sopulii_

The inaugural SG World Cup 2025 wrapped up last month, marking a thrilling first test for global, national-team eHockey in a 6v6 format. From May 6th to May 18th, 16 national teams from Europe and North America battled it out for national glory. Team captains, selected by high-level players from their respective nations, scouted and chose their rosters, setting the stage for intense competition. Throughout the playoffs, all series were decided by an aggregate score across two games (one home, one away for each team), adding a unique layer of strategy and drama. The Road to the Playoffs: Group Stage Drama The tournament kicked off with fierce battles for playoff spots, culminating in several key matchups that ultimately decided which teams would advance: 🇫🇮 Finland beat Sweden (4-3 OT, 4-3) to secure 1st place in Group A. 🇺🇸 USA and 🇨🇦 Canada split their games (3-0, 2-7), finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in Group A. 🇸🇰 Slovakia stunned SG World (3-2, 5-4) in the biggest upset of the tournament, capturing 2nd place behind 🇱🇻 Latvia in Group B. 🇨🇿 Czechia narrowly missed out on the playoffs as Switzerland (3-1, 1-2) stole game 2 in Group C. 🇳🇴 Norway captured 4 points from 🇩🇪 Germany (9-4, 3-4 OT) and a full 6 points from 🇺🇦 Ukraine (7-2, 9-1) to sneak into the playoffs from Group C. 🇩🇪 Germany secured the needed points against 🇨🇭 Switzerland (3-0, 4-9) to top their group (Group C). Quarterfinals: Underdogs and Dominance 🇫🇮 FINLAND (1) vs 🇸🇰 SLOVAKIA (8) After pulling off the biggest underdog story of the tournament to make the playoffs, Slovakia faced their toughest challenge: the number 1 seed, Finland. The challengers started strong, scoring the first goal of game 1. Slovakia held the game extremely close, even creating quality chances to win, but Finland scored the 4-3 goal in the final minute of game 1. This meant an uphill battle for Slovakia in game 2, trailing by one in the aggregate score and with Finland having home-ice (server) advantage. It proved too much, and Finland moved on to the semi-finals. RESULTS: 16-4 (4-3, 12-1) 🇺🇸 USA (2) vs 🇳🇴 NORWAY (7) With both teams having strong group stage performances, this playoff series between a North American and a European team promised excitement. Norway had the home-ice advantage for game 1, so it was expected the Americans might need to climb back in game two. For a brief moment, it looked like Norway might build a big lead, but Team USA consistently traded goals with the Norwegians in game 1. In a very close game, Team USA secured a 5-5 draw, virtually guaranteeing victory unless Norway could replicate the result on USA's home game. Safe to say, USA wouldn't let that happen, marching to a convincing series win. RESULTS: 16-8 (5-5, 11-3) 🇨🇦 CANADA (3) vs 🇩🇪 GERMANY (6) This series pitted the top of Group C (Germany) against possibly the biggest underperformer of Group A (Canada). All signs pointed to this being a potential upset series. Game 1 was played on German ice, and against expectations, Canada pulled off the unthinkable and WON the first game. After this crucial win, they coasted their way into the semis. RESULTS: 14-4 (4-3, 10-1) 🇸🇪 SWEDEN (4) vs 🇱🇻 LATVIA (5) While the other quarter-finals weren't particularly close, this one delivered. Game 1 (Sweden home) started with Latvia scoring an early go-ahead goal, making it clear they were not messing around. Sweden managed to tie it up, and after both teams traded chances, Sweden got the 2-1 lead. Latvia tied it again, but Sweden pressured towards the end of the game, scoring two clutch goals to take a two-goal lead into game 2. The second game saw two additional early goals for Sweden, seemingly putting the series to rest. But Latvia wasn't done, scoring three goals in a row to get within one in the aggregate score! The dream of a Latvian comeback was crushed, however, as Sweden scored a late goal to secure the series victory. RESULTS: 7-5 (4-2, 3-3) Semifinals: Regional Rivalries Reign 🇫🇮 FINLAND (1) vs SWEDEN (4) Is there anything better than this Nordic rivalry? From the beginning, it was clear neither team wanted to go down. It took some time for either side to break through the rock-solid defense, but in the second period, Sweden capitalized on a power-play. Their lead was short-lived, as Finland's next shot found the net, bringing the game back to dead even. The 1-1 score was broken again by a Swedish power-play goal, but just like before, Finland bounced back to tie the game at 2-2, which would be the final result of game 1. Game 2 saw a hot start by Finland, taking a quick 1-0 lead. Sweden struggled to get offense going, and Finland extended their lead to 2. This served as a wake-up call for the Swedes, who scored immediately after to bring the aggregate score to 4-3. They were within striking distance, but Finland kept pressing Sweden in their zone and eventually secured the 3-1 goal, which ultimately put the series away as Sweden couldn't get on the board towards the end of the game. RESULTS: 6-3 (2-2, 4-1) 🇺🇸 USA (2) vs 🇨🇦 CANADA (3) If there's something better than Finland against Sweden, it's this! The battle of North America, with only one able to make it to the finals. With Canada starting on home-ice in game 1, a favorable situation heading into game 2 was crucial for both teams. When USA scored the first puck, things looked extremely good for them. USA, on the virtual "road," managed to keep Canada off the scoresheet for over half the game, but Canada eventually pushed through, scoring three back-to-back goals to head into the 3rd period up by two. The teams scored one each, and it looked like 4-2 would be the final score, but in the final minute of game 1, Canada scored not one, but two additional goals to secure a massive 6-2 win. The series seemed completely over because game 2 was Canadian domination for the first half, but the score remained 0-0. A power-play goal by Team USA got them back within three in the aggregate. The urgency for USA kicked in, as the 3rd period was underway with three goals still needed to tie the score. USA found an extra gear, scoring two goals to get within one goal with 10 minutes left. Just a few seconds later, Canada scored to recapture the two-goal lead. Canada stayed strong and even added a few more goals to clinch their spot in the finals. RESULTS: 9-5 (6-2, 3-3) The Grand Finale: 🇫🇮 Finland (1) vs 🇨🇦Canada (3) FINALS! 14 teams eliminated, 2 remained. Four games were to be played, with the aggregate score deciding the champion. Canada had the home-ice (server) advantage for games 1 & 3, while Finland had it for games 2 & 4. Game 1: Canada's Stunner When the playoffs began, the underperforming Group A team Canada was nowhere to be seen. The team was still here, just completely unrecognizable. Canada continued their strong playoff form, but with one key difference: efficiency. Canada scored 4 goals in period 1, a statement on its own, and never let off the gas. Game 1 of this finals series ended in a shocking 13-0 victory for Team Canada. Game 2: Finland Responds Finland, completely stunned by the Game 1 blowout, started Game 2 by allowing Canada to score the first goal, extending the aggregate score to 14-0 for Team Canada. At this point, the series seemed over; Finland wasn't showing up in time to make it a series, as Game 2 entered period 2 with Finland still unable to get a single goal on the board. Finland finally broke through in the second, eventually winning the game 7-2. The aggregate score was now 15-7 for Team Canada. Game 3: Canada Pulls Away With Canada back on their home servers, this seemed destined to be the game that cleared their path to the tournament victory. After all, they went into this game up by 8 goals in the aggregate score, and every goal they scored would only add to that. With a 5-0 lead in the second period, and a whopping 13-goal difference in the aggregate score, Finland looked completely down and out. Somehow, Finland managed to keep Canada off the score sheet for the rest of the game, and even added a goal of their own. Game 3 ended in a 5-1 win for Canada. The aggregate score was now 20-8 for Team Canada. Game 4: The Incredible Comeback Attempt The final game of the tournament—Game 4 of the finals. Canada was up by 12, with Finland chasing on their home-ice. Finland scored in the first few minutes (20-9). Canada took penalties, trying to survive. Finland put in another one on the power-play (20-10). The game wasn't even 10 minutes old, another one (20-11). This start was exactly what Finland needed to climb back in the series. However, Canada took a shot from the point, their first on net in the game, and the puck bounced in (21-11). The Finns, visibly frustrated, were unable to regain momentum or score, until the end of the first when they did—twice! It was 5-1 after just 20 minutes of play (21-13). In the second period, Finland potted another 2 (21-15), making it a six-goal lead for the Canadians heading into the 3rd. A few minutes in: 21-16. Just moments later: 21-17. Finland had over half the period remaining to get four more goals. Power-plays, pucks on net, rebounds... The Finns threw everything they had on net and a little bit more, but it took them until the 58th minute of the game to get the next one: 21-18. Time was running low, but they kept shooting pucks from anywhere and got another one (21-19)! The game was in its final minute, but Finland scored the next one immediately after—it was now officially 21-20 with just under 40 seconds left in the game. Right off the draw, they shot—a big save was made. And that would be the last save the Canadians needed—they kept the score at 12-1 for Game 4, and by a miracle, they held on just barely by a one-goal margin in the aggregate. RESULTS: 🇫🇮 vs 🇨🇦 20-21 (0-13, 7-2, 1-5, 12-1) CONGRATULATIONS CANADA, YOUR 2025 SG WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS! Goalies #33 Anthony @Racc2000 Racicot #34 Ryan @Pezzetta8272 Vinichenko Defense #34 Dany-Karl @Deeks Lévesque #55 Samuel @Filyy55 Filiatrault #65 Francis @Dumoulin65 Dumoulin (C) Forwards #4 Gabriel @Barzy x 13Lagrange-Fournier #27 François-Xavier @Boilyxhp Boily #44 Ethan @Polgz Polgar #86 Ethan @Ethancy Mac #88 Charles-Olivier @Loko Crusty Tremblay #93 Maxime @SkilzZy x92xCuevas Watch the interview with Team Canada Captain @Dumoulin65 below: Brandon @bMaJuH Bigsby also sat down with @Polgz after the finals - check out the interview below: Final Standings & Team Reviews Here's a look at how each team finished in the inaugural SG World Cup 2025: 🇩🇰 16. Denmark Pre-tournament ranking: 14 Finishing in last place was a disappointment for Denmark, especially being ranked 14th heading into a 16-team tournament. The Danes faced difficult moments, struggling to find suitable players, which led to them finishing dead last in Group C with only 3 points against Ukraine. Player of the tournament: Martin @martin-jakobsen Jakobsen With only 6 games played, he was Denmark's only player to produce at over a point per game, scoring 6 of Denmark's total 10 goals. 🇬🇧 15. Great Britain Pre-tournament ranking: 16 Finishing last in Group B was Great Britain. While they were tied with France on points, head-to-head matchups placed Great Britain at 15th overall. It was a letdown, especially given the number of close games they played. Their tournament run was respectable, but Division B awaits them next year. * Player of the tournament: Damien @JimmyCooks-_- Baynes Without any players truly exceeding expectations, JimmyCooks is chosen for Great Britain, leading the team in points (5+7=12) at over a point per game. 🇺🇦 14. Ukraine Pre-tournament ranking: 15 The first team to technically exceed expectations was Ukraine. They split points with Denmark (though one win was a walk-over). Despite battling in a stacked Group C, they found themselves second to last in the group, sending them to Division B next year. Ukraine kept things surprisingly close on multiple occasions, even leading by two against Switzerland in one game, but couldn't secure any major upsets. Player of the tournament: Vlad @House_Pro Laktionov Leading scorer for the team (2+4=6). 🇫🇷 13. France Pre-tournament ranking: 11 While the last three teams were expected to be in the bottom four, France dropped from their predicted result and now finds themselves relegated to Division B. They started well with 5 points in four games, including matches against group favorite SG World. Despite some good moments, endless lineup changes and shaky performance meant they finished in the bottom two with only two wins. Player of the tournament: Raphael @Raphalsky69 Merle Just one point separated him from their leading scorer. This defenseman put up great numbers, scoring at a point per game from the back end (1+7=8). 🇦🇹 12. Austria Pre-tournament ranking: 10 With a record of 3-1-1-5, Austria likely isn't too upset about their slightly below-expectations result. They cracked the top 4 in their group, keeping themselves in Division A for next year. Player of the tournament: Felix @ProfaneKiss Kiss Leading their team in points (12+8=20) and overall, as their captain ProfaneKiss. 🇨🇭11. Switzerland Pre-tournament ranking: 12 * Switzerland was a pleasant surprise. While predicted to finish 4th in their group (which they did), their play exceeded expectations. They managed to win a game against both Czechia and Germany, yet still ended up 4th, only 5 points behind group winner Germany. * Player of the tournament: Brian @brianabey Abey Leading their team in points (13+13=26) by a longshot, the right-handed right winger BrianAbey. Notably, he didn't even play all their games! 10. SG World Pre-tournament ranking: 6 The biggest disappointment. SG World, with by far the best roster on paper in their group, finished 3rd and completely missed the playoffs! A huge letdown, as they were the clear favorite. Whatever went wrong, it led them to lose two critical games that knocked them out. Player of the tournament: Ivan @XxKapUstaxX Kapustenko Impressive individual numbers for the left-wing sniper Kapusta, who led the entire Group B in scoring with 17+17=34. 🇨🇿 9. Czechia Pre-tournament ranking: 8 Like SG World, Czechia experienced heartbreak. A team expected to make the playoffs, they dropped out by a margin of one point in the standings, losing their final group stage game to Switzerland. So close, yet so far. Player of the tournament: Tomas @Horys20 Horos Part of a hot goaltending duo, their two goalies finished #1 and #2 by save percentage during the group stage! Horys20 played the majority of their games, posting a great 83.17%. 🇸🇰 8. Slovakia Pre-tournament ranking: 13 The underdog story of the tournament! Slovakia went totally under the radar, looking destined to miss the playoffs. In their last group stage games, trailing SG World by 6 points, they needed two regulation wins to make the playoffs, and that's exactly what they did. Both games saw unbelievable comebacks as SG World saw a 3rd period lead melt away. An unbelievable run ended in a respectable fight against Finland in the playoffs, where Slovakia kept the series tied until the final minute of game 1. Player of the tournament: Dominik @Lazan23 Kovalik A hot goaltender who was a huge part of his team's playoff run. Posting a 7-3 record and 81.42% during the group stages, he was tied for most wins in the tournament and 7th by save percentage. 🇳🇴 7. Norway Pre-tournament ranking: 9 Another team unexpectedly sneaking into the top 8 was Norway! They can be thrilled with their tournament play, clutching up by taking 4 points from Germany, followed by full points from Ukraine, which was enough to crack into the playoffs by exactly one point! Their run ended in a tough loss against USA in the playoffs, but their group stage performance was something else, as they scored more than anyone else in the tournament. Their offensive trio was on fire, with point totals through the roof. Right winger Mathiasgamer_07 (16+25=41) led the tournament in assists, and even their lowest scoring forward, captain el_tacobag (16+20=36), was only 2 points away from finishing in the top 3 in points. Player of the tournament: Svein @Sweini999 Rohde The leading scorer for the entire tournament. 31+21=52 in just 10 group stage games is next level! 🇩🇪 6. Germany Pre-tournament ranking: 5 The team predicted to win Group C did exactly that! Germany topped the group by a margin of only one point, and in some sense, it could be considered a below-expectations performance since this meant they were seeded 6th, not 5th. This set them up against eventual champions Canada in Round 1 of the playoffs, where they were totally outclassed and bounced. Their tournament can still be considered a success, with their offensive trio of I_Alex28_I (21+17=38), Klapkloenkx (15+22=37), and CashAllGreen (11+25=36) all having great point totals, and xPsykoSkills leading the tournament in defenseman scoring throughout group stage games. Player of the tournament: Alex @I_Alex28_I Wagner Their offensive trio was on fire, and the most production, especially goals, came from Alex, their right winger. 🇱🇻 5. Latvia Pre-tournament ranking: 7 Topping the list outside the “Big 4” is Latvia! Not only did Latvia climb to the top of Group B, but they also put up a really good fight as an underdog in the playoffs, falling to the Swedes in a 7-5 (4-2, 3-3) aggregate score series! Overall, a very successful tournament for them, and they can certainly be happy with the results, even if they couldn't pull off the ultimate surprise by beating one of the “Big 4.” Player of the tournament: Elvis @HappyMack 29 Grundmanis HappyMack not only posted 6 wins in 6 games as a goalie with a solid 82.98 save percentage, but the Latvian also recorded 5 goals in 2 group stage games as a winger. The most impressive part is that he played as both a goalie and a forward during group play and even filled in as a defenseman in the playoffs against Sweden, helping his team make it a close battle. 🇸🇪 4. Sweden Pre-tournament ranking: 4 A team that was both unsuccessful and successful at the same time. Team Sweden recorded 6 points during the group stage, roughly equivalent to expectations. However, the way those points came was a different story: they lost a point against USA while playing on the Swedish server, but managed to play two one-goal games with Finland and stole one point from them. In the playoffs, they played a close series with Latvia, ultimately winning to make it into the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, they showed up big time against Finland, coming out with a 2-2 tie in game 1. They did fall 4-1 in game two, and the 3rd place matchup was a disaster against USA, where they lost both games with a 20-8 aggregate score. Player of the tournament: Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson (HM: Johan @McSavid Rundqvist) If there was one aspect of the Swedish team that seemed to be on point all tournament, it was their goaltending. They used two goalies, both deserving of mention. In many games against tougher opponents, these guys kept it close and gave their team a chance to win. 🇺🇸 3. USA Pre-tournament ranking: 3 As expected, USA was one of the top 3 contenders. With a strong group stage performance, they went into the playoffs as the 2nd seed and handled Norway in Round 1 with ease. In the semi-finals, however, they faced Canada and were knocked out of the finals. It's not necessarily that they didn't play well in the tournament, but just one well-fought two-game series, and that was it for USA. They did take 3rd place, which is at least something. Player of the tournament: Josh @JFussyy Fuss He scored 18 goals in two games against Sweden in the 3rd place matchup. No further explanation needed. 🇫🇮 2. Finland Pre-tournament ranking: 2 So close, yet so far. Finland did everything right, until the very end. Number one seed going into the playoffs, wins against Slovakia and Sweden in the playoffs. That's how the Finns found themselves in the finals. Game 1 of 4 was really what crushed them, though. Canada pulled off a 13-0 win over Finland in that game, and even though Finland did everything they could to climb back, it was just not quite enough as they fell short by one goal and lost 21-22 in aggregate score. The crazy thing is the fact that Finland came so close to tying it up late in that Game 4, which would've also meant Finland would've had the home-ice advantage for the deciding Game 5. We're sure Finland was looking to win the tournament, but all things considered, it was still a good run, just one goal away from victory. Player of the tournament: Veeti @WeDuX_ Misikangas WeDuX_ led all Group A teams in defenseman scoring in both the group stage (0+10=10) and the playoffs (4+19=23). 🇨🇦 1. Canada Pre-tournament ranking: 1 Being crowned the champion was certainly all the Canadians were looking to do going into this tournament, and what a journey they took to get there! A tough group stage with a loss to Finland on the Canadian server set them up with low expectations heading into the playoffs, but somehow they found their game when it mattered most. Impressive wins over Germany and USA led this team all the way to the finals, where they pulled off a wild 13-0 win in Game 1 and eventually beat the number 1 seed Finland in a thrilling series! Player of the tournament: Charles-Olivier @Loko Crusty Tremblay It's honestly hard to pick just one player as the player of the tournament for this team, as it really was a team effort to come out on top. However, Loko Crusty, with his 3+12=15 group stage points and 11+20=31 playoff points, was on a totally different level on the score sheets! We hope you enjoyed the SG World Cup as much as we did! If you liked the action, share this article, your favorite highlights, and your own experiences — every bit of support helps us come back even bigger and better next time.

Hello SportsGamer community! Team SG Denmark is looking for players for the SG World Cup starting in May! Specifically, we're looking for: Starting goalie Backup skaters Note that players must be Danish to join the team. Gamedays are the following: Tuesday, May 6th Thursday, May 8t Sunday, May 11th Tuesday, May 13th Thursday, May 15th Playoffs May 17th-18th Please reach out by contacting us through any of the following: Comment on this news article Message the team captain @Vibholm_10 directly either here or on discord Feel free to spread the message if you know someone who could potentially help fill out the roster.