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NHLGamers, The upcoming ECL 11 season will feature some more German colors as the Herforder Ice Dragons further add to the growth in the central European community. The German organization was founded in the early 2000s and although its history has not been long, it has risen in popularity in its home country. Currently, the Ice Dragons are competing in the German Oberliga, which is the third tier of national competition. The esports section has made their biggest goal of the ECL 11 season to make the playoffs of the Neo division. The Herforder Ice Dragons stand for loyalty above all, as the virtual hockey team's colors will be represented by Dennis @NHLDennis86 Kuhlmann, who plays in net for the team and handles captains duties. He also happens to be the Zamboni driver in the home rink of the Herforder Ice Dragons. Tobias @Hohner Hohner, who plays forward for the virtual hockey team, commented on the team's starting points for the upcoming ECL 11 season. "Our players come not only from one region, but from different regions around Germany. Furthermore we can consider ourselves lucky to have a Croatian in our team. Most of us have already played together successfully in other clubs, so we can fall back on some experienced people." The Herforder Ice Dragons' virtual hockey team is formed out of the former NHL4you Gaming team. Hohner says that the goal has been to form a completely new team, as only three players from the current roster have previously played for NHL4you Gaming. "Our esports team is formed from the former team of NHL4you Gaming, the team has now been completely reformed and completely repositioned with only three players from the original roster. Me, Marko @Tornado.hr Dominkovic and Dennis @NHLDennis86 Kuhlmann have together taken the goal to build up a new ambitious team. It was important to us that the chemistry in the team is right and of course the performance on the ice should be good too." Despite seeing major changes since their last tournament, the team leans back on familiar forces to see success in their upcoming ECL campaign: "Our strength is the cohesion with each other. We discuss a lot about tactics and moves, which we try to implement outside and inside the league games. Team chemistry is also extremely important to us, so that we have a good atmosphere in the team." says Tobias @Hohner Hohner. With not too long left before the start of the season, the teams ambitious goals will be highlighted in discussions. "We want to develop as a team and have fun on the ice while also getting as far as possible in the ECL. The goal is of course the playoffs and everything else is a bonus." Hohner states

NHLGamers, Västerås IK is a Swedish ice hockey club with a very long history. At the moment, it is playing at the second highest tier of competition in Sweden. In their past also lies a 12-season stretch in the national top league between 1988 and 2000. With a long history in hockey, moving to console hockey was their great next step. Jimmy Gerdin, media officer at Västerås IK, commented on the club's decision to join console hockey. "From the club side, we thought it was time to try to get the team into esports. We have received a lot of requests in recent years to start a team, so we put the ball in the hands of our own fans, who had the opportunity to form a team that would represent Västerås IK." The pandemic situation around the world also affected the club's willingness to build a new console hockey team alongside their hockey team. Gerdin highlights the locality of the players and their passion for the club. "First of all, we see it as a fun initiative because it is a team made up of local players who are passionate about the club. When it comes to the situation with the pandemic and the economy, this is not a burden on the association either financially or in terms of workload. This is run entirely voluntarily by the dedicated supporters and players who are passionate about both VIK and esports. Moreover, this is a sport that is not affected by either crowd restrictions or the spread of infection among the players." Daniel @Gunde021 Gunstedt, who's the acting netminder of the Västerås IK console hockey team, commented on his interest in console hockey and his association with the club's colours: "We are all very passionate about console hockey and the fact that we will then get the chance to represent our favourite team Västerås IK setting up a team for esports is an absolutely amazing feeling. Hockey is a great sport and playing alongside teammates and competing is probably the best thing." Västerås IK is heading into the upcoming ECL 11 season with an experienced team, as there are several players who have previous experience in the ECL, among other leagues. "We are part of a team with previous experience competing in esports such as the ECL but we also have some players that are brand new to the competitive scene as well. Many have previously played club games and such, but simply haven't taken their game to the next level yet, so it's a little new for some." Expectations for the team are high, as several players are looking to up their level or get back to their prime: "The goal of the team is to get as far in the divisions framework as possible. Me and a few more of the team have previously played in the Pro and that's where you want to be again, preferably higher than that of course!" The players took initiative in starting up the esports club for Västerås IK in the offseason. Gunstedt opens up about the steps in building their squad. "It started with the gang deciding to leave the Xbox for Playstation and talking to some of the Swedish community on Facebook. In the recruitment process when we got to know each other I realized they were also supporters of Västerås, which made the selection rather smooth. The idea really took off and when connecting with the club we learned that also they were extremely interested in setting up an esports team." "As a team, we try to be hard to play against, focusing a lot on team play, where everyone has to do their part to succeed. As a goalkeeper, I want to say that I have a pretty good idea of the game, but there is still a lot of work to be done." - Gunstedt on their team strengths and his own play in net.

NHLGamers, SC Bern is a truly traditional and successful hockey club whose history dates back all the way to the 1930s. On the hockey side, success has come in the form of several championships and other trophies. However, they are now looking towards taking over a new kind of segment, as the traditional sports club joins esports and virtual hockey with NHL21. Esports has gained popularity among Swiss people quite quickly. 2009 was the last time Bern had an esports team represent the city. Sina Wymann, Marketing Manager of SC Bern says that the current situation spurred the club exploring opportunities with esports. "In Switzerland we are living in a huge crisis – considering economy but also society. Before Corona it was my job to investigate new business opportunities. Looking for chances in a crisis like this you must think about the isolated activities which remain even in times like these. So, gaming and eSports was the closest thought. Back in 2009 Bern already had an eSports team for a truly short amount of time. We were much ahead and not able to establish this team. SCB is very traditional as you mentioned, but we are always trying to be a pioneer in everything". Wymann states that getting the esports team to Bern was a very quick decision. Together with team captain Adrian @adu83 Siegenthaler, they went through the concept and common goals. "Our interests are of course driven by new target groups. If you want to reach generation Y, you must consider new ways – especially ways which are connected in the virtual world such as gaming. We’re also hoping for new sponsorships with less “traditional’’ partners." As stated, esports is gradually receiving increasing attention in Switzerland, and the population is accepting it as a form of culture alongside traditional sports. SC Bern and their newly signed esports roster see tremendous opportunities in developing their operations. "Well, almost a third of the Swiss population perceives esports as a real sport which shows that esports gained quite some popularity and is growing every day! We are clearly not the only club with the idea to build an eSports Team: Basel, Geneva and Fribourg are also in the middle of the building process. It is a great development because we are hoping for creation of an eNational League in the NHL", Wymann comments on the development of the scene. Upon talking to team captain @adu83, he's on the same page as Wymann. "The Swiss population is accepting eSports as a popular sport. Of course, NHL is not (yet) among the most popular games here, but we hope this will change in the future", says the captain. SC Bern's NHL team has been playing together for a long time. The club reports that Siegenthaler, who's the acting captain of the team, brought together some good players. The club did not participate in the team building, but the reigns were with the players entirely. "This was my job as captain from the team. A few players of the actual team have been playing NHL together for the past 10 years. I found the rest of the players through connections and tryouts. I was born in Bern and therefore it was an easy choice for me which team I will want to play for. A few of the other teammates are supporters of SC Bern too."