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Note: The information in this article is based on the situation on Sunday morning. See the updated statistics below. PLAYOFF RACE HEADING INTO FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON With just one week to go before the end of the regular season, let's take a detailed look of where each team's postseason dreams, or relegation nightmares, stand heading into the games of the regular season. To make things a little more interesting, however, I decided to add in a different element to this article. I decided to embrace the power of modern technology and used ChatGPT to come up with the mathematical chance for each team to clinch a playoff spot, as well as every other general seeding possibility. These numbers are based on 10,000 different simulations of possible outcomes. This is the first time that I've decided to do something like this, so if it's something that you enjoyed, let us know and we'll consider doing more stuff like this in the future! We'll be looking at all 16 teams in the division and giving a short summary of where they stand, what the numbers tell us, and what the next week could look like as they get towards the end of their schedules. Hopefully you all enjoy, and make sure to tell us what you think will happen and what you thought of the article! Last Dance (51pts) - 1st in standings - 10 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 100% Chance To Finish 1-4: 99.98% Chance to Finish 5-8: 0.02% Chance to Finish 9-12: 0% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 0% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% Last Dance sit in a great position heading into the final week of the season. Not only have Last Dance all but clinched their place in the Top 4, but they have also pretty much clinched their place in the Top 4, barring a catastrophic end to the season. The next 10 games for Last Dance will be about strengthening their playoff positioning and looking to earn the #1 overall seed. The simulations gave them an 83.82% chance to clinch that top overall seed, the best of any team in the field. Based on their recent form (14-1-0 in their last 15 games) and their favorable remaining schedule, I'd tend to agree with those odds, and would maybe even argue that they should be higher. I'd personally expect for Last Dance to enter the playoffs at the #1 overall seed, barring a late-season slump, but at bare minimum, they should find themselves finishing somewhere in the 1-3 range. Remaining Series: Blackbirds, GOONS, vNexs, SSK ESPORTS and Tohtorit Mythix (46pts) - 2nd in standings - 10 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 100% Chance To Finish 1-4: 99.57% Chance to Finish 5-8: 0.43% Chance to Finish 9-12: 0% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 0% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% Similarly to Last Dance, Mythix have virtually clinched a playoff spot and should very likely make the Top 4, meaning that they are merely fighting for seeding over the next 10 games. Considering that this group finished 6th and 5th the past two seasons, clinching a playoff berth with 10 games to go is quite the impressive leap for this team. It'll be a tough task for them to pass Last Dance for the top spot and their series against Parasite will likely shake up their seed projections dramatically, but at bare minimum they should be able to go into the postseason with a place in the Top 4. If they do, it'll certainly be well deserved. They also still have a chance to finish a to finish at the top of the table. Simulations gave Mythix a 13.51% chance to do so, second-highest of any team. Remaining Series: vNexs, NOVA, Parasite, SSK ESPORTS and The Black Jacks Mustaa Kultaa (45pts) - 3rd in standings - 8 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 100% Chance To Finish 1-4: 95.97% Chance to Finish 5-8: 4.03% Chance to Finish 9-12: 0% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 0% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% Mustaa Kultaa is virtually a lock to make the playoffs, and are mostly playing to secure a Top 4 seed. They were able to do most of their work in the early to middle stages of the season, picking up 41 points in their first 18 games of the season. They also still have an outside shot to finish with the top overall seed, but simulations give them a slim chance to do so at just 0.86%, likely due to their limited amount of games left and the gap in points between them and Last Dance. They are the last team that is eligible to clinch the top spot. This group has cooled of a little bit over their last two series, as they were swept by SSK Esports and split their series with vNexs, but both teams are currently in playoff spots and are fighting hard to stay there, so those loses are nothing to be ashamed of. Their series against Parasite will undoubtedly be the biggest on their schedule and will likely be the difference between them finishing 4th or higher. Remaining Series: EXEN, Polski Boys, Parasite and Vapor Parasite - (42pts) - 4th in standings - 10 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 100% Chance To Finish 1-4: 96.19% Chance to Finish 5-8: 3.81% Chance to Finish 9-12: 0% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 0% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% As another lock to make the playoffs, Parasite is in position to not only clinch another Top 4 seed in the playoffs, but they also still have an inside track to finish 2nd with their two series against Mythix and Mustaa Kultaa coming up. They would need some help in order to secure the top seed, as the simulations only gave them a 1.81% chance. What also helps Parasite is that they're 8-2-0 in the last 10 games and have yet to lose back-to-back games all season, so based on how they've paced to this point, I'd be surprised to not see them move their way up in the standings before the regular season ends. Though you could argue that this team has the toughest remaining schedule of any team in the Top 4, you could also make the point that they have the best opportunity because of that. Passing up Last Dance will tough to pull off, but I do believe that finishing right behind them is a more likely possibility; especially if they can earn at least 4 points against Mythix. Remaining Series: GOONS, Mustaa Kultaa, Mythix, NOVA and Tohtorit Tohtorit - (36pts) - 5th in standings - 6 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 67.68% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0.13% Chance to Finish 5-8: 67.55% Chance to Finish 9-12: 31.42% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 2.0% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% This is where the "playoff hunt" really starts. Even though they currently sit 5th in the standings, Tohtorit's position is far from secured. Their situation actually reminds me a bit of the situation that GOONS and Polski Boys were in during the Winter season. A tough remaining schedule, very few games remaining, and a point tally that doesn't give them the comfort needed to drop many more points. Those two teams finished 8th and 9th in the standings respectively. Simulations seem relatively confident about Tohtorit's chances though, as their 67.6% chance to clinch ranks 8th amongst all 16 teams. The scary thing about where they stand is that there is a realistic chance that they could leave their last six games with no more than 6 points earned, as both Last Dance and Parasite are averaging over 4 standings points per series. That would give them 42 points in the standings, which would put them in a dangerous spot. Simulations projected that 46–48 points would be the mark for a team outside of the cutline to make their way into the Top 8. As of now, six of the bottom eight teams could realistically reach that threshold, though Blackbirds would have to win all of their remaining games to do so. Tohtorit need to steal some points against Last Dance and Parasite to feel good about their chances. Remaining Series: Heimo, Last Dance, and Parasite GOONS - (35pts) - 6th in standings - 4 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 7.43% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 7.43% Chance to Finish 9-12: 77.85% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 14.72% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0.03% Unfortunately for GOONS, their playoff hopes appear to be grim even though they enter the final week placed 6th in the standings. The problem that GOONS faces isn't just their remaining schedule against two of the toughest teams in the league, but it is also their lower point-tally and the limited chances that they have to earn more points. Because of this, simulations only had them clinch a playoff spot 7.43% of the time, giving them the 11th-best odds in the division. The most points that they will be able to earn is 47, and though any team can win on any given day, I have a hard time realistically seeing any team sweep both Last Dance and Parasite. GOONS also have been in a bit of a rut, as they're 3-6-1 in their last 10 games and have taken multiple losses to teams outside of the playoffs over the past two weeks, including Blackbirds, The Black Jacks and Vapor. Something that the simulations don't take account for. No team in the playoff picture will have to rely more on outside results than GOONS. When a team can't control it's own destiny, the less confident you can feel about their chances to make the field. This group looks bound for "no man's land", which is better than where they were a year ago when they were forced to play in a relegation playoff, but its still a step back from their performance a season ago where they were able to earn a playoff spot with 44 points. Remaining Series: Last Dance and Parasite EXEN - (32pts) - 7th in standings - 10 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 88.3% Chance To Finish 1-4: 4.02% Chance to Finish 5-8: 84.28% Chance to Finish 9-12: 11.34% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 0.36% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% Despite a slow start to the season, EXEN was able to dig themselves out of a early hole and now find themselves in a great position to earn its third-straight under the EXEN brand (sixth-straight playoff if you want to go back to its time as JYP Jyväskylä, though only one active player remains from that group). Their playoff chances would've been even higher if not for being swept by Polski Boys this past week, but it would still take a lot to go wrong for EXEN to not clinch a spot in the Top 8; especially with their remaining schedule being primarily against non-playoff teams. Their 88.3% chance to clinch is 5th-highest of any team in the league and the highest of all of the teams that have yet to clinch a spot. They technically also have an outside chance to land in the Top 4, but it would require a wide range of circumstances that are highly unlikely. The goal for this team will be securing the 5th seed, something that feels very possible with where they currently stand and how well they have played as of late (7-2-1 in their last 10 games). Remaining Series: Heimo, Mustaa Kultaa, vNexs, NOVA and The Black Jacks vNexs - (30pts) - 8th in standings - 10 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 72.76% Chance To Finish 1-4: 1.22% Chance to Finish 5-8: 71.54% Chance to Finish 9-12: 25.9% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 1.34% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0% Though they currently hold the last available playoff spot, the simulations seemed to favor vNexs' chances of making it in, as their 71.54% ranks 7th. Similarly to EXEN, they even have a slim chance to make the Top 4, but it's high;y unlikely. Though I definitely agree that they've put themselves in a great position to make the Top 8, I also feel slightly more pessimistic than what the ChatGPT simulations seemed to. Now don't get me wrong, I like this vNexs team a lot. They have a ton of experience and have often played their best games during the last week or so of the season. My concern however is the inconsistency that has plagued this team at times. They're 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, and they've only earned maximum points in one series all season, and that was against a non-playoff team in Vapor. They've also dropped a pair of critical games to both Polski Boys and The Black Jacks, while splitting their most recent series with Blackbirds. It just feels like this team has missed out on some opportunities for points against teams below them in the standings, and this can often be the difference between making and missing the playoff at the end of the regular season. They also still have to play the two top teams in the standings in Last Dance and Mythix. Though I think they are capable of stealing some points out of those matchups, their playoff hopes will likely be determined by how they do in their series against EXEN and SSK ESPORTS, as both are only separated from vNexs by 3 points or less. Remaining Series: EXEN, Last Dance, Mythix, NOVA and SSK ESPORTS Heimo - (29pts) - 9th in standings - 10 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 61.77% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0.55% Chance to Finish 5-8: 61.22% Chance to Finish 9-12: 35.77% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 2.45% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0.01% After a promising first week of the season that saw Heimo near the top of the standings, the group hit a wall during the middle part of their season and now finds themselves on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. Simulations still had this team making it 61.77% of the time, but those are just the 9th-best odds, so their chances seem sort of split. GOONS and Tohtorit being in the position that they are in helps Heimo, but they will need to earn their way in by playing four teams that are all still fighting for positioning. I'll be honest in saying that I don't love how this group has looked over the last two weeks, as they're 4-5-1 in their last 10 contests and seem to be missing that offensive punch that they showed during the first week of the season. Despite this though, Heimo still controls their own destiny. They have 10 games remaining and won't need any help if they can take care of business on their own. As a playoff hopeful, you really can't ask for much more than that. Their most consequential games will undoubtedly be their series against EXEN, SSK ESPORTS and Tohtorit. Remaining Series: EXEN, NOVA, SSK ESPORTS, Tohtorit and Vapor Polski Boys - (29pts) - 10th in standings - 8 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 18.98% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 18.98% Chance to Finish 9-12: 67.72% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 13.28% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0.02% Though the simulations seemed to be less bullish on Polski Boys' playoff hopes at 18.98%, which ranks 10th, I personally think they have a slightly better chance when you consider their remaining schedule and their performance against teams around them in the standings. They recently swept EXEN and picked up 5 out of a possible 6 points in that series, which arguably saved their playoff hopes considering what the bubble currently looks like. Before that series, they had lost four-straight games against Last Dance and Mythix, so they really needed to find points and did exactly that against a fellow playoff hopeful. Interestingly enough, Polski Boys have a record of 9-5-2 against teams that are ranked lower than 5th in the standings. Their one major blemish was being swept by Vapor on April 17th, which could be what comes back to haunt them if they miss the Top 8. However, with three of their four remaining series being against teams bound for "no man's land" or a relegation playoff, there is some genuine opportunity for Polski Boys to make it into the playoffs, even if they will need a little bit of help from others to do so. Remaining Series: Blackbirds, Mustaa Kultaa, ONSE Esports and The Black Jacks Blackbirds - (28pts) - 11th in standings - 6 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 0.38% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 0.38% Chance to Finish 9-12: 32.71% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 65.86% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 1.05% Though mathematically Blackbirds still have a chance to make it into the playoffs, it would take collecting every point possible in their last six games along with numerous results from other teams to going in their favor. Despite their potential of being a sleeper to make the playoffs coming into the season, this is a team that had zero games of Elite Division experience prior to the Spring. That's a difficult thing to overcome, as the jump from Pro to Elite is a significant shift in skill and game style. It shouldn't be too shocking that Blackbirds have had to learn, grow and adjust as they get used to the division. First-time teams making playoff pushes such as Mustaa Kultaa last season, or SSK ESPORTS this season are exceptions, not the rule, and each of those teams had a least a few players in its lineup with prior Elite experience. I don't think it'd be fair to say that this is a disappointing result for Blackbirds, and a mid-table finish feels like a fair and reasonable result for a team that is still on the ascent in the Elite division. Despite all of this, Blackbirds have likely avoided finishing 16th barring a considerable collapse and a major run from some of the teams behind them. Their goal from this point forward will be to hold on to a Top 12 spot to avoid playing in a relegation series; though this won't be an easy task with games vs Last Dance and Polski Boys still on the horizon. Stealing some points in one of those series, along with earning the majority of points in their series with Vapor, will likely be the key to maintaining their spot. Blackbirds will need to keep a close eye on The Black Jacks and NOVA, as both have games in hand and a path to surpass them in the standings. They've seem to find a decent run of form recently going 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, which will help their cause. Remaining Series: Last Dance, Polski Boys and Vapor SSK ESPORTS - (27pts) - 12th in standings - 12 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 72.72% Chance To Finish 1-4: 2.37% Chance to Finish 5-8: 70.35% Chance to Finish 9-12: 25.55% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 1.72% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0.01% Coming into the final week with the best opportunity of any team outside of the playoffs, SSK ESPORTS are hoping to continue what has been a magical run in ECL 25 that goes all the way back to the final week of the Winter regular season in the Pro Division. Despite sitting in 11th, simulations actually give SSK a 72.72% chance to make the Top 8, one of the best odds of any team that hasn't clinched. You could argue that this is a little high considering their upcoming schedule, but the circumstances are mostly in their favor outside of that. The favorable simulation for SSK ESPORTS comes from the amount of games that they have remaining and the points they've already earned. They'll have two very tough series coming up against Last Dance and Mythix, as well as a series against a fellow playoff hopefuls Heimo and vNexs, but SSK fullly control their own playoff destiny and have proven this season that they can beat playoff caliber teams in this division. The group haven't played since April 27th, so we will have to see if they can continue their winning form, but 6-3-1 in your last 10 games is a pace that's good enough for this team to make the field. It won't be easy, but I personally believe that SSK ESPORTS will end up making it in. Even if they don't make the playoffs, the worst likely outcome for them would be a 9-12 finish, which is a very respectable result for an organization that was in the Pro Division a season ago. Remaining Series: Heimo, Last Dance, Mythix, vNexs, NOVA and Vapor The Black Jacks - (26pts) - 13th in standings - 8 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 3.1% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 3.1% Chance to Finish 9-12: 49.55% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 46.88% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 0.47% The Black Jacks still are alive in the playoff hunt according to the math, but their 3.1% chance don't make for great odds. Combining this with how they have faired against the current playoff teams this season, I have a hard time imagining a miracle run coming from this group over the next week. TBJ will not only need to win most of their remaining games in regulation, but they will also need some help around them in the process to have a realistic shot at the Top 8. Despite this though, they do have a realistic chance to avoid playing in the relegation playoff, which is huge with how successful the Pro division teams have seemed to be in those over the last couple of seasons. The Black Jacks are 5-3-2 in its last 10 games and have done enough to give themselves a chance to surpass Blackbirds for the 12th spot with having games in hand. It's not a given and they'll still be disappointed to have missed the playoffs for the first time since the ECL 23 Spring season (back when they were under the ZSC Esports brand), but avoiding a relegation series would be a small win nevertheless. Barring a miraculous run to close out the season, it'll be either "no man's land" or a relegation playoff to maintain their spot in the division. Their series with ONSE Esports will likely be a big factor to their fate at the end of the regular season. Similarly to Blackbirds, they will also need to keep a close eye on NOVA's results over the next week. Remaining Series: EXEN, Mythix, ONSE Esports and Polksi Boys ONSE Esports - (22pts) - 14th in standings - 6 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 0% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 0% Chance to Finish 9-12: 0.42% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 67.71% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 31.87% ONSE Esports have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention after going 2-7-1 in its last 10 games. Similarly to Blackbirds, this is a new team to the Elite division. In fact, they earned their way into Elite the week before the season started by winning in a qualifier. However, a tough stretch with only three wins since April 16th ultimately sunk their chances at a playoff berth, and they will now likely be fighting to maintain their spot in the division for next season. Their best chance is hoping to climb into a 9-12 spot, and even that feels like a tough battle that'll likely be decided between themselves, Blackbirds, NOVA and The Black Jacks. Luckily for ONSE Esports, they play the latter two teams to end the season and both are behind them in the standings. However, those two teams also both have games hand and they will still need Blackbirds to drop at least two regulation games while also staying ahead of each of the teams behind them. They will also need to keep an eye on Vapor, as even though the simulations seem to be on their side in terms of automatic relegation, a few wins from Vapor to end the season combined more losses from ONSE could see them slide down to that 16th spot and out of the Elite Division for next season. It's not impossible for them to avoid a relegation scenario altogether, but it'll be a tall order. With where things currently stand, I don't favor their chances and neither did the simulations. ONSE Esports will likely be playing in a relegation series unless things turn in their favor. And unfortunately, automatic relegation isn't out of the question just yet either. Remaining Series: NOVA, Polski Boys and The Black Jacks Vapor - (17pts) - 15th in standings - 8 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 0% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 0% Chance to Finish 9-12: 0.33% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 36.56% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 63.11% As things stand, Vapor have the highest odds of finishing 16th in the standings and being relegated from the Elite division. Though Vapor isn't a team that was viewed as a playoff favorite heading into the season, it at least seemed like a team that could compete for a spot and would like end up middle of the table, as they have plenty of experience throughout their lineup and brought in some respectable transfers. This unfortunately hasn't come to fruition, as they're eliminated from playoff contention and would likely need to earn at least 16 points to avoid playing in the relegation playoff, and even then their place in the Top 12 wouldn't be safe. Their schedule is also a bit of a mixed bag between playoff hopefuls and a team currently ranked in the Top 4 in Mustaa Kultaa. I still believe that this team has talent in its lineup and their experience could be helpful to them in their fight as well. But with NOVA being just two points behind them and having six more games to play, Vapor is in serious danger of relegation. Even if they are able to avoid the dreaded last-place finish, they will still more than likely have to earn their keep in the division against one of the best teams in the Pro Division. Remaining Series: Blackbirds, Heimo, Mustaa Kultaa and SSK ESPORTS. NOVA - (15pts) - 16th in standings - 14 games remaining Chance to Clinch a Playoff Berth: 6.88% Chance To Finish 1-4: 0% Chance to Finish 5-8: 6.88% Chance to Finish 9-12: 41.44% Chance to Play Relegation Playoff: 48.22% Chance to Be Automatically Relegated: 3.46% Don't let their place in the standings fool you, NOVA are still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, and they actually still have a fair chance at avoiding a relegation playoff series as well. We weren't able to give this team much shine in the midseason report since they had only played 10 games at the time, but since then, they've been able to play six games and actually managed to go 3-2-1 in those contests. Because of this, along with their league-high 14 games left to play, the simulations actually had NOVA qualify for the playoffs 6.88% of the time and gave them a very good chance to avoid finishing 16th. Though their percentage to make the Top 8 was 12th-highest of all teams, I'll admit that a playoff spot doesn't seem very likely to happen for this group. The simulations suggest that NOVA will need to earn roughly 33 points to make the field, which means that they can only afford to take three more losses at most (regulation or overtime). It would take a serious run of form for them to make that happen, and I just don't know how realistic it is for them to win 11 of their last 14 games against the teams that they have to play against. However, I do think that NOVA are a team that could manage to avoid a relegation series if they can play the way they did this past week or even improve on that. They kept their series with Last Dance rather close, falling 3-2 and 5-3 in regulation. They split their series with The Black Jacks, earning 4 out of 6 possible points with a regulation win and an overtime loss. Their most important result was probably their series sweep over Vapor, as they collected 5 out of 6 points over the team that is currently just two points ahead of them in the standings. These are things that the simulations didn't take into consideration, so you could maybe even argue that their 41.44% could be slightly higher than what it is. Other than Mythix and Parasite, every team left on their schedule is either around the playoff bubble, or trying to earn their way into "no man's land". It's not impossible for them to make the playoff field, but I do believe that their path to a 9-12 spot is much more realistic. They're projected to need roughly 18 more points to avoid a relegation playoff, and they have 42 possible points still available to them. That equates to 6 regulation wins in 14 games. This feels doable, and though it won't be easy by any means, I think that they have reasons to feel good about their chances to make it happen. Remaining Series: EXEN, Heimo, Myhthix, vNexs, ONSE Esports, Parasite and SSK Esports Want to keep up with everything happening ECL in the this season? Make sure to follow/subscribe to SportsGamerGG on Twitch, YouTube and X.

As most of the divisions have officially reached the half way point of the season, the Elite Division table is beginning to take shape and the playoff picture is becoming clearer. With most of the league having played over 15 games, let's take a quick look at each team and how they've done during the first half of the season. We'll be going in order of the standings as of Monday, April 28th. At the end, I'll then rank these teams into different tiers to evaluate where they stand after the first half of the season. Mythix (46pts) - 1st in standings - 10 games remaining Though I wouldn't say that this team is the biggest surprise of the season, I will say that Mythix have definitely surpassed expectations three weeks into the season. Sitting in first place and sporting the division's second-highest scoring offense at 3.6 goals per game, Mythix have made a statement and have introduced themselves into the tier of championship contenders. Three of their skaters currently take up the Top 5 spots in points. @Sokkelo__ is leading the division in points (48) and goals (28), @temppanen is third in the division with 45 points, and @WeDuX_ is leading the division in assists (39) and has 11 more points than any other defenseman with 43. This team has taken a sizable step forward this season and should undoubtedly be commended for that. They've lost just 4 games all season and 3 of those have come against Last Dance (swept in the series with two regulation losses) and Mustaa Kultaa. Two of those losses were also by just one goal. I do think that they still have to prove that they can beat the expected championship contenders, but they have dominated many of the teams in the middle and bottom of the standings. Their biggest remaining series will be against Parasite, so they'll have their chance to prove that they can do so over the next two weeks. Considering that the highest team that they play in the standings outside of that is SSK ESPORTS in 7th, things line up favorable for Mythix to secure their best regular season finish in club history. Mustaa Kultaa (45pts) - 2nd in standings - 8 games remaining The biggest question for Mustaa Kultaa coming into this season was whether or not they'd be able to replicate to magical Winter campaign and so far, they look on pace to do so. Though they have cooled off a tad over the past two series, they find themselves squarely in the Top 4 for a second straight season and seem on pace to likely stay there. The group has gotten solid production from their usual core, with @Allupekkaz leading the way in points (37) and goals (22). Their defensive pairing of @NuariJamal and @Miseee96 have also been amongst the division's most productive, as Mustaa Kultaa have allowed a division-low 1.86 goals per game. Their steady goaltending duo of @LatveX and @karlssonadam_ also deserve a ton of credit for this, as both currently rank Top 10 in save percentage. The sudden and surprising transfer of @x-_-BoBi-_-x has also proven to be a fruitful addition for last season's Finalists. The Finnish LW has put up 22 points and 19 goals in his 10 games with Mustaa Kultaa since transferring from EXEN on April 22nd. This is a stark contrast in production from his time with EXEN, where he had just 8 points in 8 games played. Though every team in the division other than GOONS have games in hand over Mustaa Kultaa, they look well positioned to earn another high seed in the standings. A strong finish to their schedule will be key, as they'll face multiple teams who are in the thick of the playoff hunt and just outside of the Top 8. They will also have a critical series against Parasite, which could very well help determine the Top 4 seeds. Parasite (39pts) - 3rd in standings - 12 games remaining The defending champions have been as efficient as ever, losing just three games through their first 18 and only losing one game by more than a goal. Though they haven't replicated their ridiculous scoring numbers from a season ago, Parasite still find themselves with the third-best GF/GP at 3.33, pairing it with the second-best GA/GP at 1.89. The usual names for this team have stepped up with balanced efforts, though surprisingly, not a single Parasite skater ranks in the Top 15 in points, as @Beniittto leads the team with 35 points, which ranks tied for 18th. @Vattuyy however has emerged as one of the division's top goal scorers again however. His 23 goals ties for third-most in the division and leads a Parasite team that is loaded with talented scorers. They also lead the league in shots per game at 19.8. @uhNikke and @FINSeRe have once again been stellar sharing the goaltending duties for this team, with both being above an 80sv% and helping to backstop one of the best defensive teams in the division. Though they might not be winning in as flashy of fashion as they did a season ago, none of that really matters in the grand scheme of things. This team wins and they win a lot. They'll likely continue to do so in the home stretch of the season. They have three critical series coming up with 3 of the Top 5 teams in the division, as they still have to face off with Mustaa Kultaa, Mythic and Tohtorit over the next two weeks. After splitting their series with Last Dance this past week, Parasite have put themselves in a great position to secure a Top 2 seed. Last Dance (39pts) - 4th in standings - 14 games remaining Possibly the most impressive team of the bunch this season, Last Dance are currently on pace to finish 2nd in the Elite standings based on points per game, and have more games in hand than any of the current playoff teams. The big story for this group coming into the season was the significant changes that it made to its lineup, as they added @NikkeDangles and @Puantso to join @Eki in its forward group. Those three have been as great as advertised, averaging 3.63 goals per game, which ranks best in the division. The most compelling part about this team is that they do this without shooting the puck that often, as they average just 13.8 shots on net per game; showing that though they don't create a high volume of chances, the ones that they do create are high quality. As the old saying goes, quality over quantity. Outside of a 7-1 loss to Heimo in its second game of the season, Last Dance have yet to really see a bad result They swept their series' against Mythix and Mustaa Kultaa, split its series with Parasite and have lost just three total games this season, with one of those being an overtime loss. This team has everything that you want in a top-tier Elite division team. Skill, experience, good offense, stout defense, and the proven ability of being able to beat their fellow top teams. Tohtorit (36pts) - 5th in standings - 8 games remaining Even though Tohtorit currently sit 5th in the standings and look on track to make the playoffs, I can't help but feel like the first half of their season has been a little disappointing. This team brought back its entire starting lineup for a third straight season and were coming off of a Winter campaign where they finished 2nd in the regular season and made it to the Semifinals run before falling to Mustaa Kultaa. Unfortunately, a slow start to the season really plagued this group early, as they had lost 7 of their first 10 games to begin the season. In Tohtorit's defense, six of those losses were by just one goal, and five of them were in overtime. Since then, they've been able to steady the ship, going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games as of Monday. Still, though, this group has undeniably taken a step back from a season ago. Their GF/GP has gone from 2.79 in the Winter, to 2.50 in the Spring, which ranks just 10th in the Division Last season, they were ranked 6th. Their GA/GP has also jumped from 2.04 to 2.41, though to their credit, this still ranks Top 5 in the division, so it's not as if they have been bad defensively by any means. In terms of the positives, their captain @Ojala16 has put together another fine season at the LW spot, as he ranks second in Elite in both points (41) and goals (24). @Ricco (KDoneof1) has also recently stepped up in between the pipes. He's played in each of Tohtorit's last six games and has posted a 5-1-0 record with an 85.2% save percentage and a 1.33 GAA. He has also recorded two shutouts. I'm not ready to count this team out yet, but I can't say that I feel nearly as confident about their status as a championship contender as I did when the season began. Just 3 of their 11 total wins are against current playoff teams, which isn't particularly inspiring for a team of Tohtorit's caliber. Their last four series are against Last Dance, Parasite, EXEN, and Heimo. All of these teams could very well be in the playoffs in two weeks time and two of them are ranked in the Top 4 currently. These will be critical points that Tohtorit cannot afford to drop, so if they can find a way to secure at least 15 points out of that series (24 points are the maximum possible), then I'll feel a little better about where this team is heading into the playoffs. For now, I'm going to feel more reserved about how far this team can go. GOONS (33pts) - 6th in standings - 6 games remaining With the least amount of games remaining of any team in the division, GOONS find themselves in a rather similar spot as they did this time last season. In the playoff hunt, and holding onto a playoff spot for dear life. This team has been plagued by inconsistencies this year; going on runs of losing followed by runs of winning. Their longest winning streak this season is three, while their current four-game losing streak is their longest drought of the season. It's just difficult to earn points when you can't gain a consistent run of winning form. GOONS are playing their typical unique style of hockey. They constantly rip shots on net, they fly up and down the ice, and they lay down punishing hits that are a burden for opponents to handle. They lead the league in hits with 881, which is more than double the amount of any other team in the division. They also average 15.8 shots per game, which ranks second only behind Parasite, and they are the fifth-highest scoring team in Elite at 2.88 GF/GP. @tkantola has put together another solid season with 47 points in 24 games, which leads the team and currently ranks second in the entire division. Along with Kantola, each of their three forwards have scored 20+ goals this season, as he, @Xkeineri and @Lekxsa_70 each rank Top 10 in the division as of now. They did see a significant player transfer out in @kriketski17, who moved over to EXEN on April 20th. Kirk was one of GOONS' most productive players during his 12 games with the club, compiling 17 points, 137, and a +6 plus/minus. Their last three series are against Last Dance, Parasite, and The Black Jacks. Considering this, their limited games remaining and just an eight-point gap over 9th place, their playoff hopes feel up in the air as of now. They also look like a team that is trending in the wrong direction, as GOONS are just 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. Regardless of how they finish, they should more than likely avoid having to play in a relegation series, barring a major run from one of the teams that are currently in the bottom four. SSK ESPORTS (27pts) - 7th in standings - 12 games remaining I want to start out by apologizing to SSK ESPORTS. If you go back to the ECL Season Preview, I picked this team to finish last in the standings and said that the goal for this group would simply be growing and improving at the Elite level. Fast forward to Week Four, and SSK ESPORTS are firmly in the playoff hunt. A part of media is being honest, which sometimes means admitting when a peer or team proves you wrong. This team has done exactly that, so I want to make sure to give them their flowers this time around. It's certainly well-deserved. SSK ESPORTS have been one of the best offensive teams in the division during the first half of the season, averaging 2.94 goals for per game, which ranks fourth-best in Elite. They also sport the league third-strongest power play at 38.1%. This group also has a balance offensive attack and can produce all over the ice, as four of their five skaters have already reached the 30-point mark this season. One of the biggest keys to this teams success has been the production that they have seen from their transfers, specifically their midseason moves. @bystrom___ has proven to be a key addition for this team, as his 30 points ranks third in the division for defensemen. He came over from Unwanted in the offseason and has fit in seamlessly with some familiar faces. Their two midseason additions of @xcurhed and @Adam2 have proven to be especially fruitful. These two started the season with Brynäs IF Esport in the Pro Division and came into this season without a single game of Elite division experience. Fast forward to today, and Curhed currently leads this team in points (38) and goals (20), while Adam has been an efficient, two-way defenseman who has gelled seamlessly with Bystrom and has been a key piece to their defensive structure. Additionally, SSK have also shown that they can compete with other playoff-caliber teams, as they split their series with Tohtorit, GOONS, EXEN, and Polski Boys. Their most impressive feat this season came on Sunday, as they were able to sweep their series with Mustaa Kultaa and collected 5 out of 6 points. SSK still has some tough series to play against Last Dance and Mythix and two critical series against vNexs and Heimo, but they've positioned themselves well to secure a Top 8 spot and still have a series against two of the division's bottom three teams in Vapor and The Black Jacks. They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 game,s and if they can continue their current form, I don't see any reason why they can't end up with a respectable playoff seeding. vNexs (27pts) - 8th in standings - 12 games remaining Currently holding onto the eighth and final playoff spot as of this writing, vNexs have had a season mixed with ups and downs. The team have only gotten one series sweep, which was their two wins over Vapor, but they have managed to find their way to points in most of their series; as they've been able to earn at least one standings point in all of their series so far. They may not be a team that blows you away with blowout wins and lengthy winning streaks, but they consistently find their way to 1-4 points in every series they play in, and that adds up late in the season. In terms of individual performers, their forward trio of @AntonLxnd, @pappeen- and @antoniomannen004 have been the team's primary point producers this season, with each of them eclipsing 30+ points and no other skater on their team having more than 12. AntonLxnd leads the way for this team in both points (40) and assists (24), which each rank Top 10 in the division. @Skumboo has also been one of the division's most impressive goalies thus far, as his 84.56% save percentage ranks Top 5 in the league and second amongst goalies with at least 10 games played, trailing only karlssonadam from Mustaa Kultaa. He should be a candidate and a frontrunner for Goaltender of the Season if he is able to keep up his production. They've hit a bit of a slide in their last 10 games, posting a record of 4-2-4 during that time, but they're still accruing points, which is the important thing. With where they are with just a couple of weeks to go in the season, those points may be the difference between a playoff spot and no-man's land for a vNexs team that are looking to make it back into the Top 8 for the first time since ECL 24 Winter. EXEN (25pts) - 9th in standings - 14 games remaining After a scarily slow start to the season that saw this team ranked last in the standings for a breath period of time, EXEN have turned things around since Week One and find themselves in great form and arguably as one of the hottest teams in the division as of now. For context, this team lost six of their first eight games of the season, with all of those being regulation losses. They only earned 4 points out of a possible 24 points during that stretch. That is a run that's bad enough to seriously damage a team's season, but EXEN have completely flipped the script since and have gotten themselves in the thick of the playoff race halfway through the season. For lack of a better term, this team is weird on statically. They're 11th in the division in GF/GP, but 6th in GA/GP. Their 39.13% power play is second-best in Elite, but their 51.61% penalty kill is the worst in Elite by over 16%. They've also taken the fourth most PIMS in the division at 57. This group are really hard to figure out, and it's tough to tell whether or not they're a team that is just good enough to make the playoffs, a good enough to make a run, or if they're even a playoff team at all. Outside of their recent addition of @kriketski17, @Pikkarii has been far and away EXEN's most productive and consistent player. The center and former Elite division champion leads EXEN with 29 points and 20 assists this season. Behind him, the previously mentioned Krike, who joined EXEN a week ago and is already tied for the team lead in goals with 12 and tied for second in points with 19. @Kaz_zu has also quietly had another really impressive season, posting an 83.13% save percentage while starting all 16 games for EXEN. He should be an early candidate for goaltender of the season as things stand. If I'm being honest, I really don't know what exactly to think of this team. Only three of their nine total wins have come against teams currently in the playoffs, and they have a tough schedule remaining despite so many games in hand. Their series against the likes of vNexs, Polski Boys, and Heimo will be battles between bubble teams, while they will likely hope to steal points against a pair of current playoff teams in Mustaa Kultaa and Tohtorit. This group is really hard to figure out, and it's tough to tell whether or not they're a team that is just good enough to make the playoffs, a team that is good enough to make a run, or if they're even a playoff team at all. I guess time will tell! Blackbirds (25pts) - 10th in standings - 8 games remaining Though Blackbirds were viewed as a potential playoff sleeper heading into the season, the team has run into some of the expected growing pains that you see as a team that had zero games of Elite division experience in its lineup coming into the season. Having gotten to call this team's games multiple times on broadcast this season, I think that they've proven that they belong in the division. They're often competitive and keep games close, but seem to lack the consistent play to truly maximize their potential right now. They currently rank in the middle-to-lower end of the league in just about every single statistic and they haven't really created any significant strengths in those areas to help set them apart from other teams in the division. This ultimately hurts them in close games, and though they do keep many of their games close, they seem to be missing that one key element or play to turn those games into wins consistently. In fact, 5 of their 12 regulation losses so far are by one goal, and they've only taken one overtime loss this season while winning three overtime games. Those are critical points lost, and with where they currently stand in the table, it could likely be what hurts their playoff chances at the end of the season. This is the difference between them and teams such as vNexs or Tohtorit, who, despite not having the most wins, have placed themselves in a playoff position due to their ability to accumulate points in each series, even if it's only just two or three. @aomyo6195 and @sopulii_ have both been standouts at forward for this team this season. Aomyo has led the way with 41 points and 20 assists, while Sopuli is right behind him with 38 points and has scored a team-high 22 goals. Aomyo is currently Top 10 in the division in points and both of them currently rank Top 10 in goals. Both of them will likely be in the Rookie of the Season race at this current pace. @Lakritsipiippu has also been stellar for this team in goal. Since transferring from ONSE Esports after Week One, Lakritsipiippu has put up an 82.76% save percentage and a 2.78 GAA in 18 starts with the team. His total save percentage this season of 83.33% in 22 starts ranks him Top 5 in the division and third amongst goalies with at least ten games played. He could very well be a Goaltender of the Season and Rookie of the Season candidate in June. They ended a seven-game losing streak recently and have responded by winning four of their last six games, with three of those wins being against current playoff teams GOONS and Tohtorit, so they are showing improvement and are trending in the right direction at the right time. They have a difficult series on the horizon against Last Dance, but the remainder of their series are against teams on the playoff bubble or outside of it, as they'll play against vNexs, Polski Boys and Vapor. They will likely need to win at least six of these games to feel good about their playoff chances, as most of the teams around them have games in hand. But if they can at least avoid a relegation series, that will be a respectable result for an inexperienced team in their first Elite season. Polski Boys (24pts) - 11th in standings - 12 games remaining Another season, another tight playoff hunt for Polski Boys. It feels like this group consistently finds themselves in this position, whether that's for better of for worse. You can't help but respect it, this team consistently is in the thick of the race in Europe's toughest 6v6 competition, but at the same time, this is their fourth season in Elite, and they've yet to make a playoff appearance in their time here. Sooner than later, you'd hope to see them elevate and take that next step. They're still in the position to do so, but they certainly haven't made their job easy. Losing 5 of their first 6 games to start the season hampered this team early, but they've found their stride since and have earned series sweeps against current playoff teams Tohtorit, vNexs, and GOONS. They also managed to split their series with another playoff team in SSK ESPORTS. This sets Polski Boys up well in what is a tightly contested race, and could be a key factor for them at the end of the season. Though Polski Boys have struggled a bit on their own end, allowing 2.78 GA/GP and being 70% on the PK, their offensive game has been able to make up for it and ranks amongst some of the division's top teams, as they are tied for 6th with 2.83 GF/GP. Speaking of offense, Polski Boys are arguably one of the most balanced offensive teams in the division, as each of their five skaters have tallied 20+ points this season. @cTunkeilija leads this team in points (35) and assists (21), while the long-time captain @Brockela22 is the team's leading goal scorer at 16. Polski Boys have some tough series coming up, as they'll have to go up against two of the division's best teams in Last Dance and Mustaa Kultaa before the season ends, however, they will have some opportunities for points against fellow bubble teams such as EXEN, Blackbirds and ONSE Esports. Though they have a few teams that they'll need to pass, their remaining schedule is reasonable and they only sit 3 points outside of the final playoff spot as things stand. This team missed the postseason by just a single point a season ago and were bounced from the last available playoff spot on the final day of the regular season. They'll have the chance to rectify that heartbreak over the next two weeks. Heimo (23pts) - 12th in standings - 12 games remaining After a hot start to the regular season that saw them average 4 goals for per game during their first six games, Heimo have hit a rough patch and find themselves at a familiar crossroads, looking up at multiple teams in the playoff chase and posting a record of 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. It's disappointing to see how drastically their form has dipped after such a promising start to the season, as they've gone from one of the division's hottest teams, to arguably its coldest at the most important time of the season. Since that six-game start to the season, Heimo have earned just 10 points in their 12 games since. That's 10 points out of a possible 36 that they could've earned. As mentioned earlier with EXEN, stretches like this can doom a team's playoff aspirations, and Heimo are now in a situation where not only are they in the thick of a tight playoff hunt, but they are also looking for answers on how to recapture their early-season form. Similarly to Polski Boys, this team is a balanced offensive team, with each of their five skaters having 20+ points so far this season. The right side of the ice has been where their best point production has come, however, as their starting RW @Eeemill_ and RD @KingOfApes_ are tied for the team lead in points with 28, with Eeemil leading the team with 16 goals and KingOfApes leading the way in assists with 21. Where they have really struggled, however, is defensively, as their 3.44 GA/GP is the second-highest in the league, only ranking better than GOONS who average 3.5. Though I believe that this team has the skill and experience to make a push for a playoff spot, and they aren't that far behind at just a four-point gap, their recent play doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence in them being able to turn things around. I do believe that their schedule favors them, as the highest team in the standings that they'll face for the rest of the season is Tohtorit in 5th. Everyone else that they play is either behind them in the standings, or within four points. In other words, they still control their own destiny, and it wouldn't be wise to count them out, however, they need to find the answers to their struggles and fast. They simply can't afford to drop any more points with so many critical series coming up, especially against fellow bubble teams such as SSK ESPORTS, EXEN, and ONSE Esports. ONSE Esports (22pts) - 13th in standings - 8 games remaining This is where I feel like the playoff cutline becomes a bit muddier. Though it's not impossible for ONSE Esports to make their way into the Top 8, they will need a near flawless run to end the season, as well as for a few results to likely go their way. I know that five points isn't a large gap, but they have multiple teams ahead of them with games in hand and aren't as close to the cut line as a team like Blackbirds, who are in the same position. This team is also in the same situation as Heimo to where they are arguably one of the coldest team in the division right now, as they're also 2-7-1 in their last 10 games. Though ONSE have been good enough on their own end, lack of offensive production has severely plagued the team so far this season.They average a league-worst 1.54 goals for per game, average just 10.9 shots per game, and have the second-worst power play in the division at 12%. They -23 goal differential also ranks last in the division currently. Though I feel like this group have shown potential at certain points of the season, these aren't the numbers of a playoff team, and it'll likely keep them out barring a significant change in form to end the season. In terms of positive things with this group, @Hulkkoo is someone that I believe deserves much more credit than he has likely received for his work this season. Hulkkoo has stepped up admirably and has arguably been ONSE's best player this season, as in 18 starts he's posted an 80.23% save percentage while playing on a team that has struggled to support him offensively. He's been a long-time staple for this team during their time in the Pro Division under the Ismon Valinta branding, so it's nice to see him proving himself in what is his first season in the Elite division. Outside of him, ONSE have just two players on its roster with 20+ points in @Puosu_ and @Jusu121. The one thing going in this team's favor over its next eight games is that none of their opponents are currently playoff teams. Two of those teams are even behind them in the standings. Though there are no easy game in the Elite division, their remaining strength of schedule of one of the weakest in the Division in terms of record and will give them the opportunity to play teams right around their place in the standings and could help get them out of a relegation series if they can take advantage. I personally don't see this team having a true chance to make the playoffs at this point, but if they can at least are their way into "no man's land", their first season in the Elite division will be ashamed of. The Black Jacks (17pts) - 14th in standings - 14 games remaining Though it may not be too surprising to some with the significant losses to their roster, I honestly didn't expect this team to have such a steep drop-off after making the playoffs just a season ago. Typically, The Black Jacks are right in the playoff mix this time of season; instead, they seem to be fighting for their right to even stay in the Elite division altogether. Both their offensive and defensive production have completely dipped this season, with both ranking fourth-worst in the division at 2.06 GF/GP and 3.19 GA/GP. The weirdest thing about this team is that they actually have been the definition of a see-saw. TBJ have alternated sweeps in each of their last five series. Two straight wins followed by two straight losses. Like clockwork. It's just tough to really get any momentum going in the standings when you continually alternate results like this, especially when those losses are mostly in regulation. Team captain @Timasy has primarily led the way for the group, leading the team in points (24), goals (11), assists (13) and game-winning goals (3). @ProfaneKiss has also proven to be a rather solid transfer addition with 20 points of his own. I hate to talk too much about former players, especially considering the circumstances in this case, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the obvious difference in The Black Jacks this season in comparison to past seasons. This team undoubtedly is not the same without@Keuschemisch. He had been a catalyst for so much of its offensive production over the years and even led this team in points in each of the last four seasons. It's difficult to replace a player of his caliber, but especially one that as so important to this team's system and play style offensively. This team just hasn't seemed to find the right adjustments yet to supplement that loss, and it's turned them into a pedestrian offensive team that can only afford to allow one or two goals to win games. They have more games in hand than many of the teams ahead of them and most of them are against teams in or around the playoff bubble, so TBJ isn't dead yet, but it's going to take them finding the answers to major questions that they haven't seemed to solve yet, and they are running out time to find those answers. Vapor (16pts) - 15th in standings - 10 games remaining This is another team that I didn't expect to have such a steep fall off. Vapor, formerly TIKI TALK, found themselves just outside of the playoffs last season and didn't even have to worry about playing in a relegation series. However, a few key roster loses always left the possibility for things to change, either for the better or for the worst. Unfortunately for Vapor, the latter has come to fruition. As of now, Vapor look like they will be out of the playoff and will be fighting for a spot in "no man's land", which at this rate, also seems like it could be out of reach as they trail 12th place by seven points with just 10 games remaining. Oddly enough, this team has actually run into the opposite problem that it ran into last season. Instead of being a high-end offensive team that struggled to keep other teams from scoring on them, now they are a stout defensively team that has serious struggles when it comes to generating offense. This team only allows 2.6 goals against per game, which actually ranks them 7th in the division and is ahead of multiple current playoff teams. However, they have the second-lowest GF/GP in the division at 1.75 and only average 11.8 shots per game. This is a significant dip for a team that returns multiple pieces from a group that averaged 3.11 GF/GP and ranked 4th in Elite in that category. Similarly to The Black Jacks, the loss of the heart of their offensive structure is a key reason for why there's been such a drop off in production. The team's two top point-getters in PardyTime and TeMex both departed the team in the offseason, and with those two, also went a combined 60 goals scored between them. 69% of their goals scored as a team last season came from those two players. That is a massive thing to have overcome, and unfortunately for Vapor, it just hasn't happened thus far. @Pensasmies leads the team in points as a defenseman with 24 points through 20 games. Despite the rough season overall for the team, they should be pleased with the performance from their goaltending duo of @I-Bysse-I and @Gresu__, as both are above an 80% save percentage while each playing 10 games this season. Unfortunately, this team's playoff hopes are pretty much dashed. Though they aren't officially eliminated mathematically, it would take miraculous circumstances for this team to make the Top 8. They still have critical games on the horizon against Blackbirds, Heimo and NOVA, who each could be fighting for spots to avoid a relegation series if they aren't able to make late playoff pushes. Otherwise, Vapor will unfortunately be playing for their place in the division for next season. NOVA (6pts) - 16th in standings - 20 games remaining It's tough to really judge this team, as they've only played in 10 games and haven't played a game since April 16th. Unfortunately for this team, what we saw from them in their first few series was not necessarily impressive. NOVA went 2-7-1 during that 10-game stretch with just one of those wins being in regulation. In their defense, six of those games were against current playoff teams in Mustaa Kultaa, Tohtorit and GOONS, while the other games were against teams just outside of the playoffs, Blackbirds and Polski Boys. They've been riddled with roster changes, as their two top point producers in @Easychasniper2 and @LaxenHD have each departed to new teams over the last two weeks. This team has so many games left to play that you can't really rank them properly right now. They have a ton of series' left against teams on or around the playoff bubble, and there is a wide range of possibilities for this group as of now. The positive is that they control their own destiny and have more games in hand than any other team in the division. The negative is that they've had to make significant roster changes midseason that they didn't expect, and they really struggled to start the season. I'll be honest that their circumstances aren't favorable, but maybe the time off and some fresh ideas within their lineup will do them some good. I apologize that I don't have more to say on this team, but it's hard to give a fair assessment with how little they've played compared to the rest of the division. Midseason Power Rankings & Tiers These power rankings are merely opinions and are based on how the teams have performed up to this point, as well as the teams that they have played against during that span. This is not a playoff or final standings prediction. Please do not take it personally where I ranked your team. I did this purely for fun and to maybe generate conversation for others to give their opinions, it's nothing personal and is all in good spirit! BEST OF THE REST (CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS): 1. Last Dance 2. Mythix 3. Parasite 4. Mustaa Kultaa LIKELY PLAYOFF TEAM (BUT NOT DEFINITE CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS): 5. Tohtorit FRINGE PLAYOFF TEAMS (TRENDING UPWARDS): 6. SSK ESPORTS 7. EXEN FRINGE PLAYOFF TEAMS (NOT HOT OR COLD RIGHT NOW): 8. vNexs 9. Polski Boys FRINGE PLAYOFF TEAMS (BUT I HAVE CONCERNS): 10.GOONS 11. Blackbirds 12. Heimo LIKELY OUT OF THE HUNT (HOPING TO FINISH 9-12): 13. ONSE Esports 14. The Black Jacks 15. Vapor INCOMPLETE (CAN'T FAIRLY RANK AT THE MOMENT): NOVA Want to keep up with everything happening ECL in the this season? Make sure to follow/subscribe to SportsGamerGG on Twitch, YouTube and X.

ECL ELITE - WEEK ONE STORYLINES We're seven days into the ECL '25: Spring season and are already seeing storylines develop across the Elite division. We've seen everything from early-season surprises (both good and bad), to significant transfers that could very well change to outlook of a team's season. Considering all of that, let's take a look at some of the biggest storylines that we saw take place throughout the first week of action in the Elite Division. Also, thanks again to @Mozjayh for his contributions to this week's article! Defending Champs Looking To Recapture Last Season's Magic As of this writing, Parasite has scored just 13 goals despite registering a staggering 129 shots on net. That is an average of 2.17 goals on 21.5 shots per game. Even though we all know that the goals will come eventually, this is the total opposite of what we saw from this team last season. During the Winter season, Parasite averaged 5.32 goals for per game, which is an ECL record. The team's newest addition, Aaro, has also been held scoreless in their first 6 games. Despite the team's slow start offensively, its defense and goaltending have made up for it plenty, as Parasite has the fewest goals allowed per game by a landslide at 1. This shouldn't be anything to worry about. Parasite is one of the best teams in the world and its only change in the lineup was replacing one of Europe's best wingers (NikkeDangles) with another one of Europe's best wingers (Aaro). They will find their scoring touch eventually and when they do, this will be a non-story. After all, it's not like they aren't creating chances. Still, though, it's something to keep an eye on considering how steep of a drop it is from their Winter season goals number. Tohtorit's Surprisingly Slow Start After back-to-back seasons of finishing in the Top 4 in the standings, Tohtorit is off to a much slower start to their Spring campaign; getting only 2 wins in their first 8 games with only one of them being in regulation. Their start also includes 4 OT losses. Considering the fact that this team brought back its entire lineup from a group that earned the finish 2nd in the regular season standings and made it to the Semifinals just three months, it's surprising to see them struggle to find their form. The reason for their struggles can be pointed at a few factors. One would be their struggles on the penalty kill, something that was a sizable flaw for this team a season ago. So far, Tohtorit has taken 16 PIM and is 50% on the penalty kill. Not good. Additionally, last season's goaltender of the season Stammer has not been up to his usual form, sporting just a 75.7SV% in his eight starts. In comparison, he ended the Winter season with an 86SV% while starting all 28 games. Tohtorit ended their week by playing over 186 in-game minutes in two matches against vNexs. A big 3rd-period comeback in the second game after trailing by two goals earned the team a victory in OT, one that feels much needed after six straight losses going into that game. Mythix Making A Statement Early The story surrounding Mythix coming into the season was whether they could emerge as a true championship contender. One week into the season, and so far they've answered that challenge. Through their first six games, Mythix have earned a total of 16 out of possible 18 points; placing them 2nd in the standings only behind Last Dance. Their offense has been dominant so far, leading the league in goals for per game with 4.67 and a total of 28 goals scored. Sokkelo has been the stand-out player amongst the group, scoring a staggering 14 goals and 21 points in those games, both of which lead the division. They've also been lethal on the man advantage, boasting a 58.33% power play with a total of 7 goals scored. The most impressive part about was Mythix is doing is that they are doing this against multiple playoff-caliber teams; as they were able to sweep both EXEN and Tohtorit in their series' this week. They were especially impressive in the two games against EXEN, and very well could've scored even more with the number of counterattacks they had (they outscored EXEN 10-3 in the series). There's still plenty of hockey left to be played, but based on Week One, Mythix looks like a legitimate championship threat. Combine this with their recent FCL and I think you can officially say that Mythix is the hottest team in Europe right now. Time will tell if they can keep this up, but if they can, look out. Heimo Back On The Rise? Speaking of hot starts, let's talk about Heimo for a minute. The group finished the first week with only 1 loss in 6 games played while having one of the most productive offenses in the division. They've also been able to do this against a pair of playoff teams from a season ago in Last Dance and The Black Jacks, as well as a notable playoff hopeful in Polski Boys. The biggest story for this group has been the offensive boost that their new acquisitions have provided. Last season, Heimo had the second-lowest goal total in the division, scoring just 56 goals and averaging 2 GF/GP. That is only three goals more than the lowest-placed team, which was Renascor. So far this season, the script has completely filled, as Heimo now has the second-most goals scored at 24 and are averaging 4 GF/GP, doubling their number from the Winter. KingOfApes' return to the Elite division has started off with quite a bang, as he's managed to put up an unheard of amount points for a defenceman to begin the season. Through six games, KingOfApes has tallied 18 points, which ranks second in the division. Just to give you an idea of how insane that is, he is currently on pace to finish the season with 90 POINTS. AS A DEFENSEMAN. Is that not unreal??? The most notable series was against Last Dance, who currently sit at the top of the Elite standings. This series saw a totally opposite pair of games, as Heimo managed to earn a 7-1 win followed by a 5-1 loss. They also saw a pair of dramatic games against Polski Boys; losing a lead with just four seconds left on the clock in Game 1, and tying the game with only two seconds left in Game 2. Both games resulted in overtime wins. Can they continue this form? That'll be put to the test on Monday when they play against the defending champions, Parasite. Multiple Notable Transfer Moves Krike - FA -> GOONS A long-standing piece to this GOONS has officially made his return in Krike. Though he hasn't played in any tournaments the whole year, everybody knows his ability and the impact he can bring to a team. In 130 career games as a defenseman, Krike has put up 146 points and 903 hits while being a +56 when on the ice. He'll slot in at LD in GOONS' starting lineup and will not only be someone who can make an immediate impact, but will also be able to fit in well with a group that he is familiar with, as three of his current GOONS teammates were with the team when he last played in the ECL 24 Spring season. This should make for a seamless and smooth transition for all involved. JM98 - Polski Boys -> Vapor Replacing Jemmmuu and taking the LW spot with Nieppii switching wings, JM is a veteran, goal-producing winger who will make an impact on Vapor's forward core. His Elite division resume goes back to as early as ECL 6 with Unlucky Boys, and he's scored as many as 32 goals at this level, doing so with YMCA Esports in ECL 12. In its two games this week against Last Dance, Vapor were held to a pair of one-goal losses and mustered just three goals in the series, averaging 11 shots per game. Though his goal-scoring numbers have gone down in each of the last three seasons, he also found himself on the division's lowest-scoring teams in each of those three seasons with Polski Boys and Renascor. A change of scenery paired with two other proven forwards in Dzouvi and Nieppi should make for a respectable forward trio. Jemmmuu - Vapor -> Polski Boys It's funny how things work out. JM goes to Vapor taking Jemmu's spot, and Jemmu winds up going to Polski Boys, JM's former team. Jemmu played in two games with Vapor this season, registering one point in a pair of one-goal losses to Last Dance. Jemmu has played in one ECL season prior to this season, as he put up 44 points and 36 assists in 30 games with Gotham Knights in the Pro Division last season. He also tallied 59 points in 16 FCL games with TIKI TALK, which ranked second on the team was was 30 more points than the next closest player on the team. With Polski Boys having already played eight games prior to the move and struggling for goals (they averaged just 1.75 goals for per game), it'll be interesting to see if Jemmu can earn his place in the starting lineup as a rookie on a team with a ton of experience and chemistry. Lakritsipiippu - ONSE Esports -> Blackbirds The departure of Blackbirds starting goalie Jeerik17 was followed by a slightly controversial move with ONSE Esports starting goalie Lakritsipiippu switching teams within the division midseason. The rookie goaltender has been able to prove himself by having the third-highest save percentage so far with 86% in six starts, including two with his new team on Sunday, where Blackbirds were able to split the series with the defending champs Parasite. ONSE obviously had to react quickly and were able to acquire Hulkkoo. Hulkko was ONSE's starting goalie last season in the Pro division when they were still known by their previous name Ismon Valinta. He posted a 78.9SV% in the regular season while starting all 30 games. xCurhed - Brynäs IF Esport (Pro Division) -> SSK ESPORTS SSK was able to add to its forward group with the transfer of Curhed. Curhed the season in the Pro division, scoring 25 points in 8 games for Brynäs. Last season was his second ECL season and the most action that he has seen in his ECL career, as he played 28 games with Devilz in the Pro Division, notching 51 points, 23 goals, and 28 assists. Prior to that, he played eight games with Section A12 in the Lite Division in the ECL '24: Spring season, but the team DNF's the remainder of the season. He made his Elite debut on Sunday against GOONS, putting up 3 points with a goal and two assists. The 19-year-old Swedish rookie started at LW in both games. Adaaaam_2 - Brynäs IF Esport (Pro Division) -> SSK ESPORTS Another transfer to SSK ESPORTS from Brynäs IF Esport, Adaaaam will add another defenseman to an already plentiful SSK roster. Adaaaam managed to notch 8 points in his eight starts with Brynäs IF this season, and managed to earn himself 27 points in 28 games with AFTERLIFE in the Pro Division last season. The rookie defenseman played in SSK’s season-opening series against GOONS on Sunday and managed to contribute two assists and 7 takeaways. The two teams split the series with a win-a-piece. Adaaaam started at LD in both contests. Want to keep up with everything happening ECL in the this season? Make sure to follow/subscribe to SportsGamerGG on Twitch, YouTube, and X.

Ahh, Spring. The birds are chirping, the flowers are growing again and the ECL Elite Division is back for another season. The last time we were all here, Parasite lifted the Elite Division trophy at Winter Assembly; capping off what will go down as one of the most dominant campaigns in ECL history. Now, they will hope to defend their crown against 15 contenders, each of them hoping to be crowned champions of the Elite Division for the Spring season. With the season officially getting underway this week, let's take a look at each of the division's 16 teams and catch up on some of the changes that we saw over the offseason. Also, though my name may be on the post, I have to thank @Mozjayh for helping put this piece together. Now without further ado, let's get into our Elite division preview. Blackbirds Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, ECL Pro Division Champions IN: - OUT: - After a Winter season where we saw multiple recently promoted teams make their name known in the Elite Division, Blackbirds are hoping to be the next breakout team in ECL's top tier after winning the Pro Division title in February. Despite not having a single game of Elite Division experience on its roster, Blackbirds returns its entire starting lineup from last season's championship team. What they lack in experience, they make up for in continuity and chemistry. This is a young and very skillful group who have a good philosophy in their game and have been able to use their individual skill as an advantage. Though the adjustment to playing Elite competition will be a viable concern for this team, many have said that they could be a dark horse in this season, certainly a team that I think no one expects to go down or be even close to it. I wouldn't expect this team to make a similar run as Mustaa Kultaa did last season in its inaugural Elite season, but their individual skill combined with their chemistry as a unit will help ease its transition in playing against the best teams that Europe has to offer. Though making it into the Top 8 feels like a lofty expectation, I do expect Blackbirds to catch a few teams by surprise this season. A successful season would be staying competitive and keeping themselves safe from the relegation zone; giving themselves something to build on for ECL '26. EXEN Last Season: Finished 7th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Tohtorit in 5 games IN: @x-_-BoBi-_-x from Mythix @h3rmu__ from FA OUT: @benuh_ to Falun Coal Miners @Mozjayh to Heimo @Lxndstrom to Last Dance EXEN's NHL 25 run has been one of the most fascinating stories there is. In last season's preview, I said that it was EXEN's most talented roster to date and that they should be a championship favorite. Six weeks later, EXEN barely made the playoffs and were ousted after just five games in the Quarterfinals. This team's biggest problem last season was goal-scoring and this showed up in the largest way in the playoffs. In their Quarterfinals series against Tohtorit, EXEN were outscored 8-2 and were shut out twice. Despite solid play on their own end, a lack of offense sealed this team's fate. This was an unmitigated disappointment for a group with championship-level talent, and arguably one of the biggest letdowns that we've seen in the Division in years. For whatever reason, things just never clicked for this group. This meant for multiple significant changes to the roster over the offseason to shake things up, as benuh_, Mozjayh, and Lxndstrom each departed to separate teams. To replace, them EXEN brought in one of the league's better point-producers in BoBi & an interesting signing in Hermu, who joins the team as a free agent after not playing since ECL 23 Spring in the Pro Division with Polski Boys. It would seem odd to sign someone like Hermu from an outside perspective, but he is a talented and mechanical winger who has so far fit in fine with the rest of the roster. Hermu will be making his Elite debut having only a total of 4 appearances in the lower Pro division. The loss of benuh also makes it clear that kaz_zu is the now uncontested starter at goalie for this team, as the two split times last season in both the regular season and playoffs. This group did play in the recent FCL, where they lost to Tohtorit again in the Round of 16, so the group has had some practice already. The expectations for this team are much more tame than they were six months ago, but they should still be a playoff team that should aim for a Top 4 finish in the standings. GOONS Last Season: Finished 8th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Parasite in 4 games IN: @Sakkem from Heimo @MrNipsuli from RYHTIC @LeiskaViis7 from Kymmenelta Clubille OUT: @sisu33_ to Almost Famous @Easychasniper2 to N0VA GOONS has been the rollercoaster team of the ECL for the past three years. They've seen the highs of an Elite Division Semifinals appearance, and the lows of being relegated to the Pro Division and having to earn their way back to Elite through a Qualifier last season. Considering that they had just hit what felt like rock bottom, many were surprised to see GOONS make the playoffs last season after not even being a lock for the Division just weeks before. GOONS are known for their unique, run-n-gun style of playing; powered by high-hitting numbers which has resulted in high-scoring games on both ends. Where they struggled however was in special teams, as besides Tohtorit, GOONS had the worst combined PP/PK in the division last season. GOONS returns most of its core from a season ago, but after a shockingly disappointing display in FCL, their young defensive pairing of Sisu and Easychasniper decided to go their own ways and leave the team. Replacing the duo are two experienced defenders in Sakkem and MrNipsuli, who each boast multiple successful seasons in the Elite Division. The team also added to their defense in Leiskaviis, a rookie who though has had some successful seasons in the Core and Lite divisions, played as a forward with Kymmenelta Clubille, who finished last in the Pro Division last season. Though to his credit, he was the team's leader in points with 42 and assists with 22. Thie biggest question for this team will be whether of not they can replicate last season. With increased parity and stiff competition in the mid-table, it'll be a tougher challenge for GOONS to find their way into the Top 8. I don't see this team elevating much more than it did last season, but they should be in the playoff conversation again and will hope to avoid the relegation battle. Heimo Last Season: Finished 12th in Regular Season standings IN: @Mozjayh from EXEN @KingOfApes_ from N0VA OUT: @xHatsi to FA @Sakkem to GOONS The last time we saw Heimo make the playoffs was two years ago in the ECL ’23: Spring season, back when they were under the JANO name. They switched to the Heimo name and brand after that season and haven’t made playoffs since, though core members of that team in SadaPoika, Eemil, and Vamoux have remained with the group during that time and are back again with the team this season as captains. Despite three straight disappointing finishes, Heimo made two key acquisitions in acquiring KingOfApes and Mozjayh. KingOfApes is back where he belongs in the Elite Division after spending last season in Pro, where he was instrumental in helping N0VA get promoted to Elite. It doesn't feel like long ago that KingOfApes was undoubtedly viewed as one of the best defenders in Europe and was an anchor for hREDS during their run of three straight Elite Division titles. I still believe that he has a level of form in him, though lack of team success since departing hREDS has hindered him over the last few seasons. Expect him to be a vocal point of this team and a frontrunner for Comeback Player of The Year throughout the season. Similarly to KingOfApes, Mozjayh was a key piece to a championship group, winning back-to-back championships with Tunnel Vision in ECL 23 and a third championship. with hREDS in the ECL 24 Winter Season. He spent the past two seasons with EXEN, but struggled to find his form last season with just 37 points in 28 games during the regular season. The former champion is now being given a fresh start with Heimo and will look to bounce back from what was a disappointing Winter. Any time you can bring in two players who were key pieces to a championship team, you do it. These are the type of moves that Heimo has needed for a while. Players that have skill, ambition, and championship pedigree. These two will bring exactly that as highly-demanding and accomplished players who will be motivated to make their way back to the very top where they were not long ago. I'd expect this team to be in the playoff hunt if all goes according to plan, with the potential to even make some noise if they can make it there. Last Dance (formerly Voittamaton) Last Season: Finished 4th in Regular Season standings, lost in Semifinals vs Parasite in 5 games IN: @NikkeDangles from Parasite @Puantso from Tiki Talk @Lxndstrom from EXEN OUT: @FlyerKungen to Golden Buffalos @Patzlaf to Golden Buffalos @temppanen to Mythix After multiple seasons of speculation and disappointing playoff exits, Last Dance decided to completely revamp most of its core for the first time in a while. As much as it may hurt, a shake-up for this team was needed. Formerly Voittamaton, Straikers, and Frolunda HC, the previous just wasn't able to get over the hump, as it had fallen in the Semifinals each of the last four seasons and last made the Finals in ECL '23, where it fell short to Tunnel Vision in both the Winter and Spring season. The departure of the most iconic duo in league history Eki and Patzlaf and a long-accomplished player in FlyerKungen is one that sent shockwaves around the league. The addition of NikkeDangles, who has been one of the best players in the scene for many, many years, caused even more. Puantso, a former long-time forward of this team, makes his return to the lineup after a short stint with TIKI TALK during the Winter campaign. This will give Eki - one of the league's most consistent players no matter the situation - a familiar face to pair with the new acquisition in Nikke at the wings. Is it actually the Last Dance? The team's name and the statement in its bio would suggest yet. Outside of NikkeDangles, this group has been long-starved for championship gold. Its last ECL Championship was in ECL 11. Time (apparently) is running out for this team to make it back to the top. Though it won't be easy, anything less than a Finals appearance would feel like a disappointment considering the circumstances. They'll hope that their "Last Dance" includes one more trophy. Mustaa Kultaa Last Season: Finished 3rd in Regular Season standings, lost in Elite Finals vs Parasite in 6 games IN: @Wpaanane from PANIC ON ICE @karlssonadam_ from Unwanted OUT: @xAaro89x to Parasite It's been a long time since we've seen a team rise as radially as Mustaa Kultaa has over the past two years. After the magical run and a great effort in the Elite Finals against Parasite, Mustaa Kultaa is back and hoping to make it one step further than it did in the Winter. A ton of credit has to got to Allupekkaz for the work he has done as the team's primary captain over the past year. It'll be interesting to see if they build on what was a dream debut season; especially considering that their leading scorer and point-getter, Aaro, transferred to Parasite over the offseason. Replacing him is wpaananen, who returns to the Elite division after a two-year stint with teams in the lower divisions. In his last Elite season in Spring 23, he finished fourth in the division in points with 71, helping lead JANO to a playoff birth and the division's third-highest scoring offense. Mustaa Kultaa did well with this acquisition considering the circumstances and how late in the offseason it was. This group also added another goalie in Karlssonadam, who was really able to prove himself in NHL 24 with Purification and Unwanted. It'll be interesting to see how the ECL 24 Winter Rookie of the Season will pair with last season's top rookie Latvex, as the two will likely split time despite both playing like unquestioned starters over the past year. We also have to note that the removal of golden abilities, particularly "One Tee", will be something to watch with this team, as it takes away what is a considerable part of Mustaa Kultaa's game. I’m sure that they will be able to adapt with this group having high-level players across the roster, but it's still something to keep in mind; especially during the earlier stages of the season. Though it'd be easy to view this team as "championship or bust" after falling just two wins short a season ago, I wouldn't expect them to surpass last season, nor would I put much pressure on them to do so. It's not that they aren't a playoff threat, but the only way this team could truly move up is by winning the championship, which feels like a considerable ask from a team that lost its most productive skater from its roster from a season ago. With that being said, this is still a team that can challenge for a Semifinals spot and potentially earn their way back into the Finals if everything clicks. Mythix Last Season: Finished 5th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Voittamaton in 5 games IN: @Sokkelo__ from Roots Gaming @temppanen from Last Dance (previously known as Voittamaton) @Akunkku from FA (Played ECL ’24 Spring in Heimo) OUT: @koleslaav_ to BLEGI @x-_-BoBi-_-x to EXEN @Valee__ to Almost Famous Coming into the season as the newly crowned Finnish champion, Mythix will look to carry over the momentum and form to the ECL season. This team has surprised some people as a consistent playoff threat in its first two Elite Division seasons; finishing 6th and 5th in the standings, but being bounced in the Quarterfinals each time. This season will be much different though than the last. Mythix returned all six of its starters for the Winter season, but lost multiple key players over the offseason and have undergone a significant roster revamp. Temppanen was one of the bigger additions in the offseason, as he joins Mythix after putting up 54 points and 27 goals with Voittamaton last season. He will replace Bobbi who has proven to be a high-productive forward with Mythix the last two seasons. The team also brought in Sokkelo who joins from the relegated, and now-defunct Roots Gaming team. Sokkelo is a good player who has unfortunately made history in the Elite Division for the wrong reasons unfortunately, as he has yet to make a single playoff appearance despite having 11 seasons in the Elite Division under his belt. Can he finally break the streak? This certainly felt like one of the best opportunities so far. As quietly as it's kept, he scored 32 goals last season with ranked sixth in the Elite division. Kunkku will join WeDux at defense and are hoping to prove themselves as a top defense pairing in the Division. They have shown that the potential is there and will be key if Mythix want to elevate to the next tier of teams within the division. This team and its form feel like it's improved over the past month. They brought in multiple skilled players and carried in more momentum than any team in the division to start the season. They even brought home their first trophy in club history. Now it's time for Mythix to take the next step in the ECL; proving themselves as a serious contender. NOVA Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Semifinals vs Blackbirds in 5 games, won Elite Relegation series vs Roots Gaming in 4 games IN: @Easychasniper2 from GOONS @Motzzyy from Renascor @LaxenHD from Unwanted OUT: @KingOfApes_ to Heimo @Nester4343 to Rusty X @letsgoat to Aspyre @XxKapUstaxX to MISSCLICK @Shaitan_Batyr to HC NAMOTKA After its best run as a club in the Pro Division last season, NOVA was able to break through and earn its way into the Elite division in their fourth season of competition. With promotion, however, comes the need for improvement, and NOVA got quite busy in the transfer window to try and make those improvements possible. Vlxddy and Dekko are the only skaters who remain from the previous season's promoted side, with Dekko moving himself to defense after spending last season at LW. Outside of the loss of KingOfApes, who was second on this team in points last season and led the team in assists. His departure will be considerable, as NOVA would've loved to have his experience and skill in their first season up, but the rest of its departures were players without previous prior Elite experience though, and their additions were all players who have played at this level for multiple seasons. Motzzyy will be a name to watch for NOVA. He'll likely be one of the more puck-dominant players in the league and looks to replace the production left behind by KingOfApes. He'll be a key part of NOVA's success this season. Easychasniper has the potential to be a great winger in this league. He's one of the best 1v1 players in Europe and his success in that scene has translated well to 6v6 so far. He comes over from GOONS after spending the prior two seasons at defense. It will be a significant adjustment for him, but the talent and potential are there. He will pair with another transfer in Laxen, who though playing just one game last season with Unwanted, was a solid player for Purification in his rookie season prior to that. This team feels like one of the more unpredictable groups in the field. With the additions they've made to their roster, they have the individual skill level to compete and play a high-tempo style of play. But is that enough in a long 30-game season? How much will their team game (on both ends) evolve and improve in that time period? That remains to be seen, but NOVA has the potential and the roster to potentially catch some people by surprise. ONSE Esports (formerly Ismon Valinta) Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Quarterfinals vs Blackbirds in 5 games, won Elite Qualifier vs Herlev Eagles in 4 games IN: @aJuti from Kolikot Esports @Sagee95 from RHYTIC @LucePro from Gotham Knights @Lakritsipiippu from DILAC @JoJuzz01 from FA OUT: @Ikavalko to Almost Famous @Jalkkin-- to Almost Famous @Hulkkoo to Almost Famous @xrikardo55 to Almost Famous @lycki10 to ROBE Esports @JoakimOilers to AFTERLIFE Earning it place in the Elite Division just days before the start of the season, ONSE Esports will look to make a name for itself in the ECL's top tier. Formerly Ismon Valinta, this group is captained by Jusu121 and have competed in the ECL 23 Spring season, where they began in the Core division. They spent the last two seasons in the Pro division and despite being just the 13th seed, made a run to the Quarterfinals before being ousted by Blackbirds, the eventual champions. Considering the amount of roster turnover that we saw from this team over the offseason, with five players entering and six exiting, ONSE Esports is presented with a unique challenge. Not only will they have to make th adjustment to the Elite division as a team with zero Elite experience on its roster, but it will also have to adapt to each other, as just three players return from last season's Ismon Valinta team. On a positive note, ONSE do return its to leading goal scorers from last season in Jusu and Puosu, who combined for 44 of Ismon Valinta's 82 goals during the regular season. They also have some positive momentum heading into the season, as not only did they win the qualifier to earn their spot into Elite, but they also had an impressive FCL run on top of it. ONSE Esports finished first in their Group which included an Elite division team in TIKI TALK (much of Vapor's roster was on that team). They eventually made it to Round 3 of the playoffs before being eliminated by Lemmenvelhot. Admittedly, it's tough to truly predict where the ceiling for this team could be with there being so many unknowns. They have multiple talented players from the Pro ranks, but lack experience at this level and were a mid-pack team in their group in the Pro Division last season, and it's not often that a team in that situation stays in Elite for very long. I don't think it means that they can't, as we saw TIKI TALK manage to stay up and even compete for a playoff spot despite similar circumstances, but the lack of experience that ONSE is a real concern. Their goal will be similar to many first-time teams in the division. Grow, be competitive, and fight to stay out of the relegation zone. If ONSE Esports can do that, their first season in the division will be considered a successful one. Parasite Last Season: Finished 1st in Regular Season standings, ECL Elite Division Champions IN: @xAaro89x from Mustaa Kultaa OUT: @NikkeDangles to Last Dance The defending champions are back and return the majority of their dominant core from a season ago. Their one loss however was the biggest of any team this season. The departure of NikkeDangles is a significant one. He's one of the best players in the world and has been a key part of the team since ECL 11, winning multiple championships and individual awards in the process. Despite the change though, Parasite was able to replace one of the scene's best forwards with another, acquiring Aaro from Mustaa Kultaa, who Parasite faced in last season's Finals at Assembly Winter. Aaro was a key piece to Mustaa Kultaa's magical Winter season and proved that he belongs among the top players of the Elite division, notching a career-best 69 points and 40 goals. He will be switching from LW to RW this season, which is notable considering that he has played on the left side for his entire 6s career. We will see how quickly he can make the adjustment, though playing with fellow MVP-level talents in Beniittto and Vattu will certainly ease that transition. Outside of this, it was an uneventful offseason, which is a great thing for a defending champion. Parasite did lose 2-3 in the Finnish championship Final against Mythix over the weekend, though with a different RW and ruleset (no abilities allowed to be used). It would be unfair to expect them to match their performance from last season. Parasite won 27 of their 28 games in the regular season and finished it as the highest-scoring team in Elite division history, putting up a mind-lowing 5.32 goals for per game. In the playoffs, they never went further than six games in a series and defeated three totally different styles of teams and some of the better players in the scene on those rosters. Parasite are the championship favorites until proven otherwise. Polski Boys Last Season: Finished 9th in Regular Season standings IN: - OUT: - As weird as it is, I could almost copy and paste what I typed in last season's preview and it would apply. Polski Boys are still looking for their breakthrough moment in the Elite Division, finishing in no-man’s land in each of their first three seasons, but steadily improving during their time in the ECL's highest tier. Few teams have had more roster continuity than Polski Boys. They return their entire lineup from last season's team and they only made one move prior to the Winter season, adding Tunkeilija. Last season this team finished 8th in the division in both goals for and goals against; all while flexing the league's best PK at 95.8%. Despite statically being one of the Top 8 teams last season, Polski Boys missed the playoff cutline by just three points, as they fell down the table at the end of the season after finishing 4-5-1 in their last 10 games, while EXEN, Mythix and The Black Jacks all passed them in the standings. This team is experienced, together and has steadily improved since winning the Pro Division title in ECL 23 Spring. They've been widely predicted to make the playoffs for the last two seasons, but just not been able to get over that line, is it finally time? It feels like it has to be. If not, questions will begin to form on whether this group will ever be able to become a playoff team without a significant shake up to the roster. SSK ESPORTS Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Finals vs Blackbirds in 4 games, won Elite Relegation series vs Falun Coal Miners in 5 games IN: @bystrom___ from Unwanted @Demski_ from Serpentes OUT: @jojjep- to vNexs Academy @Jonte05_ to vNexs Three months ago, no one would've predicted that SSK ESPORTS would be playing in the Elite Division. The Swedish lineup made the Pro Division playoffs by just one point after ending the regular season with a 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games. During their postseason run, they knocked off three of the top eight teams, including the #1 overall seed and a former Elite division team. Their Cinderella run came to an end in the Finals via a sweep, but they were able to earn their way into the Elite division the next week by knocking off Falun Coal Miners in a relegation series; giving SSK their first Elite season in club history. This team will need for that magic to be replicated, as four of its starters from that run have returned this season. They made an experienced addition to their defense in Bystrom, who was a steady defender for Purification two seasons ago before playing eight games as a forward with Unwanted last season. Outside of Bystrom, the only other players on the roster with Elite division experience are Rubituss and Demski. Rubituss spent three seasons with Farjestad BK and two seasons with HV71. His most recent season in the division was in ECL 24 Spring with Purification, where he and Bystrom were teammates. He'll be slotting in at center for this team. Demski spent two seasons in Elite with HV71 during the ECL 22 Winter and Spring season. He played eight games last season with Sepentes in the Pro division and will slot in at forward for this team. He's played sparingly over the last few seasons, but is familiar with the competition level and will be a welcome piece to the team's forward group. Though few will view this team as a playoff threat, the expectation for this group should be to continue growing and improving while adjusting to Elite division competition; giving them the opportunity to avoid relegation and build on their progress for ECL 26. The Black Jacks Last Season: Finished 6th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Mustaa Kultaa in 5 games IN: @ProfaneKiss from Deadly Phantoms @Houddel_RBM from Red Bull Munich eSports OUT: @kkostiiii to Almost Famous @Keuschemisch After three consecutive seasons of making the playoffs, The Black Jacks are back after falling in the Quarterfinals last season and undergoing a turbulent, and controversial end to their season. Though the group has become an established playoff team and is coming off of its best regular season finish in Elite, they enter the Spring season without their most creative and maybe feared offensive player in Keuschemisch; putting this experienced Central European powerhouse into quite an interesting position. Losing Kermit takes away TBJ's most consistent and productive player, as he led The Black Jacks in points in each of the last four seasons. Replacing Keuschemisch this season is ProfaneeKiss, an experienced player who was a long-time staple for Deadly Phantoms for many years. Though many of the Phantoms' recent seasons were in the Pro Division, Profane has some Elite Division experience, playing at this level in ECL 9, 10, and 11. He also put up multiple 60+ point seasons at forward during his time in Pro for a team that though wasn't able to make its way back to the Elite division during his time there, did get close several times. Along with the loss of Kermit is the team's starting goaltender from last season, Kosti, who departs to Almost Famous in the Pro Division after posting a 79.6sv% and starting every game for the team last season. His shoes will be filled by rookie goalie THE EAGLE, who spent a few seasons with HC Lugano eSports before transferring to The Black Jacks midseason after just four games in the Pro Division. This team also has plenty of form going for them, as they're still currently participating in the German Championship Playoffs and had an undefeated regular season in Division I. The Black Jacks have a certain style of play, but Keuschemisch was able to put his own spark into it and make it work which certainly was shown in the results. This will be a significant gameplay adjustment for TBJ to undergo, and it'll take more than just Profane to make up for the loss of Keuschemisch's production. If they can do it, they'll be a fringe playoff team again. If not, then it could see their season end in no man's land. Tohtorit Last Season: Finished 2nd in Regular Season standings, lost in Semifinals vs Mustaa Kultaa in 5 games IN: - OUT: - Last season, Tohtorit proved that the ECL 24 Spring season was no fluke. This team is legit, and are likely here to stay. They finished in the Top 4 in the regular season for each of the past two seasons and won their first playoff series in the Elite division after knocking out EXEN in January's Winter season quarterfinals. Combine that with their run to the Semifinals in the FCL (fell to the eventual champions Mythix), and Tohtorit have proven that they belong in the conversation of Europe's top teams. In terms of play style, Tohtorit plays compact, shutdown defense and pair it with one of the best goalies in Europe with Stammer, who won Goaltender of the Season in the Winter. Offensively, they are able to either counter very fast, or fully reset and take their time with possession. They're able to frustrate many high-puck possession teams and have unpredictable forwards who utilize deception to create quality scoring chances. They also have Kkarkas on defense, who has proven to be one of the best puck-handling defensemen in the league, as he led the division in time with the puck last season with over 200 minutes. He also finished second in that state in the Spring 24 season, placing only behind Tombo. Tohorit made zero roster changes for the second offseason in a row and has as much chemistry as any team in the Division. They've proven that they can consistently in this division and have done so well beating other top teams. Tohtorit should be squarely in the championship conversation come playoff time and should aim for another Top 4 finish in the regular season. Vapor (formerly TIKI TALK) Last Season: Finished 10th in Regular Season standings IN: @dzouvi from FA @Nieppii from Vizio @Jemmuuu from Gotham Knights OUT: @itspardytime to HC Lugano eSports @TeMeX to Kokemus Puuttuu @Puantso to Last Dance After a strong return to the Elite division and a great end of the regular season to secure 10th, Vapor hopes to take the next step in their return to prominence; earning its way into a playoff spot for the Spring. This team had unfortunately had one of the more impactful departures of the offseason in longtime captain ItsPardyTime, who currently sits as a free agent and likely seems to be stepping away for the season. Pardy was a critical key to the group's success last season and was the heart and soul of TIKI TALK for many seasons. He had a career season in the Elite Division with 75 points, 33 goals, and 42 assists; which each ranked Top 5 in the division and earned him Comeback Player of the Season honors, as well as being a nominee for Forward of the Season. Along with Pardy's departure was TeMex, who was the team's second-leading point-getter at 54 points. Losing these two forwards is a considerable loss for a team that was tied for third in the division in goals per game at 3.11, so this will be the biggest question mark for them this season. Vapor was able to acquire Vesa Pompa's long-time servant and a highly skilled center in Dzouvi, who returns after taking last season off. Expect him to likely be in the running for Comeback Player of the Season. Searching for a new home alongside the other experienced winger Nieppii, who after his comeback to the scene hasn’t really found a long-term home yet. He spent last season with Vizio in the Pro division and will play his first season in Elite since ECL 23 Spring when he was with Växjö Lakers. They also added Jemmu to the roster. The 17-year-old rookie only has 1 ECL season under his belt which was in Pro, but he played with TIKI TALK in the recent FCL and was impressive through his 16 games, putting up 59 points. Vapor's fate this season will likely be decided by whether or not it can improve defensively and/or replicate its offensive production from last season despite losing its top two forwards. Despite being one of the division's highest-scoring teams, TIKI TALK was also one of its worst teams in its own end, allowing 3.46 goals per game. Only Root Gaming and Falun Coal Miners allowed more, and both were relegated at the end of the season. They were able to add some proven names to its roster which is encouraging, but with many of them being new to each other, we will have to wait and see how quickly they can mesh. This feels like a team that can either make the playoffs, or end up in a relegation battle depending on the answers that they give to these questions. vNexs (formerly Vesa Pompa) Last Season: Finished 11th in Regular Season standings IN: @iSvamp from FA @Ttv_ahnbergs99 from Bjorkloven Esport OUT: @Eken45jr to Golden Buffalos @SebbeLarsen86 to FA vNexs is an interesting team for a lot of reasons. The past two seasons have been a bit of a disappointment for Vesa Pompa. They haven't been a bottom-of-the-barrel team, but they've found themselves stuck in mediocrity as of late; finishing 12th and 11th in the ECL 24 Spring and ECL 25 Winter season. On top of that, two of its most experienced players, the team's long-time captain Eken and SebbeLarson are both no longer with the team. It doesn't mean that this team doesn't have talent, as it return four of its starters from a season ago, including two of its three forwards vNexs' revamped backline will be the biggest story to follow this season. Vesa Pompa allowed 3.04 goals per game last season, so they will hope that a new pairing and a new brand will help them improve in that area. Ahnbergs, the 14 year-old phenomenon, will be a player to watch. The young Swedish defenseman makes the jump to the Elite division after an impressive Pro campaign with Bjorkloven Esport last season. If he's in the lineup consistently, look out for him to be contender for Rookie of the Season. He'll pair up with iSvamp, who joins the team as a free agent after taking the Winter season off. He was a key piece to the Leksands IF team that made it to the Pro Division finals in ECL 23 Winter before falling to Tohtorit. He's played sparingly in the Neo division since, but he has multiple seasons of Elite division experience, last playing in ECL 9 with Miracle, so he should provide a steady, veteran presence with the young rookie by his side. This team is a bit of a mystery and slow starts to the season have plagued them in each of the past two campaigns. It'll be important for this team to collect points consistently rather than play catch-up like they've had to in the two seasons prior. If they can do that, then they have the talent to be in the playoff race at season end, but they will need to show some improvement from what we've seen from them over the past calendar year. Predictions # @Mozjayh (Excluding Heimo) @bMaJuH 1 Parasite Parasite 2 Last Dance Last Dance 3 EXEN Tohtorit 4 Mythix Mustaa Kultaa 5 Tohtorit EXEN 6 Mustaa Kultaa Mythix 7 Blackbirds Heimo 8 Polski Boys The Black Jacks 9 The Black Jacks Polski Boys 10 vNexs Vapor 11 N0VA Blackbirds 12 Vapor vNexs 13 GOONS N0VA 14 ONSE ESPORTS GOONS 15 SSK ONSE ESPORTS 16 - SSK ECL Elite Format: 1 Group - 16 Teams Team license required: Yes Player license required: Yes Gamedays: Mon, Wed & Thu Regular season starts: 7.4 Transfer deadline: 25.4 23:59 CET ⚠️ Regular season ends: 8.5 Playoffs (BO7) Quarterfinals Monday 26.5 - 20:00 CET | 4vs5 & 1vs8 | Games 1-2 Wednesday 28.5 - 20:00 CET | 3vs6 & 2vs7 | Games 1-2 Thursday 29.5 - 19:30 CET | 4vs5 & 1vs8 | Games 3-4 Sunday 1.6 - 19:30 CET | 3vs6 & 2vs7 | Games 3-4 Monday 2.6 - 19:30 CET | 4vs5 & 1vs8 | Games 5-7 Wednesday 4.6- 19:30 CET | 3vs6 & 2vs7 | Games 5-7 Semifinals Sunday 8.6 - 20:00 CET | 2vs3 & 1vs4 | Games 1-2 Monday 9.6 - 19:30 CET | 1vs4 | Games 3-7 Wednesday 11.6 - 18:30 CET | 2vs3 | Games 3-7 Finals Saturday 14.6 - TBC Want to keep up with everything happening ECL in the this season? 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Six weeks and 28 games later, eight teams have emerged as the best that the Elite division has to offer, and now just 12 wins separate them from the chance to lift a championship trophy at Assembly Winter in February. Some teams are hoping to add to their respective legacies, whole others are looking to start one of their own. That playoff journey starts with the Quarterfinals, so let's take a look at each of our four Elite matchups and break down what we can expect to see. Oh and before we start, remember that these are all just my personal opinions and analysis! You are allowed to disagree with them, just do it respectfully. None of this really means anything and it's all about just trying to come up with good content for the league that people can enjoy, so please don't take anything here personally or to heart. None of this is that serious! And if I end up being wrong on any of this, then congratulations on proving me wrong! I'll be happy to be one of the first people to admit that you did. Anyways, let's get into why you all are reading this, previewing our four quarterfinals series! (1) Parasite vs (8) GOONS Regular Season Series (December 17th): Parasite 9-3 W, Parasite 5-3 W Parasite: There's dominance, and then there's what Parasite did during the regular season. Many people had Parasite notched as the championship favorite heading into the season, but somehow they still managed to blow the preseason expectations completely out of the water. Not only did they win 27 of their 28 games, with 24 of those wins being in regulation, but they also finished the regular season as the highest-scoring team in Elite division history, putting up a mind-lowing 5.32 goals for per game. In case that wasn't enough, out of those 27 wins, only six of them were by less than three goals. That is ridiculous in every sense of the word (in a good way). Though it's tough to single out players on a team that has been so complete, Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen has been an unstoppable force this season, notching an ECL-record 65 goals during the regular season to go along with 39 assists for 104 total points. He wasn't the only one to put up one of the best regular seasons in ECL history however, as Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen posted a career-high for points (96), goals (38), and assists (58) (ECL competition only). Alongside them, Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila has also had a season to remember. Not only does he lead all defensemen with 64 points, he also ranks sixth out of all skaters in the Division. Outside of his three forward teammates, only TWO PLAYERS in the division racked up more points than him. That's genuinely absurd. The goalie tandem of Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes and Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen split time evenly during the regular season at 14 games a piece, with FinSeRe posting an 85.4 SV% and UhNikke earning an 80.82 SV% and three shutouts. To summarize all of this, this team isn't good, they're great. It's no surprise to see them as the #1 seed and they are the hands-down favorites to win it all heading into the playoffs. Whoever matches up against this team will certainly have their hands full. GOONS: Regardless of how their playoff run goes, this season has to be viewed as a pretty successful one for GOONS. Don't believe me? Just think about where this team found itself just a few months ago. In the Spring season, not only did GOONS finish 13th in the standings and forced into a relegation series, but they were swept in said relegation series by Mustaa Kultaa and were out of the Elite Division entirely. Luckily for them, they were thrown a lifeline with the division having two spots open up and earned their way back into Elite through the ECL Qualifier in early November. Considering this with the fact that they had 5 roster players returning, many thought that they would end up around no man's land and in the middle of the table, but a hot run of form in the middle of the season that saw them win 11 of 12 games was enough for them to lock up a playoff spot despite a tough final week of the regular season. This team brings the same identity as many GOONS teams of the past, which is a physical game that tries to throw around bumps and crushing hits every chance they can. GOONS led the league in hits with 824, making this the sixth straight season that they would lead the league in hits (the last time they didn't was in ECL '22: Winter, where they finished second). They also feature a balanced scoring attack, with four skaters notching double-digit goals this season. Despite all of the good, there are some concerns that I think are fair to have of this GOONS team. The first concern that I have is their performance against fellow playoff teams, as they went 3-11 in those games and two of those wins came against the same team, Mythix. They also have not proven to be particularly strong on special teams, as they had the division's worst power play at 9% and ranked bottom five on the penalty kill at 70.9%. That's not ideal in a series where you are facing off against the #1 power play and #2 penalty kill team in the division. They also are one of two teams in the playoff bracket that finished with a negative goal differential at -7. GOONS are a team that have talent throughout the lineup and they play a unique style that teams have to prepare differently for, however, if they want to have a chance at pulling off the upset, all of these things are going to have to get cleaned up. Prediction I'll be honest, I'll be surprised if this game goes more than five games. It's not a slight against GOONS, because I do think that they are a capable squad, but we have to look at the facts in front of us. It's a matchup of arguably the most dominant regular season team in division history vs a team that struggled to beat fellow playoff competition and has notable weaknesses where their opponents' strengths lie. Combine that with the fact that Parasite heavily out-attacked GOONS in the regular season series, and it doesn't result in much confidence that we'll be seeing some sort of upset in this series. Now to be clear, we've seen crazy things happen in this league, so if GOONS can play a perfect four games, who knows. They also played Parasite in their last series of the regular season, so the lessons that they learned in that series should be very fresh in their minds. I just don't think that will be enough however. If GOONS can prove me wrong, then I'll be one of the first to admit that and congratulate them on the biggest upset in ECL history. Parasite in 4 (2) Tohtorit vs (7) EXEN Regular Season Series (December 8th): Tohtorit 4-3 W, Tohtorit 2-1 W Tohtorit: Well, if there was any doubt about where Tohtorit stood in the hierarchy of the Elite division, they made it known that they aren't just in the conversation for one of the division's best teams, but that they're also here to stay. As one of the few teams that returned its entire roster from last season and didn't make a single change to it, Tohtorit felt like a team that would do one of two things, fall back to the place where many thought they would be before the Spring '24 season started, or assert itself as a championship threat and build on their campaign from last season, and they did exactly the latter. Interestingly enough, a lot of their stats from the regular season are pretty similar to what they did last season. They finished with the same amount of regulation wins with 14 and had 56 points in the standings, two more than they did in the Spring. They were also pretty much the same team as last season defensively, as they gave up nearly the same amount of goals, going from 2.1 to 2.04, and saw their penalty kill also come out nearly identical from last season, going from 61.76% to 62.5% Someone specifically to look out for in this series will be defenseman Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, as he led the division this season in time with the puck, logging 207:15 of possession time during the regular season. He was the only player in Elite to have the puck on his stick for over 200 minutes and the next player closest to him possessed the puck for 33:38 less. While they did improve offensively going from 2.43 goals for per game to 2.79, the one area where they saw a significant downturn was on the power play oddly enough, as Tohtorit went from having the division's fourth-best power play last season at 31.43% to having the division's worst power play this season at 12.5%. Negatives aside though, Tohtorit pretty much produced as they did last season while proving that they belong in the tier of championship contenders (they went 4-2 against their fellow Top 4 teams). These playoffs for Tohtorit will be showing that they have taken a step forward from last season, and what better way to do that than knocking out the team that swept you in the Quarterfinals last season? EXEN: If there is one word that I could use to describe EXEN's regular season, it would be turbulent. This team was supposed to be a bonafide lock to make the playoffs and finish as a Top 4 seed, yet it took them winning 9 of their last 10 games to clinch one of the last remaining playoff spots during the last days of the regular season, and only two of those wins were against a fellow playoff team in GOONS. The regular season was an unmitigated disappointment for this team that only could've been worse if they had missed the playoffs entirely, which considering that they only had a four-point cushion over Polski Boys who were the first team outside of the bracket, is something that wasn't far off from becoming a reality. Nevertheless, none of that matters anymore for EXEN. The regular season is now behind them and the "real season" - as some may call it - has now begun with the postseason. EXEN made it to that season and that's all that ultimately matters. Looking at this team, their defense and goaltending this season was actually quite impressive considering where they ended up in the standings. They only allowed 2.25 goals per game, which ranked 4th in the division. They also sported the league's fourth-best power play at 80.49%. Where things went wrong for this team was its lack of goal-scoring, which is honestly really surprising to see considering how much offensive talent they have on this roster. EXEN averaged just 2.32 goals for per game, which tied for 5th lowest in the league. For reference, the average for Elite this season was 2.97, which is a division record. At one point EXEN was dead-last and averaging less than 2 goals per game, but saw that number spike with their late run of form to the end of regular season, as they averaged 3.3 goals for per game during that final 10-game stretch. EXEN did lose seven of their 13 total lost games (regulation and OT) by one goal, so if this goal-scoring can keep up, it could be the difference in their turnaround, however, their struggle against other playoff teams this season is a cause for concern, even if it was early in the season. Is the version of EXEN that we saw during the last week and a half of the season the real EXEN? Or is it the EXEN who struggled with top-end teams earlier on in the season? This series will tell us all that we need to know in answering that question. Prediction If I had a nickel for every time that Tohtorit and EXEN met in the Quarterfinals, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. To me, this series is definitely one of the most intriguing. While last season, this series was a story between seeds #4 and #5, where the teams had battled for playoff positioning throughout the season, this season's story is the #2 vs #7 matchup where one team was one of the most consistent teams in the division and had locked up a playoff spot before any other team, while the other had considerable expectations and had to scratch and claw their way to even get into the playoffs at all. Overall, this series will be close despite their contrasting regular season campaigns. You can doubt EXEN if you want to, and honestly I can understand why with how they've looked at times this season, but the talent on this roster is just simply undeniable, and I feel confident that this will be a competitive series. The biggest question will be whether or not Tohtorit can live up to the moment in a best-of-seven series in the Elite division. This team has won a championship before at the Pro level, and multiple players on this roster were on that team, but this division, against this EXEN team, is so much different than that. Tohtorit will need to show that it's better than it was this time seven months ago. If it can, they could very well find their way into the semifinals. EXEN in 7 (3) Mustaa Kultaa vs (6) The Black Jacks Regular Season Series (December 16th): The Black Jacks 6-1 W, Mustaa Kultaa 2-1 W Mustaa Kultaa: In one of the more impressive Elite debut seasons that we have seen in recent memory, Mustaa Kultaa was a team that many felt should make it into the playoffs with the multiple big transfers that they added over the offseason. Well, not only did they make it into the eight-team bracket, but they made a statement early in the season that they were a force to be reckoned with, starting the Winter campaign with a 16-1-2 record that pretty much locked their place in the playoffs and a Top 4 seed by midseason. This Mustaa Kultaa team is also one of the most effective scoring teams that we have seen in some time, as their 3.36 goals for per game ranked second in the division this season, and actually ranks in the Top 10 all-time in the Elite. Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala has emerged as one of the league's top goal-getters once again this season, finishing with 40 goals, which ranked him second among all skaters. This group also features a trio of rookies who could very well all end up being candidates for Rookie of the Season in forward and team captain Alex @Allupekkaz Buntsel (26 goals, 29 assists for 55 points), defenseman J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (29 assists for 31 points and 148 interceptions) and goaltender Veeti @LatveX Laitinen (81.5 SV% and 2.36 GAA while starting all 28 games). I've been on record saying how much I respect this Mustaa Kultaa team. I think that they have the makings of being a truly special team that can play for championships in the future if they continue the path that they are currently on. They score at a ridiculous rate, they play solid defense that ranked in the Top 5 in the Division this season, and they have a goaltender that on multiple occasions showed that he can step up when the attack is on from the opposition. That typically is a good combination for success, especially in the playoffs. Though they did lose their form a bit towards the end of the season, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, their impressive play throughout the season sees them as a legitimate title threat. The biggest question will be whether or not this team's regular season success will translate in its first Elite playoff run against a team that is very familiar with this situation. The Black Jacks: The playoffs have become a familiar sight for The Black Jacks, with this being the team's third-straight Quarterfinals appearance. They kept things rather close in their first two Quarterfinals appearances, being the #8 seed both times and pushing the #1 seed of Tunnel Vision to six games and Valokuitunen Esports (now Parasite) to seven. Will the third time be the charm for TBJ? Well, I think that this is certainly their best chance at it and the most even matchup of the three. The biggest talking point for The Black Jacks this season has to be their improved offense. Even though their offense has seen a significant uptick around the league this season, TBJ is easily the most dangerous that we have seen them in terms of their scoring ability, as this season they finished fifth in goals for per game at 2.82. To compare, in Winter 24 they finished 11th with 2.2 and in Spring 24 they ranked as the third-worst team in the division at 2.03 goals per game. Meanwhile, they haven't had too big of a drop off in goals against, as they ranked 6th with 2.39 allowed per game, just barely pacing outside of the Top 5. For a team that has long been known to have solid play in their own end, this jump in production on the offensive side is massive, and could very well be a difference for them in the playoffs as well. Though they have a pretty well-balanced scoring attack, with each of their three starting forwards scoring 20 goals or more (TBJ was one of just four teams that did such), their primary point production came from the winger duo of Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg (54 points) and Tim @Timasy Hess (52 points). The next closest skater was Niklas @xXPsykoSkillsXx Schmitz who had 37 points, who ranked tied-3rd in points for defensemen. Speaking of PsykoSkills, not only was he a threat on the offensive end for TBJ this season, but he was also one of the league's most disruptive defensemen this season, leading the Elite division in interceptions with 225. He was also one of the league's best in takeaways during the regular season with 98. Overall, this is probably the most complete that this team has looked heading into the playoffs and they have significantly more playoff experience than their opponent this time around outside of a few players. We will see how much of a difference it makes. Prediction Personally, I think that this is the series that I am anticipating the most in the Quarterfinals. Not only is this series something completely new and fresh from any series that we've seen before, but it's also two teams who are looking to show that they are in the top tier of teams in this division, as whoever wins will secure its first-ever Elite semifinals birth. Mustaa Kultaa are the new kids on the block who have made a ton of noise in their first Elite season. They've dominated at times and look like a team that could very well be playing for a championship at Winter Assembly in February. Meanwhile, The Black Jacks have been at this for years, originally under the ZSC Esports branding and now as TBJ, and though they've been a team that has had incremental improvements over the last few seasons, a playoff victory is something that still alludes a team that has long been seen as a playoff-caliber team, but not a true championship contender. Both sides have the equal opportunity to completely shift the narrative about their respective side, but I do think that one team is significantly more desperate than the other. This series feels like The Black Jacks' best opportunity to prove that they can be more than a one-and-done. They are the more experienced team, they are playing significantly better than they have in past seasons offensively, and they just played this Mustaa Kultaa team during the final week of the season and split the season series. They also are playing a Mustaa Kultaa team that struggled at the end of the season, so it remains to be seen whether or not they corrected some of those struggles over the holiday break. I think the series is a toss-up that will go either way, so I won't be shocked if I'm wrong considering how good the other side is, but as the old saying goes, "fortune favors the brave", so give me the upset pick. The Black Jacks in 7 (4) Voittamaton vs (5) Mythix Regular Season Series (December 1st): Voittmaton 3-2 W, Mythix 2-1 W Voittamaton: Another season, another impressive Voittamaton campaign. Their regular season performances have sort of just become run-of-the-mill for these guys. They've proven to be a lock to make the Top 4 for years now, and despite heavy competition with the teams that placed 1-3, they were able to still secure one of those top spots in the standings. They tied for 3rd in goals for per game at 3.11 and tied for 2nd in goals against per game at 2.04. 8 of their 11 losses were by one goal and all 17 of their wins came in regulation games. They do it by playing the same game that this team has mastered for years. Possession-based hockey that can wear their opponent into a defensive mistake., combined with lockdown defense and steady goaltending behind them that can clean up anything that happens to get through. In terms of contributors, Erik @Eki Tammenpää has been one of the best in the league once again, notching a team-high 64 points, with 27 of those points being goals and 37 being assists, which ranked Top 10 in the division. His fellow winger Teemu @temppanen Karvonen wasn't far behind him with 27 goals of his own to go with 27 assists, giving him a 54-point season. He also had 11 game-winning goals this season which was tied for most in the league (Vattuyy of Parasite was the player tied with him). These two have been the dynamic duo that have produced a majority of Voitttamaton's scoring chances, so expect them to be present and active again in this playoff run. This team also has an impressive goalie duo of Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (18 games played) and Oskari @Zande95 Grönroos (10 games played) who both posted a save percentage higher than 80%, so regardless of who lines up between the pipes, they'll show quality play. Overall, there isn't much more to say about this team that isn't already known. There could potentially be concerns about how they looked at times at the end of the season, as they finished their last 10 games at 5-5, and three of those losses were to non-playoff teams. In their defense, two of those five losses were also to Parasite, so it's hard to criticize them for dropping a pair of games to a team that has only lost one game all season. With the team's pedigree and the fact that they have never once been bounced earlier than the Semifinals, its understandable why many feel that they can be playing for a championship once again next month. Mythix: Earlier in the season, things did not look pretty for Mythix. From the start of the season to Dec. 5th, Mythix had a record of 7-10-1 and looked like they were going to need a miracle to make it into the playoffs, let alone a Top 5 seeding. Then on December 11th, everything for this team changed. They lost just one more game the rest of the season and were able to lock up a playoff spot during the last few days of the season, even somehow having a 7-point cushion over 9th by the time it was all said and done. This marks the second straight season that Mythix (formerly Bjorkloven Esport) have made it into the playoffs, which considering that this is just their second season of Elite competition is quite impressive. Last season however they fell to the eventual champions, Tunnel Vision, in five games, so they will hope to lean on that experience in combination with their hot run of form that they had to end the season. One of the biggest positives for this team is that they come in as arguably the hottest team in the league, sporting a 9-1 record in their last 10 games and six of those wins were against fellow playoff teams in Tohtorit, Mustaa Kultaa and The Black Jacks. They also have a pair of 40-point getters in Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen (30 goals and 13 assists for 43 points) and Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala (13 goals and 29 assists for 42 points). They also have been a significantly better team when Arttu @Thewix93 Harju has been in the lineup, as Mythix is 11-1 in games he has played this season (10 games at defense and 2 at center). He is also the only player on their roster with a positive plus/minus, sporting a +9. Additionally, they are one of the division's best groups at special teams, as they rank as the league's 2nd-best power play (34.3%) and its 5th-best penalty kill (78.95%). Outside of those numbers though, many of their statistics are overwhelming. They are the one of just two teams in the playoff field with a negative goal differential at a -4 during the regular season and they shot the puck as little as any team in the division, ranking second-to-last in shot per game at 12.4 shots per game. They also ranked second-to-last in face-off percentage (46.04%) and will be going up against the team that was the best in the league at face-offs in Voittamaton (54.96%). Combining these factors with Voittamaton's preferred possession-dominant style of play, Mythix will need to correct a few of these factors if they want to find their way into the semifinals. Prediction I'm going to be honest, I like this Mythix team and can see the upset appeal with the way these two teams trended during the final week of the season. However, I feel like you have to look at each side's full body of work as well, and if I'm being honest with myself, I just don't feel confident that this Voittamaton is a good matchup for Mythix. Their weakest points directly match up against Voittamaton's biggest strengths, and with a team in Voittamaton that has so much experience and overall talent, I just have a hard time imagining that this won't be an issue for Mythix in this series. Now in their defense, they did beat five of the seven playoff teams at least once this season, with Parasite and GOONS being the only teams that they didn't at least split with that are in the bracket, however, unless Mythix can find a way to create more offense and mitigate Voittamaton's ability to control the style of the game, it's going to be hard for them to find their way to four wins. That doesn't mean it can't happen, but it will certainly be difficult. Voittamaton: in 5 Quarterfinals Broadcast Schedule Want to watch it all unfold for yourself? Then make sure to tune into our live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Monday, January 6th, 2025 Matchup 1: Tohtorit (#2) vs EXEN (#7) | Games 1-2 | 20:00 CET Matchup 2: Parasite (#1) vs GOONS (#8) | Games 1-2 | ~21:20 CET Wednesday, January 8th, 2025 Matchup 3: Mustaa Kultaa (#3) vs The Black Jacks (#6) | Games 1-2 | 20:00 CET Matchup 4: Voittamattomat (#4) vs Mythix (#5) | Games 1-2 | ~21:20 CET Thursday, January 9th, 2025 Matchup: Voittamattomat (#4) vs Mythix (#5) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Monday, January 13th, 2025 Matchup: Tohtorit (#2) vs EXEN (#7) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Wednesday, January 15th, 2025 Matchup: Mustaa Kultaa (#3) vs The Black Jacks (#6) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Thursday, January 16th, 2025 Matchup: Parasite (#1) vs GOONS (#8) | Games 3-7 | ⚠️ 19:30 CET Action kicks off today, Monday, January 6th with the matchups between EXEN and Tohtorit, and GOONS and Parasite. Before puck drop, join @Tougie24 at 18:50 CET for the SportsGamer Wraparound as he wraps things up leading into the post-season! So who do you think will punch their ticket into the semifinals? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments?

PLAYOFF RACE HEADING INTO FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON Ahh playoff pictures. Everyone loves them, especially when you are on the right side of them. The drama and chaos that it can create is something that every sports fan loves, and in the ECL Elite Division it is absolutely no different. With just one week remaining in the regular season, now feels like a good time to take a look at how the playoff picture looks heading into the final week to see who should feel good, who may be worried and what matchups this week will have the biggest impact on playoff seeding and positioning. We'll break these teams down by tiers and give a summary of their respective paths. Clinched Playoff Spots / Can Clinch With One Win 1. Tohtorit (51 pts) - 4 games remaining (have mathematically clinched playoff spot) 2. Parasite (48 pts) - 10 games remaining (need 1 point to clinch playoff spot) 3. Mustaa Kultaa (47pts) - 8 games remaining (need 2 points to clinch playoff spot) 4. Voittamaton (46pts) - 6 games remaining (need 3 points to clinch playoff spot) Last Four Teams In 5. GOONS (44 pts) - 2 games remaining (need 5 points to clinch playoff spot) 6. Polski Boys (37 pts) - 6 games remaining (need 13 points to clinch playoff spot) 7. The Black Jacks (32 pts) - 6 games remaining (need 18 points to clinch playoff spot) (currently own tiebreaker over Heimo based on standings points per game) 8. Heimo (32 pts) - 4 games remaining (need 18 points to clinch playoff spot) On The Bubble / Teams To Watch 9. Mythix (31 pts) - 6 games remaining (currently would own the tiebreaker over Heimo based on points per game) 10. EXEN (24 pts) - 8 games remaining (currently own tiebreaker over TIKI TALK based on points per game) 11. TIKI TALK (24 pts) - 6 games remaining 12. Roots Gaming (23 pts) - 6 games remaining Need To Almost Win Out AND Get A Lot of Help To Make It / Relegation Series Zone 13. Renascor (17 pts) - 8 games remaining 14. Falun Coal Miners (16 pts) - 6 games remaining 15. Vesa Pompa (14 pts) - 10 games remaining Top 4 Teams Tohtorit has clinched and each of Parasite, Mustaa Kultaa and Voittamaton would virtually have to lose out to not make the playoffs. So, congratulations to them. The biggest note of importance is that Tohtorit will likely surrender that #1 spot with Parasite, Mustaa Kultaa and Voittamaton all having games in hand. Parasite and Mustaa Kultaa will also be playing against each other this week, so that will be a critical matchup to look out for as it could very well determine the top two seeds. Last Four Teams In Out of the final four teams currently in the playoffs, GOONS look like they should be safe barring a few of the teams below the playoff picture getting hot. Since Heimo can not earn more than 48 points this season (remember that fact as we continue to go along), GOONS only need five points to clinch their spot, and that can either be earned through their own wins or through Heimo losing. It would take a lot to go wrong for GOONS for them to not make it into the playoffs, and though they only have one series left and it is against the best team in the league in Parasite, the work that they've already done should likely carry them into the Top 8. Where things really get interesting is from 6-12. Polski Boys look like they should make their way into the Top 8, though there is significantly less room for error with just a 6 point gap between them and Mythix. Four of their last six games are against the two top teams in the league, and their other two games are against one of the teams chasing them in TIKI TALK, which feels like a series where they need to find their way to 4-6 points. Meanwhile, The Black Jacks are in very familiar territory, holding on to one of the last playoff spots near the end of the season. Their series against non-playoff teams in Roots Gaming and Vesa Pompa will both be critical to win if they want to avoid the teams behind them taking their spot in the Top 8. Holding the eighth and final spot currently is Heimo, who are probably in the most danger of the teams in the field currently. They don't have the tiebreaker over TBJ nor Mythix who are just one point behind them. They also have the least amount of games remaining of all of the teams around them. They also have to keep an eye on EXEN who have games in hand and could surpass them in the points per game tiebreaker if they get on a winning streak down the stretch. These two teams still have to play each other, and this series may as well be viewed as elimination games for both sides, as their path to a playoff spot becomes murky at best with two losses. On The Bubble / Team To Watch You know who wouldn't complain about that happening? Mythix. It's somewhat surprising to see them out of the playoff picture this late in the season after making it with little problems in the '24 Spring season. A slow start to their campaign this season put them in a precarious position, and now they are hoping to climb out of that early hole that they dug for themselves. They've won 4 of their last 6 games in regulation to keep their hopes alive, but 4 of their remaining 6 games are against two of the league's Top 3 teams in Tohtorit and Mustaa Kultaa. I'm going to be very frank and say this. EXEN should not be here. This team is way too good, way too talented, and way too accomplished to be in this position. The expectations for this team were sky-high after a Semifinals appearance in the ECL '24: Spring season and the star-studded transfers they made in the offseason...yet here they are. The ECL is just so unpredictable, isn't it? EXEN has two things going for them: they have more games in hand than just about every team around them and they have arguably the most favorable schedule of the bunch, as the highest-ranked team that they play is Heimo; who they are looking to pass for the last playoff spot. Their other series' are against teams behind them in TIKI TALK, Vesa Pompa, and Falun Coal Miners. They'll have to execute on winning those games if they want to get in and they quite frankly haven't done that this season, but on paper, things line up well for them to avoid what would be a disastrous outcome for their season. However, that outcome is also still very realistic even though they will still need some help ahead of them to ensure their place in the playoffs. TIKI TALK being in this conversation isn't "surprising" to me, but I do think it is for some. This is a brand that hasn't been in the Elite division since ECL 9 and made their way into Elite through a second chance Elite qualifier after Almost Famous disbanded last minute. Well, they're here and they have a chance to make it into the playoffs still, even though the odds may be somewhat slim. The highest amount of points that they can earn is 42, so it would realistically take them winning out and having teams such as EXEN and Mythix drop a considerable amount of games. Luckily for them, they do play EXEN who is one spot ahead of them, and Roots Gaming who are just one spot behind them. These two series will pretty much be an elimination series for both teams involved, as both sides desperately need to collect all six points to have a chance at passing Myhix, Heimo and/or The Black Jacks. It'll take a lot for them to make their way in, but even if they don't, this season was far from a failure from TIKI TALK and they should likely avoid having to play in a relegation series. Roots Gaming is pretty much in the same position as TIKI TALK. They have a shot, but need to pretty much win out while also getting some help from the teams ahead of them losing. Playing against TIKI TALK and The Black Jacks gives them a window of opportunity, but they'll need to pretty much sweep both of those series to feel truly good about their chances. Need To Almost Win Out AND Get A Lot of Help To Make It / Relegation Series Zone Unfortunately for our bottom three teams, their hopes at a playoff birth look pretty dire, and it would take a miracle for any of them to get in realistically. Out of the three, the team with the best chance is Vesa Pompa, as they have more games remaining than any other team outside of the playoffs. However, the maximum amount of points that they can earn in the standings is 44, and that would require them to win all of their remaining games in regulation. Considering that they are 0-8-2 in their last 10 games, I wouldn't count on this happening. Renascor maxes out at 41 points, and though they do play multiple teams around them and the two teams currently below them in the standings, them winning out in order to achieve that number feels quite unlikely. The room for error is simply too small, especially when you remember that they still have fourth-place Voittamaton on their schedule. Mathematically, Falun Coal Miners are pretty much eliminated from playoff contention. Though they aren't officially out of it yet, the most points that they can earn for this season is 34. That can only happen if they win all of their remaining games in regulation, including two games against Parasite who have lost one game all season. Additionally, Heimo could eliminate them with just two points in the standings and Mythix could eliminate them with just three. And I'm not betting on either of those teams losing every game for the rest of the season. What do you think? Do you predict we'll still see surprises in the last week? Let us know below!

With the ECL Elite regular season officially passed the halfway point for most teams, let's take a quick look around the league and talk about some of the biggest storylines around the division as we approach the latter stages of the regular season! The Core Four - Top 4 Spots Look Secure Barring Late Collapse 1. Tohtorit (51 pts) - 4 games remaining 2. Parasite (48 pts) - 10 games remaining 3. Mustaa Kultaa (47pts) - 8 games remaining 4. Voittamaton (46pts) - 6 games remaining Considering that there is only one week to go in the regular season, the nine-point gap between 4th and 5th, and the fact that the maximum points total that anyone below them can earn is 55, I think that it'd be pretty safe to assume that these teams will be your top four seeds in the playoffs, though the order could still shift a good bit. We'll start at the top with Tohtorit, who even though they have just four games remaining, have put themselves in a great position heading into playoff time. Though Tohtorit brought back all six starters, the biggest question for this group coming into last season was whether or not they would be able to replicate their success from the Spring '23 season, as many saw their 4th place finish as a surprise after not participating in Elite during the Winter '23 season. Their response? 51 points in 24 games, with 13 of their 18 wins coming in regulation. This group also has a 2-2 record against fellow top-four teams, splitting their respective series' with Parasite and Voittamaton. Speaking of those two teams, I don't think anyone is surprised to see them up here in the standings. These two have been the class of Europe for some time now, and this season has been no exception. We'll talk about Parasite more extensively later. Voittamaton continue to be the epitome of consistency, with the group looking to be well on their way to another Top 4 finish. I think you could even make the case that their record could be better than it is, as all of their losses this season have come by just one goal. In contrast out of their 15 total wins, only three of them have been by one goal. With a few plays having gone differently, you could argue that they would be even higher in the standings. Is Parasite Having The Best Regular Season in Elite History? Parasite look to have the inside track to being the top overall seed, accruing 48 points with 10 more games to play. It was expected for this group to be dominant, but they've somehow still managed to surpass expectations, as the team has only lost one game all season, and that was their most recent game against Tohtorit (4-1 L). They also have the league leader in every offensive statistic - which is honestly nuts. They are currently averaging 5 goals for per game, which if they keep up, would be the highest in Elite Division history (Linkoping HC holds the record with 4.3 goals for per game in ECL 10). They are also allowing just 1.56 goals against per game which leads the league. All of their new additions have fit in seamlessly as well. Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen leads the league in points (63) and goals (41) while his former Tunnel Vision teammate and captain Tomi @tomboo-_- Laitinen has been as steady as ever on defense, posting 26 points in 18 games while also only giving the puck away 98 times, which is one of the lower numbers in the league for defensemen who have played 15+ games. Meanwhile, Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (4th in the league in points with 52 and 2nd in assists with 34) and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (2nd in the league in points with 57 and 1st in assists with 37) have continued to be one of Europe's most potent offensive duos. Now I will say this, they have only played one of their fellow Top 4 teams, and 12 of their 17 total wins have come against teams outside of the playoffs. So I think that you could make the case that there is still more for them to prove against fellow playoff teams (their lone loss this season is against a Top 4 team in Tohtorit). However, in this division, dominance is dominance no matter how you chalk it up. And considering how dominant they have been, this team has earned the right to be considered the championship favorite as of right now. Playoff EXEN or Regular Season EXIT? This team has been the surprise of the season, and not for good reason. Coming into the season, many, including myself had EXEN as not just a playoff lock, not just as a Top 4 team in the league, but also as a true solidified championship contender. Though there is still some time to turn things around and things have looked slightly more up the last few games (5-5-0 in their last 10 games), EXEN looks like they will have to be in a true fight for the last few playoff spots, as they currently sit in 10th in the standings and are 8 points behind for the last playoffs spot with eight more games remaining. To be quite honest, I can't quite figure out how things have gone so wrong for this team. They have a collection of some of the most talented players in Europe, yet they have the lowest goals for average in the Elite division at 1.57. Five out of seven players on their roster that have played this season won an Elite Division championship in ECL '24: Winter or Spring, yet their longest winning streak of the season is two games and they're both in series sweeps. Now, they have played 7 of the 8 playoff teams already and the only one they haven't played is Heimo, who currently holds the last playoff spot. EXEN is going to have to be near perfect from this point forward in the regular season if they want to make it into the top eight. Even if they do, the maximum number of points that they can finish the season with is 48, so even if they do make the playoffs, it is unlikely that they'll finish any higher than the 7th or 8th seed. If they can make it into the Top 8, then all will be forgotten. After all, the playoffs are the real season and the regular season doesn't mean anything once we get to that stage. If they don't however, this will undoubtedly go down as one of the most shocking and disappointing campaigns in league history. If you disagree or think that this statement is hyperbole, just go back and look at all of the preseason predictions from around the community. Are GOONS Back To Their Contending Ways of the Past? It's crazy how turbulent the past 6 months have been for GOONS. They went from being relegated out of Elite by Mustaa Kultaa, to earning their way back into Elite by winning in the qualifier and now being 5th in the standings and looking well on their way to making it into the playoffs barring a lot of things going wrong. For a team that hasn't made it to the postseason since the Spring season in ECL '22, this would be a pretty big accomplishment. From November 26th to December 10th, GOONS won 10 of their 11 games in regulation, so that hot streak is the primary reason that they are in this position. They are 3-7-2 against playoff teams which makes me pump the breaks a bit when giving them the "contender" label, but 13 of their 14 wins this season have been by two or more goals, so they are clearly better than the teams outside of the playoffs. Regardless, this season has to be viewed as a success for a GOONS team that was seen as a rebuilder coming into the season. Mustaa Kultaa A Legit Championship Contender In Its First Elite Season? One of the ECL's quickest-rising teams over the past two years, Mustaa Kultaa seemed to have the feeling and expectation of a team that could make the playoffs in its first Elite Division season. 20 games into their season, and so far, Mustaa Kultaa have been even better than advertised. Currently, they place third in the standings and are acutely on pace to finish 2nd based on their points per game average. 14 of their 15 wins have come in regulation this season, and they actually have more overtime losses (3) than they do regulation losses (2). Oh, and both of those regulation losses were by just one goal. They made more roster moves than any other team in the division this offseason and so far this season it has paid major dividends. The additions of forwards Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala and Eetu @Launonexx Launonen have proven to be two of the biggest transfers of the Elite division this season, as Aaro is 5th in the league in points with 54 and 2nd in goals with 34. Launonexx on the other hand is the team's leader in assists with 27, which ranks Top 10 among all players. They also have arguably the frontrunner for Rookie of the Season and a candidate for Goaltender of the Season in Veeti @LatveX Laitinen, who has an 83.74 SV% and a 1.95 GAA in 20 starts. He also has put together four shutouts this season, which is the most of any goalie in the division. 6 of their last 8 games will be against fellow playoff teams, including Parasite who they currently sit one point behind and are potentially battling for the #1 or #2 seed. That'll undoubtedly be the biggest test for this team, as they already have played Tohtorit during the first week of the season and lost both of those games. However, they actually swept both of their games against Voittamaton last week in a pair of one-goal victories, so they're 2-1-1 against teams the other three teams in the Top 4 of the standings. Regardless, Mustaa Kultaa looks like they are here to stay, and they could very well be the next success story of teams in the ECL who make the long climb to the top of the Elite division. Even if they drop those games to Parasite, I think that they've more than proven that they're amongst the best in Europe and should be considered a genuine title threat as of now. Goal Scoring In The Elite Division Is At An All-Time High So far this season, teams in the Elite Division are averaging 2.72 goals for per game. If this number sticks, it would break the all-time Elite Division record which was set in ECL 4, at 2.64. This comes after Elite teams averaged 2.39 goals for last season and 2.55 in the '24 Winter season. As one could imagine, this has naturally affected the numbers that we have seen from goaltenders, with their stats being down slightly from what we saw during the ECL '24 seasons. Last season in the Spring, we saw 16 goalies with 10 or more games played have a save percentage of 80% or higher during the regular season, with the highest being 88.24% from Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes of Valokuitunen Esports. In the Winter season, this number was up to 18 goalies, with the highest save percentage being owned by Oskari @Zande95 Grönroos with an 88.13% with Tunnel Vision. So what about this season? So far, just 10 goalies with 10 or more games played reached the 80% mark. This could potentially be bumped, as there are a few goalies who would need to play just two more games and maintain their current save percentage to qualify for this stat, and goalies that are hovering around 78-79% that could have good weeks and crack the 80% mark. The highest save percentage of any goalie so far this season is the 86.94% of Stan @Stammer70 Adamus of Tohtorit. The moral of this story? Though the collection of goalie talent is just as good as it always has been in the Elite Division, the change in gameplay for NHL 25, in combination with the skill and parity of Elite this season has opened up more goal-scoring opportunities for teams compared to past seasons. It is also not uncommon to see Winter seasons be a little bit more high-scoring than Spring seasons, though not by a wide margin. Enjoy what you read? Make sure to check out our next piece coming out tomorrow (Sunday) that takes a look at the current ECL Elite Division playoff picture!

After months of waiting and eager anticipation, the ECL season is finally in our lives again. Since we last saw each other in July, a lot around the Elite Division has changed. New teams, rebrands, promotions and so much more. Our defending champion rode off into the sunset, three teams were promoted from the Pro Division to Elite, and some former rivals have joined forces to become teammates. I know, that's a lot, but don't worry! We're here to catch you up and give you the rundown of what to expect from each Elite Division team this upcoming season. Before we start, let me clarify that the teams are listed in alphabetical order. Though I sprinkle in some of my own personal thoughts on the teams, this is not a standings prediction, so keep that in mind as you read! Also, rosters fluctuate like crazy and some players can be listed on rosters that don't intend on playing, so unless I was informed otherwise about a certain player, everyone listed on the roster is viewed as either a returner or an addition. Also, thank you to @Vamoux for providing me with additional facts and background information on each of the teams! Lastly, remember that this is all just opinions and analysis! You are allowed to disagree with them, just do it respectfully. None of this really means anything and it's all about just trying to come up with good content for the league that people can enjoy, so please don't take anything here to heart. It's not that serious! Ok, that's enough rambling. We have a long list of teams so let's get started! EXEN Last Season: Finished 5th in Regular Season standings, lost in Semifinals vs Valokuitunen Esports in 5 games Returning Players: FWD - Santeri @indi969 Pendolin FWD - Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström (played defense last season) DEF - Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen G - Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt Roster Additions: FWD - Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen (joins from Tunnel Vision) DEF- Veeti @wengerii Paloneva (joins from Tunnel Vision) DEF - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (joins from Parasite) G - Ben @benuh_ Rinnet (joins from Tunnel Vision) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala (transfered to Mustaa Kultaa) FWD - V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela (transferred to Polski Boys) Another team that brings back much of its core back from the last season, EXEN is looking to take a step forward after falling in the Semifinals to Valokuittinen last season. This team made multiple star additions, adding in a multi-time defender of the year in xDoumi, and former Tunnel Vision staples in wengerii and Pikkari. They also added benuh_ who cemented himself as one of Europe's top goalies last season, as he helped backstop Tunnel Vision to its third championship in their last season as a team. Combine this with the returning core of Lxndstom, Mozjayh, Indi and kaz_zu and you can see why so many people are excited about this team. It's important to note as well that it looks like Lxndstrom will be transitioning to forward after spending the last few seasons at LD for this team, so that will be a move to watch out for this season. This is easily EXEN's most talented roster to date and they should be a championship favorite when considering the talent they have at their disposal. The question for EXEN has always been whether they can beat the other top tier teams in the division, especially come playoff time. If they can, we could see this team make its first final and compete for a trophy in a few months. I feel confident that they'll at least be a Semifinals team again this season; anything less would feel like a bit of a disappointment with this roster quite honestly. Let's see if they get it done. Falun Coal Miners Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Finals vs Almost Famous in 5 games, lost Elite Relegation Series vs Renascor in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Philip @STRANDMANNEN11 Strandman FWD - Christoffer @Buffy Mentzer FWD - Ted @Smayk99 Kempe DEF - Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt DEF - Jonas @Supremski Söderlund G - Elie @eliekamel87 Kamel Roster Additions: G- Johan @McSavid Rundqvist (joins from The Black Jacks) Utility - Pontus @LastMandalorian Duvefelt Roster Subtractions: Utility - Matti @SelanneFIN Makkonen Look who's back! After choosing to drop down to the Pro Division to rebuild the core of its roster, Falun Coal Miners earned their spot back into Elite after a thrilling seven-game series win over TIKI TALK in the Elite Qualifier last week. An interesting fact about that by the way, they were down 3-1 in that series before ultimately winning three straight games to steal the series, and their captain Furyan scored all four game-winning goals, including two in OT... and he did it as a defenseman! Impressive to say the least. Now the Coal Miners will have to set their sights on staying in the Division for good, and it'll take a familiar group of players for them to do it. This team only made one addition, but it was one of the best goalies in the ECL in McSavid, who comes over from The Black Jacks after putting up an 84.5sv% in 20 starts. He continues to prove year after year that he is considered one of the best for a reason, and Falun will need him to carry that form over if they want to surpass what many seem to expect from them. Outside of McSavid and Furyan, there isn't a ton of Elite-level experience to be found on the roster, as their lineup will contain multiple rookies at the forward position. We've seen players such as STRANDMANNEN and Buffy have great seasons and become proven point producers in the lower ranks, but can they carry that production over into the golden tier of the ECL? I don't think that this is a bad roster, it's far from it, but I do think that there will be growing pains for some of the newer players to this division on their roster. They will need to rely on the experience that they have from players like Furyan, McSavid, and Supremski to keep themselves out of the relegation zone, but luckily for them, it happens to be two of the most proven players at their respective positions that we've seen in Elite. Maybe the adjustment period will be minimized, but that's not something that you can bank on without seeing it. GOONS Last Season: Finished 13th in Regular Season standings, lost Elite Relegation series vs Mustaa Kultaa in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Teemu @tkantola Kantola FWD - @Xkeineri DEF - Luka @Easychasniper2 Rönn DEF - Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen G - Tim @Tuhmakalastaja91 Grönlund Roster Additions: FWD - Leo @Lekxsa_70 Hämäläinen (joins from ROBE Esports - Pro Division) FWD - @xRori83 (joins from Dark Energy HC - Lite Division) G - Juuso @TheSpeedo Sirkola Roster Subtractions: DEF - Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola DEF - Tuukka @KingOfApes_ Ropelinen (transferred to NOVA - Pro Division) FWD/G - Samu @xKeskitalo Keskitalo (transferred to Finnish Roosters - Pro Division) Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It doesn't feel like all that long ago when GOONS was one of the top teams in this Division and a consistent playoff threat, but the last time they made the playoffs? ECL 22 Spring season. Since then, this team has been on a steady decline, and it hit rock bottom last season when they found themselves finishing 13th in the standings and later being swept in its relegation series against Mustaa Kultaa. Luckily for GOONS, they were thrown a lifeline with the ECL 25 Winter qualifier and swept RYHTIC to earn their way back into the Elite Division. So can GOONS get back on the right track this season? It'll take a refreshed approach for them to do so, and there are some names both old and new to this team that could help them do it. One is Easychasniper, who will be back with GOONS after playing 14 games with the team last season at defense (he was one of the Grand Finalists in the ECL 24 1v1 season). Lekxsa is another addition to the roster as a rookie, putting up 41 points in 30 games with ROBE Esports in his lone Pro Division season during the Spring. Speedo comes over from Mustaa Kultaa and will play his first full season in Elite after playing 10 games in Pro last season. These three will combine with the experience of Tkantola and Keinari who have played together for some time, as well as Sisu who is not only one of the world's best 1v1 players but has also been a play-drive and point producer at defense in this Division for the past few seasons, even despite some of his team's struggles. I don't expect GOONS to turn things around entirely or immediately, but I do think that they've taken a step in the right direction. They'll play with a similar identity as past GOONS teams, so lots of hits and lots of counter-attacking, but I think that it'll be done with a bit of a different flavor. Losing Krike, KingOfApes, and Keskitalo hurts, but things were clearly not working for this team. They needed new blood and they got it. My expectation this season will be for GOONS to show progression rather than regression. Heimo Last Season: Finished 14th in Regular Season standings, won Elite Relegation series vs RYHTIC in 6 games Returning Players: FWD - Eemil @Eeemill_ Törnvall FWD - Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen DEF - Tuomas @Tumpp1A Aaltonen DEF - Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma G - Jani @Vamoux Jämsäläinen Roster Additions: FWD - Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen (joins from Mustaa Kultaa) DEF - Aleksi @xSnaipperi Honka (joins from TIKI TALK) Roster Subtractions: DEF - A @Akunkku Kuningas DEF - @N44TTI_16 (transferred to DILAC - Pro Division) G - Jani @TeikDaun Honkasaar (transferred to Mythix) Last season, Heimo struggled to find winning form, with their longest win streak being 2 games and being forced to fight to keep their place in Elite in a relegation series, but they did so successfully and are back in the ECL’s top flight for another season. They bring in a pair of players in xHatsi and xSnaipperi. Hatsi was a key cog in Muusta Kuulta's Pro Division run last season that eventually earned them a spot in the Elite Division (he had 10 points in four relegation series games), so it'll be interesting to see him lining up down the middle with two captains in Eemil and Sadapoika. Snaipperi comes over from TIKI TALK after being one of the best defenders in the Pro Division last season (40pts in 30 games and a +60 plus/minus). The 18-year-old Fin will be playing his first season in Elite, but he could very well be a Rookie of the Season contender by the end of the Winter campaign. Look out for him. The last time we saw this group in the playoffs was in ECL Winter 23 under the JANO branding, and you feel like there is a chance that this could change this season. They have a good mix of youth and experience and considering how much the landscape of the Division has shifted since the Spring, you feel like now is as good of a chance as ever for them to make it back. They'll need to find that consistent form, but if they can, Heimo could catch some eyes this season. Mustaa Kultaa Last Season: Competed in Pro Divison, lost in Semifinals vs Falun Coal Miners in 7 games, won Elite Relegation series vs GOONS in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Jaro @jaageri_ Matilainen (on the roster, but will not be available to play this season) FWD - Alex @Allupekkaz Buntsel G - Veeti @LatveX Laitinen Roster Additions: FWD - Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala (joins from EXEN) FWD - Eetu @Launonexx Launonen (joins from Unwanted) FWD - J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (joins from TIKI TALK) DEF - Mico @Mise Pulli (joins from Gotham Knights) G - Jere @KASINELONEN Leppikangas Roster Subtractions: FWD - Otto @xHatsi Hämäläinen (transferred to Heimo) FWD - Arttu @Arska Aarnio FWD - Jimi @JJimbo- Laitinen DEF - Jiri @I_Saarinen_I Saarinen (transferred to Kymmenelta Clubille - Pro Division) DEF - Lauri @SirLateksi Seimelä (transferred to Kymmenelta Clubille - Pro Division) G - Miika @sMiiga Koivula (transferred to PANIC ON ICE - Core Division) One of our two new Elite Division teams (not including rebrands)! As an unbiased and neutral party, I have to admit that it's pretty cool to see Mustaa Kultaa make it to the ECL's top flight for the first time. I called this team's ECL 23 Spring Lite Championship victory in what was their first-ever season as a group, and now just three seasons later, here they are in the Elite division. These are the stories that make this league so fun and make the ECL so unique. Now let's get down to business, this team looks drastically different from past seasons. As a matter of fact, no other Elite Division team exchanged more players than Mustaa Kultaa over the offseason, as they made five additions to the roster while seeing five players depart, and that doesn't even include the team's captain jaageri who will be away this season. They brought in two of Elite's best-scoring forwards from last season. Launonex returns to Mustaa Kultaa after spending last season with Unwanted, where he was one of the best rookie skaters in the league with 55 points and had a great case for winning rookie of the year (his teammate at the time, karlssonadam just edged him out). He joins Aaro who comes over from EXEN and had a 55-point season of his own. These two were tied for the fourth-most points in the league last season, so that gives you an idea of how impactful these two transfers are for Mustaa Kultaa. Naurijamal also feels like an under-the-radar addition, as he comes off of a 93-point and 54-assist season with TIKI TALK in the Pro Division last season, both which led the league last season. Considering that Allupekkaz has long been the team's starting RW, I'm interested to see how they rotate three really talented forwards and if one of them could possibly move back to defense, as their roster only has one defenseman officially listed on the roster in Miseee, who comes over from Gotham Knights. The jump to Elite is a tough one. It's a game of sink or swim and we've seen cases of both over the last few seasons. Even last season we saw teams like Gotham Knights and Renascor struggle to make the jump and finish in the Bottom 4 of the division, while other teams such as Björkloven Esport and Purification adapted rather quickly and finished Top 10 in the standings. I personally feel like this team is capable of doing the latter. I think that competing towards a playoff spot is a very reasonable expectation for this team considering the moves that they made in the offseason. They've climbed the ECL ladder about as quickly as any team could do so, and now they'll get the chance to match up against some of the best groups that Europe has to offer. Mythix (formerly Bjorkloven Esport) Last Season: Finished 6th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Tunnel Vision in 5 games Returning Players: FWD - Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala FWD - Valtteri @Valee__ Jakola FWD - Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen DEF - Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila DEF - Veeti @WeDuX_ Misikangas DEF - Arttu @Thewix93 Harju G - Jussi @Ricco Laakso Roster Additions: G - Jani @TeikDaun Honkasaar (joins from Heimo) Roster Subtractions: G - Dennis @Kallmanius Källman (transferred to Bjorkloven Esport - Pro Division) Formerly under the Bjorkloven Esport brand, his group had quite the debut to Elite last season, earning a playoff spot and putting the Elite division on notice in their first season there. Unfortunately for them, they fell short to the eventual champions, but the Spring campaign was nothing short of a success for now-rebranded Mythix. Now the expectations are present for this team, and there’s the feeling that they could ascend into the Top 4 if all goes right this season. They return a majority of the roster, only making one swap in adding TeikDaun to take the place of Kallmanus, who made just two starts for the team in net last season. Considering how good this team was in their own end last season, giving up just 2 goals per game and having a penalty kill of 86.67% ( both ranked at third-best in Elite), I'm sure that they won't complain about maintaining the majority of a roster that was one of the best defensive teams in the division. Koleslaav and Bobbi also proved to be a dynamic duo at the forward spot, with each of them at least having double the amount of points of any of their teammates. I'm sure that Mythix will want This is a team that is hungry and still has a lot to prove, but a playoff appearance should be the minimum expectation in my opinion. They’ve already proven that they can get there and now it’s time for them to build up from that. Was last season just a glimpse of what they’re capable of? We’ll find out soon. Parasite (formerly Valokuitunen Esports) Last Season: Finished 1st in Regular Season standings, lost in Finals vs Tunnel Vision in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen FWD - Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen DEF - Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila G - Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes Roster Additions: FWD - Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (joins from Tunnel Vision) DEF - Tomi @tomboo-_- Laitinen (joins from Tunnel Vision) G - Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (joins from Voittamaton *didn't play any games last season*) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen DEF - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (transferred to EXEN) After being swept in the Finals by Tunnel Vision this past season, Parasite come into ECL '25: Winter under a new name and with a much different look after making some key additions. Long-time staples in Vilupoika and Doumi are out, while rivals turned teammates are now in, as they add three former Tunnel Vision stars in Vattuyy, UhNikke, and the team’s former captain Tomboo. It almost feels similar to what we saw a few years ago when HAVU and Frolunda HC had their cores merge, only I think you could argue that this group is even stronger than that one was (not by a wide margin to be clear, that team had insane talent as well). You could maybe wonder how these different play styles will mesh together, as Tunnel Vision and hREDS/Valokuitunen played very different play styles, but the best players and teams find ways to make it work and this group fits that billing to a tee. I wish that I had a deeper analysis to give about this group, but it's honestly all quite simple. This is a collection of some of the best talent in the world and their most likely starting lineup makes up for each of the last 7 Elite Division championships. It doesn't get much simpler or more truthful than that. Everyone is plenty familiar with what this team is capable of and they will without a doubt be a title favorite again. Similarly to what we said with EXEN earlier, anything less than at least a Semifinals appearance would feel like a disappointment. Polski Boys Last Season: Finished 12th in Regular Season standings Returning Players: FWD - Aleksi @Brockela22 Pokela FWD - Sasu @xSaski_ Korkeamäki DEF - Lauri @vote_10 Voittomäki DEF - Santeri @kungenkirwa Syrjämäki G - Kirill @W1nchester_62 Syuzyumov G - Tomi @Tope0090 Heikkilä Roster Additions: FWD - V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela (joins from EXEN) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Joona @jm98II Muona A team that had a quick rise in ECL '23, Polski Boys are still looking for their breakthrough moment in the Elite Division, finishing in no man’s land in each of their foes two seasons here. They kept most of the core from last season in fact, only making one move in adding cTunekelija who comes over from EXEN. He’ll take the place of jm who had been a staple in this lineup during the team’s ascent. Though JM is a quality player in his own right, Tunekelija has been a proven commodity as a point-producer, hitting 40+ points in each of his past three Elite seasons. For a team that finished Bottom 5 in the division in goals for per game during their first two Elite seasons, including the second-lowest goals for per game last season (2.07), this will be a helpful addition. This is a team that many believe is on the cusp of that breakout year, and I've been in that same boat for a while now. Is the third time the charm for Polski Boys? A playoff appearance would suggest yes, but they’ll need to finally take that much-needed stride offensively to get there. Renascor Last Season: Finished 15th in Regular Season standings, won Elite relegation series vs Falun Coal Miners in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Evgeny @Virusact1ve Popov DEF - Sergei @NyambI4 Filippov DEF - Igor @Motov Motov Roster Additions: FWD - André @Foppatofflan Liljegren (joins from The Black Jacks + Northern Ascendancy) FWD - Connor @MartindalexC Martindale (joins from Falun Coal Miners + Northern Ascendancy) G - @jg697000 (joins from Supernatural - Pro Division) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Maksim @maximkrinitsyn88 Krinitsyn FWD - Erik @riegel29 Riegel G - @Hullued (transferred to HC Pustertal eSports - Lite Division) Making some of the most roster moves of any team in the Division, Renascor is back for its second Elite Division campaign. Now they look to progress after what was a tough season for the group last season, finishing in 15th and having to win a Game 7 in a relegation series vs Falun Coal Miners to maintain their place in Elite. The majority of changes that this team made were at the forward spot, as they brought in a pair of linemates with ample Elite experience in Foppatofflan and Martindale. Though these two are experienced, they were just brought into the team last week, so we'll have to see how quickly these two can gel with the rest of Renascor's lineup and how quickly it will take for the group to adjust to one another. They also added a rookie goaltender in Gresu__, who was stellar in the Pro Division last season with Supernatural, posting an 86 sv% in 14 games. The key to Renascor improving this season will be finding its offensive stride. This team had the lowest goals for per game of any team in the Elite Division last season at 1.67. They also had the fourth-lowest shots per game in the division at 12.1. Will the veteran additions help? Or will they still not have enough firepower to match up with the division's playoff contenders? I think they've taken a step in the right direction, but we won't be able to know until we see it for ourselves. Roots Gaming Last Season: Finished 10th in Regular Season standings Returning Players: FWD - Santeri @xleksa35 Levänen FWD - Linus @Limu95 Christiansson FWD - Eemil @Sokkelo__ Soikkeli FWD - Samuli @ssampee37 Mäntylä DEF - Niko @vVoDee Vottonen DEF - Joonas @LE1PAKONE Nordman G - Joona @xJontteZ Moilanen Roster Additions: NONE Roster Subtractions: NONE One of two teams to make zero changes to its roster, Roots Gaming is looking to make it back to the playoffs after just falling short in the Spring '23 season. Despite falling short of the Top 8 however, last season had to be considered a success for Roots, as they made an 18-point improvement in the standings and went from finishing 15th in the Winter season to 10th in the Spring (technically they tied for 9th with Purification, but lost the tiebreaker). This team probably has to most chemistry of anyone in the league, as this is also the same exact roster from that Winter 24 season that we had mentioned earlier. You can argue that this could be a good thing or a bad thing. Two seasons together as a unit is invaluable, and could arguably be this team's biggest strength. They also have one of the league's more underrated goalies in xJonttezz, who comes off a season where he posted an 82.75 SV% (he was also above an 80 SV% during the Winter season with this team). However on the flip side of that argument, this team has been stuck in the middle or worse for a while now, and considering that they made zero changes to the roster, there isn't much evidence that suggests that this Roots team will all of a sudden become more than what they've already shown that they are. If they are going to do so, they will need to find their offense a bit more in this game cycle, as they averaged just 1.47 (Winter) and 2.07 (Spring) goals per game in NHL 24. They will also need to find a way to punch a bit higher to compete with some of the league's top groups, as last season they had a record of just 3-13 against playoff teams, with 11 of those losses coming in regulation. I don't mean to be harsh with Roots, they're a capable group, but after a while, you are what your performances say you are, and when nothing has changed from the past two seasons it's hard to give any reason to believe that this group will suddenly ascend into that next tier of Elite Division teams unless their game has elevated over the past few months, which though possible, is not something that can be safely predicted. The Black Jacks Last Season: Finished 8th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Valokuitunen Esports in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg FWD - Chris @GERxVillain Ungeheuer FWD - Tim @Timasy Hess DEF - Max @Toneee9 Tonitz DEF - Antti @Anhel_Kuru Kuru Roster Additions: DEF - Niklas @xXPsykoSkillsXx Schmitz (joins from Deadly Phantoms - Pro Division) G - Santeri @kkostiiii Kostiainen (joins from Vesa Pompa) G - Sandro @I-THE_EAGLE-I Wüller Roster Subtractions: FWD - André @Foppatofflan Liljegren (transferred to Renascor) G - Johan @McSavid Rundqvist (transferred to Falun Coal Miners) G - Simeon @Simbanho Vorselman (transferred to Blackbirds - Pro Division *will return to TBJ next season*) After nearly pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Elite history in last season’s Quarterfinals, TBJ is back and hoping to take that long-awaited next step forward. It feels like this group has been stuck in the middle for a while, consistently finishing in the 8-12 range in the standings. With experience aplenty and higher ambitions, this will need to change this season. Their biggest change will be at what was arguably their biggest strength last season, goaltending, as Kkosti comes in to replace to goaltending duo of McSavid and Simbahno. Kkosti joined the team over the summer, so you can expect him to be ready to go for his new team. While McSavid has moved on to Falun Coal Miners, it has been said that Simbanho will rejoin the team next season but will be playing in the Pro Division with Blackbirds for this season (so essentially he's on loan). They also replace Fopptofflan who was a steady presence at center for them, as GERxVillan will move from defense to Center spot to fill his absence. I’m not sure if we’ve seen this group hit their peak yet, but this season will go a long way toward finding out. The key will be having a strong regular season that shows that they can win consistently. Slow starts to seasons are something that has held this team back a bit in past years. That issue will need to be remedied if they want to continue progressing. TIKI TALK Last Season: Competed in Pro Division, lost in Quarterfinals vs Mustaa Kultaa in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - @itspardytime FWD - Teemu @Teme Sainio FWD - Kari @VaLLe- Valle (transferred midseason to TIKI TALK last season, was on roster so counted as a returning player) G - Kevin @I-Bysse-I Byström Roster Additions: DEF - @Saviinainen (joins from Zenegeim - Lite Division) DEF - @Pensasmies (joins from BushWackers - Lite Division) G - @I-Nisse-I Roster Subtractions: FWD - J-J @NuariJamal Raatikainen (transferred to Mustaa Kultaa) DEF - Aleksi @xSnaipperi Honka (transferred to Heimo) DEF - Timo @Velttola Hokkanen G - @SemiSeco A few days ago, TIKI TALK thought it had fumbled away its chance at the Elite Division, losing a 3-1 series lead and falling to Falun Coal Miners in Game 7 in the qualifier. It looked like the group would be back in the Pro Division for another season. Then, everything changed, as Almost Famous, last season's Pro Division champions, disbanded, leaving one more spot to be filled in the Elite Division. TIKI TALK was given a second chance, and they took advantage of it, defeating RYHTIC in six games to punch their ticket back into Elite for the first time since ECL 9. An awesome story for one of the ECL's original teams (TIKI TALK is one of the few active team brands that played in ECL 1). Though TIKI TALK lost its leading point producer and Pro Division points leader from last season in nuarijamal, they do bring back two high-quality forwards in ItsPardyTime and TeMeX. These two have an undeniable chemistry that goes all the way back to ECL 1, so if they can adjust to the Elite game again, they could be an impactful duo this season. Slotting with them at forward will be VaLLe-9, a relatively unknown rookie who has just 8 games of ECL experience from his time with Valco in the Pro Division in ECL Winter 24 before transferring to TIKI TALK midseason. He put up 13 points in 14 games during the Elite Qualifier playoffs last week. Both defensemen will also be transfers, as they added Pensamies, who will be playing in his first Elite season and is making the considerable jump from the Lite division, and Saviinainen, who played with TIKI TALK in its last Elite season in ECL 9 and has been a consistently reliable defenseman at the Pro and Lite ranks. I-Bysse-I comes back with TIKI TALK to command the pipes after he was arguably the best goalie in the Pro Division last season, posting an 87.41 SV% in 22 regular season starts and an 86.55 SV% in 14 playoff stats. He'll be a rookie in Elite this season, but look out for him to potentially steal this team a few games. It's hard to say where this team could end up because a few days ago they weren't even going to be in the Elite Division. I feel like many will place them in the relegation zone because of that, and it's honestly understandable, but TIKI TALK has a roster mixed with experience and youth, and they have a few impact players that could very well take over a game here and there. I'm not saying they're a playoff team, I'm not even going to say that they'll be safe from playing a relegation series in March, but what I will say is to not just write them off because of the way that they got here. This is a team that is capable of winning games and we've seen some crazy things happen before in this Division. Could TIKI TALK add to that list of craziness? We'll see. Tohtorit Last Season: Finished 4th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs EXEN in 4 games Returning Players: FWD - Jere @profiilipakki Kangasniemi FWD - Jere @Harlowi- Paloranta FWD - Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala FWD - Mikko @Ristimaki12 Ristimäki DEF - Verne @seegasormi Maijanen DEF - Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs DEF - Tomi @tominointi Mäkelä G - Stan @Stammer70 Adamus Roster Additions: NONE Roster Subtractions: NONE This team shouldn’t catch anyone by surprise anymore. Tohtorit is here and they are a serious playoff team. They return their entire roster from last season’s campaign and they were a serious threat to finish top of the league for some time before falling off a bit late in the season and having to settle for a 4-seed, which is still impressive. This led to a tough Quarterfinal matchup with EXEN and an early playoff exit. I'm especially interested to see how this forward group does this season, as the trio of Harlowi, Ojala16, and profillipakki were stellar for this team last season, with each of them ranking Top 10 in the Division in either points or goals. Stammer70 has also proven to be a wall in net for this team, posting back-to-back seasons with a save percentage of 82% or higher. Being one of the teams to return its entire roster could be a benefit, but we’ll have to see if their performance last season is what this team truly is, as well as if their playstyle will mesh with the new game. They aren't going to catch anyone by surprise anymore, so we will have to see whether or not the Spring campaign was this group's peak or if they can take another step forward together. Unwanted Last Season: Finished in 7th in Regular Season standings, lost in Quarterfinals vs Straikers in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland FWD - Anton @Henka0009 Henriksson DEF - Alex @Snus97_ Arvidsson G - Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson Roster Additions: FWD - Max @LaxenHD Söderström (joins from Purification) DEF - Elvis @bystrom___ Byström (joins from Purification) G - @Sundstroom (joins from Gotham Knights) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Eetu @Launonexx Launonen (transferred to Mustaa Kultaa) FWD - Leevi @xLeikku Kauppila FWD - Hannes @Johansson__224 Johansson DEF - Samu @keisari Ahonen After falling one game short of a semifinal appearance last season, Unwanted is back and with a new look roster. At one point, this team looked like it could’ve been taking a break, but they eventfully merged with Purification and look to remain a fixture in the Elite division. With a good mix of experience and youth, this season feels like the opportunity for ascension for this team. There will be some questions to answer with the merger, but Purification was one of the division’s up-and-coming teams before stepping away, so there shouldn’t be much of a drop-off. This provided them with a pair of quality additions in Laxen and Bystrom who will hope to take a step forward with their new team this season. Unwanted also returns last season's Rookie of the Season in karlssonadam, who was also a Goalie of the Season candidate after posting an 85.37 SV% in 26 regular season starts during the Spring. The challenge for this team will be improving in the regular season, as Unwanted found themselves 7th in the league in both ECL 24 seasons. This could help their chances at a deeper playoff run if they could avoid playing one of the league’s Top 3 teams (or better yet, be one of the league’s Top 3 teams). I think that we will have to wait and see how the new additions work out for this group and what their lineup ends up looking like, as Launonexx and pkeisari are not light losses to the roster, but overall this still looks like a team that should be in the playoffs again. The question now is whether or not they can elevate into that top tier of teams in the Elite division. Vesa Pompa Last Season: Finished 11th in Regular Season standings Returning Players: FWD - Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund FWD - Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander FWD - Anton @AntonLxnd Lund DEF - Oliver @pappeen- Papmehl Roster Additions: DEF - Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen DEF - @iSvamp (joins from The Worn Out Wisemen - Neo Division) G - Sebastian @Sebastian Lahdo Låhdö (joins from Schrute Farmerz - Lite Division) Roster Subtractions: FWD - Adam @dzouvi Mensik G - Santeri @kkostiiii Kostiainen (transferred to The Black Jacks) Can this team get back into contenders status? That is the question that surrounds a Vesa Pompa team that missed the playoffs last season at 11th. It was a disappointing drop-off for this group after making it all the way to the Semifinals in the Winter season prior and now we'll need to see if they can get back to that place of contention. They lost a pair of key pieces in Dzouvi and Kkostti, but did add one of the league's most reliable defensemen in SebbeLarsen, who will give the team a boost on the back end. Another key addition will be SeboLHD, a rookie goaltender who will look to add to the list of high-end netminders in the Elite division. Keep in mind that last season’s rookie of the year was a goalie, so we’ve seen players in their first season make a significant impact at this position before. Antoniomannen (51pts) and AntonLxnd (40pts) were this team's two leading point producers, so the bulk of this team's scoring production will at least return this season. Eken will also move back up to forward after spending last season at defense; lining up as the Center between Antonio and Anton. Consistency will be key for Vesa Pompa this season. They have a playoff-caliber roster, but they’ll need to put together games in order to accrue points to make the Top 8, something that they struggled to do in the Spring. Voittamaton (formerly Straikers) Last Season: Finished 2nd in Regular Season standings, lost in Semifinals vs Tunnel Vision in 7 games Returning Players: FWD - Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala FWD - Erik @Eki Tammenpää FWD - Teemu @temppanen Karvonen DEF - Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha G - Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen G - Oskari @Zande95 Grönroos Roster Additions: FWD - Paul @PleeMaker Arontie DEF - Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen Roster Subtractions: DEF - Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto G - Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (transferred to Parasite - didn't play in any games last season) Another team that fell victim to Tunnel Vision last season, Voittamaton are still looking to get back to the top of ECL. They’ve come close many times, making it to the Semifinals and Finals on multiple occasions in the last few years, but it’s been since ECL 11 that this group has hoisted the trophy. Most of this team remains unchanged in terms of its core group. They added in Jamaltheman who will provide some offense from the backend after being a high-quality forward with JYP Jyvaskyla in the past season (he went down to Lite last season). He replaces Nassustelija who had been with this team since HAVU Gaming merged with Frolunda HC, so it'll be interesting to see how that one change alters this team's look. They also did lose UhNikke to Parasite, though he didn't suit up for the team last season and Hansulinho is still one of the best goalies in the world, so nothing lost, nothing gained. This team will also appreciate having its long-time captain in Patzlaf back after being away from the team for most of last season. He's undoubtedly one of the best centers in Europe, and though this team looked good in his absence, no one will ever complain about having one of the best two-way players in the ECL back in their lineup. Combine him with other proven top players in Eki and Temppanen and it's a pretty safe bet that they'll be a top offense once again this season. I also find it interesting to see Pleemaker on the roster this season. He hasn't played since the ECL 22 Spring season, but he led the league in points (69), goals (33), and assists (36) that season and he has undeniable chemistry with Patzlaf and Eki. Two years is a long time away from the competitive atmosphere and the ECL and the game as a whole have changed drastically since he last played, but if he is going to come back this season, it'll be a fun story to watch develop for this group that has so much history together. For now, we'll just wait and see what happens there. This team is again a championship contender, but it feels like this year has to be the year before wholesale changes could be considered for the roster (pure speculation to be clear). Does this core have another championship in them? Or have we seen them at their peak? We know where their ambitions are set, now they have to execute in seeing them out. Tune in to the Season Opening Broadcast Tonight! Tune in to the ECL '25: Winter - Elite season opener tonight at twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG! The broadcast starts exceptionally early at 18:45 CET as the first Episode of the SportsGamer Wraparound with Cody @Tougie24 Tougas will introduce us to the new season! We want your clips! Did you make an incredible play or have a funny blooper? Share your best moments on social media using the hashtag #ECL25Clips and get a chance to be featured in our broadcasts. Social media Please tag @SportsGamerGG and use the hashtag #ECL25Winter when posting on social media. You can also use the hashtags #KouvolanLakritsi #eHockey. Also note that when editing your team info, you can add your social media accounts to your team information. The same goes for your player card. Season schedule Regular Season duration: 18.11-19.12.2024 ECL '25: Winter Elite Finals date: ECL Elite LAN Finals @ Assembly Winter 2025 on Thursday 20.2.2025 Good luck to all the teams as they hit the virtual ice. Have fun and let the games begin!