Vamoux

The ECL '25 Winter season concluded at the LAN Finals at Assembly where Parasite were crowned the ECL Elite Champions. They claimed the title as the best team in Europe after winning the finals series 4-2 over Mustaa Kultaa. Parasite went into the season as the clear frontrunner for the title and they did not disappoint. Breaking multiple records, both team and individual, this performance will be remembered as one of the most dominating we have witnessed in recent years. NikkeDangles was crowned as the playoffs MVP and for the team Captain Beniittto this now marks the eighth ECL title, continuing to cement their legacy in the ECL history. For Mustaa Kultaa it was a great performance in the Finals and they should be nothing but proud of themselves. They were able to take two games against this all-star lineup, something which many did not expect, and had their chances in all of the games besides the series-deciding game 6. They can now use the experience of the LAN Finals and have all the keys in their hands to have a bright future ahead. The Assembly Winter 2025 stage was a beauty! | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Finals overview Game 1: Parasite 2-1 OT Mustaa Kultaa came out of the gates hot and put Parasite under a lot of pressure. They were able to find lots of shooting opportunities and @Launonexx found the first goal at the halfway of the first period. Parasite struggled a lot to find their game but the score stayed the same through the first two periods. We saw some big saves from both goalies and especially @LatveX was standing on his head at moments. At the start of the third period, Parasite were finally able to find their first goal of the series from Beniittto which saw the game heading into overtime. The OT was a cautious battle but eventually, Vattuyy found the game-winner halfway through the first overtime. Valtteri "Vattuyy" Virtanen celebrates with his teammates | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 2: Mustaa Kultaa 3-2 The second game started off with some penalty trouble to Mustaa Kultaa and on their second powerplay chance Parasite found the first goal from the defender of the year in Teemuyy. Despite dominating the time on attack Parasite were not able to put many shots at the Mustaa Kultaa net, but with the 2-0 goal at the start of the third from NikkeDangles the game, and possibly the series, looked to be close to over. A few minutes after @Allupekkaz did manage to bring some life to the team with a goal eleven minutes before the end. It took all the way to the last minute for @xAaro89x to find his first goal of the series tying up the game and not long after, only five seconds before the end, he found the game-winning one-timer. Did we mention the venue was amazing!? | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 3: Parasite 5-2 After the comeback victory, Mustaa Kultaa stayed on the gas and took a 2-0 lead with two quick goals from xAaro89x and @NuariJamal. The party was short-lived though as Parasite had tied up the game by the halfway of the second period. Mustaa Kultaa found themselves again in some penalty trouble against the best powerplay team in the league and they paid the full price in the third period. Beniittto found the game-winner in the powerplay and Vattuyy scored two more goals to cap off the victory. A sneak peek behind the Mustaa Kultaa point of view | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 4: Parasite 4-1 This time it was Parasites' turn to get off to a flying start with two quick goals in the first period. @Miseee96 was able to bring the game within one with his first and only goal of the playoffs, but that was all they got. Parasite seemed to have found their game and after the 3-1 goal from Vattuyy they did not really give a chance for Mustaa Kultaa to get back into this game. Beniittto capped off the game in the dying seconds and Parasite were one game away from the Championship. Parasite celebrating a goal | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 5: Mustaa Kultaa 4-3 OT The fifth game got off to a fast start with two goals from both teams in the first period. In the second Vattuyy found the back of the net with a one-timer and heading into the third period it was all or nothing for Mustaa Kultaa. They managed to create some chances, but eventually, it was a breakaway goal from Allupekkaz that tied the game and we were in for another overtime. It went on for three minutes before xAaro89x capped off his hat trick with a beautiful spin-o-rama snipe to the glove side. xAaro89x (right) scores and Launonexx (center) and Allupekkaz (left) go wild! | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Game 6: Parasite 8-0 Game six was just all Parasite. They took a quick 2-0 lead in the first period and added another one to start the second. There was still some hope left for Mustaa Kultaa but all that was shattered when NikkeDangles found his second of the game at the end of the period. In the third period, Parasite was just playing the time and after some late-minute goals and a fight to cap off the series, it was a rough 8-0 score that ended this season. Parasite celebrates their victory, lead by captain Perttu "Beniittto" Kemppainen | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg Road to the Championship Regular Season: 24-3-0-1, 78 pts, 1st overall Quarterfinals 4-0 vs GOONS Semifinals 4-1 vs Voittamaton Finals 4-2 vs Mustaa Kultaa The ECL '25: Winter - Elite Champions: Parasite | Photo Credit: Feng Deng / SportsGamer.gg (1) Parasite Championship Lineup Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila Tomi @txmbo999 Laitinen Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes Thank you to everyone who came out to support the finals event at Assembly Winter and Congratulations to Parasite on a well-deserved Championship - see you all in the Spring Season!

It has been three months since the start of the ECL '25: Winter season and now it all has come down to this, the Finals of the Elite division. Taking place live at Assembly, Mustaa Kultaa will be taking on Parasite in a mighty showdown between the two best teams ECL has seen this season. Three months ago these teams were starting their seasons in very different positions. Of course, we have all learned to know the strength and power of Parasite, a team that not only has seen it all but has also won it all, multiple times. After making some key additions they have only gotten better and have been the favorites long before the season even started. On the other side, Mustaa Kultaa came into the season as what many would've considered a dark horse to battle for playoff spots. After getting promoted to the Elite division, the team went through big changes in their lineup and those changes have really hit the spot. Will Parasite finish what everyone expected of them or will Mustaa Kultaa be able to pull off one of the biggest upsets we've seen in recent years? The ECL '25: Winter - Elite Finals are played live at Assembly on Thursday 20th of February. Join us in Helsinki or watch the stream on twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG, starting at 18:00 CET. (3) Mustaa Kultaa Regular season 17-1-3-7, 56 points Quarterfinals 4-1 vs The Black Jacks (6) Semifinals 4-1 vs Tohtorit (2) Predicted Lineup Left Wing: Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala (15+5=20) Center: Eetu @Launonexx Launonen (8+10=18) Right Wing: Alex @Allupekkaz Buntsel (A) (4+11=15) Left Defender: J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (A) (3+9=12) Right Defender: Mico @Miseee96 Pulli (0+12=12) Goaltender: Veeti @LatveX Laitinen (8-1-1, 85%, 1.8 GAA, 1 SO) Regular season After successfully qualifying for the Elite divisions in the "fastest BO7 series we've ever witnessed" Mustaa Kultaa had a stormy offseason all the way until a few weeks before the season start. They ended up bringing back only two starting players from their Pro campaign in Allupekkaz and LatveX, with Launonexx also making a return to the team after a successful rookie season in Elite. They added a new defensive pairing in NuariJamal-_-, last season's point leader in Pro, and Misee96 from the Gotham Knights. Completing the team was xAaro89x, who has managed to take his game to a whole another level this campaign after looking for a home from a few different teams in the Elite division. The team had a very strong start to season losing only three games through nine matchups, and were leading the league for some time. From the last 10 games though they only managed to grab three wins, which saw them finishing the regular season in third place, tied in points with second place Tohtorit. Playoffs In the Quarterfinals they were challenged by The Black Jacks, who had been in a similar situation many times, hoping to finally make it through the first round. Mustaa Kultaa started the playoffs with a big 5-1 victory and made a comeback down from 0-3 to take it in overtime in game 2. They went into the deciding night with all the momentum on their side and The Black Jacks riddled with lineup changes could not change the series around. Mustaa Kultaa continued to the Semifinals with a convincing 4-1 series victory to face Tohtorit. Tohtorit were coming from a strong first-round performance against Exen and had @Stammer70 put up what could be one of the best playoff series ever for a goalie. The first games were tight but Mustaa Kultaa seemed to always be a bit ahead, and most importantly were able to solve Stammer. Game two was one of the most exciting games we've seen this season. Being down 0-4 with 18 minutes on the clock, Mustaa Kultaa was able to pull of the unthinkable and took the game to overtime, where Launonexx gave them the 2-0 series lead with his hat trick goal. The second night started rough for Tohtorit and after scoring 3 goals on 4 shots in game 3, Mustaa Kultaa found themselves 3-0 up in the series and just one step away from the finals. Tohtorit put all they had into game 4 and managed to take it in the overtime, but that push seemed to be all they had as Mustaa Kultaa got off to a strong start in Game 5. Even though they controlled the gameplay, they found themselves down 1-2 in the last period, but they showed their resilience tying up the game. Only two seconds before the end xAaro89x was able to find the series winner which put them through to the finals. Aaro has really managed to turn around his image as a weak playoff performer this season. He's leading the team with 15 goals, 4 of which are game-winners, in the playoffs and he's led the team through the first two rounds. Launone has been the unsung hero of this team with his 18 points and is crucial for this team's success. Allupekkaz has had some trouble finding the back of the net, but with 15 points he's still doing great. Misee96 and nuarijamal both have 12 points and form a strong backline with Latvex, who's elevated his game after a great regular season and is looking like one of the lead candidates for Rookie of the Season. (1) Parasite Regular season 24-3-0-1, 78 points Quarterfinals 4-0 vs GOONS (8) Semifinals 4-1 vs Voittamaton (4) Predicted lineup Left Wing: Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (13+13=26) Center: Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (C) (9+12=21) Right Wing: Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (A) (12+14=26) Left Defender: Tomi @txmbo999 Laitinen (0+10=10) Right Defender: Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila (4+15=19) Goaltender: Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (88.14%, 1.75 GAA, 1 SO) Regular season Is this the best lineup we've ever seen put up on the ECL ice? There are very strong arguments to say that after how dominant their season has been. Adding the star players from Tunnel Vision in Vattuyy and txmbo999 this Parasite team has been the clear favorite to win the title and possibly dominate the scene seasons to come. They had a record-breaking season scoring 149 goals with an average well above 5 and Vattuyy broke the goalscoring record with 65 goals, even with the season cut out by two games. NikkeDangles, had a personal record in points with 96, finishing second in the league, and formed a deadly playmaking duo together with Beniittto. They lost only one game during the regular season and took the first seed with an impressive margin of 22 points. Their dominance did not stop to only offense, as they also allowed the least goals, had the best powerplay (46%), and were second on the penalty kill while also taking the least penalties. FINSeRe shared playing time in goal with their other new addition UhNikke and they both, not surprisingly, had a great regular season. Playoffs In the Quarterfinals they were faced against the number eight seed GOONS. In the first game, GOONS did a good job keeping the scoring down but in the end, it was not enough as Parasite dominated the game with the puck and took home a 2-1 win. Things did not get any easier after that with Parasite being able to find more and more opportunities to score. After some wild offensive games, Parasite swept the series. The 8-5 score from Game 4 tells the whole story from the series which did not really test the Parasite squad. In the Semifinals Parasite took their second loss of the season in Game 1 against Voittamaton, but they were able to tie the series after a shutout from UhNikke. Voittamaton had their chances in the third game of the series but did not get the result with Parasite taking the win in the overtime. After that,t it was all Parasite as they dominated games four (5-1) and five (7-1) and booked their ticket to the finals. Their offensive trio Vattuyy, NikkeDangles, and Beniittto have continued from where they left off in the regular season and are taking up the top three spots in the playoffs. Teemuyy is even more dominant in the scoring for defensemen while Tombo has been handling more of the defensive duties. The goalie tandem has continued to share playing time and they will have two stars to choose from for the Finals series. Points to watch Can Parasite be beaten? That has been an almost impossible task for any team this season and Mustaa Kultaa will now have the task of doing that on the big stage. Regular season matches between these teams went to Parasite 5-3 and 6-2. Mustaa Kultaa will need to do a much better job defensively if they want to have any chance of taking it home. Rookie Goalie vs a seasoned veteran. While LatveX has had a great Rookie season and has been even better in the playoffs, he will still be facing a highly accomplished veteran in UhNikke. Parasite will create lots of offense and LatveX will be put in the toughest test of his young career. LAN experience is all on the side of the Parasite but at the same time, it will be interesting and at the same time exciting to see how this young Mustaa Kultaa squad can handle the pressure. "Hockey is a momentum game" as Finnish coach Juhani Tamminen once said. The start of the series will be important, but especially Mustaa Kultaa will need to make the most out of it and get into that flow state. If Parasite do that, it can be a very quick one. Rumors flying around about the Mustaa Kultaa squad and possible transfers. It is definitely not the ideal way to prepare for the biggest matchup of their career but maybe a good performance in the Finals could change things around? One thing is for sure, we're in for a hell of a show and we want everyone to join us, whether it is live at Assembly or on our live stream. Thursday, 20th of February 18.00 CET (19.00 local time in Finland).

Last week we saw six teams battling it out for three spots in the Elite division for the ECL '25: Spring season. Blackbirds already secured their spot by winning the Pro Championship,  but the teams placed 2nd-4th had to battle for promotion against the Elite teams seeded 13th-15th. In the end, SSK ESPORTS and NOVA were able to claim their spot in Elite, while Renascor was able to hold on to their spot in the highest division.      SSK ESPORTS rebound from the Pro Finals and will play in Elite, Falun Coal Miners relegated  After a disappointing result in the Pro Finals against Blackbirds, SSK ESPORTS were able to bounce back in the relegation series against Falun Coal Miners. The series, which was played in one night, ended 4-1 in favor of SSK after a mostly tight series. FCM were forced to play the series with their backup defender, LastMandalorian, who hadn't played tournament games in almost two years. They were able to win the first game 4-3 after a late winner but from there it was all downhill. Their offensive struggles from the regular season continued as they were able to score only seven goals in the remaining games. Zuppe_29 stayed in hot form and led SSK with 12 points. PSchibra scored three game-winners in the series and Janikka- had a very strong showing with 3 goals and 10 points from the left defender spot. For Falun, it is a tough loss as they were able to stay in Elite for only one season since their rebuild. After a good first week of the season truly nothing went their way and they will see themselves back in Pro for the Spring season. SSK ESPORTS vs Falun Coal Miners | 4-1 (3-4 OT, 2-1, 7-3, 2-1 OT, 3-2)    Renascor survive - Heartbreak for Otukset  After losing game seven in overtime against SSK in the semifinals, Otukset went into the relegation series with high hopes. Renascor was able to win the first game in double overtime with a game-winner from Virusactive. After that, Otukset took control of the series both on ice and on the scoreboard. They won three games straight, all by a one goal margin, and were just one step away from Elite. In game five Renascor got two quick goals but Otukset managed to tie it in the second period. Otukset were controlling the game but were unable to take advantage of their scoring chances and powerplays while Renascor used theirs and stayed alive in the series. Game six was the same story all over again, Otukset controlled but Renascor was the one on the scoreboard. A 21-save shutout from Gresu__ took the series into game seven. In game seven Otukset seemed to crumble under the pressure after giving up an early goal in the first. After surrendering a second goal, Miguli36 was able to bring some hope for them but that was all they got. Renascor shut the door and scored two more goals in the third, securing their spot in Elite. Fire_cats88 scored 8 goals and 12 points in the series but the MVP for the series has to be Gresu__ with his 88.14% save percentage and 2 GAA. For Otukset, miguli36 finished with 11 points but they would've needed more scoring, especially from Pursuitti who finished the series with 3 goals, 6 points, and a shooting percentage below 10. Otukset vs Renascor | 3-4 (3-4 OT, 3-2 OT, 3-2, 2-1, 2-3, 0-2, 1-4)   NOVA steamroll through Roots Gaming - End of an Era  Roots had been in this position many times before but this time it just wasn't meant to be. NOVA won the series straight in four games and we will see them in Elite for the first time. For Roots, games 1 and 3 were definitely something that could've turned the series the other way around. They were leading game one 2-1 heading into the third period, but 22 seconds before the end of regulation time NOVA was able to find the tying goal and eventually the winning goal in overtime. In game three Roots lost a two-goal lead in the last period and NOVA again found the winner at the end of the first overtime. That seemed to be the last straw for Roots as they looked very lost in game four and NOVA got to start their celebrations. NOVA will have to get straight back to work though as they announced that two of their star players in Nester_43 and KingOfApes will not continue with the team. It will be an interesting off-season for the team and we're left to wait what kind of lineup they will bring to the Spring season in Elite. This series loss also marks the end of an era for Roots after seven straight seasons in Elite. Roots Gaming announced that they will be stepping away from the scene with a few of their players hanging up the skates and the rest looking for a new home. NOVA vs Roots Gaming | 4-0 (3-2 OT, 4-1, 3-2 OT, 3-1)

Fallen Rangers completed their perfect playoff run and are your ECL '25 Winter - Neo Champions. They dominated the division all season long and left nothing up to question. Salaseurue gave them a good fight but in the end, there was nothing stopping Sidney @Sebko99 Kiska and the Fallen Rangers squad. Congratulations to the Champions! Fallen Rangers finished at the top of Group 5 and went into the playoffs as the number one seed. After scoring 8.5 goals per game during the regular season they were the favorites for many to make it all the way. They continued their dominating performance in playoffs sweeping one opponent after another. Despite their defensive mishaps in some of the games, their offense was always able to come through finishing the playoffs with an average of 6.8 goals per game. Salaseurue was able to challenge them momentarily in the finals but they were unable to convert those good moments into wins. After a record-breaking regular season, Sebko99 continued to lead the offense and finished the playoffs with 85 points. PR3D4T0R6083 gave excellent support from the back end with 50 points and mildalempik posted a 80.5% save percentage and three shutouts in their 15 playoff games. We got a chance to interview Fallen Rangers Captain Peter @Kiso69 Kiska after the finals series. He talked about how the team got started and how it is to have teammates from the same family.       Road to the Championship Regular season: 12-0-0-2, 36 points, 1st in Group 5, 1st overall Round 1: 3-0 vs Davemiehet Round 2: 3-0 vs Hannover Indians Esports Quarterfinals: 3-0 vs Hawks HC Semifinals: 3-0 vs Viitapohja Vikings Finals: 3-0 vs Salaseurue Championship roster Peter @Kiso69 Kiska (C) Jan @Zaky111 Žák (A) Sidney @Sebko99 Kiska Kristián @PR3D4T0R Kiska Jane @Jane PhDr Wolf PhDr Wolf Milan @mildalempik93 Lempera Pavel @cangis01 Hoang (A) Martin @Hori68 Hořavson   Thank you to all the teams for an amazing season and we hope to see you in the Spring season! Congratulations to Fallen Rangers, your ECL '25 Winter - Neo Champions!

Sunne IK Esport were crowned your ECL '25 Winter - Lite Champions after managing to beat the Finnish side Setelikerho in overtime of game seven. After finishing first in their group, Sunne marched convincingly all the way to the finals and pulled off a comeback in the Finals after being down 1-3 in the series. With their Championship, they gain automatic promotion to the Pro division for the Spring season, where they'll be joined by the second-place finisher Setelikerho and the third-place Project X. Congratulations to Sunne IK Esports! Sunne IK finished on top of Group 3 after a tight race, putting them in a good position going into the postseason. Through the first four rounds of the playoffs, the team put on a clinic, losing only five games on their way to the finals. After the first night of the Finals they found themselves down 1-2 and the game 4 blowout loss the following day put them in a tough position down 1-3 in the series. In game 5 they were one minute away from defeat but thanks to Prolane's last-minute tying goal they headed into OT. The game went all the way to the third overtime before Forreberra found the winning goal and the series was back alive. Forreberra's hattrick in game 6 pushed the series into game seven despite a last-minute scare. Setelikerho got a quick start to the deciding game with a goal from tbnantti but Captain 03_Dafa tied the game in the dying seconds of the second period. After some big saves in each end of the ice the game headed into overtime where Svana_22 was the hero scoring the series winner from a partial breakaway. We got a chance to interview Mathias @Prolane Larsson after the series, where he shared his thoughts and told how believing in themselves played a big role in the comeback.     Road to the Championship Regular season: 13-4-0-5, 47 points, 1st in Group 3 and 4th overall. Round 1: 4-1 vs Technical Disaster Round 2: 4-2 vs HC VADELMA Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs Seinajoki Noms Semifinals: 4-1 vs Farmalaget Finals: 4-3 vs Setelikerho   Championship Roster David @DAFA_03 Halvorsen (C) Mathias @Prolane Larsson (A) Fredrik @Larzzon96 Larsson (A) Edvin @forreberra Bengtsson Andreas @Svana_22 Svanberg Benjamin @benjamint737 Tallgren Kalle @trikishash Sjoblom Kai-Remi @sneipmusic Berge Tobias @Pettersson18 Pettersson   Thank you for a great season and congratulations to your Champions Sunne IK Esport!

It's time to decide the ECL '25: Winter - Neo Champion - the finals await us! We started the season with 48 teams and now we're left with the best two of them, quite literally, as the two top-seeded teams made it to the finals. Can Fallen Rangers make it all the way as the number one seed or will Salaseurue be able to crush their hopes of a near-perfect season on the last hurdle? The best of five finals series will be covered tonight, Sunday 9th of February, starting at 20.15 CET on twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG   . (1) Fallen Rangers -  (2) Salaseurue  Storylines to follow High-scoring gameplay - Both teams have been scoring at an impressive rate, Salaseurue with 4.4 and Fallen Rangers with 7.1 goals per game. Fallen Rangers definitely have the edge here but they've also had some very wild games in the playoffs, like a 8-7 OT win in the Semifinals. Both teams are averaging around 2.75 GAA but Salaseurue has had more defensive stability in the later rounds of the playoffs.   Battle of the LWs - Fitting the theme of the two best teams, this series also features the two highest scorers of the playoffs. @Sebko99 has been leading the scoring race all season and playoffs and has scored 73 points in his 12 playoff games. @nikezuki He is on an impressive run of his own, scoring 61 points in 17 games. Both players have contributed to over 80% of their teams' goals scored and they will be the main targets to stop for both defenses.   Goalies in a tough spot - @mildalempik93 (79.62%, 2.67 GAA) and @Zhenda tt3mee (81.68%, 2.82 GAA) have both had good playoff runs and have improved their numbers with the season progressing. As mentioned earlier Fallen Rangers have had some crazy games during the season and it seems like defense has not always been the first priority for the team, and those games are not always the most enjoyable for the goalies. On the other side, tt3mee will have the job of trying to stop Fallen Rangers offense, something that no team or goalie has been able to do so far. Salaseurue lineup? - Salaseurue used nine skaters during the regular season and in the playoffs, they have had seven different skaters. Looking at the numbers, all of them have been performing very well but it will interesting to see which lineup we'll see in the playoffs. You also can't leave out that the team Captain and scoring leader Nikezuki seems to already be looking for a new team for the next season. Definitely an interesting choice from the Captain with the finals still yet to be played. Fallen Rangers unbeaten run - They've gone through four rounds of playoffs without losing a single game. Semifinals were the first time they were somewhat challenged and they still have the toughest task waiting for them in the finals. They did lose two games in the regular season, one of them being a 2-10 blowout loss, so teams at this level have shown that they can't just cruise through all the games.   Watch the finals broadcast: The Neo Finals will be played in a best-of-five format with all the games played tonight. We wish both teams good luck in the finals and see you all on the broadcast, starting at 20.15 CET on twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

We have crowned another Champion as Silver Sword Griffins took home the title in the Core division after a thrilling seven-game series against KOST Wolves. After a dominant regular season, which saw SSG heading into the playoffs as the number one seed, they continued to show their excellence throughout the playoffs. Huge congratulations to the Latvian side for the Championship and congratulations as well to KOST Wolves and Rusty X for their second and third-place finishes! The Silver Sword Griffins have been around since the very first ECL tournament and are known to be the Latvian powerhouse. With some of their current players having played in some of those very first tournaments they truly are one of the longest standing teams in the ECL. After a great regular season, the team headed into the playoffs as the number 1 seed. In the postseason they went through round by round without much trouble but in the finals, they found themselves in a difficult spot. After winning the first game they lost three games in a row and were their back against the wall heading into the third period of game 5 being down by two goals. That period ended up being the turning point of the series as they managed to tie the game in the last minute and took the win home in OT. A dominant 6-2 victory in game 6 saw them heading into the deciding game seven with all the momentum and they used it.  @LATMinx has been with the team from day one and was their MVP of the season, scoring 20 points in the finals series, and finishing the playoffs with an impressive 38+38=72 point total.   We got a chance to interview SSG's left defenceman Linards @Lxnards Logins after clinching the title, you can watch it below.   Road to Championship: Regular season: 17-1-1-1, 54 points, 1st in Group 3 and Seed 1 Round 1: 4-2 vs EV Duisburg Round 2: 4-1 vs Salaseura Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs HC Last Resort Semifinals: 4-1 vs Rusty X Finals: 4-3 vs KOST Wolves Championship Roster Mārtiņš @martinssilins Siliņš (C) Kristaps @kriteris Grinfelds (A) Robert @LATMinx Zariņš (A) Edgars @Shmiha99 Naida Linards @Lxnards Logins Gatis @gacorigavecit17 Klekers Henrihs @Rocket_Science72 Lazdāns Kristaps @CapinsH-LV Zūdiņš   Thank you for the great season and once again Congratulations to the Silver Sword Griffins!  

Our first champion has been crowned in the ECL '25: Winter season with Blackbirds defeating SSK Esports 4-0 in the finals of the Pro Division. With their championship, they clinch their spot in Elite in the upcoming ECL '25: Spring season whereas SSK will have to fight for their spot in the qualifiers. The core of the Blackbird squad goes all the way back to the ECL '22: Spring season but they really got going in the ECL '23: Spring Lite season with the xBOTS squad and earned a spot in Pro. After a very short-lived stint in the Pro Division, they got their original squad back together for another season in Lite. After that season they made some key changes in the lineup, acquiring their new goaltender and attacker who would end up being their top-scorer of their Championship season. Interestingly enough, prior to this season the team had never made it past the second round of the playoffs. The Blackbirds squad started their season in the Pro Qualifiers, which they went through in the second stage. After an up-and-down regular season, they found themselves in fifth place in Group 1 heading into the playoffs. In the postseason we saw a total turnaround from the team as they crushed opponents one after another, losing only two games on their road to the Championship. We got to see some great offense from the team as each of their attackers scored over a goal per game in the playoffs as well as one of the best goalie performances to remember. Following the footsteps of the Almost Famous team from the ECL '24: Spring season, they're now the second team to win a Championship in the Pro Division straight after being promoted. We got a chance to interview Blackbirds' captain and right winger Lauri @sopulii04 Enström after clinching the title, where he spoke about their season and the dominant playoff run. Blackbirds' Road to the Championship: Regular season: 13-5-5-7 (54pts) - 5th in Group 1 Round 1: 4-0 vs Aspyre Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs Ismon Valinta Semifinals: 4-1 vs NOVA Finals: 4-0 vs SSK ESPORTS Blackbirds' ECL '25: Winter - Pro Championship Roster Forwards: Lauri @sopulii04 Enström (C) Olli @I0LL1 Sorsa (A) Aatu @aomyo6195 Myöhänen Defense: Tommi @Kibeeex Lehtimäki Onni @ONN123 Forss (A) Goalies: Jesse @Jeerik17 Leppä Miika @miiixu96 Pulkkinen Huge congratulations to the team and all the players! See you in Elite

What a great playoffs it has been and now it's time to decide the champion. Both of the finalists have been playing against all of the previous predictions and for that reason, there won't be any predictions from us for the Finals. Will it be the young guns of the Blackbirds or will SSK ESPORTS continue their miracle run from the last seed? We welcome you to join the live broadcast of the finals at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG on Monday the 27th at 19:15 CET and on Wednesday the 29th at 21:15 CET. The Road to Finals Blackbirds Round 1: 4-0 vs Aspyre Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs Ismon Valinta Semifinals: 4-1 vs NOVA SSK ESPORTS Round 1: 4-2 vs NOSTREETSPORTS Quarterfinals: 4-3 vs POGGERS Semifinals: 4-3 vs Otukset (10) Blackbirds - (16) SSK ESPORTS Predicted lineups LW @aomyo6195 - C @I0LL1 - RW @sopulii04 LD @Kibeeex - RD @ONN123 G @Jeerik17 LW @PSchibra - C @Rubituss - RW @zuppe_29 LD @Janikka - RD @pakjiz G @Brokenrice2000 / @Jonte05_ I think most of us knew the potential of Blackbirds but for them to cash it out this way on their first season together with this lineup was not something many had in their cards. They had a good regular season finishing fifth in Group 1 but as the year changed something must have clicked within the team and in the playoffs we've seen the team on a whole another level. Through the first three rounds, they have only lost two games and within the 14 playoff games they've only allowed 22 goals while scoring 50 themselves. The biggest change I see is in their offense. @aomyo6195 (15+21=36) was their leading scorer in the regular season and scored half of the team's goals. He has still kept his numbers up leading the team but @I0LL1 (14+21=35) and @sopulii04 (17+13=30) have stepped up big time when it matters the most. Especially @I0LL1 has caught my eye scoring 6 game-winning goals in the playoffs and almost matching his point totals from the regular season with half the games played. @ONN123 (1+20=21) and @Kibeeex (3+10=13) have been great on both ends of the ice and have given @Jeerik17 (87.13%, 4 SO, 1.57 GAA) a chance to put up great numbers. He has definitely stolen quite a few games for this Blackbirds team and is high on my list for the "MVP race". To quote my fellow writer @Pekedipeks before the playoffs "SSK is an alright team despite their seed" and well they've definitely proven to be much more than just that. Comebacks have been the story of the playoffs for SSK ESPORTS. They were 0-2 down in the first round before winning four straight, came back 1-3 down against POGGERS, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of game 7, and were down 1-2 against Otukset winning the series eventually in game 7 overtime. They have one of the most experienced teams in the division and that has definitely shown in the playoffs. @zuppe_29 (22+16=38) leads the league in playoff scoring and has been their most important player. @PSchibra (15+13=28) has been a big addition to their scoring power after playing just 10 games in the regular season. Their center @Rubituss (9+8=17) hasn't quite kept up with the scoring but has scored some big goals for the team, including the game 7 OT winner against Otukset. He's also been stellar in the faceoff circle winning 55% of the faceoffs. The Finnish defense duo of @Janikka (3+14=17) and @pakjiz (0+20=20) are second and third in scoring for defenders and have been a crucial part of their great defensive play through the regular season and playoffs. The least experienced players in the team are between the pipes as @Brokenrice2000 (84.09%, 3 SO, 2 GAA) and @Jonte05_ (81.19%, 2 SO, 2.38 GAA) have been sharing the playtime all season long and will be seen if that continues in the finals. Both of these teams' seasons have already been a great success story but only one of them can be the champion and claim the direct spot in Elite for the spring season. It will come down to small details in the finals matchup as both teams have the tools to finish the job. If the series goes all the way it will be interesting to see how Blackbirds will react as they've managed to win all their series quite early on. SSK is coming off of two cruelling games sevens where they've shown their clutch factor. Experience can be the key in those moments but this Blackbirds team has surprised us so many times that you can't count them out at any point. Follow the Finals broadcasts: You can watch SportsGamer's live coverage of the semifinal matchup between Blackbirds and SSK Esports on Twitch, YouTube, and X. Monday the 27th at 19:15 CET | Games 1-3 Wednesday the 29th at 21:15 CET | Games 4-7 Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

The playoff race tightens as we're left with four teams battling it out for the title. In the semifinals we'll see if the top 2 seeds hold their own and who'll fall short on the last hurdle. I wish all the teams good luck! Neo Division Playoff schedule (BO5) Semifinals: January 26th – 30th Finals: February 9th SEMIFINALS PREVIEW (1) Fallen Rangers - (10) Viitapohja Vikings To no one's surprise, Fallen Rangers kept their unbeaten playoff record in the quarterfinals and score a whopping 30 goals in those three games. @Sebko99 (31+27=58) continued from where he left off but @Kiso69 (11+30=41) and @Zaky111 (21+15=36) have also been giving strong support averaging 4 PPG. When you add the great goaltending numbers from @mildalempik93 (82.24%, 2 SO, 2.11 GAA) they continue to be the frontrunner for the title. Viitapohja Vikings managed to overcome the strong Taifun Veterans in a five-game series. They seem to have found a clear structure to their game, at least looking at the statistics, defenders defend and attackers attack. (Two games from the QF series missing stats) @Liimiz (24+20=44) has led the team in offense in the playoffs and had 13 points in their three wins in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, defenders @manizeri and @Jurrin Kari (ettutah) have combined only 10 points in the playoffs and have significantly less time with the puck compared to the offense. Fallen Rangers has been dominating the Neo division all season long and I don't see anyone putting a stop to that. Viitapohja Vikings will need to put up their absolute best performance to have a fighting chance. I don't want to fully count them out but a lot will have to happen for them to be able to stop this team. (2) Salaseurue - (7) The Worn Out Wiseman Salaseurue continued their familiar way winning their series with a score line of 3-1 once again. They've had no trouble finding the back of the net and their captain @nikezuki (28+21=49) is second in the playoff scoring. He's been responsible for half of the team's scoring and is by far their most valuable player. Despite their high-scoring playstyle @Zhenda (tt3mee) (81.63%, 1 SO, 3GAA) has posted solid numbers between the pipes and has been improving throughout the playoffs. The Worn Out Wisemen made it look easy against one of the best goalies in the league and stormed through the quarterfinals. Scoring nineteen goals and only allowing two is definitely one of the most impressive performances these playoffs. @Samito97 (88.8%, 3 SO, 1.4 GAA) has been the best goalie in the postseason and a strong part of their league-leading defensive numbers. @Ma-X-imilian (18+23=41) and @j_u_h_i_987 (18+21=39) are leading the offense and @iWeeb22 (11+19=30) also has impressive numbers despite missing some games. Two different types of play clash in this matchup and it will be an exciting one. Both teams can score goals for sure but in defense and goaltending, The Worn Out Wisemen have the edge heading into the series. If Salaseurue can tighten their defense and @nikezuki keeps providing some magical moments, I wouldn't be surprised to see this series going all the way to game 5. Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times, and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

After an exciting set of quarterfinals we're left with four teams looking to claim the trophy and also possibly a spot in the Elite division. Interestingly enough all these teams have already faced each other in the regular season as the semifinalists all played in Group 1. It is definitely a top four that not many would have predicted with many of the favorites falling short early in the playoffs. As always we'll be covering the playoffs on Tuesday the 21st of January. This time we'll be jumping into the matchup between Blackbird and NOVA. Stay tuned for more details. Pro Division Playoff schedule (BO7) Round of 16: January 6th – 9th Quarterfinals: January 13th – 16th Semifinals: January 20th – 23rd Finals: January 29th – 30th (7) Otukset - (16) SSK ESPORTS Otukset Round 1: 4-1 vs Bjorkloven Esport Quarterfinals: 4-0 vs Herlev Eagles Otukset have left nothing up to question after storming through the first two rounds losing only one game in the progress. @Roisto999 has been the key behind their success posting 4 shutouts and 88.68% save percentage and has given them a chance to win the tight games that you can expect to have in the playoffs. Their offense has been continuing to produce at a good rate with @Miguli36 (8+12=20) leading the way. Despite being the least experienced player in their lineup he's shown his skillset but it also doesn't hurt to have two seasoned veterans in @Pursuitti (6+10=16) and @James (MachineGunKalle) (10+7=17) beside him. @Mikka and @juhkis96 have been one of the best defensive duos in the playoffs so far and the team has allowed only 12 goals in the playoffs (6 of those came in their only loss). SSK ESPORTS Round 1: 4-2 vs NOSTREETSPORTS Quarterfinals: 4-3 vs POGGERS What a run have they made all the way from seed 16 defeating two of the highest scoring teams in the playoffs and now fighting for a spot in the finals. Could you say that defense wins cham... maybe not quite yet ;). They've continued to show their defensive excellence and found ways to win the tight games. During the regular season 10 out of their 15 losses were by one goal but now they've managed to turn that stat around. @zuppe_29 (14+11=29) has really stepped for them and has been their most important player with @PSchibra (10+8=18) is giving good support. They have two solid options between the pipes as @Brokenrice2000 (84.21%, 2 SO) and @Jonte05_ (85.07%, 1 SO) have been sharing the playtime so far. The regular season saw these teams both winning one game with SSK getting the extra point in overtime. Both of them have been rock solid in their own end and a low scoring series can be expected. Almost all of the statistics are on the side of Otukset but that hasn't stopped SSK so far. They will need to find new ways to score as Otukset is defensively much more solid than their previous opponents and also have one of the hottest goalies in the league. @Rubituss was SSK top scorer during the regular season but hasn't found his groove quite yet in the playoffs and will need to step up. They'll once again have a mountain to climb but if they can find that small improvement again it could be enough. Prediction: @Vamoux 4-2 Otukset (10) Blackbirds - (11) NOVA Blackbirds Round 1: 4-0 vs Aspyre Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs Ismon Valinta Blackbirds is one of the great success stories of the season and they were very close to sweeping their first two rounds of the playoffs. Offense has been their way to success and after scoring only 2.77 GF/GP in the regular season that number is now up to 4.22 in the playoffs. Their offensive trio in @aomyo6195 (12+16=28), @I0LL1 (9+17=26) and @sopuli04 (13+10=23) are all top five in playoff scoring and are showing that they could be future stars. @ONN123 (1+14=15) is leading the defensemen scoring has been their go to guy starting the plays from their own end. After having a tougher first round @Jeerik17 (83.49%, 2 GAA, 1 SO) also improved his numbers and has been looking solid. NOVA Round 1: 4-2 vs HC Lugano eSports Quarterfinals: 4-0 vs RYHTIC NOVA proved their doubters wrong with a sweep over the long time pro powerhouse in RYHTIC. Their starts to the games were particularly great scoring a goal within 4 minutes of game time in three of the games. After having 78.4% in the regular season @Baranizer has been the best goalie in the playoffs with 90.16%, 1.2 GAA and 4 shutouts and is having a playoff run to remember. @Nester4343 (12+16=28) is tied for the lead in playoff points and has scored five game winning goals. @Vladyan (8+15=23) is also in great form and has an impressive 54.7% faceoff percentage. You also can't leave out @KingOfApes_ (3+10=13) who's the backbone of the team and responsible for most of the playmaking in the team. These teams split their series in the regular season but a lot has changed since then. Blackbirds is the only team left in the playoffs who have no Elite experience but they have shown that they're definitely heading that way. They've made a huge improvement to the playoffs and at some points even made their opponents look like fools with their aggressive play. Many people have looked past NOVA so far but they've shown to be a force to reckon and looking at their roster, why wouldn't they be? They have the most experienced and accomplished player of the league in their team and their key players are performing. They are coming into the series in a 8 game winning streak in which they've let in only six goals. Both teams have been able to make some great plays off the rush but Blackbirds have been more relying on their counter attacks and breakaway chances and I don't expect them to get those at the same quantity in this series. Blackbirds will be facing their biggest challenge yet and their ability to adapt and keep improving will be the key for this series. Prediction: @Vamoux 4-2 NOVA Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. You can watch SportsGamer's live coverage of the semifinal matchup between Blackbirds and NOVA on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, January 21st. Exact time is still TBC. Follow our socials to stay up to date! Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

Neo Division Playoff schedule (BO5) We're down to the last eight teams in the Neo division as teams continue their battle in the playoffs. Similar to round one the second round saw very few surprises as the top-seeded teams continued their dominance from the regular season. Let's dive into the four exciting matchups that the Quarterfinals bring us! Round of 32: January 5th – 9th Round of 16: January 12th – 16th Quarterfinals: January 19th – 23rd Semifinals: January 26th – 30th Finals: February 9th QUARTERFINALS PREVIEW (1) Fallen Rangers - (16) Hawks HC Fallen Rangers continued their dominant season with a sweep in the second round outscoring their opponent 20-1. Nobody has found a way to stop their offense all season long and they're looking to be the lead runner for the title. @Sebko99 (17+17=34) is tied for the lead in the playoff scoring and @mildalempik93 is having an amazing playoff run with an 88.46% save percentage and 2 shutouts. Hawks HC pulled off the biggest upset in round 2 winning their series 3-1 after four high-scoring and tight games. @Hodja (18+13=31) has been leading them all season long and continued his great form. Hawks' HC high-scoring playstyle plays right into their opponent's hands. Fallen Rangers have the edge on all parts of the ice and are the clear frontrunners for the title at the moment. They should be able to handle this series without much trouble. Prediction: 3-0 Fallen Rangers (2) Salaseurue - (12) Nordic Knights Salaseurue vs Nordic Knights - Part 2. After beating Nordic Knights's second team in round 1 Salaseurue now face the first team. Their captain @nikezuki is coming off an 11-goal series and he's leading the whole playoffs with 20 goals and 34 points. Nordic Knights continued to show their defensive abilities stopping one of the highest-scoring teams of the league in a 3-0 series victory. @cassebassepowerer (86.79%, 2 SO) continued to shine between the pipes and has really stepped up in the postseason. @Torrannare has also found another gear in the playoffs and he leads the team with 24 points in 7 games. This matchup will be a very tight one but at this point of the season defense and goaltending play a bigger role. Nordic Knights have the edge on those departments heading into the series. They will still need to find a way to stop @nikezuki who will need his teammates to step up to help with scoring if they want to advance. Prediction: 3-2 Nordic Knights (4) Taifun Veterans - (10) Viitapohja Vikings Taifun Veterans had a rough start to the playoffs but swept their series in the second round. @Sqeek_40 (Hoklundd) showed up big time letting in only two goals and posting a 96.67% save percentage in the three games. The team had some trouble finding scoring with their top scorer @Chluda15 missing from the lineup and it will be interesting to see if he'll be available for this round. Viitapohja Vikings had no trouble finding goalscoring in their second-round matchup and also only allowed 5 goals in the four games. @Liimiz (18+13=31) has been red hot in the playoffs and @TepeV has posted a 86.05% save percentage and two shutouts. This is looking up to be a battle between two hot goaltenders. If both teams have their best lineups available it will be a tight and hard-fought series that can go either way. Both teams have struggled on the powerplay in the postseason and improving on that could be the deciding factor. Prediction: 3-2 Taifun Veterans (5) HC WOLVES - (7) The Worn Out Wiseman HC WOLVES had to battle from being down 0-2 in the second round but managed to turn the series around. Their starting goalie @AndyJester (90.16%, 2 GAA) was not playing in those two losses and that proved how important he is to this team. They've also been highly relying on @Skeleton-1978 (19+5=24) who has scored 67% of the team's goals in the postseason. The Worn Out Wisemen dominated their opponent in the second round and are looking like a very strong all-around team. @iWeeb22 had 16 points in the second-round series but he has played less than half of the games during the season. It will be interesting to see if his strong performance will shuffle their lineup in some way. This series showcases two of the best defensive teams of the season. HC WOLVES has been highly relying on their top players all season long while The Worn Out Wisemen are a more balanced team. That balance gives them the edge heading into the series. It will be a low-scoring one and @AndyJester can steal games for the WOLVES but will it be enough? Prediction: 3-1 The Worn Out Wisemen Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times, and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

What a first round we had! It was full of surprises with only one out of the top 6 seeds continuing to the second round. This definitely shuffles the pack around quite a bit so let's take a look at what the quarterfinals bring to us. We welcome you all to join the featured broadcast on Tuesday the 14th of January as we'll be covering Otukset vs Herlev Eagles. Pro Division Playoff schedule (BO7) Round of 16: January 6th – 9th Quarterfinals: January 13th – 16th Semifinals: January 20th – 23rd Finals: January 29th – 30th (4) POGGERS - (16) SSK ESPORTS (12-3-3-12) POGGERS Round 1: 4-1 vs The Oldtimers Poggers showed their experience in the first round and went through without much trouble. It was a good performance from the whole team with each of the attackers contributing offensively and @Terodee (LaurinHaavi) 3+6=9 providing strong support from the blue line. After allowing 3.47 GAA in the regular season it went down to just 1.8 GAA with @Samilandia upping his save percentage to 85.94%. SSK ESPORTS Round 1: 4-2 vs NOSTREETSPORTS After somewhat of a controversial series SSK managed to take advantage of their opponent's roster struggle. They continued their strong defensive play with two shutouts and were in control of the play for most of the series. They did allow two late-minute goals in two of the games which is something that they can't let happen going into this series. @zuppe_29 (8+7=15) is tied for the lead in points after round one and he will need to continue to lead their offense. Poggers are known as a team who are here to enjoy their time and have fun. When you add their skill level and experience into that it often turns tight games in their favor. They also showed their ability to adjust to playoff hockey. SSK will face yet another team that has high scoring power but now they won't have additional factors helping them. They will need to stay out of the box against the league's best powerplay and use their counter-attacking chances efficiently. Predictions: @Vamoux 4-2 Poggers @Pekedipeks 4-1 Poggers @hifk_FANI 4-0 Poggers @IJepuxI 4-2 Poggers (7) Otukset - (15) Herlev Eagles Otukset Round 1: 4-1 vs Bjorkloven Esport After a tough first game, Otukset found their groove winning four games straight allowing only 3 goals. @Roisto999 was their star of the round posting 86.96%, 1.8 GAA, and 2 shutouts. If their 5-0 victory in game 5 was a statement of what's to come they will be a tough team to beat. Leading the way offensively for them was @Miguli36 with 4 goals and 7 assists. Herlev Eagles Round 1: 4-3 vs DILAC Herlev Eagles was responsible for one of the biggest upsets in round 1. They managed to shut down DILAC in game 7 after a thrilling series which included 3 overtime games. Heading into the series a lot of expectations were set on @MartindalexC and he delivered leading the team with 7 goals and 7 assists. @Dreamickie also had a strong series posting 14 points as well. Both of these teams have been in the pro division for a long time but playoff success has avoided them. Now one of them will make their way to the top 4. They both have the offensive power needed but I will be looking at the goalie play in this series. @Roisto999 has seen it all on the highest levels and has been strong all season long. For Herlev, the situation is more open with @jubens_ getting the responsibility in round 1. He played well but @Provokacija has been their main guy throughout the season and was clearly stronger during the regular season. Predictions: @Vamoux 4-2 Otukset @Pekedipeks 4-3 Otukset @hifk_FANI 4-1 Otukset @IJepuxI 4-3 Herlev Eagles (10) Blackbirds - (13) Ismon Valinta Blackbirds Round 1: 4-0 vs Aspyre Blackbirds stormed through Aspyre and were the only team to sweep their series in round 1. Lead by @sopuli04 and @aomyo6195 (7+8=15 each) their offense was on a whole another level almost doubling their regular season numbers. They were able to generate a lot of scoring chances and used them very well with shooting percentage nearing 30%. Ismon Valinta Round 1: 4-1 vs Zenegeim Ismon Valinta played a tight and low-scoring series against Zenegeim before blowing them out 9-0 in game 5. @Hulkkol posted an impressive 87.88% with one shutout and gave them the support to win the tight games in the series. @xrikardo55 (7+8=15) was their highest scorer but 9 of those points came in the blowout win which leaves the question open whether they can find more offense in the following rounds. Either of these teams making it to the top 4 could be considered a slight surprise. Blackbirds have proven their doubters wrong again and again, and are making a great run on their first pro season. Ismon Valinta has one of the most experienced defense partners in the league and has made a successful switch from forward to defense for the playoffs. Ismon Valinta is the stronger side defensively and their hot goaltending gives them a slight edge heading into the series but I could see it going either way. Prediction: @Vamoux 4-3 Blackbirds @Pekedipeks 4-3 Ismon Valinta @hifk_FANI 4-0 Blackbirds @IJepuxI 4-3 Ismon Valinta (11) NOVA - (12) RYHTIC NOVA Round 1: 4-2 vs HC Lugano eSports NOVA had their season on the line after losing the first two games of their series in overtime. On the deciding matchday, something changed and they were dominating winning the last 4 games with a 14-1 goal difference. @Baranizer (90%, 1.17 GAA, 3 SO) was the best goalie of round one and was their most important player through the series. @Nester4343 continued to lead their offense with 3+11=14 points but the whole team was contributing with the lowest scorer having 7 points. RYHTIC Round 1: 4-3 vs Gotham Knights RYHTIC arguably got one of the toughest matchups for round 1 and came out victorious after the game 7 "bouncefest". Statistically, they might not have been the better team but the team used their chances and were solid defensively. Goaltender @JussinSisko had a great series with 84.38% and one shutout. @Limbe65 (6+2=8) scored some important goals including two game-winners and their powerplay was on point with 6 goals scored on 11 chances. RYHTIC has been in this position for multiple seasons in a row now and has been performing well. They're hoping that this could finally be the season they can take the step that would take them to Elite after being so close so many times. Their opponent NOVA found their form at the correct time but RYHTIC will still be heading into the series as favorites. If NOVA can keep playing the way they played the last four games of the first round, anything can happen. A lot will depend on whether @Baranizer can keep up his red-hot form. Prediction: @Vamoux 4-2 RYHTIC @Pekedipeks 4-3 RYHTIC @hifk_FANI 4-1 RYHTIC @IJepuxI 4-3 RYHTIC Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. You can watch SportsGamer's live coverage of the quarterfinal matchup between Otukset and Herlev Eagles on Twitch, YouTube, and X on Tuesday, January 14th. Exact time is still TBC. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!

It's time for the second round of the ECL Neo Winter 25 Playoffs as the last 16 teams continue the battle. Interestingly on the first round only one of the lower seeded teams managed to play their way through to the second round. Is that a sign of the coming or will we be seeing some upsets this round? Let's take a look at each of the matchups. Neo Division Playoff schedule (BO5) Round of 32: January 5th – 9th Round of 16: January 12th – 16th Quarterfinals: January 19th – 23rd Semifinals: January 26th – 30th Finals: February 9th ROUND OF 16 PREVIEW (1) Fallen Rangers - (25) Hannover Indians Esports Fallen Rangers continued their great form with a sweep on the first round. @Sebko99 (8+8=16) continued his impressive form and was their leading scorer. Hannover Indians Esports start their playoff journey against one of the toughest opponents possible after getting WO on the first round. They struggled offensively in the regular season scoring only 2.71 GF/GP which was 6th lowest in the whole division. Defensively they were relatively solid led by their goaltender @Flouzn (4-2-0, 88.76%, 1.67 GAA, 2 SO) but this will be a whole other challenge. They have a mighty mountain to climb and it could be too much for them to handle. Prediction: 3-0 Fallen Rangers (2) Salaseurue - (20) Lassen Lampaat These teams faced of in the regular season in Group 2 and split the high-scoring series. Salaseurue had their struggles in the first round but came away with a 3-1 series win. They allowed a lot of shooting opportunities to their opponent and that is definitely something they'll have to work on. @nikezuki and @Mikeditz were their leading scorers with 9 goals each. Lassen Lampaat was the only team that managed to play their way through the first round as the lower seed and they did it with style. @JJokkeri (9+5=14) lead them offensively and @CharlieRunkkeli CharliCalifornia (86.89%, 2.67 GAA) put up one of the best goalie performances in the first round. Lassen Lampaat has the experience needed and if these teams continue the way they played in the first round, we could be in for an upset. Prediction: 3-2 Lassen Lampaat (3) Brothers In Gaming - (16) Hawks HC This one is another rematch from the regular season from Group 1. Hawks HC came out on the losing side in both of their matches and are now looking for revenge. Brothers In Gaming cruised through the first round while Hawks HC had to all the way to game 5 against Moukka HC. Wingers from both teams are in hot scoring form and everything is pointing towards a high-scoring and exciting series. @Mesrine_Jak leads the way for Brothers In Gaming with 13 goals and Hawks HC @Hodja (10+8=18) will have his hands full trying to keep up with that. Hawks HC is heading into the series as underdogs but if they can tighten up defensively while still keeping the scoring up they can make it a tight series. Prediction: 3-1 Brothers In Gaming (4) Taifun Veterans - (15) Beastie Boys Taifun Veterans had a surprisingly tough time in the first round but came out victorious in game 5. @Chluda15 (Lukas_Chludil) (13+8=21) was the highest scorer in round one and despite allowing 4 GAA their goaltender @Sqeek_40 (Hoklundd) still put up a solid 82.61%. Beastie Boys swept their first round but also had trouble keeping the puck out of their net with 11 goals allowed in 3 games. Goaltending was their biggest downfall with 63.33% but @Luki_Luki_99 (X9__Gl4tch__x9) showed in the regular season that he is capable of doing much better. Taifun Veterans has more room to improve from the first round and that gives them the edge heading into the series. Prediction: 3-0 Taifun Veterans (5) HC WOLVES - (14) Nordic Macabre It's already been 2,5 weeks since HC WOLVES finished their first-round sweep and it will be interesting to see what kind of form they bring to the new year. @Skeleton-1978 has been the leading scorer for them all season long but their most important player can be found between the pipes. @AndyJester put up the league-leading 89.63% in the regular season and only improved (90.41%) from that in the first round. Nordic Macabre also swept their series with 2 OT wins similar to their opponent. They have a more balanced offense with @Marja_keitto (8+3=11) leading the way in the playoffs. @Parmakitti (85%, 3 GAA) also put up solid numbers in the first round. HC WOLVES has been the better team all season but if Nordic Macabre can shut them down and manage to solve AndyJester they can make the series interesting. Prediction: 3-1 HC WOLVES (6) Veljeskunta HC - (12) Nordic Knights Veljeskunta HC lived up to their promise of being a team without defenders scoring 24 goals and allowing 16 in their first round 3-0 victory. All of the stats are not up to date but @Elop-_- (8+6=14) was leading the way in the first two playoff games. They'll be facing the hottest goalie in the league in @cassebassepowerer (casse 33 40) who posted 92.31% and two shutouts in Nordic Knights 3-1 series win. If he can stay close to those numbers they will definitely have the goalscoring needed to advance to the next round. Veljeskunta HC has been one of the highest scoring teams but at some point they have to start defending also and that could be now. I can see this series going either way and a lot will depend on the form of the day. Prediction: 3-1 Nordic Knights (7) The Worn Out Wiseman - (11) Kasanovat The Worn Out Wisemen continued their hot form from the end of regular season with 3-1 series win in the first round. Led by @Ma-X-imilian (3+5=8) this team seems to be made for the playoffs. @Samito97 also continued his strong season with 85.11% and 1.75 GAA. Kasanovat had much tougher time getting here and were especially struggling in their own zone allowing 19 goals in 5 games. @Mage Man (Rankku8317) posted 11 points from the blueline and has the main responsibility to control the puck for them. The Kasanovat offense will really be tested against the best defensive team in the league so far. A lot has to go right for them if they want to advance to the top 8. Prediction: 3-0 The Worn Out Wisemen (9) Clowns On Ice (12-1-1-4) - (10) Viitapohja Vikings (9-1-1-3) Clowns On Ice has been heavily relying on @PaddyD1412 to be their offensive threat and that continued on the first round of the playoffs. He posted 16 points in their 3-1 series victory and was doubling the time on puck compared to his teammates. @Liimiz (10+7=17) led Viitapohja Vikings through the first round 3-1 series win and continued his great goalscoring form. They also only let in 7 goals with @TepeV (TTV-Tepevi) posting 82.93% and a shutout. Due to their experience I would give a slight edge to Clowns On Ice but they've had to do lot of lineup shuffling during the season. That hasn't hurt them yet but it's something that Viitapohja Vikings can definitely take advantage of if given the chance. It will be a very even series with special teams and goaltending playing a big role. Prediction: 3-2 Viitapohja Vikings Follow the Playoff streams: Please post dates, times and links for streams in the comments of this news story and social media, to help everyone find your team streams. Who do you think will win each series? Let us know in the comments!