NHLGamers,

The ECL 9 Lite Playoffs are finally here and we have got some very strong teams that will battle each other for a Pro spot. From each group the teams that finished top 5 and two best teams that finished sixth will make the playoffs. The first round of the playoffs will start on Monday, December 16th, 2019 and end on Monday, December 23th, 2019.

According to section 5.6 of the ECL 9 Rulebook, the first round of the ECL 9 Lite Playoffs will be played as follows:

Lainaa

In ECL Lite, the top 5 teams from each of the 6 groups will make the playoffs. In addition to these 30 teams, 2 more playoff spots will be allocated to the next best two teams in terms of PPG. Regarding the seeding however, we will be replicating the system we have used for the most recent IS CUP 4 tournament, meaning that:

• Group winners are seeded #1-6
• Group runners-up #7-12
• Teams that finished 3rd #13-18
• Teams that finished 4th #19-24
• Teams that finished 5th #25-30
• Top teams remaining (PPG) #31-32

Tiebreakers (ECL 9 Rulebook 11.3):
If teams are tied in points at the end of the regular season, the following tiebreakers* will be applied in the order they are listed:
• Points per game (PPG)
• Wins (including OT-wins)
• Head-to-head record (points in mutual games)
• Goal difference (across all games played)
• Scored goals (across all games played)

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

Every series are played in best of seven games and the highest seeded team will play the first game at home. (10.7.2 ECL Rules).


Here are the matchups for round 1 of the ECL 9 Lite Playoffs:

(1.)  HanaaHC vs. Carolus Icemen  (32.)

(2.)  Mockba vs. GREED  (31.)

(3.)  Riven Johdolla vs. Kesaloma  (30.)

(4.)  Clumsy Penguins vs. Saucer Hockey  (29.)

(5.)  HUIPPUPASSI vs. Western Express  (28.)

(6.)  Rookie Mistakes vs. Nearbird Fighters  (27.)

(7.)  Sulkavan Sudet vs. DEG eSports  (26.)

(8.)  Company of Geeks vs. Angry Cats  (25.)

(9.)  Murohoki vs. AfroDunk  (24.)

(10.)  Kouvola Screaming Eagles vs. Jortikan Tossut  (23.)

(11.)  Breakers Of The Bone vs. EBR eSports Official  (22.)

(12.)  Syntax Error vs. Elamam Kiekko  (21.)

(13.)  Robbery vs. Sack Brothers  (20.)

(14.)  Hundred Acre Wood vs. Hokurit  (19.)

(15.)  WEREWOLVES HC vs. Last Period  (18.)

(16.)  Kaukosen Luistin vs. Old Farts  (17.)

Good luck for everyone

NHLGamers,

It’s playoff time and Monday, December 16th marks the start of the first playoff round of ECL 9 Elite! We’ve got the eight best teams in Europe left and each one of those are extremely anxious to get their hands on the trophy and the largest share of the 5 000 € prize pool.

Here's how the playoffs of ECL 9 Elite will be played:

• Quarterfinals: 16.12 - 22.12
• Semifinals: 30.12 - 5.1
• Finals: 11.1 (To be confirmed)

All series are played in best-of-7 manner, meaning that the first team to amass four victories advances to the next round. 



Without further ado, let's get into the previews:

(1)  Linkoping HC vs Symphony  (8)
REGULAR SEASON RECORD
27-2-1 vs 14-14-2

TOP SCORER
@Eki (32+52=84) vs @Nieppii (15+25=40)

GOALTENDER
@ICappeI (26GP, 23W, 83.06SV%, 1.23GAA, 7SO) vs @Lauri (30GP, 14W, 78.49SV%, 2.10GAA, 3SO)
 

The newly announced FILA turned Linköping is a powerhouse for sure and is expected to run over Symphony, who have struggled mightily this season. @Eki won the scoring title of the regular season (32+52=84) and @PleeMaker on the other LHC flank came in second (34+37=71) so the firepower here is not to be doubted. Linköping in general seemed to cruise through the regular season but don’t read me wrong on that one - they had their struggles from time to time. Despite walking away with victories in a majority of their games, they dropped points and ended up in tight battles with several underperformers like BRAYCE Phantoms and Almost Famous, so there have been some fluctuation in their form. It is expected that the new colors and organisation backing them will give something of a boost to the squad but also bring some pressure. It remains to see how this affects these guys.

Symphony on the other end haven’t had a cakewalk this season. They are a group that’s used to success, but the team hasn’t seemed to be able to recover from losing the trio @iilmarii, @Joukki and @Beniittto to Delusion. IS Cup 4 was a decent showing as the team barely missed the final event at GameXpo, but ECL 9 has been a struggle all season long as it’s been hard for the team to find the consistency that they need. On top of that, Symphony is heading into the playoffs with a five game losing streak having lost to Unlucky Boys, HAVU Gaming and Almost Famous in that timespan. Although Symphony hasn’t been too convincing so far this season, they should absolutely not be counted out of the race just yet. Mainly the looks will be turning towards captain @indi969 and centerman @tbnantti to strap the team on their backs and lead the way going forward.

(2)  HAVU Gaming vs Miracle  (7)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
26-2-2 vs 12-11-7

TOP SCORER
@FlyerKungen (36+25=61) vs @Artuzio (20+23=43)

GOALTENDER
@Hansulinho (16GP, 15W, 92.62SV%, 0.56GAA, 9SO) vs @PCJP (10GP, 4W, 82.23SV%, 2.70GAA, 1SO)

If LHC are perhaps a slight unknown due to the impact of an organisation now backing them, then the players for HAVU Gaming will be going into this series against Miracle as though it is business as usual. With a roster untouched (as far as starters go), one could not be mistaken for thinking that HAVU look poised to become the first team in ECL history to win back-to-back titles. Although their path to that point will be anything but easy, their opponent in Miracle is looking like the perfect opponent to face, thanks in part to their subpar defence (3rd most goals conceded) which should allow HAVU to flex their offensive muscles and dictate the game with relative ease. Something that Miracle will have to be wary of as HAVU were only beaten four times this season, with three of those losses coming from them either being held off the scoreboard (0-2, 0-1), or only being able to score once (1-2 OT). Therefore, if Miracle looks to stand a chance of progressing, then they will have to insulate their chosen goalie as much as they can and hope they can steal a goal or two along the way, failing this the odds look fairly weak for Miracle to make this series competitive. Although that said, HAVU have seemingly made a habit of keeping games closer than they perhaps should have been throughout the season thus far, so it is perhaps not completely out of the realm of possibility that Miracle can steal a game or two providing they play exceptionally solid defence and do not hand HAVU any free chances.

Regardless, this is HAVUs series to lose at this point, and you would have long odds on Miracle finding a way to win more than two games over the course of this best-of-seven, much I’m sure to the chagrin of Miracle’s captain @Zip player.

(3)  Butterfly Effect vs Unlucky Boys HC  (6)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
24-4-2 vs 14-10-6

TOP SCORER
@NikkeDangles (26+44=70) vs @Anhel (24+24=48)

GOALTENDER
@sibeelius (24GP, 20W, 82.37SV%, 1.91GAA, 5SO) vs @Viltzup (30GP, 14W, 81.10SV%, 2.16GAA, 5SO)

Butterfly Effect is one of the most exciting teams in the Elite division currently, with an impressive outing being a mere breakaway conversion short of a final spot there and now finishing third in the regular season they have finally proved that they belong in the discussion of top teams in the European community. They have reached their current level by great individual development but also acting on the transfer market as they see fit. During the summer break the youngster @NikkeDangles was acquired and apparently the kid has now caught fire - leading his team and amassing 70 points in the regular season. Another important signing is @sibeelius - the accomplished former FILADELPHIA backstopper, who joined the team a few weeks back increasing their defensive potential and helping them prove their contender status. The opposing team Unlucky Boys are already veterans of ECL Elite and they have enough experience to put up a fight against any opponent in the playoffs, so viewers are in for a treat with this matchup to be watched. Last season UB made questionable history, being the first ECL Elite team ever to retain their Elite spot in a relegation battle, but by seeding 6th into the playoffs this season, captain @Anhel has surely proven that his team is able to bounce back. Make no mistake - The Unlucky Boys aren't done yet!

In the regular season, Butterfly Effect managed to win both games. The playoffs are a different beast, so we're expecting a tight battle and UB to steal at least one win. Look for a 5-6 game series ending in a FLY win.

 

(4)  Roots vs Lulea Hockey  (5)

REGULAR SEASON RECORD
17-10-3 vs 16-11-3

TOP SCORER
@keranee (15+24=39) vs @hpkfani (23+14=37)

GOALTENDER
@swagx88 (28GP, 16W, 83.42SV%, 2.14GAA, 3SO) vs @Supreex (30GP, 16W, 80.96SV%, 2.23GAA, 4SO)

Roots is a squad that has been playing together for quite some time already and doing so with improving results. Their game is based largely on fast passing motored by experienced centerman @SadaPoika who is flanked by goal-scoring machine @Lamsa and the highly talented @keranee. It’s been no surprise that goaltender @swagx88 has been solid and is among the top of the pack measured in save percentage (83.42%). The season so far for Roots has been decent. Most of their statistics don’t tell a pretty tale, but they’ve been able to win games by being disciplined and converting on their high-percentage chances. Roots is the least scoring team out of all playoff teams and has also struggled in the face-off circle being the worst in that category too. On top of that, their powerplay lies at a measly 9,5% success rate. If the team is looking for a deep playoff run, these are the areas that need to be cleaned up.

These two teams are no strangers to each other. During a small hiatus of the former Northern Ascendancy, a fusion between them and the also former Rusty Blades existed in which Lulea players @The_Alpha_Furyan and @MartindalexC sported the same colors as the now Roots players @Lamsa and @Tanski87. That’s an interesting factor going into this matchup and will surely bring a bit of spice and rivalry spirit to the games. Statistically, Lulea is almost exactly similar to Roots, as they too have had some trouble scoring and issues on their powerplay. What sets the two teams apart though is the somewhat wider arsenal that Lulea has in terms of offensive firepower. Whereas @keranee and @Lamsa will be the players to look for scoring from on the Roots end, Lulea has a highly capable offensive trio backed by @The_Alpha_Furyan who is a real offensive threat at his best too. This matchup is expected to be a nail-biter and it might come down to the very last games in the series to determine a winner here.

Stay tuned for announcements about the games on our social media channels, playoff matchups will be broadcasted on our Twitch channel as usual.

As always, play hard and see you guys out on the ice!

The ECL Elite writing team,
@MartindalexC, @Serg1vratar & @jahajaha93

NHLGamers, 

It’s a bit late into the season but we have decided to launch a new article series where we have a discussion with a player of choice and shoot over some various questions for them to answer. In the newly started series we’ll get to know more about the players competing in ECL Elite, both on and off the ice. First out is Färjestad BK’s Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist who got put on the spot for 17 tough ones.

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

-It’s a pretty new one since I just started playing EASHL about a year ago. It was a fun experience with more action and teamplay and I immediately got hooked. 

2. How come you didn’t start playing EASHL before that?

-I started playing competitive in NHL 18 but I focused on playing versus and HUT. Then I felt like I should give EASHL a try in the middle of the NHL 19 season and it instantly felt like I had a talent for it and then I just kept playing it.

3. 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 Swedens finest, Casper @ICappeI Lundgren as goalie. Defender is a bit harder but I think I would go with Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta from Linköping, I feel like he’s pretty good both on offense and defense. As forward I would go with who I think is the best player today, Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, what he does on the ice is almost magical and he’s really slippery and hard to read.

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

-I would choose to play in the SHL over EA NHL, sadly I didn’t have the talent for it.

5. I’m guessing you played hockey before?

-Yes, I played until I was 18 years old.

6. On what level?

-I played in division 4 in Sweden, so it wasn’t really close to the top, I mostly played because of the nice community.

7. What’s your best hockey memory?

-That would be when I was down in Malmö with a friend. We watched the World Junior Championship and saw all of Sweden's games live. It was a great experience except when Sweden lost to Finland in the Final. But all in all, it was a wonderful experience.

8. What’s your favourite team? 

-That’s a sensitive question cause my heart beats for Frölunda, but I would like to add that no matter what I will always give a hundred percent for Färjestad when I represent their organisation.

Above: Robin "Rubituss" Söderqvist took home the silver medal in the SCL 1v1 finals at Birdie LAN at the end of May 2019

9. What is your favourite holiday and why?

-Christmas, cause I get to spend time with my family and watch the World Junior Championship.

10. What do you want for Christmas? 

-A trip to North America so I get to watch NHL live.

11. Is there a special team you would like to see?

-Rangers, cause of Madison Square Garden. Otherwise it would be Toronto or Montreal cause of their hockey culture.

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?

-Levels with Avicii, I always get hyped up when I hear that song while playing. It got played frequently during the Swedish Championship in NHL 19.

13. How was it to play the Swedish Championship live?

-I played the 1v1 tournament and ended up in second place. During the 6v6 tournament I hadn’t signed with the team yet so I sat down and watched it there live. It was a great experience where I learned a lot and it was fun to get a face on the players behind the screens. 

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

-Usually my nickname is Ruben and then my friends just started calling me Rubituss. And since it was available when I created my account, that’s what I went with.

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

- @FlyerKungen

16. What do you do when you don’t play NHL or watch hockey?

-I’m studying to be a police officer, in my free time I play floorball in the Swedish Division 2. So there’s a lot of studying and exercising in different forms combined with my gaming.

17. Which team will win ECL 9 Elite?

-I think it will be Linköping vs HAVU in the finals. But I think Linköping will win since they have @ICappeI in the goal. They have really picked up pace since he joined the team.

Above: Robin "Rubituss" Söderqvist stats in the 6v6 mode so far

We thank Rubituss for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. If you are lucky, next week you might be the one that gets to answer some of these questions. Who would you like to hear more from?

NHLGamers,

We’re closing in on the eSHL season and are about one month away from puckdrop and with that the time has come to announce yet another participating team. Linköping HC hails from the south of Sweden and has signed the very prestigious roster of FILADELPHIA. The team is regarded mostly as a Finnish group but their roster actually holds two Swedes as Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen and the newest acquisition Casper @ICappeI Lundgren are sporting their colors.

This acquisition raises the stakes significantly and is a great boost to the competitiveness of the entire league, as the former FILADELPHIA dominated the game in several ways during NHL 19 and has continued staying at the top in NHL 20 despite not quite reaching similar levels of success. Their star studded offense certainly needs no introductions with multi-champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää flanking the right side, “Mr. Selke” Joonas @Juunas Paatiala centering and the prodigal son turned seasoned and decorated veteran Paul @PleeMaker Arontie on the left. This trio will look to continue wreaking havoc now in the fresh colors of Linköping HC.

"This acquisition shows that we mean business when entering the esports scene. We truly want our team to compete at the top level and show up when the brightest trophies are being dealt. There's no doubt that Casper together with his team will represent the LHC lion with pride and lead the way for our entry into esports", says Michael Sturehed, marketing manager at Linköping Hockey Club.

Linköping Hockey Club roster:

GOALTENDER
#72 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren 🇸🇪

DEFENSEMEN
#27 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta 🇫🇮
#40 Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen 🇸🇪
#88 Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta 🇫🇮

FORWARDS
#25 Erik @Eki Tammenpää 🇫🇮
#44 Paul @PleeMaker Arontie 🇫🇮
#86 Joonas @Juunas Paatiala 🇫🇮
 

The newest face in the team is also a very experienced player and is one of the most highly regarded Swedish talents playing the game currently. Goaltender Cappe joined the team on September 17th and has been as solid as ever in his new jersey since the transfer. Cappe was also one of the main facilitators in signing with Linköping, so we caught up with him for a chat about the situation:

What was it about Linköping that enticed you the most?

Ever since our first contact, Linköping impressed us with their attitude towards esports and their ambitions with this project. They sold the idea that this project will be a big part of the club and the LHC family going forward. We're also very honored to be representing a club with a great history of developing talented players and outstanding individuals.

Despite you and Torro representing the club, FILADELPHIA is generelly regarded as a Finnish team. Were you set on participating in eSHL right froom the get go?

Most definitely. As soon as information about the eSHL reached us, we made a decision to reach out to some teams and enquire about their interests. Sweden isn't that heavily represented at the top of the European standings, so we felt that we are in a great spot going into the negotiations. In my opinion it's interesting to see teams like for example Luleå, with varying nationalities competing at the top. 

You recently assumed the role as the number one goalkeeper of FILADELPHIA after a long watch under the duo @sibeelius & @FinKonna. How has playing for you new team felt and was the transfer something that was planned long ahead?

The transfer discussions happened rather quickly after our run in IS Cup 4. Sibe and Konna surely left me some big boots to fill, but I feel we've been doing great and the boys are making it comfortable to play behind them. Since day one, I've felt very welcome and a part of the team. It's not hard to feel right at home with a captain like @Juunas, what a great guy he is!

The new league must be something of a dream come true for a Swedish competitive player. How does it feel to be one of the very best domestic talents in the league and what kind of goals have you set personally for the upcoming season?

It's something we've been dreaming about for sure. Personally, I'm going to do everything in my power to win every game I play. I've got a winning mentality and losing is the absolute worst thing I know. As a team we're incredibly hyped about eSHL and will obviously be looking to put a trophy on the shelf at the end of the season.

Currently the team stands second in the regular season of ECL 9 Elite and will be playing their last two games tonight against Luleå Hockey. Linköping has a chance to overtake their sweet rival HAVU Gaming for a number one seed going into the playoffs whereas Luleå is looking to secure a favorable matchup for their first round opponent. At the time of posting this article, you can head over to twitch.tv/I_Eki_I or twitch.tv/luleahockeyto watch the game.

NHLGamers,
 

The ongoing season of our ECL Pro Division has progressed to somewhere around its midway point and with that it is appropriate to look back on what has happened so far. As far as I'm concerned there has been some tight games, some not so tight but all of the action has definitely been up to standards and tremendously enjoyable for a spectator. Rakish has been one very positive team to me that I've taken a liking to. Despite not performing too well and struggling to find consistent winning, they have recently managed to win the likes of Växjö Lakers, which is showing better waters ahead for that group.

Group 1

1.  Vesa Pompa HC
2.  Children of Ice
3.  Virtual Horizons eSports

In group 1, Children of Ice and Vesa Pompa HC are at the top and it seems like it's going to be between the two of those to compete for the first position in the final standings. Vesa Pompa have some impressive performances as of late in the rearview mirror, a hard-fought IS Cup playoff series against the Elite table topping FILADELPHIA to mention one and that surely shows that they are one of the stronger teams in this division. The middle of the pack in this group is extremely tight and there's really no telling at this point which teams will be securing the last playoff spots. This upcoming week will be important for all teams. One of the most important games of this group is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10th as the top two in Children of Ice and Vesa Pompa HC will battle it out in a so called eight point matchup. Apart from the group title, there's a psychological edge at stake here, since it is almost inevitable that these teams will meet again down the line. Another very important bout in this group is the one between Horror Hockey and Shooting Stars, since both teams are currently below the playoff line but look to better their standing by acquiring some wins in this tight matchup.

Group 2

1.  Delusion
2.  Reality Check HC
3.  Kaupallinen Yhteistyo

Group 2 is showing some more separation mostly due to the fact that Delusion a bit less surprisingly is wading through the pack with a clean record and the rest of the teams seem to have split points quite a lot. Rakish is probably the biggest upset in this group as they have a rather accomplished roster but have struggled mightily for the opening half of the season. Sandstorm, who fought well in IS Cup haven't found their stride yet in ECL and as a result are struggling to secure a spot in the playoffs. Växjö were expected to do a bit better, but will definitely be going to the playoffs if they keep up their current level of play. Kaupallinen Yhteistyo will be clashing with Växjö for a tough matchup preliminarily scheduled for this upcoming Tuesday. Sandstorm and Cowabunga Hockey will also be facing in an important matchup which determines an advantage near the playoff line. In this group, we will also be looking forward to the meeting between top two teams Delusion and Reality Check HC, Delusion will be going into that battle as a heavy favorite and Reality Check is looking to spoil the party. 


When taking a look at the point totals, it's clearly visible that Delusion has been the highest scoring team by a wide margin. Their dynamic duo @Joukki and @Beniittto reigns supreme with both of them being almost 20 points ahead of Reality Check duo @jorma2001 and @Pursuitti who are in... well... pursuit. It'll quite clearly be a battle within Delusion of who will be the top scorer this season.

That'll be it for my short and sweet insight into what's been going on in our Pro division this season. The playoffs are right around the corner and we are as excited as ever to see who prevails when the big games start. Who would you guys pick out as a dark horse in the playoff race?

LA Rulings - December 3rd, 2019

 Case 1 (Freddy Mercury Institute vs. Rakish): 

FMI contacted League Administration about Rakish not responding to communication, nor showing up for their games at the default time. FMI contacted Rakish hours ahead and the captain of Rakish later admitted to making a mistake by not staying on top of the schedule. LA has come to the conclusion that Rakish failed to keep their end of what's considered good communication and as such rule 10.8 would be pertinent to this case. LA has thusly decided to award FMI with WO's from both matches.

Quote

“10.8 Late Game Appearances”

• If a team is more than 15 minutes late to a game without prior notice, the opposing team must contact LA as soon as possible. The message should have a proof of the opposing team “not showing up” attached. Depending on the reason(s) for the delay LA may decide to allocate WOs.

Case 2 (Virtuoso vs. Kesaloma):

Late in the second game (less than a minute remaining in the 3^rd) between Virtuoso and Kesaloma, there was a disconnect prior to the center ice faceoff taking place after Kesäloma scored and was only one goal behind. Neither team managed to stop play and the game ended with a CPU player on the ice for the last minute. Virtuoso suggested to Kesaloma to play the game from the start because of the disconnect. Kesaloma didn't agree with that and instead asked League Administration for technical defeats, due to Virtuoso having connection issues earlier in the matchup and Kesaloma suspecting an intentional disconnect when they had good momentum in the game and believed they would tie the game up. LA could not confirm that the disconnect would have been intentional and thus could not give out technical defeats and told Kesaloma to either agree to replay the game or the number of seconds that were remaining at the time of the disconnect. At this point, Virtuoso was reluctant to replay the games though and while LA believes they should honor their own suggestion, LA couldn't force Virtuoso to do so as per the current ruleset. 

As such, when teams can't agree on how to resolve things, rule 11.11 dictates that games should be continued from the point of the disconnect, thusly LA rules that the two teams shall play out the remainder of the game from where it left off.

Quote

“11.11 Player Disconnects”

• The remaining time in the disconnected game will be played in a new game. Teams are advised to wait for the clock to run down to the time when the original game ended and complete it regularly. Alternatively, they can also use a different procedure of their own if both parties agree. Afterwards, both teams record all stats from this second portion of the original game.

Additionally, we have now amended rule 11.11 with the following:

Quote

• Furthermore, in the event that a disconnect dispute reaches LA we would like to remind teams that they should be aware when suggesting alternative solutions to the rulebook’s default, as LA may hold them accountable even if they rescind the offer later on. 

Case 3 (EBR eSports Official vs. Syntax Error): 

EBR eSports Official contacted the League Administration about Syntax Error not showing up at the agreed time, instead, they showed up one hour late when they finally realized they were due to play. The issue was caused by miscommunication by the Syntax Error captain. LA has come to the conclusion that both teams agreed to play on Friday 29.11 at 20 CET - as such rule 10.8 would be pertinent to this case. LA has thusly decided to award EBR eSports Official with WO's from both matches.

Quote

“10.8 Late Game Appearances”

• If a team is more than 15 minutes late to a game without prior notice, the opposing team must contact LA as soon as possible. The message should have a proof of the opposing team “not showing up” attached. Depending on the reason(s) for the delay LA may decide to allocate WOs.

Case 4 (Alliance HT): 

Alliance HT has been using a player with more than one registered NHLGamer account in multiple games this season (namely, Oo_hazzey_oO / AntiHoma). Additionally, the captain (MAYZIIX) was fully aware of this and still continued to use said player. This is in direct violation of rules 2.4 & 6.1, as shown below. 

Quote

“2.4 Number of Accounts”

• No player may have more than one account on NHLGamer.com. This account can be used for playing on different consoles and in different leagues/tournaments simultaneously as long as the player has their PSN ID / Gamertag set up on their NHLGamer profile. 

“6.1 General”

• All managers (C and A) are representatives of the entire team, as such they are responsible for: 
• Scheduling games 
• Ensuring their team always complies with league/tournament rules  
• Any communication with other managers and League Administration in the name of their team 
• Ensuring the team finishes all its games 

After hearing the explanation for the new account, the whole ordeal seems very unnecessary. Reportedly Oo_hazzey_oO played for Nearbird Fighters in the RCL 5 season and didn't want to use the same account to join Alliance HT in ECL 9, so a new account was created for this purpose. To our knowledge, the player has neither played RCL since joining Alliance HT with the second account and also hasn't played ECL with another account. In other words, had the player just used his regular account to join Alliance HT in the first place - there would be no problem here. The aforementioned circumstance, combined with captain MAYZIIX assuming liability for this situation has been taken into account as a mitigating factor when making the decision.

After careful consideration, LA has decided to ban Alliance HTs captain MAYZIIX and Oo_hazzey_oO for the rest of the season (ECL 9 & RCL 5), as well as institute a ban on them being the captain of a team until the end of NHL 20. Furthermore, MAYZIIX will be stepping down from the admin role within the RCL. Additionally, any games involving Oo_hazzey_oO / AntiHoma will remain and not be removed from either respective league. 

Due to this case, however, LA would like to add the following rule in order to cover scenarios like this in the future:

“8.3 Void Games”

• If a game is played where one (or more) of the players involved was deemed to not be legal, then LA reserves the right to potentially void all games played with the said player(s), and award WOs victories to the non-offending team.

The rulebook has been updated with the above-mentioned rule amendments. We would like to remind the ECL Pro teams that the transfer deadline is coming up on Thursday, December 5th.

Despite this disappointing news, NHLGamer would like to thank MAYZIIX for all of his hard work with the RCL during the years.

We are looking for some new staff members for RCL roles. Good communication skills in English and Russian are important. Please contact @Kenu via private message if you're interested.

For this season of ECL Elite we are tweaking the recurring segment that looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Elite over the past week. There will be more of an emphasis towards the quantitative approach, so expect more graphs and fewer walls of text. Despite a *very* late opening to the series this time around, expect to see these rankings released towards the end of the week (read: ~friday), as such the rankings be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. 

The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. 

---

Note: As week 1 was not released in time, I have decided to bundle it with this week (2), so bare with the scroll fest that is about to follow... 

Week 1 Rankings:

1. HAVU Gaming (10-0-0)

2. FILADELPHIA (6-0-0)

3. Farjestad BK (7-1-0)

4. Roots (7-3-0)

5. POGGERS (6-2-0)

6. PARRU (5-4-1)

7. Butterfly Effect (4-2-0)

8. TIKI TALK (4-4-2)

9. Unlucky Boys (4-5-1)

10. Symphony (4-5-0)

11. Miracle (4-6-2)

12. Lulea Hockey (3-2-1)

13. BRAYCE Phantoms (3-6-5)

14. Synergy Hockey (4-7-1)

15. Checkmate (3-6-0)

16. Almost Famous (3-9-2)

---

Week 2 Rankings:

1. FILADELPHIA (15-1-0) [+1]

2. HAVU Gaming (4-0-0) [-1]

3. Butterfly Effect (8-2-0) [+4]

4. BRAYCE Phantoms (1-3-0) [+9]

5. POGGERS (3-2-1) [=]

6. Unlucky Boys (2-2-4) [+3]

7. Miracle (4-1-3) [+4]

8. PARRU (4-3-1) [-2]

9. Lulea Hockey (5-4-1) [+3]

10. Symphony (4-3-2) [=]

11. Roots (2-1-1) [-7]

12. Checkmate (1-1-1) [+3]

13. TIKI TALK (1-1-2) [-5]

14. Almost Famous (2-3-1) [+2]

15. Synergy Hockey (0-4-0) [-1]

16. Farjestad BK (1-8-1) [-13]

Standings Timeline

Please note, the colours are a little counterintuitive at the present moment.  

Hey NHLGamers,

Due to a recent case that LA was tasked with, we have decided to tweak section 14 (transfer regulations) of the rulebook. The amendment reads as follows:

"14.11 Transfer Rule Exemption

In the event that a player has not played a game in the current ECL season, they are allowed two transfer opportunities, provided that any transfer does not violate the rules outlined in section 14."

The rationale behind this addition is so that players who, for whatever reason, have not played any games, are afforded the chance to find another team and play by being able to potentially transfer to a team one more time than they would have previously. The rulebook will now have been updated to show this change, but if you wish to view it directly from here a link will be attached below.

ECL 9 Rulebook

NHLGamers,

Were happy to be able to bring you some high quality ECL 9 Elite action this Sunday evening! On top of the great games, we will also have some high class talent in the booth tonight, as we'll get to enjoy the golden voices of Nick "F5Penguin" DiMeo and Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta for the duration of the stream.

19:30 CET:  FILADELPHIA vs Farjestad BK 

This is a fight between two very top teams currently. FILADELPHIA is boasting an unbeaten record and is at the top of the tables by outscoring and the also unbeaten HAVU. FILA's Erik @Eki Tammenpää (28p) and Paul @PleeMaker Arontie (26p) are also topping the scoring charts currently, but they'll be going up against a notoriously good FBK defense tonight. The Swedish team are known for their tight shutdown play but this year they've found the ability to score, seemingly by adding Mattias @Tacterz Hjelm (19p) and Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist (18p) to their lineup. We could very well see a high-scoring ordeal as both teams have the offensive tools, but we mustn't forget that there are also two real superstars in both ends of the ice, as we se an all Swedish goalie battle between FILA's new recruit Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and FBK's Filip @Obagol Feldt.

21:00 CET:  Farjestad BK vs Lulea Hockey  

You're going to want to stay tuned after the first matchup, since this is one for the ages. With the first ever SHL derby on the virtual ice we are witnessing history in the making when FBK takes on the so far underperforming Lulea Hockey. The real world counterparts of these teams have a rich history together, as their first face-off was in 2005 and have since almost split the victories in a total of 81 games. Currently, FBK is ahead with 43 wins to 38. The latest mentionable encounter on the virtual ice was in the SCL bronze game when both teams were still playing under their old flags as Bucketeers (FBK) and Northern Ascendancy (Lulea), that time around Bucketeers came out on top. As mentioned, Luleå Hockey has been underperforming as of late, but will be looking to change course tonight as they are well aware of the thing they need to change going forward. Defenseman Hampus @The_Alpha_Furyan Duvefelt mentioned in an interview to Fragbite.se that they will need to stay out of the box and will be reviewing their play after tough losses to Butterfly Effect in their latest outing. Farjestad on the other hand has been playing well. They'll be trusting their proven defensive tactics and relying on their two top scorers to tickle twine in the other end of the ice. Centerman Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson says they have something good in store for Lulea defensive pairing @The_Alpha_Furyan and Mattias @ma0niii Tagesson.

The games will be casted by Nick "F5Penguin" DiMeo and Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta. Tune in at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer for all the action!

NHLGamers,

Welcome to our season preview for the ECL 9 Lite Division! We are back after a long offseason and some games might already have been played, since the official start of the season was Tuesday. We hope you all are as excited as us about ECL 9 Lite and a new opportunity to battle it out for the title and promotion spots. ECL 9 Lite has six groups with 64 teams and in this preview you can find some info from five most interesting teams in each group. 

Without further ado, let's get into the team previews for ECL 9 Lite:

Group 1:

 Angry Cats

New team that probably has the most experienced defense pairing in the division with @Ampuhaukka and @pelimies80 gliding on the blueline. Their roster is full with ECL veterans who will strive to help Angry Cats go far in the playoff race. One of the favourites to take the ECL 9 Lite title.

 Rosvosektori

First established in Spring League where they finished eleventh in their group. After Spring League they have added @Jonza1990 (HatsiGaboom), @hulkamaania (FIN_Zeus) and @Malcom330. This is now the third team that @nessron has captained.

 Hokurit

Former SKA Hokurit. Lost their former point leader @MozjaTG who is now the captain of Pro team Sandstorm. Added couple of players from Dystopia and @jouni29 will try to replace Mozja- in a scoring role. In ECL 8 they lost to Dystopia in six games in the second round of the playoffs.

 Hundred Acre Wood

A big portion of their players represented Blackdawgs in ECL 8. They had a decent run in the IS Cup where they finished fifth in their group.

 Kouvola Screaming Eagles

They have new captain in @oSandello as @Dreamickie who has been excelling also in 1v1 tournaments steps down to an assistant captains role. Almost the same lineup as in ECL 8. In ECL 8 they lost to Farminaattori in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

Group 2:

 Clumsy Penguins

Team that was founded last summer and hasn’t participated in any tournaments. This team has a roster with many Pro experienced players and the teams core has been playing for Bellizzi in recent years.

 Sulkavan Sudet

Sulkavan Sudet started their journey in Spring League where they finished outside of the playoffs. They also played in IS Cup where they finished fifth in their group. @Luokkala_ is starting his first ECL season but he is expected to score a lot of points for his team.

 Western Express

Lost their best scorer in ECL 8 (Lawner8_) but have added @Buffy from Synergy Hockey who had 26 points in 28 games in the last ECL 8 Elite season. In ECL 8 Lite they lost to Dystopia in five games at the third round of the playoffs.

 EV Duisburg

Have lost core pieces like @HerzogMagnus and @xXPsykoSkillsXx after last season (ECL 8 Pro) where they finished 13th in their group and were relegated after a series against Bone Breakers. Winners of ECL 6 Lite.

 WEREWOLVES HC

Had an OK Spring League where they finished 12th in their group. Since then they have added @Alex28 and @Boernsoen who are going to be nice additions to their group.

Group 3:

 Saucer Hockey

Last seasons quarterfinalist is coming to the ECL 9 Lite season with the same lineup as they had last year. Were very close to earning a promotion to Pro after losing to We Kings in seven games and just about coming short of the semifinals.

 Company of Geeks

Finished fifth in their group in SCL and lost to SPARTANS in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Have lost a lot of players, for example @Rubituss, @cHIIMEERa and @Dercie after their succesful Spring League outing. They have added some players with one of them being @Horebag13 who is expected to produce some scoring. They have some experience from the Pro division.

 Clowns On Ice

Lost @ProfaneKiss who was clearly their best scorer last season. In ECL 8 Pro they finished 14th in their group and were relegated after a relegation series against Pata Hellalla.

 Finnish Hockey Legends

Have lost @Hanzqa and both goalies @suitsukemestari and @vvesa93. @Eisenhugel who steps down from the captains spot will now play goaltender under command of new captain @KYLKISYOPA. In ECL 8 they lost to the eventual champion Oton Letkutemppu in five games in the second round of the playoffs.

 HUIPPUPASSI

Former Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat is making a comeback. Almost the same lineup as they had year ago but they have added high caliber defender @taemtaem who represented Nordic Stars last season in the Pro division.

Group 4:

 Last Period

Same lineup as in ECL 8. Team plays a very defensive game as they are not a high powered offense but pride themselves in keeping their own net clear. @buzee_ is one of the best goaltenders in Lite. In ECL 8 they lost in the second round to Western Express in five games after finishing second in their regular season group.

 HanaaHC

Participated in IS Cup but didn’t really get things going in that tournament. They have many Pro caliber players but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. @loncelot84 will make a comeback to ECL after missing ECL seasons 4-8.

 Breakers Of The Bone

Practically the same team as Bone Breakers that played ECL 8 Pro last season and finished last in their group but still managed to maintain their Pro spot. Now they are starting fresh in the ECL 9 Lite with a new name.

 Nordic Nosebleed

Swedish team that has remained almost unchanged since ECL Season 3. Have added @eliekamel87 who is going to help them be better in ECL 9. In ECL 8 they lost to Club Savage in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

 Elamam Kiekko

@iRSPe, @Isoheppi (Britn1) & @Markogirl87 (Maexsa) have represented the club since ECL 3. Elamam Kiekko has improved their play every ECL season and in the last ECL they finished second in their group but were defeated by Farminaattori in six games in the second round of the playoffs. This might be the season when Elamam Kiekko finally gets far in the playoffs and earns a promotion.

Group 5:

 Kaukosen Luistin

Have had a lot of changes and three players are continuing from ECL 8 Lite. Kaukosen Luistin has added former Beast Hockey captain @Jaks_10 and former Finnish Snipers captain @Thimbaa to their roster. Participated in IS Cup and got only six points in twelve games. In ECL 8 KaLu lost to Saucer Hockey in six games in the second round of the playoffs.

 Nearbird Fighters

Their lineup has practically stayed the same for the duration of the teams history. Have improved every season and will now be serious contenders in Lite. Top 3 team in RCL even though those stats are arguably not comparable to ECL. In ECL 8 they lost to Beast hockey in six games in the second round of the playoffs.

 EBR eSports Official

Formerly known as Eisbaeren Regensburg. They had an OK GCL 4 season where they lost to Deadly Phantoms HC in the first round of the playoffs. Now they have added @Hockeyboy1985 (lx_Ice_Rambo_xl), @LeroyLetsPlays and @Gregson91. Gregson especially will bring a lot of offense to the team.

 Syntax Error

New team that has many Elite and Pro experienced players that have represented AIK Hockey and Gotham Knights for example. The skill level this team has will surely cause many Syntax Errors in the minds of other competing clubs. A contender for sure.

 Lucky Strike

Have added @miisolegend (Svenska_FaranJr) from Korpens Finest and many players from Puck Panthers where captains @Giinis and @kovisjimi have played previously. Last played in ECL 6 Lite where they finished sixth in their group.

Group 6:

 Mockba

MOCKBA is a team full of Perttilan Kommandot players from the last ECL season. They had an impressive FCL and were good in Spring League and IS Cup. Perttilan Kommadot have underachieved in the playoffs, will they go far this season or choke early in the playoffs?

 Old Farts

Old Farts were first in their ECL 8 Lite regular season group but still got eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in six games against Poston Fruits. Old Farts had a very disappointing IS Cup where they finished last in their group. Added @Enerfity to their roster and they are expected to perform well this season.

 Murohoki

A long term team that has been playing since ECL Season 2 and is now starting their first Lite season after always playing in Pro. @Malcowich is stepping down from the captains role and @Ubula (RuttuBerse) is the new leader for the team. Malcowich84 and @MovaaN are the last players left from previous seasons roster. One of their new recruits is @Fuhrer Vuorio who has been an effective player at Elite and Pro levels. They seem to still be looking for a defender as RuttuBerse has been seen posting in the recruitment thread eleven times since last April. In ECL 8 Pro they finished last in their group and were relegated.

 Afrodunk

Former SKA. Had a good run in IS Cup where they finished fifth in their group. Their roster is almost the same as in ECL 8. In ECL 8 they lost to SKA Hokurit in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

 UKnighted HC

UKnighted HC has participated only in the first ECL season and is making its comeback. @Nr-0847, @exrelax and @Asche are players that are remaining from their original roster.

It'll certainly be yet another exciting season, this time I believe we can surely say it'll be the most even Lite division that there has ever been. This is due to minimum difference in skill level as we have added the more casual ECL Neo and cut down on amount of teams playing in Lite.

Anyways, who do you think will be a team to look out for in ECL 9 Lite?

Have fun and see you on the ice!

NHLGamers,

Below is the complete list of the teams participating in our Neo division this season and in which groups they will play. 

 

ECL 9 Neo - 4 Groups

ECL Neo will be played in four groups consisting of 8-9 teams each. With 2 games against each opponent, this results in a 14-16 game regular season for each team in which the top 4 teams out of every group will go to the playoffs (16 teams in total). Please note that due to Group 1 having an extra team and thus an uneven number of teams, we've added a double-header for most teams in group 1 on Wednesday 27th of November. You are free to move these games to another time in mutual agreement with your opponents - just remember the last day of the regular season is the 15th of December.

Playoffs

A total of 16 teams will make the playoffs

• The top 4 teams from each group will progress to the playoffs

Playoff Seeding

• Group winners are seeded #1-4
• Group runners-up #5-8
• Teams that finished 3rd #9-12
• Teams that finished 4th #13-16
• The seeding of the teams within these levels will be decided using the usual tiebreakers, found in the ECL 9 rulebook section 11.3.

Season schedule:

• Regular season: 20.11-15.12
• Round 1: 16.-22.12
• Quarterfinals: 30.12-5.1
• Semifinals: 7.-13.1
• Finals: 15.-21.1

Team management tools

All teams have been created, the team management tools on the main page have been unlocked for the team captains* (find the Team Tools dropdown in the top right corner of the menu). All players need to be invited to the team rosters ahead of your first game. Please note that all invited players need to accept the invitation (there will be a popup alert on the main page for them) before they show up on the team roster and can start playing!

* Some team captains are being fixed in the morning and may currently be displaying legacy information.

** Due to the number of new logos - it may take a while before your logo is updated. Please be patient for a couple of days before asking if you already submitted your logo.

Please find the schedule here.

Have fun and see you on the ice!

NHLGamers,

We had an astonishing number of teams sign up for ECL Lite this season and while we had originally planned to cap it at 48 teams, we decided to raise the number to 64. The teams that ended up outside these 64 teams and the teams that signed up for ECL Neo will play in ECL Neo during the ECL 9 season. We will go into more depth about that division in our next news story in just a moment.

Below is the complete list of the teams participating in our Lite division this season and in which groups they will play. 

ECL 9 Lite - 6 Groups

ECL Lite will be played in six groups consisting of 10-11 teams each. With 2 games against each opponent, this results in a 18-20 game regular season. A total of 32 teams will make the playoffs.

Playoffs

A total of 32 teams will make the playoffs

• The top 5 teams from each group will progress to the playoffs
• Out of all the remaining teams across all groups, the top 2 based on PPG will be selected to advance.

Playoff Seeding

• Group winners are seeded #1-6
• Group runners-up #7-12
• Teams that finished 3rd #13-18
• Teams that finished 4th #19-24
• Teams that finished 5th #25-30
• Remaining teams with the highest PPG #31-32
• The seeding of the teams within these levels will be decided using the usual tiebreakers, found in the ECL 9 rulebook section 11.3.

Season schedule:

• Regular season: 19.11-15.12
• Round 1: 16.-23.12
• Round 2: 29.12-5.1
• Quarterfinals: 7.-14.1
• Semifinals: 16.-23.1
• Finals: 25.1.-1.2.

Team management tools

All teams have been created, the team management tools on the main page have been unlocked for the team captains* (find the Team Tools dropdown in the top right corner of the menu). All players need to be invited to the team rosters ahead of your first game. Please note that all invited players need to accept the invitation (there will be a popup alert on the main page for them) before they show up on the team roster and can start playing!

* Some team captains are being fixed in the morning and may currently be displaying legacy information.

** Due to the number of new logos - it may take a while before your logo is updated. Please be patient for a couple days before asking if you already submitted your logo.

Please find the schedule here.

Have fun and see you on the ice!

NHLGamers,

It's time to kick off the ECL season for our Pro, Lite and Neo divisions this week. With that being on the agenda, there was a need for some promotions for vacant spots in ECL Pro. These vacant spots have been left by teams who have either disbanded or simply not signed up for ECL Pro in ECL 9. After promoting the expected four teams (Oton Letkutemppu, Vesa Pompa, Cheers Hockey & We Kings) at the end of the ECL 8 Lite season, a total of eleven spots were open in the division for this season, out of which two were filled with automatic promotions based on performance in ECL 8 Lite (Quarterfinal losers). The two teams promoted based on these criteria are Prowlers Esports (formerly Prowlers)  and Virtual Horizons eSports (formerly Blackdawgs). After that, nine spots remained to be filled.

The selection of teams receiving promotions has been made based on team history, previous merits and perception of skill and recent performance.

Without further ado, here are your ECL 9 Pro groups (promoted teams in bold):

Group 1:

• Cheers Hockey
• Children of Ice
• GHETTO FIREBIRDS
• HC Wildcard
• Horror Hockey
• Me Carvoset
• Nightmare
• Nordic Stars
• Oton Letkutemppu
• Pata Hellalla
• Resurrection
• Shooting Stars
• Silver Sword Griffins
• The Syndicate
• Vesa Pompa HC
• Virtual Horizons eSports

Group 2:

• Alliance HT
• Bellizzi
• Black Horse
• Cowabunga Hockey
• Delusion
• Freddie Mercury Institute
• Gotham Knights
• Kaupallinen Yhteistyo
• Nordic Lightning
• Prowlers Esports
• Rakish
• Reality Check
• Sandstorm
• Vaxjo Lakers HC
• We Kings
• ZSC Lions

The schedule has been generated and games will be ready to begin on the evening of Monday, 17th of November.

NHLGamers,

We're almost there, the most anticipated league of the year is starting and you still have time to join the action! ECL 9 Elite kicked off with a bang last night and next week will be your turn to show us what you've got. This season, we're also introducing the ECL Neo, a division for new NHL gamers to get adjusted to playing in a league and the requirements that it has on a team and its players. See it as an incubator for future potential. ECL Neo will also be suitable for players who want to play games at a less stressful pace as this division only has two suggested weekly game days. Alongside Neo, we will run Lite, Pro and Elite as usual. 

Sign up NOW, as the signups will close tomorrow, Friday 15th of November at 23:59 CET.

• Sign up for ECL 9 Pro here
  • 32 teams
  • Sign up: ECL Pro eligible teams
  • Gamedays: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
  • Regular season: Two groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 16 teams
    • Best-of-7
    • 8 days per round
       
• Sign up for ECL 9 Lite here
  • 48-64 teams (TBC)
  • Sign up: Anyone can apply for ECL Lite
    Teams will be decided by Franchise history, Roster composition and EASHL record
  • ECL Lite registrants are also allowed to apply for a spot in ECL Pro
  • Teams signing up for ECL Lite that don't make it into ECL Pro or ECL Lite will be automatically placed in ECL Neo
  • Gamedays: Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday
  • Regular season: Four groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 32 teams
    • Best-of-7
    • 8 days per round
       
• Sign up for ECL 9 Neo here
  • 32+ teams
  • Sign up: Without restrictions
  • Gamedays: Wednesday & Sunday
  • Regular season: Four groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 16 teams
    • Best-of-5
    • 7 days per round

Quote

Basic information/requirements of ECL:

• Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however we do not necessarily exclude North American or Russian players. North American players are not allowed to host matches / be captain in the lineup, which means all games need to take place on European servers. This also applies to Russian players - please evaluate your previous connection experience against some of the teams participating in the ECL, especially if you live in eastern parts of your country (which likely connects you to US West servers). In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players.
• 6 vs. 6 tournament: ECL is played 6 vs. 6 only, using the EASHL Challenge Club game mode in NHL 20.
• Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at NHLGamer.com and create their personal player card.
• Roster requirements: Teams in ECL Elite need to have at least 7 players to sign up. Teams in ECL Pro, ECL Lite and ECL Neo need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players.
• ECL Elite license: Teams in ECL Elite will be required to pay for an ECL Elite license in order to play (more details to follow).
• Rules: The ECL 9 ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 8. We will fine-tune the rules a little bit, but more information is to follow. Meanwhile, you can find the ECL 8 rules here.

Gather your team, sign up and we'll see you on the ice!

Hi, NHLGamers!

ECL 9 Elite season is just around the corner and you might have seen there were only 15 sign ups in ECL Elite. There is a need for one extra team in Elite and regarding this matter we leaned towards the rule book. The following rule was used to solve this matter:

”… If after this there are still spots to be filled in Elite, the best two teams from either pool (Elite relegates & Pro quarter-finalists) will play each other. These teams will be seeded based on points during the last season and wins in the most recent playoffs respectively. If, however, there are more spots to be filled than just one, a mini tournament can be announced, if there is enough time for it to be played out in full. In the latter case, League Administration will decide on the method best suited for the time available.”

We contacted teams by order and the two best seeded ECL 8 Elite relegated teams (Resurrection and Synergy Hockey) accepted to play for the spot. Next we moved to the ECL 8 Pro quarterfinalists. We contacted the two best seeded teams (Gotham Knights and Mentula SKA), out of which Gotham Knights were up for the challenge, whereas Mentula SKA unfortunately had disbanded. The Next Gen was next in line but they were disbanded as well. The last option was SIKA but they did not respond to our communication. Thus the Wildcard Series will be organized between three teams.

Tournament format

The Wildcard series will be determined by a best-of-three double elimination tournament:

1)    We start with two teams meeting up
2)    Winner of that match-up faces the third team
3)    Loser of the first matchup faces the loser of the second matchup
4)    Winner of the loser matchup faces the winner from matchup 2
5)    If the above is won by the undefeated team, it's all over and we have our winner.
6)    If the loser in the pair above is a team who only lost for the first time the teams play another BO3.
7)    At the latest, we have our winner here.

Schedule
Sunday 10.11.2019
21:00 CET Synergy Hockey vs Resurrection BO3 2-0
-------------
Monday 11.11.2019
19:30 CET Synergy Hockey vs Gotham Knights BO3 2-1
21:30 CET Losers' finals BO3 Resurrection vs Gotham Knights 0-2
-------------
Tuesday 12.11.2019
20:30 CET Finals Synergy Hockey vs Gotham Knights BO3
22:00 CET The 2nd Final if needed BO3

 

The first BO3 series between Synergy Hockey and Resurrection was streamed and can be viewed below:

NHLGamers,

‘Tis the season... the season for world class NHL gaming once again! After an unusually long break for the ECL franchise, we return with a bang as we kick off FOUR divisions this season.

Yes, you read that right, this season we’re introducing ECL Neo into our framework. The newcomer will be exactly that - a division for new NHL gamers to get adjusted to playing in a league and the requirements that it has on a team and its players. See it as an incubator for future potential. ECL Neo will also be suitable for players who want to play games at a less stressful pace as this division only has two suggested weekly game days. Alongside Neo, we will run Lite, Pro and Elite as usual. 

If you don't know what I'm talking about by now, here's a briefing of what ECL is; ECL is a competitive EA Sports NHL League. Games are played in the EASHL game mode in a 6vs6 manner. Since ECL 4, we have implemented a divisions framework with Lite (and now also Neo) being entry level, Pro being our mid-level and Elite holding the best 16 teams in Europe. A season in each division consists of a group stage/regular season and playoffs.  

Here is the planned divisions structure for ECL 9:

• ECL Elite: 16 teams
  • Sign up: ECL Elite eligible teams
  • Gamedays:  Monday, Wednesday & Thursday
  • Regular season: One group
  • Playoffs:
    • 8 teams
    • Best-of-7
    • 7 days per round
       
• ECL Pro: 32 teams
  • Sign up: ECL Pro eligible teams
  • Gamedays: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday
  • Regular season: Two groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 16 teams
    • Best-of-7
    • 8 days per round
       
• ECL Lite: 48-64 teams (TBC)
  • Sign up: Anyone can apply for ECL Lite
    • Teams will be decided by Franchise history, Roster composition and EASHL record
    • ECL Lite registrants are also allowed to apply for a spot in ECL Pro
    • Teams signing up for ECL Lite that don't make it into ECL Pro or ECL Lite will be automatically placed in ECL Neo
  • Gamedays: Tuesday, Wednesday & Sunday
  • Regular season: Four groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 32 teams
    • Best-of-7
    • 8 days per round
       
• ECL Neo: 32+ teams
  • Sign up: Without restrictions
  • Gamedays: Wednesday & Sunday
  • Regular season: Four groups
  • Playoffs:
    • 16 teams
    • Best-of-5
    • 7 days per round

Basic information/requirements of ECL:

• Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however we do not necessarily exclude North American or Russian players. North American players are not allowed to host matches / be captain in the lineup, which means all games need to take place on European servers. This also applies to Russian players - please evaluate your previous connection experience against some of the teams participating in the ECL, especially if you live in eastern parts of your country (which likely connects you to US West servers). In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players.
• 6 vs. 6 tournament: ECL is played 6 vs. 6 only, using the EASHL Challenge Club game mode in NHL 20.
• Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at NHLGamer.com and create their personal player card.
• Roster requirements: Teams in ECL Elite need to have at least 7 players to sign up. Teams in ECL Pro, ECL Lite and ECL Neo need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players.
• ECL Elite license: Teams in ECL Elite will be required to pay for an ECL Elite license in order to play (more details to follow).
• Rules: The ECL 9 ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 8. We will fine-tune the rules a little bit, but more information is to follow. Meanwhile, you can find the ECL 8 rules here.

Meet the Cover Gamer of ECL 9: Hannes "Hansulinho" Kettunen

Hansulinho is well-known for his all-round abilities and success in the NHL-series. In the 6vs6 mode, he's stopping pucks. Photo credit: SEUL ry / Arttu Kokkonen

Having started a tradition of featuring cover gamers last season with Erik @Eki Tammenpää, we needed to bring equal heat this season. With that being said, we are extremely happy to announce that the second ever ECL cover gamer is one of the pioneers in this community. We are happy to have multiple Finnish 1vs1 champion, FCL Champion, ECL Champion, NHL GWC Finalist and overall nice guy Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen serving as the ECL 9 cover gamer. His team HAVU Gaming managed to win the ECL 8 title at LanTrek under their old name Written In The Stars, after which the veteran gamer went on to make an appearance in the NHL GWC Finals in Las Vegas together with friend and occasional rival Eki and finally capping off NHL 19 with a Finnish FCL title in the crease for his HAVU Gaming. Hansu is a true veteran of the sport and rightfully so has been selected to be featured as our cover gamer.

“It’s an honor, I guess it means I’ve done things right and I’ll continue trying to set an example in the future too.”  says the man himself about the selection.

Broadcasts

ECL 9 Elite will be regularly broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel. Broadcasts will feature miscellaneous talent, such as fan favourite caster Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen along with other familiar faces, such as Adam @esdor Ericson, Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta and Jani @Janikka Tuominen. Be sure to follow our channel at twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

ECL Elite Finals and prize pool

The ECL 9 season is planned to culminate in a final event in Finland in early January (currently penciled in on Saturday the 11th - to be confirmed). All the details of this event are not finalized and will have to be confirmed at a later stage. At this event the two best ECL Elite teams will clash for the most respected title in 6vs6 NHL gaming and a share of the total prize pool of 5000€.

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

#1. ECL 9 Elite Champion: 3500€
#2. ECL 9 Elite Runner-Up: 1000€
#3.-4. ECL 9 Elite Semifinal losers: 250€

*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 9 Finals.

When?

ECL Elite will kick off already next week, while the other divisions will have some more time to sign up for this season:

• ECL 9 Elite will kick off on Wednesday, 13th of November, signups end on Saturday 9th of November 23:59 CET
• ECL 9 Pro will kick off on Monday, 18th of November, signups end on Friday 15th of November 23:59 CET
• ECL 9 Lite will kick off on Tuesday, 19th of November, signups end on Friday 15th of November 23:59 CET
• ECL 9 Neo will kick off on Wednesday, 20th of November, signups end on Friday 15th of November 23:59 CET

Where to sign up?

• Sign up for ECL 9 Elite here
• Sign up for ECL 9 Pro here
• Sign up for ECL 9 Lite here
• Sign up for ECL 9 Neo here

Please note: If you are currently in negotiations with an organization and have plans to change your team name, but are uncertain if you will make it until the start of the season, please contact @Kenu with this information as soon as possible.

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

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

What can I do to help out?

If you feel like you want to do more for the project, head over to this article for some examples on what sort of staff we are looking for and where to get in touch.

As for the small things everyone can do, follow our different channels and spread the positive word of our community and your fellow players and teams - together we can make a difference!

NHLGamer on Facebook
NHLGamer on Twitch
NHLGamer on Instagram
NHLGamer on Twitter

Hopefully that covers most of the questions you might have. Without further ado: Welcome to the ECL!

NHLGamers,

With this season review, we'll be able to put yet another ECL Pro season in the books! After an unfortunate delay due to ISP issues, we were able to crown POGGERS the new champion and congratulate them for a guaranteed Elite spot for ECL 9.
Without further ado we want to conclude a season review in traditional fashion:

Top 8 teams of ECL 8 Pro:

POGGERS - The new champion had an outstanding playoff run (16 wins, 4 losses) which wasn't easy. In the first round they only needed 5 games to top the most liked mascot of Raccoon Rampage, 6 games to destroy the hopes of the contender Gotham Knights and 5 games against the very well defending team of Checkmate. In the finals POGGERS faced the team to beat - TIKI TALK ran by veteran @itspardytime who were the favorites all across the board. POGGERS regular season wasn't that pretty, as they finished only 5th in Group 1 which resulted in the 9th seed overall. After rotating a little bit in the regular season, POGGERS sticked with their starting 6 for the playoffs. @Chafak led the team in points all season long but don't sleep on the nice defensive pair of @Speedy104 and @Wickedtah69. It will be interesting to see, how they will perform in the Elite next season.

TIKI TALK - The runner-up was the favorite coming into the season and didn't disappoint. They dominated their Group 1 with their high-scoring offense around top-scoring captain @itspardytime. They were no slouches on the the defensive side either and these two factors certainly made them into real contenders this season. TIKI TALK didn't hesitate to make their presence felt in the playoffs as they swept Bellizzi and SIKA in the first two rounds. They had to pay attention in the semi-finals against Black Horse as they beat the 1st seed of The Next Gen, but as it seemed it wasn't too hard to deal with as Pardy and his guys only needed five games to secure their finals spot. Quite disappointing that they fell short against the later champions but TIKI TALK will have a shot at the highest division in their promotion battles against Synergy Hockey. Will there be a joyful ending to their cinderella story?

Checkmate - The defensive minded team built around @TackleControl had a pretty shaky line up during the regular season where they used 9 skaters and 2 goalies. This wasn't the case for the playoffs as nearly all of the games were played by their starting 6. Checkmate's way to the semi-final was built up by a pretty good 3rd place in Group 1 which lead to a first round matchup against Speedy Bros Hockey (win in 5 games) and a quarterfinal against Mentula SKA (win in 6 games). They didn't flaunt their offensive guns that much but are very good at shut down defense and very dangerous in the counter attacks. Their effort wasn't enough in the semis against the later champs POGGERS, but you will see them in the Elite next season, as they were able to beat Resurrection in the promotion battle.

Black Horse - Going into the season in the role as their name would suggest, Black Horse struggled to show their talent in the regular season. Finishing 5th in Group 2 which resulted in the 13th seed overall, they showed their real potential finally in the playoffs. A contender like Silver Sword Griffins in the first round? Done in 6 games. The highest seed in the quarterfinals? C'mon, let's sweep them. The later runner-up TIKI TALK eventually beat them in 5 games, but nevertheless the team around @Tapparafan made some noise for sure. Unfortunately we won't see this team again as rumours about a breakup have been heard through the grapevine.

Gotham Knights - The former Elite team wanted to play a bounce-back season and were an early favorite for sure. They rotated quite heavily during the regular season but top-scorer and captain @ReDMisTi kept his cool with his experience leading his team to a second place finish in Group 1 and the 3rd seed overall. Their defense was outstanding as they only conceded 42 goals in a total of 30 games. While continuing their good form in the first round as they beat the SPARTANS in 5 games, their season came to a quick halt in the quarter finals against the later champions POGGERS. As Black Horse left an open promotion spot by disbanding, the Knights out of Gotham had were given the chance due to their best remaining playoff record and PPG of the regular season. Unfortunately they lost to the Unlucky Boys HC and will remain in the Pro division for ECL 9.

Mentula SKA - After they got promoted from Lite in ECL 7, Mentula SKA showed that they can compete also in the second highest division. An immediate playoff qualification with the record 20-8-2 resulted in the 3rd place of Group 2 and the 6th overall seed goes to show for that. After a tight battle which needed 7 games to see a winner in the first round against Rajatorpan Mafia, the team of @Niksu21 fell short against the later Elite qualifying Checkmate in 6 games. Nevertheless a pretty good debut season for the former Lite team and they will be in the mix of the favorites for further tournaments for sure!

The Next Gen - The runner-up of the ECL 7 Lite division was on fire right from the get go. Leading Group 2 all the way, they ended up being the top seed overall for the playoffs. This team boasted top-scorers @kriketski17 and @NikkeDangles in their lineup and managed to be one of the defensive powerhouses of the league even with missing their starting goaltender and captain @ramseyy2. Easy tap in in a wide open spot for ECL 9 Elite right? Playoff hockey is a different story - that's something that will be hard to swallow for The Next Gen. They needed 7 games against the GHETTO FIREBIRDS in the first round and guess what? They got swept in the quarterfinals against Black Horse. Pretty disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding season. We're hoping for these guys to be back, that's for sure!

SIKA - After a very bad season in the Elite division of ECL 7 it was a team defining season for SIKA. They had some problems adjusting their style to start the season in the Pro division but eventually finished the group stage at 7th in Group 1 and 11th seed overall. This squad is experienced and that ended up paying off in the first round as they beat Born With It, who where the 2nd seed of Group 2, in 6 games. Unfortunately the Hogs weren't quite strong enough to hold up against the later runner-up TIKI TALK in the quarter finals. Can they make a deeper playoff run in ECL 9?

AWARDS

Playoff MVP: @Chafak

Most Points: @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games
Most Goals: @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games
Most Assists:  @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games
Most Hits by a Forward: @Enerfity, Speedy Bros Hockey, 227 Hits in 26 games
Best +/-: @kriketski17, The Next Gen, +74 in 30 games

Most Points by a Defenseman: @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 8 Goals, 35 Assists, 35 Points in 30 games
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @Drunkendefender, SPARTANS, 11 Goals, 23 Assists, 34 Points in 30 games
Most Assists by a Defenseman: @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 8 Goals, 35 Assists, 35 Points in 30 games
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Lurkins, SIKA, 228 Hits in 22 games

TOP 3'S OF ECL 8 PRO

Top 3 Forwards Regular Season: 

1. @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games
2. @kriketski17, The Next Gen, 47 Goals, 35 Assists, 82 Points in 30 games
3. @NikkeDangles, The Next Gen, 38 Goals, 44 Assists, 82 Points in 30 games

Top 3 Defenders Regular Season:

1. @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 8 Goals, 35 Assists, 43 Points in 30 games
2. @Drunkendefender, SPARTANS, 11 Goals, 23 Assists, 34 Points in 30 games
3. @oGBioLan, The Next Gen, 6 Goals, 26 Assists, 32 Points in 30 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season:

1. @Masapunda, Born With It, 21 Wins, 86.47 SV%, 1.82 GAA, 5 SO in 29 games
2. @PeeloJombb, Mentula SKA, 20 Wins, 84.07 SV%, 1.66 GAA, 4 SO in 30 games
3. @Joshua Plattner, Silver Sword Griffins, 18 Wins, 80.78 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 8 SO in 30 games

Top 3 Forwards Playoffs:

1. @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 28 Goals, 27 Assists, 55 Points in 18 games
2. @Teme, TIKI TALK, 21 Goals, 24 Assists, 45 Points in 18 games
3. @Jirsimarco, TIKI TALK, 10 Goals, 23 Assists, 33 Points in 18 games

Top 3 Defenders Playoffs:

1. @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 6 Goals, 21 Assists, 27 Points in 18 games
2. @Savinaainen, TIKI TALK, 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 Points in 18 games
3. @Wickedtah69, POGGERS, 3 Goals, 12 Assists, 15 Points in 21 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs:

1. @Janne Hietala, POGGERS, 16 Wins, 86.34 SV%, 1.47 GAA, 5 SO in 21 games
2. @PCJP, TIKI TALK, 13 Wins, 83.53 SV%, 1.50 GAA, 3 SO in 18 games
3. @villamies95, Black Horse, 9 Wins, 80.23 SV%, 2 SO in 15 games
 

The controversial 'Top 6' of the season is making a comeback! What this means is a selection of six players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. Please note that all selections are subjective and they are made by community members who have been keeping an eye on ECL 8 Pro. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Pro division in ECL 8:

@Chafak (POGGERS) - @Jirsimarco (TIKI TALK) - @itspardytime (TIKI TALK)

@Thewix93 (TIKI TALK) - @Speedy104 (POGGERS)

@Janne Hietala (POGGERS)

We're happy to conclude the season with this review. Once again, thank you all for your participation and congrats to the promoted teams. 

See you next season!

@jahajaha93 & @Mannheimer1938

NHLGamers,

After an incredibly eventful ECL 8, POGGERS are crowned the champions of ECL 8 Pro! The finals were extended due to the widely known issues with the game. As that got fixed, TIKI TALK and POGGERS battled it out for the title during the past week in a series, which ended 4-1 in favour of POGGERS. NHLGamer would like to congratulate our newly crowned champion on the title and a promotion to ECL 9 Elite.

NHLGamer would also like to congratulate TIKI TALK, Gotham Knights and Checkmate for outstanding performances and an opportunity to qualify for ECL 9 Elite.

The game by game results for the finals are as follows:

Game 1: POGGERS - TIKI TALK 2:1 OT

Game 2: TIKI TALK - POGGERS 1:2

Game 3: POGGERS - TIKI TALK 1:2

Game 4: TIKI TALK - POGGERS 1:2

Game 5: POGGERS - TIKI TALK 4:2

POGGERS championship roster:

GOALTENDERS

#41 V.Lehto @Janne Hietala

DEFENSEMEN

#5 J.Pappas @MrNaiMiZ

#87 X.Ripe @Riipperi87

FORWARDS

#9 V.Saarijärvi @Chafak

#17 -.ENZA @ZPalffy

#29 A.Laine @Wickedtah69

#38 -.UI JUMA @Yoloberg

#83 S.Gonzales @Speedy104

#98 D.DelaVega @JaKurrii

POGGERS road to the trophy: 

Regular season: 18-8-4 (5th in Group 1)

Round 1: 4:1 vs. Raccoon Rampage

Quarterfinals: 4:2 vs. Gotham Knights

Semifinals: 4:1 vs. Checkmate

Finals: 4:1 vs. TIKI TALK

Once again on behalf of all of us, congratulations! Now that all divisions have finished playing, stay tuned for our season previews out soon.

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

NHLGamers,

ECL 8 was certainly surprise season in our Lite division! Even more so than usually this time around. It's only fitting to have the 14th seed team Oton Letkutemppu take the trophy in a final series agains the 20th seed Vesa Pompa HC - congrats to both these teams on outstanding seasons. This season the playoff format involved some bye rounds and these certainly didn't favour the higher seeded teams that got a week of rest while the lower seeded teams fought it out in order to make it through and keep their dream alive. It's been yet another long but joyful road which we're very happy to have shared with all of you guys participating. NHLGamer extends a humble thank you to all of the players(you!), who are making this experience possible.



Without further ado, let's move on to a review of this season:

Group 1:

Perttilan Kommandot

The winners of a tight Group 1 were disappointed in the second round of the playoffs where LammasLauma swept the series in four games. This is the second season in a row where they have experienced a fast exit, when in ECL 7 they lost in the second round to Dubnation Gaming.

Elamam Kiekko

The consistently competitive EMK took the second place from their tight Group 1 but had struggles to find the right fit to their left wing as in total five players tried to play there. In the second round of the playoffs they lost in six games to FarmiNaattori who finished third in Group 1 and whom Elamam Kiekko had beaten twice in the regular season.

Group 2:

Old Farts

The Oldies were the second strongest team in the regular season but they surprisingly lost to Poston Fruits in six games in the second round of the playoffs and only scored three goals in these games. @Valmuri played center in the first three losses against Poston Fruits, but after that @Ankkalasvegas joined the action and Old Farts were able to win two games before losing the game six where from Fruits advanced to the third round.
 

Last Period

Last Period was only the sixth team in scoring in their group. Outstanding defensive efforts and great goaltending from @buzee_ won them the second place on their group. In the playoffs they lost in the second round to Western Express in five games and scored only seven goals in those games.
 

Group 3:

Blackdawgs

Group 3 featured seven out of ten top scorers in regular season from four different teams. One of them is fifth highest scorer and Blackdawgs captain @Mistertyppo95. Blackdawgs were the only team that won Dynamic who dominated almost every game they played and that secured their spot as winners of their group. Blackdawgs lost in the fourth round to the eventual ECL 8 Lite winners Oton Letkutemppu and they were the only team that won Letkutemppu two times in the playoffs. After four games, the series was tied 2-2 but Letkutemppu won both the fifth and sixth game in the overtime. If the puck had bounced differently - Blackdawgs could have won the title.

Dynamic

Most dominant regular season team as three of their forwards had more than 100 points when fourth place player @Stefan_397 from EV Fuessen eSports had 88 points. Something happened in the locker room and Dynamic gave walkovers from two of their last regular season games to Saucer Hockey and they didn’t play at all in the playoffs. Had they put their differences aside - could they have won the title?
 

Group 4:

Dystopia

The team finished the regular season 21-2-1 and with @Jerax13 carrying the team on his shoulders they were on top of the table. Dystopia managed to reach round 4 of the ECL 8 Lite playoffs where they got beaten by group 4’s second placing team Cheers Hockey.

Cheers Hockey

15-5-4 was enough to reach second place in group 4 and with some good chemistry in the team with @Borjendahlen leading the team in points, they were one of four teams that got the right to play in the Pro division next ECL season.

Group 5:

Prowlers

The team finished the regular season losing only two games. @Toobbiiee(Vesterberg89) and @RullAthor1991 combined with solid goaltending from @David McSavid(Rundqviist) gave these guys a good chance for a Pro push but they found themselves beaten 4-0 in round 4 by Vesa Pompa.

Puck Panthers

@Giinis lead the team in scoring with 29 goals and 23 assists. The team didn't make it through round 2 of the ECL lite playoffs though as Me Carvoset were a bit too much of a challenge the Panthers.

Group 6:

We Kings

We kings is one of four teams that made it to the semi finals where they lost 4-1. The regular season was very good especially for @Hbnzo who lead the team in points and @Maggre in the crease had a solid record of 13-4-1. We are very curious about what will happen next season for these guys.

Oton Letkutemppu

The ECL 8 Lite champions finished the regular season 17-6-1 in a group that looked very though. @Thounimeister scored more points in the playoffs than he did in the regular season and their goalkeepers were extraordinary, especially @Theoikeakarim who finished the playoffs with a save percentage of 95%(!) after playing defense for most of the season.

Under the radar:

Vesa Pompa HC

Vesa Pompa HC had an ok regular season where they finished with 16-6-4 record. At the playoffs this heavily offensive team only lost one game before the finals where they were swept in four games by Oton Letkutemppu. eken45jr (60 points) and affelj96 (57 points) were the two top scorers in the playoffs.

AWARDS

Playoff MVP: @Theoikeakarim

Most Points: @Basstian23, Dynamic, 47 Goals, 79 Assists, 126 Points in 24 games
Most Goals: @Lakevalley, Dynamic, 76 Goals, 33 Assists, 109 Points in 24 games
Most Assists:  @Basstian23, Dynamic, 47 Goals, 79 Assists, 126 Points in 24 games
Most Hits by a Forward: @XelsFIN, We Kings, 101 Hits in 24 games
Best +/-: @Basstian23, Dynamic, +89 in 24 games

Most Points by a Defenseman: @Halinalle69, NOCANDO, 8 Goals, 30 Assists, 38 Points in 19 games
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @Klassikko_, Perttilan Kommandot, 10 Goals, 22 Assists, 32 Points in 24 games
Most Assists by a Defenseman: @Halinalle69, NOCANDO, 8 Goals, 30 Assists, 38 Points in 19 games
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Theoikeakarim, Oton Letkutemppu, 216 Hits in 20 games

TOP 3'S OF ECL 8 LITE

Top 3 Forwards Regular Season: 

1. @Basstian23, Dynamic, 47 Goals, 79 Assists, 126 Points in 24 games
2. @Lakevalley, Dynamic, 76 Goals, 33 Assists, 109 Points in 24 games
3. @Tiipponenii, Dynamic, 32 Goals, 77 Assists, 109 Points in 24 games

Top 3 Defenders Regular Season:

1. @Halinalle69, NOCANDO, 8 Goals, 30 Assists, 38 Points in 19 games
2. @Klassikko_, Perttilan Kommandot, 10 Goals, 22 Assists, 32 Points in 24 games
3. @Theoikeakarim, Oton Letkutemppu, 7 goals, 24 Assists, 31 Points in 20 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season:

1. @timpelo303, Dystopia, 20 Wins, 87.20 SV%, 1.65 GAA, 2 SO in 23 games
2. @Reaper-80, Perttilan Kommandot, 19 Wins, 85.20 SV%, 1.31 GAA, 6 SO in 22 games
3. @buzee_, Last Period, 18 Wins, 86.47 SV%, 1.27 GAA, 6 SO in 22 games

Top 3 Forwards Playoffs:

1. @Eken45jr, Vesa Pompa HC, 26 Goals, 34 Assists, 60 Points in 23 games
2. @affelj96, Vesa Pompa HC, 39 Goals, 18 Assists, 57 Points in 23 games
3. @Hbnzo, We Kings, 28 Goals, 24 Assists, 52 Points

Top 3 Defenders Playoffs:

1. @Latexiii, We Kings, 3 Goals, 20 Assists, 23 Points in 22 games
2. @Taunomaister1, Chatbox, 3 Goals, 17 Assists, 19 Points in 14 games
3. @Juanzaar, Me Carvoset, 3 Goals, 15 Assists, 18 Points in 14 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs:

1. @KerttulanKarlsson, Cheers Hockey, 12 Wins, 88.42 SV%, 1.29 GAA, 7 SO in 17 games
2. @peppeztvshow, Vesa Pompa HC, 12 Wins, 76.92 SV%, 2.60 GAA, 0 SO in 15 games
3. @Mazu_Pizu, Saucer Hockey, 11 Wins, 82.35 SV%, 2.40 GAA, 2 SO in 20 games
 

The controversial 'Top 6' of the season is making a comeback! What this means is a selection of six players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. Please note that all selections are subjective and they are made by community members who have been keeping an eye on ECL 8 Lite. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Lite division in ECL 8:

@Mistertyppo95 (Blackdawgs) - @Basstian23 (Dynamic) - @Eken45jr (Vesa Pompa HC)

@Halinalle69 (NOCANDO) - @Theoikeakarim (Oton Letkutemppu)

@timpelo303 (Dystopia)

On top of an outstanding season in general, we also saw some ECL Lite records being broken! The following records have been set this season:

Most assists in one season(Lite): @Basstian23 (79 assists)

Most penalty minutes in one season(Lite): @Bull_Bensson (62 minutes)

Most powerplay goals in one season(Lite): @Lakevalley (12 goals)

We're happy to conclude the season with this review. Once again, thank you all for your participation and congrats to the promoted teams. 

See you next season!

ECL Writing Team,
@Tonimo92 & @Willander97

NHLGamers,

After long season and some incredibly tight turns, we're proud to be crowning Oton Letkutemppu your ECL 8 Lite champion! It was certainly no easy feat, but Oton really found their stride in the playoffs. The absolute clinic put on in the finals goes to show that we are talking about a Pro ready team and we'll be waiting eagerly for what next season entails for these guys.

NHLGamer would also like to congratulate Vesa Pompa HC, We Kings and Cheers Hockey for outstanding performances and promotions to ECL 9 Pro.

The game by game results for the finals are as follows:

Game 1: Oton Letkutemppu - Vesa Pompa HC 5:0

Game 2: Vesa Pompa HC - Oton Letkutemppu 0:1

Game 3: Oton Letkutemppu - Vesa Pompa HC 3:0

Game 4: Vesa Pompa HC - Oton Letkutemppu 1:2

Oton Letkutemppus championship roster:

GOALTENDERS

#4 K.Makise @Huuru

#62 S.Rakastaja @Theoikeakarim

DEFENSEMEN

#16 J.Pappas @JokkePappa

#44 O.Keskitalo @Duran93

FORWARDS

#9 T.Lehclair @Thounimeister

#9 O.Kuhta @Matson94

#15 T.Rautavaara @builtforspeedos

#59 V.Svitov @RappioTaide

#87 S.Crosby @Lehikoinen_

#88 P.Kaukalo @Juha88

Oton Letkutemppus road to the trophy: 

Regular season: 17-6-1 (14th)

Round 1: BYE

Round 2: 4:1 vs. Finnish Hockey Legends

Round 3: 4:0 vs. Me Carvoset

Quarterfinals: 4:2 vs. Blackdawgs

Semifinals: 4:1 vs. Cheers Hockey

Finals: 4:1 vs. Vesa Pompa HC

Once again on behalf of all of us, congratulations!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

NHLGamers,

It's been a wild ECL 8 in 'The Jungle' formally known as ECL Lite. For this season, the playoff format was changed up a bit due to a large amount of teams signing up and due to a community outcry for more regular season games. In past seasons, the Lite regular season has probably not bees as tightly contested as in our other divisions simply due to the fact that a vast majority of teams have made the playoffs - this season, a large amount of teams made the playoffs, but we found a way to bring more meaning to the regular season by creating larger groups. Now teams had to fight for their post-season a bit more! The Lite playoffs, however, are notorious for being an absolute free-for-all. With 48 teams making the playoffs, we've now weeded through five rounds in order to make it to the finals, that's a lot of games right there. Number 14 seed Oton Letkutemppu has played a total of 20 playoff games so far and the opposing number 20 seed Vesa Pompa HC have fought through a total of 24 playoff battles. 

(14)   Oton Letkutemppu vs. Vesa Pompa HC  (20)

The season finale is just around the corner and it is going to be a big one. Both teams have had a strong playoff push against good teams and they will wrap up the season in this best of 7 series.

Who will lead their team to victory? Will it be @Lehikoinen_ who has recorded 44 points through
20 games for Letkutemppu or will it be the notorious L2-spam legend @Eken45jr who has 59 points in the same amount of games for Vesa Pompa.

If you want to be ECL 8 Lite champion you have to put the puck into the back of the opponents net. In order to do that you have to beat two very solid goaltenders in this series. Will @peppeztvshow be the big difference maker in the series with an outstanding goalie performance with a record of 12-1 or will @Huuru (10-3) be more successful at keeping the puck out of his 4 by 6 net? All of these above questions will be answered starting tonight, as the ECL 8 Lite Finals kick off with a bang. We're going to see a tightly contested battle between two mildly surprising finalist teams, so make sure to stay tuned for a schedule announcement and tune in to the stream tonight!

I hope you guys are as excited as we are to get this thing started. Other than that, let the series begin.

ECL Lite Writer,
@Willander97

And so there were four.

The ECL 8 Lite season has progressed al the way to the Semifinals in which we're seeing two very even matchups. We've certainly been treated to some surprises this season, as a majority of the teams that were higher ranked in their respective matchups so far have been eliminated. We're left with four very capable teams that all are deserving of promotions to ECL Pro for next season. Now it remains to determine the final marching order and crowning a champion. Without further ado, let's get into the details of our semi's:

The ECL 8 Lite Semifinals are to be played between Thursday, 7th of March and Wednesday, 13th of March.

(11.)  We Kings  vs. Vesa Pompa HC  (20.)

We Kings were disappointed when they lost in the second round to K A R H U T in ECL 7 Lite but now they have fought their way to the semifinals. Surprisingly, We Kings had a bit of a struggle against EV Fuessen eSports, Beast Hockey and Saucer Hockey even though they were one of the more impressive teams in the regular season. Vesa Pompa HC has stormed through the playoffs by only losing two games. They have the most firepower in their offense where one of the top versus players right now @Eken45jr plays right wing. Vesa Pompa HC is a team that relies to their offense to score a ton of goals and this is going to be a series where we are going to see a lot of those. Goaltending might be the difference maker. The team that has the better goalie is going to win the series.

(14.)  Oton Letkutemppu vs. Cheers Hockey  (16.)

There are two big similarities that can be found from these teams. Both are playing their first ECL season and both have defenders that like to hit a lot @Theoikeakarim for Letkutemppu and @Margoes - Maqruusi for Cheers). Oton Letkutemppu has lost only three games in the playoffs and they seem to be on a roll. On the other hand Cheers Hockey that consists of many former Squad Vilttiketju players let in only five goals in six games against the third best regular season team Dystopia. This serie is going to be a close one and we predict that the games will be defensive battles where either one can win in seven games.

Who are you rooting for to win it all? Leave a comment down below!

ECL Lite Writer,
@Tonimo92

NHLGamers, 

We've reached the final bout of the ECL 8 Pro season! After being treated to yet another eventful season, the eventual crowning of a champion is at our hands. Yet again, the playoffs have left us in awe from time to time. This season, 1st overall seed The Next Gen had a convincing group stage and pushed through the first two rounds with ease, after which they hit a brick wall and got eliminated in 4 games by Black Horse. A less surprising feat is seeing 2nd seed TIKI TALK paving their way to the finals. TIKI seems to have found their winning way and look to retrieve a spot at the highest level of ECL hockey by overcoming their opponent POGGERS in the finals. On top of these two, Black Horse and Checkmate also fought their way to the Semi-finals, which allows them a chance to battle for promotion to ECL 9 Elite. This season, it's worth noting that only the Pro champion gains direct promotion, as the 2nd place team will face Synergy Hockey in a relegation matchup.

These are your ECL 8 Pro finalists:

(2)  TIKI TALK vs. POGGERS  (9)

Going into the ECL 8 Pro finals with a slight hint of favourite status we have TIKI TALK, who have managed to build an astonishing legacy for themselves by powering on for what seems to be an eternity through thick and thin. Before and even during the season, they've made some changes in hopes of pushing their team onto the right tracks and it seems as if they've managed to pull it off as of late. As stated, the team is one of the most long lived ECL franchises, having been there ever since the start of the new era of NHL gaming here at NHLGamer. It's a familiar sight seeing captain @itspardytime leading the team in scoring, which he has done ever so dominantly this season again. Another notable steady performer is goaltender @PCJP, who now in his second season with the team has got in the groove of stopping pucks quite efficiently, arguably being one of the most underrated netminders in the league. TIKI TALK is never an easy team to face, they play a fast paced style of hockey, which sometimes can be regarded as a bit chaotic. Stay alert at all times, TIKI is looking for the cup.

POGGERS on the other hand is a new acquaintance. Although they are formed around the shell of last seasons Wasps Gaming and consist out of several very experienced players, they are the youngins by far in this matchup. My instinct would be to say what they lack in experience as a team, they more than make up for in skill. Offensive trio @Yoloberg-@JaKurrii-@Chafak are no strangers to tough matchups and all of them possess that x-factor that could make the players beside them so much better. The newly founded team struggled a bit to start the regular season, but once they have solidified their starting six, there has been very little stopping them as they have taken down strong teams such as Raccoon Rampage, Gotham Knights and most recently Checkmate in the playoffs. POGGERS has also been getting some decent goaltending for all of the ongoing season, as @Janne Hietala(Hassu85) has played an outstanding season and is surely looking to push his name into brighter lights.
 

Prediction: POGGERS win 4-3.

Schedule for the finals:

Game 1: Wednesday, 6th of March 20:30 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS
Game 2: Wednesday, 6th of March 21:00 CET POGGERS vs TIKI TALK
Game 3: Wednesday, 6th of March 21:30 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS
Game 4: Thursday, 7th of March 20:30 CET POGGERS vs TIKI TALK
Game 5: Thursday, 7th of March 21:00 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS
Game 6: Thursday, 7th of March 21:30 CET POGGERS vs TIKI TALK
Game 7: Thursday, 7th of March 22:00 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS

Tune in for broadcasts of the games at our Twitch channel! Tonight, yours truly and @Kenu in the booth!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

Hey NHLGamers, 

Written In The Stars have been crowned as this season's Elite champion by beating FILADELPHIA 4 games to 1. As such, NHLGamer would like to congratulate each and every player from SKY for putting on a masterclass en route to their title. Additionally, we would also like to thank everyone that participated across all divisions this ECL for making each game as memorable as the last. 

If you missed out on any of the games from the finals then you can check out our Twitch channel or Elisa Viihde's where all games will be available to watch. 

The game by game results for the series are as follows:

Game 1: FILADELPHIA - Written in the Stars 2:0

Game 2: Written in the Stars - FILADELPHIA 4:0

Game 3: FILADELPHIA - Written in the Stars 0:1

Game 4: Written in the Stars - FILADELPHIA 2:0

Game 5: FILADELPHIA - Written in the Stars 0:1 OT

Written in the Stars' championship roster:

GOALTENDERS

#40 J. Lindström @poliskontroll

#88 -. Hansuljevski @Hansulinho

DEFENSEMEN

#16 K. V @VesKuLiNe

#43 Y. Wilhelm @willekunq

#78 N. Tahtonen @Nassustelija

FORWARDS

#6 M. Sami @Buantso 

#13 I. SK @Dominointi 

#66 T. Keranen @topikeranen 

#91 U. SK @FlyerKungen 

Written In The Stars' road to the trophy: 

Regular season: 26-3-1 (1st)

Quarterfinals: 4:0 vs. Northern Stars

Semifinals: 4:0 vs. Rusty Blades

Finals: 4:1 vs. FILADELPHIA

Once again, NHLGamer would like to extend a warm thank you to all participants, every single member of this great community, Elisa Viihde and Dr. Oetker Rustica! Another entertaining season has passed us by and another new winner has been crowned. Enjoy your break and get ready to step on the virtual ice again very soon!

Your NHLGamer Staff

Picture courtesy of SEUL ry, Jääskeläinen. Taken at GameXpo 2018.

Quote

NHLGamers,

It's the final week of ECL 8 Elite and it all culminates at the pinnacle of the season - The ECL 8 Elite Finals at LanTrek in Tampere, Finland! With this short intro, we're launching an extensive coverage into the heated battle between first seed Written In The Stars and second seed FILADELPHIA. The games are scheduled to start at 17:00 CET on Friday, 1st of March, 2019 and we'll keep going for as long as it takes to make out a champion, believe me - that might take a while! Last time these teams met live, we ended up playing long into the night as game 2 wasn't decided until 6th OT when @Dominointitickled twine. Stay tuned for our big ECL 8 Elite Final preview, dropping late this evening.

You'll be able to find us all weekend at LanTrek, as we're hosting the ECL 8 Elite Finals on Friday and casual FIFA 19 and NHL 19 tournaments on Saturday.

NHLGamer can be found in the lower left hand corner (picture above). The ECL 8 Elite finals will be played on stage #2.

Read more: ECL 8 Elite Finals: "I just want my team to win"
 

The wait for the finals is coming to an end as Friday is here and the NHLGamer staff has arrived safely at LanTrek 19. Players will be dropping in at the venue shortly, so what better time than to release our final interview - this time we're bothering the highly praised Written In The Stars right defenseman @willekunq:

For the first time in a while, you've had a season where you've played a lot. You also have a new defensive pair in @Nassustelija - how has it felt?

- This season has been fun. It feels good to play and I'm enjoying myself out there. At first we had some problems and Nassu is pretty inexperienced at the highest level, but he's improved tremendously and proven to be a great asset for our team. 

What are you going to do to make sure Written In The Stars comes out with the win tonight?

- I'll come into the games with a good nights sleep, eat well, bump fists with @Hansulinho and just play my game.

Any greetings for the FILA players?

- Nothing special, let's play some good games and may the best team win.


You'll get to see Wille and many more of the best NHL gamers in Europe at LanTrek tonight! Remember to tune in to our stream at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer if you can't make it to the live event!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

What's up, gamers?

As we're at the doorstep of the ECL 8 Elite Finals between Written In The Stars and FILADELPHIA, NHLGamer founder @Kenu joined Mika Kuha from radio station Aito Hitti for a short interview about the upcoming weekend and one of, if not the biggest NHLGamer event so far. It's about ten months ago since Kenu last sat down with Mika for an interview about our site and now we're treated with another short segment. For those that understand Finnish, listen to the interview below, for those that don't we have a short recap.

The ECL 8 Elite Finals:

(1)  Written In The Stars vs. FILADELPHIA  (2)

LIVE at LanTrek '19 in Tampere, Finland.
Stream at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer

Schedule:*
Game 1 17:00 CET
Game 2 17:40 CET
Game 3 18:20 CET
---------------------------------------
BREAK 18:55-19:55 CET
---------------------------------------
Game 4 20:00 CET
Game 5 20:40 CET
---------------------------------------
BREAK 21:10-21:20 CET
---------------------------------------
Game 6 21:25 CET
Game 7 22:05 CET

*ECL Staff withholds the right to alter the schedule if need be.

What's the underlying reason we're seeing an ECL 8 live final at LanTrek in Tampere?

- Well, there were many. First off, the timing was right and we had been taking massive steps further, so we were happy to take the natural step with organising a live final. Tampere is at a good location as it's very central and easily accessible from all around Finland and even from abroad. I've never attended LanTrek, but heard good things about it, so I'm happy to be able to showcase the pinnacle of our league at this event.

Are you surprised about these two teams matching up against each other in the final?

- Anyone could have made it, but it's not a massive surprise that Written In The Stars and FILADELPHIA meet at the very first live ECL Elite final. These two have been some of the stronger teams in our league for quite some time now and they actually had their last live event clash at the IS Cup 3: 6vs6 eSM, where all three games went into overtime before FILADELPHIA managed to win and ultimately hoist the cup. Both teams surely have those games in fresh memory. In the regular season, FILA won both games in the matchup between these two teams. Nevertheless, both of these teams are tremendously skilled and wether you are a fan of versus NHL or 6vs6 NHL, expect the very best at this final event.

Bringing these games to a live setting must surely bring an interesting twist to playing, how do you feel about that?

- It's certainly different and I think it'll have an effect on the players. For both FILA and SKY it's kind of a familiar situation, though. If I recall correctly, @Eki stated that it's even easier for him to play live sometimes and looking at his performances, I don't doubt that. When playing live, it's always interesting to see how players react to the pressure of the crowd and the cameras.

It's been nice to follow what's been going on in the ECL throughout the season. It seems like you're a tight knit community, talk a bit about that.

- Yeah, we're enemies on the ice and competition is tough, but the community is very tight knit and it all comes together nicely at these live events. This community has been built by the players and we've grown quickly on to bigger things lately.

Let's take a quick look across the pond. You recently announced the NACL - When does that kick off?

- The NACL kicks off on the 11th of March. I can't stress enough how excited I am about this, I know the North American community has been itching for our market entry and now the time was right. The announcement blew up on social media and we've had some registrations already. We expect more of the very Elite of NHL 6vs6 to join our site now that we offer a chance for North American players to compete in one of our leagues too. 

Kenu, ECL action is at it's best when it's live. What do you have to say to all the people doubting attendance?

- Couldn't say it better myself. ECL action is at it's best when it's live. Entry to LanTrek is only 15€ and on top of some excellent ECL action you'll get to devour some delicious Rustica Pizza right next to our stage. Thank you all and see you at LanTrek!

Puck drop is at 17 CET tomorrow!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

Picture courtesy of SEUL ry, Jääskeläinen. Taken at GameXpo 2018.

NHLGamers,

It's the final week of ECL 8 Elite and it all culminates at the pinnacle of the season - The ECL 8 Elite Finals at LanTrek in Tampere, Finland! With this short intro, we're launching an extensive coverage into the heated battle between first seed Written In The Stars and second seed FILADELPHIA. The games are scheduled to start at 17:00 CET on Friday, 1st of March, 2019 and we'll keep going for as long as it takes to make out a champion, believe me - that might take a while! Last time these teams met live, we ended up playing long into the night as game 2 wasn't decided until 6th OT when @Dominointitickled twine. Stay tuned for our big ECL 8 Elite Final preview, dropping late this evening.

You'll be able to find us all weekend at LanTrek, as we're hosting the ECL 8 Elite Finals on Friday and casual FIFA 19 and NHL 19 tournaments on Saturday.

NHLGamer can be found in the lower left hand corner (picture above). The ECL 8 Elite finals will be played on stage #2.

Read more: ECL 8 Elite Finals: "We're in this together"

We're continuing our short interview series with a FILADELPHIA player today! This time, @Janzuh gets the honour to step up and share some thoughts:

You and @vatalisti patrolled the blueline for three seasons straight, @jtorro1233 stepped in for this season. How has the transition went?

- I'm not gonna lie, it was a bit difficult at first. Probably didn't help that we didn't practice too much ahead of the season either. We had a short adjustment period but I think we've been hitting it off with Torro quite well recently. There's a lot of similarities between Torro and Vata as both like to jump in on the rush and provide offense. I'm happy being the last man back and keeping it clean in our own end. Personal achievements aren't my priority, I just want my team to win.

What's the factor that will push FILA to a win on Friday?

- There's many. Our offense will click, we'll be solid in our own end. I'm not going to swear on it, but we'll try to keep our net clean for all of Friday. I think our biggest advantage is our team spirit, to be honest. We always have fun together and even if we wouldn't be the better team on paper, we'll give ourselves a chance to win by just sticking to what we always do - play the game and have fun together.


Janzuh and several other of the best European NHL gamers will be taking the stage on Friday, 1st of March at LanTrek. Games start at 17 CET and you're all very welcome to join us either live in Tampere or through our stream at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. Arttu Hämäläinen and Jani @Jiihooo86 Hetta will be our commentators for the night!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

It's time, gamers!

The pinnacle of the season is here! We've reached the end of the line with only the two best teams in all of Europe remaining. It is the ECL 8 Elite final between Written In The Stars and FILADELPHIA. These are two teams that definitely aren't strangers to each other, in fact what we will be treated to at LanTrek is a rematch of their IS Cup 3: 6vs6 best of 3 final at GameXpo 2018. Only this time, we're back bigger and better than ever before!

Together with Dr Oetker Rustica, we're bringing you the first ever ECL live final and what better way to do that than with a guaranteed thriller of a matchup. SKY and FILA will face off in a best of 7 series, starting Friday, 1st of March, 2019 at 17 CET.
 

How we find ourselves here

For the first time in Written In The Stars franchise history, they have gained entry to the ECL finals. Thanks to one of, if not the, most dominant regular season displays ever seen, as well as a similarly commanding playoff showing thus far. FILADELPHIA on the other hand, come into this season’s finals as the reigning champions, and with an almost identical record compared to that season to boot. So, as far as finals go, this is no doubt shaping up to be one of the best we have ever seen.

But how exactly does each respective team find themselves at this point? Let’s turn the clock back and find out.

Picture courtesy of SEUL ry, Jääskeläinen. Taken at GameXpo 2018.

(1)  Written In The Stars

Regular season record: 26-3-1

Playoff record: 8-0-0

As Written in the Stars are currently the favourites to take this ECL championship (albeit by a mere 16 votes at the time of writing), what better team to start this segment off with then?

SKY History

I think though, to properly set the scene we should take a trip (perhaps reluctantly for some) down memory lane. Specifically, all the way back to ECL 2 when SKY was first created. Just as a point of reference, the only player on the roster at this time who is still a feature in the current one was @FlyerKungen. In their first 6v6 competitive season Written posted a fairly decent record of 7-2-1, paving their entry to the playoffs where they were eventually bounced in 5 games by Infinity. A result that I’m sure was no doubt frustrating for those involved, but for an inaugural season you can definitely do worse. For ECL 3, SKY took off and recorded a 39-4-3 season with three players passing the century mark in points. Despite this impressive total, SKY only managed to proceed to the quarters before getting swept by the eventual runners up.  Again, probably frustrating as all hell to be a part of, but as a far as trends go, their playoff performances are lasting longer and longer. Where the wheels begin to fall off is with the advent of ECL 4. Once again, SKY put up a fairly impressive season total of 18-6-4, good for 4^th in Elite. However, they drastically underperformed and got beat in 5 games to a Dynasty side who eventually ended up being just 2 goals away from the championship title. ECL 5 then rolled around with SKY notching another impressive regular season. This time, they got revenge on Dynasty as they swept them in the first round, but experienced an unfortunate 2nd round exit to end their season. Sure, in hindsight it may have been another potentially wasted season from SKY, although with that said, getting past the first round in Elite is no small feat. Especially as they have been going in as the 4^th seed in the past two seasons at this point, effectively guaranteeing that they would run into an extremely tough opponent. In response to these middling results SKY came out and posted the highest regular season point total on record (27-2-1). They then dismantled their first-round opponent in NOS in 5 games, setting up their best chance to make the finals and win a title up to this point, as their semi-finals opponent (NOR) was a team who had struggled massively in their first round appearance against Unlucky Boys, just about winning in 7 games and consequently prompting a positional / personnel change. Written then lost in 5. For ECL 7, they seemed to take a step back and ‘only’ racked up a record of 20-4-4, good for 3^rd in Elite, proceeded to show some promise in their first-round matchup by disposing of their opponent in 5 games, then got swept by, you guessed it, the eventual runners up for the 4^th consecutive season.

At this point, I doubt few would call into question the idea that Divine Providence surely must be at play, given SKYs playoff opponents. Indeed, one could even go as far to call them the gatekeepers of the finals, guarding entrance to the stage, but never setting foot on it.

ECL 8

So with that, we move into ECL 8 and the possibility of redemption for the much-maligned side. Indeed, starting the season with a blistering pace of 15-0-0 should have made abundantly clear to all onlookers that SKY surely meant business this time around. Not only were they winning games in their usual fashion of effectively sieging teams down, but they were doing it with startling efficiency compared to years past. Couple this with some slight, but noticeable, tweaks in how they set up offensively, as well as defensively, and it’s no wonder SKY have finally got over the hump of never making it to the ECL Elite finals.

That is not to say that SKYs journey has been without fraught. Indeed, they seem to have a tendency for their offense to somewhat dry up from time to time, and thusly rely on their defence to carry a lot of the burden. This can be seen somewhat frequently throughout the regular season, with 2-1 / 1-0 wins over AIK, Bucketeers, Synergy and Deadly Phantoms HC. Sure, the optimist would say that SKY winning these games shows that their defense can be relied on and clearly, they would not be wrong per se, however the teams listed all had fairly disappointing seasons offensively, meaning that against other more offensively gifted teams SKY could easily have been in trouble. This is an admittedly minor issue, but couple this with the fact that FILA managed to snag both wins in their regular season matchup and there's little wonder why SKY do not have an overwhelming majority favouring them to take it all despite having such an obscene regular season and an 8-0 record in the playoffs thus far.

Written In The Stars starting lineup reviewed by FILADELPHIA:

LW @Buantso 8GP, 9+12=21

A great player and an even better guy. Puantso is a tremendously skilled player who has finally started playing up to his full potential in SKY. Is dangerous with the puck all the time, sometimes makes surprising decisions and doesn't force his game too much. Is a bit of a wildcard on the ice, you never know what he'll come up with. Torro's greetings: "Mä tuun pitään sua".

C @Dominointi 8GP, 10+10=20

Dominointi is without a doubt an important piece of any team he is a part of. As his name suggests, a dominant presence at center. Has the desire to control and be the difference maker in games, which sometimes turns to a disadvantage. Needs to trust his teammates more.

RW @FlyerKungen 8GP, 7+13=20

The heart and soul of SKY. He is a 200 foot player, a real workhorse. Made the switch back to RW after playing at center last season, so his style changed a bit with that. Seppo might be more important on the ice, but you can't underestimate this guy. Has improved his game without the puck a lot lately.

LD @Nassustelija 8GP, 1+6=7

A defensive defenseman. Plays well in his own zone and has shown that he can compete at the highest level. The most unexperienced player in Written, @FinKonna will be targeting him especially at the hotel. 

RD @willekunq 8GP 1+9=10

Admirably calm with the puck. Is responsible for most of SKY's breakout plays and has done that tremendously well this season. Without a doubt one of their best players in IS Cup 3: 6vs6. 

G @Hansulinho 8GP, 8W, 85.71 SV%, 0,75 GAA, 4 SO

The most experienced player of the finals and it shows in his game. Very calm in net and never overplays the puck. He's an OK goalie but not better than ours.

Picture courtesy of SEUL ry, Jääskeläinen. Taken at GameXpo 2018.

(2)  FILADELPHIA

Regular season record: 23-6-1

Playoff record: 8-1-1

FILA history

Moving on to the other half of the finals we find FILADELPHIA. A team that has accomplished a lot in a very short period of time. In their inaugural season FILA was placed in Pro for ECL 6, much to the chagrin of many who felt that they had not earned their place and should have been placed in Lite. Well, FILA went on to post the best regular season record in Pro across both groups, then advanced to post a playoff record of 12-1-1 before being toppled in 7 by Monarchs, solidifying their spot in Elite for the upcoming season. In that season, as I am sure most of you can remember, FILA ended up going all the way and beat Symphony by the combined score of 4 games to 2 in the ECL 7 Elite finals. Since then, FILA have also picked up more hardware in the form of an eSM title where they beat none other than Written in the Stars.

ECL 8

FILAs road to the finals this time around has been anything but easy though. Perhaps the largest transfer that occurred over the past off-season was the loss of their stalwart defender in @vatalisti to military duty, and the subsequent pickup / replacement @jtorro1233. Early on it seemed as the hole left by this change was perhaps a little too big to fill. In fact, as far in as 8 games it looked as though FILA were looking almost decidedly average in a way, ‘only’ managing to pick up 9 points in 8 games with a record of 4-3-1. Granted, they had played a top team in Symphony, on the other hand they had dropped points against teams such as Resurrection who would end up propping up the league table, something which, for a reigning champion at least, was fairly beneath them. The slow start could easily be explained by a somewhat lackluster season preparation by FILA, which goes to show that even the best of teams can't compete without practice.  Despite or because of their start, FILA began to find their play, and racked up a combined 19-3-0 to finish the season, a pace somewhat close to that of Written’s. As far as hitches go however, that’s ‘all’ that FILA have had to deal with this season. Sure, thus far in the playoffs they may not have gone the perfect 8-0-0 that Written have, though going 8-2-0 is nothing to scoff at. In fact, despite losing two more games than Written, FILA have the superior goal differential with +30 compared to SKY's +22, showing the raw scoring ability that this roster still harbours. Therefore, it stands to reason then, that if FILA is able to open up the game and get their offensive weapons involved going forward, rather than being shelled for 8min a game, they have a very good chance of being the first team in ECL history to ever win two championships, and naturally the first to do it in back-to-back seasons.

FILADELPHIA starting lineup reviewed by Written In The Stars:

LW  @PleeMaker 10GP, 12+15=27

Wouldn't believe it from what you see on the ice, but the youngin in the group. Very slippery on offense, their hardest player to face 1-on-1 and a pain in the ass with occasional cherrypicking.

C @Patzlaf 10GP, 14+11=25

The beating heart of FILA, Mr. Selke, El Capitano - A dear child has many names. Rumour has it that he's a skilled dangler. High hockey IQ.

RW @Eki 10GP, 9+13=22

The world champ. A friendly and pleasant guy to be around. Throws sauce better than everyone else, defends better than everyone else. Lost to Ippe (@Buantso) in Sampi Cup.

LD @Janzuh 10GP, 0+9=9

A true FILA veteran. Janzuh is a hard hitter and a tough defender to face any given night.

RD @jtorro1233 10GP, 1+8=9

Judas Iscariot of FILA. Loves the puck more than his teammates.

G @sibeelius 8GP, 7W, 92.69 SV%, 0,37 GAA, 6 SO

FILA's shortest player. Has proven to be a winning goaltender and handles the pressure well in tough spots. A former SKY player, who's been spotted at the training facility in a snakesuit on weekends.

How to watch the finals?

Preferred option: Show up to the live event at LanTrek on Friday, 1st of March, 2019. Puck drop is at 17CET, so be there early!

Follow our stream at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. Arttu Hämäläinen and Jani @Jiihooo86 Hetta will be commentating all games live from Tampere.

Schedule:*
Game 1 17:00 CET
Game 2 17:40 CET
Game 3 18:20 CET
---------------------------------------
BREAK 18:55-19:55 CET
---------------------------------------
Game 4 20:00 CET
Game 5 20:40 CET
---------------------------------------
BREAK 21:10-21:20 CET
---------------------------------------
Game 6 21:25 CET
Game 7 22:05 CET

*ECL Staff withholds the right to alter the schedule if need be.

Who do you think will win? Will you be joining in on the action at LanTrek or through the stream? Let us know in the comment section!

ECL Elite Writing Team,
@MartindalexC & @jahajaha93

Picture courtesy of SEUL ry, Jääskeläinen. Taken at IS Cup 3: 1vs1 eSM.

NHLGamers,

It's the final week of ECL 8 Elite and it all culminates at the pinnacle of the season - The ECL 8 Elite Finals at LanTrek in Tampere, Finland! With this short intro, we're launching an extensive coverage into the heated battle between first seed Written In The Stars and second seed FILADELPHIA. The games are scheduled to start at 17:00 CET on Friday, 1st of March, 2019 and we'll keep going for as long as it takes to make out a champion, believe me - that might take a while! Last time these teams met live, we ended up playing long into the night as game 2 wasn't decided until 6th OT when @Dominointitickled twine. Stay tuned for our big ECL 8 Elite Final preview, dropping late this evening.

You'll be able to find us all weekend at LanTrek, as we're hosting the ECL 8 Elite Finals on Friday and casual FIFA 19 and NHL 19 tournaments on Saturday.

NHLGamer can be found in the lower left hand corner (picture above). The ECL 8 Elite finals will be played on stage #2.

Read more: ECL 8 Elite Finals: "They can't beat us"

To get you guys in the mood, we've decided to do short interviews with members of each finalist team. For this one, we caught up with Written In The Stars captain and right wing @FlyerKungen:

You switched over to the right wing for this season from playing center in ECL 7. How did that change feel and was it tough?

- It wasn't really tough, since I've played the RW spot for pretty much all my career before. I've got thousands of games at that spot under my belt so after a short adjustment it was easy to just get back into your old ways. Of course I needed to adjust to the play of @willekunq on right D and @Dominointi as my center.

FILADELPHIA is te more experienced lan team. Do you think that will have an effect on the games come Friday?

- Can't deny the fact that they are the slightly more experienced team and I've actually given this some thought before the season. I think it won't play too much of a part on Friday. We've got a great group of guys and we're in this together. Some guys might be a bit nervous for the first game but you get into the groove very quick.

@FinKonna said that he'd be putting the pressure on you guys, how do you intend to respond to that?

- We'll be keeping that a secret for now.

Finally, what do you expect from the LanTrek event?

- Well, I haven't attended before so I don't know too much about it. I expect a great event and hope that our community shows up even though it's outside of the Helsinki area. I don't think the entry fee is bad considering you get a rare chance to meet up with some of the best NHL gamers and best people out there. Hopefully we'll get some great games too!

Watch FlyerKungen lead his team onto the ice this upcoming Friday, starting 17CET at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. We'll be streaming the full best of 7-series with your very own Arttu Hämäläinen and Jani @Jiihooo86 Hetta in the booth!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93

Photo courtesy of SEUL ry, Jääskeläinen. Taken at GameXpo 2018.

NHLGamers,

It's the final week of ECL 8 Elite and it all culminates at the pinnacle of the season - The ECL 8 Elite Finals at LanTrek in Tampere, Finland! With this short intro, we're launching an extensive coverage into the heated battle between first seed Written In The Stars and second seed FILADELPHIA. The games are scheduled to start at 17:00 CET on Friday, 1st of March, 2019 and we'll keep going for as long as it takes to make out a champion, believe me - that might take a while! Last time these teams met live, we ended up playing long into the night as game 2 wasn't decided until 6th OT when @Dominointi tickled twine. Stay tuned for our big ECL 8 Elite Final preview, dropping late tomorrow evening.

You'll be able to find us all Weekend at LanTrek, as we're hosting the ECL 8 Elite Finals on Friday and casual FIFA 19 and NHL 19 tournaments on Saturday.


NHLGamer can be found in the lower left hand corner (picture above). The ECL 8 Elite finals will be played on stage #2.

To get you guys in the spirit, we'll be releasing short interviews with some members of the finalist teams over the next few days. Our first victim was long time FILADELPHIA goaltender and assistant captain @FinKonna:

You and @sibeelius pretty much share the responsibility of the games, is there any logic or strategy behind how you play or do you just go with who's available?

- In the regular season we've agreed that both goalies split the games. To start the playoffs we play two games each and from there on we go with whoever seems to perform better.
 

Quickly go over your season so far.

- Well, @jtorro1233 came in as a new guy and obviously we had an adjustment period. We didn't play too much before the season started, which came back to bite us, however I think we managed to bounce back nicely and found our stride towards the end of the season.
 

The last time Written In The Stars beat you in a competitive game was in the finals of the Finnish Championships in 6vs6 (aka IS Cup 3) in the fall of 2018, do you think that gives you an edge?

- They can't beat us lately, so that'll certainly play in our favour. They might be feeling the pressure building and there's a bit of a monkey on their backs.
 

FinKonna is notorious for applying pressure to the opposing side, and he is determined to keep doing just that this upcoming weekend. He mentioned that he'll make sure to bother some of the SKY players a bit extra at the hotel prior to the games.

Make sure to tune in at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer for all the action on Friday! The games start at 17:00 CET and we'll have your very own Arttu Hämäläinen and Jani @Jiihooo86 Hetta in the booth. Unfortunately there won't be a separate international feed, but we will include English content in our broadcast.

Hope to see you all at LanTrek this weekend!

Your NHLGamer Editor,
@jahajaha93