SportsGamer will be attending Assembly Winter 2023 with not one, but two great events this February!

Assembly Winter 2023 will once again be one of the biggest gaming and LAN-events in Finland and while fans around the country will be gearing up to meet some of their favorite streamers and game with their friends, we are looking to bring some international color to the big stage in the form of the ECL '23 Winter Finals and the World Finals on the same weekend! The event will be hosted in the legendary Messukeskus in Helsinki, where some of the greatest teams in European NHL esports have hoisted trophies, such as the IS Cup 3 trophy by FILADELPHIA and the FCL 2019 trophy by HAVU Gaming. Will your team be next up to go for ultimate glory?

Lassi Nummi, CEO of Assembly states: “We are happy to welcome all NHL esports players to Assembly Winter 2023 to enjoy the unique atmosphere of Assembly Festival and compete in front of a LIVE audience. The tournament will add great value and diversity to the esports program of the Festival. Assembly is the biggest gaming event in Finland and we are expecting around 15 000 visitors to attend our Winter 2023 Event.”

This upcoming February, the greatest European teams will clash on Friday, the 24th in a head-to-head battle for the ECL '23 Winter Championship. Out of these two, the winner will advance to meet the future NACL Champion at the World Finals played on Saturday, February 25th, 2023. This is the first time in NHL esports history an American team faces off against a European team in a live setting, and we're expecting fireworks right from the get-go in this series that has been brewing for a long time already.

On top of the ECL '23 Winter Finals and the World Finals, Assembly Winter 2023 has a lot more to offer. The massive LAN festival features the biggest LAN area in Finland, two event stages, several esports tournaments, an open play area, an EXPO area and so much more! The event spans over the course of four days from the 23rd of February to the 26th of February. Assembly features some of the biggest esports and streaming personalities in Finland, many of them with an international following, so this is an event you surely won't want to miss!

Interested in seeing the Finals live in Helsinki? So are we! That's why we are extremely happy to be able to provide all ECL Player License holders with the following exclusive discounts for Assembly Winter 2023 tickets:

• 50% discount for single day ticket (normal price from 20€ / discounted 10€)

• 50% discount for four day ticket (includes usage of sleeping area) (normal price from 40€ / discounted 20€)

• 50% discount for four day LAN ticket (BYOC, includes usage of sleeping area) (normal price from 89€ / discounted 44,5€)

If you are planning on attending the event, please let us know by filling in this form, we'll try our best to provide you with some more exclusive deals related to travel and accommodation to and at the venue. Information about Assembly Winter 2023 Festival can be found at the Festival website: https://party.assembly.org/en/winter23.

The NHL esports winter season brings some exciting times for our community. This winter, SportsGamer will host the first-ever 6v6 NHL Esports World Finals, where the reigning ECL '23 Winter Champion will be taking on the reigning North American Champion!

Both the ECL '23 Winter season and the next NACL season will be played leading up to the World Finals, so the stakes are now higher than ever before.

The first-ever 6v6 World Finals will take place on February 25th at Assembly Winter 2023 in Helsinki. This will be the first time in NHL esports history a European team faces off against a North American team in a live setting. History will be made and one team will gain the right to call themselves the 2023 NHL 6v6 World Champions.

What is the ECL?

The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports  - a league where all the best European NHL gamers compete against each other in both EASHL (6v6) and Online Versus (1v1) for European Championship League titles. ECL v6 currently features five divisions, so enjoyable games are guaranteed for everyone regardless of skill level and experience!

Sign-ups are open until December 8, 2022 - read more
 

What is the NACL?

The NACL is our North American counterpart to our longest running league - the ECL. With two seasons of experience in the North American market in the rearview, we have taken a step back and evaluated our successes and shortcomings for a new and improved approach. NACL offers 6v6 competition for both Xbox and PlayStation teams in order to secure a possibility for everyone to participate. 

Sign-ups are open until December 8, 2022 - read more
 

About SportsGamer

SportsGamer is deeply rooted in the EA Sports NHL series and has built a strong community around the game. In recent years, the platform has branched out into other sports gaming titles, all the while staying true to its roots. Some of SportsGamer's most notable products include the European Championship League, and several national leagues revolving around the NHL game series. 

Stay tuned for announcements regarding our upcoming events in the next few weeks.

The long virtual hockey spring came to a conclusion in mid-July at the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Finals at Narinkkatori in Helsinki. The event was a celebration of hockey in all forms, featuring both the eHockey Tour Finals and the ECL '22 Spring Finals on consecutive nights. 

The inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour was a success and received positive feedback from participating teams and players. The Finals event hosted at Narinkkatori in Helsinki suffered slightly from exposure to the elements, but despite the unorthodox fashion of being outside, the setup received lots of praise. With the setups in order, players had an easy time enjoying their games and elevating their performance level once the nerves had worn off in the beginning. 

The tour that started in April consisted of nine online city tournaments allowing teams to qualify for the Top 32-playoffs by finishing in the top three or gaining enough ranking points. Finally, the eight best teams met for the Quarterfinals at the live event in Helsinki.

For most of the players at the event, it was the first time playing live and surely the first time in a setting like that. Understandably there were some nerves at the beginning, but as stated, the performance level started elevating once the players got over that initial nervosity. For the casual gamer, 3's might seem like all fun and games with no real structure to the game, but the top eight teams at the event surely proved that a lot of hours had been put into their game at the practice rink. 

The one team that finally came out on top after a long day of gaming was HC Raitti, represented by Roni @Vatanenn__ Kärkkäinen, Hiski @Tumuttaja(xHise-) Rytkönen and Roope @xxAhti Kärkkäinen. The group of friends hailing from Kiuruvesi paved their way to the playoffs by winning the Kuopio city tournament in dominant fashion and continuing on that same path through the playoffs. Throughout the eHockey Tour, the team only suffered one loss in total, which came in the finals against their very tough adversary Lemmenvelhot. 

"Especially playing live was a new and exciting experience for us, since none of us have done anything like that before. However, the nerves wore off quickly after the first games. Overall the experience at the Finals was excellent and everything was handled very well. We were quite confident from the start due to the chemistry we've got in our team and a bit of an unorthodox playstyle that turned out to be challenging for the opponents. Hopefully we'll be able to ride on this momentum and continue into the 6v6 game on the ECL side in the future", says key player @Tumuttaja about their experience at the eHockey Tour.

We're very grateful for all the feedback from players and viewers at the event, but would like to hear your thoughts even more! Please share your ideas in the comments section, in the eHockey tour Discord channel and we'd also appreciate it if you took a minute to fill in this feedback survey. Let's all work towards an even better experience next year!

Have you dreamed of working on an esports platform or are passionate about sports? And, do you have excellent software development skills? Then keep reading because now is your chance to align your passions with your work since SportsGamer is looking for a Lead Developer!

As a Lead Developer at SportsGamer, you will understand business processes from a technical perspective and then convert them into technical plans. You will also see your plans through to implementation. 

At SportsGamer, we are building a platform with our community at the forefront of our decisions. Therefore, we are looking for someone passionate about sports. We are also hopeful you can help shape our technology to enable rapid user and business growth around the globe.

The Lead Developer role is the first full-time role of its kind for SportsGamer and will give you the opportunity to influence the organization and gamers through software development. 

Good to have:

• Several years in developing web-based systems
• Take lead in the development of systems and be eager to develop software with minimal supervision
• Convert business requirements into technical plans
• Passion for working with sports titles in the gaming and esports environment
• Ability to travel to Helsinki as needed
• Strong communication skills with fluency in Finnish or English
• Ability to design software architectures

Great to have:

Experience and familiarity with the following will help you excel

• PHP
• Laravel
• MySQL
• JavaScript
• React
• Inertia.js. 
• Understanding of REST APIs (CRUD, webhooks)
• Basic understanding of JSON
• Redis
• GitHub
• Docker

We offer:

• Flexible working hours 
• Work remote
• Office currently located in Espoo, Finland
• Work with an innovative group of people 
• An opportunity to be a part of the SportsGamer story

A growing environment where every action matters. We are a low-hierarchy team looking to build the best sports gaming platform together.

What is SportsGamer? 

First and foremost, SportsGamer is a community of sports enthusiasts and gamers. The SportsGamer team strives to provide the best competitive gaming experience across sports titles for all gamers. This is achieved through creating and organizing custom online and on-site leagues, tournaments, and events. These tournaments and leagues are built and played on the SportsGamer.gg platform. Developing PR, Broadcasts, and Media enhances the experience companies and gamers receive. 

The SportsGamer team strongly believes that the best result is a product of a good environment, which is why the goal is to offer the flexibility of working remotely when possible. The SportsGamer home office is located in Espoo, Finland. 

If this sounds like a good fit and you want to join our team, please get in touch as soon as possible and let’s talk!

Apply by 26.08.2022 at the latest.

For more information please contact careers@sportsgamer.gg, or Discord Kenu#0001. 

This weekend's festivities in Helsinki continue with the Wilhelm eHockey Tour Finals event hosted at Narinkkatori in Helsinki. Join us for all the action either on the spot or in the stream!

We're starting off with the Quarterfinals, and moving on from there! The playoffs are played in a best-of-three format. 

Here are your Quarterfinals matchups:

(1) Bare Knuckles Hockey vs Koutsit (20)

(2) Seinajoki Noms vs Lemmenvelhot (12)

(3) Pass The Puck vs KeuPa Esports (10)

(7) Hc Raitti vs Eliittipahvi (9)

The stream is now live at https://www.twitch.tv/sportsgamergg!
 

SportsGamer and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association have launched an all new extensive partnership during the spring of 2022. The first fruition of the partnership will be seen already at the end of June, when the Finnish eNational Team is going for the triple gold in the 2022 IIHF eWorld Championships.

The new partnership combines the vast knowledge and experience of the Ice Hockey Association with the similar attributes that SportsGamer have been able to achieve in the world of esports. Especially the passionate and dedicated community built around the EA Sports NHL-series played a big part and is an excellent building block.

"We thought that now would be a great time to enter the quickly growing esports world. The IIHF are taking their first big steps on the virtual hockey front this year, and we want to be right there among the pioneers developing the product both domestically and internationally. SportsGamer were the perfect partner for us due to their expertise and market leadership. We're confident about building and growing this partnership in the future and are very happy about bringing SportsGamer on board", says Lassi Rönkkönen, sales and marketing director for the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. 

"Our partnership with the Finnish Ice Hockey Association will develop our operations at the grass roots level in Finland, but also help build a better path for players aiming for professionalism. There's a long road still ahead, but we're building a great foundation for future success", Kenneth Lehtinen, COO at SportsGamer.

A clear objective for the partnership is creating opportunities at the grass roots level, but also for players at the brink of professionalism. Together with the Ice Hockey Association, SportsGamer also aims to generate a clearer path to represent the National Team and reach the international top. Finland is currently leading the development of this fast growing sport, and the objective is to stay ahead in the future. 

Also the recent European NHLGWC Champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää chimed in: "From a players standpoint I think this sounds great. SportsGamer has for a long time hosted top tier tournaments and leagues, and I think the Ice Hockey Association will continue elevating that level. More tournaments, leagues and players are always welcome!"

As mentioned, the first fruition of the partnership can be seen in the form of the 2022 IIHF eWorld Championships and the qualifiers, but already in July we'll be able to release more details about more upcoming events.

You'll be able to see the SportsGamer team in action this weekend at Narinkkatori in Helsinki, where it's time for a true hockey fiesta. This weekend's event combines the St Hockey Tour opening tournament, the ECL '22 Spring Elite Finals and the Wilhelm eHockey Tour Finals, so make sure to show up and cheer your favorite team to victory! 

Bonjour! ¡Hola! Let’s play?

With us closing in on the playoffs in most of the ECL divisions and the spring sun heating up the weather outside, we feel the time has come to announce the continuation of the WECL with it's third season. A league that is still yet to be won by a Western European team - as the season 1 champions were Latvian and the season 2 champs were Danish. With the immense growth of our community perhaps now is the time for some Spanish, French or British representation to make a splash? Maybe even a surprise from Italy or the Netherlands? WECL 3 is set to start on June 6th with signups open until Sunday, June 5th 23:59 CEST, so make sure to get your team together and sign up!

SIGN UP FOR WECL SEASON 3 HERE!

The entire WECL Season 3 rulebook can be found in the league forum here! - Please scroll down for the most recent version.

Season schedule

The league will start on June 6th and the finals are expected to be played in late July.

Eligibility

As a regional league, the WECL has three officially recognized countries (ES, FR and UK). However, teams based in countries that are not represented in the current (ongoing or not) SportsGamer regional leagues (CSCL, GCL, RCL, FCL and SCL) are also able to take part.

Teams from the following countries are eligible for the WECL and their players don’t count against the foreign player cap:

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
France
Georgia
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
UK
Vatican City
 

Teams from the following countries are already eligible for another regional league and cannot sign teams up, players will also count against the foreign player cap:

Czech Republic
Slovakia
Germany
Russia
Finland
Sweden

Players from these countries are counted against a limit of 2 foreign players on the roster.

English is considered the only official language of the WECL and all communications sent out regarding the Championship, or exchanged with the LA will be in this language. Users are free, however, to use English, French or Spanish in the league’s own sub-forum.

Additionally, in order to better facilitate the opportunities for local player to naturally grow, the WECL also enforces a skill cap, meaning that foreign players with ECL Elite status will not be able to participate in the league. ECL Elite status is determined by having represented an Elite team in either ECL '22 Winter or ECL '22 Spring.

Exceptions

The WECL aims to be open to any teams that don’t feel represented in other regional leagues. Any requests for an exception to the rules has to be made using the support tool. As stated in the beginning, please familiarize yourself with our rulebook as the above fragments are only a tiny part of the entire ruleset. Hoping for an enjoyable tournament for everyone involved, I invite you to participate in the third season of the WECL! 

Many thanks and see you on the ice!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour has now toured all across the country and is heading towards Central Finland and Jyväskylä next! Some teams have already secured their spot in the TOP 32 playoffs, but there's still lots of time to rack up ranking points!

Lainaa

What is the Wilhelm eHockey Tour?

Would your friend group make the best NHL esports squad around? SportsGamer presents a ground-breaking competitive amateur tournament in the form of the Wilhelm eHockey Tour!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour starts in mid-April and is aimed at casual players in the Finnish market. All you need is a team with 2-4 players, access to NHL 22 on PlayStation 4 and a stable internet connection to have a chance at glory and the largest slice of the 10 000 € prize pool. We’ll tour all the biggest hockey towns in Finland virtually in order to determine the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Champion.

Head over to the Wilhelm eHockey Tour site for all the information in Finnish.

The teams have been divided into three groups and the Jyväskylä city tournament will be played in two stages, the group stage and the playoffs. Every team is guaranteed at least five to six games (the group stage), after which the top two and the best (based on PPG) 3rd placed team will continue directly to the playoffs. The remaining two 3rd placed teams will play a BO1 to determine the last playoff team. This will leave us with eight teams in total in the playoffs.

See the full groups over at the league page - here.

In the playoffs, the eight teams will be seeded based on PPG for each round and play a BO1 to advance. The top 3 teams will gain a direct spot into the TOP 32-stage of the entire Wilhelm eHockey Tour, whereas all other teams gain ranking points for participation. Ranking points add up throughout the eHockey Tour and will grant access to the TOP 32-stage for the top five teams without a top 3 city tournament finish.

So, you'll have two ways to gain access to the TOP 32-stage:

• Reach the top 3 in a city tournament
• Rack up ranking points throughout the eHockey Tour in several city tournaments

In terms of how the ranking system works, basically, the higher you finish, the higher you score.
1st 200p
2nd 150p
3rd 125p
4th 100p
5th-8th 75p
9th --> 50p

The highest ranking teams will also receive awesome product prizes from our great sponsors!

Let the action begin and we'll follow along to see who will be the next teams to secure a spot at the TOP 32-stage.

After three city tournaments in the rearview, a good amount of teams have secured their spots in the TOP 32, but there's still room for more! This weekend, we'll find out what Oulu has to offer.

Lainaa

What is the Wilhelm eHockey Tour?

Would your friend group make the best NHL esports squad around? SportsGamer presents a ground-breaking competitive amateur tournament in the form of the Wilhelm eHockey Tour!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour starts in mid-April and is aimed at casual players in the Finnish market. All you need is a team with 2-4 players, access to NHL 22 on PlayStation 4 and a stable internet connection to have a chance at glory and the largest slice of the 10 000 € prize pool. We’ll tour all the biggest hockey towns in Finland virtually in order to determine the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Champion.

Head over to the Wilhelm eHockey Tour site for all the information in Finnish.

The teams have been divided into three groups and the Oulu city tournament will be played in two stages, the group stage and the playoffs. Every team is guaranteed at least four games (the group stage), after which the top two will continue directly to the playoffs. The 3rd placed teams and the best 4th (based on PPG) will play a BO1 to determine the two last teams to make the playoffs. This will leave us with eight teams in total in the playoffs.

See the full groups over at the league page - here.

In the playoffs, the eight teams will be seeded based on PPG for each round and play a BO1 to advance. The top 3 teams will gain a direct spot into the TOP 32-stage of the entire Wilhelm eHockey Tour, whereas all other teams gain ranking points for participation. Ranking points add up throughout the eHockey Tour and will grant access to the TOP 32-stage for the top five teams without a top 3 city tournament finish.

So, you'll have two ways to gain access to the TOP 32-stage:

• Reach the top 3 in a city tournament
• Rack up ranking points throughout the eHockey Tour in several city tournaments

In terms of how the ranking system works, basically, the higher you finish, the higher you score.
1st 200p
2nd 150p
3rd 125p
4th 100p
5th-8th 75p
9th --> 50p

The highest ranking teams will also receive awesome product prizes from our great sponsors!

Let the action begin and we'll follow along to see who will be the next teams to secure a spot at the TOP 32-stage.

We've now seen what both Helsinki and Tampere had to offer in the eHockey Tour, and it's time to move on to the next great city tournament in Turku. Who will be the next teams to qualify for the TOP 32?

Lainaa

What is the Wilhelm eHockey Tour?

Would your friend group make the best NHL esports squad around? SportsGamer presents a ground-breaking competitive amateur tournament in the form of the Wilhelm eHockey Tour!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour starts in mid-April and is aimed at casual players in the Finnish market. All you need is a team with 2-4 players, access to NHL 22 on PlayStation 4 and a stable internet connection to have a chance at glory and the largest slice of the 10 000 € prize pool. We’ll tour all the biggest hockey towns in Finland virtually in order to determine the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Champion.

Head over to the Wilhelm eHockey Tour site for all the information in Finnish.

With seven team in participation, the Turku city tournament is played in one group and two stages, the group stage and the playoffs. Every team is guaranteed at least seven games (the group stage + one playoff game). All teams out of the group stage will be making the playoffs, with the #1 seed receiving a bye from the first round.

See the full groups over at the league page - here.

In the playoffs, the #1 seed will receive a bye from round 1 and the remaining six teams will play a BO1 to advance (2v7, 3v6, 4v5). After the first round, playoffs move on as normal. The top 3 teams will gain a direct spot into the TOP 32-stage of the entire Wilhelm eHockey Tour, whereas all other teams gain ranking points for participation. Ranking points add up throughout the eHockey Tour and will grant access to the TOP 32-stage for the top five teams without a top 3 city tournament finish.

So, you'll have two ways to gain access to the TOP 32-stage:

• Reach the top 3 in a city tournament
• Rack up ranking points throughout the eHockey Tour in several city tournaments

In terms of how the ranking system works, basically, the higher you finish, the higher you score.
1st 200p
2nd 150p
3rd 125p
4th 100p
5th-8th 75p
9th --> 50p

The highest ranking teams will also receive awesome product prizes from our great sponsors!

Let the action begin and we'll follow along to see who will be the next teams to secure a spot at the TOP 32-stage.

After a tough day of competition last weekend in the Helsinki city tournament, it's now time to see what Tampere has to offer! Bring your best to the ice for a chance to make it to the TOP 32!

Lainaa

What is the Wilhelm eHockey Tour?

Would your friend group make the best NHL esports squad around? SportsGamer presents a ground-breaking competitive amateur tournament in the form of the Wilhelm eHockey Tour!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour starts in mid-April and is aimed at casual players in the Finnish market. All you need is a team with 2-4 players, access to NHL 22 on PlayStation 4 and a stable internet connection to have a chance at glory and the largest slice of the 10 000 € prize pool. We’ll tour all the biggest hockey towns in Finland virtually in order to determine the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Champion.

Head over to the Wilhelm eHockey Tour site for all the information in Finnish.

The teams have been divided into three groups and the Tampere city tournament will be played in two stages, the group stage and the playoffs. Every team is guaranteed at least five games (the group stage), after which the top two will continue directly to the playoffs. The best team in 3rd place (based on PPG) will gain a direct playoff spot, whereas the next two teams in 3rd place will battle it out for the final playoff spot in a BO1 game. This will leave us with eight teams in total in the playoffs.

See the full groups over at the league page - here.

In the playoffs, the eight teams will be seeded based on PPG for each round and play a BO1 to advance. The top 3 teams will gain a direct spot into the TOP 32-stage of the entire Wilhelm eHockey Tour, whereas all other teams gain ranking points for participation. Ranking points add up throughout the eHockey Tour and will grant access to the TOP 32-stage for the top five teams without a top 3 city tournament finish.

So, you'll have two ways to gain access to the TOP 32-stage:

• Reach the top 3 in a city tournament
• Rack up ranking points throughout the eHockey Tour in several city tournaments

In terms of how the ranking system works, basically, the higher you finish, the higher you score.
1st 200p
2nd 150p
3rd 125p
4th 100p
5th-8th 75p
9th --> 50p

The highest ranking teams will also receive awesome product prizes from our great sponsors!

Let the action begin and we'll follow along to see who will be the next teams to secure a spot at the TOP 32-stage.

It's time to get things going with the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour and we're starting off with the Helsinki city tournament! A total of 18 teams have signed up for the first city tournament, and they'll battle it out throughout the day.

Quote

What is the Wilhelm eHockey Tour?

Would your friend group make the best NHL esports squad around? SportsGamer presents a ground-breaking competitive amateur tournament in the form of the Wilhelm eHockey Tour!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour starts in mid-April and is aimed at casual players in the Finnish market. All you need is a team with 2-4 players, access to NHL 22 on PlayStation 4 and a stable internet connection to have a chance at glory and the largest slice of the 10 000 € prize pool. We’ll tour all the biggest hockey towns in Finland virtually in order to determine the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Champion.

Head over to the Wilhelm eHockey Tour site for all the information in Finnish.

The teams have been divided into three groups and the Helsinki city tournament will be played in two stages, the group stage and the playoffs. Every team is guaranteed at least five games (the group stage), after which the top two will continue directly to the playoffs. The best team in 3rd place (based on PPG) will gain a direct playoff spot, whereas the next two teams in 3rd place will battle it out for the final playoff spot in a BO1 game. This will leave us with eight teams in total in the playoffs.
 

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour - Helsinki groups can be seen above. See the standings.

In the playoffs, the eight teams will be seeded based on PPG for each round and play a BO1 to advance. The top 3 teams will gain a direct spot into the TOP 32-stage of the entire Wilhelm eHockey Tour, whereas all other teams gain ranking points for participation. Ranking points add up throughout the eHockey Tour and will grant access to the TOP 32-stage for the top five teams without a top 3 city tournament finish.

So, you'll have two ways to gain access to the TOP 32-stage:

• Reach the top 3 in a city tournament
• Rack up ranking points throughout the eHockey Tour in several city tournaments

In terms of how the ranking system works, basically, the higher you finish, the higher you score.
1st 200p
2nd 150p
3rd 125p
4th 100p
5th-8th 75p
9th --> 50p

The highest ranking teams will also receive awesome product prizes from our great sponsors!

Let the action begin and we'll follow along to see who will be the first teams to secure a spot at the TOP 32-stage.

Would your friend group make the best NHL esports squad around? SportsGamer presents a ground-breaking competitive amateur tournament for Finnish citizens in the form of the Wilhelm eHockey Tour!

The Wilhelm eHockey Tour starts in mid-April and is aimed at casual players in the Finnish market. All you need is a team with 2-4 players, access to NHL 22 on PlayStation 4 and a stable internet connection to have a chance at glory and the largest slice of the 10 000 € prize pool. We’ll tour all the biggest hockey towns in Finland virtually in order to determine the inaugural Wilhelm eHockey Tour Champion.

The tournament is intended for players who are interested in playing competitively, but haven't necessarily taken the steps to get involved yet. Our goal is to get new players into competitive NHL gaming and grow our community. In order to make the gaming experience for new players as enjoyable as possible, we have restricted participation in the tournament so that players and teams from the top two ECL divisions (Pro & Elite) cannot participate in the tournament.

While this event is for Finland only, we want to see this event succeed and bring similar events for other countries in the future.
 

What?

• A competitive NHL 22-tournament, played on PlayStation 4.
• Mode: CHEL 4v4
• Prize pool 10 000 €
• Teams of 2-4 players

Where?

• City tournaments will be played online, and each team is eligible to participate in as many as they want
• The finals will be played in Helsinki
   

When?

• The city tournaments will last 1-2 days over the weekend, depending on amount of participants
• Helsinki 16.-17.4.
• Tampere 23.-24.4.
• Turku 30.4.-1.5.
• Oulu 7.-8.5.
• Jyväskylä 14.-15.5.
• Kuopio 21.-22.5.
• Mikkeli 28.-29.5.
• Kouvola 4.-5.6.
• Espoo 11.-12.6.
• TOP 32 Playoffs 14.-15.6.
• Finals, Helsinki 18.-19.6.

Whether you’re always playing for the win, or are just out there to have some fun, this is your chance to test out the competitive side of NHL esports at an amateur level. The prizes are also great! Our partners will be rewarding the best performers in each city tournament with product prizes in addition to the main prize pool up for grabs. Your road to the playoffs can be paved either by gaining a top 3 finish in one of the city tournaments, or by touring the events and collecting enough ranking points to qualify. Eventually, the eight best squads will make a finals appearance in Helsinki in June.

The city tournaments and the final event can all be followed at the SportsGamer.gg Twitch-channel. In addition to top notch entertainment and great virtual hockey, our viewers can also expect some raffles and product prizes from our partners.

Wilhelm eHockey Tour Landing Page (In Finnish)

Partners:

We suppose it's safe to say no one has been able to escape the harsh reality we live in today, a world at war and very divided, truly difficult times. Our platform has always aimed to serve as a place to escape all that, and to focus on the games we all love together. However, today the need has come to take a stand and do what we can to help our brothers and sisters in need.

Due to the hostile actions of the Russian government towards Ukraine and their people, and the entire Western world, SportsGamer has decided to hold all operations around the RCL effective immediately. This entails that the RCL 9 season will be terminated.
In addition, SportsGamer has decided to prohibit the participation of Russian-owned organizations in upcoming tournaments and leagues indefinitely. The ban affects organizations, meaning that Russian players and their private created teams will be able to participate, but cannot be affiliated to a Russian-owned organization.

Simultaneously, we must recognize that this is not a war of the Russian people, but its government. We appreciate and support all of our players of all nationalities and hope to see you join us in our continued journey. Let's come together wishing for peace.

If you're looking to help Ukraine, there are many organizations collecting donations right now. Here is one for Unicef: https://help.unicef.org/ukraine-emergency

NHLGamers,

We are excited to announce our expansion of both our offering and our community to other sports gaming titles and will communicate more details in the near future. At this point we updated all of our socials to SportsGamerGG and with that would ask you to please make sure to update your social tags and bookmarks to @SportsGamerGG. See below for the full list of links:

• facebook.com/SportsGamerGG
• instagram.com/SportsGamerGG
• twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG
• twitter.com/SportsGamerGG
• youtube.com/c/SportsGamerGG

Hey NHLGamers,

In an effort to get to know you better and hearing about your experiences and opinions we've put together a survey. To sweeten the deal, we've put a carrot at the end of the stick: By filling out the survey you get a chance to win a PS5 - you know, that console that is really hard to get your hands on!

If you want to take part in the raffle of one (1) PlayStation 5: Digital Edition console, please fill out your email at the end of this survey. The survey will be open until 19.1.2022 and the winner will be picked shortly thereafter. One entry per person. By filling out this survey, you agree to our privacy policy and the giveaway terms and conditions.

Click here or the image below to access the survey. Thank you in advance!

Mika @mikaasi Heikkilä is very a experienced player and has represented the Gotham Knights, FILADELPHIA and FILADELPHIA Academy among others along his virtual hockey career. He first fell in love with the NHL game series back in 04 and admits that hockey is a sport very close to heart, although he never practiced the sport himself.

"I started playing NHL back in -04, and from there on out every NHL game is in my collection. Hockey has always been close to my heart, even though I've never played it myself. I started playing 6v6 games during NHL 11 and then I also participated in the first 6v6 tournament organized by Consolehockey. Back then, as a young boy (14 years old) I just played for fun, but in a certain way also seriously because I wanted to develop as a player and help my team to survive. I couldn't imagine at the time that 6v6 tournaments would become such a competitive thing as they are at the moment. It's definitely been cool to watch the scene develop. It certainly became more goal-oriented when NHLGamer started organizing tournaments and also when a lot of players and teams moved to PlayStation and thus the level of tournaments reached a new level."

Heikkilä states that the first Finnish championship and the ECL 7 title are his fondest memories with the game series. He has spent several years with FILADELPHIA and truly calls the club home. 

"I'm sure a lot of people have a bunch of stories of themselves scoring decisive goals and making clutch plays but mine is simply all of my time with FILADELPHIA. Especially the first Finnish championship and the ECL Elite 7 Championship are some of the best memories for me. Even though I was more or less a bench warmer on that team, I've always appreciated the team's team spirit and that good vibe on the team way above simply looking out for myself. FILADELPHIA has always felt like a home of its own and for example the friendship I've build with team captain Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (since NHL 12) is one I'm sure will last for life. Live events, on the other hand, are their own experience entirely and always bring fun memories to mind when looking back at them."

As an experienced player, Heikkilä has a few thing in mind he'd like to see implemented even better to help the scene grow, but he admits that NHLGamer especially has done a great job.

"I would say that surely the scene would develop even faster and better if EA advertised the 6v6 gaming more and used more resources to develop it anyway. NHLGamer has done a great job for tournaments and the scene is constantly growing, which hopefully only promises for a better future. It will be interesting to see what the future holds."

A leader with experience to help younger players

Last year, European top tier juggernaut FILADELPHIA set up an academy team aimed at developing both new talents as well as older players who are yet to reach their prime and might have a chance to once make an appearance for the main squad.

"FILADELPHIA's academy activities are aimed at developing both young and also older players to reach their top level and perhaps one day represent the main team. They started recruiting for the team and Pontus @Pontinho (I-CLAUGHTON-I) Claughton was selected as the first captain. I played for the Gotham Knights at that time, and when that team fell apart, I thought about the continuation of my career for a while in peace. Patzlaf asked me how interested I was in joining that project and I went to see how the game felt for a few nights. I started to get excited about it, and I decided to join in. I was already supposed to play with the academy last ECL season, but there were roster changes going on in FILADELPHIA's main team and they needed a player there and of course I helped with it. After the season, however, I returned to the academy because I wanted to play and help the team develop any way I could."

The main team and the academy work in tight cooperation. Heikkilä, who captains the Academy team, admits that one of the best things for the Academy in terms of cooperation is definitely the experience and know-how of FILADELPHIA's main squad and the possibility of playing in the first team in the future. FILADELPHIA, on the other hand, has the opportunity to get players from the academy if necessary.

"I would like to raise the best things about it, at least from the academy's point of view, that GM Patzlaf has invested a lot of his own time and expertise to help academy players with game matters. I see a lot of potential individuals in our team who can even break into the Elite of the scene in the future and work for it."

Mikaasi also sees himself as a good mentor for younger players, as he has played at various levels and through various eras of the NHL competitive scene. He tries his best to help his teammates with the game and any questions they might have for him.

"Yes, I would be lying if I said that being captain didn't require any leadership and showing a model to the younger. As an experienced player, I have tried to help every player around me with just that everyday work during games. For example, if there are situations that need to be reviewed, we will discuss the matter together and try it out so that we can make it work. At least I've felt that academy players have already learned new things at this point."

As usual, we also asked Mikaasi to pick out his own 6v6 team of potential future stars:

Center: @theMaddias Apparently could play a multitude of positions, but had such a nice FCL run so he can't be left out of this lineup.

Right wing: @xColeslaww Hands are fine and overall a good player in question.

Left wing: I could say @pikkuroger, but he's already playing at a high level, so I'm going to pull home and say @xAaro89x. This guy's going to be a top player in the near future.

Right defenseman: @Bobiraataja(Nikhaa27) Great with the defensive skill stick.

Left defenseman: @viba2008 He's got all the potential to be a top 5 defenseman in the scene.

Goaltender: Our Academy goalie @Edvvinio, he surprises me time and time again with his skills.

Heikkilä hopes that in the future even more clubs would be eager to start affiliate clubs or entertain the thought of similar development projects. FILADELPHIA aims to act as a pioneer.

"Of course, it would be great to see more academy activities by other squads in the scene, and I would see it in such a way that we would have to have a system where representative teams could use their academy players in a similar way as NHL clubs use their AHL squads. However, there is still a lot of work to do in order to achieve that, so let's take one step at a time."

NHLGamers,

Lately, we've been growing faster than ever which makes us very excited for what the future of the NHL gaming community holds. We have a lot of great people working behind the scenes on a multitude of interesting projects, but in order to do that with greater efficiency, we are reaching out to you for help.

We are recruiting staff for several different positions and are looking for new staff members to work both with our European and North American leagues and tournaments. You will find a list of open positions below:

DIVISION LEAD
As division lead you are in charge of running the day-to-day operations of your assigned division together with your assigned division assistants. This entails making sure the schedule is being followed and games are reported accordingly, fixing possible errors and communicating with teams in order to solve possible conflicts or escalating the issue to League Administration if required.

DIVISION ASSISTANT
As division assistant you are helping out with the daily tasks of operating your assigned division. This entails making sure the schedule is being followed and games are reported accordingly, fixing possible errors and communicating with teams in order to solve possible conflicts or escalating the issue to League Administration if required. You report to the division lead.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER
As a graphic designer you'll be working in tight co-operation with the other staff and will assist in various types of content creation. Examples of content include (but are not limited to) stream artwork, images for news stories or even animations or pictures for social media. We're hoping that you have some previous experience in image editing and have a small portfolio to showcase in your application. You will also need to have access to software required for completion of your tasks.

VIDEO EDITOR/CONTENT CREATOR
We know there's a great deal of talent out there among you gamers! We are looking to take our content creation to the next level by generating more video content in addition to the traditional stuff that we have been doing. You will be free to pitch ideas of what you want to create and will be working together with our streaming crew and other content creators in order to figure out what type of content to push out. As a video editor you know a thing or two about video and audio quality and putting together a video using tools such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro X. You don't have to be a professional, but we would like to see some of your previous work in your application.

WRITER/INSIDER
You are responsible for producing content as discussed with the editor-in-chief. You are expected to be able to produce coherent text in English by yourself, but your content doesn't necessarily have to be perfect, as it goes through your editor-in-chief before publication. We hope that you have an interest to investigate and dig deep for those juicy stories. Knowledge about players and leagues will come in handy, but is not mandatory.
Please send in any articles you might have written previously as a reference. Feel free to sweep us off our feet with your application, in case you don't have previous journalistic references to send in.

As an NHLGamer Staff member, you will have a lot on your plate and we expect a certain level of work ethic, but in return you are provided with an interesting opportunity to enter the esports industry and develop your skills in a supportive environment. Several of our long-time members have made great improvements and taken steps towards a career in esports. 

The positions are unpaid at this time, but offer an opportunity gain valuable experience and a network of colleagues.

Contact

Please send your application as an email to careers@nhlgamer.com.
Please attach an introduction, your resume and a portfolio if you have one.

Our regional leagues are an excellent platform for new talents to showcase themselves and that is exactly what Otukset eSports did during their past FCL campaign, which ended in the Quarterfinals at the hands of eventual champion FILADELPHIA.

Otukset eSports is a slightly more unknown team for many, although the team has a wealth of experience in various competitive tournaments. Most of their players have already participated in previous ECL tournaments, but team captain Matias @theMaddias Kilpinen notes that only recently, a more goal-oriented approach to playing has started: "As players, the number of players became acquainted with ECL10 when NEO was played in different gangs. The project started because the goal was to play in the same gang before, now the timing was right. From then on, we played together from time to time, and now, at the end of ECL12, a gang was pulled together."

Individual skill is perhaps not the strength of the team, but instead the fact that every player knows their role and play an equally important part in the game.

"The strengths of our team are largely in the passing game as well as in defence, skill-wise, the team is very even, i.e. everyone is able to do a little bit of everything and adapt to different situations. We've got high ambitions, which means that at the moment we've got our sights set on an eventual promotion to Elite."

"Although our FCL squad didn't consist of big profile players, each of the individuals had held important roles in their previous teams. I think that we were seen as underdogs simply because people hadn't heard of us before and we harnessed that as a strength."

The team's captain notes that participating in the FCL was a foregone conclusion and the team's biggest goal in the tournament was to go as far as possible. To everyone's great surprise, the team managed to progress all the way to the playoffs, where they managed to beat skilled groups such as IQUE and RCTIC along the way. 

"In the IQUE series we started to win every game and got an OT win right from the first game, which was very important for the series. We simply stuck to the process without any special attempts to adapt to the opponent's style of play."

In the quarterfinals, FILADELPHIA, who eventually progressed to become Finnish champion, was an insurmountable obstacle for the team.

"Against FILADELPHIA, we wanted to continue in the same way, but the skill and experience of the opponent just ended up being too much for us to handle at that moment."

A successful FCL tournament gave the young team a lot of confidence for the future. When asked about the team's next goals, participation in the Pro Qualifiers through a wildcard spot is what the team has their sights set on.

"FCL provided a lot of confidence for the future and we also decided to stick with the same lineup going further, sadly losing the handsome Dane Mikkel @Birkedal96 Birkedal. Under the new ECL qualifier rules we'll be able to qualify for Pro through a wildcard spot, which we are very excited about, we're diving into action head first and of course are aiming to just win."

Success stories like this are always exciting to see and it'll be interesting to follow the journey of Otukset also in the future. They will start their ECL 13 campaign through qualifiers to determine in which division they'll end up, so make sure to keep an eye on this ambitious group when the puck drops!

Prima eSport, an ambitious esports organization hailing from Stockholm is the next big name to join NHL esports and they will be doing so by acquiring an experienced lineup hungry for success in the near future.

As we know, ice hockey is one of the most dominant sports in Sweden and with that sentiment in mind together with the recent growth and progress made in NHL gaming over the past few years, we've seen a surge of Swedish organizations and traditional hockey clubs into esports. That has also been the thought in the back of the head for Prima eSport CEO Martin Mårtensson since the first discussions with their newly acquired team: "As someone that has been within the hockey industry for many years this recruitment feels great in so many ways. With the team and with Mattias (@iSvamp), we instantly felt that this was a great match both ways and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Our goal right now is to make this team even tighter and making ourselves a force to be reckon with in the future."

Robert Ribba, who is the organizations Esports Manager is quick to chime in: "Raised on the rink and as someone that to this day holds the game of hockey close to his heart, when presented this fantastic opportunity of recruiting this team I couldn't hesitate for a second.
We are proud to enter this scene with the roster we now attained and are very excited for what the future brings."

The roster itself has most recently completed an SCL campaign that ended in the Quarterfinals under their former name AiKnown and leader Mattias @iSvamp Björk feels that the team is in a very good place moving forward, with bigger and better things in sight: "It's extremely fun an exciting to start this new journey with Prima eSport. Since the first contact with the organization, I've had a good feeling about this and everything has worked out perfectly throughout the conversations and meetings we've had. The entire team is very eager to get this thing started!"

After their recent proof of strength in the SCL, the newly signed Prima eSports squad is heading into future leagues with a very similar roster, that is now condensed to the very core. On offense, they consist of experienced offensive powerhouse Sebastian @eBasstian Nagel and dynamic duo Daniel @Daniel Asplund (dasplund_) Asplund & Philip @Philip Deemus (PHDeemus) Deemus, while the defensive corps holding down the fort will be Mattias @iSvamp Björk and Alexander @snusetskonung Arvidsson. In net, Dennis @denkaan_ Stendal and Viktor @Klangen Klang will be their tandem. Especially with the fact in mind that the squad only had a few days of play in hand together before the SCL, things are looking good moving forward.

"We're definitely ambitious and have set goals for both ECL and SCL campaigns in the future. On the ECL side, like any other team, out ultimate goal is to one day play among the best in the Elite division. However, in the near future we hope to be able to establish ourselves as a solid ECL Pro level team and set new goals from there on out. We are humbled before our mission and realize that there are 40-50 teams out there with similar objectives and capacity, meaning that our journey won't be a walk in the park. We'll be giving it all we've got from the time the puck drops this fall." - Mattias @iSvamp Björk

Saku @Mehukatti10 Serttilä is a 28-year old stone builder hailing from Lahti, Finland, but he is also one of the most prolific goaltenders in the NHL Gaming scene and has represented KalPa in the first ever season of eLiiga, the virtual Finnish hockey league. When not hard at work or in front of the screen, Serttilä plays rink bandy and is actively involved in the football hobby of his godson.

Originally, Serttilä spent some time as a skater before the final call was made to head between the goalposts. He says that becoming a goalkeeper was the sum of many coincidences, as he was still playing as a forward back in ECL 10. Now his teammates describe him as a very conscientious player that takes care of duties as agreed and is on time for practice. He's an easy going guy and a fun person to talk to. 

"At the time, I really enjoyed playing as a goalie whenever my own team didn't have games, and spent evenings netminding in various squads. It sparked the idea that a change of position could be possible. The final decision to make the move happened at the end of ECL 10, when we made some offensive changes and I felt that the chemistry just didn't click."

"I myself have a huge desire to develop as a player and I like facing tough challenges, so in the end the decision to join the Checkmate/SAWO ESPORTS team was easy. The captains of the team at that time, the Nikkinen brothers (@TackleControl and @Juizki) decided to take a gamble on me, for which I can extend a heartfelt thank you to them", Serttilä continues.

Serttilä has played both the 1v1 and 6v6 formats of the game, but he finds playing without AI in the equation much more enjoyable.

"6v6 is definitely more meaningful due to the fact that there are no AI-driven players on the ice. One of the best things about 6v6 is that there are more opportunities for creativity and surprising outcomes to situations. However, the biggest and most important factor is team spirit and chemistry in things that happen on the ice."

"On the contrary, the 1v1 mode is much more schematic and especially more one-sided. It is difficult to say directly what is the best side of it, but in principle you are always the one responsible for the end result, so there's that", says Serttilä.

Just like your childhood idols and traditional hockey players, several gamers like to stick to certain routines before heading to the virtual ice for a big game. Some are more set on these than others, and we asked Mehukatti about his tendencies.

"I don't really have any big routines, but there are definitely a few small things I do to get ready. One thing I'm particularly set on is having two cups of coffee before the games. When playing 1v1, I always listen to music in order to get in the perfect flow and state of relaxation. Perhaps my most interesting routine would be a trigger check I do when the games intro animations are playing. It's as interesting as going through R3, L3, L1, R1, R2 and L2. Originally, I used it to test, especially for older controllers, that nothing is stuck and it's become a habit over time."

 What about all those hours spent around the game? Those countless tight games and long night spent with the boys must surely have made for some fun memories along the way?

"There are plenty of good game memories, but perhaps the best is the first eLiiga in history at the end of last year, which I was perhaps a little unexpectedly able to participate in. The first LAN games and, on top of that, getting to the finals weekend was an amazing experience. For that, a big thank you goes to teammate Roni @MrNipsuli Kaján. When thinking about individual games, I'd pick the bronze game from the eLiiga, which I eventually lost against Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola. We played a full 60 minutes of all out coast-to-coast hockey and have laughed about it several times later."

As usual for our guests, we asked about Serttilä's dream lineup, excluding any of his current teammates.

Center: Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala - The most important piece of the team is the center, so we'll start with that. Patzlaf is an easy choice. A very complete player and big leader, also on weekends

Right wing: Erik @Eki Tammenpää - A gentleman who has won everything and experienced, from whom many could learn how a true professional carries himself on and off the ice.

Left wing: Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen - A truly versatile and intelligent, puck-moving player.

Right defenseman: Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen - Has an exceptional ability to carry a rush by himself and is a tremendous help on offense, but never sacrifices his defensive responsibilities despite that.

Left defenseman: Viljo @viba2008 Kähkönen - It's been a pleasure to watch a former teammate develop into a top defenseman at such a young age and only the sky is the limit for this guy.

Goaltender: Casper @ICappeI Lundgren - A real showman and an ignition switch for his team. The stats and merit are such that you can't really hope for more from a goalkeeper. Cappe was also one of the first so-called big names to allow me to train regularly with Elite level players when I switched from fielder to goalkeeper. I'm really grateful for that.

What if you could switch places with one of your teammates, who would you choose? Mehukatti would trade places with teammate Juho @RutonMosse Kinnunen (Juigelson).

"If I could switch places with someone, it would be our own Jupi who would have to give way to me, we'd be able to start games/training on time for once."

How about the future - where does Saku Serttilä see himself in say, five years time?

"That's a very good question. Hopefully, by then I might have started a family of my own and I'm possibly still involved the NHLGamer community, at least in some way."

Roope @pikkuroger Bergström, has despite his young age risen quite fast towards the top of competitive virtual hockey talent and is definitely one of the rising star players in the Elite division. The young man has played competitive NHL since the release of NHL 16, when he mainly participated in the 1v1 game mode. The 6v6 game mode became more familiar a few years later. Since then, he has begun to invest more time into competitive NHL. 

“My first memories from 6v6 games are back from the ECL 10 Lite season, when we gained a Pro promotion with a team called HUIPPUPASSI. It was really my first ECL season and I got to play with two very good friends (Joel @jjokke19 Rinne and Mika @Mikax222 Haverinen) and a dynamic father-son duo (Timo @Aitis Kähkönen and Viljo @viba2008 Kähkönen). It was an amazing season in every way.”

Although Bergström has been playing competitive console hockey for a long time, the greatest success is yet to be achieved in both game modes. Bergström currently plays both game modes, however, he admits that he enjoys playing 6's a bit more. The 6vs6 game mode has become more meaningful these days, which is why it takes up more time.

"In the 1v1 game mode, one of my fondest memories is back in last years FCL when I reached the Top 8-stage and came just short of beating eventual champ Arttu @Artuzio Mustila. At that point, I started to realize that I could start challenging the top in the 1v1 mode. In turn, in the 6v6 mode my first Elite season felt really good and I managed to prove myself against the best players in that environment".

"Right now, I enjoy the 6v6 game format more. It’s just more fun to play when there are nice teammates and there’s no artificial intelligence mixing on the field. Previously, I disagreed and thought that 1v1 was more meaningful to play, but when I started 6v6 properly and got to play on good teams, the mind has changed over time. I look forward to my first LAN events, I think that’s where those best memories will be made." Bergström continues.

When asked, Bergström states that his ultimate goal is to win a bigger tournament and possibly become a professional at a later stage. The young man states that he enjoys a good burger, a hot shower and listening to music before the games. Perhaps that's where his skill comes from?

We also wanted to reach out to some old and new teammates of Roope, and when asked about the youngster, Jere @jergelii Jortama responds: "Roope is willing to evolve every day, definitely wants to be the best in the game in the future. He's a hard worker and spends a lot of time practicing the ins and outs of the game. You can also see that he wants as many tips as possible from the more experienced players and knows how to change his own style of play if required in any situation. Outside of the ice he's a nice and funny guy." Captain Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola chimes in on the praise and confirms that Bergström truly does his due diligence on the practice rink and is a motivated individual when it comes to reaching the top.

As customary, we asked Bergström about his top 6 team, without any of his current teammates on the roster. The team named by the young man did not bring any big surprises, as there are names familiar to even the general public.

LW: @Buantso Able to decide games by himself and create opportunities from nothing. Has that X-Factor in tight playoff games when someone has to be the hero.
C: @Beniittto A really skilled player.. A lot of experience although he is a younger guy. Deserved MVP of last season's playoffs.
RW: @Eki An inconceivably good player, really is a complete allrounder that can help his team in any situation.
LD: @xDoumi A great puck moving defender and he has experience despite his young age.
RD: @loimmu A perfect example of a great defender, no weaknesses and solid all around.
G: @ICappeI A good experienced goalkeeper with a tremendous ability to read plays.

When asked about the opportunity to switch roles with any specific player on his own team, the youngster didn't hold back on praising his captain.

"If I had to choose someones skillset from my own team then it would be @kriketski17. He's a good captain and otherwise a really complete player that has great skill. Krike sees the ice really well and is really good in his center position, it's easy to flank him on the wing."

Outside of playing, Bergström goes to school and spends a lot of time with friends. He doesn't really play other games outside of NHL. He used to play football since the age of 4, but quit a few years ago due to lack of motivation.

In addition to being Roope's old teammate, @Aitis is the General Manager of esports organization GOONS and is the mastermind behind the operation as a whole. He sees a bright future for the young man: "From day one, it was evident that we're getting a very ambitious and already skilled player in Roope. He's also humble and has that drive to push him forward onto great things. Next season he'll fight among the big names for the title of best forward in Elite."

We're certainly seeing a great player in development and have the privilege to watch him closely as GOONS currently pave their way towards the playoffs in the FCL. They'll also continue their momentum in the Elite division next season, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled!

NHLGamers,

we are back with another article in our "Player Spotlight" series. There are many talented and highly skilled players in the German community that are worthy to take closer look at. In our second article we are proud to present you Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg, assistant captain of noRex Gaming and member of the NHLGamer writing staff. 

1. When and why did you start playing EASHL in NHL?

I started playing EASHL in NHL09 with friends from school. In the beginning we used to play with 3 or 4 players and the remaining positions were filled by bots. At some point in time Patrick @RPH_31 Braun messaged me if I was interested in joining his club. And so I joined my first 6v6 club, the so called "German Bulls" where Stefan @Toews19 Schoierer (BarriosLucas18) and Mario @Laurentius Schneeweis (Larphox) played, too. Since then BarriosLucas18 and Larphox were part of every team I played in.

2. What are your highlights in your EASHL career so far?

One of my first highlights was making the playoffs with the "Eisbaeren Regensburg" in GCL 4. Especially since the team was fighting in the relegation zone of the league before it was a great accomplishment to make the playoffs and participate in the quarterfinals after winning our series in the pre-playoffs. On the international virtual ice it is the promotion to ECL Pro twice. After losing the quarterfinal series in ECL 10 Lite against HUIPPUPASSI (now Goons; 3:4) it eventually was enough to secure a spot in ECL 11 Pro. And obviously our silver medal in ECL 12 Lite and gaining promotion straight back into the second highest league on European level. 

Individually one of my strongest seasons was ECL 10 Lite where I was able to secure a place among the leagues top 10 scorers in the regular season (30GP: 33G + 53A = 86P) and playoffs (16GP: 22G + 23A = 45P). On top of that I was able to secure the top scoring title in RCL 8 Pro for EHC Traktor Chelyabinsk (22GP: 36G + 35A = 71P).

In 1v1 I secured the 2nd place in the eDEL (official German Championship of the German Hockey League DEL) where I felt short to @Timasy in the finals. In the Gaming World Championship 2021 I managed to get into the Top 64 on PS4 in Europe.

3. What are your personal goals and long term objectives in 6v6?

Personally I want to develop my playing style in 1v1 and be more consistent. In the next eDEL and GWC I would like to confirm this years performances and get into the finals respectively Top 64.

My main focus is on 6s with noRex Gaming. After our promotion back to ECL Pro we want to establish ourselves in the league and prove ourselves that we belong to Europes Top 48. We have a young, talented and highly motivated roster that is always keen on learning and developing which is one of our biggest strengths. Staying in the league and denying the qualifier tournament will be our main goal in ECL 13.

4. What is your favourite dish?

Himmel un Äd (translated: heaven and earth; typical dish from Cologne: mashed potatoes, apple sauce and black pudding).

5. If you could create two teams, one for the ECL (only non German players) and one for the GCL, what starting six would you put together? You can only choose one player from your own team.

ECL Team:

LW @FlyerKungen - C @Beniittto - RW @Eki

LD @Lehmannens - RD @loimmu

G @ICappeI

In the offense we have three of the most dangerous and individually skilled attackers in ECL Elite. @FlyerKungen normally plays on the right wing but considering his skill and experience I can imagine him performing on the same level on the left wing. You do not need any explanation why I put @Beniittto and @Eki in my offensive lineup after the last seasons. @Lehmannens is extremely fun to watch and his scoring touch would improve any team in the scene. Especially his 1v1 abilities are one of the reasons why I like his style of play. With @loimmu we probably find the best RD of ECL Elite in my team. As well as the best netminder of the world: @ICappeI.

GCL Team:

LW @IDangledYouOut - C @PlaymakerSJ - RW @Timasy

LD @Franky__2768 - RD @Toneee9

G @Fightlocke3

In the offense we find the three most skilled players in the community. @Toneee9 is naturally a LD but I would really like to see the combination of him and @Franky__2768 - especially offensively. @Fightlocke3 took a great development in the last two seasons. It is worth to mention that he started playing NHL in the summer of 2020 and already is on a very good level. Surely one of the rising goalie stars in the German 6s scene.

6. Have you ever played hockey in real life?

I never played icehockey but I always played street- and rollerhockey with friends. In contrast to virtual hockey you won't find me on the right wing but between the pipes.

7. Would you rather be an average hockeyplayer or the best EA Sports NHL player?

I'd rather be the best player in EA Sports NHL.

8. What is your favourite memory in real hockey?

I have two moments stuck in my mind: My favourite team in real life are the Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks). My first game in the Kölnarena was a 7:1 victory over the Hamburg Freezers in 2004. As well as the overtime win in the playoffs 2008 against the Adler Mannheim. Philip Gogulla scored the OT GWG after 168 minutes. The longest game in the German league to date.

9. What are your hobbies and what are you doing in your free time?

If there was not a global pandemic right now I like to follow the matches of my favorite football team FC Cologne. On top of that I connect two passions: football and travelling, the so called "Groundhopping". I try to visit as many stadiums of different clubs in as many different countries as possible (I watched over 650 games in almost 300 stadiums in 24 countries).

10. Pizza with or without pineapple?

Obviously without.

11. If you could listen to only one song for a whole day while playing NHL, which song would it be?

Wasted Penguinz - Wide Awake (special shoutout to @esdor)

12. What's the story behind your PSN ID?

It is the village where I grew up in local dialect. 
 

13. Who is the best ECL (non German) and GCL player?

ECL: Erik @Eki Tammenpää

GCL: Tim @Timasy Hess

14. How do you spend your vacation?

As mentioned in the answer to question 9: travelling to different countries and visiting different cities and stadiums.

15. High-scoring game or OT drama?

Definitely OT drama (with the better end for my team).

16. Do you have any rituals before league games?

Our goalie Christian @Fightlocke3 Schubert, LD Christian @GERxVillain Ungeheuer and me always hit the practice rink and take some shots, breakaways and simple passes to warmup and prepare for the matchup.

17. What's your conclusion about ECL 12 and how do you compensate the departure of IDangledYouOut?

I am extremely proud of what we accomplished in ECL 12 Lite. We failed in the Pro qualifier just by a small margin so we were very determined to earn instant promotion back to ECL Pro. The way how we managed to win our group and dominated in our playoff run until the finals is really something we can be proud of. This season helped our young team a lot and we can take a good development from that and mature as a whole team.

IDangledYouOuts experience and individual class helped us massively in reaching our goals. But I am very confident that we find an adequate player who will fit perfectly into our team. I think that nearly any player in the world can be replaced by good chemistry within a team.

18. What are your goals for ECL 13 and GCL 8?

As mentioned earlier before we want to maintain our spot in ECL Pro and prove that we belong to the Top 48 in Europe. It will be our second season on Pro level and everyone of us matured a lot. On top of that every player improved individually which makes us a way better team compared to ECL 11 Pro when we had to pay tuition in many situations.

For GCL 8 we want to confirm our semifinal appearances from the last seasons. Maybe we will be able to take the next step and get into the finals for the first time.

NHLGamers,

We’ve heard the concerns you have regarding the transition to the next generation of consoles (PlayStation 5 & Xbox X/S) and what that entails for NHLGamer leagues in the future. While we haven’t had an answer to give you before today, we feel like we owe it to you, all the passionate gamers, to communicate as clearly and swiftly as possible.

With that being said, we are issuing the statement that NHLGamer will primarily continue to host its leagues on gen 4 consoles (PlayStation 4 & Xbox One) until further notice. While we are eager about the advancements that gen 5 (PS5 & XSX) brings us, we want to be realistic with the restrictions to console availability has meant for some of our gamers, and in an attempt of being as inclusive as possible, we will proceed as stated.

We are, however, exploring the option of moving over to gen 5 fully during the lifecycle of NHL 22, so we strongly suggest players to acquire the NHL 22 X-Factor Edition due to the fact that it gives you double entitlement (both gen 4 & gen 5 access to the game).

FAQs:

Q: But wait!? I have the PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X - does that mean I can't participate in the NHLGamer leagues and tournaments?

A: The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are capable of running the gen 4 version of the game, meaning the PS5 can run the PS4 version and the XSX can run the Xbox One version. By purchasing the NHL 22 X-Factor Edition, you get access to both versions and thus can take part in our leagues and tournaments no matter if you have the gen 4 or gen 5 console.

Q: When will NHLGamer start running leagues and tournaments on the gen 5 version?

A: As soon as possible. When the new generation of consoles has good enough availability that anyone can get their hands on them with a little effort, we will make the switch.

Q: Gen 4, gen 5!? What?

A: Gen 4 is considered PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while the newer consoles - PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X are considered gen 5.

X-Factor Edition

- Double entitlement (Unlocks the game for both Gen 4 & Gen 5 consoles)
- 3-Days early access
- Up to 10 HUT Diamond player choice packs
- HUT X-Factor Player choice pack
- HUT X-Factor Power-up starter pack
- Up to 4 HUT X-Factor Power-up packs
- 5 World of Chel X-Factor Zone ability unlocks
- 5 Unlocked hockey bag
- Be a Pro X-Factor slot unlocks (2), XP boost and bonus trait points

Questions? Thoughts? Discuss below.

Related articles:

Having won the inaugural Swedish Championship League back in 2019, Vesa Pompa came back to defend their title in last year’s SCL – crowning a successful campaign by defeating Northern Ascendancy in Game 7 of the 2020 finals. Many assumed the team would be going for the so-called “Threepeat”, but here at NHLGamer.com we can confirm that Vesa Pompa will not be the champions of SCL 2021.

But the team is indeed back to try and defend their title.

While we’ve had several Swedish sports associations join our ranks in NHL esports, today we welcome our very first Swedish esports organization as Granit Gaming has signed the Vesa Pompa roster for SCL and future tournaments.

Abbreviated GG, Granit Gaming was founded in December of 2017 by owner Kim “KMF” Engström. Still owned and operated by Engström, Granit is an international organization with players from all over world that feature teams in games like Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends, Super Smash Bros, Overwatch, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) – and now NHL.

“We’ve been involved in around 50% of all competitive games in the last few years and have had several different team outlooks; including female teams, academy teams, “stream teams” and others”, says Engström to NHLGamer.com.

“Competitively, our best result is finishing 4th in the world.”

With a background in the world of pro sports playing competitive tennis, and with a massive interest in hockey and the National Hockey League, Engström spent a long time looking for the right fit to enter NHL esports with Granit Gaming.

He found it in Vesa Pompa.

“When I got in touch with Johan (@Lehmannens) and Henrik (@Eken45jr), I immediately felt like I had found the right fit. I know the individual skill these players possess, and I know the roster we’ve put together has potential. My message to all my teams and players is the same; go out there and have fun, knowing you’ll have the full support of our organization regardless of the outcome. As for our first tournament together – the SCL – the players and I agree that a top-4 spot is a reasonable goal to have.”

Team captain Johan Lehmann:

“It’s a tremendous honor to be able to partner up with such a well-established and professional organization as Granit. It’s been a fun ride under the Vesa Pompa banner, and I can’t imagine a better way to continue that journey than with Granit.”

“Our main objective is to establish a solid team foundation and a long-term partnership with Granit. Naturally, we’re competitive people who always want to win – so our goal will obviously be to compete for titles in the tournaments we enter. We’ll do everything in our power to defend our SCL title.”

Suiting up for Granit Gaming in SCL 2021 will be three former Farjestad BK players, three players from Vesa Pompa’s ECL 12 roster and a “familiar” netminder.

“I’m very happy with our roster composition. We’ve gathered players who share the same mindset, with qualities that complement each other quite well. There’s a bond of friendship, a willingness to grind the game, youthful exuberance, and plenty of experience”, says Lehmann.

“My long-time friend, partner in crime and assistant captain @Eken45jr is one of the most skilled forwards around and has proven time after time that he is at the very top of both 6v6 and 1v1. My other assistant captain, @l-Furyan-l, is unmatched in terms of experience – a prototypical two-way defender with an offensive edge.”

Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt (A), Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann (C) and Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund (A).

“Additionally, @antoniomannen004 has come into his own as a top Elite forward through sheer determination, hard work and talent. @dzouvi has exploded on to the scene in recent tournaments with his impressive skill, elusiveness and creativity from the center spot. @Thunborg5 is a uniquely calm goaltender with the valuable trait of being at his best when the games mean the most. @LastMandalorian is back between the pipes and will be an important part of the puzzle with his competitiveness and drive to succeed”

Granit Gaming is also set to enter the NHL 1v1 competitive scene, with announcements to follow next week on which players have been added to the organization's 1v1 roster.

You'll be able to see the team in action for the first time tonight, as they take on HockeyProfessorn HC tonight at 21:00 CEST, the games will be streamed at www.twitch.tv/eken45jr.

If you want to support the latest esport organization to join NHL gaming, you’ll find Granit Gaming in these locations:

Twitter (https://twitter.com/granitgaming)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/granitgaming/)
Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/teamgranit)
TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@granitgaming)
Homepage (https://www.granitgaming.com/)

NHLGamers,

We're glad to have concluded a great first season of the WECL bringing competitive hockey to a collective of several smaller markets contributing to the growth of the sport we all love. 19 teams went to battle in season one and we're only looking to grow from there, thank you all for participating and welcome back next season! 

The finals were played last night (Wednesday) between #2 Grenoble BDL Esport and #4 Silver Sword Griffins. As the teams went to battle, it was evident that the games were extremely tight, which led to three games ending up in overtime. Despite their best efforts, Grenoble weren't able to overcome their opponents for a win and ended up at a 4-0 deficit, awarding the championship to the Latvian squad Silver Sword Griffins.

 Silver Sword Griffins - Road to the championship:

Regular season record: Group 1 - 15-2-1 (3rd)
Quarterfinals: vs Remparts de Tours eSport 3-0
Semifinals: vs Dynamo Dragons 3-0
Finals: vs Grenoble BDL Esport 4-0 

Championship roster:

GOALTENDERS
#15 @Janikka
#95 @snaasigi

DEFENSEMEN
#5 @jurisc1989
#8 @kazams17
#49 @NEGAISS
#95 @MAYZIIX

FORWARDS
#10 @ProMinx24
#18 @PSchibra
#23 @xLVxRitchey
#77 @CMB-wf-
#98 @N44TTI_16

If you missed the finals, you can rewatch the broadcast below:

Congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community!

The first season of the WECL is coming to an end with the finals in focus - those games will be played this week between Grenoble BDL eSports and Silver Sword Griffins.

Before getting into the substance of the matter, we would first like to thank and congratulate all the teams for this first edition. All in all, we had some learning experiences along the way but mainly the championship went very well, and without trouble. for that we'd like for all participants to give themselves a pat on the back and extend yet another warm thank you to the competitors beside you!

It would be a lie to say that it is a surprise to find Grenoble and the Silver Sword Griffins in the finals. These two teams, although battered at times, kept their ranks of favorites and made it to the finals without too much problems in the end.

An observation seemed acquired around the middle of the regular season, as Group 1 seemed to be closer than Group 2. With both the Griffins and Grenoble in this group, added with a strong squad like Latvian Warriors in particular, there was only one playoff spot really up for grabs - a tough situation for all the other clubs fighting over that last spot. Eventually, it was the Spanish formation Hoko Gang that ended up grabbing the last playoff spot in Group 1, just in front of Remparts de Tours eSport 2.

In Group 2, we expected Remparts de Tours eSport and Dynamo Dragons at the forefront with, the remaining seven squads going to battle over the final two playoff spots. In the end, it was the Latvians from Latvian eSports and the Frenchmen from Epinal HC Esport who did the best and managed to punch their tickets to the postseason. The Spaniards in Granada Grizzlies have for a long time seemed able to join the playoffs but a tumultuous end of the season did not allow them to do so this time.

The final under the microscope

It's very difficult to identify the favorite of this final. On one hand, we have the experience of many Griffins players and on the other hand the very good season put forth in ECL 11 Lite by Grenoble which could put the wind in their sails.

The two teams are also statistically very close. 109 goals scored against 22 conceded by the french guys and 120 scored and 20 conceded by the Latvians. In terms of goaltending, the two stand together also. @Trollstivegen (Grenoble) has a save percentage of 81% and 1.64 with two shutouts. The Griffins goaltenders are a bit below that level but @Janikka, who played all six playoff games so far has done great in the postseason being below a goal per game in GAA. 

As often at this level of competition, the difference could be made in special teams. 37.5% efficiency in numerical superiority converted for Grenoble against 26% for the Griffins, and in contrast, 90% penalties killed by the Griffins against 83% for Grenoble - an interesting matchup on that front.

Their road to the finals:

  Grenoble BDL eSports - Group 1
Regular season: 1st / 16-2-0 / 109 GF/29 GA
Playoffs: 1st round vs Epinal HC Esport 3-0 / 2nd round vs Latvian Warriors 3-0

 Silver Sword Griffins - Group 1
Regular season: 3rd / 15-2-1 / 120 GF/22 GA
Playoffs: 1st round vs Remparts de Tours eSport 2 3-0 / 2nd round vs Dynamo Dragons 3-0

Individual trophies (based on regular season)

MVP: AdRi1_ScP (BDL) 41+50=91
Best forward(s): AdRi1_ScP (BDL) 41+50=91 and PSchibra (SSG) 31+59=90
Best defenseman: Method4 (RDT) 9+15=24
Best goalkeeper: badsanta35 (DDR) 89.53SV% / 1.23GAA / 4SO

On behalf of NHLGamer, we wish a very good finals to both teams. May the best team win.

NHLGamers,

As per the recent PlayStation blog release, Sony has decided to remove the Community feature on the PlayStation 4 in April 2021. Therefore our beloved PS4 community, where you could instantly find players or teams for the evening, will be gone. It will be missed and remembered, like a good childhood memory. However, PlayStation will continue to allow messaging and connecting just as before on your PS4, PS5 and the PS app.

Ever since the release of the PS5, which was released with no community feature, NHLGamer staff has been hard at work and improved our Discord server services for you! By working together as a community we can bring the people from the disappearing PS Community to the NHLGamer Discord, migrating our communications hub to that platform. This way we don't lose the chance to effectively find free players for the evening and for clubs to offer that free spot for you! That being said we would really appreciate your help with sharing our Discord server using the link - nhlgamer.com/discord and helping us reunite here at the NHLGamer Discord server. We will continue to improve our server to make your stay here pleasant!

TL;DR: Share our discord link nhlgamer.com/discord in order to keep an efficient communications hub for all NHLGamers.

As an action towards the instances of improper and unacceptable behavior in our community, we will be updating our rulebook(s) and community guidelines to set clear expectations and a code of conduct that is to be followed in all interactions around our community. A clear-cut guideline on what type of behavior will not be tolerated and what might be the repercussions of such actions.

At NHLGamer, we want to ensure a fair, safe, and inclusive environment for gamers of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. We are tremendously proud of the community that we all have built together so far but know that we can do even better by being even better towards each other.
In the process of working to enable this type of environment, we need to have rules in place and will occasionally have to give out suspensions to our users. This is not something we enjoy doing but is necessary to preserve the integrity of the rulebook and the game. 

Our ideology has always been and will continue to be, that when someone crosses the line – our main priority is to put a stop to it and then educate the team/individual and everyone else in the community about why the action in question is wrong and unacceptable. The purpose of punishment is to drive the point home, to ensure actions have consequences, and to discourage teams/individuals from repeating their offense(s). In short, rules are there for a reason, and should you break them you will be punished.
And, hopefully, learn from it. 

While different cultural and educational backgrounds do not make inappropriate behavior acceptable, it can sometimes create gaps in how different people interpret a situation. Like we mentioned above, two of the integral goals of our community are inclusion and education. That means we will also do our best to understand the reasoning for the behavior of a person who breaks our rules, to make sure we give them the best opportunity to learn from their mistake and not repeat it - not just because of the fear of punishment, but to make them understand why it is not acceptable. If the user does not learn from their mistake, though - we do reserve the right to more severe punishment.

It is an instinctual reaction in many of us to want to punish someone who breaks the rules we as a society – or, in this case, community – set out for ourselves. It can even be tempting to, if the rule transgression is egregious enough, banish the rule-breaker in question forever and purge him or her from sight and mind. 

But is that the thing that puts the individual on a path to fixing their actions? To making things right? 

While the most extreme of cases might call for such a decision, it should not be a quick-trigger action. At the same time, a rulebook cannot – and should not – be written under the assumption that a perceived softness in punishment will not be abused.

So, how do we find the medium between these two ‘extremes’, as it were?

In order to make this process as transparent and fair as possible, we are working to set a standard on how these cases will be determined. Here is an example of how it could look*:

• First offense, 2 weeks - 3 months
• Second offense, 6 months to 1+ year
• Third offense will cause a minimum of 3 years and up to a permanent community and league participation ban

*Note: This is a work-in-process example. This will only be used on serious matters. We reserve the right to go higher depending on intent.

We will also be adding rules about apparel on broadcasts and socials:

• No tobacco, alcohol, drugs, nudity, hateful or otherwise inappropriate text, logos, or images
• No discrimination
• No brands that compete with our partners**

**Exceptions can be made in the case of team partners

On a more general level, we are not satisfied with the efficiency that we were able to handle support tickets, especially on the League Administrative side during ECL 11 and the goal of our work in preparing for the next season is to mitigate the bottlenecks that lead to this situation. The reasons behind the long turn-around time on some of the tickets were e.g.

• A large number of tickets compared to the size of available support staff
• Partially insufficient tools at the disposal of some of the support staff
• A need for better-defined rules in some cases that would have helped resolve cases more efficiently and perhaps avoided a support ticket in the first place

Please do not misinterpret this as distrust towards our rulebook. We are proud of our rulebook, but like any rulebook, it requires updates, further specifications, and re-evaluating certain aspects due to changes to the game, changes to public opinion, and the growth and needs of our community.

Finally, while we have no intention of becoming the internet police, we do take our role as one of the leading entities in this community seriously. We do want to educate when and where we can and continue to make this space a safe and welcoming one for people from all walks of life. Therefore, we will be looking to partner with different types of third-party organizations in the future to help give our members access to useful, well-researched information from people that are actual experts on subjects like racism, sexism, depression, and addiction. 

This will require time and research as we do not intend to simply stamp a logo on something, believing that solves the issue at hand.
In the end, we will always be open to continued feedback, criticisms, and suggestions. We are not perfect, nor will we ever be. But we can always try to do better. And we will.

A few weeks ago @sumskoy26 was displayed in an RCL tweet in which they were wearing a t-shirt that had an extensive amount of racist imagery on it. Prior to being notified of this by NHLGamer members, the image in question had been used in previous RCL broadcasts. Upon being called out for such a t-shirt publicly by other NHLGamer members, @sumskoy26 proceeded to act belligerently, going as far to call one member an “AFA clown”.

LA has been in contact with @sumskoy26 in order to ascertain the motives behind the submission of such a photo to the RCL broadcast crew. In this conversation @sumskoy26 claimed that the t-shirt was worn for ‘satire’ purposes / as a joke – despite then conceding that they knew it would be taken more seriously in the ‘Western world’, as opposed to the Russian audience that, for the most part, the RCL broadcasts would be solely reaching. Without prompting, although closely following this conversation, @sumskoy26 apologised on Twitter for the picture in question and their actions, saying that they had regret regarding it.

NHLGamer takes a strong stance against racism and discrimination of any form. We want to build a community that values people equally, regardless of their race or creed, and having images like the one in question be circulated puts a great stain on what we are trying to achieve.

As such, we have decided to suspend @sumskoy26 from all events and tournaments on the NHLGamer platform for 90 days from the day that this statement was made, therefore the suspension will run from Tuesday, the 23rd of February, to Monday, the 24th of May, 2021. 

LA