ECL 5 Player Awards

In anticipation of the upcoming ECL 6, the time has come to celebrate the heroes of ECL 5 one last time before the board is re-set and we start from scratch again. Below you will find the winner of every statistical award among forwards, defenders and goaltenders. Credit goes to @Panarinz, @ramseyy2, @MartindalexC and @nylanderi for collecting it all. 

Furthermore, we'd like to reassure all NHLGamer members out there that we have all the stats-based award winners from ECL 1, 2, 3, 4 and Summer Cup 1 & 2 listed in a collection at the NHLGamer vaults - to be released at a later date. We are working on a feature that will allow us to have these trophies visible in your player profile as well.

One last note: If you find yourself with a trophy but without a tag to your name, it is because we couldn't find your forum name. Most likely due to it not being the same as the gamertag listed. Anyway, without further ado, here are you ECL 5 individual award winners:


Elite
Playoff MVP: @Buantso 13g + 19a = 32p in 16 games [2 points/GP], Aapon Taikasauva

Most Points: @MartindalexC  79p in 28 games [2.8 points/GP], Northern Ascendancy
Most Goals: @MartindalexC 36g in 28 games [1.3 goals/GP], Northern Ascendancy
Most Assists: @Foppatofflan  44a in 28 games [1.6 assists/GP], Northern Ascendancy
Most Hits by a Forward: @jumalpeku 201 hits in 30games [6.7 hits/GP], Dynasty
Best +/-: @jtorro1233  46+ in 28 games & @Penatski 46+ in 30 games, Aapon Taikasauva

Most Points by a Defenseman: @jtorro1233 38p in 28 games [1.4 points/GP], Aapon Taikasauva
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @Egyptologen 6g in 27 games [0.2 goals/GP], Synergy
Most Assist by a Defenseman: @jtorro1233  34a in 28 games [1.2 assists/GP], Aapon Taikasauva
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Tanski87 260 hits in 30 games [8.7 hits/GP], Rusty Blades

Best Save %: @Casper 85.71 % in 16 games, Aapon Taikasauva
Best GAA: @Casper 1.25 gaa in 16 games, Aapon Taikasauva
Most Wins: @s_w1ld_rus 21 wins in 30 games, Written In The Stars
Most Shutouts: @Hiiruh 5 SO in 21 games, SJK eSports
 

Pro
Playoff MVP: @Erkki 20g + 26a = 46p in 24 games [1.92 points/GP], Evolution

Most Points: @Stefan_397 88 points in 30 games [2.93 Points/GP], Inter Iceland
Most Goals: @sweatyfathoe99 54 goals in 28 games [1.93 Goals/GP], Unlucky Boys HC
Most Assists: @Playmaker 60 assists in 30 games [2 assists/GP], Inter Iceland
Most Hits by a Forward: @vilperi90 207 hits in 30 games [6.9 Hits/GP], Nordic Stars
Best +/-: @vilperi90 @FakiiR1 & Finbarkov +53 in 30 games, Nordic Stars

Most Points by a Defenseman: @FakiiR1 43 points in 30 games [1.43 Points/GP], Nordic Stars
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @The_Alpha_Furyan 14 goals in 28 games [0.5 goals/GP], Falun Coal Miners
Most Assists by a Defenseman: @FakiiR1 31 assists in 30 games [1.03 Assists/GP], Nordic Stars
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Ampuhaukka 214 hits in 30 games [7.13 Hits/GP], Speedy Bros Hockey

Best Save %: @IsakTuvesson, 85.08 % in 16 games, Lavetten 
Best GAA: @RaNtA, 1.60 gaa in 30 games, Nordic Stars
Most Wins: @Hullued, 25 wins in 30 games, Shameful Knights
Most Shutouts: @RaNtA, 7 shutouts in 30 games, Nordic Stars
 

Lite
Playoff MVP: James_Bontage - 15 wins, 87.80 %, 1.11 GAA, 8 Shutouts, Red Machine

Most Points: lozt_amigo 32+36 = 68 in 18 games [3.77 pts/GP], Face Wash Hockey & @Ikavalko 24+44 = 68 in 18 games [3.77 pts/gp], Almost Famous
Most Goals: @Chafak 39g in 12 games [3.25 g/GP], Red Machine
Most Assists: @Ikavalko 44a in 18 games [2.44 a/GP], Almost Famous
Most Hits: @Lidaas79 66 hits in 11 games [6hits/GP], Nordic Nosebleed
Best +/-: @Ikavalko & se_ve420 +64 in 18 games & @jahajaha93 +64 in 14 games, Almost Famous

Most Points by a Defenseman: @Philip Strom 13+17 = 30 in 18 games [1.66 pts/GP], Nordic Eagles & @Realpulunen 11+19 = 30 in 12 games [2.5 pts/GP], Almost Famous
Most Goals by a Defenseman: @Philip Strom 13g in 18 games [0.72 g/GP], Nordic Eagles
Most Assists by a Defenseman: @hilleri84 23a in 14 games [1.64 a/GP], Try Another Hole & @jahajaha93 23a in 14games [1.64 a/gp], Almost Famous 
Most Hits by a Defenseman: @kamenski 113 hits in 14 games [8 hits/gp], Penalty box

Best Save %: @willywonkaaa 88.82% in 16games, Deadly Phantoms HC
Best GAA: @Groppman 1.14 GAA in 14 games, Raging Monkeys
Most Wins: @willywonkaaa 16W in 16 played, Deadly Phantoms HC & taiguri9 16W in 18 played, Almost Famous & @Yveri_1985 16W in 18 played, SGWEER United
Most Shutouts: @willywonkaaa 7 shutouts in 16 games, Deadly Phantoms HC

 

Until next time,
@The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Good day NHLGamers,

It is time for NHLGamers second edition of ECL action on the NHL 18 iteration of EA SPORTS hockey games: ECL 6. While I am sure most of you can't wait to get going - I know I am - as usual I'd like to start off the official registration post by taking a quick peek in the rearview mirror to remember what came before this sixth championship on the Playstation 4:

ECL 1
Amount of teams registered: 50
Format: Four groups of 12-13 teams, 22-24 regular season games, shared playoffs
Winner: Nordic Blizzard

ECL 2
Amount of teams registered: 48
Format: Eight groups of 6 teams, 10 regular season games, shared playoffs
Winner: MUKIMIEHET

ECL 3
Amount of teams registered: 47
Format: Two groups of 23-24 teams, 44-46 regular season games, shared playoffs
Winner: X Factor

ECL 4
Amount of teams registered: 78
Format: Three separate divisions of 16 (Elite), 32 (Pro) & 32 (Lite) teams, 28-30 regular season games, divisional playoffs
Winners: Laser HT (Elite), Carlsberg HC (Pro), J P T J (Lite)

ECL 5
Amount of teams registered: 96
Format: Three separate divisions of 16 (Elite), 32 (Pro) & 48 (Lite) teams, 30 regular season games (Elite & Pro) - 16-18 (Lite), divisional playoffs
Winners: Aapon Taikasauva (Elite), Evolution (Pro), Red Machine (Lite)  

Registration - ECL 6

Now that we've taken a trip down memory lane and witnessed the evolution of the European Championship League, it is time to get down to brass tacks in terms of ECL 6. It will be our third straight ECL featuring the divisional system implemented at the start of ECL 4. For ECL 6, the divisions will continue on in the same format as they were for ECL 5. This means all three divisions - Elite, Pro and Lite - are coming back, more competitive than ever. If you are completely new to the ECL and are registering for the first time, I suggest you check out this news story, detailing all the basics of ECL in a sort of "who are we and what to we do around here"-type post.

So far we have seen the initiative to introduce divisions pay huge dividends and we are constantly seeing more and more teams around Europe discovering what the ECL is all about and what a fun challenge it can be to join. While it is too soon to make any predictions in terms of team registrations, we hope to match our excellent numbers for ECL 5 and perhaps even surpass the 100-team barrier.

Which division to register for

For both new and returning players and teams, the matter of registrering for the correct division might become a little confusing. At its core, it is quite simple, but we are of course here to explain what you should do. The following statement is taken from the ECL 5 registrations post but has been slightly edited to match the purposes of ECL 6:

Quote

 

The baseline we are working from is this: if you earned your place in either the Pro or Elite divisions last season, you still have the right to it. We will not be employing any type of forced demotion in either of these two divisions - in other words, no new teams will be prioritized over teams that already earned their spots. In a vacuum, this means we already have our 16 Elite teams and 32 Pro teams ready to go.

Outside of this "vacuum", the truth is that many of these Elite and Pro teams have experienced significant changes during the off-season between ECL 5 and 6.

Therefore, if you are either a Pro or Elite team (based on how ECL 5 ended) - you need to confirm your participation in the division you ended up in last season. If you do not confirm your spot before the last sign-up date, that spot will need to be filled by the Staff. Read on to find out how to sign up for ECL 5 and how to apply for these open spots.

For all new teams or teams that were not promoted to Pro or Elite last season: Place your registration in ECL Lite

If you are still unsure of where to sign up, further instructions will be provided in the "Sign-up procedure"-section.

 

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 game mode in NHL 18.
• Individual requirements: Each player needs to create an account at NHLGamer.com and create his personal player card.
• Roster requirements: Teams need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players.
• Sign-up period: Teams can register from now until February 15th, 23:59 CEST [2018].
• ECL 6 Kick-off: ECL 6 is set to start on Februrary 19th. Date may vary between divisions. To be confirmed.
• Rules: TBA before season start. See ECL 5 rules for reference.

Sign-up procedures

There will be different ways of signing up to ECL 6 - the procedures are explained in detail in the section below. Generally speaking:

• New teams that did not participate in ECL 5 at all or teams that were relegated from ECL 5 Pro: Please read the "ECL Lite" paragraph below.
• Teams that were able to stay in ECL Pro, were relegated from ECL Elite or were promoted from ECL Lite during ECL 5: Please read the "ECL Pro" paragraph below.
• Teams that were able to stay in ECL Elite or were promoted from ECL Pro during ECL 5: Please read the "ECL Elite" paragraph below.

ECL Lite

ECL Lite welcomes any and all teams that did not participate in ECL 5 as well as the teams that were relegated from ECL Pro during ECL 5. 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 up your team for ECL Lite, we ask the main captain (C) only to go to the ECL Lite registration thread: ECL 6 Lite Registration
You will find in-depth instructions on the procedure, including all the necessary details you need to provide - such as team name, abbreviation, EA SPORTS team page and possible name changes.

Due to the fact that a few teams from ECL Pro could potentially be folding and/or not want to claim their spot - we also offer teams the opportunity to apply for ECL Pro during this sign-up process. However, ECL Lite quarter-finalists from ECL 5 will take first priority when filling up spots in the Pro division, which means only a few or no spots at all might be available for completely new teams should they apply.

When looking at Pro applications, 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 from ECL 5 Lite should there be spots available in Pro:

Quote

EV Duisburg
Face Wash Hockey
Deadly Phantoms
Squad Vilttiketju

ECL Pro

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 5. ECL Pro has a fixed size of 32 teams, divided into two groups. All the qualified teams are listed below:

Quote

Moved down from Elite:
TIKI TALK
Nordic Nightmare
Synergy Hockey
Nordic Lightning

Made playoffs:
Gotham Knights
SIKA
Inter Iceland
Lavetten
White Trash
Alliance HT
Shameful Knights
Nordic Stars
Baltic Sea Eagles
EN HUND
THE UNITED KNIGHTS
J P T J

No mans land:
Murohoki
Black Panther Party
God Tier
Hawks Hockey Club
DEAD END KINGS 
Free From Rodents
Clowns On Ice
Speedy Bros Hockey

Survived Pro relegation:
Sypperstaars 
Bellizzi
Squirt Hockey
Banterfield Battalion

Promoted from Lite:
Raging Monkeys
Nordic Nosebleed
Red Machine
Almost Famous

To sign up your team for ECL Pro, we ask the team's ECL 6 main captain (C) only to go to the ECL Pro registration thread: ECL 6 Pro Registration
You will find in-depth instructions on the procedure, including all the necessary details you need to provide - such as team name, abbreviation, EA SPORTS team page and possible name changes.

In case ECL Elite teams are folding, we will automatically ask the best ECL Pro qualifiers from ECL 5 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

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 5. All the qualified teams are listed below:

Quote

Made playoffs:
Aapon Taikasauva
Carlsberg HC
SJK eSPORTS
Written In The Stars
Dynasty
Northern Ascendancy
Northern Stars
Rusty Blades

No mans land:
MUKIMIEHET
Kattiautomaatti
Sjukstugan
Silver Sword Griffins

Promoted from Pro:
Unlucky Boys HC
Evolution
Falun Coal Miners
Pata Hellalla

To sign up your team for ECL Elite, we ask the team's ECL 6 main captain (C) only to go to the ECL Elite registration thread: ECL 6 Elite Registration

You will find in-depth instructions on the procedure, including all the necessary details you need to provide - such as team name, abbreviation, EA SPORTS team page and possible name changes.

@The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

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Hello NHLGamers,
 
The ECL 5 Pro season was an exciting battle from the very start, until the overtime winner in game 7 of the finals. Let's start with the group stage:

Group 1
In this group all of the top 3 teams from The_Alpha_Furyan'ss ECL Pro Preview made it to the playoffs. Gotham Knights and SIKA ended up in the top 2 during the regular season and White Trash finished 6th in the group. Group 1 was tighter than group 2, with only 13 points between Gotham Knights - that won the group - and Murohoki and Black Panther Party, who finished in 9th and 10th place and just barely missed the playoffs.
When you look at the bottom of the table you find Squirt Hockey, Nemesis and Bare Knuckles Hockey. All of these 3 teams had to play Relegation games to try their best to stay in the Pro division.
If you go through the personal stats in this group, we have the Inter Iceland duo @Stefan_397 (88p) and @Playmaker1010 (83p) at the top. Both of them had big roles for their team that finished the regular season in 3rd place. My teammates and I in Lavetten got a painful reminder of how good that duo can be when Inter Iceland slaughtered us 10-0 and Stefan racked up 4+6 and Playmaker 3+4 in that game. 
After that devastating loss, Lavetten managed to play so much better in the second half of the season without me. I was really impressed by the guys on my team when they ended the season with 12 wins and 2 OT losses being the hottest team in the second half of the season in Group 1. Best goalie stats-wise in group 1 was - the star goalie from SIKA - @SpiderRoyal with a 15-5-1 record and an 83.01 save percentage.   




Group 2
In group 2 the two favorites Unlucky Boys HC and Shameful Knights did not disappoint their expectations finishing first and second. These two teams and Nordic Stars - who finished third - managed to score more than 100 goals each in the regular season. In group 1 there was only one team that scored over 100 goals (107 Inter Iceland). Looking at the bottom of the table you will find Banterfield Battalion, GHETTO FIREBIRDS and Bellizzi. Baltic Sea Eagles started out the season very well, being undefeated for the first 10 games, before losing two straight games against Nordic Stars. Unlucky Boys HC started the season very well as well, by winning their first 8 games only letting in 9 goals in those games. 
The top scorer in group 2 was @sweatyfathoe99 from Unlucky Boys HC with an impressive 54 goals and 30 assists in 28 games. 
Hullued from Shameful Knights was the best goalie in group 2 with a 25-4-0 record and an 81.81 save percentage.



Playoffs Round 1

I must say I was surprised when Shameful Knights lost in the first round against Falun Coal Miners as well as when SIKA lost in the first round against The United Knights. Apart from those series the other ones were very even; Pata Hellalla managed to turn around the series completely after being down 2-0. Sadly, after losing to Pata Hellalla in the playoffs, Lavetten decided to disband. 
Gotham Knights beat LITE up-and-comers J P T J, Inter Iceland won against En Hund, Evolution beat Baltic Sea Eagles in an intense series that went go game 7, Unlucky Boys HC beat Alliance HT and in the last series Nordic Stars beat White Trash.

Quarter Finals
In the second round, Falun Coal Miners kept on impressing by beating another top team, as Nordic Stars lost in game . 
Unlucky Boys showed how good they are by sweeping The United Knights comfortably 4-0. Pata Hellalla beat Gotham Knights 4-3 and Evolution won against Inter Iceland 4-2


Semifinals
In the semifinals it was Evolutions turn to show what a good team they are by beating Pata Hellalla 4-0. In the other series Falun Coal Miners did not manage to beat a third top ranked team and Unlucky Boys HC won the series 4-2. 


Finals 

The finals in the ECL 5 Pro playoffs was something special. Evolution got the best start being up 2-1 in games. However, Unlucky Boys managed to turn around the series with two wins in a row and Evolution had a lot of pressure going into the last day of the final series being down 3-2 in games. 
After a 2-0 win in game 6, Evolution managed to win game 7 after a OT goal from their new super signing I_EKI_I. Congratulations to Evolution for winning ECL Pro!


After the very exiting finals in ECL Pro where Evolution managed to win this thrilling series that went to game 7, I asked Evolution Captain @Crisu_rottis about their impressive season:
 

Quote

Why did your team win the finals?
- I personally think that we won the series because we were taking the control of the puck and had the possession more. It was an extremely tight contest, but I think that we just got the chemistry to shut our opponent down quite well and scored the goals that were needed.

How much did it mean for you guys to get a top player like I_EKI_I in the middle of the season and how much did he mean for your team in the playoffs?
- Signing a top center to any team is a huge boost, and it was an easy decision to sign I_Eki_I when I got the opportunity, as he is extremely intelligent player so it was really easy to play with him. Especially for defenders, you knew what he was going to do every single time, even though we hadn't played that much together, he is truly one of the best.

What are your expectations for next season in ECL Elite? 
- We are expecting a tough season in Elite, not gonna give any expectations for the season, but you can expect nothing less than seeing Evolution giving their all every single game, and we'll see how it goes. 

Playoff stats
I_EKI_I (@Erkki)  showed what a good signing he was from the Elite team MUKIMIEHET, leading his new Evolution team to the title in ECL Pro. 
I_EKI_I had the most points in the entire playoffs with 46 points (20+26), Stefan_397 from Inter Iceland was second with 42 points (22+20) and Sweatyfathoe99 was third with 40 points (25+15). 
Looking at the goalie stats we find two goalies from the teams in the finals, @SepiDN from Evolution, first with a 80.09 save percentage and @eissi83 from Unlucky Boys HC, with a 81.44 save percentage.


Summary: Synergy Hockey was relegated from ECL Elite together with Nordic Lightning. After losing many players to other teams Synergy are merging together with Dead End Kings. Lavetten disbanded after only two seasons in ECL.

Relegated teams from Elite to Pro
Synergy Hockey
Nordic Lightning

New teams from Lite to Pro
Nordic Nosebleed
Almost Famous
Raging Monkeys
Red Machine

Hi Gamers,

Another ECL Elite season has passed which means another worthy champion has been crowned. Once again, a hearty round of applause from the community for ECL 5 Elite champions, Aapon Taikasauva. Now that the season is over, teams have been relegated, promoted, folded and re-made almost from the bottom up. Nevertheless, all the spectacle and activity that surrounds the Elite divison just goes to show one thing: there truly is no better place to be than the top tier of European EASHL hockey. 

The regular season

In his preview ahead of the season, @janbonator mentioned SJK eSports, Written In The Stars, Carlsberg HC and MUKIMIEHET as his main "Contenders" to win the title. A suggestion that would prove quite wise as two of his picks ended up among the final four of the playoffs. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We begin by taking a look at the regular season.

Northern Stars started the season like shot out of a cannon and remained at the top of the standings for most of the regular season. Part of this was their already strong roster featuring players like @cHIIMEERa, @Floor17 and @Rullstolskalas being bolstered by star players like @tbnantti and @plee999, but part of it was also the pace in which NOS played their games. Hungry from their dissapointing finish last season, captain cHIIMEERa had his team at the very top of the "games played" column for almost the full season. A wise strategy it would turn out as the team won enough games to make the playoffs.

While janbonator put Aapon Taikasauva at the very top of his "challengers"-list in the Elite preview, he wasn't entirely sure if they would have time to find team chemistry before ECL 5 with all the transfers that had been made since last season. Aapon quickly put those doubts to rest by dominating just about every opponent for the duration of the regular season. They ended up finishing at the very top of the regular season standings ahead of the playoffs.

Locked in a tight battle for 2nd place were Finnish behemoth franchises SJK eSports (winner of ECL 4 Elite), Written In The Stars, Carlsberg HC (winner of ECL 4 Pro) and Dynasty (finalist in ECL 4 Elite). Propelled forward by strong leadership from captains @Dominointi, @FlyerKungen, @Joonas Paatiala and @Snapster - all four teams delivered solid regular seasons marked by high-skill plays and solid team defense. In the case of Carlsberg and Written, geared a bit more towards offensive creativity while Dynasty and SJK have long been known as two of the sturdiest defending teams. 

Further down we find Northern Ascendancy who featured two of the top three scorers of the regular season, @MartindalexC and @Foppatofflan. It can be argued that no team is more difficult to defend against than NOR, at least when attacking on the rush. Creative offence was the hallmark of another solid regular season from this storied team.

Rounding out the teams who made the playoffs were the previously mentioned Northern Stars and surprise team Rusty Blades. Led defensively by superb goaltender @Supreex and hard-hitting defender (and captain) @Tanski87, the Blades got some timely scoring from @Lamsa and crew to just nab the 8th and final playoff spot ahead of MUKIMIEHET. Of course, finishing 8th meant getting matched up against #1 seed Aapon Taikasauva.

Of the teams who ended up in "No Mans Land", perhaps none were more suprising than MUKIMIEHET. However, their failure to make the playoffs arrived on the heels of reports saying there was unrest among the roster which in turn led to high-profile players @Erkki and @Aze leaving the team just before the trade deadline. It remains to be seen if captain MuKiMaisteri can keep the team together for ECL 6. Of the rest of the teams who ended up just outside the playoffs but avoided relegation - Sjukstugan, Kattiautomaatti and Silver Sword Griffins - all three were transplants from ECL Pro last season and perhaps needed a season of Elite tempo to get their legs under them before next season.

At the bottom of the standings, Swedish teams Synergy Hockey and Nordic Lightning were both relegated after battling valiantly but failing to live up to their own standards. TIKI TALK and Nordic Nightmare ended up in Elite/Pro relegation where NN decided to fold which meant TIKI took on the lower seed of the Pro playoffs.

The playoffs 

As the playoffs began, we were treated to four sets of superb playoff series between Aapon Taikasauva - Rusty Blades, Carlsberg HC - Northern Stars, SJK eSports - Northern Ascendancy and Written In The Stars - Dynasty.

Carlsbergs series with Northern Stars ended up being quite the page-turner as both teams refused to give an inch. The series came down to game 7 where NOS finally emerged victorious. SJK eSports managed to shut down the offense of Northern Ascendancy while Written In The Stars charged at Dynasty like hungry rhinos and ended up sweeping the series.

The final four ended up being Aapon Taikasauva, Northern Stars, SJK eSports and Written In The Stars. Sadly the series between SJK and Written had to be decided by walkovers due to rule violations, which meant SJK advanced to the finals.

As for the playoff run of championship team Aapon Taikasauva, I'll let goaltender @Casper take it away:

Quote

 

We went in to the season with a completely new team. Only Indi969, jtorro1234, swagx88 and Viihret were the remaining players in Aapon from ECL 4. Indi969 made it clear that he wouldn’t accept his team having a poor season without a playoff run again. So he found a way to sign Puantso, Penatski, Nylander, xDoumi, ShaneC27 and me to the roster. 

In the regular season our goal was to finish first in the standings to show everyone that we’re a team that no one wants to play. We won the regular season in style with seven points ahead of Carlsberg. We played amazing hockey in both ends of the ice and managed to score second most goals in the elite division and we also let in the fewest goals out of all teams.  

Since we managed to finish first in the division our opponents in the first round of the playoffs were Rusty Blades. 
In this series we learned two important things…. 
1. This team know how you play defense.
2. You better keep your head up when you play Tanski.                                  
After two heavy losses we managed to win four straight games and move on to the next round winning 4-2 in the series. 

In the second round we played Northern Stars. This was our toughest test of the season without a doubt… They were up by 3-1 in the series and we played really bad. Northern Stars managed to shut down our offense and we struggled with our own game in a way we never had done before. In games 5-7 we said to each other that we would try to change our game with playing with a much faster puck tempo and put some pressure on their defenders! It worked and we won three straight games and said ”Hasta la vista” to Northern Stars. 

So here we were, four games away from our main goal with the season. For me personally it felt like nothing could stop us, especially after the amazing comeback in the series against Northern Stars. 

We started really good in the first two games in the finals against SJK eSports. It was two dominant 4-0 wins we felt like this was our series.

In game 3 we faced a new SJK, they were much hungrier to win this time. We lost the game in a tough 1-2 OT game but after that we managed to win two straight games and secured Aapon Taikasauvas first ECL championship! 

 

 

Now we're looking forward to a little bit of rest over the Christmas holidays before we prepare ourselves for ECL 6. We want to be the first team in ECL history to win two straight championships. 

Thank you for this season! 

- ICappeI

 

 Thank you indeed. 

For next season, Elite will be joined by Pro promotees Evolution (champions), Unlucky Boys HC, Falun Coal Miners and Pata Hellalla.

For NHLGamer.com,
@The_Alpha_Furyan

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 5 Pro Finals were also decided earlier this week and the finals between Unlucky Boys HC and Evolution went all the way into overtime in game 7, where Evolution came out on top and won the championship. NHLGamer would hereby like to congratulate Evolution for being the new ECL Pro Champions!

If you wish, you can watch all seven of the finals here: https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all

These are the final series results:

• Game 1: Evolution @ Unlucky Boys HC | 0-1 OT
• Game 2: Unlucky Boys HC @ Evolution | 3-6
• Game 3: Evolution @ Unlucky Boys HC | 3-2
• Game 4: Unlucky Boys HC @ Evolution | 2-1
• Game 5: Evolution @ Unlucky Boys HC | 1-3
• Game 6: Unlucky Boys HC @ Evolution | 0-2
• Game 7: Evolution @ Unlucky Boys HC | 2-1 OT

Evolution Championship roster:

• G: #8 F. SeRe (aka FINSeRe)
• G: #24 I. Bock (A) (aka SepiDN)
• D: #10 I. Tuuba (aka puke85)
• D: #77 J. Jokipaska (C) (aka Crisu_Rottis)
• F: #11 J. Golds (A) (aka Jageksi)
• F: #25 E. Tammenpää (aka I_Eki_I)
• F: #40 K. ra (aka topikeränen)
• F: #52 S. Kärkkykov (aka Kaerkkyjae)
• F: #73 K. Luistelija (aka wickedtah69)

Evolution's road to the cup:

• 19 wins, 7 losses & 4 OT-losses during the regular season, ranked 5th in Group 1
• Round 1: 4-3 victory against Baltic Sea Eagles
• Quarterfinals: : 4-2 victory against Inter Iceland
• Semifinals: 4-0 victory against Pata Hellalla
• Finals: 4-3 victory against Unlucky Boys

A more detailed ECL Lite season recap will be released soon. Stay tuned.

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 5 Lite Finals were decided earlier this week and Red Machine was the team to walk away with a 4-1 win in the final series against Almost Famous. NHLGamer would hereby like to congratulate Red Machine for being the new ECL Lite Champions!

If you wish, you can watch all five of the finals here: https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all

These are the series results:

• Game 1: Red Machine @ Almost Famous | 3-0
• Game 2:Almost Famous @ Red Machine | 0-3
• Game 3: Red Machine @ Almost Famous | 0-1 OT
• Game 4: Almost Famous @ Red Machine | 1-2
• Game 5: Red Machine @ Almost Famous | 1-0

Red Machine Championship roster:

• G: #40 T. Rask (aka seksileijona69)
• G: #40 V. Lehto (aka James_Bontage)
• D: #28 R. Stonewall (aka Rankaisija_)
• D: #42 H. Huumetucca (A) (aka Mommmi)
• D: #65 N. Mooh (aka kojowaa)
• F: #9 A. Panarin (aka Chaostive)
• F: #44 P. Tyni (A) (aka bleiki81)
• F: #48 V. Saarijärvi (aka Chafak)
• F: #88 L. Skywalker (C) (aka jergelii)
• F: #98 D. delaVega (aka JaKurrii)

Red Machine's road to the cup:

• 13 wins, 2 losses & 1 OT-losses during the regular season, ranked 1st in Group 2
• Round 1: 4-2 victory against Slapshot Club Germany
• Round 2: 4-0 victory against Finnish Hockey Legends
• Quarterfinals: 4-1 victory against Face Wash Hockey
• Semifinals: 4-1 victory against Raging Monkeys
• Finals: 4-1 victory against Almost Famous

A more detailed ECL Lite season recap will be released soon. Stay tuned.

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 5 season is coming to an epic end tonight and oh boy do we have some great games to stream for you!

Starting at 20:00 CET we have the Pro finals between Evolution and Unlucky Boys HC. This best-of-7 series is currently 2-3 for Unlucky Boys HC.

Starting at 21:00 CET we will continue with the Lite finals that are played between Red Machine and Almost Famous. Red Machine leads the best-of-7 series 3-1.

The stream will be commentated by @Kenu and @nylanderi, so be sure to come say hi in the chat box!

Be sure to tune in to the action at https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch starting a tiny bit before 20:00 CET!

The ECL Pro finals between Evolution and Unlucky Boys HC resume! With the teams having notched a win each on the series’ opening night, is this contest headed for the inevitable game seven or will one team end up walking away with it? Tune in to the action at https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch starting at 20:00 CET!

The ECL Pro finals will be televised! Evolution face off against Unlucky Boys HC as the two teams vie for the coveted grand prize after a long and successful run in the Pro division. Join Kenu and Janikka at the official NHL Gamer live stream at https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch

Without further ado, jump in and talk to us!

Hey NHLGamers,

the ECL 5 Pro semi-finals have come to a close, and here are the final results:

• Falun Coal Miners |2:4| Unlucky Boys HC
• Pata Hellalla |0:4| Evolution

This means Unlucky Boys HC and Evolution will fight for the ECL 5 Pro championship in the last playoffs series this Pro season:

• Evolution vs. Unlucky Boys HC

Both finalists are already promoted to ECL Elite for ECL 6, however having that ECL 5 Pro championship trophy in your collection is something both teams will continue fighting for fiercly. NHLGamer Staff already sends out congratulations for the promotion accomplishment and is looking forward to the very best ECL Pro hockey this season!

The first two games of this intense matchup begin at 20:30 CET tonight and will be covered at the NHLGamerTwitch channel

Furthermore, the Relegation Faceoffs between the two teams that finished in spots #13 and #14 in ECL Elite and the two ECL Pro semi-final losers will be kicked off as well. Unfortunately, ECL Elite team Nordic Nightmare already decided to disband after a dissapointing regular season, which means they will not participate in these games.

Thus, they will also automatically lose their ECL Elite spot for ECL 6.

This leaves us with two ECL Pro teams and just one ECL Elite team for the Relegation Faceoffs. Now, the whole point of playoff seeding, as constructed in our rules, is to assign the highest rated teams with the "easier" matchup as defined by the opposing teams performance. As such it would be illogical to give the easier opponent to the team that performed "worse", in this context.

By applying our playoff seeding rules, the ECL Pro playoff team seeded as #1 for the Relegation series is Falun Coal Miners due to their two semi-final wins (= 10 Pro playoff wins in total). ECL Pro playoff seed #2 with 0 semi-final wins (= 8 Pro Playoff wins in total) is Pata Hellalla.

As Nordic Nightmare have disbanded, they are not seeded (or considered seed #2 as they are the "easier" opponent due to not actually playing the games), which per default makes TIKI TALK ECL Elite seed #1 for this Relegation series. This leaves us with the following matchups:

• Pata Hellalla (Pro #2) vs. TIKI TALK (Elite #1) 
• --- (-#) vs. Falun Coal Miners (Pro #1)

As a result, Falun Coal Miners will be promoted to ECL Elite for ECL 6 automatically. TIKI TALK and Pata Hellalla will play for the last remaining ECL 6 Elite spot.

FRAMEWORK (FINALS & RELEGATION FACEOFFS)

• Teams mentioned on the right side have their home game first, left = away.
• The Pro Finals and the Relegation Faceoffs are played in a best-of-7 series
• Both rounds start TONIGHT, and all games must be completed before December 20, 23:59 CET / December 21, 00:59 EET.

Good luck to everyone for the final Elite and Pro games in ECL 5!

@gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

Hey NHLGamers,

The ECL 5 Elite Finals have been played and it turned out Aapon Taikasauva were absolutely unstoppable this season and they secured their championship with a 2-1 win in game 5 against SJK eSports. NHLGamer would hereby like to congratulate Aapon Taikasauva for being the new ECL Elite Champions!

If you wish, you can watch all five of the finals here: https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all

These are the series results:

• Game 1: SJK eSports @ Aapon Taikasauva | 0-4
• Game 2: Aapon Taikasauva @ SJK eSports | 4-0
• Game 3: SJK eSports @ Aapon Taikasauva | 2-1 OT
• Game 4: Aapon Taikasauva @ SJK eSports | 3-2
• Game 5: SJK eSports @ Aapon Taikasauva | 1-2

Aapon Taikasauva Championship roster:

• G: #33 E. Larmi (aka swagx88)
• G: #49 F. Hardy (aka ICappeI)
• D: #27 S. Voynov (aka xDoumi)
• D: #29 W. Nylander (A) (aka nylanderi)
• D: #40 T. Torro (A) (aka jtorro1234)
• F: #9 S. Tuuba (C) (aka indi969)
• F: #55 L. Snapster (aka Puantso)
• F: #91 T. Domi (aka ShaneC27)
• F: #96 G. St-Pierre (aka Penatski)

Aapon Taikasauva's road to the cup:

• 24 wins, 2 losses & 4 OT-losses during the regular season, ranked 1st
• Quarterfinals: 4-2 victory against Rusty Blades
• Semifinals: 4-3 victory against Northern Stars
• Finals: 4-1 victory against SJK eSports

ECL 5 is not over yet though, as Pro and Lite Divisions are still fighting for their championships and promotions, with some really intense match-ups ahead. Make sure to keep an eye on further coverage!

A more detailed ECL Elite season recap including award winners will be released in due time - stay tuned.

The European Championship League Elite season is reaching its peak tonight, as we head into game #5 between Aapon Taikasauva and SJK eSports. Aapon is one win away from the championship, but SJK was the dominant team yesterday despite the wins being 1-1 last night. Look forward to two hungry teams and at the end of the night we will celebrate the ECL 5 Elite champion! 

We will be broadcasting tonights battle on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and you can watch the games there or below this news story. Tonight's games are commentated by: @janbonator, @Kenu and @OxtreeLAT 
 

The stream will be live from 20:45 CET and will take you through the rest of the ECL Elite Finals.

Watch live video from NHLGamerTwitch on www.twitch.tv

Without further ado, we hope you enjoy the stream and join us in the chat with some questions and comments.

The ECL 5 Elite season is at it's high point as Aapon Taikasauva (#1) is facing SJK eSports (#3) in the Best-of-7 Finals. Aapon Taikasauva was able to win the first two games 4-0 despite some good pressure by SJK eSports and it is possible that we will see a new champion tonight, unless SJK eSports is able to bounce back and challenge Aapo. You don't want to miss the pinnacle of 6vs6 eSports hockey! In case you missed the first two games and you want to watch those, you can do it here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/207570643

We will be broadcasting tonights games (#3 & #4) on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and you can watch the games there or below the news story. Tonight's games are commentated by:

• Jānis "@OxtreeLAT" Eglītis
• Jani "@janbonator" Keskinen
   

The stream will be live from 21:45 CET and will take you through games #3 and #4 of the ECL Elite Finals. If needed, the info on the later rounds will be announced as the times are confirmed.

Watch live video from NHLGamerTwitch on www.twitch.tv

Without further ado, we hope you enjoy the stream and join us in the chat with some questions and comments.

Hello NHLGamers,

Round 4 is finalized in ECL5 - Lite and we have four winning teams that have gone on to semifinals:

NORDIC NOSEBLEED vs DEADLY PHANTOMS 4 - 0 (4-3 OT, 4-2, 4-3, 4-1)

This one was a big upset, as Nordic Nosebleed, ranked 15th place, played four really good matches against Deadly Phantoms, who were ranked first after the regular season. 4-0 to Nordic Nosebleed in matches, congratulations on a well-completed quarterfinal.

RAGING MONKEYS vs EV DUISBURG 4 - 2 (3-2, 1-2, 2-4, 7-1, 5-2, 7-2)

Raging Monkeys keep going strong in ECL and advanced after 4-2 in matches against EV Duisburg.

ALMOST FAMOUS vs SQUAD VILTTIKETJU 4 - 0 (4-0, 8-0, 3-2OT, 3-2)

Almost Famous stood as a winner after 4-0 in matches over Squad Vilttiketju, Almost Famous have had a great season so far.

RED MACHINE vs FACE WASH HOCKEY 4 - 0 (1-0, 2-0, 1-0, N/A, N/A)

Red Machine won their quarter-final series with 4-1 in matches over Face Wash Hockey.

Here are the four teams that moved on and qualified for ECL - Pro next season:

• Nordic Nosebleed
• Almost Famous
• Raging Monkeys
• Red Machine
   

We congratulate these four teams for advancing to ECL - Pro!

NHLGamer would like to thank the teams Face Wash Hockey, EV Duisburg, Deadly Phantoms and Squad Vilttiketju for their participation in our league, well played by all of you!

But the playoff is not over and now it's time to play two finalists in ECL 5 - Lite. There are two really exciting semifinal series that we will follow.

Here are the next two series in the Semi-finals:

• Almost Famous vs Nordic Nosebleed
• Raging Monkeys vs Red Machine

Framework

• Teams mentioned on the left side have their home game first
• The quarter-finals are played in a best-of-7 series, meaning the first team to rack up 4 wins proceeds to the semi-finals
• The round starts today, and all games must be completed before December 13, 23:59 CET / December 14, 00:59 EET

Good luck to everyone!

The ECL Elite season is coming to its high point as the two finalists - Aapon Taikasauva (#1) and SJK eSports (#3) are ready to jump onto the ice competing for the ECL 5 Elite Championship in this best-of-7 series!

We will be broadcasting the games on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and you can watch the games there or below the news story. The stream will feature three of our staff members voices to host you through the first two games that are played tonight:

• Hampus "@The_Alpha_Furyan" Duvefelt
• Jānis "@OxtreeLAT" Eglītis
• Kenneth "@Kenu" Lehtinen
   

The stream will be live from 20:55 CET and will take you through the first two games of the ECL Elite Finals. Info on the later rounds will be announced as the times are confirmed.

Watch live video from NHLGamerTwitch on www.twitch.tv

Without further ado, we hope you enjoy the stream and join us in the chat with some questions and comments.

EDIT: Game has ended, you can watch the recording here:

Hey NHLGamers,

in case you missed the news, the outcome of the SJK eSports vs. Written in the Stars semi-final was decided by League Administration after the series wasn't finished in time. See the full explanation here: 

In the other semi-final matchup, Aapon Taikasauva and Northern Stars fought a fierce battle that ended with game 7, in favor of Aapon Taikasauva. For your reading pleasure, here's the official round summary:

• SJK eSports |4:2| Written in the Stars
• Aapon Taikasauva |4:3| Northern Stars

ECL ELITE FINALS

• Aapon Taikasauva (1) vs. SJK eSports (3)

FINALS FRAMEWORK

• The finals must be finished within 7 days starting today, thus the last day to play the games is December 12.
• The finals are to be played in a best-of-7 series, with Aapon Taikasauva starting at home first.

Currently, the finals are expected to kick off tomorrow, December 7. Once we know more, we will update you with the exact times as well as information about available live streams. NHLGamer Staff wishes the best luck to both teams!

@gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

NHLGamers,

In the case that occured between SJK eSports and Written in the Stars in the ECL Elite semi-finals, the following outcome has been agreed on:

NHLGamers,

We have reached the semifinals phase of the ECL 5 Pro Playoffs and here are the playoff pairings and framework:

FRAMEWORK

• Each pairing must be finished within 7 days from today, meaning last evening to play games is December 12th. Don't expect any extensions!
• All pairings are to be played in a best-of-7 series (teams on the left side below play home first)

PRO PLAYOFFS

Here is how last round ended:

• #1 Unlucky Boys HC vs. #8 THE UNITED KNIGHTS [4-0]
• #2 Nordic Stars vs. #7 Falun Coal Miners [3-4]
• #3 Gotham Knights vs. #6 Pata Hellalla [3-4]
• #4 Inter Iceland vs. #5 Evolution [2-4]

This gives us the following pairings for the semifinals:

• #1 Unlucky Boys HC vs. #7 Falun Coal Miners
• #5 Evolution vs. #6 Pata Hellalla

We offer our congratulations to Unlucky Boys HC, Falun Coal Miners, Evolution and Pata Hellalla for making the "final four" of ECL 5 Pro. All four teams will - at the very least - have the opportunity to play for a spot in Elite for ECL 6.

An announcement from the LA department regarding the SJK-SKY case and the ECL finals will be released shortly.

@The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Hey NHLGamers,

Round 2 of the ECL Lite Playoffs is done! Now we are approaching the Quarter-Finals, and "the stakes are getting higher, you can feel it in your heart". While these lyrics fit perfectly, they not actually represent the author's or other staff members' taste in music.

I'm more of a rock guy, and I hope all of the remaining 8 teams will rock the ice and take their chance to make it into ECL Pro for ECL 6. Remember: All ECL semi-finalists will be promoted to ECL Pro for next season! You guys are only 4 wins away from this accomplishment.

Here are the pairings for the quarter-finals:

• Deadly Phantoms HC vs. Nordic Nosebleed
• Almost Famous vs. Squad Vilttiketju
• Raging Monkeys vs. EV Duisburg
• Red Machine vs. Face Wash Hockey

Framework

• Teams mentioned on the left side have their home game first
• The quarter-finals are played in a best-of-7 series, meaning the first team to rack up 4 wins proceeds to the semi-finals
• The round starts today, and all games must be completed before December 6, 23:59 CET / December 7, 00:59 EET

Good luck to everyone!

@gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

Lamsa - Rusty Blades (RB)

ECL Hidden Gems is a concept that was created by @The_Alpha_Furyan and @pnordetun (patovic). The idea evolved out of discussions concerning what type of content patovic himself would like to see more of at NHLGamer.com and what kind of texts he'd be most interested in writing. Hidden Gems, for the purposes of this feature, means players that the author feels haven't quite gotten their time to shine at NHLGamer or players that aren't getting full credit for the skill they bring to the table. This is the second edition in a six-part series that patovic has written so do enjoy the witty writing of "pato" and leave a comment with your thoughts on the piece.

After the first edition of Hidden Gems, which was more of a "old school" type gem, we return with this second installment that is focused on a player that manages to be a veteran and a new addition to the community both at the same time. I am of course talking about good ol' @Lamsafrom Rusty Blades - a man so good on the offensive side of the puck that all of your team better be prepared to focus 110% when going up against Rusty Blades.

The franchise itself has only participated in ECLs 3, 4 & 5 but wow (!) have they been taking some major steps in the right direction. After making their debut in ECL 3 to mixed reviews (IMDB rating: 6,1), they went back to the drawing board and decided to grind out some serious practice. And by "some", I mean a lot. I am not sure if any team played more EASHL games than Rusty between ECL 3 and 4 but they managed to do exactly what they set out to do - build a foundation for their style of play and learn how to play against (and defeat) the very best ECL teams.

Under captain @Tanski87, Rusty have perfected the art of "brunk and dump hockey" mixed with some tic tac toe and have managed to make it the key to their success. In all this, Lamsa is the true catalyst: leading the way with all the different types of goals, assists and dirtyness only a true Kantor can bring.

While being underrated on the defensive side of things - he describes himself as a defensive playmaker - Lamsa is most comfortable scoring points using his straight-forward style (the anti-skill hockey?) that has resulted in 155 goals and 101 assist in 112 games played.

The fact that Lamsa is Rustys go-to guy in the scoring department get quite obvious when you consider the fact that in ECL 3 (Legacy) he scored 20 points more than anyone else on the RB squad. For next season, ECL 4 (Pro), he finished a full 33 points ahead of #2 and finally, in ECL 5 (Elite) he managed to repeat the feat once more by scoring 14 points more than his closest teammate.

Now, Rusty has managed to build what many call the ultimate teamplay-focused team where every skater is a key cog in the machinery and they have certainly become one of the best at what they do, but when the chips are down and they need that one key play - Lamsa is most likely smack in the middle of it.

Before ECL 5 I am sure many were curious how RB and Lamsa would hold up against Elite competition, but both of them certainly managed to put a sock in the mouth of their detractors. Rusty Blades by finishing 8th overall, making the playoffs and pushing Aapon Taikasauva to six games in their playoff series and Lamsa by scoring 25 goals and finishing tied for 9th in Goals amongst all Elite skaters.

I think we can safely establish once and for all that, unlike the Dent Act and Roberts Rebellion, Lamsa is not built on a lie.

Text by: @pnordetun
Intro and editing by: @The_Alpha_Furyan
Art by: @OxtreeLAT

NHLGamers,

Here are the playoff pairings and framework for Round 2 of the ECL 5 playoffs for Pro & Elite:

FRAMEWORK

• Each pairing, Elite or Pro, must be finished within 7 days from today, meaning last evening to play games is December 5th. Don't expect any extensions!
• All pairings are to be played in a best-of-7 series (teams on the left side below play home first)

PRO PLAYOFFS

After the cross-seeding of the first round between Group 1 and Group 2, we now return to our usual points per game seeding for the rest of the playoffs. Here is how last round ended:

• Gotham Knights vs. J P T J [2-1, final two games WO from J P T J due to no players available in the alloted time]
• SIKA vs. THE UNITED KNIGHTS [3-4]
• Inter Iceland vs. EN HUND [4-2]
• Lavetten vs. Pata Hellalla [2-4]
• Unlucky Boys HC vs. Alliance HT [4-2]
• Shameful Knights vs. Falun Coal Miners [1-4]
• Nordic Stars vs. White Trash [4-2]
• Baltic Sea Eagles vs. Evolution [3-4]

This gives us the following pairings for Round 2 (new seeds based on points per game relative to each other in regular season):

• #1 Unlucky Boys HC vs. #8 THE UNITED KNIGHTS
• #2 Nordic Stars vs. #7 Falun Coal Miners
• #3 Gotham Knights vs. #6 Pata Hellalla
• #4 Inter Iceland vs. #5 Evolution

ELITE PLAYOFFS

For Elite, these were the results of Round 1. 

• Aapon Taikasauva vs. Rusty Blades [4-2]
• Carlsberg HC vs. Northern Stars [3-4]
• SJK eSports vs. Northern Ascendancy [4-2]
• Written In The Stars vs. Dynasty [4-0]

This gives us the following pairings for Round 2 (seeds remain unchanged = sorted by points per game in regular season):

• #1 Aapon Taikasauva vs. #7 Northern Stars
• #3 SJK eSports vs. #4 Written In The Stars

Good luck to all teams and see you for Round 3! ECL Lite announcement regarding Round 3 will be out tomorrow.

@The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Hey NHLGamers,

Round 1 of the ECL Lite playoffs is done and we have seen quite a few surprising results, e.g. with SGWEER United, one of the regular season top teams, being eliminated in this early stage. Here is the complete rundown of series results:

• Deadly Phantoms HC |4:2| Bucketeers
• SGWEER United |0:4| Roistot
• Almost Famous |4:0| KulmalaHengaus
• Raging Monkeys |4:0| Rising Phantoms HC
• Red Machine |4:2| Slapshot Club Germany
• Face Wash Hockey |4:0| iNF4MOUS
• Try Another Hole |4:1| Ice Phoenix
• EV Duisburg |4:3| Rusty Bulls
• HC Aurinko |1:4| Breakers Of The Bone
• Squad Vilttiketju |4:3| Nottingham Chiefs
• RAKETTIPUTKET |X:X| Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat
• The Beagle Boys |4:2| Mentula SKA
• Penalty Box |4:3| Lucky Strike
• Nearbird Fighters |1:4| Finnish Hockey Legends
• Nordic Nosebleed |4:1| Freddie Mercury Institute
• Nordic Eagles |2:4| Puck Panthers

RAKETTIPUTKET vs. Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat - LA decision

Unfortunately, League Administration had to disqualify RAKETTIPUTKET from the playoffs due to multiple rule violations after being made aware of them by Rukoveilat Hinkkaajat captains. The following paragraphs were taken into consideration:

Quote

1.1
All players participating in any NHLGamer league/tournament are required to have a registered account on NHLGamer.com with their PSN ID (PlayStation) or Gamertag (Xbox) added to their profile.

2.2
In order to be eligible for NHLGamer leagues/tournaments, teams must:

• Have a captain and 2 assistant captains
• Have a total of at least 8 players
• Use the same team name on both NHLGamer.com and NHL 18

5.1
Teams are only allowed to use players listed in their official roster on the NHLGamer.com main page. Players which are listed in the sign up post but were not invited to the team roster are not allowed to play.

10.1
The deadline for transfers is set to 23:59 CE(S)T on the 12th of November.

RAKETTIPUTKET decided to use a player named "Lehis61" in some of their playoff games. At that time, Lehis61 was not part of the RAKETTIPUTKET roster and did not have an account at NHLGamer.com either. Seeing how the trade deadline has already passed, adding him to the roster at the start of the playoffs was not an option. Further investigation revealed the roster size dropped below 8 players shortly after the regular season was over.

LA is fully aware that a disqualification at this point in a season is not an easy decision, however given all the circumstances no other solution was viable.

Round 2

16 teams made it into the secound round of the ECL Lite playoffs and are one step closer to the championship and ECL Pro promotion! Congratulations to everyone so far. Without further ado, here are the pairings for the 2nd round of the ECL Lite playoffs:

Deadly Phantoms HC vs Roistot 
Almost Famous vs Breakers of the Bone 
Raging Monkeys vs Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat 
Red Machine vs Finnish Hockey Legends 
Face Wash Hockey vs Puck Panthers 
Try Another Hole vs Nordic Nosebleed 
EV Duisburg vs Penalty Box 
Squad Vilttiketju vs The Beagle Boys

The round starts today and all games must be completed before November 29, 23:59 CET / November 30, 00:59 EET.

Good luck!

@gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

ECL 5 - Elite Playoffs

A week after the ECL 5 Lite playoffs kicked off, Pro and Elite are now heading into the most exciting time of the season too! The Pro playoffs will be covered in a seperate post, so if you are a Pro team be sure to check that out. Time to cover Elite! 

FRAMEWORK

• Each pairing, championship or promotion/relegation faceoffs, must be finished within 7 days of the series' start date. Don't expect any extensions!
• All pairings are to be played in a best-of-7 series (teams on the left side below play home first)

ELITE PLAYOFFS

The very best 8 teams are about to enter the final stages of the most exciting 6 vs. 6 competition NHLGamer has to offer! It's where everlasting stories are written (no pun intended) and true heroes are born. The ECL Elite playoffs starts off with these 4 pairings:

• Aapon Taikasauva vs. Rusty Blades
• Carlsberg HC vs. Northern Stars
• SJK eSports vs. Northern Ascendancy
• Written In The Stars vs. Dynasty

ELITE RELEGATION FACEOFFS

The teams that finished 13th and 14th in the standings will pause for a bit until two ECL Pro semi-final losers are determined. Thus, while two Elite teams are relegated instantly (see below), a strong ECL Pro representation could potentially open up two more Elite spots:

• Nordic Nightmare vs. ECL Pro semi-final loser 1 (series starts when ECL Pro semi-finals are finished)
• TIKI TALK vs. ECL Pro semi-final loser 2 (series starts when ECL Pro semi-finals are finished)

ECL RELEGATIONS

Synergy Hockey and Nordic Lightning weren't able to get it done in Elite this season and are relegated to ECL Pro for ECL 6. However, there's no time for frustration - charge the batteries and come back strong in ECL 6!

THE (UN)LUCKY FEW?

MUKIMIEHET, Kattiautomaatti, Sjukstugan and Silver Sword Griffins finished the season ranked 9 to 12 and will remain in ECL Elite for ECL 6. While MUKIMIEHET came very close to making the playoffs, the other teams were in danger of being relegated but managed to evade it. With new Pro teams entering the ring, things are only going to get tougher in the future, so stay focused and keep building those rosters to not share the fates of Synergy Hockey's and Nordic Lightning's next season.

Best of luck to everyone and see you on the ice!

@The_Alpha_Furyan & @gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

Hey NHL Gamers,

a week after the ECL 5 Lite playoffs kicked off, Pro and Elite are now heading into the most exciting time of the season too! The Elite playoffs will be covered in a seperate post, so keep an eye out for that.

FRAMEWORK

• Each pairing, championship or promotion/relegation faceoffs, must be finished within 7 days until November 28 - starting today. Don't expect any extensions!
• All pairings are to be played in a best-of-7 series (teams on the left side below play home first)

PRO PLAYOFFS

As usual, the two ECL Pro groups are cross-seeded in the first round, which means #1 from Group 1 will play #8 from Group 2 and so on. This leads us to these 8 pairings:

• Gotham Knights vs. J P T J
• SIKA vs. THE UNITED KNIGHTS
• Inter Iceland vs. EN HUND
• Lavetten vs. Pata Hellalla
• Unlucky Boys HC vs. Alliance HT
• Shameful Knights vs. Falun Coal Miners
• Nordic Stars vs. White Trash
• Baltic Sea Eagles vs. Evolution

PRO RELEGATION FACEOFFS

Teams ranked 13th to 16th in both conferences are cross-seeded as well. While all winners will remain in ECL Pro for ECL 6, the losers are moved down to ECL Lite and will be replaced by the ECL Lite semi-finalists. Here are the pairings:

• AK 47 vs. Bellizzi
• Squirt Hockey vs. GHETTO FIREBIRDS
• Sypperstaars vs. Bare Knuckles Hockey
• Banterfield Battalion vs. Nemesis

THE (UN)LUCKY FEW?

Murohoki, Black Panther Party, God Tier, Hawks Hockey Club, DEAD END KINGS, Clowns on Ice, Speedy Bros Hockey and Free From Rodents have secured their spot in ECL Pro for next season. Some might be unhappy about not making the playoffs, others might be happy about avoiding the fierce relegation battles - whatever it is, make sure to recover during Christmas and come back strong for ECL 6. It's not going to be easier!

That's it! Good luck to everyone and let the games begin.

@gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

ECL 5 - Lite Playoffs

It is time to get the Lite Playoffs underway and below you will find the playoff pairings that will get it done. Before you scroll down, the NHLGamer.com staff would like to thank all 48 Lite teams who finished the ECL 5 season. You guys truly rock and despite some hard decisions that were forced to be made here towards the end of the season, we hope to see all of you back again for ECL 6 (regardless if it is in Lite or Pro!) when it starts up in January 2018. Thank you.

Note that all the playoff series are to be played in the Best of 7-format.

Playoff pairings (left = home, right = away, seeds marked with #)

# 1 Deadly Phantoms HC vs. # 32 (WILDCARD) Bucketeers
# 2 SGWEER United vs. # 31 (WILDCARD) Roistot
# 3 Almost Famous vs. # 30 KulmalaHengaus
# 4 Raging Monkeys vs. # 29 Rising Phantoms HC
# 5 Red Machine vs. # 28 Slapshot Club Germany
# 6 Face Wash Hockey vs. # 27 IN4MOUS
# 7 Try Another Hole vs. # 26 Ice Phoenix
# 8 EV Duisburg vs. # 25 Rusty Bulls
# 9 HC Aurinko vs. # 24 Breakers of The Bone
# 10 Squad Vilttiketju vs. # 23 Nottingham Chiefs
# 11 RAKETTIPUTKET vs. # 22 Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat
# 12 The Beagle Boys vs. # 21 Mentula SKA
# 13 Penalty Box vs. # 20 Lucky Strike
# 14 Nearbird Fighters vs. # 19 Finnish Hockey Legends
# 15 Nordic Nosebleed vs. # 18 Freddie Mercury Institute
# 16 Nordic Eagles vs. # 17 Puck Panthers

Playoff schedule

To be able to complete ECL 5 Lite before Christmas, this is the exact timeline that needs to be held for the playoffs. No extra time will be given during these playoffs as we won't be able to complete the playoffs before the holidays in that case and if there is one thing I am sure we can all agree on, is that we dont want a repeat of ECL 3 where the "christmas break" turned out to be devastating for the playoffs. Anyway, here is the schedule:

Round 1: Starts 2017-11-16 (TODAY!) with last day to play games 2017-11-22
Round 2: Starts 2017-11-23 with last day to play games 2017-11-29
Round 3 (Quarterfinals): Starts 2017-11-30 with last day to play games 2017-12-06
Round 4 (Semi-finals): Starts 2017-12-07 with last day to play games 2017-12-13
Round 5 (Finals): Starts 2017-12-14 with last day to play games 2017-12-20

The playoff tree and schedule can be found here: https://nhlgamer.com/league.php?leagueID=25&gameType=regular&show=playoffs

Good luck to all remaining teams.

Text by: @The_Alpha_Furyan
Art by: @Lurkins & @OxtreeLAT

Floor17- Northern Stars (NOS)

ECL Hidden Gems is a concept that was created by @The_Alpha_Furyan and @pnordetun (patovic). The idea evolved out of discussions concerning what type of content patovic himself would like to see more of at NHLGamer.com and what kind of texts he'd be most interested in writing. Hidden Gems, for the purposes of this feature, means players that the author feels haven't quite gotten their time to shine at NHLGamer or players that aren't getting full credit for the skill they bring to the table. This is the first edition in a six-part series that patovic has written so do enjoy the witty writing of "pato" and leave a comment with your thoughts on the piece.

I might find myself out on thin ice over some pretty deep waters right about now, but the fact is that Northern Stars veteran Daniel Anderzon aka @Floor17 doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves in the ECL community. This is a player who is a 5-time ECL veteran (and lord knows how many 6v6 tournaments before that!) that routinely manages to control all aspects off the game, in all zones off the ice. Not only that, he is a beast at the Versus portion of the game as well, having won one Swedish championship and making it far in various other tournaments.

As the great coach Marc Crawford once said: 

"If you want him to shut down the opponents best player, he will get it done. You want him to score goals? He will get it done. You want him to be a playmaker? He'll get it done. You need him to be physical? He'll get it done. He is so gifted and the list just goes on and on".

You can trace the origins of the so-called "floorbandyking" back to the old Xbox team "Swedish Tigers" that featured such legends as ivve83 and unbroken-anders (man, where did those guys go?). Floor17 was truly a dominating force in those early Xbox years and have continued to build his legacy in EASHL ever since. At the beginning of his virtual career, he was considered by many to be more of a pure offensive weapon. This went on for years and especially once he found himself playing with @cHIIMEERa on the Swedish powerhouse Northern Stars. The last few seasons, Floor17 has managed to enhance his repertoire to include an ability to play both wing and defenseman at a very high level, as well as the occasional stint at goaltender.

Flash forward to today where NOS had Finnish superstars @tbnantti and @plee999 join the team for ECL 5, it has been quite interesting to see how the old "curveshot master" has adapted to the situation and found an integral two-way role on the roster where he has been a big contributor to the teams' success.

To summarize: Floor is awesome at videogame hockey and wins stuff, that is just what he does. It ain't easy winning all the time - if it were, everyone would be doing it!

PS. Mean rumours back in the day said that the King of Floorbandy used the "99 overall glitch" in EASHL... and that it was possibly @eyebiz (the old rascal!) who had the hackset to hook him up - but if you ask me? Nah, Floor17 didn't need it then and he doesn't need it now - this man is nothing but skill and determination 

Text by: @pnordetun
Intro and editing by: @The_Alpha_Furyan
Art by: @OxtreeLAT

ECL 5 - The Road So Far: Lite

We are back to take a look at the 49 teams that currently reside in Lite. For some, the season is already over with all 18 games being played but for many this week represents the final chance to sneak into a playoff spot. Who will get a chance to advance to Pro? Who will have to come back even hungrier for ECL 6? Lets find out!

[Please note that this article was written Monday afternoon, meaning the text refers to standings as they were on 2017-11-06]
 

ECL Lite - Group 1

At the very top of Group 1 we find Raging Monkeys who have turned in an impressive campaign as a rookie ECL franchise. Propelled by their insane goal scoring prowess (the team is averaging over 5 goals per game) they lead a group that looks to be very tight at the top. Behind RM we find four other teams (Finnish Hockey Legends, Lucky Strike, Freddie Mercury Institute and pre-season favorite Face Wash Hockey) within a span of just four points. This means the race for the 6th and final playoff spot will most likely come down to two teams, Puck Panthers and Roistot. Should one of these two not make it, they still have a decent chance to be one of the two "lucky 7ths"; meaning one of the two 7th place teams that make the Lite playoffs as a wild card. Teams Nuggetz, Terrific Tigers and PUNANEN REHTORI will have to consider this a learning season.

ECL Lite - Group 2

In Group 2 its the top trio of Penalty Box, EV Duisburg and Red Machine leading the charge with 20+ points. These powerhouses look to be the top seeds for a group that features quite a few known teams from the community. The trio is followed by the Finnish team with the un-pronounceable name (Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat), the Swedish-British hybrids Nottingham Chiefs and Russian RCL top team Ice Phoenix who all look poised to make the playoffs. Battling for the final playoff spot we find Kouvola Screaming Eagles and Phantoms HC who are still neck and neck in the race. Finally, Rasend Krokodil and Cold Turkeys will have to reload for ECL 6.

ECL Lite - Group 3

In ECL Lite Group 3 we find the second and third "Phantom HC"-teams in this division. Outside of Phantoms HC in Group 2, Group 3 features Deadly Phantoms HC and Rising Phantoms HC. Could "Phantoms" be the new favorite ECL team name and overtake previous champion "Nordic"? Only time will tell! Anyway, at the top of this group is the deadly version of the Phantoms who are on their way to making ECL Lite history by going undefeated throughout the entire regular season. I would not want to be the team facing this squad in the playoffs. Other teams that will most likely make the playoffs are Try Another Hole, HC Aurinko, Rising Phantoms HC, INF4MOUS and Pohjoista Voimaa with Soldiers of Odens and KulmalaHengaus both struggling to get in. Donec Reges will have to come back stronger in ECL 6.

ECL Lite - Group 4

Group 4 looks pretty much set at the top with Almost Famous clinching the top seed and The Beagle Boys and Mentula SKA finishing either 2nd or 3rd. Behind them we find veteran ECLers Elämäm Kiekko (who look poised for a deep playoff run), Nearbird Fighters of the RCL, Nordic Nosebleed and Breakers Of The Bone all in contention for spots 4-6. For South Sweden Panthers, DarrasStars and Papat - the ECL Lite season is over but odds are they will come back stronger next season from this experience.

ECL Lite - Group 5

Finally, we arrive at Group 5 where SGWEER United should clinch the top spot unless they lose both their final games and Squad Vilttiketju wins all of their remaining games. In the #3 spot we find Nordic Eagles, a new Swedish team that has been a positive surprise thus far and behind them at #4 is Rusty Bulls of the RCL. Other teams that could have a shot at the playoffs are Bucketeers, Slapshot Club Germany, Burns Beardy Bastards and RAKETTIPUTKET. At the bottom, HC Nappiaivot and Dirty Animals most likely will not make the playoffs this time but credit to them for hanging in there and collecting points.

That's it for ECL Elite, Pro and Lite. Good luck to all teams for the rest of the season and talk to you all again soon when the playoffs arrive.

Text by: @The_Alpha_Furyan 
Art by: @Lurkins and @Kenu

Good evening, NHLGamers!

It has come to our attention that we've made an error during the process of finalizing the initial draft of the ECL5 rulebook. As a result the rule 10.1 regarding the transfer deadline states inaccurate information (that the transfer deadline is set on the last day of the regular season).

Yesterday some of the captains may have already noticed that the team management tool had limited functionality. This happened because the actual transfer deadline that was supposed to be communicated in the current rules had passed.In our eyes having a transfer deadline that's set on the last day of the regular season promotes team-hopping and jeopardizes the integrity of the current competition. As such, we've decided to update the current rule and extend the deadline by one week - the new transfer deadline is 12th of November, 23:59 CEST. Effective immediately.

Quote

 

10.        Recruitment and transfers

10.1
The deadline for transfers is set to 23:59 CET on the 12th of November.

 

- League Administration

ECL 5 - The Road So Far

If any of you out there happens to be a fan of the CW show Supernatural (as I am), this article title is for you!

For those of you who have yet to watch the show (currently in its 13th season), the "road so far" refers to when the show - at the end of each season - recaps everything that has been going on thus far and prepares the viewers for what is to come in the finale. With the ECL 5 playoffs fast approaching as a sort of finale to this season, I thought it'd be appropriate to create something similar, a recap of what has been going on so far.

97 teams - 3 championships

While the NHLGamer staff had hoped to breach the "100 barrier" for registered ECL teams this season, 97 teams is still an amazing feat. Up from last seasons 78 teams, we take this as a sign that the interest for 6v6 EASHL continues to increase at a rapid pace. Add the 20 teams that are currently participating in our Russian league, RCL, and the registration number all of sudden jumps significantly, to 117 total. Glad to have all of you onboard!

The 97 ECL teams were divided into three divisions, as is custom these days, based on merit where 16 teams ended up in ECL Elite, 32 in ECL Pro and 49 in ECL Lite. Lets see what has been going on in these vipers nests, shall we?

[Please note that this article was written yesterday afternoon, meaning Standings were collected 2017-11-05]

ECL 5 Elite

As it currently stands, Northern Stars (NOS) is at the top of the ECL Elite standings, albeit with a full 26 games played which is more than any other team in any division. Even so, this team has bounced back from a slow start to establish themselves as the championship favorite they were predicted to be ahead of this season. Looking at the teams recent games, they display a remarkable effectiveness when it comes to being able to win games while rotating different lineups. Other teams that have delivered on the pre-season promise of being top tier teams are Carlsberg, Written In the Stars, SJK eSports and Aapon Taikasauva.

The biggest surprise in Elite so far has to be Rusty Blades who are hanging tough with all teams so far and sporting a 1.1 points per game average as a team. Should they continue at this pace, odds are they will make it to the playoffs. Quite the upset for a team that joined the league as a last-minute replacement team! A lot of credit for their success thus far has to be placed with RBs team defense and goaltending who have been outstanding. 

Looking at the teams that are hovering around the cutoff line for the playoffs, expect Dynasty to rise up a bit in the standings and look out for TIKI TALK to surprise as they continue to gain points in almost every game they play. Other teams that could potentially climb in the standings are Synergy and Northern Ascendancy who have both been struggling but have as little as 12 games played. Finally, look for Kattiautomaatti, MUKIMIEHET, Nordic Nightmare and Sjukstugan to continue to duke it out for those final playoff spots.

Arriving at the bottom of the standings we find Silver Sword Griffins and Nordic Lightning, two teams that have been struggling to score goals with under 1.5 goals forward per game. Many expected NL to experience a challenging season but their recent form is actually quite positive. SSG probably hoped for a higher position but Elite is tougher than ever and it will take all of their fortitude and discipline to turn this tough start around.

ECL 5 Pro - Group 1

Moving on to Group 1 in ECL Pro you find a very, very tight race at the top of the standings with Gotham Knights and Evolution tied at the very top and Falun Coal Miners, White Trash, Inter Iceland and SIKA within 2 points of each other, giving chase to the "top dogs". It is quite impressive to see Gotham Knights (formerly Refuse To Lose) bounce back significantly after their challenging ECL 4. Evolution is another positive surprise as many probably expected them to be good, but not this good! Give credit to their team management for some shrew player signings that pushed them over the top. SIKA sports one of the best points per game team averages and with 5 games in 5 nights coming up for them, could make a push for #1 overall. 

Teams like Black Panther Party, God Tier, Lavetten and murohoki (who has been a team on a mission since they signed a few new key players) continues to battle hard for a playoff spot with Alliance being the cunning shark lurking at the bottom of the sea with a solid points average but just 12 games played. 

Moving on we find Hawks Hockey Club, AK47, Squirt Hockey and Nemesis who hope to grasp that final straw for the playoffs while at the same avoiding relegation. Finally, Bare Knuckles Hockey prepares to defend their spot in Pro in the Pro-Lite qualifiers.

ECL 5 Pro - Group 2

Pro Group 2 has a little more separation between the so-called "top dogs" and the playoff hopefuls. Baltic Sea Eagles, Nordic Stars, Shameful Knights and Unlucky Boys has a firm grip on the Top 4 spots and will most likely hold on to these spots in some combination. Look out teams 5-8 in Group 1, because these guys look ready for the playoffs. 

The biggest surprise to me in Group 2 is Pata Hellalla who has quietly put together a good season and looks poised to clinch a playoff spot if they keep their current form. Giving chase to these underdogs we find what I like to call the "Caps Lock 4"; EN HUND, THE UNITED KNIGHTS, DEAD END KINGS and J P T J. In the mix for playoff spots we also find Sypperstaars, Speedy Bros Hockey, Clowns on Ice. Caught up in the same battle we also find the lost 5th "Caps Lock brother" in GHETTO FIREBIRDS and veteran Swedish team Free From Rodents.

Finally, Banterfield Battalion will have to shift into a higher gear to avoid the negative qualifiers that Bellizzi will have to start preparing for.

See you next time right here at NHLGamer.com when it is time to take a look at ECL Lite.

Text by: @The_Alpha_Furyan 
Art by: @Lurkins and @Kenu