Ranksu

NHLGamers, We are proud to introduce our ECL 5 Lite where we will have 49 participating teams. These 49 teams consists of well known franchises from previous ECL season, teams which played 6vs6 games as early as NHL12 and newcomers - so this ECL 5 Lite season holds an interesting mix of teams. This will be our Lite preview and it is based on what I know of these teams so feel free to hit 'Comment' on the article if you agreed or disagreed. Prediction for the Regular Season Top-5 1. Almost Famous In pre-season games this team have shown a tremendous amount of success. They have managed to beat Elite teams left and right. Their heart and soul player is se_ve420 and I believe he will decide if this team goes far or not. Almost Famous is real contender to win Lite, but can they find consistency in their performance in the big games? 2. Face Wash Hockey This might be one of the oldest teams I know of. FWH have true depth in their roster so they can call up anyone on main roster for ECL play. At this point I have got to bring up a few players which are, in my opinion, true legends of the 6v6 scene. Taemtaem, ARSI_69, NorppaAsd, Korkkiruuvi_82 - I bow to your history. It brings back memories of one of the older 6v6 finals between Woodhands vs. Face Wash Hockey. Good times! Question mark here is; can these skilled players shake the rust off their hands and find that group chemistry they were known for back in the day? 3. Deadly Phantoms HC This is another "old-time" team who has regrouped and added more skill to their previous player core of willywonkaa, The_Rayman80, doksdel. On paper, DPC has some really impressive players and when you a player like XxTHENEXTONE87xX its an easy prediction to make that this team will be one of the major contenders for this season. 4. Try Another Hole TAH is a fast-paced team that will tear you apart if you don’t defend against them as a 5-man unit. This team features on of ECL Lites best offensive duos in hegyttaja and ankkalasvegas. Recent addition juntunen88 makes them even stronger, not to mention he is an ex-Infinity player so, what more do I need to say? This team will improve their overall game over the course of the ECL season so be afraid, be very afraid. Furthermore, in my book this team would have been a Pro team, but they decided to stick to Lite which tells you how down to earth these guys are. 5. Breakers Of The Bone I am going to quote one of the best Javelin throwers from Finland here: When the interviewing reporter asked Seppo Räty after the javelin qualifiers in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics: “How could your throw be so successfull when you'd only had one big competition to prepare before these games”? Seppo answered, “... and 20 years.” This quote fits perfectly with this team. They have so much experience from big games and from playing together in older NHL versions. One of the big "inside" questions here is does the Nevala brothers still play or not? Oh and Seppo Räty? He won an Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta. Players to watch 1. CalciChew69, LW – Penalty Box One of the best offensive LW’ers in early years of the 6v6 scene. ‘Calci’ has tons of creativity, tremendous individual skills and is overall very dangerous in the offensive zone. His trademark is to create a scoring change out of nothing. He might lack some physicality, but he can definitely beat you 1-on-1. This is his comeback year in EASHL. 2. Yoloberg, C - Face Wash Hockey Yoloberg is known as a good Versus and HUT player. ‘Yolo’ is a mobile, transitional two-way playmaker who looks poised and reads the game well most of the time. Strong skater who likes to carry the puck on his own and if you give him just glimps of free space and time he’ll punish you. All-in all, a very competitive playmaker who can be relied upon in all situations to make a difference. 3. JaKurrii, C - Red Machine An extremely talented two-way center, JaKurrii has a large dose of hockey sense and soft hands. His technical skills are very good and his trademark is smooth puck handling and ability to find his linemates in tight spots. People might also know him as a successful HUT player. 4. |tokFan|, C - The Beagle Boys Complete two-way center who first and foremost is a true competitor. TokFan always plays like there is 10 seconds left on the clock, he never takes a shift off and works hard to never have a bad game. He plays to win, not for himself, but for the team he captains. He’s also exceptional in the faceoff circle. 5. Lidaas_79, RW – Nordic Nosebleed Dynamic offensive forward who backchecks very hard and understands playing smart and puck-possession hockey. Lida will battle hard on all three zones and shows willingness to do whatever it to takes to get puck to the back in the net. You could call him weak version of ‘Lämsä’. 6. willywonkaa, G – Deadly Phamtom HC This goaltenders track record goes back all the way to NHL12. He might be one of the oldest goaltender in the game but he plays his angles conservatively, moves very well and doesn’t move or play too aggressive. willywonkaa tracks the puck well and doesn’t allow many rebounds. Cornerstone to his team success. 7. Jahajaha93, RD – Almost Famous Having a breakout year in NHL 18 for sure if you look at his pre-season games. Has improved his overall game by a large margin compared to last year. His name doesn’t always flash on the scoreboard, but he does everything well in the defensive zone and can carry the puck if needed. Next JaikenK maybe? 8. Britn1, LD/RD – Elämäm Kiekko Defenseman who has good overall skills. He's a little better defensively than offensively, but has yet to flourish as a two-way defender. The tool box is there but we haven’t seen it transition to the ice fully. Overall a patient player who positions himself well. Doesn’t like to hit, but plays the body enough to consistently steal the puck. Could be his breakout year too! 9. ankkalasvegas, C – Try Another Hole, A true two-way center who will be a Top-10 faceoff guy. Really special guy to have for the penalty killing. Has the complete set: strong physical presence, strong defense, solid skill and his trademark goal, slapshot on the breakaway. Weak side could be that his physical play sometimes leads to him taking too many penalties. Has a real chance to win "Best Player"-trophy for ECL 5 Lite. 10. RutonMosse, RW – Soldiers Of Odens, Still a young prospect who has all the tools to be "the real deal superstar", but have yet to find consistency in his game. He’s very strong with the puck and possesses some creative, quick hands - allowing him to get fancy with the puck on the rush. Could easily be the overall goal scoring winner in this seasons Lite division. Underdogs: Teams to watch 1. Soldiers OF Odens They have a monster offensive upside, but will their skaters work out how to play as a 5-man unit? This team can go to the end if they remember to defend properly. 2. Elämäm Kiekko EMK have kept their original roster and they have clearly improved their game. Nowadays you can’t find many holes in their game. With this squad, consistency will be the biggest issue but I believe these boys are a playoff team for sure. 3. Finnish Hockey Legends FHL has a good grasp of the game and knows how to play the game right way. Really impressive possession game, but lack of experience in tight games could be an issue. Very interesting team! Phew, the more I dig in to teams, the more questions pops up. This has the potential to be a really special season for ECL Lite. We're seeing so many old teams return to the ice who are facing off with all our exciting newcomers. This season will decide if the ‘old timers’ have what it takes for this tight ECL league or if NHL 18 is the game of the "new generation". As I mentioned many times in this preview, consistency will be the key word for many teams this season. Lets enjoy this and keep the game clean, I wish everyone good luck and see you on the ice. Please note: Company of Geeks has sadly decided to withdraw their participation last night at the doorstep of the season. Best regards, @Ranksu for NHLGamer.com Editing: @The_Alpha_Furyan