Hey Gamers,

It's time to get the NHL 25 season started with the ECL '25 Pre-Season. The ECL Pre-Season Tournament is a friendly tournament with three tiers for teams to get into the competitive mindset, without the heavy structure that comes with the actual ECL divisions framework. The tournaments include playoffs for each tier and the lowest tier allows new interested teams to try out the competitive games in a relaxed environment.
 

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 17th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season.

Basic information/requirements of ECL:

• Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.
   
• Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card.
   
• ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘25: Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘25: Player License or ECL ‘25: Winter Player License before taking the ice. Players in ECL Neo require only an ECL '25: Winter Neo Player License.
  The ECL '25 Pre-Season tournament does not require the license, but purchasing the license early on is recommended for faster processing.
   
• Rules: The ECL '25 rulebook will be published closer to the season, you can check out last season's rules here.

For a more extensive overview of the ECL as a whole, check out our “What is the ECL?” news story released a few weeks back. 

ECL Pre-Season

As stated, the tournament will be hosted in three tiers without any major restrictions except for the ones mentioned below.

Elite & Pro  

• Only ECL Elite & ECL Pro teams, and by special request wildcard & qualifier teams
• This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (=no League Admin cases)
• The final format is determined by the number of teams
• Double-header gamedays
• Regular season 17.10-27.10
• Playoffs (BO3)
  • 30-31.10 (RO16)
  • 3.-4.11 (Quarterfinals)
  • 6.-7.11 (Semifinals)
  • 10.-11.11 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, October 15th.

SIGN UP HERE

Lite & Core 

• Only ECL Lite & ECL Core teams, and by special request wildcard teams & qualifier teams
• This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (=no League Admin cases)
• Qualifier teams can participate, but the final rounds of the playoffs may coincide with the qualifiers
• The final format is determined by the number of teams
• Double-header gamedays
• Regular season 17.10-27.10
• Playoffs (BO3)
  • 30-31.10 (RO32)
  • 3.-4.11 (RO16)
  • 6.-7.11 (Quarterfinals)
  • 10.-11.11 (Semifinals)
  • 13-14.11 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, October 15th

SIGN UP HERE

Neo & Newcomers 

• Only ECL Neo & Newcomer teams
• This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (=no League Admin cases)
• The final format is determined by the number of teams
• Double-header gamedays
• Regular season 17.10-27.10
• Playoffs (BO3)
  • 30-31.10 (RO16)
  • 3.-4.11 (Quarterfinals)
  • 6.-7.11 (Semifinals)
  • 10.-11.11 (Finals)

Sign-ups are open until 12:00 CET, October 15th

SIGN UP HERE

Uniform and logo unlocks for organizations

This form is intended for organizations associated with SportsGamer to request primarily uniform and logo unlocks in order to represent their team appropriately. The form should not be filled out before NHL 25 is released, but you can bookmark this link and fill it out once the team has been created. Here is a link for the unlocks form: https://forms.gle/TRy9PkVwh13gqMGs5

Rules

We hope you all enjoy and remember to play by the ECL rules! Although the Pre-Season Tournament will not be under as strict scrutiny as the ECL, we want to remind you to respect your opponents and go about the games just as you would when playing real ECL league matchups.

• The tournament will be played on the NHL 25 (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S)

If teams are tied in points after the group stage, we will utilize these usual tie-breakers:

• Wins (including OT-wins)
• Head-to-head record (points in mutual games)
• Goal difference (across all games played)
• Scored goals (across all games played)

We hope you're as excited as we are to get back into the action - build your team, sign up, and have fun!
 

Welcome to the ECL ‘25 season and the NHL 25 competitive year!

Hey SportsGamers!

NHL 25 is just around the corner and if I've done my math right this means we're embarking on the the 10th year of the ECL! We started back at the end of 2015 with ECL 1 in NHL 16 and are coming into the 19th season of the ECL with ECL '25: Winter. It's been a wild ride and I want to thank everyone who's been a part of it - many still around since day 1!

Let's start with some great news - the prize pool for the ECL ‘25 Winter season will be 24 000 EUR and the ECL Elite Finals will be returning to the big spotlights - featured on the Assembly Winter 2025 main stage! Keep reading to find out more!

Before we go any further, if you’re reading this and find yourself wondering “What is the ECL?”, or you're looking for a blast from the past listing of all ECL Champions so far you can find an article about that here.
 

One of the more frequent requests from our community every year has been transparency in terms of upcoming plans. The benefits are clear, as it will help teams with preparation, strategizing, and assembling rosters, and of course, help players plan their holidays, trips, or other activities without sacrificing the opportunity to partake in the eHockey season to the fullest.

So, without further ado, here is what the NHL 25 competitive year looks like for Europe. Please keep in mind there are still lots of details being put into place, but we want to provide as good of an overview on the timing of the ECL ‘25: Winter and Spring seasons, as well as the National Championships, that are played in between the ECL seasons. 

ECL '25 Competitive Year

ECL '25: Pre-season

• The ECL ‘25: Pre-season tournament will kick off on October 17th, giving teams the ability to get right into action, get familiar with NHL 25, and test their line-ups against teams of equal skill levels. 
  
  
  • The Pre-season will consist of the following groups:
    • Elite & Pro - Sign up now!
    • Lite & Core - Sign up now!
    • Neo & Newcomers - Sign up now!
  • The best news? You can sign up right now using the links above!

Qualifiers

• The ECL ‘25: Winter - Lite & Pro Qualifiers are scheduled to kick off approximately between October 21st and November 1st. For this reason, we suggest that teams participating in the qualifiers skip the Pre-season tournament. We will get into the specifics within a couple weeks.
   

ECL '25: Winter Season

• The ECL ‘25: Winter - Regular Season will start on November 17th and be completed just in time to wind down for Christmas and the New Year. The last round of games before the holiday break will be played on December 20st.
   
• The ECL ‘25: Winter - Playoffs will start after the holidays, on January 3rd.
  • Most of the ECL ‘25: Winter divisions will be completed by the end of January, whereas the date for the Elite Finals is still locked in for Thursday February 20th at Assembly Winter!

National Leagues

• After the end of the ECL ‘25: Winter season, it’s time to battle in the National Leagues, such as the CSCL, eHockey SM, GCL, SCL & WECL. Many of the details are still work-in-process, but rest assured weeks 6-14 are reserved for National League play.
   

ECL '25: Spring Season

• The ECL ‘25: Spring season will commence with the Lite and Pro Qualifiers in weeks 12-14. The regular season will be played weeks 15-19, and the playoffs will be played after that, with most divisions done before midsummer and the Lite Champions being decided just after.
  • Please keep in mind that there is always a possibility for the timeline to change and we will be keeping a close eye on e.g. the IIHF World Championship schedules to avoid collisions with those games as well as possible, as we know many of our viewers and players love to watch the games.

Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses

Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘25. Starting today and for the next two weeks (until September 19th), you can pick up the ECL ‘25: Winter Team license and the ECL ‘25: Player License (Winter + Spring) for the Super Early Bird pricing listed below. After that, we will offer a slightly elevated Early Bird price from September 20th - October 19th, and finally, the regular pricing from October 20th onward.

PURCHASE YOUR ECL '25 LICENSES HERE

For those of you participating in the qualifiers and unsure which division your team will play in for the ECL ‘25: Winter season, you can still take advantage of this offer; Purchase the Super Early Bird license for the division you are qualifying for and if your team is unsuccessful in the mission, we will refund you the difference to the Super Early Bird price for the division your team ends up in. For example, if you enter the qualifiers for the Lite division, purchase the Super Early Bird Lite license. If your team doesn’t qualify for the Lite division, you will play in the Core division and we will refund you the difference - in this example: 100 EUR.

The ECL Neo division does not require a team license, however, we are introducing an ECL Neo Player license at the cost of 10 EUR per season. This will enable us to improve our coverage of the division, cover the finals broadcast and offer access to the two formats: the ECL Cup & the 4v4 tournament. Read more about them below.

Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division.

Introducing two new formats - ECL Cup & ECL 4v4

We've been cooking up some extra fun to be had during the season and we can't take all the credit, as there have definitely been suggestions coming in from the community.

• ECL Cup is a knock-out type tournament that is played with your ECL 6v6 team. The Cup is played as a single elimination bracket populated by ECL teams from all divisions. The bracket is played at a slower pace and the action will go on for weeks, but if you lose - you're out! A bit dramatic perhaps, but oh boy are we expecting some drama!
• ECL 4v4 is exactly what it sounds like - a tournament played in the 4v4 mode of the game. All positions are to be filled with human-controlled players. We understand this game mode might not be for everyone, so the 4v4 tournament will not be a requirement for anyone to enter.
• ECL 1v1 is also back and we're excited to announce that we will be seeing some structural changes for the upcoming season, which we'll tell you more about in the near future.

We'll have more info about all of these fun events in the coming weeks, but you may absolutely feel free to speculate and come with your wishes in the comments below, as there could still be time for adjustments!

New License perks

We're excited to share that we will be able to offer the following perks to ECL '25 license owners:

Assembly Winter 2025 Tickets

Limited Time Offer: Get a free ticket to Assembly Winter 2025 for Thursday, February 20th! Come and enjoy the ECL ‘25: Winter - Elite Finals and hang out with the community. Once you’ve purchased your license, fill out this form to apply for your free ticket. Act fast—tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

We would also love to see attendees from outside of Finland join us for the Finals event. If you’re interested, please fill out this form so we can assist you with travel advice and answer any questions you may have.

Stay tuned for more news about Assembly Winter 2025 and read more about the event itself at https://assembly.org/en/events/winter25.
 

SportsGamer Health & Performance Program

Get premium access to the SportsGamer Health & Performance Program, free for an extended period to help you reach your peak performance.

Introducing the SportsGamer Health Program, a cutting-edge wellness platform with content specifically designed for gamers. While the platform offers a comprehensive range of workouts, home exercises, and courses, it also includes specialized content to boost your gaming performance. All materials are crafted by leading fitness professionals, ensuring you get the best in physical training.

The program features gamification elements, making it fun and engaging to stay active on the platform. Additionally, it includes a dedicated section of short lectures from professional mental coaches, helping you dive deeper into individual and team-based approaches to gaming. This blend of physical and mental training ensures that you can stay healthy and sharp, both in and out of the game

We’re excited to share more details with you as we approach the start of the new season. In the meantime, we’re seeking volunteers to test out the platform and its content as we continue to develop it. We’re looking for a small, diverse group of people of all ages, nationalities, and physical conditions. So, whatever your situation, if this sounds interesting to you, please fill out this form to apply.

New Initiative -  Social Program

We’re committed to growing NHL gaming and esports!

As part of a new initiative, we want to inspire teams and players to focus on their social media presence. We’re excited to showcase the best goals, biggest hits, and epic fails, and highlight them across SportsGamer broadcasts, programs, and social platforms.

Introducing the ECL Social Program – designed to spotlight the best content from around the league and reward those who go the extra mile. While we’ll be focusing on video content, exceptional overall social media coverage is also appreciated.

Stay tuned for more details and specifics on how you can get involved!

Rule Changes & Community Opinion

We would like to raise two items up for a community vote and open up the floor for discussion.

Zone & Superstar Abilities - Yay or nay?
For the ECL ‘24: Spring season we decided to ban a selection of Zone & Superstar Abilities. As NHL 25 is a new release, and we haven't had a chance to test it out yet, our initial instinct is to start with a clean slate and not ban any abilities until the community gets to know the new game and has a chance to make up its mind about whether the abilities are working or not. While we have preliminarily set our minds on not banning any abilities for the first season, we welcome the discussion and would love to hear your opinion. You can discuss player abilities here.

Are there some rule-related changes we’ve missed?

Now is your chance to discuss and suggest what type of changes you would like to see in the rulebook.

Sign up NOW for the ECL '25: Pre-season tournament and stay tuned for the official kick-off of the ECL ’25: Winter Signups, launching mid-September!

Edit: Added clarification to Qualifier date.

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015, so the upcoming season is already the 19th. The latest addition to the ECL product family is a 1v1 tournament, where Europe's best solo players fight for the championship. ECL 1v1 has been played since the ECL '23 Winter season.
 

Basic information/requirements of ECL:

• Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.
   
• Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card.
   
• ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘25: Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘25: Player License or ECL ‘25: Winter Player License before taking the ice. Players in ECL Neo require only an ECL '25: Winter Neo Player License.
   
• Rules: The ECL '25: Winter rulebook will be an updated version of the '24 Spring season, you can check out last season's rules here.

The divisions framework for the ECL ‘25 season will follow the same logic as for previous seasons. We will have a total of five divisions with the following team allocation:

• Elite 16 teams
• Pro 32 teams
• Lite 64 teams
• Core (up to) 128 teams
• and Neo 32+ teams.
   

Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division.

Generally speaking, teams that are new to the ECL will start in the Neo or Core division. However, it is possible to apply for the ECL Lite qualifications to prove that you can compete at that level.

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

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

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

Hall of Fame: The ECL Champions so far

ECL 6v6:

• ECL 1: Nordic Blizzard
• ECL 2: Mukimiehet
• ECL 3: X Factor
• ECL 4: Laser HT
• ECL 5: Aapon Taikasauva
• ECL 6: Carlsberg HC
• ECL 7: FILADELPHIA
• ECL 8: Written In the Stars
• ECL 9: Linköping HC
• ECL 10: HAVU Gaming
• ECL 11: FILADELPHIA
• ECL 12: hREDS
• ECL '22: Grand Champion: hREDS
  • ECL '22 Winter: hREDS
  • ECL '22 Spring: hREDS
• ECL '23: Grand Champion: Tunnel Vision
  • ECL '23 Winter: Tunnel Vision
  • ECL '23 Spring: Tunnel Vision
• ECL '24: Winter Champion: hREDS
• ECL '24: Spring Champion: Tunnel Vision

ECL 1v1:

• ECL '23: Winter: Sisu "sisu33_" Nurminen
• ECL '23: Spring: Väinö "Pikkarii" Pikkarainen
• ECL '24: Grand Champion: Teemu "Temppanen" Karvonen
  • ECL '24: Winter: Erik "EkiOriginal" Tammenpää
  • ECL '24: Spring: Väinö "Pikkarii" Pikkarainen

SportsGamers,

This news story is intended to help understand the ECL Ranking for teams at the end of the ECL '24: Spring season. This ranking determines the eligibility for teams entering various divisions this upcoming ECL '25: Winter season. 

Below you will find a list of teams that have secured a division spot at the Elite, Pro, or Lite league level. If you didn't find your team on the list, don't worry! You can apply for a wildcard spot for your team in the Pro qualifiers or participate in the Lite qualifiers, which are open to everyone.

Pro Qualifier Wildcard requirements

• Three former Elite starters or four former Pro starters
• A starter is defined as having played 16 or more games in the ECL '24: Spring season, or 20 or more games in the ECL '24: Winter season
• If there are more players from the same team that were relegated out of the division Pro (in the same season) in the team applying for a wildcard, they may be counted as one player. The League Administration reserves the right to interpretations of this depending on the specific circumstances of the situation.

What if all Pro Qualifier positions are not filled?

• Teams will not be promoted straight and all open spots will be filled through qualifiers (excluding automatically relegated/promoted teams). If there happens to be more open spots than anticipated (e.g. from teams disbanding which would have been invited to play in the qualifier) spots are filled as follows:
  • Pro relegated teams
  • Wildcard teams
  • Lite #17-32

All teams without an Elite, Pro, or Lite league spot can participate in the Lite Qualifiers without restrictions. The format of the qualifiers will be decided according to the number of participants, but a maximum of 64 teams can participate in the qualifiers. Spots will be filled in the order of registration, but the teams on the list below will have priority if the number of teams is full.
 

After a wild Finals series that went the distance, (3) Dynamo Hc have been crowned Neo Division champions for the ECL '24 Spring season. (3) Dynamo Hc defeated (6) MANCAVExGG by overcoming an early 2-0 series deficit.

In the first two games of the series, Dynamo Hc had its fair share of struggles, compiling a whopping -14 goal differential., However, they were able to turn things around with a trio of tight victories. In the all-decisive fifth game, Dynamo Hc even found themselves early in the first period, as MANCAVExGG scored a pair of early goals to take a 2-0 lead. However, in typical Dynamo in this series, they would once again fight back; scoring four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 championship-clinching victory.

Outside of the Finals, this season was a dominant one for this Dynamo Hc team, especially on the offensive end. During the regular season, Dynamo Hc averaged 6 goals per game. Not only did this rank at the top of the Neo Division, but this was the highest number of any ECL team in each of the league's five divisions. They were also one of the Division's best teams defensively in the regular season, finishing ranked with the fourth-best goals allowed per game at 2.11.

After a dominant debut season that caps off with the team's first-ever title, Dynamo Hc could very well be viewed as a team on the rise for ECL 25, as the team can potentially make the move up to the Core Division.

Dynamo Hc's Road to the Championship:

• Regular Season: 15-1-0-2 (47pts) - 1st in Group 5, 3rd overall in Neo Division (seedings decided by P/G)
• Round 1: 3-0 series win vs (30) Eishockeynet Yetis
• Round 2: 3-1 series win vs (24) BACKCHECK BOYS
• Quarterfinals: 3-1 series win vs (13) HC Armata
• Semifinals: 3-1 series win vs (4) Oljefondet
• Finals: 3-2 series win vs (6) MANCAVExGG

A quote from the team captain, Sronnoc @Dan Nad:

"Dynamo is a team that was originally founded with just me, Craig (@Balfourr) and Ryan we entered many small leagues but wanted something bigger and better! We joined teams in the ECL and other leagues finding our feet before we decided to bring the return of The Dynamo HC! The team we all loved back a few years ago in NHL 17 we started recruiting and came across these amazing players all showing their part to the team and making a name for themselves to become the best! As GMs of this team, we are very happy and pleased with how this team has grown and how many plans we have for the future we are only going to get better and the only way is up from here. This is just the start of our journey we have many more trophies to win! Let’s Go Dynamo!"

  Dynamo Hc's ECL '24: Spring - Core Championship Roster

🇬🇧 William @SLR Leah Rylander (CAPTAIN)

🇬🇧 Sronnoc @Dan Nad (CAPTAIN)

🇸🇪 Harten @Harten7 Bird (CAPTAIN)

🇨🇭 Marcus @DeuS HaDeS Sörensen

🇫🇷 @Kaboom

🇬🇧 Craig @Balfourr Balfour 

@Jonathan9502

🇩🇪 @Tim Lohan

🇨🇦 @x A IVI p E D x

🇬🇧 @AirTxm

🇳🇱 Jeffrey @Bully Van Ling

🇫🇷 @Draghatos

After a thrilling best-of-three series that took a Game 3 overtime to decide, Teemu @temppanen Karvonen has been crowned ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Champion. This is the first championship trophy for Temppanen in 2024 and the second championship in his career, as in 2023 he won the eHSM Finnish Championship.
 


The title victory will be a sweet one for the 23-year-old Finn, as he was forced to settle for second place in three other competitions so far this year. Temppanen finished as runner-up in ECL '24: 1v1 - Winter season, the NHL 24 European Championship, and in the 2024 eHSM Finnish Championship, where he lost in the Finals in Game 3 of a best-of-three series against the man that he defeated to win this championship, Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen. 

Temppanen's Road to the Championship:

• Winter '24 Season: Qualified for Grand Finals by advancing to the Semifinals. Later lost in the Finals vs Eki
• Quarterfinals: 2-1 series win vs (6) Artuzio
• Semifinals: 2-0 series win vs (7) Eken
• Finals: 2-1 series win vs (3) NikkeDangles

The pinnacle of European eHockey is upon us as the ECL '24: Spring - 1v1 Grand Finals approach. The Grand Finals feature the best players from the ECL '24: Winter & Spring seasons competing in the NHL 24 Online Versus game mode.

The ECL 1v1 series has seen fierce competition throughout the Winter and Spring seasons, with top players battling for supremacy. The Grand Finals represent the final stage of the competition, where only one player will emerge as the champion. This event is not just about the glory of victory but also about the journey, the rivalries, and the unforgettable moments that have led us here.

Meet the Players

The ECL '24 year has not disappointed us, featuring incredible talent and nail-biting games. Erik @Eki Tammenpää, has consistently demonstrated his skill and resilience and proved himself by winning the ECL '24: Winter Championship and the constant success in the NHL Gaming World Championships, finishing in the TOP 4 this year. Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen, the Spring champion, has risen through the ranks with exceptional skill. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen, the reigning Finnish champion, and Teemu @temppanen Karvonen, the 2023 Finnish champion, are also top contenders vying for the title, making this an event you won’t want to miss.

The remaining four players don't pale in comparison and will give the above-mentioned favorites a run for their money.

Henrik @Eken45jrEklund - a five-time Swedish Champion in the 1v1 game mode and semifinalist in this year's NHL 24 World Championship European finals. Arttu @Artuzio Mustila is always at his best when playing playoff hockey. We haven't seen him go all the way in some time, but some of his more memorable performances are winning the Finnish Championship in 2020 and 2021. Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen, the second youngest player of our Grand Finalists, at 18 years old,  surprised the eHockey world last year by winning the ECL '23: Winter - 1v1 Championship and has been competing at a high level ever since. Luka @Easychasniper2 Rönn, the youngest player in the competition at 16 years old, has yet to win big in the big tournaments but has had a solid and even track record of finishing close to the top in the last one or two years. Making it into the top 8 of this tournament is already a brilliant display of talent and everything from here on out is simply a bonus for this youngster. Don't count him out quite yet, though!

Road to the Grand Finals

The journey to the Grand Finals has been a test of skill, strategy, and endurance. Players earned their spots by excelling in either the Winter or Spring seasons, with the top two players from each season being automatically seeded into the Grand Finals. The remaining spots were filled by randomly assigning the next best players based on their season performance.

Quarterfinals - Wednesday, July 3

Matchup 1: Erik @Eki Tammenpää vs. Luka @Easychasniper2 Rönn

Matchup 2: Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen vs. Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund

Matchup 3: Teemu @temppanen Karvonen vs. Arttu @Artuzio Mustila

Matchup 4: Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen vs. Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen

Semifinals - Thursday, July 4

• Winner of Matchup 1 vs. Winner of Matchup 4
• Winner of Matchup 2 vs. Winner of Matchup 3

3rd Place Match - Thursday, July 4

• Loser of Semifinal 1 vs. Loser of Semifinal 2

Finals - Thursday, July 4

• Winner of Semifinal 1 vs. Winner of Semifinal 2
   

Broadcast Details

Tune in to Twitch on Wednesday, July 3, and Thursday, July 4, starting at 19:00 CEST to catch all the action live. Brandon @bMaJuHBigsby, the main voice for the ECL '24: Spring season, will bring his exceptional play-by-play commentary and in-depth analysis to the broadcast. Joining him is Lauri @sopuli04 Enström, a seasoned 1v1 player who provides expert insights, making the viewing experience even more engaging.

Join the community in live chat and make predictions using channel points. Engage with the community, share your thoughts, and see how your predictions stack up against others.

Prepare yourself for the most thrilling eHockey event of the year. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the scene, the ECL '24: Spring - 1v1 Grand Finals promises excitement, skill, and unforgettable moments. Mark your calendars, join the broadcast, and witness the crowning of the European Champion!

In a thrilling Finals series that took 7 games to decide, #14 seed KohKae Esports defeated #3 seed Darra Stars in a 1-0 Game 7 victory to win the ECL '24: Spring - Core Division Championship. This is the first ECL championship in KohKae Esports' history. They are the second team in Core Division history to win the title as a double-digit seed and are also the second team in Core Division history to knock off each of the Top 3 seeds (Resurrection did both in ECL 12 as the 16th seed in the Core Division's inaugural season).
 

KohKae Esports' ECL 24' Spring Core championship roster pictured from left to right: @TenkaRolle @Royalcombat96 @Eashl_kalle @Joona41 @khassu-- @NiQLaSSS @LihaPoni90

KohKae Esports has been competing in the league since ECL 11 (2020). Their deepest playoff run prior to this season came in the ECL '23: Spring season, when they made the Core Division Quarterfinals. The club has played 446 games across all competitions and has a record of 183-222-41.

Going into the playoffs KohKae Esports were one of the hottest teams in the division; winning each of their last 8 games of the regular season and then sweeping their Round 1, Round 2, and Quarterfinals series. This resulted in a 20-game win streak, including a 12-game win streak in the playoffs. This streak was finally snapped during the Quarterfinals when they lost Games 1 and 2 against #2 seed ARMEIJAN KURI, but they then won four straight games to clinch their place in the Finals. 

Though the runner-ups Darra Stars should be proud of their efforts this season, this loss will leave an especially bitter taste in their mouths. This marks the second Finals loss in the club's history, as they also lost in the Neo Division Finals against Flashback Skewed in the ECL '23: Spring season. In both Finals' they lost in the championship-clinching game by one goal in a series that went to full distance (the Neo Division is decided by a best-of-five series). Both teams will now turn their attention to the Lite Division, as they have both clinched promotion for the ECL '25: Winter season.

After their Game 7 victory, we had the opportunity to talk with KohKae Esports' captain Timo @LihaPoni90 Tuominen about their championship journey and why family is the reason this title means so much to them.

LihaPoni Interview:

KohKae Esports' Road to the Championship:

• Regular Season: 11-2-2-7 (39pts) - 4th in Group 3, 14th overall in Core Division
• Round 1: 4-0 series win vs (19) TRAINING GROUND
• Round 2: 4-0 series win vs (7) Lutunilkat
• Quarterfinals: 4-0 series win vs (1) Prowlers
• Semifinals: 4-2 series win vs (2) ARMEIJAN KURI
• Finals: 4-3 series win vs (3) Darra Stars

 KohKae Esports' ECL '24: Spring - Core Championship Roster

🇫🇮 Timo @LihaPoni90 Tuominen (C)

🇫🇮 Teemu @TenkaRolle Tuominen (A)

🇫🇮 Joona @Joona41 Järvinen (A)

🇫🇮 Niklas @NiQLaSSS Ihajärvi

🇫🇮 Viki @Royalcombat96 Tuominen

🇫🇮 Kalle @Eashl_kalle Tauriainen

🇫🇮 Kasper @khassu-- Rantanen

In one of the most dominant campaigns that we have seen in Lite Division history, (1) Nordic Stars have been crowned Lite Division Champions for the ECL '24: Spring season. Nordic Stars clinched the title with a 4-0 series sweep against (3) Zenegeim in the Finals. They are the third team in Lite Division history to win the title as the top overall seed, joining Sack Brothers (ECL 10) and Bjorkloven Esport (ECL 11) as the only teams to have done so.
 

Nordic Stars' ECL 24' Spring Lite championship roster pictured from left to right: @Macentoitunu @Vire30 @Katunarski @Kim_20_00_ @Jerax13 @SakkeTheEngineer

Led by an experienced core group of players that has spent much of its time in the Pro and Elite divisions, Nordic Stars were able to put together one of the most impressive seasons that we have seen in some time; compiling a record of 23-1-0-2 during the regular season for 71 points in the standings, losing just two games during that time and earning the top seed in the playoff bracket. They then continued their dominant form in the postseason; only losing one game during their playoff run, a 2-1 loss against (6) Sawolanche in Game 4 of the Semifinals. 

After last playing in the Elite Division in the ECL '23: Spring season, Nordic Stars returned to the ECL this season and opted to make the move back down to the Lite Division. Nordic Stars is one of the ECL's original 50 teams, as the club debuted during the ECL's inaugural season in 2015. The club has since played in 505 games across various tournaments, accumulating a record of 319-149-47. This is Nordic Stars' first ECL championship in club history.

We got to chat with Nordic Stars captain Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho, who has been with the club since ECL 8 and became the team's main captain in ECL 11 about the team's dominant run, why they made the decision to move to the Lite Division and what this title victory means to him and the team.

Vire Interview:

Nordic Stars' Road to the Championship:

• Regular Season: 23-1-0-2 (71pts) - 1st in Group 3, 1st overall in Lite Division
• Round 1: 4-0 series win vs (32) Hirvikolari
• Round 2: 4-0 series win vs (25) Refuse To Lose
• Quarterfinals: 4-0 series win vs (24) Hopfensmoothie HC
• Semifinals: 4-1 series win vs (6) Sawolanche
• Finals: 4-0 series win vs (3) Zenegeim

 Nordic Stars' ECL '24: Spring - Lite Championship Roster

🇫🇮 Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho (C)

🇫🇮 Jere @Jerax13 Hällström (A)

🇫🇮 Bajram @Katunarski Xhafa (A)

🇫🇮 Marcus @Macentoitunu Laurinen

🇫🇮 Kim @Kim_20_00_ Suokas

🇫🇮 Saku @SakkeTheEngineer Liponen

After multiple weeks of competition featuring some of the best 1v1 players in Europe, a champion has been crowned for the ECL '24: Spring 1v1 season. Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen clinched the title after defeating Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 2-1 in a best-of-three finals series. 

Pikkarii's Road to the Championship:

• Regular Season: 4-0-2-0 (14pts) - 1st in Group 3, 4th overall
• Round 1: 2-0 series win vs (13) bystrom__
• Quarterfinals: 2-0 series win vs (7) Halkian-price
• Semifinals: 2-1 series win vs (6) Easychasniper2
• Finals: 2-1 series win vs (2) NikkeDangles

We also got to have a word with Pikkarii on our broadcast after his championship-clinching victory.
 

Pikkarii Interview:

Though @Pikkarii was able to take home the Spring season title, as well as the 300€ prize for the tournament winner, he and each of our four semifinalists have clinched a spot for the ECL 1v1 Grand Finals and will be joined by the four semifinalists from the Winter season, which Erik @Eki Tammenpää won in March. Below are the four semifinalists from each season that will be participating.
 

ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Finals Participants:

Winter

🥇 Erik @Eki Tammenpää
🥈Teemu @temppanen Karvonen
🥉 Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund
🥉 Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen

Spring

🥇Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen
🥈Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
🥉Arttu @Artuzio Mustila
🥉Luka @Og Maakari Rönn

The ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Finals will be played on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th of July. The exact time for the Grand Finals will be announced soon. Make sure to follow SportsGamerGG on its social media platforms to stay up-to-date on upcoming information regarding the tournament.

There will be live coverage ofof the Grand Finals on Twitch, YouTube and X.

Two great stories. Two impressive playoff runs. This all is coming to an end with an interesting final series between Darra Stars and KohKae Esports. In this article, we dig deep into the ECL '24: Spring - Core Finalists and what you can expect in this series.


 

(5) Darra Stars vs KohKae Esports (14) 

By making it into the finals, both clubs have already secured their spot in ECL Lite division, but neither of them are getting ahead of themselves thinking of next season as they are hungry to end their season with a glorious victory. Let's have a look at how they got here, the statistics behind their runs, and also hear some of their thoughts!

 Darra Stars road to the finals:

Round 1: 4-0 vs Clowns On Ice

Round 2: 4-2 vs Moscow Capitals

Quarterfinals: 4-2 vs Wida

Semifinals: 4-2 vs Saucer Hockey
 

 KohKae Esports road to finals:

Round 1: 4-0 vs TRAINING GROUND

Round 2: 4-0 vs Lutunilkat

Quarterfinals: 4-0 vs Prowlers

Semifinals: 4-2 vs ARMEIJAN KURI

Team Statistics Deep Dive

Diving into statistics, the first comparison worth noting is their special team play. So far in the playoffs, KohKae has 42 powerplay opportunities scoring 9 powerplay goals (21,43%) compared to Darra Stars' 37 powerplays turning on the red light 6 times (16,21%). This statistic goes a little bit in KohKae's favor but it's so close that it's impossible truly to judge who has more firepower when on the man advantage. I believe this will be a fundamental and interesting point to follow in this series, especially since both teams' penalty minutes are also very close: KohKae 44 and Stars 50.

Now, a word about puck possession and movement; Darra Stars' time with the puck in minutes 417:91 and KohKae's 350:41. Based on this difference, we might expect to see the Stars trying to build their plays with more discipline passing and having possession in the offensive zone while KohKae might be trying to get it done with a shutdown defense and counter-attacks.

But speaking about passing, which team has been sending them with more precision into their teammates' stick blades? Once again, the stats are close, but with a slight advantage for Kohkae. Stars completed passes compared to attempted ones 2190/2831 (77,36%) and KohKae 1987/2489 (79,83%). It will also be interesting to see if either team will play a more physical game since that is another one of their statistical similarities in playoffs: Stars with 244 hits (11,1 per game) and KohKae 230 hits (12,8 per game).

Individual Statistics and Players to Watch

Like always, we can't talk enough about goalies so let's check how they have done their job so far. KohKae's @khassu-- has continued his outstanding performance between the pipes and like in our Semifinals Preview he sits in the #1 spot in both playoffs save% of 90.95% and goals against average of 1.06. Meanwhile, the #2 spot holder in GAA happens to be Stars goalie @MietuskaXIV with 1.73. It's safe to say at this point that we will have the top 2 goalies of the Core division having a showdown against each other!

@Aika_Suklaata has continued his successful playoff run and is still sitting comfortably as the #1 Core playoffs point scorer with 27 goals, and 28 assists, totaling 55 points. Having a guy like this must give his teammates a lot of confidence, but obviously, this also puts some pressure on Aika_Suklaata to continue to be seen in the scoresheet throughout this final series.

The same can be said about KohKae's @Joona41 who is the top goal scorer of the playoffs with 31 goals in 18 games played. It will be interesting to see how both teams have studied their opponents and which of these star players will turn out to be more valuable.

Besides Aika_Suklaata, Darra Stars have two other players in the Top 8 playoff points: #3 @MrRelw with 12 goals and 34 assists, totaling 46 points and #8 @isoraitti10 25 goals and 16 assists, totaling 41 points. We have to go all the way to spots #23-25 to find second second-best KohKae point producers, @Royalcombat96 @TenkaRolle @Eashl_kalle everyone with 25 points. KohKae can't only rely on Joona41's magic when they know that the Stars have been shining with a wider set of top point scorers. They have to find more depth in their roster to be able to lift the trophy. Like we witnessed in the Stanley Cup finals - even if one guy tallys up absolutely ridiculous numbers, it may not be enough to achieve the final destination.

Captain Interviews

We had a chance to talk to the team captains before the finals, here's what they had to say:

Do you know anything about your upcoming opponent's playstyle and are there any familiar players? 

@LihaPoni90, KohKae Esports: "Some Stars players are familiar to us, and whether we know how they are playing... i don't give any comments about that 😉"

@Aika_Suklaata, Darra Stars: "We have been getting a little bit familiar with KohKae's playstyle already in casual games but also in eHockey SM 2024 when we were in the same group and played very tight games against them. They are definitely a playoff team and they deserve to be in the final - what an amazing playoff run. I'm sure that we will face a team that defends very hard, and plays a straightforward playstyle with counterattacks. They have been lacking in scoring depth but they made progress with that too in their semifinal series. Also @khassu-- has been the best goalie of these playoffs."

Do you feel like your own team's playstyle and strategies have been staying similar and consistent during this season or have you gone through some kind of progress?

@LihaPoni90: "We had a little break and missed last season (ECL '24: Winter), so the start of our season was a little bit of finding each other again. We had good games and bad games, the end of the regular season was okay. Our game got better and better, we tried different things and found things that work for us. Playing feels good and we have a very good team spirit! Confidence has grown bigger and bigger! And our goalie.. oh my! 🎩 Good to be captain of a team like this!"

@Aika_Suklaata: "Our ECL '24 Winter Core season was a big disappointment because of a playoffs Round 1 exit, and because of that we had tough times with our lack of confidence and we were not sure about the future of this club. But participating in eHockey SM 2024 was a big step up for us because we learned how to play a better 5-man unit defense against tough teams as an underdog. Our trap has been poisonous for our opponents this season and it has been a big key point to our success now. Also, we got @MietuskaXIV to join us, a steady and stable goalie with experience from higher ECL divisions. Operating in the offensive zone has felt very secure when you know that you have goalie and defense like this."

After winning your semifinal series, how have you prepared for the final? Lots of training sessions or more like a relaxed mindset?

@LihaPoni90: "After the semifinals, we started our Street Hockey Tour in Helsinki, so some kind of training in real life! 😃 (btw, we won the tournament there!). But of course, relaxing is important too. Small training sessions this week and a little session before the finals! We are ready! 💪"

@Aika_Suklaata: "After the semifinal, we just relaxed for a week but these days before finals we have been training. And yeah, we have been watching KohKae closely since Round 2 of playoffs."

Predictions:

@Pekedipeks: Darra Stars 4-3 

@Pensasmies: Darra Stars 4-2 

Follow the Playoff streams

Games 1-2: Wednesday, June 26th, 20:45 CET: https://twitch.tv/LihaPoni90
(Game 3 will be played if the series is tied at 1-1)

The rest of the series will be played on the SportsGamer Broadcast on Thursday, June 27th

https://twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG

Who do you think will win the ECL Core Championship? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!

In this article, we’ll provide you with an in-depth analysis of both teams, how they managed to get to the championship, interviews, and much more!

(1) Nordic Stars vs Zenegeim (3)

Both teams have had quite the run this postseason, easily advancing from every round. Zenegeim not losing a single game so far, and Nordic Stars losing only three times is quite the accomplishment too, but after watching both teams from the opposing side, this writer can confidently say both teams play in the wrong division and we'll see both playing in the Pro division next season, and I suspect both will make the playoff there too if the rosters stay the same.

When both teams are on their game, the puck moves extremely well within the teams. This will be a good series for Lite teams to follow if they want a good look at what it takes to make it far in the Pro playoffs. Dare I say that neither team is known for their good defense? With both teams losing for a combined 3 games for the entire playoffs, there still is a very well-rounded defensive responsibility within both teams. @Esko-etikka (90,8% save percentage and 0,94 GAA) & @SakkeTheEngineer (86,31 and 1,94 GAA) both boast impressive stats with the number one spot going to the Zenegeim goalie (for now).

Before the season even started we had a clear favorite to win the Lite division. They’ve played together in previous seasons with good results and they're playing on that same level again this season. It has come to nobody's surprise that they’re in the finals. The team in question? Nordic Stars.

With the entire forward group placed at the top 3 in points, they now face their toughest challenge yet, with @Vire30 & @Jerax13 going for the all-time record in points, they’re going to fall just short now boasting 64 & 62 points each in these playoffs so far, they now face a stingy defense that haven’t lost a game yet. (There are games from previous series that haven't been reported and the points total could be higher)

With a strong offense, comes a defenceman with a lot of points, @katunarski has taken the responsibility on himself to deliver those points (5+31), with a plethora of experience from the highest division in Sportsgamer, the experience and certainty he brings to the blueline is impossible to replace. 

@SakkeTheEngineer taking the responsibility between the pipes for the number one seeded team has been playing on a different level, for those of you who don't know this is his first ECL season between the pipes, playing as a defenceman the year before this, quite an accomplishment.

Zenegeim has had an incredible run, as previously stated they haven’t lost a single game in these playoffs, sweeping all rounds including an impressive one against Mights in the semifinals, with all players contributing to this impressive run, they are indeed firing on all cylinders.

Even with a run like this, there are standout players, most notably @Esko-etikka, he boasts a 0.94 GAA, when a goalie lets in under a goal per game they really do give their team a good chance to take home the win. Another player who has taken a big role for Zengeim is @imosi, as their primary goal scorer he has netted an impressive 29 goals in 16 games, so far. If Zengeim wants to take on this Nordic Stars team, they once again need to rely on @imosi to light that red lamp.

Defense wins championships, ever heard of that line? With 16 games played, Zenegeim has let in 15 goals, and as we mentioned their goalie has been good, but a goalie is only as good as the defense in front of him. With @Juhaniz- making the jump from forward to defense you never know what you’re going to get, he impressed me personally with his defense-first mentality giving his partner @Saviinainen the more offensive role in the team, as a captain this is what we like to see putting his team first and his own points last.

We asked the captains some questions before the finals:

How have you prepared for these finals, and have you changed anything?

@Vire30: "We haven’t really prepared, haven’t played at all since the semifinal series against Sawolanche since our timetables haven’t matched up, now we’ll enjoy the midsummer and see how it goes. We’re not going to change anything, but obviously since all teams are different we’ll adapt to Zenegeim, but since we don’t really have any tactics they will surely adapt during the series."

@Juhaniz-: "We’re aware of how Nordic Stars will play and it’s going to take a tight defense and good man marking since they like those one-timers so much, we also need to have our heads up since they play very physical, but playing our own game is the most important thing”

“Who would you say is the weakest and strongest link from Zenegeim/Nordic Stars?”

@Vire30: "We haven’t really played against Zengeims roster at all, tough to say really anything but looking at the stats Imosi1 has 29 goals which is really impressive. Tough to find a weakness but I'm sure we’ll exploit Juhaniz’s side in offense."

@Juhaniz-: "Katunarski is surely the most creative player, with Vire they can create some nasty plays even in the finals."

What will it take to hoist that trophy and what does it mean to you on a personal level?

@Vire30: "I believe we’ll win just by playing our own game, and keep our level over half the games. Winning is always fun and the championship has been our goal this season. My own goal was to have fun with friends this season, and winning a championship would be icing on the cake."

@Juhaniz-: "Lifting the trophy requires two well-balanced nights from us, and that we stick to our own game, and as I said in earlier in the interview that it requires good team defense and that we exploit the few mistakes they make. Personally I’ve won already but my goal was to secure a spot in pro and that we already accomplished, but it’s always nice to win."

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: 4-1 Zengegeim

@MCH_98: 4-3 Zengeim

@JepuXI: 4-2 Nordic Stars

Follow the Playoff streams:

Games 1-3: Monday, June 24th:

20:00 CEST: https://twitch.tv/juhaniz_
20:00 CEST: https://twitch.tv/nordicstarshockey

Games 4-7: Tuesday, June 25th:

19:45 CEST https://twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG

Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

A champion has been crowned in the Pro Division for the ECL '24: Spring season, as Almost Famous defeated Falun Coal Miners in five games to win the ECL Pro Championship and have now clinched their place in the Elite Division for the start of the ECL '25 season.
 

Almost Famous's ECL 24' Spring Pro championship roster pictured from left to right: @Ikavalko @jezbaru @Oxdoggi @grontti88 @Jalkkin- @xrikardo55

This championship is the first for Almost Famous in their long history in the ECL. The club was established in 2018 and has participated in 444 games, compiling a record of 252-145-46 over the years in various competitions. The team made the Lite Division Finals in ECL 5 and the Pro Semifinals in ECL 6. They would later qualify for the Elite Division and compete there from ECL 7-10. However, the club was never able to find sustained success in the ECL's top division, as they stayed there for four seasons before finishing last in the division in ECL 10 and disbanding a season later. The club was defunct until this past season when it made its return after over three years. They attempted to qualify for the Pro Division, but fell short after losing in the semifinals of the Pro qualifier. This led them to the Lite Division, where they did make a Semifinals appearance before losing to the eventual champions Bone Breakers in seven games. They would however win the Bronze matchup to take home third-place in Lite and earn automatic promotion to the Pro Division for this season. 

Not only does this title victory mark for an amazing comeback story, but it also makes for a bit of league history as well. With this championship, Almost Famous are the first team in ECL history to win the Pro Division championship after failing to qualify for the division the season prior. They are also the first team to win the Pro Division championship in their first season after being promoted from a lower division.

Following their Game 5 victory to clinch the title, we got to speak with Almost Famous' captain and center Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko, who has been a captain of the team since its beginnings in 2018 and spoke with us about their amazing playoff run, player's that stepped up for the team and his excitement to finally be crowned a champion in the ECL with the team that he helped build.

Ikavalo Interview:

Almost Famous' Road to the Championship:

• Regular Season: 14-3-5-8 (53pts) - 4th in Group 1, 8th overall in Pro Division
• Round 1: 4-2 series win vs (5) Supernatural
• Quarterfinals: 4-1 series win vs (3) Deadly Phantoms
• Semifinals: 4-2 series win vs (7) RYHTIC
• Finals: 4-1 series win vs (1) Falun Coal Miners

 Almost Famous' ECL '24: Spring - Pro Championship Roster

🇫🇮 Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko (CAPTAIN)

🇫🇮 Miikka @grontti88 Gröhn (CAPTAIN)

🇫🇮 Eren @Jalkkin- Yalçin (CAPTAIN)

 🇫🇮 Teukka @Oxdoggi Niemistö

🇫🇮 Riku @xrikardo55 Ojala

🇫🇮 Jesse @jezbaru Ruuskanen

The ECL Spring 24 season came to a close on Saturday in the Elite Division, as Tunnel Vision defeated Valokuitunen Esports in a four-game sweep to win the ECL Elite Championship.

This championship is Tunnel Vision's third ECL title in club history, with all three being won over the past four seasons. This also ranks them second all-time in Elite Division titles won by a club, as they now trail just Valokuitunen Esports (formerly hREDS) who have four.
 

Tunnel Vision's ECL 24' Spring Elite championship roster pictured from left to right: @jxrska @benuh_ @Laiitinen @wengerii @tomboo- @Laiitinen @Pikkarii @pelkonen-

This trophy not only cements Tunnel Vision's place amongst the best clubs in ECL history, but it also could be a "happily ever after" ending to the club's amazing story and journey in the ECL. The team has referred to their playoff run as their "last dance", meaning that this could be the last time we see this group on the ice together for the foreseeable future. Tunnel Vision debuted in the Pro Division in ECL 11 and qualified for the Elite Division in ECL 12 after winning a relegation series against Team LEISURE (now Deadly Phantoms). The team has competed in exactly 700 ECL games as of this writing, compiling a record of 494-145-61. In the Elite Division, they've earned six playoff appearances, five finals appearances, and three Elite Division championships. 

Their most notable campaign came in the ECL '23 Winter Season, where they finished the regular season with a 27-0-3 record (57pts), becoming the first-ever Elite Division team to finish the regular season without a regulation loss. They would later that season win the club's first Elite Division title in a seven-game series against Frölunda HC and would go on to represent the ECL in the 2023 World Finals at Assembly Winter '23 in Helsinki. 

After their championship-clinching victory against Valokuitunen on Saturday, Connor @MartindalexC Martindale and I got to speak with Tunnel Vision RW Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and LW Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen to get their thoughts about the series, their championship, and why this third championship is such a special one for this tight-knit group of friends.

Interview with Laiitinen:

Interview with Vattuyy:

Tunnel Vison's Road to the Championship:

• Regular Season: 15-3-5-7 (56pts) - 3rd in Elite Division
• Quarterfinals: 4-1 series win vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport
• Semifinals: 4-3 series win vs (2) Straikers
• Finals: 4-0 series win vs (1) Valokuitunen Esports

 Tunnel Vision's ECL 24' Spring Championship Roster

🇫🇮 Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen (CAPTAIN)

 🇫🇮 Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (CAPTAIN)

🇫🇮 Veeti @wengerii Paloneva (CAPTAIN)

🇫🇮 Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen

🇫🇮 Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen

🇫🇮 Ben @benuh_ Rinnet

🇫🇮 Jere @jxrska Laukka

🇫🇮 Petri @pelkonen- Pelkonen

If you weren't able to catch the Elite Finals live but want to catch up on all of the action, you can watch the highlights of each game during the series in the video linked below:

SportsGamers,

We are ready to drop the puck on the ECL '24: Spring - Pro Finals. Who will come out on top, win the championship, and punch their ticket for an ECL Elite promotion? Read on to find out our predictions!
 

Falun Coal Miners (1) Almost Famous (8)

With two teams left in the Pro division, one will emerge as the victor, be crowned champion, and take their skills to the Elite division for next season. The stakes are high as only one team can advance and claim the highest prize.

Falun faced a real test in the semis, which culminated in a game 7 double-overtime winner on a penalty shot, which is quite unheard of. Taking down the skilled Mustaa Kultaa was no walk in the park for Falun and they were very close to elimination themselves. With a really great series to be played, they need to be more consistent in closing out the series when in the lead. With @Buffy leading the team in assists (19) and in penalty minutes (18), one of these stats might end up being quite important and he will need to keep his penalties to a minimum if Falun wants that trophy.

In a series where almost everyone was against them, Almost Famous prevailed and took down a strong team in RYHTIC. Their offense played a big part scoring 16 goals in 6 games, but more importantly, their defense proved to be good; for a team not known for their team defense conceding a mere 13 goals in 6 games is indeed impressive. @Jalkkin- is having a postseason to remember - he’s doing it all for Almost Famous who is facing one last obstacle. Jalkkin can really play at an Elite level, with quick puck movement and creative forwards.

We had a chance to talk with Falun Coal Miners captain Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt and Almost Famous captain Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko before the series - here's what they had to say:

What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team?

@l-Furyan-l: "Well, personally I go all the way back to 2018 with Almost Famous, and its captain and franchise player Ikavalko. He's remained the one constant for that team throughout the years - when they've been active - and even now, six years later, he is still leading the charge as a top center in the league... and in the community as a whole. AF is quite the powerhouse, though, and have multiple difference-makers. Another one that comes to mind is offensively gifted defender Jalkkin, who has been lights out in the playoffs thus far."

@Ikavalko: "Falun is a dangerous counter-attacking team. Especially their wingers play deep in the neutral zone, the defensemen are going for long passes down the wing and will keep our defensemen busy as soon as they get interceptions. Strandmannen not only knows how to follow this plan well but also knows how to challenge with the puck. We need to take away the space from him. Furyan can support attacks when he's in possession of the puck, so we need to minimize the time he has to play the puck as well. We have to be able to win the rebounds that our opponent throws at our net."

How have you prepared for the series and have you changed anything now that we are going into the Pro Finals?

@l-Furyan-l: "Well, we've rested a bit. Ran a practice or two and just talked things over. When you get this deep into the playoffs, not to mention the summer, it is not going to make a difference if you force the team to run one or two extra practice sessions. What will make a difference is staying loose, keeping the team spirit up and making sure the energy levels are fully replenished going into next round"

@Ikavalko: "We haven't played much since the semifinals.I think it's had a positive effect. After some time off, everyone can fully concentrate on one more playoff series."

What will it take for your team to win the ECL Pro Championship and what would that mean for you?

@l-Furyan-l: "I think it is going to take everything we've got and then some, if we are to win this thing. AF has been the hottest team in the playoffs, one could argue, and is peaking at exactly the right time. At the same time, we can't control how well they play. Not entirely. What we can control is how we play, how well we execute the things that have gotten us this far, and how much fun we have together. I genuinely think the team that has the most fun together over these two days will win this series. 

I'd rather not talk too much before the start of the series about what potentially winning would mean to me. Should I be lucky enough to be back here talking to you once the finals are over, I'm sure me or one of my teammates could elaborate further then."

@Ikavalko: "We will keep control of the puck, because offense is our strength. We won't be afraid of mistakes and we will enjoy the tight final games. Our individual talent for deciding the games is at a higher level, which will be a hopefully be the difference maker for us in the series. And as for the importance of winning, this is the "second coming" of AF. 
The first time ended with a back-to-back ascent from Lite to Elite as the first team in the scene. Of course, that was through qualification, so it would be cool to win the championship this time. I've played in many finals too, but the brightest medal is something I haven't had the pleasure of winning yet. That first win would be great to do with a team consisting of my IRL workmate (@grontti88), @xrikardo55 who is making a wild ascent to be one of the top players, and my long-time teammate @Jalkkin- - and of course overall the team is full of great guys."

Inside the Numbers: Finals Analysis

 Falun Coal Miners:

• Out of their 17 playoff games so far, 11 of Falun’s games were decided by a goal (7-4 in those games and 5-2 in OT games)
• In these playoffs, Falun have a record of just 3-4 in games that they can clinch the series
• Falun’s players have blocked 81 shots this postseason (an average 4.76 per game)

 Almost Famous:

• 13 of their last 14 games coming into this series were decided by 1 goal
• Have had more time-on-attack than their opponents in 15 of their 17 playoff games, including in 12 straight
• Lost LW Valee to a midseason transfer to Bjorkloven. He was replaced by Oxdoggi from Otukset and has been a key contributor
   

Players to watch: @STRANDMANNEN11 & @Ikavalko
 

Predictions: 

@bMaJuH 4-2 Falun Coal Miners 

@hifk_FANI: 3-4 Almost Famous 

Watch the series live:  twitch.tv/CoalMinersTV,  twitch.tv/mkine

FOLLOW THE ECL PRO FINALS LIVE

You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division Finals on our Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, June 18th.

Additionally, you can follow the teams' own coverage today, Monday, June  17th, using the links provided above.

Who do you think will win the ECL Pro Championship? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!

 (1) Valokuitunen Esports vs (3) Tunnel Vision  

After outlasting 14 other teams in the deepest ECL Elite season in recent memory, just two sides remain to decide a champion Valokuitunen Esports and Tunnel Vision square off in the Finals for a second straight season and for the third time overall. However this season's matchup means little bit more than usual, as while Valokuitunen is hoping to continue to cement their place in ECL history with a record-setting fifth Elite championship, Tunnel Vision is looking to win its third title in the last four seasons, cementing their place as an official dynasty in European NHL esports, and doing so in what has been said to be viewed the team's "last dance" with this group.

So how did the teams get here? Who has performed? How do they matchup and what are the big storylines? We've got everything covered here that you need to know as we get ready for another exciting championship matchup. 
 

 Valokuitunen Esports

How They Got Here

• Regular Season: 20-2-2-6 (66pts) - 1st in Elite Division
• 4-3 series win vs (8) The Black Jacks
  • 3-2 OTW,  1-2 L,  4-1 W,  1-3 L,  1-0 W,  1-2 L,  3-1 W
• 4-1 series win vs (5) EXEN
  • 2-1 OTW,  2-0 W,  1-2 OTL,  4-1 W,  5-1 W

Season Summary

It's honestly not surprising to see Valokuitunen Esports back at this stage. After all, they are four-time Elite Division champions and the defending champions this season for a reason. They dominated the regular season and came into the playoffs as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions. However, Valokuitunen faced their first bit of adversity in the form of The Black Jacks, who pushed them to a full seven-game series during the quarterfinals. During this series, Valokuitunen looked out of sorts to their standard, making uncharacteristic mistakes and even at times letting their frustrations get the best of them during this series. You could argue that the group was lucky to get past this series, but you can't always win pretty in these playoffs and no opponent is an easy foe, and Valokuitunen did what they needed to do to get past the pesky eighth seed. In the semifinals, the orange and white looked like a different team. They controlled the possession game, forced EXEN out of their comfort zone, and dominated the game throughout most of the series, dropping just one game in the series, a 1-2 double-overtime loss in Game 3. This makes me believe that their performance against The Black Jacks was a mere blip; an outlier from a team that has put up masterful performances countless times over the past few years, now the question is whether they can repeat those successes against a hungry Tunnel Vision team that has tested them mightily over the years.

Projected Starting Lineup

• LW - Roope @pikkuroger Bergström - (11 GP, 17 PTS, 8 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 23.5% SHOOTING PERCENTAGE, 3 GWG)
• C - Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen - (12 GP, 14 PTS, 7 GOALS, 7 ASSISTS, 54.1% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE)
• RW - Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen - (12GP, 17 PTS, 11 GOALS, 6 ASSISTS, 63 SHOTS)
• LD - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen - (12GP, 12 PTS, 12 ASSISTS, 43 TAKEAWAYS, 88 INTERCEPTIONS)
• RD - Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila - (12 GP, 10 PTS, 10 ASSISTS, 66 HITS, 34 TAKEAWAYS, 18 BLOCKED SHOTS)
• G - Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes - (12 GP, 89.12% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 1.33 GAA, 147 SHOT FACED, 3 SHUTOUTS, 27 SHUTOUT PERIODS)

Notable Finals Storylines

• This is Valokuitunen's 6th ECL Elite Finals Appearance (They are 4-1 in Finals series' in the Elite Division)
   
• Defending ECL Elite Division champions, defeated Tunnel Vision in the Finals in 7 games last season
   
• A series victory would make it the first time that a team has won back-to-back championships multiple times
   
• A series victory will extend Valokuitunen's record for the all-time lead in ECL Elite Division championships (5). The next closest teams are Straikers and HAVU Gaming (3 each).

 Tunnel Vision

How They Got Here

• Regular Season: 15-3-5-7 (56pts) - 3rd in Elite Division
   
• 4-1 series win vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport
  • 1-0 W,  5-1 W,  3-2 W,  0-1 L,  5-2 W
     
• 4-3 series win vs (2) Straikers
  • 3-4 L,  4-3 OTW,  3-1 W,  3-5 L,  0-4 L,  2-1 W,  1-0 W

Season Summary

The peaks and valleys of Tunnel Vision's Spring campaign can be tracked all the way back to the beginning of the season. This team was quite simply not up to their standard during the regular season, as though they were still one of the best teams in the division offensively, their defensive play and goaltending took a significant step back. Not only this, but their 12 overall losses (7 in regulation and 5 in overtime) was their highest number since the ECL 12 season, where they lost 19 total games (14 in regulation and 5 in overtime) and missed the playoffs after an 11th place finish in the standings (I think people often forget how far this team has come over the last few years). Because of all of these things, there were genuine discussions about whether or not this team could make it back to the top as they came into the playoffs in below-average form and just simply didn't look like the dominant unit that the Elite division has come to know. But in the fashion of any true champion, Tunnel Vision hit its stride once playoff time came around. They took down a feisty but inexperienced Bjorkloven Esport team in the Quarterfinals and made a statement in doing so with their dominant play on both ends of the ice. This set up another classic matchup between them and Straikers in the semifinals. This series was pretty much the perfect encapsulation of what Tunnel Vision's season has been. Mired with inconsistency. Moments of brilliance, mixed with moments of question. Quite frankly, Tunnel Vision looked dead in the water after Game 5 of this series, but just like they did going into the playoffs, Tunnel Vision stepped up their game when they needed it most, stealing Games 6 and 7 to clinch their spot in the Finals. Tunnel Vision's championship hopes will depend on which version of the group will show up for each game. The team that has been mired by defensive woes in the regular season, or the high-octane team that has emerged as one of the best teams in the world in its dominant run over the past two years.

Projected Starting Lineup

LW - Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen - (12 GP, 22 PTS, 13 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 60 SHOTS, 0:00 PIMS)

C - Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen - (12 GP, 16 PTS, 8 GOALS, 8 ASSISTS, 50.9% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE)

RW - Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen - (12GP, 22 PTS, 10 GOALS, 12 ASSISTS, 44 SHOTS)

LD - Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen - (12GP, 8 PTS, 8 ASSISTS, 61 HITS, 15 BLOCKED SHOTS, 97 INTERCEPTIONS)

RD - Veeti @wengerii Paloneva - (12 GP, 12 PTS, 2 GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, 36 TAKEAWAYS)

G - Ben @benuh_ Rinnet - (12 GP, 80.95% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 2.00 GAA, 126 SHOTS FACED, 2 SHUTOUTS, 23 SHUTOUT PERIODS)

Notable Finals Storylines

• Tunnel Vision are making their fifth-consecutive ECL Elite Division Finals appearance (2-2 in Finals series)
   
• Won back-to back ECL Elite Championship in ECL '23: Winter and Spring, including representing Europe in the 6v6 eHockey World Finals in 2023
   
• A title victory will give Tunnel Vision its third Elite Division title, this would also tie them with Straikers and HAVU Gaming for the second-most Elite Division championships in ECL history. This would also make them just one shy of Valokuitunen's current record of four Elite championships
   
• Tunnel Vision is 1-2 against Valokuitunen all-time in ECL playoff series. They are 0-2 in Finals series' against them

The Regular Season Series (both games were played on May 6)

 2-1 Tunnel Vision W 

Tunnel Vision Notable Stats: 

- @Vattuyy and @Laiitinen each had a goal in the 2nd period, both at even strength

- @benuh_ made 18 saves on 19 shots for Tunnel Vision, earning a 94.74% save percentage 

- Tunnel Vision's only goal allowed came on the penalty kill

- Three Tunnel Vision skaters (@tomboo-, @Laiitinen and @Vattuyy) were credited with six or more interceptions
 

Valokuitunen Notable Stats: 

- Valokuitunen outshot Tunnel Vision 19-13; and had 9:12 time on attack compared to Tunnel Vision's 7:35

- Valokuitunen's skaters combined for 34 giveaways, Tunnel Vision's combined for just 20

- @Beniittto scored Valokuitunen's lone goal in 3rd period

- @FINSeRe earned an 84.62% save percentage despite the loss, making 11 saves on 13 shots

 3-0 Valokuitunen Esports W

Valokuitunen Notable Stats: 

- @Beniittto scored the game-winning goal in the first period at 13:37

- @Beniittto (2 goals) and @pikkuroger (1 goal and 1 assist) were the only players who had at least a point in this game

- Valokuitunen's skaters combined for 45 giveaways, Tunnel Vision's skaters combined for 32

- @FINSeRe stopped all 10 shots that he faced. This win was one of 10 shutouts that he earned during the regular season, which led all Elite Division Goalies 

Tunnel Vision Notable Stats: 

- Tunnel Vision outshot Valokuitunen 10-8, and also had 10:16 of time on attack compared to Valokuitunen's 8:53

- This game was 1 of only 2 games in the regular season in which Tunnel Vision was shutout (2-0 L vs Straikers on May 15)

- Allowed two goals in the last 30 seconds of the game (at 59:44 and 59:53)

- @tomboo- registered 7 takeaways and 10 interceptions in this game

Stat of the Series: In each of their last three playoff meetings, the series was decided in a Game 7. Each Game 7 was decided by one goal, and two of the three were won in overtime.

Prediction

I promise that I don't mean to dramatize or overstate things, but this feels like one of the biggest Finals matchups that we have had in the Elite Division over the past few seasons. What makes this different? Well, history. Valokuitunen Esports are looking to cement their place as the top team in the history of the ECL, something that some could argue they have already done. However, by beating Tunnel Vision in another Finals series and earning a record-extending fifth Elite title, their spot as the top dogs in Elite history feels like it could be set in stone for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Tunnel Vision has epitomized what it means to climb the ranks of the ECL. They earned their way from the Pro Division into the Elite Division after winning a relegation series in ECL 11 against Deadly Phantoms (then known as Team LEISURE). They missed the playoffs in their first Elite season during ECL 12, but have made it to the postseason every season since, and have emerged as one of the top squads in Europe with two Elite Division trophies to back it up. However, times could soon be changing for this group, as there has been word around the community that the team is treating this playoff run as "the last dance". What this means for the future of the club is unknown to the public, but it seems like considerable changes could be coming for this team after this game cycle. This means that this is potentially Tunnel Vision's last chance to further cement their legacy and even more importantly, this could be the last chance to play on this stage with this same group, or at least for the time being. It's history book vs storybook, and only one can prevail in this series.

I think that Tunnel Vision has as good of a chance as anyone to beat this Valokuitunen side. They know what it takes to do it as they have done it before in the playoffs, and the motivation of wanting to end this era at the top of the ECL mountain will be something that you'd think can give them a good boost. However, the inconsistencies in their game this season leave me concerned, and though Valokuitunen did struggle against The Black Jacks in their quarterfinal series, that felt like more of an outlier than Tunnel Vision's struggles have. These two teams are as closely matched as it gets, so I have zero expectation of being right or wrong on this prediction. However, I think that consistency has to mean something, and Valokuitunen has been as consistent as it gets.

 Valokuitunen in 7

FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE

You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X

Tune in on Friday, June 14th at 20:00 CEST for games 1-3 and on Saturday, June 15th at 19:00 CEST for the rest of the best-of-7 series!

Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may not have covered? Let me know in the comments!

SportsGamers,

We are down to the TOP 8 team in the form of the Quarterfinals. Let's take a look at our schedule and matchups.

Schedule

• Playoffs (BO5)
  • Quarterfinals: 
    • Wednesday 12.6
    • Sunday 16.6
    • Deadline: Monday 17.6
  • Semifinals: 
    • Wednesday 19.6
    • Sunday 23.6 (we realize this is close to midsummer, so rescheduling as needed is recommended)
  • Finals:
    • 26.-30.6*

* Dates are subject to change as broadcast productions are confirmed.

Quarterfinal matchups:
 Davemiehet (2) vs Coventry Vikings (15) 
 Dynamo Hc (3) vs HC Armata (13) 
 Oljefondet (4) vs Chiefs hockey club (8) 
 UEL TEAM (5) vs  MANCAVExGG (6) 
 

Follow the Playoff streams:

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When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: 

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL24Spring
#eHockey
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We wish all teams the best of luck!

(1) Nordic Stars vs Sawolanche (6) 

A steamrolling Nordic Stars are bound to go all the way to the finals if they keep this up, with losing their first games to Hopfensmoothie HC, even this team can be beaten. Lead by a strong offense, @Vire30 now faces a team who plays strong defense and relies on a few goals per game to win their games.

Sawolanche impressed us by taking down Bushwhackers in a game 7 overtime, with @I_LaiTi_I scoring an absolutely insane Michigan in overtime. They'll have an even more uphill battle, as their foes possess every tool available to take down an opponent.

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: 4-1 Nordic Stars

@Pensasmies: 4-0 Nordic Stars

(3) Zenegeim vs Mights (4) 

With Mights going through, they showed everyone that last year's quarterfinal loss in the Core division wasn't a fluke. With @Saloust77 carrying this team, it'll take more than one guy to take down an impressive roster of players. Even with good team defense, Zenegeim possesses the ability to play on levels Mights have not seen before.

Zenegeim is taking down foe after foe, and they seem to be on a path to face Nordic Stars in an epic final, as they seem unstoppable. However, this Mights team can put up a fight, and surely won't take no for an answer in these semifinals. With @imosi on the right, they really pack a powerful punch on offense.

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: 4-2 Zenegeim

@Pensasmies: 4-0 Zenegeim

Follow the Playoff streams:

Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams.

Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

We have entered the final stretch of the ECL '24: Spring Core season and there are only the top 4 teams remaining. Without further ado, let's take a look at our interesting semifinal matchups!
 

Armeijan Kuri (2) vs KohKae Esports (14) 

Note: At the time of writing, Armeijan Kuri has a 2-1 lead in the series

Armeijan Kuri has really shown army-like discipline all season long and is the top seed in our semifinals because KohKae managed to sweep the #1 seed team Prowlers in the quarterfinals, which was a surprise for everybody. Or was it? It's pretty safe to say that it wasn't a surprise for them after the playoff performance that they pulled off. They are unbeatable so far in the playoffs, which means they had 3 series long sweep streak. Sure, they are now down in this semifinal but the first 3 games have all been 1 goal games: 3-1, 0-1 OT, 1-0. Expect nothing less for the rest of these games!

Both starting goalies already got a shutout each in this series. KohKae's @khassu-- is still number one in the playoffs GAA comparison with an impressive 1.27 goals allowed average, and Armeijan Kuri's @kasuri1 does not fall far from those numbers, although he has a crazy 5 shutouts and has been working his pads off with 222 saves. which is 70 more than khassu-- on the other side of the ice.

@MutainenMalik has been continuing his great rookie season playoff run by not only contributing with points but also bruising up his opponents with 35 hits in this series so far.

@Eashl_kalle is the top-scoring defenseman in the playoffs with 4 goals and also scored an important overtime game-winner for KohKae in game 2.

@Joona41 has been showing firepower in these playoffs, scoring 28 goals in 15 games played, which makes him the top goal scorer of the playoffs at the time of writing. He needs to continue this if they want to turn this series around.

Predictions:

@Pekedipeks: KohKae Esports 4-3 

@Pensasmies: Armeijan Kuri 4-1 

(5) Darra Stars vs Saucer Hockey(8) 

Both of these teams had to go through relatively close quarterfinal series with several 1-goal games and overtimes. Comparing their playoff records we can see their route here has been quite similar: Darra Stars 11W-4L and Saucer Hockey 12W-6L. In my books, this series will be a defensive battle to see who can shut down the other's star players better.

@Miggohell has kept going throughout this playoff run and is definitely Saucer's MVP so far with 18GP 15G+17A=32P and an impressive 127 interceptions.

Stars forward @Aika_Suklaata has also been going strong with consistent performance and is the top point scorer of the semifinalists with 16GP 22G+20A=42P

The goalie battle will be a very interesting one to follow as the goalies have almost identical save%, @MietuskaXIV 87.82% and @Mazu_Pizu 87.34%.

Prediction:

@Pekedipeks Darra Stars 4-2 

@Pensasmies Darra Stars 4-3 

Follow the Playoff streams:

Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams.

Social media:

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: 

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We wish all teams the best of luck!

Only four teams remain in the Spring edition of ECL '24 - which two will we see in the Finals? Read on to find out our predictions!

SERIES 1:

Falun Coal Miners (1) Mustaa Kultaa (10)

In the previous round, both teams took a different road to the semifinals, Mustaa Kultaa overcoming a 3-1 series deficit versus TIKI TALK winning 3 games in a row and showing some real grit in their game. Falun on the other hand did not choke, they took a convincing lead in the series against Golden Sticks, who really fought back and won 2 games in overtime, but in game 6 Falun ran away with it and closed out the series.

Falun who play a physical game, can really annoy their opponents with their style of play, with close to 300 hits in these playoffs their opponent should get some extra padding before they step on the ice for game 1 of the series. @Smayk99 taking the faceoff game seriously in these playoffs, with an impressive 56,1% faceoff percentage, @xHatsi being below the coveted 50% mark could be a dealbreaker. This team has a well-rounded roster and can fire on all cylinders if need be, and Mustaa Kultaa will be dealing with a whole different kind of team in this round.

When a team has momentum in this video game, it’s a force to be reckoned with, Mustaa Kultaa winning 3 straight shows that they really want to win, they’re loaded with confidence and will surely project that into this series. @Allupekkaz taking the biggest responsibility in offense for this team with his 19 points (9+10) in these playoffs shows that his start in Goons wasn’t a mistake, but that he can lead a team far. Mustaa Kultaa have been blessed with the new signing of @LatveX, the wonder goalie who is playing in only his second ECL season and has taken it upon himself to make Elite teams wonder if his services are needed in the highest division in the future, but for now he is stealing games for Mustaa Kultaa left and right, however, their Swedish foes are a well-organized team that can make goalies wish they never turned their consoles on.

We had a chance to talk with the assistant captain  @Buffy for Falun coal Miners before and the assistant captain for Mustaa Kultaa, @Allupekkaz before the series - here's what they had to say:

What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team?

BuffyXll: "Obviously they have loads of talent being one of the teams who were eligble for the preseason Elite Qualification rounds. They have plenty of firepower and proved that by knocking out a team like TikiTalk. Mustaa Kultaa's playoff seed doesn't really reflect the teams higher levels of play, if they put in that sixth gear., they're hard team to stop."

Allupekkaz: "Falun is an extremely dangerous team in the offensive zone, they can turn the puck quickly into offense and move the puck really well there with the help of their defenseman. Furyan is a player who can decide a series with his experience and hockey-iq."

How will you prepare for the series?

BuffyXll: "We've had a couple of days off coming out of a really fun playoff round vs Golden sticks. There is still some time for us to get some practice done and talk about the choices we've made in life."

Allupekkaz: "We'll practice one day, and then see how the opponent plays and make necessary changes."

What will it take for your team to advance to the finals?

BuffyXll: "We need to play our own game and trust our process. We shall keep pushing forward no matter what the costs may be. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in our play. We shall never surrender. "

Allupekkaz: "Tight defense and smart choices in the offensive zone, we'll try to minimize our mistakes and capitalize on theirs."

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: 2-4 Mustaa Kultaa 

@Juhaniz-: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners 

@jubex0r: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners 

@Pensasmies: 4-3 Falun Coal Miners 

Player to watch: @LatveX

Watch the series live:  twitch.tv/CoalMinersTV, twitch.tv/allupekkaz

SERIES 2:

(7) RYHTIC vs Almost Famous (8)

Both teams took it to themselves to take down a higher-seeded opponent, RYHTIC in 6 games vs Poggers, and Almost Famous bested the German powerhouse Deadly Phantoms in 5 games. With the two teams facing off in the regular season, whereas Almost Famous drew the longer straw, taking 5 out of 6 possible points, will this turn out to be the edge they need to take their talent all the way to the Final?

RYHTIC comes in after a good quarterfinal matchup, where they blew out a good Poggers team 6-1 in the deciding game of the series. Now they take on a similar opponent in Almost Famous, who can take their game to their opponent. Can the likes of @MCH_98 & @Sagee95 stop the high octane offense that is Almost Famous? In offense RYHTIC showed they’re not just one of the best defensive teams in Pro, but can take out teams with their goalscoring, @Limbe65 with 14 goals so far this postseason ranks 3rd in that category in these playoffs so far, with his impressive goal scoring touch he’ll be looking to add a lot more, with all forwards on this team playing a 200-foot game, Almost Famous might just find out that scoring is harden then it was before.

When a team can play like Almost Famous can, it comes with certain expectations that results will follow, they can take on almost any team in ECL offensive wise, in 5 games against Deadly Phantoms they conceded 16 times, considering the opponent they have now, and their talents in their own zone, @grontti88 and his SV% of 74,56 needs to be better.

Whilst defense wins championships, this team has the ability to score, so if the defense isn’t there, they might just out-score their opponents anyway, creative forward @ikavalko and offensive defenceman @Jalkkin- who spearhead this offense, can make any team weak in the knees. It's the classic tale of offense vs defense, which will prevail?

We had a chance to talk with the RYHTIC captain @yrjoo and the Almost Famous captain @Ikavalko before the series - here's what they had to say:

What do you know about your upcoming opponent, and who is the difference maker on their team?

Yrjoo: "They are in great form, and played very well so far in these playoffs. They have a great player in every position, but have to pick out Rikardo, just a few seasons ago he played in Neo and now he's fighting for a spot in Pro Finals."

Ikavalko: "I haven't really followed RYHTIC this season, but I'd say they have a lot of "pass-first" kind of players, so their weakness would be their lack of players to make a difference in a series, with the exception of @MCH_98, he can really make a difference with his offense, however, we'll try to make him make mistakes and when we do, the game will turn around really quickly."
 

How will you prepare for the series?

Yrjoo: "The same way as any other series."

Ikavalko: No need to reinvent the wheel here, we'll do our thing and keep the flow going. Focus on our thing and only that is what got us this far."

What will it take for your team to advance to the finals?

Yrjoo: "If we just keep playing the way we have, we'll have a great chance to advance."

Ikavalko: "Smart defense and puck control is what we're focusing on, pressing in the right areas at the right time is how we'll take this series. I think our trickery, creativity, and puck control are better than RYHTIC. They are clearly the better team on defense so we won't take that battle."

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: 4-2 Almost Famous 

@Juhaniz-: 4-3 RYHTIC 

@jubex0r: 4-3 RYHTIC 

@Pensasmies: 4-3 RYHTIC 

Player to watch: @JussinSisko

Watch the series live:  twitch.tv/yrjoo,  twitch.tv/mkine

FOLLOW THE ECL PRO PLAYOFFS LIVE

You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division Quarterfinals on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, June 11th.

Additionally, you can follow the teams' own coverage using the links provided above.

Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!

We're in the Quarterfinals stage in the Core division this ECL ‘24 Spring season, and we have some good matchups to walk you throguh!  

Disclaimer: all of the predictions were made before any games were played. 

 Prowlers (1) vs KohKae Esports (14) 

We're presented with a tantalizing matchup between the top-seeded Prowlers and the 14th seed KohKae Esports. This game promises high drama and intense competition as these two teams battle for a spot in the semifinals.

The Prowlers have been dominant all season, finishing first in Group 2 and continuing their strong form into the playoffs. Key players like @RHannu, who scored 43 goals and 20 assists in the regular season and added 14 goals and 9 assists in the playoffs, have been pivotal. @Kvarneen has also been instrumental with 21 goals and 34 assists in the regular season and 5 goals and 16 assists in the playoffs. The Prowlers' ability to maintain offensive pressure and defensive solidity has made them a formidable opponent.

KohKae Esports, finishing fourth in Group 3, have shown remarkable resilience. @Joona41 has led their charge with 21 goals and 7 assists in the playoffs, backed by strong support from @Royalcombat96 and @TenkaRolle. Their journey has been marked by crucial victories and a gritty determination to succeed.

It's important to note that Kohkae come into the Quarterfinals as one of the hottest teams in the league, as they currently ride on a 16-game win streak that dates back to May 16 (8 wins to end the regular season and two series sweeps in the playoffs).

Prowlers have been the model of consistency in the Core Division this season. They have yet to lose any games in succession, with their longest losing streak this season being just 1 game (including playoffs).

Offensively, the Prowlers boast a potent attack led by RHannu and Kvarneen, capable of shifting the game's momentum swiftly. KohKae relies heavily on Joona41, with support from Royalcombat96, making for an exciting offensive duel.

Defensively, the Prowlers excel at intercepting plays and maintaining puck control, while KohKae’s defense, anchored by @LihaPoni90, has shown resilience under pressure. Special teams will be crucial, with the Prowlers’ effective power play and KohKae’s impressive penalty kill percentage of 88.89% in the playoffs likely to play pivotal roles.

The goalie comparison in the Playoffs is an interesting one: Prowlers’ goaltender, @Tizjeflen, has been reliable throughout the season and playoffs, with a goals against average (GAA) of 2.4 and most importantly playing winning hockey. However, the save percentage of 76.92% in the playoffs could indicate some room for improvement and could be key against a KohKae's offense. Tizjeflen has definitely done their part so far but will need to elevate their game to match the performance levels seen in the regular season.

On the other side of the ice KohKae's goalie, @khassu--, has been pivotal in their playoff journey, showing remarkable performance under pressure. Khassu-- has posted an impressive GAA of 1.25 and a save percentage of 87.65%. These stats highlight their ability to perform in high-stakes situations and keep the team competitive. KohKae's netminder holds the statistical edge in playoff performance, which could be a decisive factor as KohKae Esports look to upset the top-seeded Prowlers in this critical series.

Predictions:

@Pekedipeks: 3-4 KohKae Esports 

@Pensasmies 4-2 Prowlers 

@bMaJuH 4-2 Prowlers 

ChatGPT: 4-1 Prowlers 

Armeijan Kuri (2) vs Silver Sword Griffins (10) 

Interestingly enough, these two teams were both in Group 3 during the regular season, meaning that they met twice. The regular season series was split, with Armeijan Kuri winning 6-2 and Silver Sword Griffins winning 4-3 in regulation. This is the only series in the Quarterfinal where the two teams meeting have played against each other before this season.

During that regular season series, Armeijan Kuri outshot SSG 43-26 and had 18:27 of time on attack compared to SSG's 9:48. In other words, they doubled SSG's offensive production, something that the Griffins will have to improve on if they want to have a chance in this series.

An impact player for SSG will be @SchoolBoyz who currently ranks Top 10 in the playoffs in points with 29, as well as in goals with 16, which matches his regular-season total. 

For Armeijan Kuri, @MutainenMalik will be one to watch. The ECL rookie led this team in points, (54), goals (23), and assists (31) during the regular season. He also was a defensive leader for his team, leading Armeijan Kuri in interceptions (115) and hits (158). He also tied @WIRTAAZKIN47 for the team lead in takeaways with 47.

This series will also feature two of the top goaltenders that the Core Division has to offer, as both @kasuri1 for Ameijan Kuri and @gacorigavecit17 for SSG finished Top 5 in the league in wins and both had an 83.33 SV% during the regular season. 

Predictions:

@Pekedipeks: 4-1 Armeijan Kuri 

@Pensasmies: 4-2 Armeijan Kuri 

@bMaJuH: 4-1 Armeijan Kuri 

ChatGPT: 4-1 Armeijan Kuri 

(1) Nordic Stars vs Hopfensmoothie HC (24) 

After two very different series, these two teams now face each other which should be worth watching, with the number one seed facing a team a lot further down the pecking order.

The coveted number one seed always comes with the position of being the favorite in every series, and this series is no exception. With a sweep in both rounds so far Nordic Stars are the heavy favorite to take another win and advance. With the whole team scoring a lot, it will be interesting to see if someone can keep this pace up and break a record of 95 points (49+46) set by @moilanenC in the ECL 4 - Lite playoffs. For now, the duo of @Jerax13 and @Vire30 are boasting a point-per-game of 4.75 which is on pace to be a Lite record (min 6 games played).

Hopfensmoothie has another upset to make, taking down seed number 2 Oldtimers, in a well-played game 7! Now they need to continue where they left off. With some great leadership and great team defense, they can take this series further than any other team has in these playoffs. With their lineup changing, this can provide a shake-up they will need, however, their captain and backbone @Original-SnuS, has played in all of their 14 games so far. Can Hopfensmoothie continue their streak of game 7s?

We caught up with the Hopfensmoothie HC captain @Original-SnuS for some comments about the series. 

What are your plans for the high powered offense of Nordic Stars?

Original-SnuS: "We just try our best on defense. Our goalie is probably the best in the Lite. With a little playoff toughness, a lot is possible. 😄"

How will the servers play a role in this series?

Original-SnuS: "Unfortunately, the servers play far too big a role in this game. They will have advantages and we will have them. We are used to this, but are they?"

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: Nordic Stars 4-1 

@Pensasmies: Nordic Stars 4-0 

@Pekedipeks: Nordic Stars 4-1 

@MCH_98: Nordic Stars 4-2 

Player to watch: @Katunarski
 

(3) Zenegeim vs DEG eSports (11)

A defensive team vs an offensive team. Both teams surely can provide both - on Tuesday we’ll see who takes the first games when these two teams face each other.

Zenegeim plays a mean style of hockey, they punish the smallest of mistakes on defense and are really dangerous on the counter-attack. With captain @Juhaniz- not providing the offense he usually did when he played winger, this can frustrate even the best of players. @rakkauspakkaus- taking the lead on offense in these playoffs, he’ll surely want more to his name in this series. Can Zenegeim overcome the German server, and advance to the next round?

In a tight series, there are always good games, and not-so-good games. In this series, the team from Düsseldorf needs to string together more of those good games to have a shot at a spot in the semifinals. They’re going to need their top point producers @daaiim0n and @xxICEFORCERxx to do more than they already have in these playoffs - take this team on their backs and carry them offensively. @Meazza1704 has been great so far, with an 86,62% save percentage. If he can keep up the good work, DEG eSports will have a great chance to go through to the next round.

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: Zenegeim 4-1 

@Pensasmies: Zenegeim 4-1 

@Pekedipeks:  Zenegeim 4-2 

@MCH_98: Zenegeim 4-1 

Player to watch: @Esko-etikka

(4) Mights vs Modo Hockey (7) 

This is a series that will go down as a coin flip - both teams possess the right type of style to beat one another - but as always, only one team can win. In this series, we have the privilege to witness two teams who can hold on to the puck at the right times, and not turn over the puck in situations where it’s costly.

Mights took a confident 4-1 series win in their last matchup and absolutely shut down a good offensive team in Ruuti, only conceding 6 hosld in 5 games. If their defense is able to keep up the good work, it won't be a long series. @Saloust77 16 goals in these playoffs puts him in 2nd place in the scoring category - if MoDo Hockey finds a way to keep him quiet in this series, Mights might just not make it.

Taking down former Pro team Pata Hellalla in a sweep, MoDo showed everybody that this is where they belong, riding a 6 game-win streak heading into this matchup, MoDo have a good momentum that might propel them into the next round. Also, a good defensive team, MoDo kept Pata Hellalla to a mere 4 goals in 4 games. Will we see any goals in this series? @MrXbox79will surely have a say in that with his 16 points (5+11), assisting him will be @Mathiasgamer_07.

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: 1-4 MoDo 

@Pensasmies: 4-1 Mights 

@Pekedipeks: 3-4 MoDo 

@MCH_98: 4-3 Mights 

Player to watch: @Maykan

(5) BushWhackers vs Sawolanche (6) 

(written by @Pekedipeks)

This is a matchup between two teams who both got confident series victories in the previous round. BushWhackers had no mercy in sweeping their opponent Seinäjoki Noms, and Sawolanche got a 4-1 win respectably against all our predictions versus xBOTS.

In this series, we will see a matchup of two teams adapting to each other's well-organized playing structures to decide the semifinalist. However, one of the most interesting key points will be the showdown of two rock-solid goalies, @HiBaZiBa- 89,69 SV%, 5 Shutouts, 1.11 GAA and @I_TERTTU_I 88.19 SV%, 4 Shutouts, 1.42 GAA.

It is also worth mentioning that in the playoffs, BushWhackers center @IJepuxI has done a better job on faceoffs (55,2%) than Sawolanche center @maffe92 (47,2%), so let's see if that affects which team will be the more aggressive side when it comes to plays directly from the puck drop.

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: (plays for Bushwhackers)

@Pensasmies: (plays for Bushwhackers)

@Pekedipeks: 4-3 Bushwhackers 

@MCH_98: 4-1 Bushwhackers 

Player to watch: @I_LaiTi_I

In this article, we’ll be digging deep into all of the four matchups that ECL Pro has left to offer. As usual, we will step on some toes and our predictions will cause some much-needed controversy. Which teams will advance to the semifinals? Read down below and make up your mind!

SERIES 1:

Falun Coal Miners (1) vs Golden Sticks (12)

David vs Goliath, Rocky vs Drago, and all the stories we’ve heard of underdogs rising against the favorites. Will this be the upset of the season? Golden Sticks sure hope so, but Falun is no easy team to take down, especially in a best-of-7 series that will surely be a good one to watch.

Falun surely had an easier way to the top 8 than their opponents did, beating out Vizio in a 4-0 sweep, but a few of those wins came in tight games so it wasn’t quite as easy as it may appear - this is after all the Pro playoffs. With 14 goals scored in 4 games for Falun, we know their offense is there, everybody knows they have the ability to take the edge in tight games on both ends of the ice. The difference in this series has to be which team can score first, and which team can defend their lead better. @STRANDMANNEN11 kept his scoring touch from the regular season, and put up 11 points (3+8) in 4 games vs Vizio, with his center buddy @smay96 not far behind. The experience between the pipes for both teams will be a good matchup in this series, with both @eliekamel87 and @jubex0r both having a great postseason so far.

A tight series for Golden Sticks in round 1 of these playoffs surely boosts their confidence heading into the quarterfinals; they were down 3-2 in their series and managed to win both games 6 and 7. And with 7 games played, comes more points: newly acquired @LucePro is leading the team in points (5+8) in the postseason so far. He showed everyone that even in 6s he belongs in the playoffs. He can surely take his game to another level, but he’ll need the help of his teammates. @HopeaKypara99 and LucePro can make for an interesting duo on offense, but will it be enough versus the all-so-experienced defense of Falun? Tune in to find out!

We caught up with the captains @LucePro of Golden Sticks and @l-Furyan-l of Falun Coal Miners and here's what they had to say:

What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses?

LucePro: "Falun haven’t played in a while, a week's break or so since their last game could show in the beginning, and their consistency is also a weakness we are looking to exploit."

l-Furyan-l: "I don’t know if Golden Sticks really have any weaknesses per se. However, I would like to add that they do have an in-form player we absolutely need to stop; LucePro, if we want to have a chance to win we need to take him down."

And how are you going to win this series?

LucePro: "We’re creative in the offensive zone, and can create a lot of good chances, we defend well as a team and that is how we’re going to win this series."

l-Furyan-l: "If we want to advance to the semifinals this season, we need to play our own game, dare to be ourselves, and most importantly, have fun."

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI Falun 4-1 

@ripKeisari: Falun 4-1 

@Pensasmies: Falun 4-2 
 

A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @jubex0r

Watch the series live:  twitch.tv/CoalMinersTV,  twitch.tv/goldensticksnhl

SERIES 2:

(2) TIKI TALKvs Mustaa Kultaa (10)

This series has the potential to be an interesting one, both on and off the ice. Both teams play entertaining hockey and seem to be quite active on social media. Hopefully, both teams can keep it going as this matchup sure will be an entertaining one.

Mustaa Kultaa coming off their ECL '23: Spring Championship season in Lite were eliminated in the Pro Quarterfinals last season by Renascor, who we saw in ECL Elite in ECL '24: Spring. This season Mustaa Kultaa are back at it again with a successful playoff run and seeing them back in the quarterfinals this year has come to nobody's surprise. In the first round, they took down a skilled team in Otukset 4-1 and are now facing a similar opponent in TIKI TALK. it will be a test for them to see if they can make it one step further. If they want to advance to the semifinals and secure that lock for Elite qualification, either @Allupekkaz or @jaageri_ will need to stand out in a big way and carry the mantle. Will their trust in sensational rookie @LatveX in goal pay off? So far so good, as he boasts an insane 93,83 sv%, which - if he can keep it up - is certainly an ingredient for winning and potential for a record-breaking stat.
 

TIKI TALK who undoubtedly has stuck it to those who didn't believe in them this season, by taking down a good team in Herlev Eagles, with an incredible comeback from being down 3-1 and winning the series in game 7. As per usual a goal-hungry @itspardytime leading the team in points (8+11), but now having a great player alongside him who can put up points - can @NuariJamal be the guy he needs to get back to the Elite division?

We caught up with the Mustaa Kultaa captain @jaageri_ for some comments about the series. Tiki Talk were unfortunately unavailable for comment.

What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses?

Jaageri: "The opponent's biggest weakness is definitely defense."

And how are you going to win this series?

Jaageri: "We will win this series by defending the way we did in the first round. Even though TIKI TALK have a different playbook and a lot of skill, they also have a guy who isn’t afraid to “kärkkyä” (=to cherry pick), so we need to keep their breakaways to a minimum. Our strength lies in counter-attacks and we need to exploit that."

Predictions: 

@hifk_FANI: Mustaa Kultaa 4-2 

@ripKeisari: Mustaa Kultaa 4-3 

@Pensasmies: Mustaa Kultaa 4-1 

A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @itspardytime

Watch the series live: twitch.tv/nuarijamal-_-, twitch.tv/allupekkaz

SERIES 3:

Deadly Phantoms (3) vs Almost Famous (8)

Both teams possess the talent, the quality, and the determination to advance from this series, but what sets these two teams apart? We can’t overlook the fact that both teams can score, and I bet both teams will prepare accordingly. One team has more experience whilst the other possesses that eagerness to compete again at this level.

Deadly Phantoms have that rare ability to beat almost anybody, their style of play allows them to be able to compete with any team in this scene, it comes with its perks but also with its implications in offense. With a defense like theirs comes some outstanding goaltending from @RPH_31, a GAA of 1.00 & 92,42% save percentage, putting him in 2nd place in both categories so far in the playoffs. Forwards will need to step up in the next series if they want to advance - they can’t rely on their defenseman @xXPsykoSkillsXx to carry them for too long.

After rebranding to the name Almost Famous, the team carried itself well in the regular season, and now with a solid first-round win in six games, they have a much harder task at hand in taking down a much more defense-heavy opponent. With the teams splitting the points in the regular season, this series could go either way. The question for this series will be whether Almost Famous can find a way through the German defense and score enough goals. Will the central server play a big part? Can @xrikardo55 find his groove? We’ll find out soon enough.

We caught up with the Almost Famous captain @Ikavalko for some comments about the series.

What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses?

Ikavalko: "Wouldn’t say they have a specific weakness in their team, they don’t have too much individual talent and their gameplay goes through the blueline so we need to take advantage of that."
 

And how are you going to win this series?

Ikavalko: "By taking away their tips and rebounds."

Deadly Phantoms were unfortunately unavailable for comment.

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: Deadly Phantoms 4-2 

@ripKeisari: Deadly Phantoms 4-3 

@Pensasmies: Deadly Phantoms 4-3 

A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @Jalkkin-

Watch the series live:  twitch.tv/ProfaneKiss

SERIES 4:

(4) POGGERSvs RYHTIC(7)

Both teams have a roster full of players with an extremely high knowledge of how the game mechanics work and talented goalies. Both rely on playing together as a team, and creating plays together which is why this series has the potential to be the best to watch for new players and teams, who want to rise in the ECL ladder.

POGGERS have been around for a while and are now looking to get back to where they came from: ECL Elite. On their good days they can fight for a playoff spot in the highest division, but their ability to stay consistent is why they are currently playing in Pro. If @JaKurrii can get his team to play the way they need to, they’ll advance with the help of @Ghettomasi who led the team in the regular season, and now needs to get back to his regular season form.

RYHTIC who took down a great team in Södertälje in the first round has a round 2 monkey on their back they really need to shake off. They are known for having a great season and making the playoffs, but not quite being able to finish the job in the end. The team is once again being led by veteran @yrjoo, and focuses on keeping games close and not giving their opponent an inch in the offensive zone. If they can stick to their game plan and keep POGGERS off the board, they might just make it to the semifinals. With @Naikou88 back in the team, and @JussinSisko being a playoff performer, this might just be the year for RYHTIC.

We caught up with the captains of RYHTIC @yrjoo for some comments about the series.

What are your opponent's biggest weaknesses?

Yrjoo: "Has to be their inconsistency."

And how are you going to win this series?

Yrjoo: "By continuing where we left off versus SSK."

POGGERS were unfortunately unavailable for comment.

Predictions:

@hifk_FANI: RYHTIC  4-3 

@ripKeisari RYHTIC 4-1 

@Pensasmies POGGERS 4-1 

A player who shouldn’t be overlooked: @MCH_98

Watch the series live: twitch.tv/yrjoo

FOLLOW THE ECL PRO PLAYOFFS LIVE

You can watch live coverage of the Pro Division Quarterfinals on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, June 4th.

Additionally, you can follow the teams' own coverage using the links provided above.

Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that we may have not covered? Let us know in the comments!

MATCHUP 1

 (1) Valokuitunen Esports vs (5) EXEN 

Regular Season Results:

• 7-1 Valokuitunen Esports W 
• 3-2 Valokuitunen Esports OTW

 Valokuitunen: Phew, well that was close. Despite punching their ticket to another Semifinals last week, their series probably ended up being a bit too close for comfort, as the defending champs were pushed to a Game 7 against (8) The Black Jacks last week. Some could maybe even argue that Valokuitunen was fortunate to escape the series, but they did escape, and in the playoffs that is all that matters.

Valokuitunen were led by many of the usual names during their Quarterfinals victory. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen led the way for the group with 9 points, putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in his six games played. They also saw major contributions from their captain and center Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, who pitched in 8 points with 4 goals and 4 assists in seven games, while also posting a 53.8% face-off percentage. Roope @pikkuroger  Bergström was held to just 6 points during the series, but 5 of those were goals, so he was still able to step up in a big way, continuing to show his abilities as a goal-scorer. Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes also carried over his regular season success into the postseason, backstopping Valokuitunen with an 86.75% save percentage and 1.57 GAA in seven starts. He also had 14 shutout periods and made the second-most saves of any goalie in the Quarterfinals with 72, while also facing the second-most shots (83). 

Now they will turn their attention to EXEN, a team that they were able to get the best of in both regular season meetings. The regular season series was a tale of two games for Valokuitunen despite getting the win in both contests. In the first meeting, Valokuitunen outshot EXEN 21-7, had 9:42 of time on attack (4:22 more than what EXEN had), and scored 5 goals in the second period alone. The second matchup however was very different. They continued to find offensive zone time, earning 9:53 of time on attack, but they only posted 11 shots on net. Their five skaters also combined for 48 giveaways in the second game; a massive increase from their 21 giveaways in the first game. Valokuitunen will need to hope to find some of the same magic that they saw in the first matchup between these two teams compared to the second, especially in terms of winning the possession game and not hesitating to shoot the puck when at all possible.

Valokuitunen Player To Watch: Roope @pikkuroger  Bergström (Left Winger)

In Valokuitunen Esports' two regular season meetings against EXEN, @pikkuroger had 9 points with 5 goals and 4 assists. He also took 15 shots in those two games, including 12 in their 7-1 win. He's established himself as one of the best goal scorers in Europe over the past few years and he's going against a team that he played very well against earlier this season. Expect him to be a big factor in this series. 

 EXEN: After earning the only sweep in the Quarterfinals against Tohtorit, EXEN finds themselves back in the Semifinals for the first time since the ECL '23: Winter season. They were rather dominant and were possibly the most impressive of the teams that made it into the next round, especially on the offensive end. Each of EXEN's five skaters tallied 6 points or more during the four-game series and four of their five skaters scored at least 2 goals.

Though EXEN has plenty of talent at forward, I would argue that it was the defense that led the charge for this group offensively. Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström tied with forward Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala for the team lead in points with 9, including 3 goals to go along with 6 assists. His defensive partner Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen contributed 8 points in the series, with all of them being assists. The most impressive thing about the pairing? Each of them possessed the puck for over 27 minutes during this series, an average of just under 7 minutes per game. When you combine these numbers, that makes for almost 25% of the total game where one of them has the puck on their stick, so their importance to this team cannot be understated. Someone else to keep a close eye on in this series would be V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela, who in my opinion has been one of the most underrated centers in the Elite Division for a few seasons now. He'll be matched up with one of the best at his position, making for an intriguing position matchup in a series that is going to be filled with them. He also had 21 takeaways in the Quarterfinals against Tohtorit and contributed a point on each of EXEN's 3 goals against Valokuitunen during the regular season series. Keep an eye on him.

Focusing now on their upcoming matchup, EXEN is going to have to prioritize playing the possession game and making their time in the offensive zone count. Though they lost both regular season meetings against this team, the quality of their play in both losses highly contrasted. In that second game, EXEN nearly doubled their offensive production and also saw drastic improvements in their defensive play, which is what I feel was the biggest difference between the two contests. In the first game against Valokuitunen, EXEN allowed 21 shots on net, in the second matchup they allowed just 11. They also forced Valokuitunen into many more mistakes with the puck, forcing 17 takeaways in the second game after only forcing 6 takeaways in the first matchup. EXEN will need to remember the lessons that they learned in their regular season series against Valokuitunen, while also carrying over the success that they had in the Quarterfinals. If they can, it could make for the perfect storm. A storm so perfect that it could lead the team to its first-ever Finals appearance in the Elite Division.

EXEN Player to Watch: Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen (Left Defense)

There are lot of different options that I could go with here, but considering the fact that he played for this team last season as a forward and has played against them in the ECL Finals and Semifinals multiple times, I think that @Mozjayh has to be the pick here. He has been a perfect match with this EXEN group and his experience in the playoffs as a three-time Elite champion, as well as his history and knowledge of their opponents will be invaluable in a critical series like this. 

Prediction

This series has a lot of different storylines with a lot of different angles. These two teams are two of the most experienced in the division but in a completely different way. Valokuitunen Esports have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in Europe over the past few years and have the pedigree and history to back that up. They've won four championships, are the only team in ECL history to win three straight titles, and are the defending champs in these playoffs after winning the trophy last season(formerly under the hREDS brand). Meanwhile, at the same time that their opponents were dominating the European scene, EXEN went through a rollercoaster experience. This team had to completely rebuild itself from the ground up, going from being the Elite's top seed in the ECL 11 playoffs to being relegated to the Pro Division not long after. They then won the Pro Division title in ECL '22: Winter in their first season there to earn their way back into Elite; and now they are back to competing for championships in the ECL's top flight (all formerly as JYP Jyväskyla). They've built well over the years and have grown significantly, but in their entire time in the Elite Division, they have yet to make it to the Finals. Is this the season they can get it done? This team certainly has a different feeling than its past teams did and we've already seen Valokuitunen get pushed to the brink in these playoffs, narrowly escaping against the ECL's eighth-seeded team to get here. There were moments in that series where they felt hesitant, made uncharacteristic mistakes and at times even seemed to let their frustrations show and get the best of them. I'd expect this group to step up their game in the Semifinals and be much better than what we saw two weeks ago. It's what they have always done and they've had a 10-day break to regroup as a team, which I think will benefit them after a series that I highly doubt that they were happy with, even despite advancing. I think this series will be close and that EXEN has a true shot to potentially pull off the victory, but I'm not going to go against this Valokuitunen team. It rarely goes well when you do.
 

 Valokuitunen Esports in 6

MATCHUP 2

 (2) Straikers vs (3) Tunnel Vision 

Regular Season Results:

• 2-0 Straikers W 
• 5-2 Straikers W

 Straikers: In what was another close call in the Quarterfinals, Straikers were able to avoid the upset against Unwanted for a second straight season. Straikers' experience in clutch situations again helped them in this series, and their big moment players were the ones that really stepped up and led the way for them when things began to look questionable in that series. 

Offensive production was distributed rather evenly in their series, as all five skaters score a goal in the series and each of them contributed at least 4 points during the series. Erik @Eki Tammenpää led the way for the group with his 8 points, which included 3 goals and 5 assists. He was huge for Straikers in pretty much every phase of the game and showed why he's seen as one of the top players in the league regardless of what position he plays. He also had 32 takeaways and won 57.9% of his face-offs; all while being the only Straikers skater to not take a penalty during the series. Not only this, but all three of his goals in the series came in Game 7 alone. That's clutch factor if I've ever seen it. Along with him was fellow-veteran forward Ilmari @Puantso Lehkonen, who posted 6 points in the series with 4 of them being goals. His long-time teammate and goaltender Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen was also critical to the series victory, as he stepped up between the pipes with an 82.86% save percentage and a 1.71 GAA. Two of his four victories in the series were shutouts, blanking a strong Unwanted offense in a critical victories in Game 2 and in Game 5.

Focusing now on their Semifinal matchup, Straikers have reasons for optimism but also showed that they have some room to improve from their Quarterfinals performance. On the positive side of things, they will match up against a Tunnel Vision team that they beat twice in the regular season. Additionally, Tunnel Vision has some similarities stylistically to Unwanted, as both teams love to utilize counter-attacks and can create quick offense. This is something that could help Straikers, as they just went against this for seven games last week at a more extreme level. However, Tunnel Vision is a more experienced side and is also a better offensive team than what Straikers' faced in the Quarterfinals (with all due respect to Unwanted). Tunnel Vision plays a high-octane style that will see them have more offensive zone time than Unwanted did and they'll also shoot the puck significantly more. Not only this, but they even showed significant signs of improvement in their defensive play last week; something that was the team's biggest weakness coming into the postseason (something that we will talk about further in a bit). To win this series, Straikers will have to be smart and cohesive. They will also need to be more opportunistic on the power play. After sporting the league's best power play at 36.84% during the regular season, Straikers was held to just 1 power play goal on 10 attempts; that's 10% against a penalty kill that ranked at just 10th in the division during the regular season. We all know what this team is capable of when they are firing on all cylinders and they know that last week was far from their best work. I'd expect them to look better than what we saw in the Quarterfinals.

Straikers Player to Watch: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (Right Defense)

I wanted to stray away from what could be viewed as the more obvious pick in @Eki and I think that @FlyerKungen has served as one of the most reliable two-way defensemen in the league since moving from RW to RD last season. During the regular season series against Tunnel Vision, he was able to contribute 2 points (1 goal and 1 assist) while also racking up 7 takeaways and 11 interceptions defensively. He's the definition of reliable and rarely makes any big mistakes on either side of the ice. Exactly what you need when going up against a familiar foe and a fellow former champion.

 Tunnel Vision: Right when it seemed fair to doubt them, Tunnel Vision responded by turning in its most complete effort of the season last week They defeated a scrappy sixth-seed in Bjorkloven Esport team in five games; reminding the ECL world of who they are in the process. Two-time Elite Division champions and finalists in each of the past four seasons. 

Their offensive production continued to thrive as it did in the regular season, as Tunnel Vision scored a total of 14 goals in its five games (an average of 2.8 per game). This included two games in which they scored five goals in Games 2 and 5. All of these goals came from their forwards, as Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen, Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen each had at least 8 points and 4 goals in the series. However, this offensive production was to be expected. After all, Tunnel Vision dominated on the offensive end during the regular season and have been doing so for years. Where people's concern lied was in their own-zone play and they were able to put many of those concerns to rest in this series. As I mentioned in the Quartefinals preview, Tunnel Vision allowed 2.7 goals against per game during the regular season, which ranked third-worst in the Elite Division. During the Quarterfinals it was a completely different story, as they allowed just 6 goals throughout the entire five-game series, that's an average of 1.2 goals against per game. To cut your goals against in half in such a short time is a remarkable turnaround, and it's something that Tunnel Vision deserves credit for. They also allowed just an average of 8.2 shots per game, so they didn't even allow for many chances. 

Similarly to Straikers, Tunnel Vision has reasons for both optimism and caution. For optimism, Tunnel Vision should look like a much different team than what Straikers saw in the regular season. For starters, their usual starting winger @Laiitinen was out of the lineup in those two games, forcing @Vattuyy to move out of his usual winger position to play at the center spot. Though this sounds like a small change at face value, the differences between a winger and a center can sometimes be drastic depending on the player's style, so it's not an easy transition to make on short notice. It also means more when playing against a top-end team like Straikers; especially when you are matched up against one of the league's best centers on the other side. Not only this, but this seems to be a different Tunnel Vision team in terms of effort and focus. During an interview that was featured on our broadcast during their Quarterfinals series, I asked Tunnel Vision's captain Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen about the improvements in their defensive play and he immediately mentioned the team's increased efforts with it being the playoffs. This difference was immediately noticeable when watching them and quite frankly, it makes Tunnel Vision a totally different team from the one that we saw during the first 30 games of the season. However, they will be going up against an opponent in Straikers that has gone far too long without hoisting the ECL Elite trophy. Bjorkloven's lack of Elite-level playoff experience was a clear advantage for Tunnel Vision in that series and that is something that won't be there for them this time. Also, Straikers were a far better offensive team than Bjrokloven this season, as while Straikers ranked as the third-highest scoring team in the league with 2.87 goals per game, Bjorkloven ranked at 9th, averaging 2.33 goals per game. They have plenty of reason to feel good about things going into this series, but Straikers are a team on a clear mission. It's going to take Tunnel Vision's most complete version of themselves to knock them out.

Tunnel Vision Player to Watch: Ben @benuh_ Rinnet (Goalie)

After a stellar Winter season that saw him as a Goaltender of the Season nominee, Ben @benuh_ Rinnet took a step back statistically this season, as his save percentage went from 85.19% during the Winter campaign to 78.74% during the Spring. Now obviously not all of this falls on him. A goalie can only do so much and every netminder's success is somewhat determined by the quality of play in front of him; which defensively also took a step back during the regular season. However in the postseason so far, @benuh_ has completely flipped the script like the rest of his team, playing phenomenally in between the pipes. He averaged an 85.37% save percentage in the series victory and a 1.2 GAA. He also had shut out Bjokrloven Esports in 10 of the 15 periods played during that series (that's roughly 66.7% of the entire series). If Tunnel Vision is going to have similar success in the Semifinals, @benuh_ is going to have to be at the level that we saw him at last week and throughout all of last season. 

Prediction

To be quite honest, you could flip a coin to pick this series and have just as good of a reason to make that pick as you would doing hours of research. That is how close these two teams are to each other. Considering this, I'm just going to make a prediction based on what I feel as I am typing this.  The drama is palpable and the storylines create themselves. In recent times, Tunnel Vision has gotten the best of Straikers in the playoffs, including in multiple Semifinals and Finals series. They were knocked off of their championship throne against hREDS last season in a 7-game Finals series and now they are on a mission themselves, hoping to remind the ECL that they are still the team to beat in this division. They will feel confident coming into this matchup and they have every reason to do so. Meanwhile, Straikers are on a a mission that trails back a bit further. They were swept in the Semifinals last season by hREDS and they've come so close to touching gold again multiple times over the last few years, but for one reason or another, it hasn't happened. It's been three years since Straikers last won the Elite Division, so they are hungrier than ever. They want to end the talk of their championship drought, and they want to do it this season. Fine, I'll stop stalling and will make my pick. I think that there is something to be said about consistency. Though Straikers were far from their best in the Quarterfinals, they have been the more consistent and complete team between the two this season and I'd expect them to make significant improvements in their game from what we saw last week against Unwanted. These two teams also have different-looking lineups than when they met in the playoffs a year ago, so this series should look a bit different from each of their past series matchups. I'm just going to go with my gut and not have any expectations of being right or wrong on this.

 Straikers in 7

FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE

You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X.

Semifinals

• Sunday 2.6 - 19:45 CET | 2# Straikers vs #3 Tunnel Vision &  #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs  #5 EXEN | Games 1-2
• Monday 3.6 - 19:15 CET |  #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs  #5 EXEN | Games 3-7
• Wednesday 5.6 - 19:15 CET |  2# Straikers vs  #3 Tunnel Vision | Games 3-7

Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may not have covered? Let me know in the comments!

This article was co-written by @Pekedipeks & @Pensasmies:

As we have reached the second round of the ECL ‘24 Spring in Core it's time to take a look at the matchups we have coming up! 

 Prowlers (1) vs Huskies eSports (29)

Prowlers showed us why they deserved that #1 seed with a convincing 4-0 Round 1 series win with a goal differential of 12-4. It is worth noting though that it wasn't a continuous blast of fireworks all series long for them since they had to take two of those wins after playing overtime. Prowlers did a solid job defensively in all 4 games, but big credit also has to be given to @Tizjeflen who has currently best save percentage of playoffs with an insane 91.18%.

There is definitely no debate about who made the biggest upset of Round 1. After a series that was full of drama and controversy, the Huskies managed to win one of the biggest favorites in game 6. They lost the first two games kind of clearly, but then they made their Cinderella story happen or at least the first chapter towards that by winning four 1 goal games in a row, three of them being overtime wins. Grit from this experience could serve the Huskies' favor if this series goes too far from what Prowlers are hoping. 

Prediction:

Armeijan Kuri (2) vs Taskubilis (24) 

I pointed out in Round 1 previews that Armeijan Kuri had the best faceoff win% of the regular season and the same trend is still going on. Both of their centers have been top dogs on the dot. @SemiWasted has been cooking as Taskubilis' top-scorer with 6GP 10G+4A=14P but the safe pick for this series MVP is definitely @hefezuk85 with 6G+3A=9P in the first three games (series currently 3-0). If Taskubilis can't stop hefezuk and the rest of their ice forces, i can't see how this series would take many more games.

Prediction:

Capetown Kings got tested out hard by their Round 1 opponent after an intense series with 7 tight games. Their powerplay was the best of Core regular season, but so far after many tries they have only 1 powerplay goal in playoffs. EV Duisburg had 30 penalty minutes in their Round 1 matchup, so that needs to be changed if they don't want to give the Kings' special teams a chance to be reborn. Duisburg also had to struggle in the previous matchup when they had to take 3 out of 4 wins in overtime. I expect a tight series where the winner might be decided by penalties and simple things like puck possession. Players to watch: @GreatOne139 6GP 8G+8A=16P and @sambleri 7GP 6G+8A=14P

Prediction:

 Wida (6) vs HC Lugano Academy (16)

Score at the time of writing: 2-1 Wida

When taking a look at playoff player stats, this series stands out from the crowd with interesting facts: 4 players from the current top 5 scorers and top-scoring defensemen are playing in this series. Even though Wida won one game 0-6, every game has been relatively even stat-wise so I believe this will be decided by the firepower ability of these teams biggest names so far: @Palawatsch 9GP 15G+18A=33P and @nikitikitin 8GP 7G+22A=29P
 

Prediction: 

• Start on ‘home’ server
• Check in-game connection (note: not the lobby screen before the game begins, as that can sometimes give unreliable ping that turns out to be fine in game)
• If substantially higher than expected ping or packet loss is present, the player impacted should record evidence of this
• Please record video clearly showing the problem is in the game you are supposed to play to remove any doubt of tampering
• The player should then restart their router and console in an attempt to see if the issue is their own connection, or the server itself
• Both teams should change lobby host / captain 
• Attempt to restart the game, taking video evidence of the ping and / or packet loss
• If the issue is still present, then the team affected should start a support ticket detailing the issue and attach the aforementioned video clips as evidence
• At which point LA will decide whether the server switch should go ahead or not

While eight teams made their way into the playoffs to fight for the ECL '24: Spring - Elite championship, eight other teams have seen their season come to an end, each wondering what went wrong and what could have been. We will take a look at each of these eight teams, why they missed the playoffs and where things stand as they each look towards the future. We will begin with the 16th ranked team in the standings and then work our way up.
 

16.  Gotham Knights (25pts)

Why They Missed: Lack of Form All Season

After winning the ECL Pro Division championship over Renascor last season, Gotham Knights' time in the Elite Division has come to a quick close, finishing last in the standings and now likely being relegated back down to the Pro Division. Unfortunately, this team just never really found their footing in Elite this season. In their 30 games played, they only managed to collect standings points in 11 of those games and their longest win streak of the season was 2 games. That simply isn't a recipe for success. They did show some glimpses of potential this season, as out of their 9 total wins this season (including OT wins), four of them came against playoff teams. However, this league is all about being able to win consistently and unfortunately, Gotham Knights were never able to find their way there. We'll see what the future holds for this club and if they can find their way back into Elite in the future.

15.  Renascor (31pts)

Why They Missed: Offensive Woes

Last season's Pro Division runner-ups earned promotion to Elite after making it through the qualifiers in April. Not many people expected much of this group in its first Elite season and unfortunately, they finished right around where many had predicted them to before the season. Though Rensacor did seem to find a little bit of rhythm later on in the season, they only won 4 of their first 19 games (including OT wins). This pretty much did them in when it came to being able to secure a Top 8 finish. The biggest reason for this was Renascor's offensive struggles this season. For starters, they had the lowest goals for per game of any team in the Elite Division at 1.67. They also had the fourth-lowest shots per game in the division at 12.1. The Elite division is a big step from the Pro Division and it's not easy to adjust. Now this team will get ready for their relegation series in a few weeks against the Pro Division runner-up, hoping to stay up in the ECL's top division next season.

14.  Heimo (34pts)

Why They Missed: Not Being Able to String Together Wins

After finishing in no man's land last season at the 11th spot, Heimo unfortunately found themselves further down the Elite table and now have to go to a relegation series. What's wild is that last season they had 36 points, so it goes to show that the Division as a whole performed better this season when it came to accumulating points in the standings. Something that Heimo may have suffered from more than any other team this season in terms of their place in the standings. As for where this team fell short, they never really found that consistent form of winning that they needed. This Heimo team would get a win and then follow that up with two or three straight losses. In fact, this team only had two win streaks all season, and their longest winning streak lasted the minimum amount of games to be considered a streak, 2 games. It's just tough to make it in when you aren't able to find a consistent stretch of winning. Add that in with increased performance from the other teams that were outside the cutline and Heimo just happened to find themselves where they are. If they can keep their place in the division for next season, hopefully, they can take that same next step that their competitors did this season.

13.  GOONS (34pts)

Why They Missed: Allowing Far Too Many Goals

It's unfortunate to see how things have trended for this team over the last few seasons. As weird as it seems, GOONS haven't qualified for the Elite Division playoffs since ECL '22: Spring, a season in which they made it to the semifinals. That was two years ago. Since that season, this team lost multiple critical pieces to that core due to transfers and has been trying to rebuild themselves since. And now, they are going to have to win a relegation series just to keep their spot in the division. The biggest reason GOONS find themselves outside of the playoffs again is due to the high amount of goals that they allowed, which ironically is the same thing that plagued this team last season. During the Winter season, GOONS allowed 3.5 goals per game, which ranked third-worst in the Division. This season they allowed 3.1 per game, which though an improvement, still ranked them as the second-worst in the league, only finishing ahead of Gotham Knights. Not only this, but just 8 of their 19 total losses this season were by one goal, and this includes overtime games. On a positive note, they were one of the division's better teams offensively this season with an average of 2.53 goals for per game, which ranked 6th in Elite. They also broke the ECL's record for hits in a regular season with 1163 (across all divisions), so they were also able to make some history despite missing the postseason. However, I have the feeling that this summer could be one with a lot of soul-searching for this GOONS team; especially with their future in the division now being uncertain.

12.  Polski Boys (36pts)

Why They Missed: Not Improving Offensively From Last Season

Polski Boys find themselves in no man's land for a second straight season and the biggest reason for this was their struggles on offense. Interestingly enough, this was exactly what held this team back last season. During their Winter campaign last season, which was their first in Elite, Polski Boys averaged just 2.03 goals for per game, which ranked as the 5th lowest in the division. They also struggled mightily on the power play last season, only converting on the man advantage 14.29% of the time, which was the lowest in the division. Despite having a season of Elite division experience under their belt and returning all six starters from last season's team, the Polski Boys' offense saw minimal improvements in the Spring. They averaged just 2.07 goals for per game which ranked 2nd lowest in the league, only ahead of Renascor. Their power play was also a weakness for them again this season, as their 16.22% on the power play was 4th lowest in the league. One positive thing to note is that they did seem to find some form late in the season, as they collected points in the standings in 8 of their last 10 games of the regular season, though they only surpassed the two-goal mark in 2 of those 10 games. As someone who has had the pleasure of covering this team's rise through the ECL ranks over a few seasons, the potential is there for Polski Boys to be a genuine threat in the Elite division, but that won't happen until they find a way to improve their play offensively. They have yet to find success there at this level, and until they do they're bound to be stuck in the middle of the pack.

11.  Vesa Pompa (37pts)

Why They Missed: Losing Close in Regulation Games and Not Putting Together A Winning Run

Of the teams that didn't get into the Top 8, Vesa Pompa was probably the most surprising. After making the playoffs as a #6 seed and making it to the Elite semifinals last season, missing out on the playoffs altogether this season is a disappointing result for this group. Unfortunately, they just never really found the same form that they had in the Winter season and it ended up costing them dearly in the playoff race. For starters, Vesa Pompa lost valuable points in the standings in close games, as 8 of their 14 regulation losses were decided by one goal. Not only this, but they never were able to find a consistent winning run the way that they did last season. In their Winter campaign, they were able to make the playoffs off of the back of a 12-game points streak, a streak that saw them win 10 of those 12 games. This season, Vesa Pompa's longest points streak lasted just four games. It's unfortunate that this team will have to watch the playoffs from the sidelines this time around, as we've seen this group be able to make some magic happen in the postseason before. On the bright side, they didn't see themselves eliminated from playoff contention until the final day of the regular season, so this team was in the hunt throughout. Unfortunately, the factors that we've mentioned were just too much for Vesa Pompa to overcome in the end. A tough result for a high-quality squad.

10.  Roots Gaming (42pts)

Why They Missed: Too Many Regulation Losses, Struggling Against Playoff Teams, and Not Finding Enough Offense

Before we talk about why Roots Gaming didn't make the playoffs, I want to spend some time talking about the vast improvements that this team made this season. I'll be honest, I think that this season could be considered a success for Roots Gaming, as they arguably improved more than any team in the league this season. Last season they finished 15th in the standings with just 24 points and had to win a relegation series just to maintain their place in the Elite Division. This season however saw a complete turnaround for this team. And the most impressive part about it? All six starters this season were on this team last season; with five of them starting 20+ games during that Winter campaign. Now that we've talked about the good though, we have to talk about why they missed out, and unfortunately, I couldn't pick just one reason to tell the full story. For starters, 14 of Roots Gaming's losses this season came in regulation, meaning that they lost out on potential points that they could've gained by pushing more games to overtime (they went 7-7 in regulation games this season). Second, they had a record of 3-13 against playoff teams and 11 of those losses were in regulation. Lastly, their offense just never really seemed to find itself. They tied with Heimo for the fourth-lowest goals for per game at 2.07. They also took the least amount of shots of any Elite division team at 353 (that's an average of just 11.8 shots per game). I promise you that I don't mean to pile on. This group has a ton to be proud of considering where they were in the standings just a season ago. However considering that they missed the playoff cutline by only 4 points, it feels like they could've made the postseason if they had been able to correct even just one of those three factors. Regardless, Roots Gaming should go into the offseason feeling good about their efforts. The question now is, can they build on it?

9.  Purification (42pts)

Why They Missed: Their Second Half of the Season 

Every team has aspirations of making it into the postseason before the season begins, which makes it even more crushing for the group that ends up finishing as the first team outside of the playoff cut line. However, let's give Purification their due credit. This was an impressive debut season in the Elite Division for this group and I don't doubt that they will be back in the playoff conversation in the future. After earning promotion by defeating POGGERS in its relegation series last season, Purification was a group that many people were interested in seeing make the jump to Elite, as they were dominant in the Pro Division and fell one win short of making it to the Finals. Early in the season, they looked like a team that would be well on their way to the playoffs and potentially even a Top 4 seed, winning 10 of their first 13 games this season. After this, things unfortunately fell apart. In their last 17 games of the season, Purification earned just 15 points in the standings. That stretch included a 7-game losing streak that saw them earn just 2 points and a 5-game losing streak that saw them earn zero points. During this stretch, they lost 10 games by one goal (including overtime losses) and had a 1-5 record against non-playoff teams, including two regulation losses to Gotham Knights and a regulation loss to Renascor on May 16 that eliminated them from playoff contention. I know that Purification is going to be disappointed that they aren't playing playoff hockey this season, especially considering that they looked like a lock during the first half of the season. However, I think that they also have a lot to look back on positively, as they've proven that they can truly compete at the Elite division level. This season will be valuable for them to learn from and will be something good to build on for the future. I'm excited to see where they go from here.

If you have any feedback or if there is anything that you feel that I missed, make sure to let me know in the comments!

If you want to learn more about the teams that did qualify for Elite division playoffs, you can check out my Quarterfinals playoff preview below.

SportsGamers,

The last ECL '24: Spring - 1v1 Qualifiers are played on Wednesday, May 22nd, and Friday, May 24th! What this means in practice is that the registration for Qualifier 3 ends today (May 21) at 20:00 and the registration for Qualifier 4 ends Thursday (May 23rd) 20:00 CEST.

For more information about what the ECL '24 - 1v1 competition as a whole is about, please read more about ECL 1v1 here.
 

Prizes
In the Spring season, the champion will skate away with 300 €, while the runner-up and the semi-finalists will claim 150 € and 75 €, respectively. It's the Grand Finals that hold the golden puck in the form of an additional 1800 € up for grabs - 700 € for the grand champion, decreasing incrementally down to €75 for those placing fifth to eighth.

Note: The top 4 from the Winter season have already secured their Grand Finals spots and will not participate in the Spring qualifiers.

ECL '24: Winter 1v1 - Season TOP 4:
🥇 Erik @Eki Tammenpää
🥈Teemu @temppanen Karvonen
🥉 Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund
🥉 Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen

With registration closing precisely at 23:59:59 CET the day before each qualifier, the countdown has begun. Participants are reminded to lace up their skates and register in time to secure their spot on the virtual ice.

Will you be the one to hoist the ECL '24: 1v1 Championship trophy this year? Only time, talent, and the spirit of competition will tell. Get ready for the puck to drop!

Note: Taking part in the ECL 1v1 seasons requires the purchase of the ECL '24 Player License.

Alternatively, you may purchase the ECL '24: Winter Season Player License, however, please note that only covers the Winter season.
 

ECL '23 Winter: 1v1 Schedule & Sign-up

Please note that you should sign up for all qualifiers individually, meaning if you want to take part in both remaining qualifiers, please sign up for both using the buttons below.

Should you make the TOP 8 during a qualifier, you unlock your spot in the TOP 32 stage and thus should not play in the remaining qualifiers.

Qualifier 3 - Wednesday 22.5

Quote

• Sign up period
  • 28.4-20.5.2024
• Qualifier (BO1)
  • Wednesday 22.5
    • Upper Bracket ⬆️
      • Upper Bracket Round 1 (64): 18:00 CEST
      • Upper Bracket Round 2 (32): 18:30 CEST
      • Upper Bracket Round 3 (16): 19:00 CEST
      • Upper Bracket Round 4 (8): 19:30 CEST
    • Lower Bracket 🔽
      • Lower Bracket Round 1 (32): 18:30 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 2 (32): 19:00 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 3 (16): 19:30 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 4 (16): 20:00 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 5 (8): 20:30 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 6 (8): 21:00 CEST

Qualifier 4 - Friday 24.5

Quote

• Sign up period
  • 28.4-22.5.2024
• Qualifier (BO1)
  • Friday 24.5
    • Upper Bracket ⬆️
      • Upper Bracket Round 1 (64): 18:00 CEST
      • Upper Bracket Round 2 (32): 18:30 CEST
      • Upper Bracket Round 3 (16): 19:00 CEST
      • Upper Bracket Round 4 (8): 19:30 CEST
    • Lower Bracket 🔽
      • Lower Bracket Round 1 (32): 18:30 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 2 (32): 19:00 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 3 (16): 19:30 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 4 (16): 20:00 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 5 (8): 20:30 CEST
      • Lower Bracket Round 6 (8): 21:00 CEST

TOP 32 Group Play

Group Play will be played in four (4) groups of eight (8) players. 

• Monday 27.5
  • R1: 18:00 CEST
  • R2: 18:30 CEST
  • R3: 19:00 CEST
  • R4: 19:30 CEST
• Wednesday 29.5 
  • R5: 18:00 CEST
  • R6: 18:30 CEST
  • R7: 19:00 CEST
  • R8: 19:30 CEST

Playoffs (BO3)

• Monday 3.6
  • RO16: 18:00 CEST
• Wednesday 5.6
  • Quarterfinals: 18:00 CEST
• Sunday 9.6 - Online TOP 4 Finals Broadcast
  • Semifinals: 18:00 CEST
  • Finals: 20:00 CEST

SportsGamers,

It's time for the ECL '24: Spring - Neo Playoffs, where the TOP 32 teams of ECL Neo battle for their chance to be the Neo Champions!

Schedule

• Playoffs (BO5)
  • Round of 32: 
    • Wednesday 29.5
    • Sunday 2.6
  • Round of 16: 
    • Wednesday 5.6
    • Sunday 9.6
  • Quarterfinals: 
    • Wednesday 12.6
    • Sunday 16.6
  • Semifinals: 
    • Wednesday 19.6
    • Sunday 23.6 (we realize this is close to midsummer, so rescheduling as needed is recommended)
  • Finals:
    • 26.-30.6*

* Dates are subject to change as broadcast productions are confirmed.

Round of 32 matchups:

Taifun (1) vs Fallen Rangers Academy (32) 
 Davemiehet (2) vs RAUTANE REMMI (31) 
 Dynamo Hc (3) vs Eishockeynet Yetis (30) 
 Oljefondet (4) vs Beastie Boys (29) 
 UEL TEAM (5) vs Hc Total Chaos (28) 
 MANCAVExGG (6) vs Ice Predators (27) 
DEAD EVIL (7) vs Kiitaman Kasanovat (26) 
 Chiefs hockey club (8) vs Rorvik HC (25) 
RAIDERS HC (9) vs BACKCHECK BOYS (24) 
Brothers In Gaming (10) vs LumberJackss HC (23) 
 Nelosketju (11) vs Academy Hockey (22) 
 Bigrus (12) vs Forgett Team (21) 
HC Armata (13) vs Gleumes Hockey Krefeld II (20) 
  Lassen Lampaat  (14) vs Hannover Indians Esports (19) 
Coventry Vikings (15) vs The Worn Out Wisemen (18) 
 Karhukissat (16) vs LOENGREENCREW (17) 

Follow the Playoff streams:

Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams.

Social media:

Twitter:

When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: 

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL24Spring
#eHockey
#NHL24
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi

Instagram:

When posting on Instagram, please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtags when possible: 

@SportsGamerGG
#ECL24Spring
#eHockey
#NHL24
#esports
#kouvolanlakritsi

We wish all teams the best of luck!