Parasite are your ECL '25: Winter - Elite Champions

The ECL '25 Winter season concluded at the LAN Finals at Assembly where Parasite were crowned the ECL Elite Champions. They claimed the title as the best team in Europe after winning the finals series 4-2 over Mustaa Kultaa. Parasite went into the season as the clear frontrunner for the title and they did not disappoint. Breaking multiple records, both team and individual, this performance will be remembered as one of the most dominating we have witnessed in recent years. NikkeDangles was crowned as the playoffs MVP and for the team Captain Beniittto this now marks the eighth ECL title, continuing to cement their legacy in the ECL history. For Mustaa Kultaa it was a great performance in the Finals and they should be nothing but proud of themselves. They were able to take two games against this all-star lineup, something which many did not expect, and had their chances in all of the games besides the series-deciding game 6. They can now use the experience of the LAN Finals and have all the keys in their hands to have a bright future ahead.
 

The Assembly Winter 2025 stage was a beauty! | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

Finals overview

Game 1: Parasite 2-1 OT
Mustaa Kultaa came out of the gates hot and put Parasite under a lot of pressure. They were able to find lots of shooting opportunities and @Launonexx found the first goal at the halfway of the first period. Parasite struggled a lot to find their game but the score stayed the same through the first two periods. We saw some big saves from both goalies and especially @LatveX was standing on his head at moments. At the start of the third period, Parasite were finally able to find their first goal of the series from Beniittto which saw the game heading into overtime. The OT was a cautious battle but eventually, Vattuyy found the game-winner halfway through the first overtime.

Valtteri "Vattuyy" Virtanen celebrates with his teammates | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

Game 2: Mustaa Kultaa 3-2
The second game started off with some penalty trouble to Mustaa Kultaa and on their second powerplay chance Parasite found the first goal from the defender of the year in Teemuyy. Despite dominating the time on attack Parasite were not able to put many shots at the Mustaa Kultaa net, but with the 2-0 goal at the start of the third from NikkeDangles the game, and possibly the series, looked to be close to over. A few minutes after @Allupekkaz did manage to bring some life to the team with a goal eleven minutes before the end. It took all the way to the last minute for @xAaro89x to find his first goal of the series tying up the game and not long after, only five seconds before the end, he found the game-winning one-timer.

Did we mention the venue was amazing!? | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

Game 3: Parasite 5-2
After the comeback victory, Mustaa Kultaa stayed on the gas and took a 2-0 lead with two quick goals from xAaro89x and @NuariJamal. The party was short-lived though as Parasite had tied up the game by the halfway of the second period. Mustaa Kultaa found themselves again in some penalty trouble against the best powerplay team in the league and they paid the full price in the third period. Beniittto found the game-winner in the powerplay and Vattuyy scored two more goals to cap off the victory.

A sneak peek behind the Mustaa Kultaa point of view | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

Game 4: Parasite 4-1
This time it was Parasites' turn to get off to a flying start with two quick goals in the first period. @Miseee96 was able to bring the game within one with his first and only goal of the playoffs, but that was all they got. Parasite seemed to have found their game and after the 3-1 goal from Vattuyy they did not really give a chance for Mustaa Kultaa to get back into this game. Beniittto capped off the game in the dying seconds and Parasite were one game away from the Championship.
 

Parasite celebrating a goal | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

Game 5: Mustaa Kultaa 4-3 OT
The fifth game got off to a fast start with two goals from both teams in the first period. In the second Vattuyy found the back of the net with a one-timer and heading into the third period it was all or nothing for Mustaa Kultaa. They managed to create some chances, but eventually, it was a breakaway goal from Allupekkaz that tied the game and we were in for another overtime. It went on for three minutes before xAaro89x capped off his hat trick with a beautiful spin-o-rama snipe to the glove side.

xAaro89x (right) scores and Launonexx (center) and Allupekkaz (left) go wild! | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

Game 6: Parasite 8-0
Game six was just all Parasite. They took a quick 2-0 lead in the first period and added another one to start the second. There was still some hope left for Mustaa Kultaa but all that was shattered when NikkeDangles found his second of the game at the end of the period. In the third period, Parasite was just playing the time and after some late-minute goals and a fight to cap off the series, it was a rough 8-0 score that ended this season.
 

Parasite celebrates their victory, lead by captain Perttu "Beniittto" Kemppainen | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg
 

Road to the Championship

Regular Season: 24-3-0-1, 78 pts, 1st overall
Quarterfinals 4-0 vs GOONS
Semifinals 4-1 vs Voittamaton
Finals 4-2 vs Mustaa Kultaa
 

The ECL '25: Winter - Elite Champions: Parasite | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg

 (1) Parasite 

Championship Lineup

Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen
Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen
Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen
Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila
Tomi @txmbo999 Laitinen
Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen
Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the finals event at Assembly Winter and Congratulations to Parasite on a well-deserved Championship - see you all in the Spring Season!