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Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila has done it again. On March 12th, Teemuyy claimed the ECL '26: Winter - 1v1 title — making him a back-to-back 1v1 champion after his ECL '25: Spring victory. It's been a dominant run at the top of the 1v1 scene, and this Winter edition only cemented his status further.   The Road to the Final The TOP 16 playoffs were far from straightforward. Both top seeds were eliminated in the quarterfinals — #1 @temppanen fell to #8 @JesseL2002 in a notable upset, and #2 @fire_cats88 was taken out by #7 @xEasy33. That left the bottom half of the bracket wide open. Teemuyy, who had won Group 4 in the Regular Season and then topped Group 1 in the TOP 16 group stage to earn the #3 seed, had to grind his way through the bracket. In the quarterfinals, he dropped Game 1 to @Hardeni- - (6–5) before taking control with three straight wins (10–5, 10–4, 6–2) to advance. The semis were no easier — while he swept JesseL2002, it took winning Game 1 in overtime (4–3) and closing it out with a dramatic 9–8 win in Game 2. Pikkarii's path to the final looked considerably smoother by comparison, sweeping xEasy33 with more convincing wins of 4–2 and 10–4. The Grand Final: Teemuyy vs. Pikkarii The finals were a best-of-three series against Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen, who had been one of the most consistent performers throughout the season. Pikkarii came out firing in Game 1, taking a decisive 5–1 victory and putting Teemuyy on the back foot early. But Teemuyy responded in exactly the same fashion — a 5–1 win of his own to level the series heading into a deciding Game 3. Game 3 was a back-and-forth battle right to the end. Teemuyy ultimately pulled away late to win 8–6, taking the series 2–1 and claiming his second consecutive 1v1 title. Division Highlights The TOP 16 group stage saw Teemuyy lead the tournament in goals for (42 GF), while temppanen boasted the stingiest defense (14 GA). fire_cats88 finished with the best goal differential at +24 — though despite the impressive regular season numbers, the top seeds couldn't convert in the playoffs. Teemuyy's road to Champion: Regular Season: 1st in Group 4 TOP 16 Group Stage: 1st in Group 1 Quarterfinals (BO5): 3–1 vs Hardeni-: 5–6, 10–5, 10–4, 6–2 Semifinals (BO3): 2–0 vs JesseL2002: 4–3 OT, 9–8 Finals (BO3): 2–1 vs Pikkarii: 1–5, 5–1, 8–6 Congratulations to Teemu on back-to-back 1v1 championships, and thank you to everyone who competed in the ECL '26: Winter season. See you in the Spring season - registrations launching soon!

SportsGamers, We would like to remind every team that the transfer window for all ECL '26: Spring divisions expires tomorrow Thursday, April 23rd at 23:59:59 CEST.  Please remember to make sure your trades are in line with the rulebook before making them, and check with support if you aren't sure. Remember, only one transfer per player is allowed per season - unless the player has played 0 games (overall, for any team) the entire season, which is covered in rule 14.6. If you're a player still looking for a team or a team still looking to add to your roster, please head to the  Free Agents  section or the  Clubs Looking For Players  section on our forum. Please post any last-minute transfers in the comments section below so everyone can enjoy them. 

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, and we expect might reach out very soon after that. 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/DDWq8wiKo478zSER6

It's time to kick off the ECL '26: Spring - 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: Spring season. ECL Elite Qualifier Schedule Group Stage: 25-31.3.2026 Finals (BO7): 1.-2.4.2026 #1 vs #4 & #2 vs #3 Click here to find the standings and schedule Stage 1: Eight promotions The ECL Pro Qualifier consists of twenty (20) teams competing for eleven (11) open ECL Pro spots. The group stage consists of four (4) groups of five (5) teams where every team plays each other twice - meaning each team will play eight (8) games. Teams have been snake-seeded into Stage 1 groups based on previous ECL ranking and LA seeding. The top 2 of the group stage in each group is directly promoted to ECL Pro. 3rd and 4th place advance to Stage 2, while 5th place is eliminated to the Lite division. Stage 2: Two promotions The 3rd and 4th place teams from Stage 1 are reseeded into 2 new groups (Group A & B). 1st place in each group earns a direct Pro spot, 2nd place advances to Stage 3, while 3rd and 4th place are eliminated to the Lite division. Stage 3: One promotion The two (2) teams finishing 2nd in groups A and B of Stage 2 meet in one final best-of-5 matchup and the winner of the matchup will be promoted to ECL Pro. Group A #2 vs Group B #2 The loser of the final round will play in ECL Lite for the ECL '26: Spring season. ECL Pro Qualifier Schedule Pro Qualifiers | Stage 1: 25-29.3.2026 (All teams) Pro Qualifiers | Stage 2: 30.3-1.4.2026 (8 teams) Pro Final Round (BO5) 2.4.2026 (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!

 ⚠️ Important: The ECL Elite and Pro, as well as all Qualifier sign-ups, close Monday, March 23rd — this is your last chance to secure your spot in the Elite and Pro divisions, or the Pro Qualifier, and keep your ECL Pro ambitions alive. Also, please note that Early Bird pricing ends today, Sunday, March 22nd, so be sure to take advantage of the offer while it lasts! Note: Pro Qualifier Wildcard procedure has been updated Anyone can now apply to play in the ECL '26: Spring - Pro Qualifiers by checking the appropriate box during season registration. While the Wildcard restrictions have been lifted and there are no absolute requirements for applying, League Administration will still review Qualifier Applications (identified by PRO QUAL REQ on the registered teams page). As such, teams with more experience still have a better chance of making the cut and playing in the Qualifiers. All teams will be notified once the decisions have been made. To be properly evaluated for the Qualifier spot, please have your full roster in your SportsGamer ECL '26: Spring roster as early as possible. The number of available Wildcard spots may vary depending on the quality of the applications.   The sign-ups close on the dates mentioned below: ECL Pro Qualifier: 23.3.2026 ECL Elite: 23.3.2026 ECL Pro: 23.3.2026 ECL Lite: 2.4.2026 ECL Core: 2.4.2026 ECL Neo: 2.4.2026 * Signups will close at 23:59 CET on the day mentioned unless otherwise specified. ⚠️ Please note: Failing to register for a higher-level division in time does NOT entitle registration and participation in a lower division for a team that is unfit to play at a lower level.   🕛 All sign-ups close at 23:59 CET on the listed dates unless otherwise specified. 👉 For full details and registration links, visit the official ECL ’26: Spring announcement. New to the ECL or curious how the divisions work? ➡️ Learn more here: What is the ECL?       Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘26: Spring, available now. We will offer a slightly elevated Early Bird Price from March 16th, and finally regular pricing from March 23rd onward. If you're a team looking to use your previous winnings toward a license, please contact support for assistance.   ECL '26: SPRING LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE - BROWSE BY 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.  

Since 2015, the ECL has been the definitive stage for competitive eHockey in Europe. Now entering its 22nd season, the league continues to evolve — and ECL '26: Spring introduces a significant gameplay shift with all X-Factor and Superstar abilities banned, creating the most skill-pure environment the ECL has ever seen. ECL '26: Winter has just wrapped up — Tohtorit claimed the title, and now all eyes turn to Spring. Rosters are being rebuilt, rankings have been reset, and for many teams, this is the season to make a move. With abilities banned across the board, the ice is level. What happens next is entirely up to you. 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 22nd 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: Spring 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: Spring Player License before taking the ice. The Player License is also required in the Qualifiers. Players in ECL Neo require only an ECL '26: Spring Neo Player License. You will find more information about the licenses below 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 sign-ups close on the below-mentioned dates: ECL Pro Qualifier: 23.3.2026 ECL Elite: 23.3.2026 ECL Pro: 23.3.2026 ECL Lite: 2.4.2026 ECL Core: 2.4.2026 ECL Neo: 2.4.2026 * Signups will close at 23:59 CET on the day mentioned unless otherwise specified. ⚠️ Please note: Failing to register for a higher-level division in time does NOT entitle registration and participation in a lower division for a team that is unfit to play at a lower level. Schedule This section briefly describes the key dates for the ECL '26: Spring season. For a more detailed breakdown, see the ECL '26: Spring - Information & Key Dates Qualifiers: The schedule for the qualifiers will be tight — as usual, to allow the maximum time for sign-ups. In most cases, you'll play on 3–4 of the evenings below. We're publishing all possible dates upfront so you can plan ahead — not because we expect to use all of them. Pro Qualifier starts 25.3.2026 | Please prepare to play on the dates below*. Gameday 1: Wednesday 25.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games Gameday 2: Thursday 26.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games Gameday 3: Sunday 29.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games Gameday 4: Monday 30.3 | 2 Opponents, 4 games Gameday 5: Wednesday 1.4 | 2 Opponents, 4 games Gameday 6: Thursday 2.4 | 2 Opponents, 4 games *Please treat all dates as reserved until further notice. Most teams will not need to play on all dates, but in order to guarantee the fairest outcome, we want to have enough game days available, if necessary. Elite Qualifier starts: 25.3.2026 (if necessary) The exact details will be shared once the number of teams participating is known. Regular Season duration: 7.4 - 8.5.2026 eHockey World Cup Break: 12.-24.5.2026 (read about the eHockey World Cup) Playoffs duration: 25.5 - 28.6.2026* * 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! Early Bird Offer on Player and Team Licenses Below you’ll find the pricing of the team and player licenses for ECL ‘26: Spring, available now. During the first few days, you will be able to pick up the ECL ‘26: Spring Team license for the Super Early Bird pricing listed below. After that, we will offer a slightly elevated Early Bird Price from March 16th, and finally regular pricing from March 23rd onward. If you're a team looking to use your previous winnings toward a license, please contact support for assistance. ECL '26: SPRING LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE - BROWSE BY 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: Spring 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 a bit after the start of the season, based on confirmed team and player purchases 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. Previously purchased 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 this forum post. Rule Changes The updated ECL '26: Spring rules will be available soon. For now, you can refer to the ECL '26: Winter Official Rules, however, keep in mind especially the major adjustments mentioned below. 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 ‘26: Winter: 11.7.: Banned Player Abilities, Builds & Positional Builds section has been significantly updated - All Abilities are now banned and not to be used. Some final details, as a closer approximation of the prize pool, will be updated to the rules closer to the start of the season. League Administration will be keeping a close eye on teams and players trying to sign up for a division below their perceived skill level, and rules around this will be more clearly defined as a means of clearer transparency 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: SPRING 1v1 SIGNUPS WILL LAUNCH SOON. ECL '26: Spring is shaping up to be one of the most wide-open seasons in recent memory — new rules, refreshed rosters, and a fresh set of rankings. Whether you're a returning champion or signing up for the very first time, this is your shot. 🔗 Sign up now and be part of the action!

The ECL '26: Winter – 1v1 season comes to a head tonight as the final four players battle it out for the championship — and for a shot at history. Kicking off at 19:00 CET on twitch.tv/ReactioMedia, the entire Top 4 — both semi-finals and the Grand Final — will be played in one broadcast, commentated by Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Adam @esdor Ericson. The matchups In the first semi-final, #8 seed @JesseL2002 faces #3 seed @Teemuyy — the reigning ECL '25: Spring 1v1 champion who will be looking to add a second title to his name. The second semi-final pits #7 seed @xEasy33 against the #4 seed @Pikkarii, a two-time ECL 1v1 champion (ECL '23: Spring, ECL '24: Spring) who needs no introduction. Can he reclaim the throne? By the end of the night, we'll have our ECL '26: Winter - 1v1 Champion. Don't miss it. 📺 Live at 19:00 CET — twitch.tv/ReactioMedia

We want to share an update on the timing of the National Championships (FCL/eHSM, GCL, SCL, and WECL), which have traditionally taken place between ECL seasons. After reviewing the current ECL schedule and our available preparation time, we've decided not to run the National Championships during this spring window. The ECL Winter season started later than originally planned, and with the Spring season needing to begin shortly, there simply isn't enough room to deliver these events at the standard they deserve. Our current plan is to launch the National Championships in September, aligned with the start of the new NHL 27 cycle. We believe that's the right setting for these events — when competitive energy is high, rosters are fresh, and the community is fully engaged. Running them during August also risks lower participation, as it falls during peak summer holiday season for many of our European players. More details on formats, qualification, and schedules will follow as plans are confirmed. In the meantime, if you'd like to contribute to shaping and improving the National Championships — whether through organisation, production, sponsorship connections, or other means — we'd love to hear from you. Reach out to me via Private Message, Discord, or hello@sportsgamer.gg. The registration for ECL '26: Spring is now open, and more details about the ECL season will be shared in the coming days.

After a seven-game Finals series that had overtime drama, a stunning blowout, and a Game 7 for the ages, Tohtorit have been crowned Elite division champions for the ECL '26: Winter season, defeating vNexs I 4-3 in the Finals. But to understand just how much this title means, you have to start with the team they had to go through to get there.   The Elephant in the Room: vNexs I and the FINSeRe Story HAVU Gaming entered this season as the heavy favourites. Formed from the merger of Parasite and Last Dance — two of the most decorated clubs in ECL history — they were widely considered a superteam, and their regular season backed that up: first place in the Elite division with 67 points. Standing in their way in the Semifinals was a 6-seeded vNexs I side that, on paper, had no business being there — but whose playoff numbers told a very different story. @dippen04 and @AntonLxnd would finish the postseason as the two highest-scoring players in the entire division, while @pappeen- led all defencemen in points. This was not a team that got lucky. And adding a deeply personal dimension to the matchup was their goaltender @FINSeRe — a man who had spent the previous four seasons with the very club he was now trying to eliminate, winning two ECL Elite titles and a Finnish Championship along the way. This was the club he helped win in the past. And in a 4-3 Semifinal series, he and his new teammates sent them home. It was one of the great individual storylines of the ECL season, and it set the stage for a Finals run that captured the imagination of the whole community.   The Road to the Final Tohtorit, seeded second after an 18-win regular season, had their own business to take care of. They swept KUUSAMO.gg 4-0 in the Quarterfinals and then dispatched GOONS 4-1 in the Semifinals — efficient, clinical, and giving away very little. While vNexs I were making headlines with their upset run, Tohtorit were quietly doing what they do. The two teams met in the Finals as, arguably, the most deserving pairing left standing.   A Finals Series to Remember The series opened with back-to-back overtime games. @Ojala16 won Game 1 in extra time for Tohtorit after Dippen04 had put vNexs I ahead, and Pappen and Dippen04 combined to take Game 2 back for vNexs I. Two nights in, one game each, and the series already felt like it could go anywhere. Tohtorit then took control with back-to-back wins. Game 3 ended with @Kkarkass burying a gut-punch winner with one second left on the clock, and Game 4 saw @Harlowi- score twice as Tohtorit pushed to a commanding 3-1 series lead. Then vNexs I did what good teams do. Game 5 was a statement: Dippen04 completed a hat trick, AntonLxnd had a four-point night, and Pappen added four assists in a 6-3 demolition that made it clear this series wasn't over. Game 6 was another overtime classic — AntonLxnd scored a powerplay equaliser with under a minute left in regulation and then won it in overtime to force a Game 7.   Game 7: Ojala's Night When the dust settled, it came down to one man. Ojala16 scored all four of Tohtorit's goals in Game 7. He opened at 2:38 of the first, made it 2-0 in the second, and added two more in the third to close it out 4-1. @Stammer70 was immovable in net with a 94.12% save percentage. When the final buzzer went, Tohtorit were Elite champions for the first time in the club's history. Over the full seven-game series, Ojala16 was the best player on either side. Across the entire playoffs he finished among the top scorers in the division with 30 points in 16 games at a remarkable +16. As the captain and one of the founders of Tohtorit, his overtime winner in Game 1 set the tone. His Game 7 wrote the final chapter. ECL '26: Winter – Elite Champions Roster 🇫🇮 #10 Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs 🇫🇮 #16 Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala (C) 🇫🇮 #70 Stan @Stammer70 Adamus 🇫🇮 #86 Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala 🇫🇮 #88 Jere @Harlowi- Paloranta (A) 🇫🇮 #91 Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha 🇫🇮 #96 Juuso @TheSpeedo Sirkola   Winner Interviews Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala, Captain, Left-Wing Q: Four goals in Game 7 of a Finals — take us inside that game. Were you feeling it early, or did it just happen? A: I enjoy high-pressure situations and I know I can handle them. So I just went into the game relaxed and confident. I wasn't thinking about scoring four goals. I was only thinking about winning. I believe a captain has to be able to help his team in tough moments. But I have to admit that when I scored my second goal, I started to feel like this was just the beginning. From that moment on I just wanted the puck.   Q: vNexs I pushed you to 3-3 after you were up 3-1. How did the team respond mentally going into that deciding game? A: We were still very confident even after they tied the series. We knew it's pretty hard to beat us three times in a row. Our team had experience that the opponent didn't have, and players who have proven before that they perform well in big moments even outside the NHL.   Q: You've been with Tohtorit for almost your entire career, working your way up through the divisions together. What does it mean to finally lift the Elite title with this club? A: When we started, hardly anyone would have believed we'd make it this far. A few seasons ago we decided that instead of forcing ourselves to chase a championship, we'd rather focus on having fun. Now we had fun and we won the championship. We didn't practice that much during the season, so I think our great team spirit was one of the key factors behind the title. And I have to admit, it feels pretty good to win it with your own club.   Stan @Stammer70 Adamus, Goalie Q: Two overtime games, a 6-3 blowout against you, and then a Game 7 — that's a lot of emotional swings for a goalie. How do you stay locked in through a series like that? A: Staying locked in doesn't require anything special. When you play as a goalie, the most important thing is always the next situation and the next opportunity. Even though I faced one difficult game, I knew the whole time that I'm the best goalie at the moment, which gave me calmness and confidence between the pipes.   Q: Game 7, 94% save percentage, 4-1 win. What was going through your mind when that final buzzer went? A: When the final buzzer went, my head was full of different emotions. The strongest feelings, however, were pride in our team and the six-year journey of Tohtorit to reach this point. In Game 7 I made a few good saves, but an even greater performance was shown by the five players in front of me. Especially Ojala — absolutely mental game from him.   Q: Both you and FINSeRe put up near-identical numbers across the playoffs. What was it like going up against him in the Finals, and how do you reflect on the goaltending battle in this series? A: For me this was maybe the most fun goalie matchup I have ever played. In my opinion, the Finals delivered a goalie battle worthy of them. Both of us were required to make big saves at crucial moments, and I think both goalkeepers managed to do that. I truly think that without FINSeRe, vNexs I wouldn't have been anywhere close to the Finals, so they should be really pleased with how things went.   We would like to congratulate Tohtorit — Elite champions for the first time in the club's history, built from the ground up by the people who believed in it from the start. And to vNexs I, what a run. A 6-seed that toppled the division's superteam before pushing the champions all the way to Game 7. See you next season.

As the ECL Lite and Core regular seasons approach their conclusion, the focus naturally turns to the playoffs. While the top teams continue their journey toward the championship, we also want to make sure that the season doesn’t simply end for those who fall just short of playoff qualification. For that reason, we’re introducing a new post-season competition for ECL Lite and ECL Core: The Post-Season Cooldown Tournament The Post-Season Cooldown Tournament is designed specifically for teams that do not qualify for the playoffs, giving them the opportunity to continue playing meaningful, competitive matches while the main playoffs are being played. Rather than the season ending abruptly, the Cooldown Tournament offers a structured and level-appropriate way to close out the season. How it works The Cooldown Tournament will be held separately for Lite and Core - one for each division Eligible teams are those that do not qualify for the playoffs Teams are allowed to opt out, with the default expectation that teams will participate. The tournament will run parallel to the playoff phase All Cooldown Tournaments will be played in a group stage format Group stage format – more games, better matchups The Cooldown Tournament will be played in a group stage format, ensuring that all participating teams get multiple games against opponents of a similar level. This format was chosen intentionally to: Guarantee more games for every team Avoid one-and-done eliminations Create closer, more balanced matchups Give teams a chance to build momentum and confidence toward the end of the season For teams that may have struggled during parts of the regular season, this structure provides the opportunity to play several competitive series against teams with comparable results — often leading to tighter games and a more enjoyable experience.   What’s next? Further details — including group sizes, match counts, and scheduling — will be shared closer to the playoff phase once final standings are confirmed. We’re excited to introduce the Post-Season Cooldown Tournament as a new part of the ECL Lite and Core season structure and look forward to seeing more great games played right through to the end of the season.

SportsGamers, We would like to remind every team that the transfer window for all ECL '26: Winter divisions expires tomorrow Sunday, January 4th at 23:59:59 CEST.  Please remember to make sure your trades are in line with the rulebook before making them, and check with support if you aren't sure. Remember, only one transfer per player is allowed per season - unless the player has played 0 games (overall, for any team) the entire season, which is covered in rule 14.6. If you're a player still looking for a team or a team still looking to add to your roster, please head to the  Free Agents  section or the Clubs Looking For Players section on our forum. Please post any last-minute transfers in the comments section below so everyone can enjoy them.