The German hockey club Düsseldorfer EG will branch out on to the virtual ice in the near future. As the first club of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the club with tradition dating back to 1935 will soon go into competition mode with its own esports team that will be taking part in several online leagues.

The team "DEG eSports" currently consists of twelve experienced online ice hockey players from Germany and Austria. DEG eSports is now looking to follow in the footsteps of SJK eSports in taking a shot at establishing a successful franchise in the 6vs6 community. The team, established by long-time DEG fans Tobias Anton and Steffen Seibert, will mainly focus on competing in the ECL and GCL but also aim to compete in other leagues as opportunities present themselves. All of the teams games will be streamed live on the DEG eSports Facebook page. The members will be representing Düsseldorfer EG both virtually and in real-life events, which will be announced later. The club also promises that various other representatives of Düsseldorfer EG might join in on the fun from time to time.

Stefan Adam, Managing Director of DEG Eishockey GmbH: "Esports is a young and dynamic sport, it's a community that is gaining more popularity among hockey fans. We are pleased to announce that we are pioneers with DEG in this environment, with our own esports team. It is a very interesting development in a completely new environment for us, which we are very excited about actively pursuing."

Tobias Anton, team captain of DEG eSports: "It's a great thing for us to be the first official team of a DEL club. Our goal was to build an ambitious troupe of DEG fans, but also involve skilled players without the regional background. Our goal is to gain success as fast as possible in the ECL and play for the title in the GCL."

Prior to the press conference held by Düsseldorfer EG, I had the pleasure of discussing this new venture with team captain Tobias Anton:

Hi there, Tobias! We're very happy to hear about your new opportunity and you must be just as excited. I'm very interested in how the project took off. Could you please comment on that a bit?

Well, it all started in June, when we made the suggestion to the german hockey club Düsseldorfer EG. I made a nice presentation with all interesting stuff about esports, questions like "Why esports?", "Why with us?", "Why is it a win-win situation?". They quickly invited us to present our concept live in their offices and after a short negotiation, they finally agreed to go ahead with this project. Now, here we are at the end of September, as representatives of DEG eSports.

How did you come up with the idea?

Actually, I got this idea after EV Duisburg won ECL6 Lite - they've played together for years, however they aren't an official part of the Duisburg hockey club. I liked the idea to make a team for my favourite hockey club, but I wanted to be serious about it. I am a kind of person who likes to think big, always on the lookout for the next cool thing I could launch. I started off by writing a post in a DEG facebook group, hiring players for a team with the idea of becoming an official esports team one day. Most of the reactions were negative. "You'll never do that', or "Maybe start smaller and not with big ideas like that" - but one guy immediately had the same fire, so we started this club together. I took more of a back-office role in writing to the hockey club and making a presentation as my teammate recruited more players - he knows the community better than I do.

So, where do you go from here? How will you be co-operating with Düsseldorfer EG?

On social media, we will run our own Facebook page and Twitch channel, but work together with DEG's official press department. So, some of our posts will be presented on their channels (FB, IG, Twitter...), we will have a presentation in the stadium and many more things planned so stay tuned!

Today, we're having the press conference and if things go our way, we'll be airing our first training matches on our Twitch channel on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Do you think the club will expand into other esports in the future?

After all, I don't think that the club will expand into other games or sports - it's a hockey thing, it's a regional thing, and there are no plans to do more than that at the moment.

Thanks for your time Tobias and good luck in your future games to the team! 

Congratulations on behalf of the NHLGamer community to @Tümä and the boys!

Hey NHLGamers,

'I can feel it coming in the air tonight' is what a wise man once sung. Can you feel it too? I bet you can.

With NHL 19 being out for a little over a week, it's time to ramp up our machinery for the next edition of the greatest 6v6 NHL championship there is - European Championship League 7. A whopping 106 teams signed up for ECL 6 last time, once again blasting our previous record of 96 teams in ECL 5 into oblivion. When we headed into the planning for ECL 7 almost half a year ago, we came across plenty of feedback, especially from our ECL Elite players, that were asking for new ways to be rewarded for their outstanding performances on the ice in the form of sponsorships or leagues with entry fees. Internally, we have had many discussions about these two options as well, and started opening doors and laying the groundwork in both directions as one option does not exclude the other. That's why for ECL 7 Elite on NHLGamer.com, we will offer an optional ECL Elite license for the very first time.

NHLGamer, the ECL and many of its teams have received broad recognition in the past year, and we are in ongoing and highly promising exchanges with several possible partners that could lift the experience to a whole new level. As this comes with plenty of requirements that need to be fulfilled on our end as well, we decided not to rush things (as always), and aim to figure out the details and finalize our concept for future seasons. As NHLGamer founder @Kenu mentioned in a radio interview a few months ago, 'the future is bright', and we can't wait for you - the community - to finally benefit from our passionate work.

In that regard, ECL 7 is the stepping stone, as it will once again take a step further for professionalism. Let's take a look at the sign-up procedures:

• If you are entirely new to ECL or were relegated from ECL Pro during ECL 6, please look at the ECL Lite registration instructions.
• ECL Pro teams that were not promoted to ECL Elite or relegated to ECL Lite during ECL 6, please look at the ECL Pro registration instructions.
• ECL Elite teams that were not relegated to ECL Pro during ECL 6, please look at the ECL Elite registration instructions.

In case you are unsure about your placement in ECL 6, both the ECL Elite and ECL Pro sections offer a list of teams that have the right to sign-up for these divisions. If you can't find your team in any of the lists, your sign-up post belongs into ECL Lite.

ECL Framework

• 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 19 (will be added in October).
• Individual requirements: Each player needs to create an account at NHLGamer.com and create his personal player card.
• Roster requirements: Teams in ECL Elite need to have at least 7 players to sign up. Teams in ECL Pro and ECL Lite need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players.
• ECL Elite license option: Teams in ECL Elite will have the option to pay for an ECL Elite license and play for a prize pool (more details in the ECL Elite section down below).
• Sign-up period: Teams can register from now until Wednesday 10.10.2018, 23:59 CEST.
• ECL 7 Kick-off: ECL 7 has two kick-off dates: ECL Lite and ECL Pro are set to begin on Monday 15th of October, while ECL Elite begins one week later, on Monday 22nd of October. The season is unable to start until the Challenge Club is added to NHL 19 with the next game update, which is scheduled for early October.
• Rules: The ECL 7 ruleset will see clearer definitions in terms of League Administration involvement, to take care of the added ECL Elite license option and other tuning to the good foundation we have created throughout the years. You can find the ECL 7 rules here.

ECL Lite Sign-Up

ECL Lite welcomes any and all teams that did not participate in ECL 6 as well as the teams that were relegated from ECL Pro during ECL 6. As last season, there will be no limit to the amount of registrations! We will flexibly adjust group sizes to accomodate all teams that are looking to participate.

To sign your team up for ECL Lite, we ask that only the main captain (i.e. C) posts within the ECL 7 Lite registration thread.

As ECL Pro teams could potentially break up and not particpate in ECL 7, we also offer teams the ability to apply for ECL Pro during this sign-up process. However, ECL Lite quarter-finalists from ECL 6 will take first priority when filling up spots in the ECL Pro division, which means only a few or no spots at all might be available for completely new teams should they apply. We will choose applicants depending on their player strength and other factors such as in-game 6 vs. 6 leaderboard results, history of ECL success and others. Below is the list of prioritized teams (in order) from ECL 6 Lite should there be spots available in ECL Pro:

• GHETTO FIREBIRDS (1 quarter-final win, 1.61 PPG)
• Freddie Mercury Institute (1 quarter-final win, 1.5 PPG)
• Pohjoista Voimaa (0 quarter-final wins, 1.5 PPG)
• MotherPuckers (0 quarter-final wins, 1.39 PPG)

ECL Pro Sign-up

ECL Pro is our second-tier division and will consist of all the teams that were able to stay in ECL Pro, were relegated from ECL Elite or were promoted from ECL Lite during ECL 6. ECL Pro has a fixed size of 32 teams, divided into two conferences. All the qualified teams are listed below:

Relegated from ECL Elite:

• Nordic Stars
• Pata Hellalla
• Kattiautomaatti
• Silver Sword Griffins

Made ECL Pro Playoffs:

• Alliance HT
• SIKA
• Shameful Knights
• Synergy Hockey
• Baltic Sea Eagles
• Clows on Ice
• Red Machine
• Arctic
• Deadly Phantoms HC
• Monte Carlo
• Raging Monkeys
• Quality

No man's land:

• Free From Rodents
• Speedy Bros Hockey
• Murohoki
• TIKI TALK
• Banterfield Battallion
• Bellizzi
• OG Royals
• Penalty Box
• Old Farts
• EN HUND
• Breakers of the Bone

Survived ECL Pro relegation faceoff:

• Nordic Nosebleed

Promoted from ECL Lite:

• EV Duisburg
• Cowabunga Hockey
• Style
• Sektion K

To sign your team up for ECL Pro, we ask that only the main captain (i.e. C) posts within the ECL 7 Pro registration thread.

In case ECL Elite teams are folding, we will automatically ask the best ECL Pro qualifiers from ECL 6 to fill these spots, according to their playoffs progress (criteria #1) and regular season PPG average (criteria #2). You are not required to apply for these spots. However, you are required to confirm your attendance for ECL Pro to be considered for selection.

ECL Elite Sign-Up

ECL Elite is our top division, housing the very best 16 European teams in a single group. It will consist of all the teams that were able to stay in ECL Elite or were promoted from ECL Pro during ECL 6. All the qualified teams are listed below:

Made ECL Elite Playoffs:

• Written in the Stars
• Dynasty
• Carlsberg HC
• Northern Ascendancy
• Unlucky Boys
• Sjukstugan
• SJK eSports
• Northern Stars

No man's land:

• Evolution
• Gotham Knights
• Rusty Blades
• Falun Coal Miners

Promoted from ECL Pro:

• Monarchs
• FILADELPHIA
• Almost Famous
• White Trash

ECL 7 will allow ECL Elite teams to decide whether or not they want to pay the ECL Elite license to be able to play for a prize pool. The prize pool will only be distributed across ECL Elite teams that contributed to it by buying the ECL Elite license. Here are all the details:

• The ECL Elite license costs 120 € per team ( e.g. 15 € per player in an 8 player roster) and will be collected and submitted by the team captain.
• The captain who collects and pays the team license must be 18 years or older
• Teams can pay via bank transfer (usually no service fee) or PayPal (service fees apply). 
• At this time, NHLGamer is considered a non-profit organization, thus 0% VAT apply to the license fee submissions.
• NHLGamer will keep 8% of the license fee minus service fees minus VAT to improve and grow the service.
• For example: With all 16 teams paying their ECL Elite license via PayPal, the prize pool would be roughly 1695,50 € (1920 € license fee  - 70,88 € PayPal fees - 0 € tax - 153,6 € NHLGamer fee).
• ECL Elite teams ranked #3 and #4 will receive 120 €.
• The ECL Elite winners are set to receive  5/6 of the remaining prize pool and ECL Elite runner-ups are set to receive 1/6 of the remaining prize pool.
• With the 1695,52 € price pool in the example above, the winning team would receive 1213 €, the runner-up would receive 242,50 € and teams ranked #3 and #4 would receive 120 €.
• Finnish players are responsible for their own taxation in the case of prize money. For foreign players, a withholding tax of 15% will be automatically deducted from the payment. NHLGamer will report all winnings to the tax authorities.
• All of the prize pool will be distributed based on the internal ranking of the teams that have the ECL Elite license. I.e. if the best finished ECL Elite license holder team finishes #5 in ECL Elite, they will win the main prize.
• The ECL Elite license fees will be used in their entirety to organize leagues, tournaments, competitions and for prize money and developing the service.

To sign your team up for ECL Elite, we ask that only the main captain (i.e. C) posts within the ECL 7 Elite registration thread.

In case there are any questions left, please use the comment section below and we will make sure to get back to you as quickly as possible. Let's get this party started!

@gzell60

With the Summer Cup and the NHL19 Beta behind us,  we begin to shift our full focus towards the upcoming ECL season and decided to put together an official list ranking the European teams based on ECL 6. The final order of the teams is determined by playoff wins, after which the regular season standings are considered. From now on the ECL ranking system will be updated regularly and you can find the updated list right here at NHLGamer.com.

Without further ado, here are the ECL Ranking as of August 5th, 2018:

01.  Carlsberg HC

02.  Northern Ascendancy

03.  Written In The Stars

04.  Dynasty

05.  Unlucky Boys

06.  Sjukstugan

07.  SJK eSports

08.  Northern Stars

09.  Evolution

10.  Gotham Knights

11.  Rusty Blades

12.  Falun Coal Miners

13.  Nordic Stars                    

14.  Pata Hellalla                    

15.  Kattiautomaatti               

16.  Silver Sword Griffins       

17.  Monarchs                       

18.  FILADELPHIA                 

19.  Almost Famous             

20.  White Trash                    

21.  SIKA

22.  Red Machine

23.  Baltic Sea Eagles

24.  Deadly Phantoms HC

25.  Clowns On Ice

26.  Alliance HT

27.  Shameful Knights

28.  Synergy Hockey

29.  Arctic

30.  Monte Carlo

31.  Quality

32.  Raging Monkeys

33.  Speedy Bros Hockey

34.  Tiki Talk

35.  Free From Rodents

36.  Bellizzi

37.  OG Royals

38.  Murohoki

39.  Penalty Box

40.  Banterfield Battalion

41.  Old Farts

42.  En Hund

43.  Breakers Of The Bone

44.  Nordic Nosebleed

45.  JPTJ                                 

46.  The Beagle Boys            

47.  EV Duisburg                  

48.  Cowabunga Hockey    

49.  Style                                

50.  Sektion K                        

51.  Ghetto Firebirds

52.  Freddie Mercury Institute

53.  Pohjoista Voimaa

54.  MotherPuckers

55.  Bare Knuckles Hockey

56.  Bucketeers

57.  Hippo Rangers

58.  Etelan Vetelat

59.  Korpens Finest

60.  SGWEER United

61.  Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat

62.  Suomen Sonnit

63.  HokiDogit

64.  5th Line Heroes

65.  EaLogic

66.  Elämäm Kiekko

67.  Roistot

68.  The Black Jacks

69.  Finnish Hockey Legends

70.  Soldiers of Odens

71.  ICEBREAKERS EAGLES

72.  Rusty Bulls

73.  Kaksikymmentaseitseman

74.  Club De Caballeros

75.  DELIRIUM

76.  Cancun Pirates

77.  KulmalaHengaus

78.  Slapshot Club Germany

79.  Lucky Strike

80.  Taidottomat Lupaukset

81.  Sorvankylan Pastorit

82.  Rising Phantoms HC

83.  Last Kings

84.  Saucer Hockey AB

85.  Last Period

86.  Nearbird Fighters

87.  Finnish Prospects

88.  Ice Phoenix

89.  Mentula SKA

90.   Squad Vilttiketju

91.  Eratauko Hockey

92.  Trinidad Tobago

93.  Kouvola Screaming Eagles

94.  Kaukosen Luistin

95.  Sedinsisters

96.  Prometheus

97.  Unfinished Business

98.  Olympic Athlete from RUS

99.  Stayhard Stallions

100 . Pink Panthers HC

101 . Puck Panthers

102.  Asserklubi

103.  Kisumaa

104.  Burns Beardy Bastards

105.  Ice Aliens HC

106.  HC Piranhas

 Indicates that a team was relegated at the end of ECL 6.

 Indicates that a team was promoted at the end of ECL 6.

With about two months left until ECL 7 we are grateful to all of the 106 teams and their players for participating in ECL6 and strongly believe that our player base will continue to grow as we get closer to ECL 7. 

Enjoy the rest of August, everybody and we'll see you on the ice!

Art by @iRSPe, photo credit to Andy Hall on Unsplash.

Guardians of The Crease is an interview series created by @jahajaha93. The series was inspired by earlier discussions between community members regarding goaltenders getting too little credit for their hard work. The goaltender position is very different to play compared to the other skater positions. Being a successful ECL goaltender requires patience and understanding of the game on a completely different level. This interview series is here to shed some light on the mystical goaltender position and simultaneously bring forth some of the great personalities competing in our league.

Our first guest will be ECL 5 champion @ICappeI, who spent last season with SJK eSports. He is a rather new face in the community, but has quickly become one of the best goaltenders around. In only his 3rd ECL season, Cappe managed to make a successful cup run with Aapon Taikasauva. The team had a very solid goaltending tandem in Cappe and @swagx88, the two sharing the responsibility in the regular season, but Cappe taking control come the playoffs. A solid defensive display paired with Cappes stellar goaltending amounted to 6 playoff shutouts in 18 games, topped off with the Elite championship title. ECL 6 started well in net for SJK, with 5 W's in 6 games and a high save percentage. However, the team went on a bit of a cold streak towards the end, resulting in an 8th seed into the playoffs. SJK surely had the roster in place for a cup run in ECL 6, but consistency proved to be a problem. Cappe played yet another solid season in net, but his team suffered a disappointing first round exit against Dynasty.

ICappeI enjoys flashy, sometimes unorthodox saves like the ones displayed by Dominik Hasek in his prime.

Who?
Name: Casper Lundgren
Age: 24
Nationality: Swedish
Previously represented teams: Free From Rodents, Nordic Lightning, Aapon Taikasauva and SJK eSports.

Casper "ICappeI" Lundgren is a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens.

"A cold Pepsi Max" -ICappeI on his pre-game routine.

What caused you to play the goalie position in EASHL?
I played EASHL with my friend @Phillelindberg only and he was a better forward than me so we decided that it was better for our club that i stayed in the net. After a couple of games we found out that it kind of sucked to only play two players and four bots so we tried to check with people in the swedish NHL group on Facebook. @AndreasNo who plays in Free From Rodents played with us and recruited me to play with their team in ECL. So basically I was too bad to play forward so I ended up in the net instead.

How long have you been playing goalie for?
I started playing EASHL in November 2016 and made my first appearance in ECL in Nov/Dec in ECL 3.

How do you practice? Did you have someone showing you the ropes?
I studied some goalies in the beginning (ECL 3 playoffs) For example: @SpiderRoyal and @FinKonna.

What is your favourite part about playing goalie?
To feel that you make a difference in the games when it matters the most. That you can win games for your team just because you are on your highest level.

We all know goalies are a bit special. Do you have any special routines when playing?
A cold Pepsi Max is the most important pre-game routine that I have. I also listen to music when i play important games, it helps me focus instead of hearing the players talk to each other.

Pick two defenders you'd want playing in front of you. (Not your own)
@nylanderi and @jtorro1233. Best defence I’ve ever played behind. But if I had to choose players that I haven’t played ECL with I’ll go with @Janzuh and @Snapster. I think that those two are so good in both ends of the ice.

One guy you'd hate to face on a breakaway.
@Norpee, no doubt. He’s one of the players I hate playing against, he’s so smart.

Is there a real-life goalie you try to mimic?
Dominik Hasek. I want to dominate in the net as he did.

Any story behind your gear setup?
No, not really. I want the pads to be white, black and have a little bit of the team colour on them.

There isn't a special thought behind this setup, ICappeI likes keeping it simple with a touch of team colour on the pads.

Hot seat

Glove or blocker save?
Glove.

Breakaway or one-timer?
Breakaway

Favourite takeout food?
Pizza, mamma Mia! 

Condiments on the side or on top of the dish?
On the side.

Most famous person you ever met?
Good Q, i’ll stick to hockey and say Rasmus Dahlin. 

Best thing to do on a day off?
Sleep. 

Favourite sport other than hockey?
Football.

In the spirit of the FIFA World Cup, who do you think will win?
Argentina, Messi will be the top scorer.

Thank you for your time Cappe and good luck with the upcoming Summer Cup! It's been nice to learn about the mindset of one of the greatest goaltenders in our scene. The series will continue, so stay tuned for some more stories from our Guardians Of The Crease. If you enjoyed this article and would like to see more similar content, please make sure to show it by liking and sharing. See you guys out on the ice!

Hi there NHLGamers,

We'll be finishing off our Season Review-series with a look at our Elite division. I'd like to congratulate our champions Carlsberg HC for a very convincing showing and a great season. All teams fought hard and showed that Elite is certainly a very competitive division with the best 6vs6 players in Europe, possibly in the world. You'll have enough reading to do below, so allow me to introduce the season ranking of ECL 6 Elite:

1.  Carlsberg HC - Regular season record 22-6-2 (Playoff wins 12)

Seems like having @Penatski at center will pretty much guarantee you a trophy? After a little dodgy start to their ECL 6 season they bounced back in an amazing way. Finishing the regular season with 8-1-1 in their last 10 games (Best of all teams) and, as you all know, by lifting the ECL 6 Elite trophy. Defense really does win you championships and they showed us just that in the playoffs. Goaltender @Zande95 stepped up big time together with the strong defensive pair @Janzuh and @vatalisti, resulting in only one goal conceded per game in the playoffs. 

2.  Northern Ascendancy - Regular season record 19-5-6 (Playoff wins 9)

After a great regular season, finishing 4th, Ascendancy stepped their game up even more in the playoffs. They faced off against big favorites Written In The Stars and surprised everyone when they moved on to the finals after only 5 games, timely goals and patient play was the decisive factor in that series. Their forwards @Foppatofflan and @hpkfani(MuKiMaisteri) led the playoff assist, point and goal column with MuKiMaisteri topping the regular season point and goal column as well. In addition to second-to-none scoring, their goaltender @poliskontroll was a real difference maker this season. Having been one of the top goalies in the scene for a long time, his team can rest assured that he will make the saves needed to push his team towards victory.

3.  Written In The Stars - Regular season record 27-2-1 (Playoff wins 5)

SKY managed to play a nearly perfect regular season, finishing with a record of 27-2-1. Contrary to popular belief, their defense really shut the door this season and was second to none, resulting in the team conceding less than a goal per game during the regular season. For the duration of the regular season, the team allowed only 177 shots against in total, which is by far the lowest of all Elite teams. A big reason might be their strong puck possession game, which allows them to control most of the action during the games. @Joukki turned out to be a great addition in scoring power and having a weapon like @jtorro1233 in defense providing secondary scoring was key to the success of SKY this season. 

4.  Dynasty - Regular season record 22-6-2 (Playoff wins 5)

Dynasty iced the highest scoring offense of the regular season. They were really firing on all cylinders with @jumalpeku, @Buantso (Puatso) and @Tehh (TehhAhola) all finishing above 2 points per game. Their powerplay also caught fire in the regular season, a 22,5% success rate will surely strike fear into the opposing teams penalty kill unit. The season ended early in a semi final loss against Carlsberg HC (series score 4-1), a team they managed to beat in both their regular season games. 

5.  Unlucky Boys - Regular season record 17-6-7 (Playoff wins 3)

Being one of the teams gaining promotion from Pro for ECL 6, UB didn't have the easiest starting point for this season. The team was surely hungry and willing to show that they could compete at the highest level of ECL. Their lineup remained nearly the same as in the Pro division, so the chemistry was certainly there, now it was just a matter of translating it to a higher level of play. A 5th place regular season finish and challenging Nordic Ascendancy in the first round of the playoffs can be regarded as a successful entry to Elite.

6.  Sjukstugan - Regular season record 19-10-1 (Playoff wins 2)

ECL 6 for Sjukstugan was a step in the right direction. Their first showing in Elite ended early without making the playoffs, but this season they were determined to show the competition they are to be taken seriously. Acquisition of rising star goaltender @Hullued certainly helped, as he topped all goalies in regular season wins and put up a good SV% of 83,19%. On other fronts, the team managed to perform well, having five skaters going above one point per game during the regular season. Sjukstugan managed to put up a fight in the first playoff round against Carlsberg HC, series ending 4-2 in favor of CAR.

7.  SJK eSports - Regular season record 18-9-3 (Playoff wins 1)

Before ECL 6 it seemed as if SJK was announcing big player acquisitions weekly and as expected, they went into the season with an absolutely stacked lineup. Captain @Dominointi had managed to gather a team of absolute studs, who started off the season well, topping the table after around 10 games played. However, around the halfway point of the season something happened, and the team went cold all of a sudden, finishing the regular season with 2-7-1 in their last ten games. Their season ended in a disappointing 4-1 series loss in the first round against Dynasty.

8.  Northern Stars - Regular season record 17-12-1

The season of NOS was very similar to that of SJK. A strong opening half of the season was followed by a lackluster finish to the season. The Stars managed to redeem themselves a bit towards the end, however, stringing together a few important wins and gaining themselves a spot in the playoffs. A big part of their difficulty was losing the prominent scorer @plee999 to Gotham Knights at the deadline. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9.  Evolution - Regular season record 12-12-6

After gaining promotion at the end of ECL 5 as the result of a Pro championship, the race was on for Evolution to prove that they belong at the top level of this league. There must also have been some healthy competition between all the promoted teams to prove who deserved their spot the most. The goalie and defense situation remained the same, while some acquisitions were made in the offensive end during the offseason. Most notably EVO lost @Erkki (I_Eki_I), who helped them hoist the cup, dominating the center lane. New acquisition @SadaPoika led the team in scoring, but the team-wide difficulty to produce sufficient offense ended up being their downfall.

10.  Gotham Knights - Regular season record 13-14-3

Gotham came in swinging, having a rather favorable schedule to start the season as they faced Silver Sword Griffins, Pata Hellalla and Nordic Stars in the first three rounds. However, the team struggled to find consistency and quickly started drifting towards the wrong side of the playoff line. Gotham managed to make a big signing, acquiring @plee999 from Northern Stars at the deadline. The youngster went a bit over a point per game but didn't quite find his stride with the new team. 

11.  Rusty Blades - Regular season record 13-15-2

Rusty Blades had solid season after a very rough 0-6-0 start. They won the games against the weaker teams but couldn't gain enough points against the top tiers to qualify for the playoffs. Nevertheless they are always hard to play against and keep the games tight. Therefore they managed to keep their playoff hopes alive for a long time and are happy to stay in the Elite division for ECL 7. @Lamsa was 3 points shy of the top 10 scoring list.

12.  Falun Coal Miners - Regular season record 12-14-4 

Falun had a good first season in Elite, finishing 12th and just above the relegation zone. They showed that with very small roster changes and almost no Elite experience they can still do a great job and fight to stay in the division. Good defense backed up by goaltender @Onecorner95 was their way to secure their spot in Elite for next season. 

13.  Nordic Stars - Regular season record 9-15-6

If you only take a look at the numbers, you wouldn't even guess that Nordic Stars had to play in the relegation. It seems that they couldn't gain enough points out of their efforts and kept the games quite tight. @Kookasi led the team in scoring, falling just short of placing in the top 10 scoring list but individual strength doesn't keep you in the Elite division. The whole squad has to improve their game if they want to make it back to the highest division, after losing a tough relegation matchup against White Trash.

14.  Pata Hellalla - Regular season record 6-17-7

Pata Hellalla had quite a disappointing season. The worst defense in the Elite division (101 GA) had to fight hard all season long. They gained some impressive wins over some top-guns of the division, but always seemed to struggle in translating that to every other game. With five points (2 wins) in the last ten games, there were still some hope of staying in the Elite division when they managed to qualify for the relegation faceoffs. After a devastating sweep at the hands of Almost Famous, @kungenkurwa has to take care of his team and prepare them for the Pro division.

15.  Kattiautomaatti - Regular season record 7-19-4

After a good start with three wins out of four games, Kattiautomaatti had to deal with 20 consecutive losses. That statistic alone could be enough to tell that this season didn't go as planned. Nearly all of Kattiautomaattis wins were against the teams in the bottom region of the standings. Their lacking in the offensive zone (1,13 GF/GP) is certainly a key reason, costing them the Elite spot. @Slaivone and his group have to regroup the team to fight back in the Pro Division.

16.  Silver Sword Griffins - Regular season record 7-20-3

Griffins had an off season this ECL. A squad packed with ECL experience and even a few Summer Cup trophies in their ranks, they had everything to play for this ECL Elite season. Simply put, they didn't score enough goals and ended up conceding too many. With a weak start to the season losing their first 8 games it was difficult to manifest a comeback. SSG managed to improve their form towards the end of the season, if only one or two results would have gone the other way they could have stayed in Elite next season, but that's the unforgiving world of hockey for you. 


AWARDS

Playoff MVP: @vatalisti

Most Points: @hpkfani (MukiMaisteri), Northern Ascendancy, 40 Goals, 34 Assists, 74 Points in 30 games
Most Goals: @hpkfani (MukiMaisteri), Northern Ascendancy, 40 Goals, 34 Assists, 74 Points in 30 games
Most Assists: @jumalpeku, Dynasty, 23 Goals, 45 Assists, 68 Points in 28 games
Most Hits by a Forward: @Buantso, Dynasty, 149 Hits in 26 games
Best +/-: @jtorro1233, Written In The Stars, +49 in 28 games

Most Points by a Defenseman: @vatalisti, Carlsberg HC, 4 Goals, 27 Assists, 31 Points in 26 games
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @DieCutterMC, Dynasty, 7 Goals, 13 Assists, 20 Points in 20 games
Most Assist by a Defenseman: @vatalisti, Carlsberg HC, 4 Goals, 27 Assists, 31 Points in 26 games
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Tanski87, Rusty Blades, 198 Hits in 29 games

TOP 3'S OF ECL 6 ELITE

Top 3 Forwards Regular Season:

1. @hpkfani (MukiMaisteri), Northern Ascendancy, 40 Goals, 34 Assists, 74 Points in 30 games
2. @Penatski, Carlsberg HC, 35 Goals, 39 Assists, 74 Points in 30 games
3. @Foppatofflan, Northern Ascendancy, 29 Goals, 40 Assists, 69 Points in 30 games

Top 3 Defenders Regular Season:

1. @vatalisti, Carlsberg HC, 4 Goals, 27 Assists, 31 Points in 26 games
2. @jtorro1233, Written In The Stars, 6 Goals, 19 Assists, 25 Points in 28 games
3. @MartindalexC, Northern Ascendancy, 5 Goals, 19 Assists, 24 Points in 30 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season:

1. @Hullued, Sjukstugan, 19 Wins, 83,19%, 1.96 GAA, 4 SO in 30 games
2. @poliskontroll, Northern Ascendancy, 19 Wins, 78,91%, 2,20 GAA, 1 SO in 30 games
3. @JanneK. (JANURI98), Written In The Stars, 16 Wins, 85,98%, 0,93 GAA, 6 SO in 16 games

Top 3 Forwards Playoffs:

1. @Foppatofflan, Northern Ascendancy, 7 Goals, 17 Assists, 24 Points in 17 games
2. @hpkfani (MuKiMaisteri), Northern Ascendancy, 15 Goals, 7 Assists, 22 Points in 17 games
3. @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_), Carlsberg HC, 12 Goals, 7 Assists, 19 Points in 16 games

Top 3 Defender Playoffs:

1. @vatalisti, Carlsberg HC, 1 Goals, 13 Assists, 14 Points in 16 games
2. @jtorro1233, Written In The Stars, 1 Goals, 9 Assists, 10 Points in 10 games
3. @Janzuh, Carlsberg HC, 1 Goals, 7 Assists, 8 Points in 16 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs:

1. @Zande95, Carlsberg HC, 10 Wins, 86,45%, 1 GAA, 6 SO in 13 games
2. @poliskontroll, Northern Ascendancy, 9 Wins, 82,69%, 1,58 GAA, 2 SO in 17 games
3. @JanneK. (JANURI98), Written In The Stars, 5 Wins, 74,64%, 1,80 GAA, 1 SO in 10 games

This season we'd also like to make the introduction of the top 6 of the season. This will mean a selection of 6 players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. This season, the selections were made by staff members who have been following ECL Elite. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Elite division in ECL 6:

@hpkfani (MukiMaisteri, Northern Ascendancy) - @Penatski (Carlsberg HC) - @Foppatofflan (Northern Ascendancy)
@jtorro1233 (Written In The Stars) - @vatalisti (Carlsberg HC)
@poliskontroll (Northern Ascendancy)

Thanks to @Panarinz and @Mannheimer1938 for putting in work and helping to get this article done, also to all players and teams making ECL possible. We had a great season and will have many more even better ones to come. For now, take a little break and prepare for the Summer Cup. See you out on the ice!
 

NHLGamers,

The Pro season is in the books and what a wild one it was! We got to see some great individual efforts but what ended up prevailing was working as a unit towards a well-defined goal - the ECL Pro championship. Que the "we not me" and "offense wins games, defense wins championships" clichés. We had 32 teams going into the season, with 30 of them finishing and two dropping out because of various reasons.

ECL 6 was the most well-covered season on NHLGamer so far, as we stepped up our streaming game and tried to broadcast as many playoff matchups as possible on our Twitch-channel. We saw some really exciting games and a bunch of nerve-racking game 7 finishes. We also saw some intense game 7 OT action. At the end of the season, some teams had to face a tough disappointment as they might not have achieved the level of success they had hoped for. On the other hand, some others managed to overcome all obstacles and pave their way far into the playoffs and eventual promotions and a championship. On behalf of the NHLGamer staff, I congratulate Monarchs once again for their impressive run that ended in the championship of ECL Pro.



This season recap will be in form of an official NHLGamer ranking, with some words concluding the essential factors in the season performance of each team. Without further ado, let's get to it:

ECL 6 Pro division ranking (Sorted by playoff wins, P/G and relegation faceoff wins):

1.  Monarchs (Group 1) Regular season record 22-2-2 (Playoff wins 16)
Oh man, these guys came in with a bang in their inaugural ECL season. As most of us know, their season ended in a party as they conquered the throne in a thrilling playoff run, finishing with a game 7 victory over FILADELPHIA. Captain @chavelski managed to put together a strong defensive unit with an offensive upside, especially in sensational offensive defenseman @Philip Strom (Strumpan87), rookie winger @Tacterz and experienced center @pajenc.
 

2.  FILADELPHIA (Group 2) Regular season record 27-1-2 (Playoff wins 15)
FILADELPHIA were strong favourites going into the season, as many community members seemed to believe they are competing in the wrong division. Although they managed to dominate the regular season in convincing manner, the playoffs weren't quite the cakewalk they expected. Despite all that, the team has to be satisfied with their performance, as they finished the season with only 7 regulation losses in total, the least out of all Pro teams. Their extremely skilled forwards played a huge part in their success, as names such as @Erkki (I_Eki_I), @Joonas Paatiala (Patzlaf) and @mikaasi aren't complete strangers to racking up points in the Elite division either.
 

3.  Almost Famous (Group 1) Regular season record 21-3-2 (Playoff wins 11) (by @Mannheimer1938)
Almost Famous started their journey in ECL5 in the Lite division, a season which ended in a final loss against Red Machine. They flew a bit under the radar before the season but impressed everyone with edging out all the top guns of their group. The signings of @Rimpe, @Devilfish14 and @Vaporik seems to have increased the skill level significantly. After finishing 2nd in group 1, they had a nice playoff run which was stopped by the champions to be Monarchs in a thrilling game 7 overtime loss.

4.  White Trash (Group 1) Regular season record 17-6-3 (Playoff wins 9)
After a few good showings in the Pro division, we certainly expected White Trash to bring their A-game this season. A few new signings were made and the team seemed to find a good flow as the regular season got going. White Trash had a tough playoff run with both their first and second round matchups going into game 7. The season ended in the semi finals against FILADELPHIA.
 

5.  SIKA (Group 2) Regular season record 22-6-2 (Playoff wins 7)
SIKA is one of the most established NHLGamer teams around right now. After experiencing a tough relegation in ECL4, they have been trying to work their way back up to the Elite division for two seasons now. The sole goal for this season was certainly a promotion, but once again, they fell just short. It can be concluded that this season was a disappointment, but the performance still grants the team a 5th place ranking on this list.
 

6.  Red Machine (Group 2) Regular season record 16-10-4 (Playoff wins 6)
Named the dark horse of group 2, Red Machine managed to fight their way into the playoffs after a difficult start to the season. Their high-scoring offense made up for a rather mediocre defensive showing. The issue might have been not having a natural center in their lineup. Despite not repeating the dominant performance seen in the Lite division last season, Red Machine must certainly be happy by finishing at 6th place in our season ranking.

7.  Baltic Sea Eagles (Group 1) Regular season record 14-6-4 (Playoff wins 5)
As one of the more established Pro teams, Baltic Sea Eagles were hoping that this would be their season. The regular season went somewhat according to plans, as they managed to secure a playoff spot as the 10th seed in total. The team struggled with scoring all season long, but their defense showed up in a big way, which made up for their difficulties up front. The season ended a bit early at the hands of Almost Famous in the second round.

8.  Deadly Phantoms HC (Group 1) Regular season record 15-10-1 (Playoff wins 4)
After being promoted from Lite in ECL 5, Deadly Phantoms HC were surely looking to establish themselves as the new German powerhouse team on NHLGamer. It was quickly noted that they were in Pro to compete, and with a great defensive mentality, they were able to overcome opponents such as White Trash and Shameful Knights in the regular season.


9.  Clowns On Ice (Group 2) Regular season record 17-10-3 (Playoff wins 3)
Clowns On Ice is the second German Pro division team this season. The team went on a hot streak right off the bat, managing to split points with teams such as FILADELPHIA and SIKA. Captain @Tim_FlyersFan lead the team from the front, amassing a total of 76 points in the regular season but he also received help from a wide roster, as the team iced a total of nine skaters and three goalies during the season. The season was certainly an improvement from ECL 5, as this time they managed to make the playoffs and grab a few wins from higher seeded White Trash.

10.  Alliance HT (Group 2) Regular season record 22-6-2 (Playoff wins 2)
Having added @JaikenK to their roster, Alliance were looking better than ever on paper prior to the season. Their season started a tad slow, but once the team started rolling, they advanced from victory to victory, amassing a total of 22 wins in the regular season. However, the playoffs brought a disappointment as they were eliminated in the first round by Deadly Phantoms HC.

11.  Shameful Knights (Group 1) Regular season record 18-6-2 (Playoff wins 2)
Shameful Knights were expected to come into the season with the sole goal of gaining a promotion to Elite. The established Pro team was one of the strongest competitors in our season prediction. With almost no roster changes happening between ECL 5 and 6, we expected the team to prove that a strong unit and their effective offensive trio @Tapparafan - @Migo_boo - @Ollizhki will prevail in the hunt for the cup.

12.  Synergy Hockey (Group 2) Regular season record 17-10-3 (Playoff wins 2)
The Swedish veterans were expected to be one of the strongest teams going into the season, however, a difficult start and some internal turbulence raised some doubts. The team bounced back rather well and showed that they are deserving of a spot in the playoffs. Baltic Sea Eagles in the first round proved to be too tough of a challenge, as they were eliminated with a series score of 4-2.

13.  Arctic (Group 1) Regular season record 15-10-1 (Playoff wins 2)
As a newly established team, Arctic flew under the radar for most of the season. It took some time to find their game, but the team finished their regular season going 10-0-0 and proved to everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with. A massive disappointment awaited, as SIKA beat them 4-2 in the series, resulting in yet another first round exit for captain @selänne8, got to feel a bit bad for the guy at this point.

14.  Monte Carlo (Group 2) Regular season record 15-10-5 (Playoff wins 2)
Monte Carlo was put together out of some very established players by @J0HTAJA, who was certainly hoping that he could lead this group to a long season run with his experience and knowledge of the game. The team struggled with scoring from time to time while showing good defensive play and great goaltending by @Masapunda, @Lage and @Pettersson12 - ultimately resulting in an average regular season record and a first round exit agains Almost Famous.

15.  Quality (Group 1) Regular season record 12-12-2 (Playoff wins 1)
Few teams had a season as turbulent as the newly established Quality. Team captain @Yoloberg had managed to piece together a team of skilled players who had little to no experience of playing together. Some transfers were made during the season and the team didn't find its final form until after the deadline. The acquisition of @KattenJansson97 boosted their offensive game, barely gaining them a playoff spot. FILADELPHIA in the first round proved to be too much of a challenge as the season ended with a 4-1 series score in the first round.

16.  Raging Monkeys (Group 2) Regular season record 16-12-2 (Playoff wins 0)
Raging Monkeys came into the season as one of the teams promoted from Lite at the end of ECL 5. The team was surely hoping to prove that they belong at the Pro level - a goal that we can agree they have met. The playoff spot they managed to grab as the 15th seed in total was a bonus at the end of their inaugural Pro season.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17.  Speedy Bros Hockey (Group 2) Regular season record 11-11-8
In their second season, Speedy Bros were surely hoping to make their first playoff run in team history so far, but they ended up falling just short in a very tough group 2 playoff race. Their offense was largely carried by the duo @Tzon93 and @Klassikko_, who between the two of them scored 63% of the teams goals.

18.  TIKI TALK (Group 2) Regular season record 13-14-3
As the result of a tough ECL 5, Tiki Talk was relegated from Elite. Their roster experienced something of an overhaul, but the team never really found their stride, resulting in a disappointing season.

19.  Free From Rodents (Group 1) Regular season record 10-11-5
The experienced Swedish team was looking to make their first first playoff appearance in the division era of ECL, but ended up falling just short due to going on a cold streak towards the end of the regular season, finishing with a 1-7-2 record in their las ten games.

20.  Bellizzi (Group 2) Regular season record 13-15-2
Bellizzi had a difficult season, as their scoring didn't find a way to get going (56 GF) and their defense didn't show up (102 GA) to the level required. Despite their troubles, the team managed to grab a surprising amount of wins and wasn't too far from reaching a playoff spot in group 2.

21.  OG Royals (Group 2) Regular season record 12-14-4
The Royals made a comeback after a short hiatus. Captain @AzByCxx managed to put together a decent lineup of promising players, but the team didn't perform according to expectations, resulting in a low ranking on this list. 

22.  Murohoki (Group 1) Regular season record 10-12-4
As an established Pro team, Murohoki would surely have hoped for a better result to their season. The team put in a balanced effort on both ends of the ice, falling just 2 points short of a playoff spot in group 1. They will look to improve their powerplay numbers for next season, since icing a powerplay with a success rate of 5% won't exactly intimidate the opponent. 

23.  Penalty Box (Group 2) Regular season record 12-15-3
Penalty Box played a rather mediocre season, averaging around 0,9 P/G and having balanced statistics in both scoring and defense. To their credit, they managed to ice the second deadliest powerplay in ECL Pro.

24.  Banterfield Battalion (Group 1) Regular season record 11-14-1
Banterfield has experienced a large player turnover, but maintained their original core of founding members @Heero, @Mikka and @Dunu. In their second Pro season, they managed to avoid a relegation faceoff, but their season ended early as they failed to make the playoffs.

25.  Old Farts (Group 2) Regular season record 12-17-1
After a short break, Old Farts were hoping to come back with a bang and grab a playoff spot in the Pro division. Despite having a lineup full of experienced players, the team didn't have the x-factor, which could have pushed them into the playoffs. On a positive note, they were the least penalized team in ECL Pro.

26.  EN HUND (Group 2) Regular season record 8-17-5
EN HUND had a disappointing season. As an established team, they would surely have hoped for a bit of a better result to their season. Their scoring worked just fine, but letting in close to four goals per game doesn't take you that far in a competitive league.

27.  Breakers Of The Bone (Group 2) Regular season record 7-16-7
Breakers Of The Bone managed to secure a promotion from Lite in ECL 5 after an impressive playoff run. However, the Pro division turned out to be a completely different mountain to climb. Few things went their way this season and they will surely look to improve come ECL 7.

28.  Nordic Nosebleed (Group 1) Regular season record 6-16-4 (Relegation faceoff win 4-0)
The Swedes were promoted from Lite at the end of ECL 5. Much alike Breakers Of The Bone, Nordic Nosebleed also had a tough time acclimating to the increased tempo and general skill level. They ended up in the relegation faceoff against JPTJ, but managed to secure their Pro spot for next season after a 4-0 series win.

29.  JPTJ (Group 1) Regular season record 8-17-1 (Relegation faceoff loss 0-4)
JPTJ had a disappointing second season in ECL Pro. Some of us still remember their inaugural season in ECL 4 when they set scoring records in Lite. The second highest tier has proven to be a challenge and this second season didn't go their way. The season ended in a relegation but we're hoping for a bounce back in ECL 7.

30.  The Beagle Boys (Group 1) Regular season record 3-21-2 (Disbanded after regular season)
The Beagle Boys gained promotion at the end of ECL 5, but didn't manage to elevate their level of play to match the requirements set by the Pro division. The season was difficult as the team managed to win only three games in total, finishing with a P/G average of only 0,31. The team announced that they are disbanding after the season.

AWARDS

Playoff MVP: @pajenc

Most Points: @Erkki (I_Eki_I), FILADELPHIA, 37 Goals, 57 Assists, 94 Points in 28 games
Most Goals: @mikaasi, FILADELPHIA, 44 Goals, 41 Assists, 85 Points in 30 games
Most Assists: @Erkki (I_Eki_I), FILADELPHIA, 37 Goals, 57 Assists, 94 Points in 28 games
Most Hits by a Forward: @vilperi90, Baltic Sea Eagles, 168 Hits in 26 games
Best +/-: @mikaasi, FILADELPHIA, +76 in 30 games

Most Points by a Defenseman: @vSilenttio, SIKA, 6 Goals, 29 Assists, 35 Points in 26 games
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @JaikenK, Alliance HT, 13 Goals, 21 Assists, 34 Points in 27 games
Most Assist by a Defenseman: @vSilenttio, SIKA, 6 Goals, 29 Assists in 26 games
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Rissanen, Breakers Of The Bone, 175 Hits in 26 games

TOP 3'S OF ECL 6 PRO

Top 3 Forwards Regular Season:

1. @Erkki (I_Eki_I), FILADELPHIA, 37 Goals, 57 Assists, 94 Points in 28 games
2. @mikaasi, FILADELPHIA, 44 Goals, 41 Assists, 85 Points in 30 games
3. @Tim_FlyersFan, Clowns On Ice, 41 Goals, 35 Assists, 76 Points in 28 games

Top 3 Defender Regular Season:

1. @vSilenttio, SIKA, 6 Goals, 29 Assists, 35 Points in 26 games
2. @JaikenK, Alliance HT, 13 Goals, 21 Assists, 34 Points in 27 games
3. @Philip Strom (Strumpan87), Monarchs, 10 Goals, 19 Assists, 29 Points in 26 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season:

1. @roory366, Alliance HT, 20 Wins, 84,14%, 1,44 GAA, 6 SO in 27 games
2. @chavelski, Monarchs, 18 Wins, 81,60%, 1,27 GAA, 6 SO in 18 games
3. @Stilando, Shameful Knights, 18 Wins, 84,92%, 1,57 GAA, 6 SO in 26 games

Top 3 Forwards Playoffs:

1. @pajenc, Monarchs, 16 Goals, 28 Assists, 44 Points in 24 games
2. @Tacterz, Monarchs, 23 Goals, 20 Assists, 43 Points in 24 games
3. @Erkki (I_Eki_I), FILADELPHIA, 15 Goals, 23 Assists, 38 Points in 21 games

Top 3 Defender Playoffs:

1. @Philip Strom (Strumpan87), Monarchs, 7 Goals, 22 Assists, 29 Points in 24 games
2. @oGBioLan, FILADELPHIA, 1 Goals, 19 Assists, 20 Points in 21 games
3. @vSilenttio, SIKA, 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 Points in 13 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs:

1. @chavelski, Monarchs, 16 Wins, 77,22%, 1,70 GAA, 3 SO in 24 games
2. @swagx88, FILADELPHIA, 15 Wins, 81,92%, 1,52 GAA, 6 SO in 21 games
3. @Vaporik, Almost Famous, 11 Wins, 77,39%, 1,94 GAA, 4 SO in 17 games

This season we'd also like to make the introduction of the top 6 of the season. This will mean a selection of 6 players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. This season, the selections were made by staff members who have been following ECL Pro. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Pro division in ECL 6:

@pajenc (Monarchs) - @Erkki (I_Eki_I, FILADELPHIA) - @Joonas Paatiala (Patzlaf, FILADELPHIA)
@Philip Strom (Strumpan87, Monarchs) - @xDoumi (FILADELPHIA)
@chavelski (Monarchs)

Conclusively, I'd like to extend a thank you for all participating teams and everyone who is making this league possible. Congratulations to all teams gaining promotion at the end of the season and to those less fortunate - come back stronger next season.

Have a nice summer break and see you out on the ice, come Summer Cup 3!

Hey NHLGamers,

Yet another ECL season is in the books and we got to enjoy some outstanding games, teams and players. We would like to launch our season recap series by taking a look in the rear-view mirror at what happened in our Lite division. This season we broke the benchmark of 100 participating teams, which resulted in a 60-team Lite division with six 10-team groups. In this Lite division recap, we’ll be reviewing the performance of those teams highlighted in our predictions article.
 

Group 1:

Ghetto Firebirds - The Firebirds proved that they belong in the mix of teams that can compete for the chance for the promotion to the Pro division. They had a nice bounce back after being relegated from Pro at the end of ECL 5. Captain @Aantri led his team to a convincing 1st place finish in their group with a record of 14-3-1, the captain amassing a decent 53 points along the way. The team started the playoffs quite well with a 4:1 series win in the first round, following a 6 game series in the second round. They fell just short of a promotion by losing their quarterfinal against Sektion K with a series score of 1:4.
 

Sektion K - Sektion K finished only 3rd in their group, but former Lavetten player @Edhoolm97 in the center position together with goaltender @Tauri led their team all the way into the semi-finals where they lost in a game 7 thriller to one of the preview favourites, Cowabunga Hockey. They gained their promotion by knocking out the top 3 seed SGWEER United.

Group 2:

Freddie Mercury Institute - Freddie Mercury Institute had to deal with quite a tough group and finished only 4th in the regular season. They were still ranked as the 12th seed in the playoffs and punched their ticket for a chance of a promotion by qualifying into the round of the last 8. However, this story didn’t have a happy ending as Style crushed their dreams by winning the series 4:1.

 

SGWEER United - This German-Swedish connection came back strong after a painful 1st round exit in ECL 5. They topped their group again and managed to advance to the second round in the playoffs. In the second round SGWEER faced eventual semi-finalists Sektion K, whose impressive defensive efforts were poisonous for SGWEER’s very strong offense built around top-scorer @Gregson91.

 

Group 3:

Style - The double OEHL champion established a strong presence in the ECL scene by finishing 2nd in their group. Left wing @Panarinz put in a huge effort in their long playoff run, which ended in a 4:2 semi-final loss against the champions to be EV Duisburg. On their playoff run, Style managed sweep another favourite Suomen Sonnit in their second round matchup, which is certainly an impressive show of strength from the Swedes.

Korpens Finest - Listed as the team to watch in group 3, Korpens Finest proved their given status by finishing on top of their group with a regular season record of 13-3-2. Heading into the Playoffs as only the 10th seed, they eliminated The Black Jacks - also from group 3 in the first round. However, their second round matchup against GHETTO FIREBIRDS ended in a disappointing loss.

Group 4:

Bare Knuckles Hockey - Bare Knuckles Hockey had a nearly perfect regular season with a record of 17-1-0. The only loss they had to mark was in their last matchup against Kaksikymmentaseitseman. Ranked 1st of all playoff teams, high-scoring right wing @Tero Paikkari (Teroe94) and his group struggled early in the first round, with the series extending all the way to a game seven. This monster of a team was taken down in the second round in another seven game series in the hands of MotherPuckers.

Etelan Vetelat - Etelan Vetelat perfomed quite well as a newcomer into the ECL scene by gaining the 2nd place of their group. After losing both games in their very first regular season matchup against Bare Knuckles Hockey, they won nearly all of their remaining games. Seeding 9th into the playoffs, Vetelat got eliminated in the hands of the later champion EV Duisburg in the second round.

Group 5:

Cowabunga Hockey - Cowabunga Hockey was listed as a favourite for group 5 and they didn't hesitate to show us why. With a record of 15-2-1 they were the 2nd seed for this seasons Lite playoffs and had one heck of a playoff run. Nearly the same six guys tied their skates for the entire season and brought the team all the way into the finals - only to have their dreams obliterated by EV Duisburg in a sweep. Despite their difficult matchup in the finals, we are sure Cowabunga will be motivated for their next season in ECL Pro, coming back even stronger.

 

Hippo Rangers - The Hippo Rangers had a very strong performance as a newcomer and only tiebreakers kept them from topping their regular season group. After sweeping KulmalaHengaus in the first round, they were forced to pack their bags and head for the beaches in a 2:4 series loss against Pohjoista Voimaa in the second round. With a combo of good offense, strong defense and a small but experienced squad they were a force to be reckoned with and may still be next season. 

 

Group 6:

Suomen Sonnit - The Finns were on every list for this season's favourites in the Lite division. After a decent regular season (14-3-1) they handed out a sweep in the first round, only to get it handed back by Style in the second round. They had a match winner in goaltender @Theoikeakarim, who had an incredible season with just under 2 GAA in both the playoffs and during the regular season. They will learn from their mistakes and assuming we'll see these guys in Lite next season they will probably be one of the favourites to get promoted. 

 

HokiDogit - HokiDogit impressed everyone with their performance in the regular season (11-3-4) but they failed to gain confidence out of it. Unfortunately for them, they lost directly in the first round against the Bucketeers. They played a good allround game during the regular season, having good defense and decent scoring from all roster players. With more practice and experience from tight playoff games they will not make the same mistakes again and you can expect them to come back even stronger. 

Under the radar:

EV Duisburg - The Germans flew under the radar in the beginning of the season. After turning down an offer of being promoted to ECL Pro in the offseason, EVD came back to Lite as they wanted to prove to themselves that they are worth the Pro spot. Their road to victory began as the 8th seed (finished 3rd in the group stage) and a 4:1 victory over Soldiers of Odens. @FoxGoalie and his crew eliminated Etelan Vetelat (4:2), Pohjoista Voimaa (4:0) and Style (4:2) on their way to the cup by finishing it in style with a finals sweep over Cowabunga Hockey (4:0).
 

AWARDS
 

Playoff MVP: @FoxGoalie

Most Points: @Fin_torspo90, Cowabunga Hockey, 28 Goals, 35 Assists, 63 Points in 18 games
Most Goals: @Tero Paikkari (Teroe94), Bare Knuckles Hockey, 39 Goals, 21 Assists, 60 Points in 18 games
Most Assists: @Tinkesakara, Cowabunga Hockey, 17 Goals, 37 Assists, 54 Points in 18 games
Most Hits by a Forward: @Zuominen, Unfinished Business, 112 Hits in 16 games 
Best +/-: @Duran93, Bare Knuckles Hockey, +51 in 18 games

Most Points by a Defenseman: @C4__N4R__V4, SGWEER United, 4 Goals, 24 Assists, 28 Points in 18 games
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @lejo199, Asserklubi, 8 Goals, 8 Assists, 16 Points in 16 games
Most Assist by a Defenseman: @C4__N4R__V4, SGWEER United, 4 Goals, 24 Assists, 28 Points in 18 games
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Tobago, Trinidad Tobago,134 Hits in 24 Games

TOP 3'S OF ECL 6 LITE

Top 3 Forwards Regular Season:

1. @Fin_torspo90 , Cowabunga Hockey, 28 Goals, 35 Assists, 63 Points in 18 games
2. @Tero Paikkari (Teroe), Bare Knuckles Hockey, 39 Goals, 21 Assists, 60 Points in 18 games
3. @Gregson91 , SGWEER United, 28 Goals, 32 Assists, 60 Points in 16 games

Top 3 Defender Regular Season:

1. @C4__N4R__V4, SGWEER United, 4 Goals, 24 Assists, 28 Points in 18 games
2. @CCBow-501, SGWEER United, 2 Goals, 21 Assists, 23 Points in 16 games
3. @MonkeyHead_AF, Cowabunga Hockey, 4 Goals, 18 Assists in 18 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season:

1. @Jonitski, Cowabunga Hockey, 15 Wins, 88,54%, 1,44 GAA, 4 SO in 18 games
2. @Perkkari, Hippo Rangers, 15 Wins, 84,21%, 1,50 GAA, 3 SO in 18 games
3. @George, Bare Knuckles Hockey, 15 Wins, 80,13%, 1,81 GAA, 4 SO in 16 games

Top 3 Forwards Playoffs:

1. @Tinkesakara, Cowabunga Hockey, 16 Goals, 28 Assists, 44 Points in 25 games
2. @Edhoolm97, Sektion K, 22 Goals, 19 Assists, 41 Points in 20 games
3. @Panarinz, Style, 18 Goals, 21 Assists, 39 Points in 18 games

Top 3 Defender Playoffs:

1. @xXPsykoSkillsXx, EV Duisburg, 3 Goals, 20 Assists, 23 Points in 24 games
2. @HambergD, Sektion K, 3 Goals, 15 Assists, 18 Points in 21 games
3. @Lortto, Hippo Rangers, 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 Points in 10 games

Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs:
1. @FoxGoalie, EV Duisburg, 20 Wins, 90,40%, 1,04 GAA, 10 SO in 25 games
2. @Jonitski, Cowabunga Hockey, 16 Wins, 86,57%, 1,60 GAA, 4 SO in 26 games
3. @Gunde021, Style, 12 Wins, 86,47%, 1,55 GAA, 3 SO in 18 games

This season we'd also like to make the introduction of the top 6 of the season. This will mean a selection of six players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. This season, the selections were made by staff members who have been following ECL Lite. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Lite division in ECL 6:

@Panarinz (Style) - @Tinkesakara (Cowabunga Hockey) - @Edhoolm97 (Sektion K)
@xXPsykoSkillsXx (EV Duisburg) - @C4__N4R__V4 (SGWEER United)
@FoxGoalie (EV Duisburg)
 

The NHLGamer staff congratulates EV Duisburg for winning the Lite division and furthermore Cowabunga Hockey, Sektion K and Style for their promotions to the Pro division.
We want to thank all participating teams for their efforts and hope you all enjoyed the season! If you have any suggestions on how we could improve our website, please let us know by contacting any staff member.

The recaps of our other divisions will be published soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
 

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 6 Elite Finals were decided tonight and Carlsberg HC took the decisive win against Northern Ascendancy in game 5 double overtime and won the series 4-1.
Hereby NHLGamer would like to congratulate Carlsberg HC for becoming the ECL 6 Elite Champions, and thus the ECL 6 Champions!

If you missed their playoff games, you can check them out here:

https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all

These are the series results:

Game 1: Northern Ascendancy - Carlsberg HC 0-2
Game 2: Carlsberg HC - Northern Ascendancy 2-1
Game 3: Northern Ascendancy - Carlsberg HC  2-1 OT
Game 4: Carlsberg HC - Northern Ascendancy 3-0
Game 5: Northern Ascendancy - Carlsberg HC 1-2

Carlsberg HC's Championship roster:

G: #88 J. Onion @sibeelius (Zande95)

G: #92 J. Tancredi @FinKonna

D: #12 T. Brady @vatalisti

D: #19 P. Sniska @Pontus T (Terasniska)

D: #82 M. Nyqi @Janzuh

F: #89 J. Bones @Vilupoika

F: #94 M. Apeno @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_)

F: #96 T. Malone @Penatski

Carlsberg HC's road to the cup:

22 wins, 6 losses & 2 OT-losses during the regular season, ranked 3rd in ECL Elite

Quarterfinals: 4-2 VS Sjukstugan

Semifinals: 4-1 VS Dynasty

Finals: 4-1 VS Northern Ascendancy
 

Thank you to all ECL teams and fans this season! We will be releasing Summer Cup information within the next few days, as well as the full recaps of ECL 6 Elite, Pro and Lite, so be sure to check out the site regularly.

Hey NHLGamers,

What a fantastic night of hockey we had on Sunday night, as we enjoyed the three first games of the ECL Elite Finals between Northern Ascendancy and Carlsberg HC!

You can read our Elite Finals Preview here if you didn't already do so. Carlsberg HC was strong during the first night, as expected, and were close to even taking a 3-0 lead in the first night. Northern Ascendancy managed to score a shorthanded OT-winner in game 3, though and what happens tonight in game 4 will be crucial to how the series will unfold. Don't miss the live broadcast, starting at 20:00 CEST!

The scores in the series so far:

Game 1: Northern Ascendancy - Carlsberg HC 0-2
Game 2: Carlsberg HC - Northern Ascendancy 2-1
Game 3: Northern Ascendancy - Carlsberg HC  2-1 OT

The remaining games have been scheduled to be played as follows:

Game 4: Tuesday 1st of May 2018 20:30 CEST
Game 5: Tuesday 1st of May 2018 21:00 CEST
Game 6: Wednesday 2nd of May 2018 20:30 CEST (If necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday 2nd of May 2018 21:00 CEST (If necessary)

All of the Elite Finals games are broadcasted, so get ready to watch the action on our Twitch channel! Our broadcast of games 4 and 5 starts tonight at 20:00 CEST. The games will feature commentary by @Kenu and @Janikka.

The teams will continue with the same line-ups as on Sunday:

Who is your favorite? Who do you expect to win? Will we see some OT-drama? Let us know in the comments!

We'll see you tonight at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch

Hi there NHLGamers,

We've had a long season, champions have been crowned, promotions and relegations have been made, a whole bunch of W's and a whole bunch of L's have been experienced. ECL 6 started in late February and we've been going at it hard ever since. Each team has surely put in a great effort to make yet another season of the most competitive NHL esports league in Europe successful. I'm sure all teams have had their struggles and there's been tough moments where you haven't been sure of what the next move for the team be; Should there be roster changes? How can the best possible outcome be achieved? Well, you never know. Everyone has these moments and the truth is, it's really how you react to the results in these moments that can make all the difference - be it in your daily life on in the competitive NHL gaming scene.

With all this being said, we're not ready to call it a wrap quite yet - by now, we've reached the pinnacle of ECL 6, the ECL Elite Finals. This season, we'll see  the clash of two extremely skilled teams coming off of rather similar runs this season. The teams we'll be watching are Carlsberg HC and Northern Ascendancy. Without further ado, let's get into what you're here for:

 (3) Carlsberg HC - Northern Ascendancy (4) 

Our season preview for Carlsberg HC went as follows:

Quote

Carlsberg HC

Without a doubt the best team at the moment. After they got rid of their captain @Joonas Paatiala and star winger @Joukki , they acquired one of the best centers in the game, two time ECL champion @Penatski. Is this the season they can hoist the cup? For sure they have all the right players to do it. After reigning champion Aapon Taikasauva disbanded, they only have a couple capable contenders in their way.

Taking a closer look at their team, no team should be able to match their offense. The best playmaker in the game (when he wants to) @Penatski, one of the most dangerous snipers in the game @Vilupoika, and the two-way workhorse @Tuukka.R. Also, the best players in their positions, defensive duo @Janzuh and @vatalistiwho can provide depth in the goal-scoring if the other teams defense can stop their forwards. If we take a look at Carlsberg's potential weaknesses, could it be a problem that both of their defenseman are so offensive-minded? What about their goalie duo? @Zande95 and @FinKonna are known for not shining the brightest in tight situations. Can the older players of the team calm down the younger players if the things get tough?

Regular season record: 22-6-2
Most points (regular season): @Penatski 30GP 35+39=74
Most points (playoffs): @Vilupoika 11GP 6+7=13

The playoff run of Carlsberg HC hasn't been as easy as it seems so far. They've won their series in convincing manner (4-2 vs Sjukstugan, 4-1 vs Dynasty) but have somewhat struggled with production in the playoffs. @Penatski hasn't quite reached the same level offensively he was at in the regular season. Without a doubt a major reason for their low scoring has been facing a team the caliber of Dynasty in the semi-final, but being able to shine even in these tight situations is what the playoffs are all about. A strong defensive effort saw Carlsberg shutting down Dynasty completely, with a GAA of only 1 in the semi's, Carlsberg is surely a strong candidate for the Elite title this season. If they can get their offense clicking even better in the finals, it will surely be an exciting one.

I believe it's safe to say our season preview really hit the nail on the head on this one. Carlsberg, as expected, managed to finish second highest in scoring by hitting the back of the net a total of 98 times during the regular season. Carlsberg will most likely improve their game on the offensive end in this series, as Northern Ascendancy isn't quite as famous for their defense as for their fast-paced offensive play. We might be seeing a scoring battle in this series.

Our season preview for Northern Ascendancy went as follows:

Quote

It's gonna be really interesting to see how NOR plays this season, since they've acquired two really good players in Haldeem and MukiMaisteri. Northern Ascendancy is known for their offense, especially their deadly counter-attacks. What was their biggest weakness?

Defense for sure, so thats why @Haldeem is such a great player to have. You can rely on him in the defensive zone and he's really good at breakout passes as well. MukiMaisteri on the other hand is a great add to any offense. His playing style might not be perfect match NOR's style of quick passes in the offensive zone, but he can score. Also if NOR wants to make it far, their goalie @poliskontroll needs to step up his game. For sure these guys can score, but the big question mark is whether or not their defense and goalie hold in the tight games?

Regular season record: 19-5-6
Most points (regular season): @hpkfani 30GP 40+34=74
Most points (playoffs): @Foppatofflan 12GP 6+15=21

Northern Ascendancy finished the regular season in fourth place after having some surprising difficulties in the regular season against teams such as Pata Hellalla and Falun Coal Miners, some they surely would liked to have won. Doubts about @hpkfani's (MuKiMaisteri) game not translating well into NOR's system were thrown out of the door early as the man kept on doing what he knows best - putting up points. The playoff run so far hasn't been a cakewalk for NOR either. Their first round opponent Unlucky Boys HC put up a real fight, taking the series to a game 7. However, NOR prevailed after winning the two last games. Facing the number one seed Written In The Stars in the semi-finals wasn't easy either. Although NOR beat SKY 4-1, the series was very tightly contested, with three games going into overtime.

The decisive factor on NOR's end will be whether their fast-paced passing can throw their opponents off or not. We'll most likely be seeing some scoring by MuKiMaisteri. @Foppatofflan will be setting him up, but we will need to see some variation if NOR wants to walk away with the victory in this series. Defensively, the team has been solid this year, letting in under 1.5 goals against/game this post-season.

Prediction: 4:3 Carlsberg HC

Below is what you guys predicted for this matchup in our twitter poll:

How to watch the Finals?

The games have been scheduled to be played as follows:

Game 1: Sunday 29th of April 2018 - 20:30 CEST
Game 2: Sunday 29th of April 2018 - 21:00 CEST
Game 3: Sunday 29th of April 2018 - 21:30 CEST
Game 4: Tuesday 1st of May 2018 - 20:30 CEST
Game 5: Tuesday 1st of May 2018 - 21:00 CEST (If necessary)
Game 6: Wednesday 2nd of May 2018 - 20:30 CEST (If necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday 2nd of May 2018 - 21:00 CEST (If necessary)

All of the ECL Elite Finals games will be broadcasted, so get ready to watch the action on our Twitch channel! Our first broadcast, covering the first three games, starts tomorrow, Sunday 29th of April at 20:15 CEST. All games will be commentated by @Janikka and @Kenu.

Below you'll find the lineups of the teams for at least the three first games:

Who is your favorite? Who do you expect to win? Will we see more game 7 and/or OT-drama? Let us know in the comments!

We'll see you tonight at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 6 Pro Finals are now decided and Monarchs won in 7 games against FILADELPHIA in a very tough battle that could have gone either way.
Hereby NHLGamer would like to congratulate Monarchs for becoming the ECL 6 Pro Champions!

If you missed their playoff games, you can check them out here:

https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all

These are the series results:

Game 1: Monarchs @ FILADELPHIA  | 0-1

Game 2: FILADELPHIA  @ Monarchs  | 2-4

Game 3: Monarchs  @ FILADELPHIA  | 1-2

Game 4: FILADELPHIA  @ Monarchs | 1-2

Game 5: Monarchs @ FILADELPHIA  | 2-6

Game 6: FILADELPHIA  @ Monarchs | 1-2

Game 7: Monarchs @ FILADELPHIA  | 6-1

Monarchs' Championship roster:

G: #30 D. Pralle @Prallelkova

G: #88 C. Nyqvist @chavelski

D: #4 P. Ström-Håll @Philip Strom (Strumpan87)

D: #7 J. Cole @Ludvig (bortalaget)

D: #44 D. Cherry @AndreasLeafs

F: #16 M. Hjelm @Tacterz

F: #21 S. Zalaz @Zalaz

F: #32 P. Carlsson @pajenc

Monarchs' road to the cup:

22 wins, 2 losses & 2 OT-losses during the regular season, ranked 1st in Group 1

Round 1: 4-0 VS Raging Monkeys

Quarterfinals: 4-2 VS Red Machine

Semifinals: 4-3 VS Almost Famous

Finals: 4-3 VS FILADELPHIA
 

The full recap of ECL 6 Pro will be released soon. Stay tuned.

Hey NHLGamers,

What a fantastic night of hockey we had last night in the three first games of ECL Pro Finals between Monarchs and FILADELPHIA!

You can read our Pro Finals Preview here if you didn't already do so. Many predicted this series would be very one-sided for FILA and based on the first three games, boy were those predictions off! FILA managed to leave the first night in a 2-1 series lead, but they needed a bit of luck to do so. Monarchs played strong especially in games 2 and 3 and if they can continue playing like that, we should see a close series finish tonight!

The scores in the series so far:

Game 1: Monarchs - FILADELPHIA 0-1
Game 2: FILADELPHIA - Monarchs 2-4
Game 3: Monarchs - FILADELPHIA 1-2

The remaining games have been scheduled to be played at approximately these times tonight:

Game 4: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 21:00 CEST
Game 5: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 21:30 CEST
Game 6: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 22:00 CEST (If necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 22:30 CEST (If necessary)

All of the Pro Finals games are broadcasted, so get ready to watch the action on our Twitch channel! Our broadcast of game 4 and onwards starts tonight at 20:45 CEST. The games will feature commentary by @Kenu and @Panarinz.

The teams will continue with the same line-ups as last night:

Who is your favorite? Who do you expect to win? Will we see some OT-drama? Let us know in the comments!

We'll see you tonight at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch

Hey NHLGamers,

The Pro season is nearing the end as we'll witness FILADELPHIA and Monarchs put the pedal to the metal in the upcoming final matchup. Both teams have secured promotion spots, but now they'll be fighting for the pride and glory of being able to call themselves ECL Pro champions.

 (1) FILADELPHIA - Monarchs (2) 

The ECL Pro final this season sees the number one seed from each group go head to head in an exciting battle of the hockey philosophies. Both teams had close to identical regular season records, but their playoff paths have been quite different leading up to this point.

FILADELPHIA has been out for a walk in the park so far in the playoffs. They’ve managed to secure advancement in a maximum of five games each round, beating Quality 4-1, Deadly Phantoms HC 4-0 and White Trash 4-1. It remains to be seen whether they have met their match in Monarchs. @Erkki(I_Eki_I) has found a good flow in the playoffs, resulting in the highest points per game total in the playoffs so far (2,2 pts/gp). In FILA we expect to see a group of extremely skilled and experienced guys, captain @Joonas Paatiala (Patzlaf) being no stranger to this situation, as he lead his Carlsberg HC to a Pro victory in ECL 4. It'll certainly be interesting to see how FILA will be able to adapt their play style against the tight defense of Monarchs. What will they do if they run into a brick wall at the opposing blue line? Will I_Eki_I and Patzlaf get the support they need up front?

On the other side, we’ll be seeing the notorious Swedish up-and-comer Monarchs – who under command of captain @chavelski and lead on the ice by the experienced "Mr. OT-winner" @pajenc  have managed to mow their way through to the finals. Monarchs playoff run hasn’t been as easy as the one of FILA, though. Round 1 was a routine 4-0 win over Raging Monkeys, but the next opponent in Red Machine put up a fight, series ending 4-2. The Monarchs semi final series was one for the ages – the tightly contested battle against Almost Famous saw game 6 and 7 going into triple and double overtime, series ending 4-3 in favor of Monarchs. Monarchs are most certainly battle-tested, they'll be going into this series with a great confidence boost and belief that their system will prevail even in tough situations. The team will be looking to shut down opposing center I_Eki_I and their brick-wall of a blue line trap might be just the trick to do that. The keys to Monarchs success will be finding additional options on offense and maintaining the tight team-defense we are used to seeing.

Prior to the finals we posted a Twitter poll about who you guys think is going to walk away with the win. The community has spoken and the expectation with a whopping 89% vs 11% is that FILADELPHIA will walk away with the W in this one.

Prediction: 4-2 FILADELPHIA

How to watch the Finals?

The games have been scheduled to be played as follows:

Game 1: Tuesday 24th of April 2018 - 21:00 CEST
Game 2: Tuesday 24th of April 2018 - 21:30 CEST
Game 3: Tuesday 24th of April 2018 - 22:00 CEST
Game 4: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 21:00 CEST
Game 5: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 21:30 CEST (If necessary)
Game 6: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 22:00 CEST (If necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday 25th of April 2018 22:30 CEST (If necessary)

All of the Pro Finals games will be broadcasted, so get ready to watch the action on our Twitch channel! Our first broadcast, covering the first three games, starts tonight at 20:45 CEST.

Below you'll find the lineups of the teams for at least the three first games:

Who is your favorite? Who do you expect to win? Will we see more OT-drama? Let us know in the comments!

We'll see you tonight at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL Playoff will continue tonight! Starting at 20:30 CEST. We are covering a few exciting matchups tonight, hope you can join us in the stream!
 

We will kick off the Relegation Faceoff between Almost Famous and Pata Hellalla, who have agreed to play three games tonight. After the first game of that series, we will be continuing the semi-finals between Northern Ascendancy and Written In The Stars that currently stands 3-1 to Ascendancy. The teams have agreed to finish the series tonight, so we will see 1-3 games between them, depending on the outcome. 

Nordic Stars and White Trash also continue their Relegation Faceoff series, currently tied at 2-2. The series will start at 21:00 CEST and when we are done with the Elite Semi Finals, we will jump into which ever Relegation Series is still going on and exciting at that point!

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will feature commentary by @Janikka and @Kenu. We'll see you there!

You can see the lineups for the teams below:

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL Playoff continue tonight! Starting at 20:50 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as we cover two very exciting matchups tonight. The first one will be between ECL Pro teams Monarchs and Almost Famous, as they are finishing their semi-final series that currently stands 3-2 for Monarchs. Our second matchup of the night will be the Elite relegation faceoff between Nordic Stars and White Trash. You can find a prediction for that matchup by scrolling down.

Quote

 (2) Monarchs vs Almost Famous (3)

Monarchs impressed everyone so far this season. Mentioned as the underdog in our season preview, they topped their group and have only lost two games in this seasons playoffs so far. The team - previously called Lavetten - had a sweep in the first round and nearly controlled all of their second round matchup against Red Machine. Led by the captain @chavelski in net, the whole team showed up as a future Elite team. @pajenc , @Tacterz and @Zalaz know every trick of the game and are able to spin the defense's heads around.

Almost Famous tries to accomplish the walk-trough from Lite to Elite in only two seasons. They flew under the radar at the beginning of the season, but were noticed by everyone, starting their first Pro-season 9-1-0, with wins over the top contenders Shameful Knights and Baltic Sea Eagles. As in the regular season, they defeated the Baltic Sea Eagles in the second round (4-1) and try to keep their hope of the Elite division alive. They don't win their games in a spectacular fashion, but @Ikavalko , @Rimpe and @Devilfish14 strike whenever they have to.

As part of the regular season in group 1 they already played two games against each other. Both teams won their respective home games (3:1 and 4:2) so we can expect a really tough matchup and a long series!

Prediction: 4:3 Monarchs

Games so far in this series:
Game 1: Monarchs - Almost Famous 0-3
Game 2: Almost Famous - Monarchs 1-3
Game 3: Monarchs - Almost Famous 1-0 OT
Game 4: Almost Famous - Monarchs 3-5
Game 5: Monarchs - Almost Famous 2-3 OT

After these two settling who will go on to the ECL Pro Finals, we jump over to the ECL Relegation Faceoff, where the winner of the two teams will be seen in ECL Elite next season. The teams are playing a total of four games tonight, starting at 21:00 CEST as well and we will join in on the action as soon as the first series of tonight is settled.

 White Trash – Nordic Stars 

These two teams are certainly no strangers to each other, despite playing in different divisions this season, they spent the last two seasons battling for the promotion in Pro. In fact, these two have met in playoff series both in ECL 4 and 5. The series wins are currently even at 1-1. The Nordic Stars roster seems to have experienced quite a few changes over the years, as captain @Seahyena is the only player who has played in the previous two series between these teams. On the other end, White Trash captain @Zip player has also played both series, but so has @Kane, @rGinnu and @plymalkin. We’ll see how the third series in as many seasons between these two turns out.

Nordic Stars were surely excited to have been promoted to Elite during the offseason. In our season preview, we expected the team to have a difficult time keeping up in Elite. The beginning of the season was a feeling-out process, but Nordic stars put themselves in a bit of a hole by going 1-8-1 to start the season. They managed to turn the ship around a bit after the first ten games, but it wasn’t quite enough. In the end, they finished with a 9-15-6 regular season record, which isn’t bad for a team that was promoted in the offseason and had a complete roster overhaul. The biggest factor this season for Nordic Stars was most likely not being able to gel enough to create chemistry in team defense. The team managed to score enough to keep up with the rest, but fell short when it comes to their goals against average, a statistic that ended up being 3,03/game. That simply isn’t good enough to win games in a tight Elite division.

The opponent White Trash had yet another good season in Pro. They’re an established Pro team and must be very hungry to prove to the community that they can compete with the big boys in Elite. Our Pro season preview noted White Trash as one of the top contenders this season. They went into the season with a small roster and managed to close out the season with only 8 players making an appearance. The playoffs ended in the Semi-Finals against FILADELPHIA, a series in which White Trash without a doubt was the underdog. White Trash will be relying on their vast experience and good chemistry to edge out Nordic stars in this matchup. As expected, they will ice the same lineup we saw throughout the Pro playoffs.

It's hard to predict how this series will go, as the teams come into this series from different backgrounds; White Trash has gotten this far by succeeding during the season, whereas Nordic Stars has had a tough one. The want to play and fight for the win will be a key aspect in which of these teams will be seen in ECL Elite next season.

Below you will find the lineups for both matchups tonight:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will feature commentary by @Janikka and @Kenu. We'll see you there!

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 6 Lite Finals are now decided and EV Duisburg was the team to walk away with the win in a 4-0 series against Cowabunga Hockey. Hereby NHLGamer would like to congratulate EV Duisburg for being the ECL 6 Lite Champions!

If you missed their playoff games, you can check them out here:

• https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all
• https://www.twitch.tv/eashlduisburg/videos/all
• https://www.twitch.tv/tinkesakara/videos/all
   

These are the series results:

Game 1: EV Duisburg @ Cowabunga Hockey | 2-1

Game 2: Cowabunga Hockey @ EV Duisburg | 0-1

Game 3: EV Duisburg @ Cowabunga Hockey | 2-0

Game 4: Cowabunga Hockey @ EV Duisburg | 0-2

EV Duisburg's Championship roster (minimum of 1 game played):

• G: #13 A.Piepke @GreatOne139

• G: #25 T.Mahony @FoxGoalie

• D: #8 N.Schmitz @xXPsykoSkillsXx

• D: #9 K.Diemers @gamer9

• D: #32 F.Hegmann @Fabgo32

• F: #14 M.Klinkhammer @klinki_hh

• F: #20 I.Asche @Asche

• F: #21 P.Andersson @Fireblade

• F: #26 P.Liebetrau @Adrian

• F: #27 S.Stevenson @Stefan

• F: #79 T.Mouting @LosTypos

• F: #93 P.Gertzen @ShawnMcNeil

EV Duisburg's road to the cup:

• 14 wins & 4 losses during the regular season, ranked 3rd in Group 2
• Round 1: 4-1 VS Soldiers of Odens
• Round 2: 4-2 VS Etelan Vetelat
• Quarterfinals: 4-0 VS Pohjoista Voimaa
• Semifinals: 4-2 VS Style
• Finals: 4-0 VS Cowabunga Hockey

The full recap of ECL 6 Lite will be released soon. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: We are also covering Carlsberg HC - Dynasty, starting at 20:00 CEST!

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL Playoffs continue tonight and we might be celebrating an ECL Lite champion tonight! Starting at 19:50 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as we cover an amazing three matchups. The first one will be between ECL Elite semi finalists Carlsberg HC and Dynasty. Below you'll find our prediction for this series:

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(2) Dynasty – Carlsberg HC  (3)

Wow - what a matchup this is going to be! Dynasty took care of what seemed like a somewhat uninterested team in SJK by beating them in five games. @ICappeI in net for SJK did everything and a little more to shutdown Dynasty, but he wasn’t able to stop Dynasty all alone. Dynasty gets good goaltending night after night and they defend like the best of them. Add @Buantso (Puantso) to the mix and you have a very dangerous, championship kind of team. This series against Carlsberg can be one of the tightest series we've seen.

Carlsberg took care of Sjukstugan in six games ( 4-2 ) and got a good warmup for the next series playing against a tight defensive unit. @Penatski showed up again, playing an MVP type of game, but so did the defensive unit with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, as the latter looks like one of the best defenseman in the game right now. @Zande95 bounced back after a tough first night in the series and Carlsberg was too much for Sjukstugan to handle.

What a battle of monsters this is going to be and expect this series to go the length. It is very hard to predict who advances to the finals, but I expect the team who has the hotter goaltender is the one who advances after an even game 7 and in this case its going to be @Sandr0hh.

Prediction: 4-3 Dynasty

 

You can read all ECL Elite semi final predictions here.

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: Carlsberg HC - Dynasty 0-4
Game 2: Dynasty - Carlsberg HC 0-3
Game 3: Carlsberg HC - Dynasty 1-0 OT

The first three games were played yesterday and while Dynasty started off strong with a 4-0 win, Carlsberg were able to end the night with a 1-0 OT win and a 2-1 series lead. 

Northern Ascendancy and Written In The Stars. Below you'll find our prediction for this series:

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(4)  Northern Ascendancy vs Written In The Stars  (1)

 

Written held up to their expectations in the quarter finals dismantling Northern Stars in five games (4-1). Written In The Stars are often considered an offensive team, but it is their defensive game as a unit that is the one that puts the opponents to sleep. With solid goaltending by @JanneK. (Januri98), Written looks very hungry to win the championship. In the regular season Written won both games (6-0, 2-1), but it's the playoffs now and things tighten up.

After me barking on Northern Ascendancy last weekend, they showed some character bouncing back against Unlucky Boys to win the series 4-3. After last night's heroics from @hpkfani (Mukimaisteri) - who scored all 5 of his teams goals in games 6 and 7 -  this team looked fired up and took their game to another level. Northern Ascendancy plays a beautiful passing game with fast quick passes back and forth and it is going to be interesting to see how the Written defensive game is going to handle Northern Ascendancy's offense.

I will put the slight advantage on offense to NOR, but the cohesive unit in Written is going to be too much to handle for NOR.

Prediction: 4-2 Written In The Stars

 

You can read all ECL Elite semi final predictions here.

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: Northern Ascendancy - Written In The Stars 3-0
Game 2: Written In The Stars - Northern Ascendancy 2-3

While Written In The Stars was the favorite going into this semi final pairing, Northern Ascendancy managed to improve their game from what we saw in the quarter final round and ended up walking away from the first night with two deserved wins. The series is far from over, though, and we're sure Written In The Stars brought some new tricks up their sleeves for tonight and look to bounce back and tie the series. The teams have agreed to play two games tonight. 

After this, we go to the ECL Lite Finals, where EV Duisburg is only one win away from the Lite championship. The games are scheduled to start at 22:15 CEST. You can read our original prediction about the series below:

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(8) EV Duisburg vs Cowabunga Hockey  (2)

Cowabunga Hockey has, as a newcomer in ECL, already captured a spot in Pro and it looks like they want to go all the way. After posting a 15-2-1 record in the regular season they have showed everybody that they are a team that never gives up. After sweeping Slapshot Club Germany in the first round they faced off against Bucketeers. That series took them all the way to a game 7 that they managed to win. In the quarter finals they swept MotherPuckers and in the semi finals they managed to come back from a 0-2 deficit against Sektion K. The team is balanced and showed a lot of heart by coming back in that series. This team has only used 7 players this season and it shows that they are a very cohesive unit that wants go all the way.

EV Duisburg has had a much bigger troop this season and rotated it quite nicely. They played solid in the regular season with posting a 14-4 record, but in the playoffs they have really taken off. In the first round they met Soldiers of Odens and won the series with 4-1. In the second round they faced Etelan Vetelat, which took them six games to dismantle. In the quarter finals they swept Pohjoista Voimaa 4-0. That put them against a very good team, as they met Style in the semi finals. EV Duisburg managed to win this series in six games and are looking to play their best games in the finals. The one thing that stands out about EV Duisburg is their goaltender FoxGoalie, who has posted an insanely good 89,36% save percentage in the playoffs. He has taken the goalie statistics close to the 90% magic number and has to be a Conn Smythe candidate after this season is done.

The teams that face off are two tight-knit groups of players. I expect this to be a series with really good hockey and expect the goalies to shine. I fully expect that this series goes to a game 7.

Prediction: 4-3 Cowabunga Hockey

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: EV Duisburg - Cowabunga Hockey 2-1
Game 2: Cowabunga Hockey - EV Duisburg 0-1
Game 3: EV Duisburg - Cowabunga Hockey 2-0

As you can see, we predicted an even series here, so it's not a surprise that EV Duisburg has been able to win games in this series. However, what surprised us, is that they are already up 3-0 and could even sweep the series. All of the games so far have been really close, so don't miss the chance to see if Cowabunga Hockey can bounce back and even force a game seven, or if EV Duisburg will be hoisting the cup tonight. The teams have agreed to play two games tonight.

You can see tonight's lineups for each team in the image below:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will feature commentary by @Kenuand @esdor. We'll see you there!

Hey NHLGamers,

ECL Elite Semi Finals continue tonight. Starting at 20:15 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as we will be exclusively featuring the first three games between Carlsberg HC and Dynasty.

Below you'll find our prediction for this series:

Quote

(2) Dynasty – Carlsberg HC  (3)

Wow - what a matchup this is going to be! Dynasty took care of what seemed like a somewhat uninterested team in SJK by beating them in five games. @ICappeI in net for SJK did everything and a little more to shutdown Dynasty, but he wasn’t able to stop Dynasty all alone. Dynasty gets good goaltending night after night and they defend like the best of them. Add @Buantso (Puantso) to the mix and you have a very dangerous, championship kind of team. This series against Carlsberg can be one of the tightest series we've seen.

Carlsberg took care of Sjukstugan in six games ( 4-2 ) and got a good warmup for the next series playing against a tight defensive unit. @Penatski showed up again, playing an MVP type of game, but so did the defensive unit with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, as the latter looks like one of the best defenseman in the game right now. @Zande95 bounced back after a tough first night in the series and Carlsberg was too much for Sjukstugan to handle.

What a battle of monsters this is going to be and expect this series to go the length. It is very hard to predict who advances to the finals, but I expect the team who has the hotter goaltender is the one who advances after an even game 7 and in this case its going to be @Sandr0hh.

Prediction: 4-3 Dynasty

 

You can read all ECL Elite semi final predictions here.

You can see tonight's lineups below:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. Exceptionally, tonight's games will not be commentated.

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL Playoff continue tonight! Starting at 19:50 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as we cover two exciting semi final matchups tonight. The first one will be between ECL Pro teams White Trash and Filadelphia.

Below you'll find our prediction for this series:

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(1) FILADELPHIA vs White Trash  (7)

FILADELPHIA sweeped their quarter final opponent Deadly Phantoms HC right away and don't seem to hesitate on finishing their season goal of qualifying for Elite! They needed only a total of 9 games in the first two rounds to go on to the semi finals and even with that low game count,@Erkki (I_Eki_I) and @Joonas Paatiala (Patzlaf) are in the Top 10 playoff scorers. They lead their Elite style offense, generating dangerous scoring chances and always seem to have the patience to make the right decisions. @xDoumi and @oGBioLan are strong on both ends of the ice and very decent on the opening pass.

White Trash had to go the full distance in their seven game series against SIKA, just as in the first round. Lead by @Zip player, the dynamic offensive trio of @rGinnu and @Kane can score some goals and can make every defense hurt by gaining chances out of their mistakes. They showed us that they can stand the pressure by winning two game 7's. Are they able to shut down the weapons of FILADELPHIA and score efficiently enough on the chances they will get?

Prediction: 4:2 FILADELPHIA

 

You can read all ECL Pro semi final predictions here.

After this, we jump right over to ECL Elite, where Written In The Stars and Northern Ascendancy will also start their semi final games. The games are scheduled to start at 21:00 CEST. You can read our original prediction about the series below:

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(1)  Written In The Stars vs Northern Ascendancy  (4)

 

Written held up to their expectations in the quarter finals dismantling Northern Stars in five games (4-1). Written In The Stars are often considered an offensive team, but it is their defensive game as a unit that is the one that puts the opponents to sleep. With solid goaltending by @JanneK. (Januri98), Written looks very hungry to win the championship. In the regular season Written won both games (6-0, 2-1), but it's the playoffs now and things tighten up.

After me barking on Northern Ascendancy last weekend, they showed some character bouncing back against Unlucky Boys to win the series 4-3. After last night's heroics from @hpkfani (Mukimaisteri) - who scored all 5 of his teams goals in games 6 and 7 -  this team looked fired up and took their game to another level. Northern Ascendancy plays a beautiful passing game with fast quick passes back and forth and it is going to be interesting to see how the Written defensive game is going to handle Northern Ascendancy's offense.

I will put the slight advantage on offense to NOR, but the cohesive unit in Written is going to be too much to handle for NOR.

Prediction: 4-2 Written In The Stars

 

You can read all ECL Elite semi final predictions here.

You can see tonight's lineups for each team in the image below:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will feature commentary by @Panarinz and @Kenu. We'll see you there!

Hey NHLGamers,

The heat is ramping up, both outdoors and in the ECL Elite Playoffs, as we get into the semi final stage. Only four teams left and each of them needing four wins to make it far enough to play in the finals. Who will want it the most? You'll find our predictions below.

(1)  Written In The Stars vs Northern Ascendancy  (4)

Written held up to their expectations in the quarter finals dismantling Northern Stars in five games (4-1). Written In The Stars are often considered an offensive team, but it is their defensive game as a unit that is the one that puts the opponents to sleep. With solid goaltending by @JanneK. (Januri98), Written looks very hungry to win the championship. In the regular season Written won both games (6-0, 2-1), but it's the playoffs now and things tighten up.

After me barking on Northern Ascendancy last weekend, they showed some character bouncing back against Unlucky Boys to win the series 4-3. After last night's heroics from @hpkfani (Mukimaisteri) - who scored all 5 of his teams goals in games 6 and 7 -  this team looked fired up and took their game to another level. Northern Ascendancy plays a beautiful passing game with fast quick passes back and forth and it is going to be interesting to see how the Written defensive game is going to handle Northern Ascendancy's offense.

I will put the slight advantage on offense to NOR, but the cohesive unit in Written is going to be too much to handle for NOR.

Prediction: 4-2 Written In The Stars

 

(2) Dynasty – Carlsberg HC  (3)

Wow - what a matchup this is going to be! Dynasty took care of what seemed like a somewhat uninterested team in SJK by beating them in five games. @ICappeI in net for SJK did everything and a little more to shutdown Dynasty, but he wasn’t able to stop Dynasty all alone. Dynasty gets good goaltending night after night and they defend like the best of them. Add @Buantso (Puantso) to the mix and you have a very dangerous, championship kind of team. This series against Carlsberg can be one of the tightest series we've seen.

Carlsberg took care of Sjukstugan in six games ( 4-2 ) and got a good warmup for the next series playing against a tight defensive unit. @Penatski showed up again, playing an MVP type of game, but so did the defensive unit with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, as the latter looks like one of the best defenseman in the game right now. @Zande95 bounced back after a tough first night in the series and Carlsberg was too much for Sjukstugan to handle.

What a battle of monsters this is going to be and expect this series to go the length. It is very hard to predict who advances to the finals, but I expect the team who has the hotter goaltender is the one who advances after an even game 7 and in this case its going to be @Sandr0hh.

Prediction: 4-3 Dynasty

The semi finals are underway now and have to be finished by the 24th of April 2018 (Tuesday). No extra time will be given!

We wish the remaining teams good luck and most importantly: have fun! Please let us know when you will play your respective games so we have the chance to cover them on our Twitch channel.


EDIT: The last day to play is Tuesday the 24th, not Monday the 23rd. Fixed in the article.

Hey NHLGamers,

we will be live on Twitch shortly for some more ECL Playoffs action! Below, you will find the two covered matchups including our original predictions:

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 (4) Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys HC (5) 

Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys is already far into the series (2-3) as UB are only one win away from the Elite Semi finals in their first season in Elite! The last season runner-up in Pro has surprised the whole community by beating a few of the big teams during the season and finishing the season as fifth in the standings. Lead by @Anhel (Anhel_Kuru) alongside @JimBoo (jm__98___) and @Wenger (re_wenger), the trio has been playing together all season, and with @Jugeh_ and @Frilander on the back end, the five skaters really come together as a team. @Danielcadabra has bounced back from a disappointing last season in Synergy where he looked somewhat rusty. This season he has been again at the very top among goalies and he can steal games for you.

Northern Ascendancy with the fast paced very beautiful style of playing ended the regular season on a solid fourth place. @poliskontroll has been better this season and @Foppatofflan has been scoring points as usual. This season he got some help from @hpkfani (MuKiMaisteri) who was the leading scorer this season for NOR. @MartindalexC has switched from LW to RD and transitioned quite nicely making a nice pair with @Haldeem. And the cherry on top is that you have @anrh17, an excellent two-way player, as a center. You could think this team would be ready for a championship. However, once again they are facing a team who looks to want it more and play to win and not simply to get on the scoresheet. Can NOR bounce back, come together and break the trend that has been haunting them and get past the quarterfinals?

Prediction: 4-2 Unlucky Boys

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 (3) Carlsberg HC vs Sjukstugan (6) 

Carlsberg HC was one of the hottest teams in the off-season and was one of the favourite teams coming into ECL 6. They finished with a solid third place right after Written In The Stars and Dynasty. @Vilupoika, @Penatski and @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) comprise a forward line that makes any GM out there jealous. All of them have great hands and vision and also the game changer ability, as anyone of them can win a game for their team. With one of the best defensive pairings in the league with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, this team looks like you couldn't replace one player with another and expect better results. If CAR wants to be successful they can and if they can stay humble and focused facing a very seasoned 112, they will prevail.

Don’t count their opponent out just yet! You can easily say that Sjukstugan is the underdog in this matchup, but if you look closer at the players they have, the team looks really good. With one of the most prestigious right defensemen in the game in @Gustafsson7 returning back after a season in Synergy, taking his familiar place as the king of the hill in Sjukstugan's defense, they have a strong leader down low. Helping him along the way we have @Karkkyjaa, @Basstian23 (JaromirSniper) and @Klingen45 who is expected to be dressing for the next game. Look for him to be a game changer as well. On the forward side we have the brothers @pnordetun and @Bjono with @Norpee skating out with them. Norpee could easily be one of the most underrated players in the whole community. I suspect we will see @Nampa77 in this series as well, as he adds something the rest of the forward core doesn't have - the right-handed shot. The real MVP of Sjukstugan can be found in net as @Hullued has taken the community by storm and been excellent throughout the season.

If CAR can stay focused and disciplined for the entire length of the series, they will move on to the next round. On the other hand, if 112 wants to have a chance in the series, they cannot try to mimic the play style of opponent Carlsberg, as they tried to do in game #2 of the series. The series currently stands at 1-1. If Sjukstugan can score the first goal and play as a defensive unit out on the ice, we might have a long series here that could end either way.

Prediction: 4-3 Carlsberg HC

Current results:

Northern Ascendancy 2:3 Unlucky Boys HC
Carlsberg HC 3:2 Sjukstugan

All teams have agreed to finish both series tonight. We will focus on Northern Ascendancy vs. Unlucky Boys HC, and in case the first machup ends early, or Carlsberg HC vs. Sjukstugan goes into game 7, we will cover that one as well!

Here are tonight's lineups:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and will feature commentary by @gzell60 and @Kenu. We'll see you there!

Hey NHLGamers,

It's that time of the ECL Lite season, when we've narrowed it down to only two teams that can take home the championship! We are very excited about this matchup, and we will do our best to cover it on our Twitch channel. Further details will be announced as the dates of the games are confirmed.

(2) Cowabunga Hockey vs  EV Duisburg (8)

Cowabunga Hockey has, as a newcomer in ECL, already captured a spot in Pro and it looks like they want to go all the way. After posting a 15-2-1 record in the regular season they have showed everybody that they are a team that never gives up. After sweeping Slapshot Club Germany in the first round they faced off against Bucketeers. That series took them all the way to a game 7 that they managed to win. In the quarter finals they swept MotherPuckers and in the semi finals they managed to come back from a 0-2 deficit against Sektion K. The team is balanced and showed a lot of heart by coming back in that series. This team has only used 7 players this season and it shows that they are a very cohesive unit that wants go all the way.

EV Duisburg has had a much bigger troop this season and rotated it quite nicely. They played solid in the regular season with posting a 14-4 record, but in the playoffs they have really taken off. In the first round they met Soldiers of Odens and won the series with 4-1. In the second round they faced Etelan Vetelat, which took them six games to dismantle. In the quarter finals they swept Pohjoista Voimaa 4-0. That put them against a very good team, as they met Style in the semi finals. EV Duisburg managed to win this series in six games and are looking to play their best games in the finals. The one thing that stands out about EV Duisburg is their goaltender FoxGoalie, who has posted an insanely good 89,36% save percentage in the playoffs. He has taken the goalie statistics close to the 90% magic number and has to be a Conn Smythe candidate after this season is done.

The teams that face off are two tight-knit groups of players. I expect this to be a series with really good hockey and expect the goalies to shine. I fully expect that this series goes to a game 7.

Prediction: 4-3 Cowabunga Hockey

The finals are underway now and have to be finished by 21st of April 2018 (Saturday). No extra time will be given!

We wish the two remaining teams good luck and most importantly: have fun! Please let us know when you will play your respective games so we have the chance to cover them.

Hey NHLGamers,

the second round of the Pro playoffs are finished and we go on to the next round. All remaining teams got one step closer to their chance to play in the Elite division next season in ECL 7 by winning their respective series. The two finalists will be qualified directly, while the two semi final losers have their chance by playing against the Nordic Stars or Pata Hellalla in the relegation battles. We are excited for these tough battles, which we will do our best to cover on our Twitch channel.

These are the upcoming matchups for the semifinals:

(1) FILADELPHIA vs White Trash  (7)

FILADELPHIA sweeped their quarter final opponent Deadly Phantoms HC right away and don't seem to hesitate on finishing their season goal of qualifying for Elite! They needed only a total of 9 games in the first two rounds to go on to the semi finals and even with that low game count,@Erkki (I_Eki_I) and @Joonas Paatiala (Patzlaf) are in the Top 10 playoff scorers. They lead their Elite style offense, generating dangerous scoring chances and always seem to have the patience to make the right decisions. @xDoumi and @oGBioLan are strong on both ends of the ice and very decent on the opening pass.

White Trash had to go the full distance in their seven game series against SIKA, just as in the first round. Lead by @Zip player, the dynamic offensive trio of @rGinnu and @Kane can score some goals and can make every defense hurt by gaining chances out of their mistakes. They showed us that they can stand the pressure by winning two game 7's. Are they able to shut down the weapons of FILADELPHIA and score efficiently enough on the chances they will get?

 (2) Monarchs vs Almost Famous (3) 

Monarchs impressed everyone so far this season. Mentioned as the underdog in our season preview, they topped their group and have only lost two games in this seasons playoffs so far. The team - previously called Lavetten - had a sweep in the first round and nearly controlled all of their second round matchup against Red Machine. Led by the captain @chavelski in net, the whole team showed up as a future Elite team. @pajenc , @Tacterz and @Zalaz know every trick of the game and are able to spin the defense's heads around.

Almost Famous tries to accomplish the walk-trough from Lite to Elite in only two seasons. They flew under the radar at the beginning of the season, but were noticed by everyone, starting their first Pro-season 9-1-0, with wins over the top contenders Shameful Knights and Baltic Sea Eagles. As in the regular season, they defeated the Baltic Sea Eagles in the second round (4-1) and try to keep their hope of the Elite division alive. They don't win their games in a spectacular fashion, but @Ikavalko , @Rimpe and @Devilfish14 strike whenever they have to.

As part of the regular season in group 1 they already played two games against each other. Both teams won their respective home games (3:1 and 4:2) so we can expect a really tough matchup and a long series!

Prediction: 4:3 Monarchs

The semifinals are underway (from 13th April 2018) and have to be finished by 20th April 2018 (Friday). No extra time will be given!

We wish all the remaining teams good luck and most importantly: have fun! Please let us know when you will play your respective games so we have the chance to cover them.

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL Playoff continue tonight! Starting at 20:15 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as we continue yet another two exciting matchups tonight. The first one will be faught between ECL Elite teams Carlsberg HC and Sjukstugan -  a good Finland - Sweden matchup!

Below you'll find our original prediction for this series:

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 (3) Carlsberg HC vs Sjukstugan (6) 

Carlsberg HC was one of the hottest teams in the off-season and was one of the favourite teams coming into ECL 6. They finished with a solid third place right after Written In The Stars and Dynasty. @Vilupoika, @Penatski and @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) comprise a forward line that makes any GM out there jealous. All of them have great hands and vision and also the game changer ability, as anyone of them can win a game for their team. With one of the best defensive pairings in the league with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, this team looks like you couldn't replace one player with another and expect better results. If CAR wants to be successful they can and if they can stay humble and focused facing a very seasoned 112, they will prevail.

Don’t count their opponent out just yet! You can easily say that Sjukstugan is the underdog in this matchup, but if you look closer at the players they have, the team looks really good. With one of the most prestigious right defensemen in the game in @Gustafsson7 returning back after a season in Synergy, taking his familiar place as the king of the hill in Sjukstugan's defense, they have a strong leader down low. Helping him along the way we have @Karkkyjaa, @Basstian23 (JaromirSniper) and @Klingen45 who is expected to be dressing for the next game. Look for him to be a game changer as well. On the forward side we have the brothers @pnordetun and @Bjono with @Norpee skating out with them. Norpee could easily be one of the most underrated players in the whole community. I suspect we will see @Nampa77 in this series as well, as he adds something the rest of the forward core doesn't have - the right-handed shot. The real MVP of Sjukstugan can be found in net as @Hullued has taken the community by storm and been excellent throughout the season.

If CAR can stay focused and disciplined for the entire length of the series, they will move on to the next round. On the other hand, if 112 wants to have a chance in the series, they cannot try to mimic the play style of opponent Carlsberg, as they tried to do in game #2 of the series. The series currently stands at 1-1. If Sjukstugan can score the first goal and play as a defensive unit out on the ice, we might have a long series here that could end either way.

Prediction: 4-3 Carlsberg HC

You can read all of our ECL Elite Round 1 Predictions here.

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: Sjukstugan - Carlsberg HC 3-1
Game 2: Carlsberg HC - Sjukstugan 5-1
 

The teams have agreed to play three games tonight, so there is a hypothetical chance that one team secures their place in the semi finals tonight. However, that's highly unlikely with these evenly matched up teams. Whatever the result tonight, the expectation is a very high-skilled hockey night between these two.

After this, we jump right over to ECL Pro, where SIKA and White Trash will decide who's going to the semi finals. The games are scheduled to start at 21:40 CEST. You can read our original prediction about the series below:

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(5) SIKA vs White Trash  (7)

 

SIKA had a rough start into this years playoffs by losing two games out of the first three, but kept their season alive by turning the series around by winning the last three matches. White Trash had to go with a full best of seven series, coming back from being down 2:3 in the series. @rGinnu turned the series into their favour by scoring six points in the last two wins. White Trash has to improve the defensive game, but definitely has the chance to outscore SIKA. We expect a tight matchup and a long series.

 

Prediction: 4-3 SIKA

You can read all of our ECL Pro Quarter Final predictions here.

 

There's been five games played in this series so far and White Trash came out strong, winning the first two with quite big numbers. Someone might have expected even a sweep after that, but SIKA came back strong in their next session, winning games 3 and 5 and losing game 4 by only one goal. SIKA continues to play with their backs to the walls. No more losses allowed. Tonight we'll see if this experienced bunch can come back from this, or if White Trash can find the tools to clinch it.

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: White Trash - SIKA 4-0
Game 2: SIKA - White Trash 1-5
Game 3: White Trash - SIKA 0-1
Game 4: SIKA - White Trash 3-4
Game 5: White Trash - SIKA 1-2

You can see tonight's lineups for each team in the image below:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will feature commentary by @gzell60 and @Kenu. We'll see you there!

Hey NHLGamers,

It's time for some ECL Elite Playoff action tonight! Starting at 19:45 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as we continue two very exciting matchups tonight. The first one will be the battle between ECL Elite teams Dynasty and SJK eSports.

Below you'll find our original prediction for this series:

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 (2) Dynasty vs SJK eSports (7) 

Second seeding Dynasty goes up against SJK eSports in the quarterfinals in a matchup that could have, and in many Community members' minds would and should have been a clash later down the bracket. That's not the case this time around, as here we go! 

Dynasty has been nothing but a true joy to watch in the regular season. With quick passing, movement, their timing close to perfection and some great variety in their offense - they are as effective as they are stylish. @Buantso (Puantso) is deadly and with @jumalpeku and @Tehh (TehhAhola), they have a perfect trio. Puantso and jumalpeku combined for 55 goals between them in the group stage, just 10 shy of the SJK total. As always, it's important to shut your opponents offense down, and this will not be an easy task for SJK to do. Dynasty is also really solid on the defense and won't give up anything for free with @Snapster keeping the lines clear from intruders, alike the Finnish war hero Simo Häyhä. In the net, DYN has a good situation with @Sandr0hh and @Lukkoukko (Lukkolinho) having similar, strong stats.

SJK will have to respond to Dynasty's offense in this series, and they need to prove that they really are defensive masters. Like we are used to, @Dominointi will be the cornerstone of their game. It'll remain to be seen who SJK will ice on the wings but your best bet will likely be @Leksa94 and @indi969. @Ilmari_30 on defense is set in stone and beside him we will most likely see @Selarit. @ICappeI stood tall in net for yet another great regular season, it'll remain to be seen if he can put up another stellar showing in the playoffs. Showcasing their defensive ability, SJK allowed only 48 goals (1,6 per game) in the regular season (2nd to SKY) and they have a tremendous defense in all zones. Sometimes playing SJK you're happy being able to create any good scoring chances at all, and how frustrating isn't that in a best of 7 series for the opponent? Can SJK lower the games' pace and ace their defense? Do they have the variety and creativity not to get stuck chasing behind every game? SJK has so much experience from these games it's almost scary. They are used to tight spots and used to advance - can they do it this time?  

Prediction : 4-2 Dynasty

You can read all of our ECL Elite Round 1 Predictions here.

 

The teams played four games so far and while it looked like Dynasty was going to sweep the series, SJK eSports came back in game 4 and made the series 3-1.

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: SJK eSports - Dynasty 1-2
Game 2: Dynasty - SJK eSports 4-3
Game 3: SJK eSports - Dynasty 1-4
Game 4: Dynasty - SJK eSports 0-4

SJK eSports has their backs to the wall tonight, but don't count them out quite yet. Whatever happens, the teams will finish this series tonight, so don't miss this action!

After this, we jump right over to another exciting ECL ECL pair as Written In The Stars and Northern Stars continue their series. The teams have agreed to play up to two games tonight and the puck drop for game 5 will be at 21:00 CEST. You can read our original prediction about the series below:

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 (1) Written In The Stars vs Northern Stars (8) 

Written In The Stars won the regular season in style. The team really had that 'wow'-factor being talked about from time to time. A left-wing seemed to be what SKY needed to out them on a rocket ship right towards the title. Except for acquiring the new winger, little has changed and we can expect SKY to try to control this series. With great goalies in @eissi83 and @JanneK. (Januri98), amazing defenders that can dominate both blue lines and all three zones, and a highly skilled offensive trio up-front.

So, is the sky the limit or will Northern Stars be the end of the line? NOS took the 8th and final playoff spot this time, avoiding pressure and expectations, perhaps. However, the old giant fears no one. NOS knows these situations and certainly holds more experience of these tight spots compared to their opponents. With their basic game and some @tbnantti magic they can surely match SKY. These players have been in so many playoff games together that we might see their low playoff seed actually work in their favour.

Prediction: 4-2 Written In The Stars

You can read all of our ECL Elite Round 1 Predictions here.

 

While very even on the ice, Written In the Stars has been able to take control of the series and lead the series 3-1. It's noteworthy that all of the games have ended with a one goal difference and two of them in OT. In game 3 Northern Stars had an opportunity to take control of the series, as they had a 2-1 lead and got a penalty shot with 40 seconds to go. They didn't score here and Written In The Stars bounced back. Quite the display of calmness in a tough situation one might say. The same kind of calmness will be needed from Northern Stars tonight, as they try to get three wins in a row with their back against the wall. We can't wait to see what kind of show these teams put up for us tonight!

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: Northern Stars - Written In The Stars 1-2 OT
Game 2: Written In The Stars - Northern Stars 0-1
Game 3: Northern Stars - Written In The Stars 2-3 OT
Game 4: Written In The Stars - Northern Stars 1-0

You can see tonight's lineups for each team in the image below:

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will feature commentary by @gzell60 and @Kenu. We'll see you there!

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL Elite Playoffs are already partly underway, so let's jump directly into our predictions for the first round, also known as the quarter finals, where the best eight teams battle for a chance to make it into the semi finals. These predictions were written by @chavelski and @pnordetun.

 (1) Written In The Stars vs Northern Stars (8) 

Written In The Stars won the regular season in style. The team really had that 'wow'-factor being talked about from time to time. A left-wing seemed to be what SKY needed to out them on a rocket ship right towards the title. Except for acquiring the new winger, little has changed and we can expect SKY to try to control this series. With great goalies in @eissi83 and @JanneK. (Januri98), amazing defenders that can dominate both blue lines and all three zones, and a highly skilled offensive trio up-front.

So, is the sky the limit or will Northern Stars be the end of the line? NOS took the 8th and final playoff spot this time, avoiding pressure and expectations, perhaps. However, the old giant fears no one. NOS knows these situations and certainly holds more experience of these tight spots compared to their opponents. With their basic game and some @tbnantti magic they can surely match SKY. These players have been in so many playoff games together that we might see their low playoff seed actually work in their favour.

Prediction: 4-2 Written In The Stars

 (2) Dynasty vs SJK eSports (7) 

Second seeding Dynasty goes up against SJK eSports in the quarterfinals in a matchup that could have, and in many Community members' minds would and should have been a clash later down the bracket. That's not the case this time around, as here we go! 

Dynasty has been nothing but a true joy to watch in the regular season. With quick passing, movement, their timing close to perfection and some great variety in their offense - they are as effective as they are stylish. @Buantso (Puantso) is deadly and with @jumalpeku and @Tehh (TehhAhola), they have a perfect trio. Puantso and jumalpeku combined for 55 goals between them in the group stage, just 10 shy of the SJK total. As always, it's important to shut your opponents offense down, and this will not be an easy task for SJK to do. Dynasty is also really solid on the defense and won't give up anything for free with @Snapster keeping the lines clear from intruders, alike the Finnish war hero Simo Häyhä. In the net, DYN has a good situation with @Sandr0hh and @Lukkoukko (Lukkolinho) having similar, strong stats.

SJK will have to respond to Dynasty's offense in this series, and they need to prove that they really are defensive masters. Like we are used to, @Dominointi will be the cornerstone of their game. It'll remain to be seen who SJK will ice on the wings but your best bet will likely be @Leksa94 and @indi969. @Ilmari_30 on defense is set in stone and beside him we will most likely see @Selarit. @ICappeI stood tall in net for yet another great regular season, it'll remain to be seen if he can put up another stellar showing in the playoffs. Showcasing their defensive ability, SJK allowed only 48 goals (1,6 per game) in the regular season (2nd to SKY) and they have a tremendous defense in all zones. Sometimes playing SJK you're happy being able to create any good scoring chances at all, and how frustrating isn't that in a best of 7 series for the opponent? Can SJK lower the games' pace and ace their defense? Do they have the variety and creativity not to get stuck chasing behind every game? SJK has so much experience from these games it's almost scary. They are used to tight spots and used to advance - can they do it this time?  

Prediction : 4-2 Dynasty
 

 (3) Carlsberg HC vs Sjukstugan (6) 

Carlsberg HC was one of the hottest teams in the off-season and was one of the favourite teams coming into ECL 6. They finished with a solid third place right after Written In The Stars and Dynasty. @Vilupoika, @Penatski and @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) comprise a forward line that makes any GM out there jealous. All of them have great hands and vision and also the game changer ability, as anyone of them can win a game for their team. With one of the best defensive pairings in the league with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, this team looks like you couldn't replace one player with another and expect better results. If CAR wants to be successful they can and if they can stay humble and focused facing a very seasoned 112, they will prevail.

Don’t count their opponent out just yet! You can easily say that Sjukstugan is the underdog in this matchup, but if you look closer at the players they have, the team looks really good. With one of the most prestigious right defensemen in the game in @Gustafsson7 returning back after a season in Synergy, taking his familiar place as the king of the hill in Sjukstugan's defense, they have a strong leader down low. Helping him along the way we have @Karkkyjaa, @Basstian23 (JaromirSniper) and @Klingen45 who is expected to be dressing for the next game. Look for him to be a game changer as well. On the forward side we have the brothers @pnordetun and @Bjono with @Norpee skating out with them. Norpee could easily be one of the most underrated players in the whole community. I suspect we will see @Nampa77 in this series as well, as he adds something the rest of the forward core doesn't have - the right-handed shot. The real MVP of Sjukstugan can be found in net as @Hullued has taken the community by storm and been excellent throughout the season.

If CAR can stay focused and disciplined for the entire length of the series, they will move on to the next round. On the other hand, if 112 wants to have a chance in the series, they cannot try to mimic the play style of opponent Carlsberg, as they tried to do in game #2 of the series. The series currently stands at 1-1. If Sjukstugan can score the first goal and play as a defensive unit out on the ice, we might have a long series here that could end either way.

Prediction: 4-3 Carlsberg HC


 (4) Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys HC (5) 

Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys is already far into the series (2-3) as UB are only one win away from the Elite Semi finals in their first season in Elite! The last season runner-up in Pro has surprised the whole community by beating a few of the big teams during the season and finishing the season as fifth in the standings. Lead by @Anhel (Anhel_Kuru) alongside @JimBoo (jm__98___) and @Wenger (re_wenger), the trio has been playing together all season, and with @Jugeh_ and @Frilander on the back end, the five skaters really come together as a team. @Danielcadabra has bounced back from a disappointing last season in Synergy where he looked somewhat rusty. This season he has been again at the very top among goalies and he can steal games for you.

Northern Ascendancy with the fast paced very beautiful style of playing ended the regular season on a solid fourth place. @poliskontroll has been better this season and @Foppatofflan has been scoring points as usual. This season he got some help from @hpkfani (MuKiMaisteri) who was the leading scorer this season for NOR. @MartindalexC has switched from LW to RD and transitioned quite nicely making a nice pair with @Haldeem. And the cherry on top is that you have @anrh17, an excellent two-way player, as a center. You could think this team would be ready for a championship. However, once again they are facing a team who looks to want it more and play to win and not simply to get on the scoresheet. Can NOR bounce back, come together and break the trend that has been haunting them and get past the quarterfinals?

Prediction: 4-2 Unlucky Boys

Many of the teams continue their series' tonight, and while we sadly won't be able to provide an official commentated stream tonight, be sure to be on the lookout for the team's own streams in the streams section and the chatbox over in the community section.

What did you think of the above predicitions? Who do you think will go all the way? Let us know in the comments section below!

Hey NHLGamers,

We continue our ECL Playoff Broadcasts tonight with some ECL Elite and Pro playoff action! 

Starting right now, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as ECL Elite teams Northern Ascendancy (#4) and Unlucky Boys HC (#5) start their matchup with two games tonight. Right after that, it's FILADELPHIA (#1) and Deadly Phantoms HC (#13) from ECL Pro that hit the ice. These two teams we've been following throughout their previous games and it's looking to be quite the matchup.

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch by @Kenu and @Panarinz.

Hey NHLGamers,

After an eventful regular season in ECL Elite, we are ready to start the playoffs. There were some really tough battles for the playoff spots and teams were fighting for their life to avoid the relegation battles up until the very last round.

Our ECL Elite season preview was quite spot on regarding the playoff contenders, as 7/8 of the teams we listed as playoff teams made it. The biggest surprise comparing to our listing was Unlucky Boys HC finishing in 5th place.

We were supposed to have the playoff predictions for you already in the weekend, but sadly it will be a while more. It's coming, though!

Below you will find the matchups for round 1:

(1) Written In The Stars vs Northern Stars (8) 

 (2) Dynasty vs SJK eSports (7) 

 (3) Carlsberg HC vs Sjukstugan (6) 

 (4) Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys HC (5) 

All series will be played in a best-of-seven series from 9th until the 16th of April 2018.

Below you can find the exact dates for the ECL Pro playoffs:

• Quarter finals 9.-16.4.

• Semi finals 17.-24.4.

• Finals 29.4-7.5.

Teams Kattiautomaatti and Silver Sword Griffins, having collected the least points in ECL Elite this season, will be relegated and play in ECL Pro next season. Teams Nordic Stars and Pata Hellalla in spots 13 and 14 will be playing against the semi final losers of ECL Pro. The winners of these matchup will be seen in ECL Elite next season.

The teams Evolution, Gotham Knights, Rusty Blades and Falun Coal Miners finishing in spots 9-12 will keep their spots and will be seen in ECL Elite next season.

We thank all participants and hope you will return next season!

Best of luck for all remaining teams, have fun!

Hey NHLGamers,

We continue our ECL Playoff Broadcasts tonight with some ECL Lite action! Starting at 20:00 CEST, be sure to join our ECL Playoff stream, as GHETTO FIREBIRDS and Sektion K continue their battle from game #4.

Below you'll find out original prediction for this series:

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(7) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs Sektion K (15)

Firebirds knows what it takes to beat strong teams in the Lite playoffs and they have a season in Pro that would showcase their experience in tight games. With a good mix of strong offense and defense they are a force to be reckoned with this series. Watch out for internal leader in points and assists @GreventiousFIN. Their goaltender TessunTorpeedo (@Tero Lehtiö) made a few classy saves last playoff round as well and knows when he needs to shut the door. Sektion K caused a big upset when they eliminated Sqweer United from the playoffs last round, and in what manner - it only took them five games to get into the 3rd round. They can not be underestimated here. With leading goal and point scorer @Edhoolm97 and a strong overall defense don't be surprised if they come out on top after this series is finished. I'm gonna go with my gut on this one, Sektion K have caused an upset before and will do this time around again. 

Prediction: 2-4 Sektion K. 

See all ECL Lite Quarter Final predictions here.

The teams played the first three games so far and Sektion K is up in the series 2-1.

Games so far in the series (home team to the right):

Game 1: Sektion K - GHETTO FIREBIRDS 2-1
Game 2: GHETTO FIREBIRDS - Sektion K 3-0
Game 3 : Sektion K - GHETTO FIREBIRDS 3-1

The series will continue tonight with up to 4 games, so we will definitely see who goes into the semi finals tonight.

Depending on when the series ends, we might also jump into the last round game between Gotham Knights and SJK eSports in ECL Elite. Gotham Knights really needs 4 points tonight in order to have a chance to make the playoffs, so it will be interesting to see how they do tonight.

The games will be broadcasted on the NHLGamer Twitch channel, at twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch. The games will be broadcasted by @Kenu and @Panarinz