Esport are just above the playoff line so there is no room for error for any of these teams especially when last season's playoffs sensations Carolus Icemen, Hopeless Hockey Team and Syndrome are desperate to get to the right side of playoff line as well. 

In the bottom half, HockeyProfessorn HC are closest to challenging the teams above for a playoff spot. They recently took an impressive 3/4 points from The UnderRated. IK Oskarshamn,  AfroDunk, Slightly Below Average and Detroit Big Hinks need to change their course to winning ways to keep the playoff dream alive. For these teams it’s important to win all the points from other bottom teams or the gap to the top 8 teams will grow too big to catch. Last time in ECL 9 Lite, AfroDunk managed to get to the second round of the playoffs so they must be really disappointed in how the season is going so far and improvements are expected for the last half of the season.

@Keuschemisch from EBR eSports Official has been the deadliest attacker of group 2 with 59 (22+37) points after 20 games. @viba2008 from HUIPPUPASSI is the point leading defender in the group with 24 points (6+28) in 20 games and @Herra Manaatti (Ponmi) from Poston Fruits has the best save percentage ( 10 GP: 84,17 %)

Key team stats
Most points per game: EBR eSports Official (1,9)
Most goals per game: EBR eSports Official (4,15)
Least goals against per game: EBR eSports Official (1,95)
Best power play: Suomen Sonnit (43,24 %) 
Best penalty kill: The UnderRated (93,02 %)

Group 3

Sensational newcomers Piiraaka Osuus ja Nakki are currently leading the group but ECDC Memmingen eSports, who were previously known as WEREWOLVES HC are right behind them with less games played. Piiraka Osuus ja Nakki was able to beat ECDC Memmingen eSports in both games this season (3-2 W, 2-3 W) and maybe the biggest games for them are going to be the matchup against Storhamar IL Esport who also needs full points to challenge for the top position in the group. The fourth team in the top 4 currently are Nordic Nosebleed who have already improved from last season when they failed to get to the playoffs. All these four teams have started their season very well and are building a little gap to the mid-table teams. However, HV71 eSHL is still lingering with less games played and the team has found a good form with only two losses during the whole season. They are expected to join the fight for the top spot and especially their matches against ECDC Memmingen eSports and Storhamar IL Esport could decide who is going to win the group.

Speedy Bros is currently the strongest team in the mid-table with less games played than the competition. However, they have had problems in the recent games that could see them falling behind especially when they are yet to face teams like HV71 eSHL and Piiraka Osuus ja Nakki. HC SKULL TOWN who surfaced for the first time in IS CUP where they did an outstanding job by getting to the playoffs, have had a quiet start to the season but are slowly finding good form. They were able to win their main rivals DEG eSports (1-2 W, 9-2 W) and changed their course from being playoffs candidates to being a serious challenger for top 4 spots. Around the playoff line we find Grenoble BDL Esports, Clowns On Ice and Nearbird Fighters who all have had fluctuant seasons. Also DICE Hockey, Illumination and Finnish Hockey Legends are still in the race for the playoffs so it's going to be an entertaining last half of the season for group 3 too. 

At the bottom of the table we see nTice Esports and Free From Rodents, who are still searching for their winning form but most likely will not make it to the playoff fight this year. Free From Rodents managed to win 2/4 points from HV71 eSHL in their recent game that could bring some confidence back. 

@Wowa_1995 (Waldinho_95) from ECDC Memmingen eSports is leading the points statistics of group 3 with 22+31=53 points in 20 games while @Toneee9 from ECDC Memmingen eSports is the point leading defender with an impressive 8+32=40 points in 20 games. HV71 eSHL keeper @IsakTuvesson (Akoniaia) has the best saving percentage ( 6 GP: 93,1 %)

Key team stats
Most points per game: HV71 eSHL (1,79)
Most goals per game: Storhamar IL Esport (3,61)
Least goals against per game: HV71 eSHL (1,21)
Best power play: ECDC Memmingen eSports (39,53 %) 
Best penalty kill: HV71 eSHL (100 %)

Group 4

Sack Brothers are the leaders in Group 4 with less games played than Horror Hockey. As predicted, Sack Brothers have been excellent in the offensive zone with most goals scored of the teams in the league. However Sack Brothers are still facing Horror Hockey and NOVA in the final half of the season. Right behind the top 2 are Angry Cats who took big wins against NOVA recently (1-2 W, 5-2 W). GENESIS, who are the only team that have been able to win Sack Brothers this season and Sjukstugan who also were able to win NOVA twice. It is really hard to predict which of these teams could win this tough group and especially those games where they are playing against one another every point is going to be extremely important.

It seems that TeamEurope, Fysical, DIKTATUURI, Mustachios, Skelleftea AIK and ORIGINS  will fight for the playoff spots in the packed mid-table. Most likely only two of these teams will continue to the playoffs and to get there they have to be able to steal some big points from the top 6 teams as well. TeamEurope did this by winning 3/4 points against Horror Hockey in their latest matches and are now leading the playoff race.

At the bottom are Fat Burritos, YK-V Esports, Olympia and 5th Line Heroes. Playoffs are getting away from them but if some of these teams could get wins from the rest of the bottom group teams and steal some points from teams above, there could be a chance to fight for the playoff spot at the last rounds of the seasons.

@luosttin from Sack Brothers is currently leading the race for the most points on the regular season with amazing 74 points in 20 games while his teammate @Kucherov86 is at the top of the defenders stats with 8+33=41 points in 20 games. SPB_AlexZver_22 from NOVA is leading the leagues defenders goals statistics with 13 goals in 24 games. @Giinis from Angry Cats has an outstanding save percentage ( 16 GP: 91,62 %)

Key team stats
Most points per game: Sack Brothers (1,95)
Most goals per game: Angry Cats (5,25)
Least goals against per game: GENESIS (1,73)
Best power play: Angry Cats (39,22 %) 
Best penalty kill: Sjukstugan (96,77 %)

As you can see from the table, the rest of the season is going to be a hard battle right to the end for most of the teams. Everyone who has played some ECL playoffs before knows that those series can be really different from regular season games and every team have a real chance to win their opponent and move forward to the next rounds. The margins are very small this season and it’s going to be really important to keep fighting to the last whistle. We are excited to see how the table will form at the end of the season and wish the best of luck for every team in the league going forward!

NHLGamers,

With the Pro season past the halfway point, it's time to take a look at the action that's been going on in our second highest division. The competition is fiercer than ever and as we're closing in on the playoffs, the stakes will only get higher. Let's get on with our midseason report:

Top Teams

Riven Johdolla has had a tremendous season so far. They were leading Group 1 and have successfully taken command of the top three positions in the point totals department. Also, their defenders are the leading players in the defenders point totals and +/- statistics. The success of young and hungry Riven Johdolla isn't a big surprise at all. The fact that they have several players leading the statistics of their positions isn´t a coincidence and has a significant connection to the overall performance of the team success like you may expect. In the last few days, Riven Johdolla has experienced some minor fluctuations in their positioning, but looks to be heading towards the playoffs with a high group stage finish.

Team Frosty has also had a strong start in Group 1. In the games I have seen from them, their overall teamplay has been very well organized. Most of Team Frosty's games have seen very minimal scoring - both scored for and conceded.

RPEAT Esports and Leksands IF recently made an incredible climb to the top positions in the standings after having the youngsters of Riven Johdolla lead the Group 1 earlier last week. 

In Group 2 Black Horse and HanaaHC are leading the pack - as they have been doing for a while now. HanaaHC I saw last week against Shooting Stars and the strong team spirit of Hanaa was apparent as the joy those guys play with was visible through their performances. Nordic Stars and ZSC Esports are also determined to fight for the leading positions in Group 2 as we are proceeding to the second half of the regular season.

Playoff Battles

Recently I saw the games of two teams battling for playoff positions: Exen esports (Group 1) and Shooting Stars (Group 2). Both were good in their games and still have chances in their near future, but utilizing their scoring opportunities must be way more clinical than before. Differences between the teams in contention of the last playoff spots are minimal in both groups, so none of the teams around those positions can afford to drop points. Another interesting team is Vaxjö Lakers, who are also battling for playoffs in Group 2, which is quite surprising after an exciting campaign in the eSHL.

Kaupallinen Yhteistyo lost several key players recently, which has sent the team into something of a whirlwind. However, newly acquired goalie @JanneK. has been off to a hot start with the team and is a crucial component as they are battling for playoff position in Group 1. In the same group, Enigma is in pursuit of a place in the playoffs. Enigma should have been a title candidate but has surprisingly found that Pro competition wouldn't be a cakewalk for the skilled team.

Notable players

Some of the most notable players during the first half of the season has been without a doubt the attackers of Riven Johdolla, including @Vattu__, who has represented the white and blue for the last two seasons in the Lite Division. In Riven Johdolla, vattu_ seems to have found the right group of guys around him that have helped him to elevate his game to the next step. So far he has combined for nearly as many points as last season and there are still games left to go.

There have been goalies in good form in several teams including Team Frosty, Exen Esports, Riven Johdolla, and Shooting Stars. We've seen many low scoring games and despite none of few goals - there have been opportunities to score a whole bunch. One of the key goalies has been @JanneK. from Kaupallinen Yhteistyo as mentioned earlier. He is a really important player as the team is battling for a their place in the postseason in Group 1. @Nieppii from Enigma has also showed his Elite-proven skill this season. He previously represented Symphony, but has recently moved to Enigma. The team is still battling for a playoff spot and Nieppii has been a key player in that push.

In Group 2, Vaxjo Lakers LW @EDHOLMINHO has been in great form and is his teams leading scorer by a wide margin. In a somewhat underperforming team, he has been a glimpse of hope. Edholminho has maintained his level regardless of his teams performance.
 

Matchups to watch going forward

In the second half of the season, the battles for top seed will be interesting in both groups. In Group 1, Rpeat Esports and Leksands IF are scheduled to play each other on April 30th in a heated battle. On the same day there is a game between Kaupallinen Yhteistyö and Exen esports in which some important points in the battle for the last playoff spot are to be determined. we should see a low-scoring game with two teams showing a disciplined approach to the game, and on KY's side, we'll see one of the best goalies in the division. On the other hand, if we end up seeing either team in a desperate position, we might be in for a scoring explosion - you never know!

In Group 2, Nordic Stars and Black Horse are scheduled for a battle on May 4th. That is a heated rivalry, which might be deciding someone's fate in the top 3 of the group. These teams are likely to make the postseason and therefore also have a chance to force their game on their opponents a bit more.

That's going to be it for this snapshot into the action of the Pro season so far. What do you expect going forward? Let us know in the comments!
As always, play hard - have fun!

NHLGamers,

Our first broadcast of the week sees us crossing the midway point of the regular season and we've set you up with some interesting battles. In the first matchup, an underperforming Unlucky Boys HC goes up against a tough team to beat - Roots. In the second matchup, energetic KOVA Esports will take on a desperate Almost Famous.

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action tonight.
 

 Unlucky Boys HC vs Roots 
RECORD
6-8-2 vs 8-3-3

TOP SCORER
Antti @Anhel Kuru (12+7=19) vs Miko @Migo_boo Nurmi (10+11=21)

GOALTENDER
Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen (4 W, 85,19 SV%, 2 GAA, 1 SO) vs Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari (8 W, 85,55 SV%, 1,79 GAA, 2 SO)

Unlucky Boys HC have had an uphill struggle all season long. We're used to seeing them in playoff spot contention, but the ream led by centerman Antti @Anhel Kuru had a catastrophic start to the season. Familiar face Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen returned to guard the crease last week and might have been what the team needed in order to turn a corner. 4-2-0 in his first week show signs of improvement. Roots, on the other hand, have been a steady performer. The black and green have played a bunch of low-scoring games this season, a feat that can be attributed to their great and very organized game, but in their own end also to at times sensational play by goaltender Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari. In this matchup, I would keep my eye on the guys between the pipes.

 KOVA Esports vs Almost Famous 
RECORD
7-7-2 vs 3-9-2

TOP SCORER
Valeri @Valluxet Reihel (18+9=27) vs Eemi @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli (11+10=21)

GOALTENDER
Axel @MonkeyHeadAF Falck (7 W, 83,33 SV%, 2,44 GAA, 2 SO) vs Joni @Jonitski Rintamäenpää (3 W, 77,83 SV%, 3,36 GAA, 2 SO)

Both of tonight's matchups start in very similar situations. In this one, KOVA Esports has the edge as they have despite having a multitude of fresh faces in their roster, performed very well in the first half of the season. Their scoring has lied heavily on the shoulders of power duo Valeri @Valluxet Reihel and Väinö @Pikkardz Pikkarainen, but we all know that they have depth in their lineup too. Almost Famous hasn't been able to get going at all. After a turbulent offseason, the struggles have piled on as they can't seem to find consistency and have currently fallen into last place. However, their last broadcast showing resulted in 3/4 points against SJ Gaming, maybe tonight will be the turning point for their season?

Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer, alternatively ISTV, and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

Like we hinted at in last week’s recap, the big (h)RED machine seems to be waking up.

After opening their season uncharacteristically weak, hREDS have rattled off eight straight wins – including four consecutive wins in their last four games. The hot streak has catapulted the team into the top four, which now consists of the foursome many expected to be there: HAVU Gaming, JYP Jyvaskyla, Linköping HC, and hREDS.

A quick look at the leaderboards for individual statistics further enhance the domination by these four teams. The top six is made up of three LHC forwards and three HAVU forwards. The remaining four are two hREDS forwards and two JYP forwards. 

At the other end of the spectrum, we find Almost Famous and Luleå Hockey who both went 0-4 the past week, picking up no points in the process. Luleå is riding a nine-game losing streak overall (0-7-2) whereas aF (1-7-1) has had an increasingly tough go of things lately as well. Another team that is struggling is Vesa Pompa, one of the teams promoted from Pro. The reigning SCL champions did manage to pick up an overtime win against another Swedish team, Färjestad BK, in the NHLGamer-featured broadcast matchup between the two, but have gone 1-5-0 in their past six games and lost three out of four games the past week. 

One suspects these three teams are happy to turn the page on the past week and start a new chapter. 

When sorting by “points collected per game” for teams, we can deduce that Roots Gaming especially have been doing well beyond the top four. With a record of 4-1-1 the past week, the team has continued to build on what had already begun to look like a strong campaign. We are only at the halfway point, but Roots seems to have already positioned themselves as a sure-fire playoff team. Beyond Roots, teams Checkmate and BRAYCE Phantoms are also putting together strong seasons – both hovering above one point collected per game. 

One team that took off this week and seemed to leave a bad start behind them was Unlucky Boys HC. After losing eight of their first ten games, the team announced their intentions to climb by going 4-0-0 in the early goings of the week, defeating both Luleå Hockey and KOVA Esports without surrendering a single point. Their upward trend came to a screeching halt when they were faced with reigning champions Linköping HC yesterday, though. LHC collected all four points – further cementing themselves at the top of the standings for what seems to be another successful season. 

Newcomers Gotham Knights and GHETTO FIREBIRDS both continue to acquit themselves well at the top tier of ECL competition, tallying roughly a point per game thus far into the season. Färjestad, KOVA, and SJ Gaming have also performed adequately so far and put themselves in solid contention for a playoff spot.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

While it is in no way enjoyable to highlight these plays, at least not for this particular writer (Editors Note: the author represents Luleå Hockey), HAVU Gaming does deserve some credit for the highlight reel-worthy goals they scored against Luleå Hockey this past week. 

Enjoy. Or don’t. I certainly won’t…

FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linköping HC

EASHL hockey is about scoring goals and as of right now, nobody does that better than Linköping HC left wing PleeMaker. With 32 goals in 14 games, he holds a commanding lead in the overall goal-scoring race – helped by his scorching performance last week where he tallied 11 (!) goals and 2 assists in just four games. With that, he is our forward of the week.

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Wille @willekunq Juntunen, HAVU Gaming

HAVU Gaming had a busy week, playing four opponents for a total of eight games. Willekunq made sure to make the most of these games, amassing 10 points (4+6), and catapulting himself up to the top of the leaderboard for defender scoring.

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen, Unlucky Boys HC

Thrown straight into Elite by way of recruitment from ECL Pro team We Kings, “new” UB goalie Viltzup (he played for UB last season) certainly showed right away he can help the team win games. With an 85,19 save percentage, a 4-2-0 record, one shutout, and 2,00 goals against average, Viltzup is your goaltender of the week. Sure, he probably wishes he could forget about the LHC games yesterday – at least one of them – but overall, this first week for Viltzup in ECL 10 Elite was a roaring success.

NHLGamers,

Just a few weeks after the French professional team Grenoble Brûleurs de Loups entered competition, a new French organization continues the nations ECL surge. From this day onward, Hawks Olympique HC becomes Remparts de Tours Esport.

As we know, the French community is a rather small part of the NHL Gaming scene, not being as dynamic or widespread as the community in say Finland or Sweden. The fact remains that things are progressing, and they have been doing so rather quickly. In the wake of Grenoble BDL Esport, a new professional team is entering the competition. The Remparts of Tours, Division 1 club (first national level after the Magnus League) therefore become the second French club to enter into agreements with a collective of gamers and to join the ECL.

"It's a big day for the Remparts de Tours", states Stéphane Raisin, Chairman of the club. "We are proud to be the first D1 hockey club to invest in esports, the second in France. Like Grenoble, we are enthusiastically approaching this new adventure allowing us to explore an exciting territory. Our online team will be supported and considered in the exact same way as the one that thrills the Tours arena in the French championship."

Our French community members are excited but also quite surprised that things can move so quickly. "Our community has existed for several years, on the initiative of Hawks HC first and later the Cancun Pirates.", explains Yann @Virtual_Saku Maillet. "Let's say that everything really started to come together two years ago and I must admit that in recent weeks, a certain frenzy has started to surface. Almost all of us are grouped into a Facebook messenger group. Before ECL 10 we were about 40 and we are almost 80 now. It is unexpected to see this craze, but it is also a pride to see that our arguments manage to convince professional clubs and allow us to generate added visibility. This, in turn, has led to discovering new players that we did not even know a few weeks ago."
 

For the Hawks and their captain Freddy @Izzo Baribeau, it is above all a feeling of pride that prevails. “The arrival of the Remparts de Tours is excellent news for French esports, it is a continuation of Grenoble BDL Esport. Frankly, I am very proud. The whole team was immediately excited and very motivated. The project was presented to us in a very professional way, which proves that the French gaming community is taken seriously. The Remparts de Tours is a popular club with a very strong fan base, and a plan to get involved and to make the most of their notoriety in esports too. We can't wait to start under our new colors. Thanks to Yann for helping make this happen and to Kenneth @Kenu Lehtinen of NHLGamer for the help behind the scenes."
 

Remparts de Tours Esport will be playing their very first games under the new colors this evening, at 20:30 CEST against Slightly Below Average, 15th in ECL Lite Group 2. Follow the games on the Twitch channel of Remparts de Tours Esport.

NHLGamers,

We’re a passionate community of gamers and fans that are constantly growing - it’s with great pleasure we tonight announce the first Danish traditional sports club to join the ECL! Herlev Eagles will effective immediately be assuming the place of Kouvola Screaming Eagles in ECL Pro. KSE is a team with history dating back to ECL 5, when they debuted in the Lite division. The team recently gained promotion to the Pro level and has been giving competition a run for their money so far into their first season at that level.



We reached out to team captain Oliver @oSandello Sandell for some comments regarding the contract:

How was the contact with Herlev initiated and what factors attracted you to the club the most?
“Without a doubt, we can give all credit to our Danish superstar Martin @vibholm10 Vibholm. He has represented Herlev in multiple Danish championships with great success, which gave us a line of communication to the organisation. He also used to play real hockey in their second team. The rest of the team was really excited when Martin came to us with this idea of putting together the first professional Danish NHL esports team, and it all went smoothly from there. Furthermore, both sides agreed that a Danish eagle species combining with Finnish eagles could only be a good thing.”

As you'll now be representing an organisation, how do you think it will resonate with your gameplay and mentality, if at all?
“I don't think we will change anything gameplay wise. We have always prided ourselves with solid team play and will continue to play the same brand of hockey. Mentality wise this was obviously a great boost to the team morale. It feels great to know that the organisation has put faith in our talent, and we are looking forward to showing that we are worthy of their investment.”

"Our entry into esports contributes to strengthening and expanding the foundation on which we have worked purposefully to build over the past few years. It provides increased opportunities for both sponsorship revenue and creating a greater community around Herlev Eagles. This basically helps to strengthen our brand and make us even stronger." - Statement by Herlev Eagles
 

Herlev Eagles
Herlev Eagles is a Danish hockey club founded in 1968. The team has been competing at the highest tier in the nation (with some stints in lower divisions) for a majority of their history. In 2019-2020, the Eagles were on track for one of their most successful seasons in recent history, but due to the pandemic their eventual playoff push was cut short.

NHLGamers,

We're reminding you that tomorrow, April 23rd at 23:59:59 CET is the deadline for transfers in ECL Pro, Lite, and Neo. We previously had the 22nd as the last day for Pro but have decided to give Pro one more day for transfers in line with Lite and Neo. The ECL Elite transfer deadline is on Tuesday, April 28th.
 

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14.1 Transfer Deadline 

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

• ECL Elite: 28th of April 2020 
• ECL Pro: 23nd of April 2020 
• ECL Lite: 23rd of April 2020 
• ECL Neo: 23rd of April 2020 

 

Note: A player cannot leave a team after the deadline has passed (e.g. Pro and the 23nd of April), and then join a team in another league where the deadline has not (e.g. Elite and the 28th of April). 

 

Please remember to make sure your trades are in line with the rulebook before making them and check with support if you aren't sure. Remember, only one transfer per player is allowed per season - unless the player has played 0 games (overall, for any team) the entire season, which is covered in rule 14.11.

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

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

The Rulebook for the ECL has been updated with several important points. Please always refer to the rulebook for the full ruleset - this news story is intended to highlight some of the additions and/or amendments to the rulebook.

Without further ado, let's jump into the new rules.

Betting

While the ECL isn't officially associated with any betting company, some companies have started offering bets on ECL Elite games. This is an honor for us, as it means our games are appreciated at the same level of seriousness as we play and organize them with. In addition to the raised importance of reporting the games and potential reschedules in a precise and timely manner, the introduction of betting poses some potential risks involving integrity.

In order to ensure the integrity, members of ECL Elite teams are hereby prohibited from betting on ECL Elite games or other ECL Elite related bets.

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13.1.5 Betting

In short: In order to ensure integrity, members of ECL Elite teams are hereby prohibited from betting on ECL Elite games, or ECL Elite related bets.

If a person (be that player, or manager, or anyone directly affiliated with a team) is found to have placed a bet on a match concerning their own team, or another, regardless of the bet placement, the respective match(es) will be overturned where applicable, and the person in question who placed the bet will be banned for a calendar year (365 days from starting ban date). This penalty is extended towards those placing bets through the use of a secondary, or third-party account.

In addition to this, we strongly advise that players discourage both friends and family from betting in order to reduce the risk of said players receiving a false positive ban.

Finally, we encourage anyone to come forward if they feel they have indisputable evidence that a certain person, or persons, have been placing bets - whether that be directly or via a third party. As always, all disputes will be handled by League Administration and we reserve full autonomy regarding possible punishment on a case-by-case basis.

ECL Elite Playoff Schedule

Below you'll find the ECL Elite Playoff Schedule and the dates for the broadcasts (starting time 20:00 CEST). The goal is to cover two of the quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the finals.

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10.5.1 ECL Elite Playoff Schedule

• Quarterfinals: 17.5 - 24.5
  • Monday 18th: Series 1 & Series 2 - Games 1 & 2
  • Wednesday 20th: Series 1 & Series 2 - Games 3 & 4
  • Thursday 21st: Games 5-7 (Where available)
  • Sunday 24th: Games 5-7 (Where available)
• Semifinals: 25.5 - 31.5
  • Monday 25th: Both series - Games 1 & 2
  • Wednesday 26th: Both series - Games 3 & 4
  • Thursday 27th: Games 5-7 (Where available)
  • Sunday 31st: Games 5-7 (Where available)
• Finals: 5.6 - 6.6
  • Friday 5th: Games 1-3
  • Saturday 6th: Games 4-7 (Where available)

 

ECL Pro, Lite & Neo Playoff Schedule

Below you'll find the playoff schedule for the rest of the divisions. Due to the overlap of the different division's playoffs, our goal is to cover all of the divisions' finals on our broadcasts.

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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

10.5.3 ECL Lite Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 12.5 - 18.5
• Playoffs Round 2: 19.5 - 25.5
• Quarterfinals: 26.5 - 1.6
• Semifinals: 2.6 - 8.6
• Finals: 9.6 - 15.6

10.5.4 ECL Neo Playoff Schedule

• Playoffs Round 1: 10.5 - 16.5
• Playoffs Round 2: 17.5 - 23.5
• Playoffs 3: 24.5 - 30.5 • Quarterfinals: 31.5 - 6.6
• Semifinals: 7.6 - 13.6
• Finals: 14.6 - 20.6

 

Rescheduling games into the future

This is not a new rule, but something we ask teams to pay attention to. Games should never remain unplayed and unreported on a past date. If the games can't be played on the default date, discuss the new date with the opposing team's captains and use the rescheduling tool to update to the new date. This also applies to games played ahead of time - please reschedule them for the earlier date and time before playing and reporting.

This is important for e.g.:

• Betting
• Fans following your games
• League staff making sure everything is running as planned
   

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10.6 Rescheduling Tool
After teams have agreed to postpone or play a game ahead of schedule in written form, they must make use of the rescheduling tool available inside the league/tournament schedule to reflect this change on NHLGamer. To use the tool, find the affected matchup in the schedule and click the "Reschedule" button below puck drop time. Afterwards, the opponent's captains must confirm this action by visiting the main page, where they are alerted by a popup notification.

End of the regular season
 

Here you'll find the information on the last day to play your games. Any games left unplayed can end up being decided by the League Administration.

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10.4 End of Regular Season
All regular season games in ECL Elite must be finished by the 14th of May 2020. All regular season games in ECL Pro must be finished by the 7th of May 2020. All regular season games in ECL Lite must be finished by the 10th of May 2020. Finally, all regular season games in ECL Neo must be finished by the 6th of May 2020.

Instigating a fight

While we haven't been presented with any actual evidence about instigating a fight prior to a faceoff, we've been contacted by numerous teams worried about players instigating a fight before faceoffs. In order to save us all from the trouble of speculating about the topic - especially as instigating fights prior to faceoffs is generally speaking pointless - we have decided to ban this behavior.

That being said, if you can properly prove that this actually gives you a boost, please send us the evidence, as we're sure EA Sports would appreciate it.

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9.2.2 Instigating a fight in a faceoff situation
Players are strictly forbidden from instigating a fight prior to puck drop across all divisions. This is to eliminate the currently unproven, but speculated, speed boost from doing such an action.

Accidental fights

Accidental fights rarely get started - in fact, not even once per season. However, it can happen, so we decided to add it to the rulebook to describe what to do under these circumstances and what the outcome could be if the League Administration deems the "accident" intentional.

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11.8 Fighting

Players are not allowed to fight in ECL Elite & Pro. As for ECL Lite and Neo, you can fight under certain circumstances. For instance, you are not allowed to challenge a player in possession of the puck, or one that is about to pick up a loose puck. On the other hand, if a player delivers a big hit, gets the puck and the fight challenge comes up, the opposing team can take the fight, because the player delivering the hit is regarded as initiating the fight challenge. Initiating a fight with a player that is not in possession of the puck or in proximity of the puck is allowed.

In the event that a fight occurs in Elite or Pro, teams are asked to treat the game as though a player was disconnected as dictated by rule 11.11. Once the game has been completed, teams must make sure to flag the incident to LA via the support tool. If the fight is deemed to have been accidental in nature by LA, then no disciplinary action will be taken. If however, it is deemed that the fight was on purpose, then the game where the incident took place will be forfeited by the offending player’s team. In addition to this, the player in question will be suspended at minimum for 2 games.

Reporting game immediately after game

As mentioned earlier in this article, there are more eyes on the ECL and more teams in the ECL than ever before. This is why it's crucial that games are reported at the very latest within 24 hours of the game. It is good practice to report the games by the end of the evening, though. 

ECL Elite games must be reported directly after the game. This improves the experience for betting and allows our articles and broadcasts to always work with the most up to date information. Our broadcasts actually get the up to date numbers immediately after reporting now.

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12.2 Submission Deadline 
All match reports must be submitted within 24 hours of the game being completed, but in general teams are expected to submit the stats immediately. In case of any issues please contact the support team as soon as possible. 
Elite teams must they submit the game report immediately upon the game finishing

Winning team reports games

This is not a new rule, but something many seem to have a misconception of due to memories of ECL seasons in the past. The winning team is responsible for reporting the games. The losing team is, however, also responsible for documenting the necessary data as a backup.

ECL Neo Playoffs

Due to the expansion of ECL Neo from 32 teams to 84 teams, we added more groups and more teams make the playoffs. Here's how it works:

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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.

 

Transfer Deadlines

We allow transfers in ECL. Transfers are like trades, but there isn't a requirement for teams to get anyone in return.

Note: The transfer deadline is just around the corner. In order to leave a team or transfer, a player has to request that the captain drops them from the roster. This is to make sure the communication is there when leaving teams - in order to not leave the old team in trouble.

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14.1 Transfer Deadline

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

• ECL Elite: 28th of April 2020
• ECL Pro: 22nd of April 2020
• ECL Lite: 23rd of April 2020
• ECL Neo: 23rd of April 2020

Note: A player cannot leave a team after the deadline has passed (e.g. Pro and the 22nd of April), and then join a team in another league where the deadline has not (e.g. Elite and the 28th of April).

 

How to get help

I get messages (PM, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, PSN, email, etc) daily asking for help with a lot of ECL related questions. This applies to many other members of our staff as well. While we love to help you, when you get spammed with 30-50 messages on random platforms each day, it becomes an unmanageable task.

In order to be able to help you in a structured way, we offer our support section. Support can be accessed through the Team Tools (for captains) and through the community. Consider bookmarking this link: https://nhlgamer.com/community/support/.

Please keep in mind that while we try to reply as soon as we can, sometimes it will take a while for us to get back to you. The important part is that you report the issue and we'll help you out as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience.

We hope you found these updated rules logical and reasonable. Please let us know if there are any questions and suggestions on how you would make the rulebook even better.

UPDATE: 

21.04.2020 Updated Lite playoff specifics (5.6)

22.04.2020 Tweaked Pro transfer deadline to be in line with Lite and Neo (14.1)

NHLGamers,

After the second week of ECL 10 Elite action, we still have two teams continuing their perfect run and an expected top four to lead the pack.

The two teams in the hottest form are HAVU Gaming and JYP Jyvaskyla, who are continuing their perfect streaks with 10 and 8 wins respectively. Reigning champion Linkoping HC suffered a 2-3 loss at the hands of KOVA Esports in a somewhat surprising outcome, whereas hREDS are currently sitting at fourth place after a shaky start that they've slowly started turning around with the lead of especially wingers Joakim @Joukki Nyholm (7+10) and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (10+3), who really revved up their offensive engines this past week.

The most active team besides hREDS has been SJ Gaming, who are in 5th place with 13 acquired points in 12 played games. SJ is a squad that narrowly missed the playoffs in ECL 9 and has been eager to show what they are capable of in their new fresh colors. The teams performances so far have been consistently inconsistent, but staying at a point average pace of 1.1 would indicate securing a playoff spot based on earlier seasons. Teams such as KOVA Esports, BRAYCE Phantoms and Roots can be found in the middle of the pack, but in a tight division, changes will and are expected to happen quickly. 

Some interesting stories are also emerging from the bottom half of the table, where we somewhat surprisingly find a team like Unlucky Boys HC, who have arguably had a particularly difficult schedule and should improve in the coming rounds. An interesting note from Thursdays matchup against Farjestad BK is that UB recruited superstar winger Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen to fill in for their mainstay LW Joona @JimBoo Muona who had some technical difficulties. GHETTO FIREBIRDS on the other hand have expectedly had a tough time, but managed to take a number of games into overtime which would be a great thing if they could convert these into victories. The overtime curse seems to have been overturned last night when GHETTO successfully snagged their first full set of points with a 1-0 OT win and 4-2 win against Lulea Hockey, who have been underperforming to start the season.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

On Wednesday, Roots matched up against Linkoping HC and managed to steal a point in a tight battle. Goaltender Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari kept the game even with seconds to spare with this massive save: 

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Frank @Mannheimer1938 Münch, BRAYCE Phantoms

The captain of German pride BRAYCE Phantoms has really risen to the occasion after a tough last season and some turbulence that the team has experienced. With six points in four games this past week, this experienced gamer earns himself the spot as our defender of the week.

Honorable mentions: Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen (LHC)
 

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari, Roots

Swag has made a name for himself in the community by utilizing a very aggressive playing style, which once again is showcased in the performance of the week shown above. His performances this season has secured his team some important points and having a top tier backstop combined with stellar defensive play has led to only conceding 14 goals in 8 games so far.

Honorable mentions: Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (JYP), Joonas @Jombb- Koivukoski (Gotham)

NHLGamers,

Our broadcast of the night will as per usual feature some of the very best that NHL 6v6 has to offer, this time in the form of an ECL bout at the very highest level when undefeated JYP take on the juggernaut and equally undefeated HAVU Gaming in our first matchup of the night. In our second matchup of the night, we'll see two teams who are desperately trying to jumpstart their seasons when Farjestad BK go up against GHETTO FIREBIRDS.

Dynamic duo @Tougie24 and @Cyn will be casting the action for the duration of the night.

 HAVU Gaming vs JYP Jyvaskyla 
RECORD
10-0-0 vs 10-0-0

TOP SCORER
Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (15+18=33) vs Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (15+10=25)

GOALTENDER
Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (10 W, 86,21 SV%, 0,8 GAA, 5 SO) vs Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (10 W, 89,19 SV%, 1,2 GAA, 3 SO)

This is going to be an interesting fight between the two top dogs of the division and we're expecting two tremendously skilled teams to go to war in this double-header for the top spot of the league. Both teams have shown equally strong performances as of late, but if an advantage has to be given, it would be a slight one for HAVU because of the sheer experience that their group has of playing together. JYP made some major changes to their squad in the offseason and have proven themselves to be a serious contender this time. @kriketski17 has turned out to be the perfect addition to their already strong forward core as his craftiness has been a great asset so far. 

 Farjestad BK vs GHETTO FIREBIRDS 
RECORD
3-4-1 vs 3-3-4

TOP SCORER
Sebastian @eBasstian Nagel (8+7=15) vs Jere @Jertsicc Sirviö (6+7=13)

GOALTENDER
Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist (3 W, 75,23 SV%, 3,38 GAA) Jere @Jeresti Kulju (3 W, 73,79 SV%, 2,7 GAA, 1 SO)

Both Farjestad BK and GHETTO FIREBIRDS can be found below the playoff line. FBK especially is expected to play better than that and needs to get their game going if they want to deliver on their promises of success. The Swedish team has experienced a great amount of player turnover and some growth should be seen as they grow together as a group. GHETTO on the other hand has been performing close to their expected level and as a club in their first Elite season, they shouldn't be feeling the pressure of having to make playoffs. Last night, they managed to snap their overtime curse and grab their first OT win against Lulea Hockey. Will GHETTO continue on their path of beating down on Swedish teams or can FBK turn the corner and start racking up some points?


Tune in for all the action starting tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer or IS TV and Ruutu for our Finnish viewers.

NHLGamers,

As expected, the teams predicted to finish at the top of the standings got off to a good start. Well, most of them anyway. 

Reigning champions Linköping HC (4-0-0) began their ECL 10 journey with a bit of a scare as their initial opponent, German powerhouse Brayce Phantoms, came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game and nearly took home the opening game in overtime. However, LHC’s designated goalscorer Paul @PleeMaker Arontie stepped up and made sure to secure the win. Lifted by the opening win, the team came out and secured a second one as well. Momentum is certainly a thing in hockey and judging by how LHC leveraged their opening wins into their second matchup versus one of their top competitors, it seems to be a thing in its virtual counterpart as well. Consensus top-4 team hReds didn’t know what hit them until it was too late as LHC, for lack of a better word, crushed the recent Pro champion to the tune of 7-0 and 5-1 wins. With 16 points each through the opening four games, PleeMaker (9+7) and partner-in-crime Erik @Eki Tammenpää (7+9) are right at the top of the leaderboards for player statistics.

Sitting just above the LHC forwards, notorious HAVU duo Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha with 23 points (11+12) and Risto @Dominointi Järvi with 18 points (6+12). With stats like that, it’s no surprise really to learn HAVU Gaming also opened their season with a perfect record at 6-0-0. The foes vanquished were Vesa Pompa, Almost Famous and Unlucky Boys and the opening week included dominant wins of 8-0 (vs. aF) and 7-1 (vs. UB).

Only three teams remain undefeated in the league (not counting Färjestad BK who have yet to open their season) with the third outside of LHC and HAVU being new esport signee JYP Jyvaskyla (4-0-0). Led by powerful left winger Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola and his 12 points (7+5), the team has defeated Unlucky Boys HC twice in overtime and GHETTO FIREBIRDS twice – one win coming in overtime. Even if the wins haven’t come with the dominance or flair one might have expected from JYP, opening the season with a perfect record can never be anything less than a good start.

The fourth team among the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”, hReds, hasn’t come out of the gates roaring like the other three. Disappointing losses to LHC aside, the team suffered overtime losses to SJ Gaming (3-4) and KOVA Esports (0-1) and have gone 2-2-2 to open their inaugural season in ECL Elite.

Coincidentally, SJ Gaming (4-2-0) and KOVA Esports (3-1-0) are two of the teams to have the best openings beyond the unbeaten trio. Albeit early, Checkmate (2-0-2) also deserves a mention here as the points they collected was enough to put them in 6th with the first week completed.

At the bottom of the standings we find Färjestad BK (yet to play), Luleå Hockey (0-1-1), Unlucky Boys (0-2-2) and Vesa Pompa HC (1-3-0).

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK

In Thursdays matchup between Linköping HC and hREDS, @PleeMaker delivered this outstanding goal, which we name the performance of thew week.

FORWARD OF THE WEEK

Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, HAVU Gaming

With 11 goals, 12 assist and 23 points in just six games and a five-point lead clear of the second best skater, how could this go to anyone other than the captain of HAVU Gaming? FlyerKungen continues to cement his status as the premiere point-producer in EASHL 6v6 competition right now. 

Honorable mentions: Risto @Dominointi Järvi (HAVU), Erik @Eki Tammenpää (LHC), Paul @PleeMaker Arontie (LHC), Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola (JYP).

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK

Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linköping HC

No other defender has scored more than one goal thus far this season, whereas loimmu has already lit the lamp three times. Add five assists to that and you get a phenomenal start for a defender with 8 points (3+5) through 4 games.

Honorable mentions: Wille @willekunq Juntunen (HAVU), Eemil @Eemil Koski (HAVU).

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Alex @MonkeyHeadAF Falck, KOVA Esports

Making his ECL Elite debut, MonkeyHeadAF hasn’t looked out of place at all. In fact, he’s been one of KOVA’s top performers as the team got off to a solid start (3-1-0) this season. With two shutouts, a save percentage of 87,5 % and 1,25 goals allowed per game, MonkeyHeadAF has certainly made his mark on the young season.

Honorable mentions: Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos (JYP), Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (HAVU).

NHLGamers,

We asked ten team captains or alternates to tell us about their roster and ambitions for this second iteration of ECL Neo. In order to guarantee maximum objectivity we specify that these ten teams were chosen randomly, even Cancun Pirates, it’s promised ;). In a Neo division of 84 teams spread across 9 groups, we wanted to give the word to the teams in order to present themselves. This very succinct presentation will be followed, in a few weeks, to a more in-depth approach once the first games have delivered their verdict.

 Varissuon Toverit with @Kimiz1993

How did you compose your team?

“We have known each other for a long time and have played a lot of games together - now we are here.”

What is your game philosophy?

“Just play and don’t complain.”

What is your main strength?

“Our main strength is MO-DO - Gema Tanzen, it’s a song”

What is your main weakness?

“Our mental strength after losing a game.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“We want to proceed to the playoffs.”

 Redlight Jokers with @Steve

How did you compose your team?

“After the GCL season, we had a little break. Some guys decided to join other teams, so we had to look for new members. At first, it wasn't easy but at least we can say that we found some great players with a good personality and who can play more positions. We first thought that we didn’t have enough defensemen, but managed to sort out the situation. Our goalie @Christoph Kugler decided to go to Puck Panthers, but luckily he returned to us before the season. We think that we can be competitive for the new season.”

What is your game philosophy?

“We are Jokers, we want to have fun on the ice and to break some bones by laying heavy hits, LOL. Well seriously, attack wins games but defense wins championships, so we will stay good at D, take our chances on attack in different ways, not only with the same scheme. We are good for some strange and crazy action on the ice. We are not afraid to play against great opponents, because we want to develop our game, step by step. We just want fair games and to have fun.””

What is your main strength?

“Our team spirit, we will never give up even if there is a big difference on the scoreboard. We have some talented players who can make a difference, goalscorers, playmakers and some weapons on the ice. All of us have a good mentality, that can push the other player in case of a bad situation. We are so glad that Kuglach is back in the net, because he performed incredibly during the GCL season. One Joker for all, all for one Joker!”

What is your main weakness?

“If we get a powerplay situation, we are too hectic and we do not play enough to move the opponent in the slot to find the free spaces. On breakaways we look for nice goals too often. A simple goal is too easy for a Joker LOL. In some situations, we play too slow or have too much of a big space between the attacker and defender. But mistakes are a part of the game and we will fight us back. If we have a big lead, our concentration can be lost.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“First of all, we want to have a good start for the season, with great games and no troubles. Our goal is to qualify for the playoffs. We have a good team and we think we have a good chance to punch that ticket. We must fight/play as a team. Our second goal is staying tight on defense, which was our big problem in the past. Finally, we wish all teams good and fair games, but as Jokers we have always a trick in our pocket, LOL.”

 Cancun Pirates with @IsaaDePo

How did you compose your team?

“To be honest, it started as a joke because we were not supposed to join this ECL and finally with the quarantine, it became something serious. Our team is mainly composed of guys that played for Cancun Pirates during ECL 6 and we added some new faces, two of them will play their very first ECL.”

What is your game philosophy?

“Tripping penalties and shooting straight on the opponents goalie, mainly. To be serious, we only focus on having fun together, between a bunch of good and long time friends.”

What is your main strength?

“Having a member of NHLGamer’s staff on our team… And also the great atmosphere that prevails in our group. We really don’t care about winning or losing, except @Steve Yzerman, our captain…”

What is your main weakness?

“We have so many weaknesses, if not we would play in Elite like our good friends GHETTO FIREBIRDS who were in the same group as us during ECL 6. Well, to be honest we can lose our concentration very fast and very often.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“Nothing but having fun, about the results and standings - we don’t care at all. And we will cheer for our buddies Hawks Olympique HC and Grenoble BDL Esport, the two other French teams in ECL 10.”

 Masiina with @joujami

How did you compose your team?

“We are all friends IRL.”

What is your game philosophy?

“We focus on icing a good defense and striking hard on offense.”

What is your main strength?

“Our defense, definitely.”

What is your main weakness?

“We need to be better at converting on our scoring opportunities.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“We want to qualify for the playoffs.”

 Black Ice Guards with @miitu87

How did you compose your team?

“Voiko nää kysymykset saada suomeksi LOL”

What is your game philosophy?

“We try to make the guys better players for solo and team play, while having fun, keeping a good atmosphere and helping those of us who never played in the ECL.”

What is your main strength?

“Our team as group, mainly. I’m so proud of all the guys in my team.”

What is your main fault?

“Well, my weakness is that I have no idea of what I have to do as a team captain and to handle the whole tournament things, LOL.” (check out this post for advice!)

What are your ambitions for this season?

“Making my team a friendly and lovely family, and if possible, join the playoffs.”

 Good Fellas with @Nemli-SVK

How did you compose your team?

“I had problems with my previous team so I decided to put some good guys together and I’m happy with this new team.”

What is your game philosophy?                       

“Be smarter than our opponent.”

What is your main strength?

“We always try our best to have fun together.”

What is your main weakness?

“Mainly letting out focus slip and also some bad days sometimes.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“We want to be smart and win against rival teams.”

 Maximum Effect with @feertiiga

How did you compose your team?

“I just decided to create a team and a lot of my friends wanted to join in.”

What is your game philosophy?

“To just have fun while playing and keeping a good mood.”

What is your main asset?

“We have fun while playing and we also have fun while losing.”

What is your main weakness?

“We are not good at keeping a good overview of the game.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“We wan’t to be as high as possible in the standings.”

 Bauer Rangers GmbH with @SirScheissa1ot

How did you compose your team?

“We wanted to rebuild something with some good friends.”

What is your game philosophy?

“Stay strong at defense and work hard at the offense, LOL”

What is your main strength?

“As a new team, we had very successful times, we reached the playoffs in the ECL9 Neo and the GCL5 Div2. We‘re working hard, playing a lot together and trying to keep improving.”

What is your main weakness?

“When we are challenged like what happened for us in the GCL, we‘re sometimes playing low-skill hockey.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“Our ambitions should be to reach the maximum of ourselves. But the ECL can be very tricky because of the new teams joining. We are one of them, but we‘re thinking the playoffs can be possible.”

 Fearless Knights with @CzE Toni & @Zimowski95

How did you compose your team?

“We have carefully considered and put our team together. So that our boys personalities mesh well in the locker room, but we also need to be a team where you can play at a very high level.”

What is your game philosophy?

“Forcing our opponents on our playing style and then punishing their mistakes mercilessly.”

What is your main strength?

"Our team is extremely strong in character and fights to the end. Therefore, it is possible for us to overturn even a high goal differential."

What is your main weakness?

“Our main weakness is that we don't have one.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“Take it game by game and get into the playoffs. From the playoffs everything is possible.”

 NHL4You Gaming with @Hohner

How did you compose your team?

“When @Tornado.hr and me met one evening at the party to play we had the idea to build a team together. The name was also quickly found "NHL4you Gaming" NHL4you is our 1vs1 league and under their name we will start our journey. We asked some players from our old clubs as well as some friends and so we put our team together.”

What is your game philosophy?

“Never give up and keep on fighting.”

What is your main strength?

“Our main strength is that nobody knows us.”

What is your main fault?

“We are a new team and not yet so well established - it will take some time.”

What are your ambitions for this season?

“We want to reach the semi-finals of ECL Neo with this squad of experienced Lite and Pro players.”


There you go! We wanted to give the reigns of this article to the captains themselves and hopefully you have now become a bit more acquainted with some of the teams that are battling through our Neo division this season. Remember guys, play hard - have fun!

NHLGamers,

The first few gamedays of ECL 10 Elite are in the rearview and boy, have we been treated to some exciting action already! There's lots more to come and the same goes for out preview series, in which we overviewed "Contenders, Swedes and Newcomers" last time around. In the third and last part, we'll discuss the remaining teams, which consist of:
 

Brayce Phantoms and Almost Famous both saw disappointing results in ECL 9 by finishing 15th and 14th – both relegation spots. To make matters worse, both teams were defeated by hungry Pro teams in the promotion/relegation series; Brayce by Vesa as mentioned in our previous article and Almost Famous by Gotham Knights. 

But these teams weren’t going down without a fight. 

With the situation unclear for a number of teams going into ECL 10 Elite, two eventually decided they wouldn’t participate in the season due to disbandment: PARRU and Butterfly Effect. This led to a scramble to fill the two spots – resulting in the ECL 10 Elite Qualification Series. Brayce Phantoms, Almost Famous, TIKI TALK, Leksand IF, Växjö Lakers, Reality Check, Black Horse and Kaupallinen Yhteistyo were all given another chance to prove they belonged in Elite. 

Brayce, Almost Famous, Kaupallinen Yhteistyo and Reality Check qualified from the group stage which led to the matchups: Brayce vs. Kaupallinen, and Almost vs. Reality. Here the former Elite teams really stepped up and won their series 4-1 and 4-0, respectively – displaying an impressive amount of psychological strength after being “down and out” for such a long time. 

As for the teams’ rosters, much of Brayces gameplay still revolves around playmaking genius Simon @PlaymakerSJ Junker at center, but the recent addition of Stephan @Krinke Krinke at LW could prove to be an interesting one as the man has proven to be a dependable goal-scorer in recent times.

For Almost Famous, the players behind its revival are primarily assistant captains Janne @jahajaha93 Tarvonen and Joni @Tzon93 Tuovila whereas captain Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko will be spending the rest of the year serving in the Finnish military. Not only are they both skilled and capable players on the ice, their contributions off the ice should not be underestimated. Jahajaha93 brought the team back from death’s door through sheer force of will after a turbulent offseason. The team with new recruits tzon93, Samu @Ojamoska Ojamo, Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli and Lassi @Lazzio Hirvonen battled through the ECL 10 Elite Qualification Series with the energetic winger tzon93 instantly taking a supportive leadership role and bringing additional fire to the team. Brayce Phantoms and Almost Famous have been in playoff mode for the past months already – could that help them in ECL 10?

It wasn’t just hReds and JYP Jyvaskyla who entered the NHL 6v6 scene ahead of ECL 10 Elite. ECL 9 teams Miracle and POGGERS each secured contracts with Finnish esports organizations; Miracle became KOVA Esports and POGGERS turned into SJ Gaming – both well-known and respected franchises in the Finnish esports scene.

For KOVA, the team will look to build on their playoff finish last season while captain Kimi @Zip player Nordberg will be eager to prove that the mid-season additions of Mattias @iSvamp Björck and Amadeus @amadee21 Carlsson in ECL 9 wasn’t the driving factor behind the teams resurgence in the back half of that season. Miracle represented another esport organization, Swedish SHL club Djurgården Hockey, during eSHL but when a split occurred between the Finnish and the Swedish parts of the roster – eSvamp and amadee21 took on the Djurgården name whereas ZipPlayer quickly got to work securing a deal with the prestigious KOVA organization.

SJ Gaming finished 12th last season in Elite but missed the playoffs by a mere two points, suggesting they are close to being a playoff contender. Captain Tero @Terodee Dahlström had a very impressive run in ECL 9 Elite, scoring 26 points in 26 games and finishing third overall among defenders in total points. This season he will look to build on that performance and lead his team to the playoffs.

Unlucky Boys HC, Roots and Checkmate are returning to Elite after all performing well last season. Roots made the playoffs as the 4th seed, Unlucky Boys as the 6th and Checkmate just barely missed the playoffs, finishing 9th with the same point total as 8th seed Symphony. Being teams of supremely high ambitions, all three have made key changes to their rosters to take the next step in their evolution.

Unlucky Boys have made two significant changes to their roster from ECL 9. Goaltenders Rami @ramseyy2 Rissanen and Janne @Jann3_67_ Saari were brought in to replace Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen, while Brayce Phantoms forward Tim @Timasy Hess joined as the primary RW with Veeti @Wenger Paloneva moving down to assume the RD position.

For Roots, goalscoring legend Lauri @Lamsa Lämsä left the team and Timi @Rimpe Rimpeläinen joined. Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen was placed on “inactive status” due to joining the Finnish military services, leading Miko @Migo_boo Nurmi (who just came back after fulfilling that very same commitment) to assume the role of main center after acting as the teams backup for more than a year. The loss of Lamsa is a significant one as he had been the team’s leading goal scorer every single season Roots (Rusty Blades) has participated in ECL competition, but with captain Juhani @Tanski87 Tanskanen leading the team in a more balanced direction – having every player contribute equally on the offense – the team looks just as strong as last season, where they finished an impressive 4th during the regular season.

Finally, Checkmate also made some key additions as “the Nikkinen brothers” (captain Jonne @TackleControl Nikkinen and assistant captain Juuso @Juizki Nikkinen) signed Markus @Makeaxl Lahti from Symphony and Ville-Petteri @vviljo Särmä from Butterfly Effect, both highly sought after, to act as the teams main defensive pairing. As 1v1 star Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan continues to ascend the rankings of “Elite 6v6 forwards”, Checkmate looks poised to build on last season and make the Elite playoffs.


With this final preview part, we've taken a look at all 16 of the ECL 10 Elite teams to some extent - some more than others. The intent of this preview has not been to rank the teams in any way, but to create an understanding for the various situations that each of these teams are in. As we've stated numerous times before, we're extremely excited to get this season started!

ECL 10 Elite continues tomorrow, Monday 13th of April with two matchups at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. SJ Gaming will go up against Almost Famous and Checkmate in our featured matchups.

NHLGamers,

We'll make short work of the intro on this one and let you get down to the nitty gritty - ECL 10 Elite is rolling on and we've never been this excited about a season! Last time we checked out "The Big Two", which have been ruling the scene for quite some time already. Now it's time to move on to new subjects, which are the following:

You’ve heard their names before. Odds are you’ve faced them. In fact, they were both mentioned in part I of this preview. If any teams are to challenge favorites HAVU Gaming or Linköping HC for the title in ECL 10 Elite, odds are it’ll be either ECL 9 Pro Champions and IS Cup 4 silver medalists hReds (formerly “Delusion”) or JYP Jyvaskyla (formerly “Symphony”).

hReds has had quite the journey on their way to being considered an Elite title contender. Originally established ahead of early NHL 20-tournament IS Cup 4 under the team name “Delusion”, skilled forward trio Joakim @Joukki Nyholm, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen took the tournament by storm and led the team all the way to the finals where they were eventually defeated by HAVU. As there are no shortcuts to ECL Elite, next up for this team was ECL 9 Pro – a tournament they made short work of by finishing as the #1 overall seed during the regular season. It wasn’t until they came across Vesa Pompa HC – another new Elite team – in the playoff finals that they were finally challenged. 

Even so, Delusion took the series and were crowned ECL 9 Pro Champions – ensuring a spot in Elite for ECL 10. With Casper @ICappeI Lundgren having been the team’s “loan” goaltender in IS Cup, gifted up-and-comer Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen manned the pipes for ECL 9 and performed outstandingly in his first Pro season. Chances are he’ll turn quite a few heads come the start of the Elite season so if you’re looking for a #HiddenGem, this guy is one to consider. On defense, veteran LD Janne @Janzuh Nyquist has been with the team since its inception and acts as the defensive fail-safe for the teams’ offense-first play style. ECL 10 will be Janzuhs fifth Elite season. On RD, the transfer of gifted offensive defender Ilmari @iilmarii Töyrylä from hReds to JYP after ECL 9 opened a hole that was filled by Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila. While a talented defender in his own right, xteemuzz would objectively be considered the wildcard on this roster. Finally, the team made another change as it was time for KingOfApes_ to fulfill his duty to the motherland and enlist in the Finnish military services for a time. To compensate for Apes assuming “inactive” status, the team brought in dangling wunderkid Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen from the since-then folded team Butterfly Effect. 

The Butterfly boys were on the verge of greatness in both IS Cup 4 and ECL 9 Elite but fell short on both occasions, leading its players to migrate to other teams. 

JYP Jyvaskyla has had an equally interesting path to becoming ECL 10 pre-season favorites. Bursting onto the scene as Symphony in IS Cup 3 (eSM 2018), former Aapon Taikasauva captain Santeri @indi969 Pendolin led a star-studded roster to a bronze medal in their first tournament together. For ECL 7 Elite, Aapon became Symphony and indi969 recruited what would become a cornerstone of the team: center and puck-possession wizard Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen. Right away in their first Elite season as Symphony, the team made it all the way to the finals. After losing a tough battle against FILADELPHIA, the team lost a key piece as Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen left to join Written In The Stars for ECL 8. The team failed to replicate their success in ECL 8, falling to Rusty Blades in the Quarterfinals and once ECL 9 rolled around, the only player left from the ECL 7 finals run was indi969 himself and backup goaltender, since promoted to starter, Lauri @Lauri Piipponen. Another first-round exit in ECL 9 lit a fire within indi969 and together with tbnantti, the center having now played five tournaments with the team, they set out to re-build the team and return it to its former glory. 

Bringing RD iilmarii back after two seasons with Delusion, adding 1v1 virtuoso (and Finnish Champion) Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola to be their LW, Oskari @SIbeIius Grönroos as their starting goaltender and the highest scoring defender in ECL 9 Elite, Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen, to act as their LD certainly has given them the tools to once again compete for a title. To add to what has been a very successful off-season for the team between ECL:s 9 and 10; just days before ECL 10 Elite opened its doors the team signed a deal with professional hockey team JYP Jyväskälä of Finnish Liiga to act as their esports representatives. How about that?

You won’t ever see HAVU or Linköping shaking in their boots. It’s just not what they do. But if they ever did, it’d be because of either hReds or JYP Jyvaskyla.

Outside of Linköping, ECL 10 Elite features an additional two SHL teams: Färjestad BK and Luleå Hockey. Or, as the ECL historians would call them; Bucketeers and Northern Ascendancy.

Färjestad finished outside the playoffs in ECL 9 Elite but bounced back with a respectable top-4 finish in recent tournament eSHL – helped in part by the recruitment of HAVU defensive pairing Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto and Wille @willekunq Juntunen. The adjusted roster displayed a renewed sense of focus and energy, with cerebral center Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson continually creating space for his teammates while allowing the HAVU defenders to attack at will. On the wings, Mattias @Tacterz Hjelm and Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist dodged, dipped, ducked, and slipped their way through opposing defenders and racked up respectable point totals between the two of them. 

As expected, the HAVU defenders returned to their former team upon the completion of eSHL – leaving FBK with a problem on their hands. Who would replace such a skilled defensive duo? The answer was a creative one. The team moved gifted RW Rubituss to slot in at LD and recruited Harri @Totalii Joona from Checkmate to act as the teams RD – the Finnish defenders’ 7th straight season in ECL Elite. On forward, Rubituss’ RW spot was filled by none other than Sebastian @eBasstian Nagel, recruited from ECL Pro team (and fellow eSHL participant) Växjö Lakers. At LW, Tacterz decided to take a step back and act as more of a reserve. This problem was quickly solved by adding another Växjö player, goalscoring machine and reigning SCL champion Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg. 

With all the changes made to the FBK roster, predicting how they will finish in ECL 10 is no easy task. But judging by the gameplay they have shown when this writer has faced them in regular EASHL, they could very well surprise quite a few people and end up a playoff team. 

For Luleå, not much has changed in the roster since their disappointing quarterfinal exit in eSHL against Leksand. The team looked poised to build on their impressive, yet somewhat surprising, top-4 finish in ECL 9 but instead took a step backwards during eSHL while never finding the team chemistry necessary to move forward. Since eSHL, Luleå has focused on re-establishing their basics in practice – “walk before you can run again”, as one player put it – and are entering the tournament with the hopes of re-discovering their ECL 9 magic. Left wing Ville @hpkfani Luukkonen is still to be considered the teams primary scoring threat, yet persistent rumors suggest the team still has one big, final piece of the puzzle to add. 

Stay tuned for more. 

Vesa Pompa HC, Gotham Knights and Ghetto Firebirds joined Delusion in advancing from Pro – all of them defeating “their” Elite opponent in the relegation/promotion battle. 

Gotham Knights make their long-awaited return to Elite after spending ECL:s 8 and 9 in Pro as a top team and title contender. The team, led by captain and center Joni @ReDMisTi Kaikkonen, has been together for a long time and is one of the precious few teams in the community that have been around ever since ECL 1. The re-branding to “Gotham Knights” took place in ECL 5, whereas before that the team was known as “Refuse To Lose”. Other key players for the team include dangerous wingers Emil @Hanssonni Hansson and Joni @selänne8 Kurtti. Expect Gotham Knights to be hungry for success and with enough steps forward from the teams’ defense and goaltending, they very well might achieve it. 

Ghetto Firebirds is another one of those teams that have been around for a long, long time – battling their way all the way from Lite in ECL 4 to finally reach the coveted Elite division in ECL 10. What a journey it has been for the team and what an experience for captain Keka @KepakkoFIN Muyima and players Joonas @Taettonov Siira and Ville @Vilze Systä, who have been around ever since the team first saw the light of day, to finally see the proud Firebird with an ECL Elite logo next to it. Stories like Ghetto Firebirds’ is really what the ECL divisional system is all about. With a healthy portion of skill, a powerful dedication to teamwork and an uncompromising attitude towards putting in the necessary work, advancement through the system is within your grasp. Look for the Firebirds to come out swinging with their stingy defense and hard-working offense – eager to prove they belong at the pinnacle of European 6v6 hockey. 

Vesa Pompa HC was an expected addition to Elite, if you can ever really say something like that. If Delusion was the clear favorite in ECL 9 Pro, Vesa was definitely the second team on that ranking. And wouldn’t you know it – those are the exact teams that ended up in the finals. After giving Delusion a solid fight but failing to retrieve the Pro title, captain Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann and his team faced off with Brayce Phantoms in the relegation/promotion battle. The reigning SCL champions Vesa managed to defeat the four-time German champions Brayce in OT of Game 7 after coming back to tie the deciding game up in the final minute. With a core built around Lehmannens, fellow defender Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander, star winger Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund and lightning-quick goaltender Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg, the team guest starred as Malmö Redhawks in the eSHL. A tournament in which they, with the help of HAVU forwards Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha and Risto @Dominointi Järvi, made it all the way to the finals against Linköping where they gave the eventual champions a good battle before securing a silver medal. Replacing two such prestigious forwards was no easy task but Vesa quickly found a solution by retaining their Finnish forwards Mikke @Nampa77 Nampajärvi and Olof @Spearzz_ Forsbacka, while adding Butterfly Effects former captain Jere @jergelii Jortama as the teams’ centerpiece. With a winning attitude and success in many of their previous tournaments, Vesa is a prime candidate to challenge the top teams for a solid playoff spot.

That'll be it for this time, we still have a handful of teams to go, which we'll take a closer look at tomorrow!

Next up; the final part of the ECL 10 Elite preview where we break down the remaining handful of teams. Some who took the hard way, some new organisations and finally, some familiar faces making a return. Stay tuned!

Quote

NHLGamers,

For the tenth season of our beloved ECL we truly want to bring you something special. We're stepping up our game and aim to deliver on that promise. It's customary for us to release a preview before the season and this one is no exception, but for a special season we feel that it's only right to bring in some special talent - that's why your very own Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt will be delivering this seasons ECL Elite Preview. l-Furyan-l is a name you know very well from the virtual ice as the man possesses the merit of being one of the most prolific offensive defensemen of the scene for quite some time already. Off the ice, Hampus has made a name for himself as a talented writer both on the traditional- and virtual hockey side of things. We've got a lot of action to look ahead to - let this be the start of yet another great season!

The arrival of the global pandemic known as COVID-19 has brought about quite a few changes to life as we know it. While these changes – the arrival of the phenomenon “social distancing”, for example – won’t be permanent, they have certainly had an impact on most of us, if not all of us. 

Perhaps you have a friend or relative that has fallen ill. Perhaps you yourself have been battling the virus. Perhaps you’ve lost your job as a consequence of the radical changes in consumer behavior around the globe. Perhaps you’ve even lost someone close to you.

In short, things aren’t great. And what’s worse is that no one can accurately predict how long we’ll be in this predicament.

Still. As Harvey Dent of The Dark Knight (2008) would say – you know, before he turned all evil and homicidal – “The night is darkest just before the dawn. And I promise you: the dawn is coming”. 

As we wait for the sun to come up and illuminate our path forward, we could all use a distraction. Something to take our minds off headlines of pain and suffering. So, with every sport from Formula 1 to curling canceled or put on indefinite hold – not to mention our favorite sport of ice hockey – and guidelines in most countries suggesting that we stay at home as much as possible, what could be better than some competitive esports? 

I mean, not to make light of the current situation but… as gamers, we’re kind of used to staying inside and maintaining distance to people. 

No?

All kidding aside, with the whole world essentially put on pause we can and should consider ourselves lucky that we are still able to do what we love on a daily basis: play and compete in NHL 20. And who knows – while we are busy battling our rivals for supremacy in the four separate divisions of the European Championship League, we might even be able to offer a sliver of happiness to someone who is going through a tough time; be it a spectator or a player.

If you ask me, that’s not "nothing".

The competitive aspect should of course not be forgotten. After all, this is NHLGamer and 6v6 EASHL hockey is what we do. So, let’s talk competition. For the purposes of this article, that means taking a long, hard look at the 16 teams set to participate in the premier division of European 6v6 gaming, ECL Elite. For the seventh edition of this ultra-tough division – the first three seasons of ECL did not feature divisional separation – we begin by taking a look at two teams that are no strangers to winning. Teams many would say stand the best chance of claiming the coveted title of ECL Grand Champion.

And so, without further ado, what better way to start than by focusing on…

THE BIG TWO

Their dominant run as we know it began in November of 2018, in IS Cup 3 (eSM 2018). That’s when the team known as FILADELPHIA secured their first championship title. They did so by defeating a team known at the time as Written In The Stars. 

Make a mental note of that because the rivalry of these two teams had only just gotten started. 

Mere weeks after winning the IS Cup 3 title, “FILA” added another trophy to their collection – none other than the ECL 7 Elite title: their first championship win in Elite. Only this time their opponent wasn’t Written In The Stars, it was newly established team Symphony.

However, as the calendar year of 2018 ended and 2019 began, the balance of power shifted. 

ECL 8 Elite saw FILA face off in the finals against Written In The Stars; a re-match of the IS Cup 3 finals. Only this time it was “SKY” who brought home the championship. SKY proceeded to win the “just for fun”-tournament Spring League and followed that up by signing a contract with professional esports organization HAVU Gaming. 

Next up was the last event of EA SPORTS NHL 19; the summer tournament of FCL (eSM 2019). Once again, we were treated to a matchup in the finals between FILA and HAVU. The now green-and-black HAVU continued their dominant end to NHL 19 by defeating FILA and bringing home their third straight tournament win.

Picture: HAVU Gaming celebrating FCL Championship 2019. Photo credit: SEUL / Arttu Kokkonen

Along came the fall and EA SPORTS NHL 20 – but HAVU weren’t done winning. 

The first tournament of NHL 20, IS Cup 4, saw HAVU bring home their fourth (!) straight title – defeating newly created team Delusion in the finals. FILA finished a (for them) disappointing third and with that decided changes needed to be made. Delusion goaltender Casper @ICappeI Lundgren was brought in to replace previous net-minding stalwarts Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos and Mika @FinKonna Paasikontu.

With that, it was time for the balance of power to shift once more.

With the arrival of ICappeI, FILA proceeded to sign an esports deal with Swedish hockey organization Linköping HC of the SHL – the highest tier of professional hockey in Sweden. Switching from the orange stag of FILA to the White Lion of Linköping, LHC dove head-first into ECL 9 and decisively mopped the floor with most opponents. Sporting an ECL Elite-record 27-2-1 (tied with SKY from ECL 6), LHC claimed the #1 overall seed in the regular season and worked their way through Symphony and Luleå Hockey in the playoffs to reach the finals… where none other than, you guessed it, HAVU awaited them. With HAVU up 3-1 in the best of-7 series, LHC dug deep and found another gear – turning the series around and winning their first title since ECL 7.

Linköping surfed their new-found wave of success all the way to winning the inaugural eSHL championship – including a win in the finals against a Malmö Redhawks team that featured HAVU players Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (RW), Risto @Dominointi Järvi (C), Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (G, reserve) and Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen (LW, reserve) on loan. 

Picture: Linköping HC celebrating eSHL Championship 2020. Photo credit: Elias Gammelgård

To summarize: in the last eight tournaments organized by NHLGamer (not including the differently formatted Summer Cup or the inaugural edition of the SCL where neither team had a chance to participate), FILADELPHIA/Linköping HC have won four and Written In The Stars/HAVU Gaming four – including four finals where they’ve been pitted directly against each other. That’s a near unprecedented dominance not seen on the NHL esports scene since Swedish teams Northern Stars and Unknown were lining up tournament wins in the previous gen (pre-NHL 16) of the game. 

The way Linköping and HAVU have made competitive NHL 6v6 gaming a two-horse race in the past 18 months (or NHLs 19 and 20, for those keeping track) almost defies explanation – bringing about comparisons to the famous rivalry in Spanish football league La Liga between standout clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. 

And wouldn’t you know it? 

Whenever these two behemoths of NHL gaming get matched up against each other, especially in the playoffs, you will usually find at least 5-10 comments in the NHLGamer Twitch stream – because let’s face it, their matchups should never not be broadcasted – calling the matchup the “El Clasico of NHL gaming”.

It does have a nice ring to it. And the rivalry is just as fierce. 

I’m talking about 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 @Juunas Paatiala.

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.

Next up; the second half of the ECL 10 Elite preview where we break down the remaining 14 teams. The challengers, the new arrivals and which teams and players to keep an extra eye out for.

NHLGamers

It's time for our season preview of the ECL 10 Pro division. A bit over two months has passed since we saw Delusion crowned as the champions of ECL 9 Pro when they managed to beat Vesa Pompa HC in a final series that included an enormous amount of individual talent and two teams that both eventually paved their way into the top tier. Top tier play is on the list of requirements yet again for the champions as the game and our growing community makes the 6v6 scene more competitive season after season. To cap off last season we saw all top 4 Pro teams fight their way to Elite and also really tight games in the Elite Qualification Series which proves that the quality of play in Pro division is at a really high level right now. 

At the moment we are living in especially hard times globally. The COVID-19 pandemic will most probably have some influence on ECL competition in this starting season in terms of rescheduling and also if teams are forced to use back-ups in cases of sickness (which we pray does not happen). This might be a factor that sways the power ranking between teams one way or another. That is an interesting topic and the consequences of COVID-19 remain to be seen. We're definitely hoping not to see too much effect on the ECL this season, it's a prevalent topic that needs to be addressed in these times. ECL isn´t the “island away from the rest of the world” so this is a point we should not ignore ahead of this starting season.



To sum it all up:

Teams that were relegated from ECL 9 Elite and weren’t able to fight their way back in the Elite Qualification Series are Leksands IF and TIKI TALK.

Teams that proved their worth in ECL 9 Lite and earned the promotion to ECL 10 Pro are Lite champions Sulkavan Sudet, runner-up Riven Johdolla, Clumsy Penguins and MOCKBA. 

To fill the missing teams in the division, NHLGamer staff have accepted applications from teams Rookie Mistakes, Kouvola Screaming Eagles, Company of Geeks, HanaaHC, Djurgarden Hockey and Team Frosty for the open spots in ECL 10 Pro. 

ECL 10 Pro has a total of 32 teams divided into two groups. We took a closer look at some of the most interesting teams at this point in the season and decided to bring you basic information about them and highlight some key players to follow. We are also predicting their success in the regular season during the forthcoming season.
 

Group 1

 Leksands IF

After a disappointing season in ECL 9 Elite, Leksands IF was able to put up quite a show in the first eSHL season and the playoffs, where they first won ECL 9 Elite semifinalist Lulea Hockey and fought bravely against Linköping HC in a semifinal series that ended 3-1 (BO5) in the favor of the eSHL (and ECL 9) champion. Success in eSHL must have brought some confidence back but it didn’t show in the Elite Qualification Series, where the team saw another bottom of the table finish and was thereby relegated. Despite the recent setbacks the team has faced, Leksands IF is still seen as the favorite eSHL team to succeed this season in ECL 10 Pro (Challenge accepted Vaxjo Lakers HC, Orebro eHockey and Djurgarden Hockey?). There is no doubt that if Leksands IF can find their stride again, they will be fighting for the cup this season. Captain @Mumsi- is once again expected to lead the team to a promotion battle as he did back in their Synergy Hockey days in ECL 7 Pro, with familiar faces by his side. A notable player is missing from the roster, as it appears that long-time defender @Egyptologen (J-Foppa) has left the team.

Placement after regular season: 1-2

Player to watch: Experienced defender and club icon @Supremski is the backbone for the whole team. With so many good attacking teams it is one of the main requirements for success to have good defenders that can do well in the own zone and Supremski represents the cream of the crop in this sector at this level. 

 Enigma

This team that was named Sandstorm last season has made a brand change and is now called Enigma. Last season, Sandstorm suffered a loss in the first round of the playoffs against GHETTO FIREBIRDS in a tight series that ended 4-3. The name isn’t the only thing that has changed from last season, though. Only captain @MozjaTG (Mozja-) remains from last seasons roster. However, compared to their roster in ECL 9 Pro the quality hasn’t dropped at all. For example, the team lost their best scorer @yrjoo but in exchange former Symphony player @Nieppii returns to Pro hockey after a couple of seasons in Elite. Also former team captain @Crisu_rottis returns to strengthen the defensive line after a season with Almost Famous. It is really interesting to see how the fresh squad will blend as a team and find chemistry. The roster of Enigma has the potential to do great things this season but in the end it is all about teamwork which we will see more in depth when the season starts. If the team can get their motors running the way they want to, it's likely that Enigma will do way better than they did last season and be a real threat to any team in the later stages of the season. 

Placement after regular season: 1-2

Player to watch: @Nieppiiis probably the most reputable player signed by a Pro division this season and possesses great offensive upside. He is expected to help Enigma with his experience, personal talent and points. 

 Kaupallinen Yhteistyo
Some eyebrows were raised when relatively unknown Kaupallinen Yhteistyo was promoted to ECL Pro 9 last season through their Pro application but after proving all doubters wrong, there's no question they are a force to be reckoned with this season. In their first ECL season ever, Kaupallinen Yhteistyo managed to finish in 3rd place in their group and fought their way to the second round of the playoffs where they lost to Elite promoted GHETTO FIREBIRDS. As the team roster remains almost unchanged from the ECL 9 Pro season with the addition of @Frilanderfrom Unlucky Boys HC, it is expected that Kaupallinen Yhteistyo will take the next step forward this time. Last seasons success also gave the team a chance to play in the Elite Qualification Series where they won their group but finally lost to BRAYCE Phantoms in the decisive final series. Signs from the previous season and the Elite Qualification Series tell that forwards @Jooonasaurus, @Limbe65 and @Katuhessu (KrisutusB) have found that special chemistry that could make them the most effective attacking trio this season. With the recent form the team is showing, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise anymore to see Kaupallinen Yhteistyo fighting for Elite promotion at the end of the season. 

Placement after regular season: 1-2

Player to watch: @Jooonasaurus is a player whose reputation precedes him. After a very good run in the Qualification Series, he is expecting to be one of the leading forwards both performance-wise and statistically this season. 

 RPEAT Esports

Former Nightmare/Supernatural now skates under the banner of Finnish eSports organization RPEAT esports. Nightmare had a disappointing season in ECL 9 Pro as they were left out of the playoffs by a small margin. After the season, team captain @Kozek77(Kozeehh) and the new alternate captains @illbiocandyand @Aze (l-AZE-l) started reforming the team to redeem themselves. Only three players from last seasons Nightmare squad will continue the journey with RPEAT esports. When taking a closer look at the new faces arriving, it’s obvious that RPEAT esports aims high this season but also looks towards the future. Former Dynasty defender @DieCutterMC will bring experience to the defense while young gun @Timez (Timoccio) and ‘’hidden gem’’ (quote from RPEAT NHL twitter) @vJokkee- are determined to make the breakthrough at the Pro level. Is it going to happen in this season already? This team has the hunger for success and the potential to surprise many strong teams this season. It may be too early to talk about a team that is chasing a promotion for real, but the season will show us what's to come.

Placement after regular season: 4-6

Player to watch: Center @Timez(Timoccio) was the key player for ECL 9 Lite runner-up Riven Johdolla last season. He is the most interesting prospect to follow in his first Pro season in a team that can help him become star player in the future. 
 

 Alliance HT
If BRAYCE Phantoms has the highest reputation of German teams, then Alliance HT is the legend of the Russian EASHL scene. Last season in ECL 9 Pro was really tough for them as they were one of the teams that fell to the relegation series. Alliance HT managed to keep their spot in Pro by sweeping Resurrection in the series. A couple of weeks ago it was still unsure if Alliance HT was going to participate ECL this season and for example ECL 9 captain @MAYZIIX was part of the TIKI TALK roster in the Elite Qualification Series before the registrations. It seems the worries have been left behind and they have made a flying start in RCL 6 Div 1. However it is expected that Alliance HT will have another hard season ahead. Longtime player and former captain @Denisovl17l (Denisov_D_l17l) who represented the team back in ECL 6 Pro returns to help the team in these hard times. But is it enough to avoid relegation this season?

Placement after regular season: 13-16

Player to watch: Goalkeeper @crooks(Crooks_Tc) will play a big role for his team. He will have to play at his top level every night to help Alliance HT in a season that is expected to be difficult for them. Not an easy task for a keeper that is heading into his first ECL season ever. 

Group 2

 Reality Check

It is believed that many have marked Reality Check as the favorites for the title race this season. Last season in ECL 9 Pro, Reality Check had a decent regular season finishing 5th in the standings. They started the playoffs strong by beating Children of Ice in the first round and gave a good fight against eventual runner-up Vesa Pompa HC in the second round, losing the series 2-4. During the offseason, the squads roster saw a couple of changes when center @valta15, defender @Ninjawiq (Hakkapeiiitta) and goalie @Jann3_67_ , who all played a big role in last seasons team decided to leave. To fill these boots team saw the arrivals of @Hüüli(huulihoelkka44) and @jimboslizer from Rakish, @Talonmies69 from Children of Ice and @vokial2(SolidElli) from HC Wildcard. Reality Check was one of the teams that took part in the Elite Qualification Series. With the current roster they managed to be the best team in the group stage but in the end they couldn’t find the way to win Almost Famous in the final series. However Reality Check showed that roster changes haven’t hurt the team and proved to their competitors that they are ready for the new season and chase for the cup.

Placement after regular season: 1-2

Player to watch: The preseason indicates that @James (Jamssonii) will replace Valta15 at the center position and the game looked promising in the Elite Qualification Series. Wingers are also expected to benefit from the playmaking skills of Jamssonii.
 

 Nordic Stars

Nordic Stars had an excellent regular season in ECL 9 Pro where they finished third in their group. Everything seemed to go the way the team wanted until the first round of the playoffs where they faced Black Horse and lost the series 0-4. Actually one of the Black Horse players that ended up ruining their season was @Iltapeli (apetttaja) who is now part of the Nordic Stars roster. Nordic Stars are a team that likes to play a lot of NHL20. With around 1400 club games played they are certainly one of the most active teams in ECL currently and it shows on the ice. Players like @Vire30 and @Jerax13 do incredible things with the puck on the ice and the way Nordic Stars sometimes plays is really entertaining to watch. It is expected that Nordic Stars will do very well in the regular season this time as well but the question is - have they found a way to play winning playoff hockey? If the answer is yes, then there are not many teams in the league that can stand in their way. This could very well be the season for Nordic Stars that will make them forget last seasons disappointment. 

Placement after regular season: 1-2

Player to watch: @Iltapeli (apetttaja) scored 49 goals in 38 games last season in Black Horse. Nordic Stars' style of fast attacking hockey will suit him well and he could break his own personal goal record this season.
 

 TIKI TALK

Legendary TIKI TALK were close to avoiding the relegation battle in Elite last season. They were tied in points with POGGERS but with fewer wins TIKI TALK headed to the relegation series where they lost to GHETTO FIREBIRDS. The team had a second chance to return to the top division in the Elite Qualification Series but they couldn’t find their game when it was needed and ended up losing all of the games in the group stage. If TIKI TALK can get through the hard times and find their best form and chemistry with their fresh squad, ‘’ESA’’ can be one of the best teams in the regular season, favorites for the promotion battle and challengers for the cup. Talking about legendary, team captain and scoring machine @itspardytime is once again one of the most interesting players to follow during the season. Last time TIKI TALK played Pro in ECL 8, itspardytime scored a league leading 150 points in 48 games and led his team to the finals where they eventually lost to POGGERS but later managed to get promoted to Elite. 

Placement after regular season: 3-4

Player to watch: It seems that @Sagee95 will start the season on defense. It is interesting to see how this talented player who is more known for his attacking abilities will convert to defense and how it will affect TIKI TALKs way of play.  
 

 Shooting Stars

There seems to be a really interesting rivalry building up between German Championship League powerhouses Shooting Stars (previously EV Fussen Esports) and ZSC Lions Esports (previously The Black Jacks). In ECL Pro 9, ZSC Lions Esports managed to get to the playoffs while Shooting Stars were left just below the playoff line. However in GCL 5 Div 1 playoff semifinals Shooting Stars defeated the Lions with a series score of 4-1. So it is maybe fair to say that the Shooting Stars have the upper hand at the moment. For some time ‘’The pride of Germany’’ BRAYCE Phantoms have waited for a worthy opponent at their own soil and Shooting Stars have shown that they are slowly building up to up to the task. After a very good GCL season, Shooting Stars are expected to improve from ECL 9 and even though many will not expect miracles from this team, we could see a real surprise from them at the end of the regular season. GCL 5 Div 1 runner-ups may be one of the most underrated teams at the start of the season.

Placement after regular season: 4-6

Player to watch: It seems that defender @x Holtbeast (xReuTschNer98x) step into the boots of @Krinke this season in the center position. Results from GCL 5 Div 1 show that he fits well into the teams attacking trio and with interest we follow how it will turn out in the ECL rink.  
 

 Sulkavan Sudet

Looking back at the ECL 9 Lite seasonm Sulkavan Sudet made an almost perfect run to be the division champions. Attacking trio @Oxdoggi, @Kemppane_and @Luokkala_with the help of backup forward @Stapletonetore apart opposing defenses from start to finish. With such an impressive display someone could think that these guys played in the wrong division but it is actually going to be their first season in the higher divisions. The only players that have previous experience from Pro are defender @Pirkkalope and new signing @Okke40(hifk_FANI). Sulkavan Sudet also added some depth to their defense by signing @Maestroffi from Hokurit who also had a good season in ECL 9 Lite. Obviously Pro is going to be a harder challenge for the talented wolfpack but it is interesting to see how well the team can adapt their style in Pro and how far it will take them. However, just like with the other teams that got promoted from Lite, expectations are at a moderate level.

Placement after regular season: 6-8 

Player to watch: The teams style of attacking hockey can sometimes leave room for really promising counter-attacks and that is when goalkeeper @TeikDaun can steal the show. The keeper faced some critic last season because of his relatively low save percentage but we are talking about one of the best goaltenders this season.

 Prowlers Esports

Prowlers Esports was one of the teams that got promoted to ECL 9 Pro through their application at the registration stage. The team had really hard last season where they were the bottom of their group. However Prowlers gathered their ranks and beat Horror Hockey in the relegation battle. After the season most of the players in the team left and captains @eKvaarn and @Forsberg__21 (Lawner_) had to make complete rebuild. Scouting through the new signings it seems most of the new faces will play their first Pro games this season. With an inexperienced squad, the expectations are low, but the squads real potential is still hidden and they have a long season ahead to glue as a team and improve their game. However it is expected that Prowlers Esports will once again be facing relegation to end the season.  

Placement after regular season: 13-16

Player to watch: @Forsberg__21(Lawner_) has had good seasons at the Lite level. Last season was hard for the whole team but now with the experience of some Pro hockey in his pocket it is probable that Lawner_ will lead his teams points stats at the end of the regular season.  

Well there you have it! We hope that yo enjoyed our small preview and similarly will enjoy the starting ECL 10 Pro season. Remember to follow all the teams on their respective social media channels including Twitch and/or Youtube. NHLGamer will keep you up to date on the progress of the season and more articles about the division will follow as the standings start to take shape. Play hard - have fun!

Pro writers,
@Oliverigood & @JakePlay77

NHLGamers, 

We know you've got that competitive itch and it's time to get the action started! The total of 196 teams signed up shows that we are growing at a rapid pace. The tenth iteration of our longest-running league will be bringing you that high-level competition you've been longing for, but this time we wanted to up the ante - in bringing you a historical 6s prize pool of 15 000 €! This is made possible because of the several steps forward that we've taken in the past few months, but first and foremost due to our cherished partners Ilta-Sanomat Esports & Prisma Gaming. 

We'll also be seeing an unprecedented number of professional teams present in our league, with the Elite division alone featuring a total of ten teams representing esports organizations as well as traditional sporting associations. Among the newest additions, we have recently welcomed JYP Jyväskylä, SJ Gaming, hREDS, and KOVA Esports, whereas teams such as HAVU Gaming and Farjestad BK have already been sporting their colors for an extended period of time (and done so in successful fashion!). These organizations joining in brings an added level of interest and some existing rivalries to the scene, where for example the Finnish organizations are battling between themselves and our Swedish eSHL teams surely want to be able to call themselves kings of the hill in their own neighborhood.

Continuing the tradition that began in ECL 8 when NHLGamer introduced NHL 18 World Champion Erik "I_Eki_I" Tammenpää as the first-ever cover gamer in the NHL 6v6 scene, a torch that was carried further by HAVU Gaming's star goaltender Hannes "Hansulinho" Kettunen in ECL 9, we are proud to present our ECL 10 cover gamer.

None other than two-time ECL Elite champion and Linköping HC goaltender, Casper "ICappeI" Lundgren!
 

Meet the ECL 10 cover gamer - Casper @ICappeI Lundgren

You're the third ECL cover gamer and in good company at that, what are your thoughts about your selection?
I'm proud to have been selected obviously and it's even more special to be the first Swede having the honor. I have tremendous respect for both @Eki and @Hansulinho and think they are the embodiment of sportsmanship, being in this club with those guys feels humbling. 

Your team Linkoping HC had a rather perfect run over the winter months and you walked away with two trophies to stack your shelf with. How motivated are you to defend that top spot and how does it feel to be the team everyone is gunning for?
Yeah, it seemed like everything clicked and we really got our game going so there definitely was no stopping us. We're all competitive people and having established that winning culture makes us want to keep that momentum going, rest assured we will do everything in our power to keep that top spot. I know a lot of teams are out to get us and especially HAVU Gaming must be looking for a rematch after last season's finals. I also see hREDS as a prime candidate in the championship battle and Symphony has looked stronger than ever during the preseason.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put the world on halt, but with the absence of traditional sports, that has opened up the opportunity for esports to shine. What are your thoughts on that and what do you think we can do to best utilize that opportunity?
It's a shame to not have traditional sports, especially in a time where a majority of leagues would have been in the decisive times and the biggest games of the season would have been starting. 

With all of these esports orgs and traditional sports clubs joining, this is our chance to develop the NHL gaming scene and the interest around our league. I think the best we as players can do is to stay active on social media, get your Twitter, Twitch or Instagram going and support all the teams and people putting content out there! Check in on each other's broadcasts to get those viewer numbers up. It is up to us as a community to take care of this opportunity and growing the scene. Now is our chance to show all other sports fans how exciting esports really is!

ECL Elite Finals and prize pool

Due to the COVID-19 situation, the ECL 10 season is currently planned to be played online. The semifinals are played May 25th-28th and the finals on June 4th-5th. More details about the playoffs will be shared closer to the playoffs.

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

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

*Prizes are subject to tax as per Finnish law and the tax is withheld before payment. Prizes will be paid out within 90 days of the ECL 10 Finals.
 

When?
ECL 10 Elite kicks off on Wednesday, April 8th at 20:00 CEST. Our broadcast of the night features heated battles between Unlucky Boys vs JYP Jyväskylä, followed by JYP Jyväskylä and GHETTO FIREBIRDS. 

Where/how to follow?

ECL 10 Elite will see a whole new level of coverage and with traditional sports out of the picture for the time being this is our time to shine. The top division will feature two weekly broadcasts on Mondays and Thursdays at 20:00 CEST with our very own Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Paul @CynAnderson being the prevalent voices over the course of the season and for those of you that have tuned in for some of our NACL broadcasts, you know that we've been working on the production a lot over the last few months, so you can expect us to have a few tricks up our sleeve. All broadcasts can be seen live at our Twitch-channel, but due to our fresh partnership also now on IS TV and Ruutu.fi. To clarify - while our regular scheduled broadcasts are on Mondays and Thursdays, the season will kick off with a Wednesday broadcast tomorrow, on April 8th at 20:00 CEST!

About our main partners

Ilta-Sanomat 
Ilta-Sanomat is Finland's largest digital media measured by unique daily readers. The tabloid is distributed in traditional form, but thrives online, prevailing as one of the main daily news outlets for Finns alike.

Prisma Gaming 

Prisma Gaming is a carefully picked assortment of consoles, computers, and other gaming gear. The selection has been built together with the professionals at HAVU Gaming and can be found in all Prisma locations and online at Prisma.fi. Prisma Gaming wants to support Finnish esports and through the ECL, now also supports esports internationally.

About our partners

HockeySverige.se 

Hockeysverige.se is the biggest independent hockey site in Sweden, covering everything from the NHL to women's hockey and E-sport