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Compete for the European Championship in 1v1 The European Championship League (ECL) is the highest level of structured NHL competition in Europe — and ECL 1v1 is where individual skill is put to the ultimate test. No teammates. No excuses. Just you, your opponent, and a season-long battle for the European Championship title in 1v1. Two ways to compete in ECL 1v1 - Go for glory, or chill! For the Winter season, ECL 1v1 is split into two clearly defined competitions, so players can choose the experience that fits them best. 1) ECL ’26: Winter – 1v1 Championship 🏆 This is the official European Championship League 1v1 competition. • Structured group stage • Playoffs for the top performers • Prize pool on the line • Clear commitment expectations This is the path for players who want to compete at the highest 1v1 level and play for results that carry real weight. Key Dates • Sign-up deadline: January 17, 23:59 CET • Group Stage: January 20 – February 9 • Playoffs: Starting February 13 (end date TBA) Winter Season Prize Pool The ECL ’26: Winter Prize Pool is calculated as a fixed percentage of the net season revenue. For more information on how the prize pool is formed, please refer to this article. 🥇 1st place: 436.59 € 🥈 2nd place: 210.21 € 🥉 Semifinalists: 80.85 € each These figures reflect the prize pool status at the time of writing. Any late license purchases will continue to contribute to the total prize pool, with final amounts confirmed after the season concludes. Think you’ve got what it takes? Then sign up, suit up, and we'll see you on the ice! 2) ECL ’26: Winter – 1v1 Chill 🥳 Not everyone is looking for high-stakes competition — and that’s fine. ECL 1v1 Chill offers: • A more relaxed competitive environment • Structured matches without pressure • No prize pool • No championship implications This is ideal for players who: • Want structured 1v1 games • Prefer lower intensity • Or are still developing their competitive level ⚠️ To protect the integrity of the Chill environment, League Administration may review sign-ups and deny entry to players deemed too skilled for the Chill competition. Commitment & competitive integrity ECL 1v1 — especially the Championship competition — relies heavily on player commitment. Every player’s participation directly affects the standings and competitive balance. ⚠️ By signing up, players confirm their intent to complete the season. Exceptional circumstances can always be discussed with League Administration, but leaving mid-season without a valid reason carries clear competitive consequences. Commitment rules for ECL 1v1 To protect the competitive integrity of ECL 1v1 — especially the Championship competition — the following rules apply: Mid-season withdrawals Players who withdraw or are removed mid-season will remain visible in the standings All matches of a withdrawing player will be recorded as 5-0 losses Players who have finished more than 80% of their matches keep their played results. This ensures complete standings and prevents competitive distortion caused by incomplete schedules. Eligibility for future ECL 1v1 seasons First mid-season withdrawal Player becomes ineligible to register for the following ECL 1v1 season Repeated withdrawals Longer exclusion periods may apply Eligibility reviewed on a case-by-case basis Exceptional circumstances can always be discussed with League Administration. Accepted Licenses for the ECL '26: 1v1 Winter Season: The following licenses are accepted for ECL ’26: Winter – 1v1 (Championship and Chill): ECL ’26: Full Year Player License ECL ’26: Winter Player License ECL ’25: Spring – Player License ECL ’25: Full Year Player License Whether you’re chasing a European title or looking for structured, stress-free 1v1 games, ECL ’26: Winter has a place for you. Signups are now open — choose your path and we’ll see you on the ice.

Hi SportsGamers, As promised, we’re now ready to share the ECL ’26: Winter prize pool numbers, including how the total prize pool was calculated and how it is distributed across divisions. While a small number of late license purchases may still slightly increase the final figures, we are now very close to the final totals, and the numbers below accurately reflect the current state of the season.   How the ECL ’26: Winter Prize Pool Was Calculated The ECL prize pool model for the NHL 26 cycle is based on a simple and transparent principle: 35% of NET license sales are returned directly to the players as prize money. Here’s how the Winter ’26 prize pool was formed: ➕ Total ECL ’26 license sales (incl. VAT): €62,420.00 ➖ VAT (25.5%): –€12682.95  ➖ Payment processing fees (PayPal): –€1986.30  ➖ Reserved for ECL ’26: Spring (50% of Full Year Player licenses): –€9251.00 🟰 Winter ’26 NET sales: €38,499.76 ➡️ 35% of NET sales allocated to prize pools: €13,474.91 This amount is fully dedicated to Winter ’26 prize pools across all ECL divisions.   Prize Pool Allocation by Division The total prize pool is distributed between divisions based on participation, competitive level, and season structure. ECL ’26: Winter – Total Prize Pools Elite: €5,861.59 Pro: €3,031.86 Lite: €2,223.36 Core: €1,549.62 1v1: €808.49 Total: €13,474.91   Division Prize Distributions Each division’s prize pool is paid out to multiple placements to ensure that strong playoff performances are rewarded throughout the divisions. ECL Elite – €5,861.59 #1: €2,579.10 #2: €1,172.32 #3–4: €586.16 each #5–8: €234.46 each   ECL Pro – €3,031.86 #1: €818.60 #2: €576.05 #3–4: €394.14 each #5–8: €212.23 each   ECL Lite – €2,223.36 #1: €533.61 #2: €422.44 #3: €311.27 #4: €244.57 #5–8: €177.87 each   ECL Core – €1,549.62 #1: €402.90 #2: €278.93 #3–4: €216.95 each #5–8: €108.47 each   ECL 1v1 – €808.49 #1: €436.59 #2: €210.21 #3–4: €80.85 each   Final Notes These numbers reflect the current prize pool status at the time of writing. Rounding note: Prize allocations are calculated using percentage-based splits and rounded to the nearest cent at the placement level. As a result, minor €0.01 rounding differences may occur between intermediate totals and displayed sums, without affecting the total prize pool. Any late license purchases will still contribute to the overall prize pool, with final confirmation provided once the season concludes. As always, our goal is to keep the ECL transparent, fair, and community-driven, with a clear connection between participation and rewards. Thank you to everyone competing in ECL ’26: Winter — and best of luck in the remainder of the season.

Hi SportsGamers, There have been some questions regarding the Regular Season dates, the Transfer Deadline, and the Holiday Break, so we want to clarify all of these topics in one place. Regular Season End - January 15th The regular season is set to end on January 15th, 2026, in all divisions. We understand that this may feel a little extra relaxed for the Core and Lite divisions, where the most active teams will potentially have finished their games already by Christmas, but we communicated the deadline early on, and we therefore do not want to change it, as some teams seem to have made their plans based on it. Be sure to reschedule any games necessary with your opponents in good time and enjoy the holidays!   Transfer Deadline - January 4th, restrictions apply The transfer deadline is January 4th, 2026; however, please note that no team can make transfers in either direction once they have completed their regular season. All transfers, however, are subject to scrutiny by the League Administration. Therefore, transfers can be declined retroactively if deemed to have been illegal, potentially resulting in games played being nullified.    Holiday Break The Holiday Break is planned for December 19th to January 3rd. Teams are allowed to play during this time if they mutually agree to do so; however, no team can be forced to play during this time period.   ECL Lite & Core Playoff system To avoid any confusion, we want to mention that the Lite and Core playoff system for this season will be as follows: A total of 24 teams will go to the playoffs in each division. The top 2 of each group go directly to the 2nd round of the Playoffs. Teams placing 3–6 will be seeded into the first round, meaning #9 vs #24, #10 vs #23, and so on.   As always, thank you for your cooperation and for helping keep the season running smoothly. We wish everyone a great end to the regular season and a relaxing holiday break.

Remember to sign up your team by the end of the day to secure your spot in the ECL '26: Winter season! The new ECL ’26: Winter season is approaching, and registrations are open for teams and players across Europe for one final evening. The ECL is the leading European competition played in the EA SPORTS™ NHL franchise, featuring structured divisions for all skill levels. Since 2015, the European Championship League (ECL) has been the main stage for competitive eHockey in Europe, bringing together players in a 6v6 format where every position on the ice is player-controlled. With divisions suited for all levels—from newcomers to top-tier teams—the ECL continues to offer a structured and competitive environment for everyone looking to test their skills. This winter marks the start of another competitive chapter in European eHockey. As teams prepare their rosters and strategies, anticipation builds for what’s to come. With registration now open, the new season offers every team a chance to prove themselves on the ice.   The European Championship League (ECL) is Europe’s premier competitive league for organized 6v6 eHockey, played in the EA SPORTS™ NHL franchise. Featuring multiple divisions from Elite to Neo, as well as a 1v1 competition, the ECL offers players of all skill levels a structured and competitive environment. Every skater and goaltender is fully human-controlled, with all games played in EASHL mode on PlayStation and Xbox. Established in 2015, the ECL now enters its 21st season with a thriving community of players. The league also features ECL 1v1, introduced in the ECL ’23 Winter season, where Europe’s best solo players compete for the championship.   Basic information/requirements of ECL: Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues.   Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card.   ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘26: Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘26: Player License or ECL ‘26: Winter Player License before taking the ice. Players in ECL Neo require only an ECL '26: Winter Neo Player License. You will find more information about the licenses lower in this article. Teams may also register up to three backup players, who can be used as substitutes during the season. Each backup may appear in a maximum of 10 games combined across both the Winter and Spring seasons, including qualifiers, regular season, and playoffs. All backups must be listed on the team’s official roster before participating in any game. The ECL '26 Pre-Season tournament does not require the license   Rules: ECL '26: Winter - Official Rules.     The sign-ups close on the following dates: ECL Elite: 9.11.2025 ECL Pro: 9.11.2025 ECL Lite: 9.11.2025 ECL Core: 27.11.2025 ECL Neo: 27.11.2025 Signups will close at 23:59 CET on the day mentioned unless otherwise specified. League Administration reserves the right to place a signed up team at a higher level than signed up, if deemed necessary for competitive integrity.   Schedule This section briefly describes the key dates for the ECL '26: Winter season. For a more detailed breakdown, see the ECL '26: Winter - Information & Key Dates Regular Season duration: 30.11 - 15.1 Playoffs duration: 18.1 - 28.2* * The exact details for the playoffs and division finals will be communicated once the final number of teams per division is known.       Free Agents & Teams Looking for Players Don't have a team yet? Team looking for additions to your roster? If you are a free agent looking to be picked up, please head over here. If you are representing a team looking for players, please head over here. Need more help? Check out the "How to Find a Team or Players for Your Team" article!   Player and Team Licenses If you're a team looking to use your previous winnings toward a license, please contact support for assistance. ECL '26 LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE USING THIS LINK The ECL Neo division does not require a team license; however, ECL Neo players are required to have an active Player license at a cost of 10 EUR per season. Please refer to this ECL Ranking in order to understand which teams are eligible to sign up for each division.     The ECL prize pool will be determined directly by community participation. Each season, a share of the collected license-fee income is distributed back to players as prize money across all divisions. How it works For the ECL ’26: Winter season, at least 35% of net license-fee income (after VAT and transaction fees) will be paid out as prize money. The initial prize pool estimate will be published at the start of the season, based on confirmed team and player registrations at that time. If additional licenses are purchased during the season, the final prize pool will be adjusted accordingly and disclosed once all registrations are complete. Full-year license fees are evenly divided between the Winter and Spring seasons. Why this structure? Prize pool shares reflect each division’s competitive level and progression within the ECL structure — ensuring that advancement through the divisions is both meaningful and rewarding. The distribution between divisions remains consistent with previous ECL seasons. For more specific information about the division-specific prize pool distribution, please see the ECL '26: Winter - Official Rules or this forum post.     Rule Changes The updated ECL '26: Winter Official Rules are now available. All team captains are expected to familiarize themselves with the rulebook before the season begins. Here's a snapshot of some of the major adjustments/additions compared to ECL ‘25: Spring: 9.2.3.: Players taking the face-off are strictly forbidden from reverse hitting directly following the face-off (though this has been patched and should not be possible anymore) 11.7.: Banned Player Abilities, Builds & Positional Builds section has been significantly updated (newest update October 29th) Necessary links and Prize Pool Distribution information have been updated. Banned Player Abilities, Builds & Positional Builds You can  read about and discuss player abilities and bans here . Are there some rule-related changes we’ve missed? Now is your chance to discuss and suggest what type of changes you would like to see in the rulebook.   PLEASE NOTE: ECL '26: WINTER 1v1 SIGNUPS WILL LAUNCH LATER THIS YEAR.   The ECL ’26: Winter season marks the next step in our ongoing commitment to structured, high-quality European eHockey competition. Whether you’re joining for the first time or returning to defend your title, we look forward to seeing you on the ice this winter. 🔗 Sign up now and be part of the action!

The ECL is constantly evolving, and each season brings new rosters, returning veterans, and shifting team dynamics. To help us seed divisions as accurately as possible, we’re opening applications for Community Scouts. What Is a Community Scout? A Community Scout is a knowledgeable, experienced member of the NHL community who helps us assess the relative strength of teams within a division. Scouts are not judges, officials, or league staff — instead, they provide valuable insight to support our internal seeding process. It's worth noting, that the Community Scout does not need to know all divisions - even being knowledgeable within just one division is helpful. This allows us to combine: administrative data past season results roster changes and community expertise …to create the most competitive, balanced, and enjoyable ECL experience possible. Who Are We Looking For? We’re inviting players, captains, staff, content creators — or any long-time followers of the scene — who feel they have a solid understanding of: the relative skill levels of teams in a division roster strengths and weaknesses past performances and trends the “real” level of teams beyond just their results You do not need to be a current or former Elite/Pro player. What matters most is knowledge, fairness, and familiarity with the community and the level of play that you are providing your feedback on. What Will Community Scouts Do? Ahead of the group draw, Community Scouts will be asked to: Review the list of teams in a specific division Share their opinion on how strong each team is Provide optional short comments explaining their reasoning Your input will be used as one of several data points in our seeding process. The goal is simple: Better information → Better groups → Better games. How Much Time Does It Take? Very little — usually just a few minutes per division you follow, however, we will need you to be able to submit the feedback within a few hours of getting the list, as we wish to get the groups and schedules communicated as early as possible. Sign-ups close on Thursday night, but we might reach out earlier to get things started ahead of time. This is a completely voluntary, community-driven role. How to Apply If you’re interested in contributing to the competitive integrity of the ECL and helping shape the upcoming season, fill out the short form below: 👉 Apply here: https://forms.gle/zvYpop1XzVsqhFXK8

Hey Gamers, I'm sure many of you have seen the reminders already, but we want to make sure nobody misses the fact that today is the last chance to purchase the ECL '26 licenses at the Super Early Bird pricing. This is the final reminder for those who have not had a chance to purchase the Super Early Bird Licenses yet. Grab your Super Early Bird ECL '26: Winter Team license and ECL '26 Player License (Winter + Spring) at special pricing until midnight. After that, Early Bird pricing applies, so get yours now! If you're wondering "What is the ECL?", read this article. If you're looking for information about the new ECL season, read this article. Licenses quick facts - Basic Requirements: For the upcoming ECL '26: Regular season, purchase your team and player licenses no later than November 30th, to ensure eligibility from the start of the season. If you are playing in the Qualifiers, please do not play any further games without having activated your license. Every team must have a minimum of six (6) active Player Licenses to be eligible. This can either be the Full Year Player License, or the Winter Player License. Teams may register up to three players designated as backups. Each backup may appear in no more than 10 games combined during ECL ’26 (Winter + Spring, including qualifiers, regular season, and playoffs). All backups must be listed on the team’s official roster. Do not play a game if a player has a ❌ next to their name on the roster page.

It's time to kick off the ECL '26: Winter - Elite & Pro Qualifiers, and in this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about the structure and schedules for the qualifiers of these two highest levels of play in the European Championship League. The ECL Elite Qualifier consists of five (5) teams competing for two (2) open ECL Elite spots. The five teams meet in a group stage where every team plays each other twice - meaning each team will play 8 games. The TOP 4 teams go into a final round where #1 of the group stage plays #4 and #2 plays #3. The winners of these two matchups will win the promotion to Elite. The losers of the final round, along with the bottom team of the group stage will play in ECL Pro for the ECL '26: Winter season. ECL Elite Qualifier Schedule Group Stage: 11-20.11.2025 Finals (BO7): 23.-26.11.2025 #1 vs #4 & #2 vs #3 Click here to find the standings and schedule Stage 1: Twelve promotions The ECL Pro Qualifier consists of twenty-four (24) teams competing for seventeen (17) open ECL Pro spots. The group stage consists of four (4) groups of six (6) teams where every team plays each other twice - meaning each team will play ten (10) games.Teams have been snake-seeded into Stage 1 groups based on previous ECL ranking. Wild card team seeds have been randomized. The top 3 of the group stage in each group is directly promoted to ECL Pro. The rest of the teams move into Stage 2. Please note that every game matters in Stage 1. If you're outside of the TOP 3 in Stage 1, you will take with you all the points you were able to win against the other teams you played that are going into Stage 2. Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4 Team 8 Team 7 Team 6 Team 5 Team 9 Team 10 Team 11 Team 12 Team 16 Team 15 Team 14 Team 13 Team 17 Team 18 Team 19 Team 20 Team 24 Team 23 Team 22 Team 21 Stage 2: Four promotions Groups 1 and 2 will merge into one group (A), and Groups 3 and 4 will merge into a second group (B). The points earned among the teams who already met in Stage 1 will be added to the standings and the teams will only play the three (3) teams they haven't met before. Once the games have been played and the standings have been tallied up, the top two (2) teams of both groups A & B will be promoted to ECL Pro. The two (2) teams finishing third in the groups will compete in a BO7 series for the final Pro spot. Teams finishing 4-6 in both groups will play in ECL Lite for the ECL '26: Winter season. Group A: 1+2 Group B: 3+4 Team 16 Team 14 Team 15 Team 13 Team 17 Team 19 Team 18 Team 20 Team 24 Team 22 Team 23 Team 21 Stage 3: One promotion The two (2) teams finishing 3rd in groups A and B of Stage 2 meet in one final best-of-7 matchup and the winner of the matchup will be promoted to ECL Pro. Group A #3 vs Group B #3 The loser of the final round will play in ECL Lite for the ECL '25: Winter season. ECL Pro Qualifier Schedule Pro Qualifiers | Stage 1: 12-19.11.2022 (All teams) Pro Qualifiers | Stage 2: 20-24.11.2025 (12 teams) Pro Final Round (BO7): 25.11.2025 (2 teams) Click here to find the standings and schedule If teams are tied in points at the end of the group stage, the following tie-breakers* will be applied in the order that they are listed: Group placement Points per game (PPG) Wins (including OT-wins) Head-to-head record (points in mutual games) Goal difference (across all games played) Scored goals (across all games played) *In the event of the tie-breakers being applied to teams from differing group sizes, ‘wins’ will be represented as a percentage, head-to-head will naturally be disregarded, goal-difference will be made into an ‘average per game’ amount, goals scored will (like goal difference before it) be converted into an ‘average per game’, then finally, if all else fails to break the tie between two teams, a coin flip will decide. Good luck to all teams!

Hey Gamers, The groups and schedules for each ECL '26: Pre-Season level is now available and you can start reaching out to your fellow captains to confirm game times and reschedule where necessary. Get your lineups ready and hit the ice — the ECL ‘26 Pre-Season starts now ECL Pre-Season Information Elite & Pro See schedule here Only ECL Elite & ECL Pro teams, and by special request wildcard & qualifier teams This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (=no League Admin cases) Regular season 30.10-10.11 Teams are divided into two groups Top 4 from each group makes it into the playoffs Playoffs (BO5) 13.-16.11 (Quarterfinals) 17.-20.11 (Semifinals) 23-25.11 (Finals) Lite & Core See schedule here Only ECL Lite & ECL Core teams, and by special request wildcard teams & qualifier teams This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (=no League Admin cases) Regular season 30.10-10.11 Teams are divided into ten groups Top 3 from each group, plus the best two #4 teams make it into the playoffs Playoffs (BO3) 12-13.11 (RO32) 16.-17.11 (RO16) 19.-20.11 (Quarterfinals) 23-25.11 (Semifinals) 27.11 (Finals) Neo & Newcomers See schedule here Only ECL Neo & Newcomer teams This is a friendly warmup tournament, no need to argue (=no League Admin cases) Regular season 30.10-12.11 Teams are divided into six groups Top 2 from each group, plus the best four #3 teams make it into the playoffs. Playoffs (BO3) 13-14.11 (RO16) 16.-17.11 (Quarterfinals) 19.-20.11 (Semifinals) 23-24.11 (Finals) Uniform and logo unlocks for organizations This form is intended for organizations associated with SportsGamer to request primarily uniform and logo unlocks in order to represent their team appropriately. Here is a link for the unlocks form: https://forms.gle/3RezYrzCm1yZFFdU9 Rules Although the Pre-Season Tournament will not be under as strict scrutiny as the ECL, we want to remind you to respect your opponents and go about the games just as you would when playing real ECL league matchups. Rules: ECL '26: Winter Official Rules | Also see ECL ’26: Winter - Ability & Build Bans If teams are tied in points after the group stage, we will utilize these usual tie-breakers: Wins (including OT-wins) Head-to-head record (points in mutual games) Goal difference (across all games played) Scored goals (across all games played) We hope you're as excited as we are to get back into the action - build your team, sign up, and have fun! The ECL is the pinnacle of European NHL esports. The abbreviation stands for the European Championship League and it features NHL 6v6 esports in five divisions aimed at various skill levels. Every player, including the goalies, is controlled by a human. League games are played in the EASHL mode and the platform is PlayStation and Xbox. ECL has been played since 2015. Basic information/requirements of ECL: The tournament will be played on the NHL 26 (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S) Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however, we do not necessarily exclude players located in North America or Asia. A European server will always be used. We reserve the right to exclude teams or players in case of severe connection issues. Individual requirements: Each player needs to have an account at SportsGamer.GG and create their personal player card. ECL licenses: Teams in ECL Elite & ECL Pro, ECL Lite, and ECL Core will require their respective ECL ‘26: Winter team licenses in order to play. In addition, every player in the above-mentioned divisions needs to have a valid ECL ‘26: Player License or ECL ‘26: Winter Player License before taking the ice. Players in ECL Neo require only an ECL '26: Winter Neo Player License. The ECL '26 Pre-Season tournament does not require the license, Rules: ECL '26: Winter Official Rules | Also see ECL ’26: Winter - Ability & Build Bans