The next chapter of NHL esports

NHLGamers,

As always, we look to bring you the most superior competitive gaming experience possible, and we're continuously looking to improve on previous iterations of our leagues. Nothing has changed in regards to that in our ECL, and therefore we assure you that ECL 11 will be run at the premium level you are used to. This time, we wanted to launch the signups as early as possible in order to allow entry for as many teams as possible, also minimizing the risk of someone simply missing the deadline. Without further ado - here you go:

Signups will be open until Wednesday, 11.11 at 23:59 CET.

Divisions framework

The divisions framework for the ECL 11 will follow the same logic as for previous seasons. We will have a total of four divisions with the following team allocation: Elite 16 teams, Pro 32 teams, Lite 96-128 teams*, Neo 32+ teams.

ECL Elite: 16 teams
- Sign up: ECL Elite eligible teams
- Regular season: One group
- Playoffs:
  - 8 teams
  - Best-of-7
ECL Pro: 32 teams
- Sign up: ECL Pro eligible teams
- Regular season: Two groups
- Playoffs:
  - 16 teams
  - Best-of-7
ECL Lite: 96-128 teams
- Sign up: Anyone can apply for ECL Lite
  - Teams will be decided by Franchise history, Roster composition, and EASHL record
  - ECL Lite registrants are also allowed to apply for a spot in ECL Pro
  - Teams signing up for ECL Lite that don't make it into ECL Pro or ECL Lite will be automatically placed in ECL Neo
- Regular season: TBD
- Playoffs:
  - TBD
  - Best-of-7
ECL Neo: 32+ teams
- Sign up: Without restrictions
- Regular season: TBD
- Playoffs:
  - TBD
  - Best-of-5

*NHLGamer reserves the right to alter the team allocation to ECL 11 Lite depending on the number of total teams signing up.

Preliminary schedule for the ECL 11 season:

ECL 11 Neo: Start Wednesday, 18.11
ECL 11 Lite: Start Tuesday, 17.11
ECL 11 Pro: Start Monday, 23.11
ECL 11 Elite: Start Monday, 30.11

Stay tuned for more info dropping over the coming weeks, we'll be releasing more detailed information about the season and announcing the cover gamer for ECL 11!

What is the ECL?

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in four divisions aimed at various skill levels. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation 4.

Basic information/requirements of ECL:

Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude North American or Russian players. A European server will always be used. In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players.
6v6 tournament: ECL is played 6 vs. 6 only, using the EASHL Challenge Club game mode in NHL 21.
Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at NHLGamer.com and create their personal player card.
Roster requirements: Teams in ECL Elite need to have at least 7 players to sign up. Teams in ECL Pro, ECL Lite and ECL Neo need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players.
ECL Elite license: Teams in ECL Elite will be required to pay for an ECL Elite license in order to play (more details to follow).
Rules: The ECL 11 ruleset will follow the same foundation as in season 10. The updated rulebook will be available before the season.