viivimaria

At only 17 years of age, prospect Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt has climbed the ranks to the top of the pool in terms of goaltending talent. He has made a name for himself in the Elite division previously playing for Rusty Blades and Roots Gaming, but his most recent claim to fame was the ECL '22 Winter Pro title with JYP Jyväskylä. The young man says that his first memories of playing NHL games date back to being just a toddler, when he played games with his own father and relatives: "I was playing with my father and godmother's husband at the time, and they stuck a disconnected controller in my hands, but I still celebrated the goals as hard as anyone", the Pori, Finland native thinks back at that time. After starting school, Ramstedt says that he started playing HUT for the first time. He recalls how his father then created his first PSN account called kaz__zu. The current PSN ID is a bit shorter, and has changed due to some forgotten logins along the way. At home, the young goalie prospect is mainly about hockey, as both him and his father shares a mutual interest in hockey and the NHL series. He says his father (@tondeeee) has also played at the ECL level and serves as a goalie coach outside of the virtual rinks. One of his closest teammates is long-time community member Väinö @vSilenttio Pietilä, who has kind words to say about the young goalie: ”Me and @Kaz_zu first met back in Roots at the end of 2020, when we signed the young kid who had only played for the Clumsy Penguins to mind the net with Joonas @swagx88 Kuossari in shared responsibility. It really didn't take long for Kassu to earn the trust of the team to play as a tandem with Joonas." Despite his young age, Kazzu has grown very close to several teammates and he is held in high regard as one of the nicer guys in the community. He sees that he's been welcomed with open arms into teams he's been a part of: ”I think it's funny, I don't want to focus on what age the others are as long as they're good guys, nothing else really matters. And I think it's great how well I've been included. It's also easy to play when your own team members trust you. I don't really get any tips from them anymore, they let me focus on my own work and I let them do theirs” One of Ramstedt's newer teammates is defenseman Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, who joined JYP from KOVA Esports after the latest FCL tournament, and he has got to know the goalie well: "It's always fun to play with @Kaz_zu. He brings a lot of energy to the party with his mouth in perpetual motion. His laughter and lightheartedness really spreads to the whole team. On the ice, he makes the necessary stops and always gives the team a chance to win, and his performances usually get better as the pressure rises. Even in the lates finals, he strung together three consecutive shutouts." In addition to stopping pucks on the virtual ice, Ramstedt is no stranger to strapping on the pads in the traditional sense either. He's spent 12 years stopping pucks also on the real ice and sees some benefit translating that to his virtual game. Especially positioning and reading plays are something that translates well, great reflexes can also be a benefit. However, he stresses that the real game and virtual goaltending are two very different things. Some of the most important skills a goalie should have are great nerves and the ability to handle pressure. Kazzu also notes that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself, since the goalie could often be both the hero and the villain, depending on how the end result looks on the board. The goaltender states that excercise is of great importance and helps with focus going into games. He also stresses that sometimes excercise is out of necessity, since practice could end shortly before the ECL action starts: ”I don't really have any game routines other than that I always try to play sports before games, e.g. in the gym, but the routines vary a lot because sometimes the workouts end at 9pm and the ECL games might start at 9.30pm, so I might be in a rush sometimes. I've always somehow managed to fuse the schedules together, and for that I'd like to thank all of the great community at SportsGamer." His ECL 11 appearances in some high-profile broadcast games against YMCA Esports are some that come to mind when asked about the greatest gaming memories thus far. The inexperienced netminder really made a statement in those two clashes, leaving the traditionally very offensive YMCA without a single goal in the games. As customary, we asked Kazzu to form the top 6 of his dreams, with a short comment about why these players were chosen: @Frans-Fin - @Siltsu - @Timotei97 @tondeeee - @Tanski87 @Kaz_zu ”I thought that would be a classy line-up and of course I had to include my own father, I don't know if I would've been welcome home if I didn't. I think we'd have a lot of fun with that group, every player is a great personality. @Tanski87 has played a big part for my career and he's always been supportive and trusted me even when things didn't go as planned. Some day I'd like to play as a defensive pair with my best friend @Siltsu for example.” In the Winter season, JYP Jyväskylä managed to win the Pro Championship and claim their spot back in the European top 16. We asked the netminder about some comments about the past season and something about what's to come for the team: "The Pro title was great, out season was good but quite fluctuant. Moving forward, we need to develop our game and be more consistent. Our roster has changed a bit as fellow kiddo Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala has joined us as a winger, but I'll still remain the youngest on the team. I'm excited for next season back in Elite. I don't have any specific goals for the season, as I think it's going to be very even and tough. It would be great to make the playoffs, but my main focus is handling my own tasks and giving the team a chance to win every night." When asked about the young man's personality, teammate @vSilenttio doesn't hold back: ”I don't know what kind of locker room presence Kazzu has in the traditional sport when I'm not there, but from what I've experienced, everything about Kazzu points towards his representing the traditional goalie type, which is known to be a bit of a different breed. Goalies tend to be a bit different from their teammates and they usually have their own little things going, and I don't mean this in a bad way. If I'f have to provide a practical example, you all probably remember Ilya Bryzgalov and his galaxy rant back in the HBO Flyers-Rangers 24/7 documentary. Kazzu rarely talks about space, but I think you get the point.” ”Kazzu is also by far the loudest in-game player I have ever come across in my career. Whether it's crunching down on some peanuts, shouting at the opposing team, singing along with the latest Finnish hits, watching TikToks or simply breathing heavily into the mic, this guy always makes his presence known. No wonder he's already made a name for himself as "the beast", not only for his performances on the ice I guess. He has always been a good teammate for me, quickly finding his spot in JYP, and despite his young age and lack of experience, @Kaz_zu is a goalkeeper who has proven his level and is easy to trust in a tough place. Never change, kid <3!”, @vSilenttio continues.

The ECL '22 Winter Elite season came to a worthy conclusion when hREDS won their second consecutive ECL Elite (season) Championship and with that, made history being the first back to back champion. We got to talk about their journey with team captain Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, ECL '22 Winter defender of the season Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen, the team's young star player. Simply put, over the past two seasons not a single team has been able to stop hREDS. The team also exudes a very good team spirit and they play as a team with great individuals. These are some of the factors that make the redshirts as strong as they are at the moment. The question is, what made hREDS such a great team and why can't no one seem to stop them right now?  @xDoumi: ”We've put the hours into the game, carefully thinking of how we could improve or what we could do differently. I can't think of many Elite players that are able to perform at their best level throughout the season, but for us even if that would happen, we're fine since there's a top player patching up at every position.” @Beniittto: ”All of us are really skilled and versatile, chemistry is great on and off the field, we can discuss how to play as a team or individuals very openly in the best interests of the team. We're very confident and we're used to playing under pressure.” @NikkeDangles: ”Every player has that little extra that makes the player beside them even better. Also, our chemistry is definitely top notch - that's what makes us the almost perfect team.” Before the start of the Winter season, hREDS was definitely considered one of the biggest favorites and the pressure for success was mounting. What makes these two consecutive championships so special is not only the historical feat, but also the stranglehold they've now taken on the rivalry series against Frölunda HC. Looking at your game, it's obvious that you've put a lot of hours into perfecting the craft, what is the secret to achieving such a clinical level? And how do you discuss improvements within the squad? @xDoumi: ”After the release of the new NHL, we try to reinvent ourselves as much as possible with the offseason so that when the season starts, our game is as ready as possible and adjusted to the meta. For example we talk a lot about minimising mistakes or understanding what's wrong in certain situations and making sure such things won't happen again in the future. If you make the same mistakes over and over in practice, you'll continue doing that in competitive games too. Small mistakes often decide big games. Often we'll try to play a warmup match before any competitive game and otherwise practice consistently at least on four days a week. Break from the game are also good to unwind a bit." @Beniittto: ”What makes our game look great is individual skill and chemistry, the clinical approach is based very much on those same things. The exact number of hours is difficult to say, but in fact every time you we play, we always try something new, such as breakouts, passing combinations, diversions and different shots from different places.” @NikkeDangles: ”We try to play a few times, if not every day, every week. We have a clear game plan and we've only refined it for the better with time. We usually focus a lot on team defense and how we could be more dangerous in the offensive end.” Road to the back-to-back ECL Elite Championship hREDS was superior in the ECL '22 Winter regular season and held first place almost continuously from start to finish. The top spot in the regular season guaranteed the team a very good starting point for the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, the redshirts faced #8 seed GOONS, and although the playoff series ended in a 4-0 sweep, the result doesn't always say everything about the matches. In fact, during the playoff series, three matches were decided only after overtime, so the playoff series against GOONS was very even overall. If the Quarterfinals were a tight ordeal, then that was also the case in the Semifinals, even more so. This is when the redshirts faced the Swedish side Granit Gaming. Perhaps evident of how tough the series were is the fact that almost all games were decided by a one goal margin. In the end, the Semifinal series ended with a 4-1 win for hREDS and as expected, they earned a Finals spot in the ECL '22 Winter season. The matches against GOONS and Granit were really even but your were able to turn those series in your favor. What impact did these GOONS and Granit series have for the continuation of your playoff run? @xDoumi: ”Experience, routine, skill, etc. Both GOONS and Granit went into the past season with a couple of player changes. We have had the same composition for some time now, and it definitely matters. We know where Vili  @Vilupoika Häkkinen is able to score from at will, we know that @Beniittto has his silky mitts when he needs to, we know that @NikkeDangles is the best passer in the game, it is known that Tuukka  @Tuukka.R(KingofApes) Röpelinen has the poke down to a tee, and finally it is known that Filip @Faze91- Azri can make gamesavers when the team most needs them.” @Beniittto: ”In this NHL, the games are more even than in the previous ones, but we managed to win the games with routine and experience. Winning the playoff series brings nothing special, other than the ability to see what was done well as a team and what was bad, and you can start to improve from there.” @NikkeDangles: ”All that matters is a win, so we didn't care that most of the games were held tight. I think we've got a bit of a mental edge on most teams and we're a really confident team. We know that we can win tight games even if there's the occasional setback." Let's get back to the moment before the finals. When hREDS started the season as the biggest front-runner, their confidence in success helped deal with the pressure. In practice, it can even be said that any other outcome but a championship would have been a disappointment to this team. Looking back at the past ECL Elite season, no other team held as high of a level as hREDS. These Finals were also a repeat of the two latest ECL Finals, where Frölunda and hREDS have clashed. Despite the tendency of several playoffs series to be over rather quick as of late, many people expected to see this one extend past the five games it did. hREDS definitely showed the way right from the very first matches in the Finals. At times, it even felt like Frölunda was going to get trampled under the heavy onslaught. Although the outcomes of the first Final games were very ugly from Frölunda's perspective, they still don't give a complete overview of the entirety of the matches, as the element of luck was heavily on the side of hREDS - although some might say that has to be earned. For the second day of the Finals, we saw a very calm Frölunda HC, arriving with confidence and frankly, nothing left to lose. They managed to grab one win and looked to be on a path towards their second one of the series until it all fell apart with a second to spare in game five. The decisive goal was scored by who else than hREDS captain @Beniittto - crowning the redshirts the first ever back-to-back ECL Champions.

Finally it's here, the culmination of the ECL '22 Winter Elite season. Only the top two teams in Europe remain. There's many names for this top-tier rivalry, but now we'll call it the NHL Esports new 'battle of the titans'. We decided to reach out to the netminders on both ends of the ice for some thoughts about their history and the upcoming games. Faze, FILADELPHIA, now Frölunda HC, in the finals last season. How did it feel to win the  ECL in just your second Elite season? ”It felt awesome, we have an amazing group of players and we all knew that we were capable of sweeping them. And we really did perform to our best in that series. To win my first Elite championship was something special, I couldn’t imagine sitting there when I started playing NHL back in NHL 20. And to do it with this group of guys couldn’t have been better”, the hREDS netminder Filip @Faze91- Azri noted. Cappe, in the last ECL Finals your team took a beating. What's your mindset going into the rematch and by that, the ECL '22 Winter Championship?  ”We know what we can do and we have shown that against hREDS in the last five games we’ve played against each other in the FCL and ECL”, Frölunda goalie Casper @ICappeI Lundgren briefly comments, and seems very focused on the task ahead.  You have faced each other in the finals several times in the last year, does this matchup have any special significance? @Faze91-:  ”It’s for sure always fun to play these big games, and Frölunda in the Finals is something special. I'm sure it's gonna be an exciting series to watch.” @ICappeI: “It's definitely special to play in the Finals!! It's always fun to test yourself against the best out there and I believe hREDS is right there with us.” What is your greatest strength as a goalie, and have you changed your play style from NHL21? @Faze91-: ”Reading the play for sure, reading the opposition's plays and always being one step ahead. That’s my biggest strength. Of course I've changed my game style a bit, but that’s something I want to keep for myself.” @ICappeI: ”Playing goalie in NHL 22 is quite different from what it used to be. So much random stuff is happening so it can be quite frustrating to play between the pipes. I’m not a big fan of the gameplay right now and kind of miss NHL 19-21. However, I enjoy playing this game because of my teammates, I love being able to compete with such a great group of people.” How will the series end and which things will show up in the deciding matches? @Faze91-: ”4-0 to us, we are a really strong team and we have been feeling it the whole season. If we play our best I feel like there is no team that can challenge us. I think the deciding factors will be the focus and the form coming into the games, which team will score the first goals and have the routine to close down the games.” @ICappeI: ”The first games will be huge in this series as we’ve seen in the past two ECL Elite Finals. Paul @PleeMaker Arontie has looked amazing recently so I’m excited to see what he can do in the matchup against Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen (KingOfApes)! I think we’ll win it 4-2.” Tune in for the ECL '22 Winter Elite Finals this weekend! The broadcast will start at 19:30 CET on both Friday and Thursday. You'll find us at www.twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG with Cody "Tougie" Tougas and Paul "Cyn" Anderson in the booth to call the action!

This season, Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen had a career performance with his new team SAWO ESPORTS. Their run fell short of complete success in the quarterfinals recently, but we still decided that now is the time to take a look at the up-and coming goalie talent a bit closer. Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen, who is only 20 years old, has been one of the biggest names of the current Elite season, as he truly had a career season this ECL. The youngster has taken some very big strides forward and ended up dominating the regular season in several statistical categories. The new kid on the block has left several superstars, like Casper @ICappeI Lundgren and Filip @Faze91- Azri in the dust. "One of the enabling factors of my success was definitely the spirit in our team. I know a lot of the guys really well and the confidence level is very high. I spend a lot of time studying how other goalies play and draw inspiration from them into my own game. The team has been great to this point, but we can be even better. Personally, I didn't think I could be this good after the break I had, so I've even surprised myself", the young netminder goes over the success he had this season. More and more young players are pushing for their own spot among the European Elite. Nieminen states that it isn't enough just to claim a place in the lineup, but you have to be prepared to continue developing after that, otherwise the next big talent will pass you soon enough. He sees that in the future Roots' Linus @Limu95 Christiansson and GOONS’ Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen are some of the names to keep an eye on. To get a better idea of the personality of the man of the hour, we asked the other players at SAWO Esports what kind of teammate and player Nieminen is like. ”As a player, Nikke is the most self-critical person I've ever encountered, no matter what happens, he always strives to do even better. In the party, Nikke isn't the loudest guy, but mainly focuses on stopping the pucks swung at him. I think he's a really relaxed and supportive teammate”, says SAWO winger Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen. ”Nikke is calm and is quite demanding for himself, he always tries to think about what he could do better and that's why Nikke is one of the best goalkeepers in Elite. Nikke has quite an elite skill to read the game that sometimes also helps the skaters out there”, Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen praises his teammate. Nieminen tells how he eventually became a goalkeeper in the early days of his competitive playing career: ”So I ended up playing goalie when I joined HokiDogs for ECL 6 Lite. Before that, I had never even touched the virtual pads. Previously I had played on defense in various groups.” The Lohja, Finland native says that the first game in the NHL game series was NHL 13, after which the yearly iteration has been a must-have. It was only at a later stage that competitive gaming stepped in. He says that the games in the NHL franchise have been his favourites for a long time, but in his free time he also enjoys playing FIFA and CS:GO. hREDS captain Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen gets a shoutout as a player whose helped Nieminen progress along his career: "One of my best memories is definitely back when I got involved with hREDS, and how Perttu helped me become a better player while being a part of that team." Nieminen says that he doesn't have any actual routines on the day of the game. He usually goes for a longer run and enjoys a gameday Red Bull. He notes that his absolute strengths as a player are calmness and perseverance. He tells me that always when on the ice, he tries to give it his all. Nieminen's team TUNNEL VISION signed with SAWO ESPORTS just a few days before the season started. We asked the goalie how this change has affected the team. ”Moving to SAWO ESPORTS has been a good thing and I really enjoy the responsibility I'm being given. I've been able to develop as a goalkeeper with the increased playing time. While i was in the army, I was in a backup role for hREDS because I couldn't get the right to practice and play from the army. I was quite close to quitting for a while at that point, but I decided to venture into the free agent market and that's when @tombo_02 reached out to me. When I hear that @Vattuyy was also getting on board, the deal was signed”, Nieminen goes over some events of his career. SAWO ESPORTS had a sensational regular season, securing the #2 spot into the postseason to everyones surprise. However, in the playoffs, Granit Gaming ended up being too much for them to handle, and their season ended in the Quarterfinals this past week. Despite their success, Nieminen still sees a lot to improve moving forward. ”From the goalkeepers point of view, our possession play and teamplay play has been very good in both directions. I expect that we will be able to continue in the same way and improve in all areas to become a more well-rounded team.”

Niko @vVoDee Vottonen and his team Roots Gaming made an imprint on the Elite division in their inaugural season as an exciting squad of up-and-comers. Despite falling short of the playoffs, they're taking away one seasons worth of experience, which will be big for them moving forward.   When he was younger, Niko @vVoDee Vottonen spent a lot of time at the hockey rink. He played hockey all the way until high school. He reveals that the several injuries were among the reasons for him eventually quitting. “Hockey came into my life right from the start. I started at Jokerit Hockey School at the age of seven and played until the end of high school. The reason for quitting was constant injuries and then later as a teenager I was interested in doing much more than being in the gym 3-5 times a week. I took a couple of years off from everything related to hockey."  He says he had his first contact with the NHL 19 series. However, it wasn't clear from the start that the young man would succeed in the game. But little by little, some of his potential started to show. "I can't say exactly, but I noticed somewhere that I was really starting to do better against high level players. Also, some of my former teammates told me that there could be some potential in me, which made me realize I should perhaps aim a bit higher." The young man reveals that he, as a player, benefits greatly from a general playfulness as well as the good game perception he has gained from playing hockey in is youth. He says he has never considered a particular player as his role model, but enjoys watching others play and adapt according to that: “I have never really had a role model in terms of gaming, of course I have watched a lot of other teams on tape and especially how their defenders play and tried to take notes, but mostly I've always had an idea of what kind of player I want to be and played accordingly.” As the best memory from virtual hockey, he definitely mentions the Elite Qualifiers, where Roots Gaming managed to beat his former team VISU Gaming and thus secured a place at the highest level. He states that in his current team, the absolute positive thing is the continuity of their lineup. He also emphasizes that the team’s style of play has suited him really well. “The core has always remained the same and the style of play has been to my liking. The good atmosphere within the team has also helped. Communication is great and I like the fact that you can speak up about any issues you might have, etc. The objective of the team is to solidify ourselves as an a reputable Elite squad and try our best to make the Playoffs”, Vottonen continues. We asked the youngster if he could choose one feature from another player, then what would it be. Vottonen reveals that he would like to steal @imosi's hockey sense, as he is always in the right place at the right time. In recent seasons, we've seen several young players elevate their level of play in new teams, and Vottonen is now joining that group of individuals as one of the Elite talents to look out for. ”A lot of young players put a lot of work into their own gaming and development. However, our scene is still so small that the talent is noticed quite quickly, and that way the talent quickly gets picked up into more established rosters.” Vottonen plays as a defender. That’s why we asked him what qualities he sees in a perfect defender. ”A perfect defender is able to play a lot with the puck, create plays and be that cornerstone that other players can rely upon. Puck skill and an eye for the game are important.” Despite not qualifying for the playoffs in their first Elite campaign, Roots Gaming and Vottonen managed to put forth a good effort, gaining them a chance to try again next season, which lies a bit shy of two months away. The young team now has some time to think things over and hone their skills, to come back even better after some downtime.

We had the opportunity to discuss with one of the most influential Swedish NHL esports personalities, Daniel @Demski_ Gadd, who has captained the HV71 esports project since the start and is now entering the first Elite campaign with the club near and dear to him. Daniel @Demski_ Gadd believes that work experience with children has also brought a lot of benefits in the field of virtual hockey. He feels he has grown as a person and become an even better leader. ”Working with kids you need to be good at noticing how people feel even in stressful situations. You need to learn what to look for in peoples behavior in order to know how to help them and be there for them without having to ask. If you are good at those things the job just gets so much easier. Understanding that every person is unique and that people thrive under different circumstances is almost mandatory to be good at the job. I’ve really grown as a person and have become better and better at noticing small things while working with kids. I feel like those things are directly applicable when leading a team as well. Obviously it’s not the exact same thing but those skills have really helped me become a better leader. Because in my opinion, you can talk about tactics and how to get better at the game all day long, but if people in the team don’t feel good about themselves and enjoy playing, you won’t get any better at the game anyway. Feeling good and being happy is the most important thing, that’s where you need to start, because that’s where all good comes from.” Daniel has been playing competitive virtual hockey for many years. Earlier in his career, he won bronze at the SCL in 2019 with the Bucketeers. Gadd says he got his first NHL from his dad back in 2004, and has been playing with passion ever since. ”I’ve always been a big hockey fan, so hockey has always been a natural part of my life. Growing up I had a full size rink just a couple of meters outside the house where I spent a lot of hours as often as I could. Naturally you can’t play hockey outside when it’s not cold, so my father surprised me with a gift back in 2004, NHL 04. Since then I have been hooked on the NHL series playing every game that came out.” Now with several ECL campaigns under his belt, Gadd recalls with warmth the first tournaments he participated in. He emphasizes that he is very grateful for every opportunity that has presented itself throughout his career. ”My first experience with EASHL was when I was just playing for fun with a couple of friends. Back then I honestly didn’t even know that you could compete in NHL. Luckily for me we randomly got matched up against Bucketeers (now Färjestad) where Johan @Jerkix Eriksson played. He must have picked up on something when we played them because later on we got in contact and a new world opened up for me when he told me they were interested in signing me to compete for them in ECL 7 PRO. We put together a real solid team and managed to earn that elite spot my first season competing. To be able to compete in NHL was so much fun and something that really made it worth putting in all the hours that you have to. Looking back I am so grateful for Bucketeers giving me the opportunity that they did”, Gadd continues. He warmly recalls how HV71 has always been a very important thing throughout life. Gadd has grown up in the hockey town of Jönköping, so supporting the club has been a natural part of the Swedish players youth. He tells how he has watched almost every match of the Swedish team during the twelve years and these years are associated with very fond memories. "I have tons of amazing memories but the two greatest ones that come to mind is my first ever live hockey game that my dad took me to. HV71 won against Djurgården Hockey with 7-1, I think it was the season of 03/04 so I was only around seven years old. The other one is without a doubt HV71's latest championship in 2017. Overtime in a game seven for the gold medal and Simon Önerud scores the game winner assisted by Martin Thörnberg, both of them local hockey players whose hearts beat for HV71, I get goosebumps just thinking about it." The Swedish player has been involved in the construction project of the HV71 esports squad from the beginning and he also serves as the team captain. He feels that the decision to join the project was the best he has done in his career. "It’s an honor and a privilege. As a kid I dreamed of representing HV71 but I never thought it could become a reality, it really is a dream come true. I’m so glad HV71 keeps believing in me and the team and what we can do together. To be able to make this journey with such a great organization and amazing teammates, I really am blessed to have this opportunity. I am very exited for the new season, it’s going to be a lot of fun competing with the team again. This season will be by far the biggest challenge for us since HV71 was created two years ago. We as a team haven’t played in Elite so far and it will be a new experience for most of our players. It’s an amazing opportunity for us to grow though, both as a team and as players and I am really looking forward to see how we can handle it. I truly believe in this team and I will do my very best to help out as much as I can with the experience that I’ve got so far.” He believes that when they started as a team (in 2019), their greatest strength was building the squad from local players. He also feels that it has improved the chemistry between the players as they were also better able to practice in LAN environments. "I’m confident in saying that locality in the early stages of developing this team was the most important thing. It gave us the opportunity to practice together in HV71's arena, Husqvarna Garden. It helped me out as the captain of the team in an amazing way making strategies and helping players with small details in their game so much easier. And the team chemistry really took a big step forward being able to hang out together, we really became tighter as a group. I think we created a very good foundation of our team play back then, something we to this day keep building on. But as I mentioned before, sometimes you need a change and as important as locality was before I wouldn’t say it’s the most important thing right now. A good example of that would be how much my good friend and teammate Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist have helped us become a better team. The impact he has had is huge and also one the biggest reasons of our success. Putte @Putteekiing Unasin is another example of a player bringing something to the team that we just didn’t have before, a puck moving defender who is calm with the puck and good at setting up plays. The impact both of these players have on our team is big and the “A” on their chests is well deserved. Locality created the foundation of our team play, but the signings of some big names has given us an edge we simply didn’t have before.” The road they've traveled with HV71 has been a memorable one, and it's still tough to believe that the squad has paved their way to the European top in a relatively short time: "When starting out I couldn’t believe that one and a half year later I would throw the puck on net looking for a rebound and Martin @Zupancic_King424 Zupancic would score the game winning goal from that rebound securing the elite spot for us. The moment that puck crossed the goal line is by far my best memory as a captain.” He admits that the team has strengthened despite the player changes: ”To be honest most of the lineup have changed since we started two years ago. Sometimes you just need a change to take that next step in developing a team and in other cases you just kind of grow apart and heading in different directions just makes sense for both parties. However I have a strong belief in not changing too much too quickly, I think you need consistency to be able to grow, both as a team and as a player and I think that shows since a lot of players have played multiple seasons in HV71. The only players left since we first started is me and one the best goalkeepers in Europe, Christoffer @Tiipponenii(Coffelainen) Ericsson. He is very important for us and a big reason behind our success. The changes that we have made have always been one or maybe two at a time, keeping the core in the team and therefore the consistency. I’m very grateful for every player in HV71, both current and past, they all have a big part in what we have built so far." The HV71 centerman mentions that the fight for the Elite title will be tougher than ever this upcoming season. However, he has an exceptional eager to play the encounters between the Swedish teams: "In Elite every single team is so talented and there is so much skill in every player. I think all matchups will be very tough and it will be an honor to play against the very best of Europe night in and night out. Our goal is to establish ourselves in the Elite so our biggest competitors will be the teams looking to do the same. However, including ourselves it will be four Swedish teams in Elite and those games is always extra fun to play so I will have to say that Granit Gaming, Färjestad BK and Djurgården Hockey is a couple of big matchups for us." The Swedish player sees his team's greatest strength as a great team spirit and very good chemistry. He states that they enjoy playing together. ”I think we have a very well balanced team with players complementing each other creating a team first mentality. We love playing together and we have so much fun while playing, after all you gotta have fun to be able to perform. So our chemistry both on and of the ice is also one of our biggest strengths, creating the foundation of everything we do. Playing as a unit really is key for us, that said sometimes you need to do something extra, something out of the ordinary, especially when you are up against the very best of Europe, and I am confident we have the players to do so when needed. We also have a lot of young and hungry players who want to show the world their potential, that in combination with a couple of players with a lot of experience is a really good mix." "The two most important things for us this season is to stay humble for the task ahead of us and believing in ourselves and what we can achieve together. No matter how the seasons starts, no matter if we win or loose we can’t get too high or too low. We need to take one game at a time without thinking about the game before or the game after. We need to be consistent and not forget why we are here in the first place. We earned this spot in elite through determination and hard work, so let’s enjoy this season and work even harder to keep that spot", Gadd finishes.

Virtual ice hockey is on the rise among traditional hockey clubs, as many top international clubs have announced their involvement and are thus launching their own teams. Along with that trend, Örebro Hockey from Sweden, who previously participated with various rosters in both the SCL and ECL, have now signed a new Elite-level roster. Prior to joining forces with the Swedish club, the former POGGERS advanced to the quarterfinals in the last ECL 12 Elite playoffs. As the head of Esports för Örebro, hometown player Elie @eliekamel87 Kamel will take on a new role with the club in developing their operations, while also being the netminder on the virtual ice. “Since I live in Örebro and also played for Örebro in my youth my goal has always been to represent the club in the esports scene. When their previous affiliation ended, I saw my chance and contacted Ludwig at Örebro Hockey and in a short period of time we agreed that we could do great things together with me as a local esports representative, but also as a member of the playing squad and having history with POGGERS from before. Elie mentions that Örebro has a vision to make their club an attractive esports team and to create an academy for local players to further boost the growth of NHL esports in the area. The academy will help young players to learn, grow and evolve while representing Örebro eHockey on the virtual ice: "The first phase is to introduce the new Örebro Elite team, while phase 2 is going to be recruiting an academy team of potential younger talents." We also had a short talk with team captain Tero @Terodee Dahlström and asked about his thoughts on their new affiliation, and the story behind it all: “After all, for me, things don't change at all. He (Elie) has been a part of the core group here for a long time. Although in our group, at least in my opinion, it means much less than elsewhere. We are primarily a group of friends and all decisions are made together. We were without an organization for quite some time after the SJ contract ended, but at some point talks about representing Örebro surfaced, with Elie being local and all. How Örebro can help us will certainly be seen better in the future, but the support of the organization is always a great help and we're really excited to be a part of the future with Örebro.”

NHLGamers,  Christmas is just around the corner and the many months of waiting are soon over. The new ECL Winter season is already on the doorstep. The ECL experienced some structural changes for the coming season, which we are very confident will only strengthen and grow the league moving forward. If you haven't read our general information yet, we suggest you head over to our ECL '22 Winter season article. We would like to remind you that registration for Elite, Pro and Lite teams for the upcoming ECL Winter season will end tomorrow, Friday 17th of December at 23:59 CET. Core and Neo teams can still sign-up until on Monday 27th of December at 23:59CET.   ECL Elite: 2.- 17.12. ⚠️ ECL Pro: 2.- 17.12. ⚠️ ECL Lite: 2.- 17.12. ⚠️ ECL Core: 2.- 27.12. ECL Neo: 2.- 27.12.   *If you're an existing team that wants to change names, simply sign up with the old name and contact support for the name change. If you're having issues with signing up overall, please contact support.

Janne @Nieppii Niemelä has experience from both the virtual side of hockey and the more traditional sport. He has played competitive NHL since NHL 17 and has in recent years managed to pave his way to the top of European competition with his team IQUE. Niemelä also represents the prestigious Oulun Kärpät in their eLiiga campaign. "Of course I've been playing the NHL series casually for quite a long time, and then during NHL 17 became interested in the competitive side while watching a lot of Hannes@Hansulinho Kettunen and Risto@Dominointi Järvi streams, through that I really started to develop my own game and got the ball rolling." Niemelä feels that playing hockey has been useful also when transitioning to the virtual side of things. He says he’s developed a good eye for the game and in-game responsiveness from that side. "This is an interesting topic for me and when thinking of it I'd say that the eye for the game and reaction to situations has definitely come from that side. However, perhaps the pressure tolerance and the fact that I am at my best in a tough spot is something that has transitioned directly to the virtual ice." As his best memory from playing virtual hockey, Nieppii states that his first LAN experience takes the cake, however, back in his junior days he played one season in Bradford, Ontario, which he remembers fondly. "The best memory of virtual hockey was the first GWC back in NHL 18 when I qualified for the EU finals in Stockholm and got to play on a LAN event for the first time. The best memory for hockey is probably the entire season when I played in Canada, although the league level wasn't too good, but the experience was overall great and I got to focus on the things I like the most (NHL and real hockey) so it was cool." Niemelä states that personally, playing the 6v6 game mode is much more fun because you can experience it with the team, while in the 1v1 game mode it's only you. However, he says he appreciates both forms of play. "In my opinion, 6v6 makes more sense, because playing with a team brings a different feel to it, and for example big wins feel much better with the team than alone, although of course I appreciate the 1v1 side of things, but team sports are always better." We asked the IQUE captain what kind of tips he would give to those young people who want to play and succeed in competitive virtual hockey in the future. He notes that humility is crucial. "Well, the biggest thing I would say is that you shouldn't overthink things, and stay as humble as possible, this works for both the 1v1 and 6v6 sides of things. I also think it’s too common for people to think it’s easy to move from a hard 1v1 game mode to the 6v6 game mode, I was a bit guilty of that at a younger age myself but the reality is that it’s not as easy as you'd imagine." His team IQUE ran into some turbulence in the offseason and experienced some major changes after playing together with success for a few months. "Yeah, there has been quite a turnover in the team after the FCL season and things didn't look too good for a while, but in my opinion good pieces were found for the team and of course the main thing is a nice fresh look and everyone has a strong motivation to make it work.  Perhaps the team has been strengthened through a certain kind of experience in that it's noticeable in the team how more experienced players take on different situations, and through that we will certainly be able to be a tough team to beat in future tournaments.  I feel that the team has to play together a bit longer to find out which styles of play work for us, but there are already signs of good teamwork." One of the players lost in the offseason was young prodigy Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen, who suddenly left for GOONS and left a gaping hole down the middle for IQUE. "Of course, it's not an easy situation and it's hard to say whether you can directly replace such talent, but I feel like we've made a great acquisition in Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko, who is getting back to Elite games and surely still can develop a lot despite being an experienced player already." Also, If you could choose one player from your own team with whom you could swap places, who would it be and why? "Yes, Nico @zNico Tuoreniemi and I swapped places before, and I heard a bit of a story that his ECL career as a forward only lasted one night, so he could show his skills at the attacking end. At least it couldn't go any worse than last time." You get one more task... assemble your own 6v6 team of players who you think possess exceptional potential to make it big in the future, you may choose players from your own team. Left wing: Matias @theMaddias Kilpinen - played a really good FCL tournament and proved to be a very versatile player, reminds me of Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen with his unpredictability. Secured a roster spot in Conquer Gaming so I think he's ready for Elite now. Center: Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko - I'm making a homer call on this one and choosing our center. Ikis is making a return to Elite and possesses high skill and grinds the game alot.  Right wing: Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen - Makes a return to the ECL ice now and is still young and hungry, which gives a lot to this game and I think it will make him even better than before.  Left defenseman: Juho @juhkis96 Katajamaa - Also made a name for himself in Otukset and has a good eye for the game. Understands how a good defenseman is supposed to play and now gets a shot to prove his level in Elite. Right defenseman: Putte @Putteekiing Unasin - I think a good puck moving defender who doesn't forget his defensive obligations and now gets to show with HV71 what he has to contribute on the Elite ice. Goaltender: Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen - Has already been among the best goalkeepers for a while, but the army slowed down the progress a little bit. Now is the time to prove how he can perform in the long season and in a team where the goalkeeping game will also play a big role in their success.

Today, we've got an interesting interview with a young champion, who has quickly taken his place among the very best of talent in both the 6v6 and 1v1 game modes. Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund has won a lot, but is still on the hunt for his first European Championship. Despite his young age, Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund is a very experienced player in competitive NHL esports. Over the years, he has won a combined six Swedish Championships in the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes. In fact, he's won every SCL tournament organized thus far by NHLGamer. He was also the inaugural champion of the Bolts Chel Challenge in the 1v1-mode.  The way Eklund tells it, hockey has been close to his heart ever since he was a child. He thinks back to getting his first ever NHL game as a Christmas present at a very early age, after which there's been no looking back.  "I’ve been a massive hockey fan for as long as I can remember. I believe I got my first NHL game as a Christmas gift and since then it’s been a no-brainer to get the game every year. NHL has always been my main game but I really enjoyed FIFA back in the days as well."   Even though Eklund has been playing the NHL series games for a very long time, it was only a few years ago that he switched into a more competitive mindset and started practicing harder. "I think my first NHL was NHL 06, so I was 6 years old. I’ve owned every game since then. I started to play competitively at the start of NHL 19 so I’d have to say that the Capitals Esports Faceoff is one of my first and best memories from playing among the best in the world, it was really cool earning that trip there." "At the start of NHL 19 I was starting to figure out that I was pretty good at the game and, well, I’ve always loved to compete. So after the first tournament I felt like this is something I really want to continue doing", Eklund states.  Eklund is very successful in both the 1v1 and 6v6 game modes. We asked the Swedish winger which of the game modes he thinks is more exciting to play. "I enjoy both game modes but I would say that 6v6 is my favourite. The feeling of team play and winning together with others is amazing and something you don’t really get when playing 1v1. I would say that my main strength in both game modes is my hockey IQ." Earlier this year, the youngster won the Bolts Chel Challenge tournament in the 1v1 game mode. He also mentions the first SCL championship back in the spring of 2019 when we asked for his best memory in competitive NHL. "My best memories while playing competitively is either winning the Bolts Chel Challenge earlier this year, or the first Swedish Championship we won with Vesa Pompa at the LAN-event in Uppsala a few years back." When preparing for a big matchup the theme of calming yourself with a walk and some good music, that we've seen with other players in the communty, continues with Eken. When looking back at his first appearances in the 6v6-scene, it brings to mind a special journey with a squad all new to the format. "Our first Swedish Championship with Vesa Pompa holds a special place in my memory. The players were all new to the 6v6 scene and had created a team with all the top 1v1 guys from Sweden. We were just playing ECL for fun on the side of 1v1 before the SCL got announced and when it did, we decided to go for it. We brought in Erik @Eki Tammenpää, who was a big help and taught our team the basics of playing 6s. We started to grind the game a lot and eventually we managed to win the whole thing". As is customary with our interviewees, Eken got to name his top 6 - and the squad sure has some talent:   Left wing: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie - One of, if not the best goal scorers in the scene. When he’s on his game he’s unstoppable.   Center: Erik @Eki Tammenpää - In my opinion the most complete player there is. Can play any position, very good on both ends of the ice and has great hockey IQ.    Right wing: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha - A very smart player who is very reliable on both ends of the ice. Also has that offensive upside and can decide games on his own.   Left defenseman: Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen - One of the premiere defenders in the game. Especially in the ECL 12 finals, that was the best performance by a defender that I’ve ever seen.   Right defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta - Unmatched at the RD position. Outstanding two-way defender who rarely makes any mistakes.   Goaltender: Casper @ICappeI Lundgren - His experience and tournament success speaks for itself and also having the ability to always play his best game when it matters the most. That'll be it for this time - let us know in the comments section who you'd like to hear from in the future!

This time, we had the chance to discuss the beginnings, highlights and future of NikkeDangles' career so far. Despite his young age, the hREDS winger has become one of the brightest stars in the scene. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen has at a very young age risen among the brightest of stars in competitive NHL. Success has also been achieved, most recently the Finnish Championship bronze medal in 1v1 and the Finnish Championship silver medal in 6v6. Tukiainen admits that although NHL has always been his number one game, he has still enjoyed quite a lot of Fortnite and considers himself decent at it: "The first NHL was NHL 09 and since then I've played all the NHL games. Gaming became a bit more serious when I switched over from Xbox to PS4 at the start of NHL 18. In addition to NHL, I also play a lot of Fortnite, where I'm also good. However, NHL will always be my number one game. I live with my mom, and she's very supportive of my gaming, and I'm lucky to have her. She always watches the streams of all my important games." The young star also says that he has always looked up at superstar Erik @Eki Tammenpää, especially when he himself was unable to participate in international tournaments. "When I couldn't participate in international tournaments myself, I looked up to Eki, especially after his World Championship title. I still look up to him, he makes very good content while streaming and his Youtube content is great too. Also his consistent tournament success is something to admire. He really knows what he's doing." Tukiainen says his best memory of the game is the first LAN event where he was able to play against top players in the qualifiers. "One of my fondest memories from the beginning of my competitive career is when I got through to the LAN event and got to play the best players in Finland. From the beginning of NHL 19, I realized that I could play at the top level, but it took me a while to get the tournament success. I also remember that helpless feeling of not being able to take the next steps towards success, but you just have to be able to grind, things are going to go your way at some point as long as you don't give up." He says that the 1v1 game mode is comfortable to play, since you're able to control every position and the flow of the game better, while in 6v6 you can only do so much from your own spot. Tukiainen says that on important gamedays he makes sure that he has slept enough, eaten well and taken a little walk before getting games started. Listening to good music also helps to prepare for important moments. "When it's an important gameday, I make sure to have a good nights sleep, eat well, and stay hydrated. I also like to go for a walk before the games and listen to a lot of music to get in a good vibe." Most recently, hREDS surprised the reigning Champion FILADELPHIA on the European grand stage when they swept the finals 3-0. "The best memory I have so far is definitely out ECL 12 victory. After our loss some time ago in the FCL Finals, i really began to understand the trick we pulled back then and began to appreciate the championship more." No team has ever managed to win consecutive ECL titles. hREDS will set out for the coming season to snap that streak. "The goal is just to win the ECL and be the first team to win the ECL back to back. If we want to do that we have to train a lot more than during the last ECL, because all teams are going to play a lot more at the beginning of the new version (of the game) than during the last ECL because many teams had little motivation to train due to the summertime." The youngster is already a role model for many players of the future. We asked him to give some tips to those players who may be dreaming of a competitive gaming career in virtual hockey. "You have to train a lot, especially every time a new game comes out because you need to get caught up with the new stuff. Regularity is always really important to me because since I feel like even a 1-2 day break can impact your gameplay negatively, that's why i try to play at least a little bit every day. Then if you really want to do well in tournaments, I recommend looking over your own game afterwards and trying to figure out what went wrong and what you could develop in the future." Finally, we asked who he'd like to switch places with if give the opportunity to do so: "If I had to switch places with someone, it would probably be with Tuukka @Tuukka.R(KingOfApes) Röpelinen because I'm used to playing forward and personally I'd like to play on defense at some point in my 6vs6 career."

Mika @mikaasi Heikkilä is very a experienced player and has represented the Gotham Knights, FILADELPHIA and FILADELPHIA Academy among others along his virtual hockey career. He first fell in love with the NHL game series back in 04 and admits that hockey is a sport very close to heart, although he never practiced the sport himself. "I started playing NHL back in -04, and from there on out every NHL game is in my collection. Hockey has always been close to my heart, even though I've never played it myself. I started playing 6v6 games during NHL 11 and then I also participated in the first 6v6 tournament organized by Consolehockey. Back then, as a young boy (14 years old) I just played for fun, but in a certain way also seriously because I wanted to develop as a player and help my team to survive. I couldn't imagine at the time that 6v6 tournaments would become such a competitive thing as they are at the moment. It's definitely been cool to watch the scene develop. It certainly became more goal-oriented when NHLGamer started organizing tournaments and also when a lot of players and teams moved to PlayStation and thus the level of tournaments reached a new level." Heikkilä states that the first Finnish championship and the ECL 7 title are his fondest memories with the game series. He has spent several years with FILADELPHIA and truly calls the club home.  "I'm sure a lot of people have a bunch of stories of themselves scoring decisive goals and making clutch plays but mine is simply all of my time with FILADELPHIA. Especially the first Finnish championship and the ECL Elite 7 Championship are some of the best memories for me. Even though I was more or less a bench warmer on that team, I've always appreciated the team's team spirit and that good vibe on the team way above simply looking out for myself. FILADELPHIA has always felt like a home of its own and for example the friendship I've build with team captain Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (since NHL 12) is one I'm sure will last for life. Live events, on the other hand, are their own experience entirely and always bring fun memories to mind when looking back at them." As an experienced player, Heikkilä has a few thing in mind he'd like to see implemented even better to help the scene grow, but he admits that NHLGamer especially has done a great job. "I would say that surely the scene would develop even faster and better if EA advertised the 6v6 gaming more and used more resources to develop it anyway. NHLGamer has done a great job for tournaments and the scene is constantly growing, which hopefully only promises for a better future. It will be interesting to see what the future holds." A leader with experience to help younger players Last year, European top tier juggernaut FILADELPHIA set up an academy team aimed at developing both new talents as well as older players who are yet to reach their prime and might have a chance to once make an appearance for the main squad. "FILADELPHIA's academy activities are aimed at developing both young and also older players to reach their top level and perhaps one day represent the main team. They started recruiting for the team and Pontus @Pontinho (I-CLAUGHTON-I) Claughton was selected as the first captain. I played for the Gotham Knights at that time, and when that team fell apart, I thought about the continuation of my career for a while in peace. Patzlaf asked me how interested I was in joining that project and I went to see how the game felt for a few nights. I started to get excited about it, and I decided to join in. I was already supposed to play with the academy last ECL season, but there were roster changes going on in FILADELPHIA's main team and they needed a player there and of course I helped with it. After the season, however, I returned to the academy because I wanted to play and help the team develop any way I could." The main team and the academy work in tight cooperation. Heikkilä, who captains the Academy team, admits that one of the best things for the Academy in terms of cooperation is definitely the experience and know-how of FILADELPHIA's main squad and the possibility of playing in the first team in the future. FILADELPHIA, on the other hand, has the opportunity to get players from the academy if necessary. "I would like to raise the best things about it, at least from the academy's point of view, that GM Patzlaf has invested a lot of his own time and expertise to help academy players with game matters. I see a lot of potential individuals in our team who can even break into the Elite of the scene in the future and work for it." Mikaasi also sees himself as a good mentor for younger players, as he has played at various levels and through various eras of the NHL competitive scene. He tries his best to help his teammates with the game and any questions they might have for him. "Yes, I would be lying if I said that being captain didn't require any leadership and showing a model to the younger. As an experienced player, I have tried to help every player around me with just that everyday work during games. For example, if there are situations that need to be reviewed, we will discuss the matter together and try it out so that we can make it work. At least I've felt that academy players have already learned new things at this point." As usual, we also asked Mikaasi to pick out his own 6v6 team of potential future stars: Center: @theMaddias Apparently could play a multitude of positions, but had such a nice FCL run so he can't be left out of this lineup. Right wing: @xColeslaww Hands are fine and overall a good player in question. Left wing: I could say @pikkuroger, but he's already playing at a high level, so I'm going to pull home and say @xAaro89x. This guy's going to be a top player in the near future. Right defenseman: @Bobiraataja(Nikhaa27) Great with the defensive skill stick. Left defenseman: @viba2008 He's got all the potential to be a top 5 defenseman in the scene. Goaltender: Our Academy goalie @Edvvinio, he surprises me time and time again with his skills. Heikkilä hopes that in the future even more clubs would be eager to start affiliate clubs or entertain the thought of similar development projects. FILADELPHIA aims to act as a pioneer. "Of course, it would be great to see more academy activities by other squads in the scene, and I would see it in such a way that we would have to have a system where representative teams could use their academy players in a similar way as NHL clubs use their AHL squads. However, there is still a lot of work to do in order to achieve that, so let's take one step at a time."

Our regional leagues are an excellent platform for new talents to showcase themselves and that is exactly what Otukset eSports did during their past FCL campaign, which ended in the Quarterfinals at the hands of eventual champion FILADELPHIA. Otukset eSports is a slightly more unknown team for many, although the team has a wealth of experience in various competitive tournaments. Most of their players have already participated in previous ECL tournaments, but team captain Matias @theMaddias Kilpinen notes that only recently, a more goal-oriented approach to playing has started: "As players, the number of players became acquainted with ECL10 when NEO was played in different gangs. The project started because the goal was to play in the same gang before, now the timing was right. From then on, we played together from time to time, and now, at the end of ECL12, a gang was pulled together." Individual skill is perhaps not the strength of the team, but instead the fact that every player knows their role and play an equally important part in the game. "The strengths of our team are largely in the passing game as well as in defence, skill-wise, the team is very even, i.e. everyone is able to do a little bit of everything and adapt to different situations. We've got high ambitions, which means that at the moment we've got our sights set on an eventual promotion to Elite." "Although our FCL squad didn't consist of big profile players, each of the individuals had held important roles in their previous teams. I think that we were seen as underdogs simply because people hadn't heard of us before and we harnessed that as a strength." The team's captain notes that participating in the FCL was a foregone conclusion and the team's biggest goal in the tournament was to go as far as possible. To everyone's great surprise, the team managed to progress all the way to the playoffs, where they managed to beat skilled groups such as IQUE and RCTIC along the way. "In the IQUE series we started to win every game and got an OT win right from the first game, which was very important for the series. We simply stuck to the process without any special attempts to adapt to the opponent's style of play." In the quarterfinals, FILADELPHIA, who eventually progressed to become Finnish champion, was an insurmountable obstacle for the team. "Against FILADELPHIA, we wanted to continue in the same way, but the skill and experience of the opponent just ended up being too much for us to handle at that moment." A successful FCL tournament gave the young team a lot of confidence for the future. When asked about the team's next goals, participation in the Pro Qualifiers through a wildcard spot is what the team has their sights set on. "FCL provided a lot of confidence for the future and we also decided to stick with the same lineup going further, sadly losing the handsome Dane Mikkel @Birkedal96 Birkedal. Under the new ECL qualifier rules we'll be able to qualify for Pro through a wildcard spot, which we are very excited about, we're diving into action head first and of course are aiming to just win." Success stories like this are always exciting to see and it'll be interesting to follow the journey of Otukset also in the future. They will start their ECL 13 campaign through qualifiers to determine in which division they'll end up, so make sure to keep an eye on this ambitious group when the puck drops!

Saku @Mehukatti10 Serttilä is a 28-year old stone builder hailing from Lahti, Finland, but he is also one of the most prolific goaltenders in the NHL Gaming scene and has represented KalPa in the first ever season of eLiiga, the virtual Finnish hockey league. When not hard at work or in front of the screen, Serttilä plays rink bandy and is actively involved in the football hobby of his godson. Originally, Serttilä spent some time as a skater before the final call was made to head between the goalposts. He says that becoming a goalkeeper was the sum of many coincidences, as he was still playing as a forward back in ECL 10. Now his teammates describe him as a very conscientious player that takes care of duties as agreed and is on time for practice. He's an easy going guy and a fun person to talk to.  "At the time, I really enjoyed playing as a goalie whenever my own team didn't have games, and spent evenings netminding in various squads. It sparked the idea that a change of position could be possible. The final decision to make the move happened at the end of ECL 10, when we made some offensive changes and I felt that the chemistry just didn't click." "I myself have a huge desire to develop as a player and I like facing tough challenges, so in the end the decision to join the Checkmate/SAWO ESPORTS team was easy. The captains of the team at that time, the Nikkinen brothers (@TackleControl and @Juizki) decided to take a gamble on me, for which I can extend a heartfelt thank you to them", Serttilä continues. Serttilä has played both the 1v1 and 6v6 formats of the game, but he finds playing without AI in the equation much more enjoyable. "6v6 is definitely more meaningful due to the fact that there are no AI-driven players on the ice. One of the best things about 6v6 is that there are more opportunities for creativity and surprising outcomes to situations. However, the biggest and most important factor is team spirit and chemistry in things that happen on the ice." "On the contrary, the 1v1 mode is much more schematic and especially more one-sided. It is difficult to say directly what is the best side of it, but in principle you are always the one responsible for the end result, so there's that", says Serttilä. Just like your childhood idols and traditional hockey players, several gamers like to stick to certain routines before heading to the virtual ice for a big game. Some are more set on these than others, and we asked Mehukatti about his tendencies. "I don't really have any big routines, but there are definitely a few small things I do to get ready. One thing I'm particularly set on is having two cups of coffee before the games. When playing 1v1, I always listen to music in order to get in the perfect flow and state of relaxation. Perhaps my most interesting routine would be a trigger check I do when the games intro animations are playing. It's as interesting as going through R3, L3, L1, R1, R2 and L2. Originally, I used it to test, especially for older controllers, that nothing is stuck and it's become a habit over time."  What about all those hours spent around the game? Those countless tight games and long night spent with the boys must surely have made for some fun memories along the way? "There are plenty of good game memories, but perhaps the best is the first eLiiga in history at the end of last year, which I was perhaps a little unexpectedly able to participate in. The first LAN games and, on top of that, getting to the finals weekend was an amazing experience. For that, a big thank you goes to teammate Roni @MrNipsuli Kaján. When thinking about individual games, I'd pick the bronze game from the eLiiga, which I eventually lost against Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola. We played a full 60 minutes of all out coast-to-coast hockey and have laughed about it several times later." As usual for our guests, we asked about Serttilä's dream lineup, excluding any of his current teammates. Center: Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala - The most important piece of the team is the center, so we'll start with that. Patzlaf is an easy choice. A very complete player and big leader, also on weekends Right wing: Erik @Eki Tammenpää - A gentleman who has won everything and experienced, from whom many could learn how a true professional carries himself on and off the ice. Left wing: Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen - A truly versatile and intelligent, puck-moving player. Right defenseman: Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen - Has an exceptional ability to carry a rush by himself and is a tremendous help on offense, but never sacrifices his defensive responsibilities despite that. Left defenseman: Viljo @viba2008 Kähkönen - It's been a pleasure to watch a former teammate develop into a top defenseman at such a young age and only the sky is the limit for this guy. Goaltender: Casper @ICappeI Lundgren - A real showman and an ignition switch for his team. The stats and merit are such that you can't really hope for more from a goalkeeper. Cappe was also one of the first so-called big names to allow me to train regularly with Elite level players when I switched from fielder to goalkeeper. I'm really grateful for that. What if you could switch places with one of your teammates, who would you choose? Mehukatti would trade places with teammate Juho @RutonMosse Kinnunen (Juigelson). "If I could switch places with someone, it would be our own Jupi who would have to give way to me, we'd be able to start games/training on time for once." How about the future - where does Saku Serttilä see himself in say, five years time? "That's a very good question. Hopefully, by then I might have started a family of my own and I'm possibly still involved the NHLGamer community, at least in some way."

NHLGamers, Only the four best Finnish players remain and tonight we will be able to watch them battle it out and crown the new champion! Will Arttu @Artuzio Mustila renew his title or will a dark horse emerge as the new champion? Here are the semifinals matchups: (1) Roope @pikkuroger Bergström vs. (11) Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (5) Arttu @Artuzio Mustila vs. (10) Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen We asked the defending Finnish champion Artuzio and xDoumi for their thoughts about upcoming final tournament: "I'm going to Friday's final tournament in a good mood and my goal is to take the second consecutive Finnish championship. The level of players in Finland is incredibly high, so winning on Friday will require perfect execution from me. It would be nice to have pikkuroger as the final opponent; I played the most memorable matches of my career against him in last year’s FCL quarterfinals, where I had a comeback from several goals behind and eventually went all the way to win the championship. I know pikkuroger's game has evolved since last year, so it would be great to fight in the finals and see again where we stand today." -Artuzio "It’s great to participate in the semifinals, I'm currently playing at a good level and it's nice to play for the championship after a long time. I was actually 0-2 down in my quarterfinal series against @Eki, but when we went to game 3 I started to understand better how Eki plays and I was able to turn the series around." -xDoumi Tune in for the finals on Friday! The broadcast on Friday will commence at 17:20 CEST and will feature Aki Eurola and Oskari @SibeIius Grönroos in the booth! You can find the broadcast on twitch.tv/NHLGamer. Here's the preliminary schedule for the night: 17:20 CEST Broadcast starts -------- 17:30 CEST Semifinals 1 - Game 1 17:50 CEST Semifinals 1 - Game 2 18:15 CEST Semifinals 1 - Game 3 (if necessary) -------- 18:45 CEST Semifinals 2 - Game 1 19:05 CEST Semifinals 2 - Game 2 19:30 CEST Semifinals 2 - Game 3 (if necessary) -------- 20:00 CEST Bronze game -------- 20:45 CEST Finals - Game 1 21:05 CEST Finals - Game 2 21:30 CEST Finals - Game 3 (if necessary)