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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!

EA SPORTS has officially released its reveal trailer for NHL 25. With the trailer came information about all-new gameplay features, presentation enhancements, and the reveal of this year's cover athlete. We also got recent news about when the game will be released, what to expect from each edition of the game, and additions that will be seen in multiple game modes. Click here to watch the Official NHL 25 Reveal Trailer Hughes Brothers Named Cover Athletes For the first time ever, an EA SPORTS title will feature siblings together on its cover, as brothers Quinn, Jack, and Luke Hughes will grace the cover of NHL 25’s Deluxe Edition together. For the game’s Standard Edition, all copies that are purchased in the United States will feature New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, while Vancouver Canucks defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes be featured on the cover in Canada and the rest of the world. Along with being NHL 25’s cover athletes, the Hughes brothers also took the ice to contribute motion capture to the game; providing NHL 25 with authentic animations that represent the modern style of hockey that fans love and enjoy today. ICE-Q Intelligence System NHL 25 will introduce the new “ICE-Q” intelligence system, which gives players the time and space to control every facet of their game and every inch of the rink. The new system is highlighted by three major components; Next-Gen Vision Control, Empowered AI, and Reactive Actions. Next-Gen Vision Control - This new skating system grants players more mobility both with and without the puck; allowing for players to move for more time and space on the ice. Gives players the ability to navigate the ice with more precision. The new system includes over 250 new skating animations. For example, now you can do things such as walk the blue line and execute precise turns while still staying locked on goal; helping players utilize the half circles and small spaces available on the ice. When activated with the puck in the attacking zone, the net becomes the target to give you a better chance for quality shots, passes, or increased options when keeping possession. When activated off the puck, your player will target the puck to allow you to open up your body. This allows players to utilize body positioning and certain skating angles. These new capabilities will also give players more ways to defend. All of these abilities will also apply to AI and CPU players. Empowered AI - This system is intended to be an overhaul of the AI system from previous NHL titles; giving CPU skaters increased agility and more accurate awareness of the play that is in front of them. Empowered AI also helps CPU players recognize player positioning and will help them be more consistent positionally. This is something that I’m sure will catch many players' attention, as AI awareness and positioning has been one of the most common criticisms of the NHL titles over the last few years. Refreshed and updated playbooks will also be a part of this new system. Reactive Actions - This improves on-ice positioning and collision avoidance with new animations and is aimed at making skaters more reliably responsive in critical situations. Reactive Actions will trigger animations that will make sense for specific situations on the ice; meaning that if your player should ideally react to a situation in the way that a player ideally would in the context of real-world hockey. These actions include things such as panic turns and changing direction quickly, and players being better aware of where they are on the ice and improving to avoid players around them. The hope is that this feature will help scenarios in-game play out as you would expect them to in modern-world hockey. Skill Based One-Timers Another new feature that will be talked about is the addition of “Skill Based One-Timers”. This feature will reward a player’s ability to read the attacking zone and find an open teammate for a high-danger scoring chance. Doing so will reward you with a high-impact one-timer that the player can see, feel, and hear. These are triggered through an in-game indicator that will identify a player that is ready for a skill-based one-timer based on their openness and their position on the ice. Once you pass the puck to the player, you must time the shot input as the puck arrives at his/her stick. A well-timed shot will create more velocity and will also impact goalie fatigue. This feature will be most prevalent on power play opportunities, but can be triggered at any point in the attacking zone. These skill-based one-timers are intended to create authentic gameplay tension; combining the excitement of creating a high-quality chance on offense with the importance of anticipating the play on defense and trying to deny that high-danger opportunity. This is a feature that will be an interesting addition for players with NHL 24’s full pressure system and new fatigue system being back in the game for NHL 25. This means that possession time could become even more critical to player success than it already was in NHL 24. More details about gameplay are expected to be released in late August. Presentation Improvements NHL 25 sees expansive improvements to character likeness and creation. ALL in-game characters have received a serious face-lift for NHL 25.; utilizing the power of the Frostbite Engine to do so. With these new next-gen characters, players will notice new cloth wrap and new strands, hairs, and beards that give players realistic hair. NHL 25 will also be introducing Sapien Technology to the NHL series; providing the game with anatomically correct skeletons to give players authentic lifelike models. Players will also notice that jerseys and clothing will dynamically flow to react and adapt to player movement. Also featured will be the new “Grudge-Match System”, which will keep track of the competitive history between teams. This system will be featured in both offline and online game modes to create additional context within games across all major modes. These rivalries will also feature special X-Factor abilities that can be earned from previous matchups against rival teams; making the stakes even higher against your fiercest competition. A deep dive into the presentation is anticipated to be released in early September. Game Mode News Franchise Mode will receive a complete revamp in NHL 25. One of many updates to the mode will be the Franchise Hub. This will provide players with streamlined navigation in the mode to access new, relevant, and easy-to-digest information. A deep-dive regarding Franchise Mode is expected to be released in mid-September and will feature additional updates. World of Chel will be getting an expanded schedule for live events with new ways to play. Though there is no specific timeline for when details about World of Chel will be out, news can be expected to be released at a time closer to the game’s launch on October 4th. Hockey Ultimate Team will now feature a Single-Path XP Progression System in NHL 25 that will be shared across HUT. HUT players can also look forward to the new “Wildcard Mode”. A deep dive for HUT will be coming in late September. Release and Pre-Order Information NHL 25 will be released worldwide on October 4th on Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5, however, players who go for the Deluxe edition will be able to lace their skates up already on September 27th. Players who pre-order the game will receive the following benefits based on the edition. NHL 25 Standard Edition 500 NHL Points HUT NHL Player Pack WOC Battle Pass XP Boost (x2) Immediate Reward In NHL 24 with digital pre-order (Choice of Jack, Quinn, or Luke Hughes at 99 OVR) NHL 25 Deluxe Edition 7-Days Early Access, including a head start in initial HUT campaign and WOC season 4600 NHL Points HUT NHL Player Pack HUT “Hockey is Family” Objectives Choice Pack (x2, 82 OVR) HUT Cover Athlete Choice Pack (85 OVR, 1 of 8 ) HUT Wildcard Starter Choice Pack (84 OVR, 1 of 6) WOC Battle Pass XP Boost (x2) WOC Season 1 Premium Battle Pass Exclusive WOC Player Set Immediate Reward In NHL 24 (Choice of Jack, Quinn, or Luke Hughes at 99 OVR) Players that pre-order the Deluxe Edition by September 13th will also receive an 84 overall Hughes Brother choice pack with their pre-order content. Finally, here are some more NHL 25 screenshots that you can feast your eyes on!

After a wild Finals series that went the distance, (3) Dynamo Hc have been crowned Neo Division champions for the ECL '24 Spring season. (3) Dynamo Hc defeated (6) MANCAVExGG by overcoming an early 2-0 series deficit. In the first two games of the series, Dynamo Hc had its fair share of struggles, compiling a whopping -14 goal differential., However, they were able to turn things around with a trio of tight victories. In the all-decisive fifth game, Dynamo Hc even found themselves early in the first period, as MANCAVExGG scored a pair of early goals to take a 2-0 lead. However, in typical Dynamo in this series, they would once again fight back; scoring four unanswered goals en route to a 4-2 championship-clinching victory. Outside of the Finals, this season was a dominant one for this Dynamo Hc team, especially on the offensive end. During the regular season, Dynamo Hc averaged 6 goals per game. Not only did this rank at the top of the Neo Division, but this was the highest number of any ECL team in each of the league's five divisions. They were also one of the Division's best teams defensively in the regular season, finishing ranked with the fourth-best goals allowed per game at 2.11. After a dominant debut season that caps off with the team's first-ever title, Dynamo Hc could very well be viewed as a team on the rise for ECL 25, as the team can potentially make the move up to the Core Division. Dynamo Hc's Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 15-1-0-2 (47pts) - 1st in Group 5, 3rd overall in Neo Division (seedings decided by P/G) Round 1: 3-0 series win vs (30) Eishockeynet Yetis Round 2: 3-1 series win vs (24) BACKCHECK BOYS Quarterfinals: 3-1 series win vs (13) HC Armata Semifinals: 3-1 series win vs (4) Oljefondet Finals: 3-2 series win vs (6) MANCAVExGG A quote from the team captain, Sronnoc @Dan Nad: "Dynamo is a team that was originally founded with just me, Craig (@Balfourr) and Ryan we entered many small leagues but wanted something bigger and better! We joined teams in the ECL and other leagues finding our feet before we decided to bring the return of The Dynamo HC! The team we all loved back a few years ago in NHL 17 we started recruiting and came across these amazing players all showing their part to the team and making a name for themselves to become the best! As GMs of this team, we are very happy and pleased with how this team has grown and how many plans we have for the future we are only going to get better and the only way is up from here. This is just the start of our journey we have many more trophies to win! Let’s Go Dynamo!" Dynamo Hc's ECL '24: Spring - Core Championship Roster 🇬🇧 William @SLR Leah Rylander (CAPTAIN) 🇬🇧 Sronnoc @Dan Nad (CAPTAIN) 🇸🇪 Harten @Harten7 Bird (CAPTAIN) 🇨🇭 Marcus @DeuS HaDeS Sörensen 🇫🇷 @Kaboom 🇬🇧 Craig @Balfourr Balfour @Jonathan9502 🇩🇪 @Tim Lohan 🇨🇦 @x A IVI p E D x 🇬🇧 @AirTxm 🇳🇱 Jeffrey @Bully Van Ling 🇫🇷 @Draghatos

After a thrilling best-of-three series that took a Game 3 overtime to decide, Teemu @temppanen Karvonen has been crowned ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Champion. This is the first championship trophy for Temppanen in 2024 and the second championship in his career, as in 2023 he won the eHSM Finnish Championship. The title victory will be a sweet one for the 23-year-old Finn, as he was forced to settle for second place in three other competitions so far this year. Temppanen finished as runner-up in ECL '24: 1v1 - Winter season, the NHL 24 European Championship, and in the 2024 eHSM Finnish Championship, where he lost in the Finals in Game 3 of a best-of-three series against the man that he defeated to win this championship, Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen. Temppanen's Road to the Championship: Winter '24 Season: Qualified for Grand Finals by advancing to the Semifinals. Later lost in the Finals vs Eki Quarterfinals: 2-1 series win vs (6) Artuzio Semifinals: 2-0 series win vs (7) Eken Finals: 2-1 series win vs (3) NikkeDangles ECL '24 1v1 Grand Finals Results: 🥇Teemu @temppanen Karvonen 🥈Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 🥉Erik @Eki Tammenpää 4. Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund (Semifinalist) 5-8. Arttu @Artuzio Mustila (Quarterfinalist) 5-8. Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen (Quarterfinalist) 5-8. Luka @Easychasniper2 Rönn (Quarterfinalist) 5-8. Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen (Quarterfinalist) Along with a shiny new championship trophy to add to his collection, Temppanen also brought home an extra 700 €. This prize money is in addition to his winnings from the Winter season, where he finished as runner-up and won €150 for his run. As runner-up, NikkeDangles earned himself an extra 400 € to add to his winnings from his runner-up finish during the Spring season campaign. Eki, who won €300 by winning the Winter season championship, took home an additional €250 for his third-place finish. He defeated Eken 3-2 in the Bronze Match to earn the extra cash. Despite falling to Eki in the Bronze Match, Eken still managed to earn an extra €150 for his fourth place as the other semifinalist. Our other four Grand Finals participants each won €75 in addition to their Winter or Spring season earnings by qualifying for the Grand Finals. If you missed the ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Finals, or want to relive all of the exciting action, you can find a replay of the live broadcast for the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Bronze Match and Finals in videos below. Quarterfinals Broadcast: Semifinals, Bronze Match and Finals Broadcast:

In a thrilling Finals series that took 7 games to decide, #14 seed KohKae Esports defeated #3 seed Darra Stars in a 1-0 Game 7 victory to win the ECL '24: Spring - Core Division Championship. This is the first ECL championship in KohKae Esports' history. They are the second team in Core Division history to win the title as a double-digit seed and are also the second team in Core Division history to knock off each of the Top 3 seeds (Resurrection did both in ECL 12 as the 16th seed in the Core Division's inaugural season). KohKae Esports' ECL 24' Spring Core championship roster pictured from left to right: @TenkaRolle @Royalcombat96 @Eashl_kalle @Joona41 @khassu-- @NiQLaSSS @LihaPoni90 KohKae Esports has been competing in the league since ECL 11 (2020). Their deepest playoff run prior to this season came in the ECL '23: Spring season, when they made the Core Division Quarterfinals. The club has played 446 games across all competitions and has a record of 183-222-41. Going into the playoffs KohKae Esports were one of the hottest teams in the division; winning each of their last 8 games of the regular season and then sweeping their Round 1, Round 2, and Quarterfinals series. This resulted in a 20-game win streak, including a 12-game win streak in the playoffs. This streak was finally snapped during the Quarterfinals when they lost Games 1 and 2 against #2 seed ARMEIJAN KURI, but they then won four straight games to clinch their place in the Finals. Though the runner-ups Darra Stars should be proud of their efforts this season, this loss will leave an especially bitter taste in their mouths. This marks the second Finals loss in the club's history, as they also lost in the Neo Division Finals against Flashback Skewed in the ECL '23: Spring season. In both Finals' they lost in the championship-clinching game by one goal in a series that went to full distance (the Neo Division is decided by a best-of-five series). Both teams will now turn their attention to the Lite Division, as they have both clinched promotion for the ECL '25: Winter season. After their Game 7 victory, we had the opportunity to talk with KohKae Esports' captain Timo @LihaPoni90 Tuominen about their championship journey and why family is the reason this title means so much to them. LihaPoni Interview: KohKae Esports' Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 11-2-2-7 (39pts) - 4th in Group 3, 14th overall in Core Division Round 1: 4-0 series win vs (19) TRAINING GROUND Round 2: 4-0 series win vs (7) Lutunilkat Quarterfinals: 4-0 series win vs (1) Prowlers Semifinals: 4-2 series win vs (2) ARMEIJAN KURI Finals: 4-3 series win vs (3) Darra Stars KohKae Esports' ECL '24: Spring - Core Championship Roster 🇫🇮 Timo @LihaPoni90 Tuominen (C) 🇫🇮 Teemu @TenkaRolle Tuominen (A) 🇫🇮 Joona @Joona41 Järvinen (A) 🇫🇮 Niklas @NiQLaSSS Ihajärvi 🇫🇮 Viki @Royalcombat96 Tuominen 🇫🇮 Kalle @Eashl_kalle Tauriainen 🇫🇮 Kasper @khassu-- Rantanen

In one of the most dominant campaigns that we have seen in Lite Division history, (1) Nordic Stars have been crowned Lite Division Champions for the ECL '24: Spring season. Nordic Stars clinched the title with a 4-0 series sweep against (3) Zenegeim in the Finals. They are the third team in Lite Division history to win the title as the top overall seed, joining Sack Brothers (ECL 10) and Bjorkloven Esport (ECL 11) as the only teams to have done so. Nordic Stars' ECL 24' Spring Lite championship roster pictured from left to right: @Macentoitunu @Vire30 @Katunarski @Kim_20_00_ @Jerax13 @SakkeTheEngineer Led by an experienced core group of players that has spent much of its time in the Pro and Elite divisions, Nordic Stars were able to put together one of the most impressive seasons that we have seen in some time; compiling a record of 23-1-0-2 during the regular season for 71 points in the standings, losing just two games during that time and earning the top seed in the playoff bracket. They then continued their dominant form in the postseason; only losing one game during their playoff run, a 2-1 loss against (6) Sawolanche in Game 4 of the Semifinals. After last playing in the Elite Division in the ECL '23: Spring season, Nordic Stars returned to the ECL this season and opted to make the move back down to the Lite Division. Nordic Stars is one of the ECL's original 50 teams, as the club debuted during the ECL's inaugural season in 2015. The club has since played in 505 games across various tournaments, accumulating a record of 319-149-47. This is Nordic Stars' first ECL championship in club history. We got to chat with Nordic Stars captain Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho, who has been with the club since ECL 8 and became the team's main captain in ECL 11 about the team's dominant run, why they made the decision to move to the Lite Division and what this title victory means to him and the team. Vire Interview: Nordic Stars' Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 23-1-0-2 (71pts) - 1st in Group 3, 1st overall in Lite Division Round 1: 4-0 series win vs (32) Hirvikolari Round 2: 4-0 series win vs (25) Refuse To Lose Quarterfinals: 4-0 series win vs (24) Hopfensmoothie HC Semifinals: 4-1 series win vs (6) Sawolanche Finals: 4-0 series win vs (3) Zenegeim Nordic Stars' ECL '24: Spring - Lite Championship Roster 🇫🇮 Valtteri @Vire30 Vireaho (C) 🇫🇮 Jere @Jerax13 Hällström (A) 🇫🇮 Bajram @Katunarski Xhafa (A) 🇫🇮 Marcus @Macentoitunu Laurinen 🇫🇮 Kim @Kim_20_00_ Suokas 🇫🇮 Saku @SakkeTheEngineer Liponen

After multiple weeks of competition featuring some of the best 1v1 players in Europe, a champion has been crowned for the ECL '24: Spring 1v1 season. Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen clinched the title after defeating Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 2-1 in a best-of-three finals series. Pikkarii's Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 4-0-2-0 (14pts) - 1st in Group 3, 4th overall Round 1: 2-0 series win vs (13) bystrom__ Quarterfinals: 2-0 series win vs (7) Halkian-price Semifinals: 2-1 series win vs (6) Easychasniper2 Finals: 2-1 series win vs (2) NikkeDangles We also got to have a word with Pikkarii on our broadcast after his championship-clinching victory. Pikkarii Interview: Though @Pikkarii was able to take home the Spring season title, as well as the 300€ prize for the tournament winner, he and each of our four semifinalists have clinched a spot for the ECL 1v1 Grand Finals and will be joined by the four semifinalists from the Winter season, which Erik @Eki Tammenpää won in March. Below are the four semifinalists from each season that will be participating. ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Finals Participants: Winter 🥇 Erik @Eki Tammenpää 🥈Teemu @temppanen Karvonen 🥉 Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund 🥉 Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen Spring 🥇Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen 🥈Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 🥉Arttu @Artuzio Mustila 🥉Luka @Og Maakari Rönn The ECL '24: 1v1 - Grand Finals will be played on Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th of July. The exact time for the Grand Finals will be announced soon. Make sure to follow SportsGamerGG on its social media platforms to stay up-to-date on upcoming information regarding the tournament. There will be live coverage ofof the Grand Finals on Twitch, YouTube and X.

A champion has been crowned in the Pro Division for the ECL '24: Spring season, as Almost Famous defeated Falun Coal Miners in five games to win the ECL Pro Championship and have now clinched their place in the Elite Division for the start of the ECL '25 season. Almost Famous's ECL 24' Spring Pro championship roster pictured from left to right: @Ikavalko @jezbaru @Oxdoggi @grontti88 @Jalkkin- @xrikardo55 This championship is the first for Almost Famous in their long history in the ECL. The club was established in 2018 and has participated in 444 games, compiling a record of 252-145-46 over the years in various competitions. The team made the Lite Division Finals in ECL 5 and the Pro Semifinals in ECL 6. They would later qualify for the Elite Division and compete there from ECL 7-10. However, the club was never able to find sustained success in the ECL's top division, as they stayed there for four seasons before finishing last in the division in ECL 10 and disbanding a season later. The club was defunct until this past season when it made its return after over three years. They attempted to qualify for the Pro Division, but fell short after losing in the semifinals of the Pro qualifier. This led them to the Lite Division, where they did make a Semifinals appearance before losing to the eventual champions Bone Breakers in seven games. They would however win the Bronze matchup to take home third-place in Lite and earn automatic promotion to the Pro Division for this season. Not only does this title victory mark for an amazing comeback story, but it also makes for a bit of league history as well. With this championship, Almost Famous are the first team in ECL history to win the Pro Division championship after failing to qualify for the division the season prior. They are also the first team to win the Pro Division championship in their first season after being promoted from a lower division. Following their Game 5 victory to clinch the title, we got to speak with Almost Famous' captain and center Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko, who has been a captain of the team since its beginnings in 2018 and spoke with us about their amazing playoff run, player's that stepped up for the team and his excitement to finally be crowned a champion in the ECL with the team that he helped build. Ikavalo Interview: Almost Famous' Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 14-3-5-8 (53pts) - 4th in Group 1, 8th overall in Pro Division Round 1: 4-2 series win vs (5) Supernatural Quarterfinals: 4-1 series win vs (3) Deadly Phantoms Semifinals: 4-2 series win vs (7) RYHTIC Finals: 4-1 series win vs (1) Falun Coal Miners Almost Famous' ECL '24: Spring - Pro Championship Roster 🇫🇮 Aaro @Ikavalko Ikävalko (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Miikka @grontti88 Gröhn (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Eren @Jalkkin- Yalçin (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Teukka @Oxdoggi Niemistö 🇫🇮 Riku @xrikardo55 Ojala 🇫🇮 Jesse @jezbaru Ruuskanen

The ECL Spring 24 season came to a close on Saturday in the Elite Division, as Tunnel Vision defeated Valokuitunen Esports in a four-game sweep to win the ECL Elite Championship. This championship is Tunnel Vision's third ECL title in club history, with all three being won over the past four seasons. This also ranks them second all-time in Elite Division titles won by a club, as they now trail just Valokuitunen Esports (formerly hREDS) who have four. Tunnel Vision's ECL 24' Spring Elite championship roster pictured from left to right: @jxrska @benuh_ @Laiitinen @wengerii @tomboo- @Laiitinen @Pikkarii @pelkonen- This trophy not only cements Tunnel Vision's place amongst the best clubs in ECL history, but it also could be a "happily ever after" ending to the club's amazing story and journey in the ECL. The team has referred to their playoff run as their "last dance", meaning that this could be the last time we see this group on the ice together for the foreseeable future. Tunnel Vision debuted in the Pro Division in ECL 11 and qualified for the Elite Division in ECL 12 after winning a relegation series against Team LEISURE (now Deadly Phantoms). The team has competed in exactly 700 ECL games as of this writing, compiling a record of 494-145-61. In the Elite Division, they've earned six playoff appearances, five finals appearances, and three Elite Division championships. Their most notable campaign came in the ECL '23 Winter Season, where they finished the regular season with a 27-0-3 record (57pts), becoming the first-ever Elite Division team to finish the regular season without a regulation loss. They would later that season win the club's first Elite Division title in a seven-game series against Frölunda HC and would go on to represent the ECL in the 2023 World Finals at Assembly Winter '23 in Helsinki. After their championship-clinching victory against Valokuitunen on Saturday, Connor @MartindalexC Martindale and I got to speak with Tunnel Vision RW Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and LW Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen to get their thoughts about the series, their championship, and why this third championship is such a special one for this tight-knit group of friends. Interview with Laiitinen: Interview with Vattuyy: Tunnel Vison's Road to the Championship: Regular Season: 15-3-5-7 (56pts) - 3rd in Elite Division Quarterfinals: 4-1 series win vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport Semifinals: 4-3 series win vs (2) Straikers Finals: 4-0 series win vs (1) Valokuitunen Esports Tunnel Vision's ECL 24' Spring Championship Roster 🇫🇮 Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Veeti @wengerii Paloneva (CAPTAIN) 🇫🇮 Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen 🇫🇮 Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen 🇫🇮 Ben @benuh_ Rinnet 🇫🇮 Jere @jxrska Laukka 🇫🇮 Petri @pelkonen- Pelkonen If you weren't able to catch the Elite Finals live but want to catch up on all of the action, you can watch the highlights of each game during the series in the video linked below:

(1) Valokuitunen Esports vs (3) Tunnel Vision After outlasting 14 other teams in the deepest ECL Elite season in recent memory, just two sides remain to decide a champion Valokuitunen Esports and Tunnel Vision square off in the Finals for a second straight season and for the third time overall. However this season's matchup means little bit more than usual, as while Valokuitunen is hoping to continue to cement their place in ECL history with a record-setting fifth Elite championship, Tunnel Vision is looking to win its third title in the last four seasons, cementing their place as an official dynasty in European NHL esports, and doing so in what has been said to be viewed the team's "last dance" with this group. So how did the teams get here? Who has performed? How do they matchup and what are the big storylines? We've got everything covered here that you need to know as we get ready for another exciting championship matchup. Valokuitunen Esports How They Got Here Regular Season: 20-2-2-6 (66pts) - 1st in Elite Division 4-3 series win vs (8) The Black Jacks 3-2 OTW, 1-2 L, 4-1 W, 1-3 L, 1-0 W, 1-2 L, 3-1 W 4-1 series win vs (5) EXEN 2-1 OTW, 2-0 W, 1-2 OTL, 4-1 W, 5-1 W Season Summary It's honestly not surprising to see Valokuitunen Esports back at this stage. After all, they are four-time Elite Division champions and the defending champions this season for a reason. They dominated the regular season and came into the playoffs as the overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions. However, Valokuitunen faced their first bit of adversity in the form of The Black Jacks, who pushed them to a full seven-game series during the quarterfinals. During this series, Valokuitunen looked out of sorts to their standard, making uncharacteristic mistakes and even at times letting their frustrations get the best of them during this series. You could argue that the group was lucky to get past this series, but you can't always win pretty in these playoffs and no opponent is an easy foe, and Valokuitunen did what they needed to do to get past the pesky eighth seed. In the semifinals, the orange and white looked like a different team. They controlled the possession game, forced EXEN out of their comfort zone, and dominated the game throughout most of the series, dropping just one game in the series, a 1-2 double-overtime loss in Game 3. This makes me believe that their performance against The Black Jacks was a mere blip; an outlier from a team that has put up masterful performances countless times over the past few years, now the question is whether they can repeat those successes against a hungry Tunnel Vision team that has tested them mightily over the years. Projected Starting Lineup LW - Roope @pikkuroger Bergström - (11 GP, 17 PTS, 8 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 23.5% SHOOTING PERCENTAGE, 3 GWG) C - Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen - (12 GP, 14 PTS, 7 GOALS, 7 ASSISTS, 54.1% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE) RW - Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen - (12GP, 17 PTS, 11 GOALS, 6 ASSISTS, 63 SHOTS) LD - Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen - (12GP, 12 PTS, 12 ASSISTS, 43 TAKEAWAYS, 88 INTERCEPTIONS) RD - Teemu @Teemuyy Polttila - (12 GP, 10 PTS, 10 ASSISTS, 66 HITS, 34 TAKEAWAYS, 18 BLOCKED SHOTS) G - Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes - (12 GP, 89.12% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 1.33 GAA, 147 SHOT FACED, 3 SHUTOUTS, 27 SHUTOUT PERIODS) Notable Finals Storylines This is Valokuitunen's 6th ECL Elite Finals Appearance (They are 4-1 in Finals series' in the Elite Division) Defending ECL Elite Division champions, defeated Tunnel Vision in the Finals in 7 games last season A series victory would make it the first time that a team has won back-to-back championships multiple times A series victory will extend Valokuitunen's record for the all-time lead in ECL Elite Division championships (5). The next closest teams are Straikers and HAVU Gaming (3 each). Tunnel Vision How They Got Here Regular Season: 15-3-5-7 (56pts) - 3rd in Elite Division 4-1 series win vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport 1-0 W, 5-1 W, 3-2 W, 0-1 L, 5-2 W 4-3 series win vs (2) Straikers 3-4 L, 4-3 OTW, 3-1 W, 3-5 L, 0-4 L, 2-1 W, 1-0 W Season Summary The peaks and valleys of Tunnel Vision's Spring campaign can be tracked all the way back to the beginning of the season. This team was quite simply not up to their standard during the regular season, as though they were still one of the best teams in the division offensively, their defensive play and goaltending took a significant step back. Not only this, but their 12 overall losses (7 in regulation and 5 in overtime) was their highest number since the ECL 12 season, where they lost 19 total games (14 in regulation and 5 in overtime) and missed the playoffs after an 11th place finish in the standings (I think people often forget how far this team has come over the last few years). Because of all of these things, there were genuine discussions about whether or not this team could make it back to the top as they came into the playoffs in below-average form and just simply didn't look like the dominant unit that the Elite division has come to know. But in the fashion of any true champion, Tunnel Vision hit its stride once playoff time came around. They took down a feisty but inexperienced Bjorkloven Esport team in the Quarterfinals and made a statement in doing so with their dominant play on both ends of the ice. This set up another classic matchup between them and Straikers in the semifinals. This series was pretty much the perfect encapsulation of what Tunnel Vision's season has been. Mired with inconsistency. Moments of brilliance, mixed with moments of question. Quite frankly, Tunnel Vision looked dead in the water after Game 5 of this series, but just like they did going into the playoffs, Tunnel Vision stepped up their game when they needed it most, stealing Games 6 and 7 to clinch their spot in the Finals. Tunnel Vision's championship hopes will depend on which version of the group will show up for each game. The team that has been mired by defensive woes in the regular season, or the high-octane team that has emerged as one of the best teams in the world in its dominant run over the past two years. Projected Starting Lineup LW - Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen - (12 GP, 22 PTS, 13 GOALS, 9 ASSISTS, 60 SHOTS, 0:00 PIMS) C - Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen - (12 GP, 16 PTS, 8 GOALS, 8 ASSISTS, 50.9% FACEOFF WIN PERCENTAGE) RW - Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen - (12GP, 22 PTS, 10 GOALS, 12 ASSISTS, 44 SHOTS) LD - Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen - (12GP, 8 PTS, 8 ASSISTS, 61 HITS, 15 BLOCKED SHOTS, 97 INTERCEPTIONS) RD - Veeti @wengerii Paloneva - (12 GP, 12 PTS, 2 GOALS, 10 ASSISTS, 36 TAKEAWAYS) G - Ben @benuh_ Rinnet - (12 GP, 80.95% SAVE PERCENTAGE, 2.00 GAA, 126 SHOTS FACED, 2 SHUTOUTS, 23 SHUTOUT PERIODS) Notable Finals Storylines Tunnel Vision are making their fifth-consecutive ECL Elite Division Finals appearance (2-2 in Finals series) Won back-to back ECL Elite Championship in ECL '23: Winter and Spring, including representing Europe in the 6v6 eHockey World Finals in 2023 A title victory will give Tunnel Vision its third Elite Division title, this would also tie them with Straikers and HAVU Gaming for the second-most Elite Division championships in ECL history. This would also make them just one shy of Valokuitunen's current record of four Elite championships Tunnel Vision is 1-2 against Valokuitunen all-time in ECL playoff series. They are 0-2 in Finals series' against them The Regular Season Series (both games were played on May 6) 2-1 Tunnel Vision W Tunnel Vision Notable Stats: - @Vattuyy and @Laiitinen each had a goal in the 2nd period, both at even strength - @benuh_ made 18 saves on 19 shots for Tunnel Vision, earning a 94.74% save percentage - Tunnel Vision's only goal allowed came on the penalty kill - Three Tunnel Vision skaters (@tomboo-, @Laiitinen and @Vattuyy) were credited with six or more interceptions Valokuitunen Notable Stats: - Valokuitunen outshot Tunnel Vision 19-13; and had 9:12 time on attack compared to Tunnel Vision's 7:35 - Valokuitunen's skaters combined for 34 giveaways, Tunnel Vision's combined for just 20 - @Beniittto scored Valokuitunen's lone goal in 3rd period - @FINSeRe earned an 84.62% save percentage despite the loss, making 11 saves on 13 shots 3-0 Valokuitunen Esports W Valokuitunen Notable Stats: - @Beniittto scored the game-winning goal in the first period at 13:37 - @Beniittto (2 goals) and @pikkuroger (1 goal and 1 assist) were the only players who had at least a point in this game - Valokuitunen's skaters combined for 45 giveaways, Tunnel Vision's skaters combined for 32 - @FINSeRe stopped all 10 shots that he faced. This win was one of 10 shutouts that he earned during the regular season, which led all Elite Division Goalies Tunnel Vision Notable Stats: - Tunnel Vision outshot Valokuitunen 10-8, and also had 10:16 of time on attack compared to Valokuitunen's 8:53 - This game was 1 of only 2 games in the regular season in which Tunnel Vision was shutout (2-0 L vs Straikers on May 15) - Allowed two goals in the last 30 seconds of the game (at 59:44 and 59:53) - @tomboo- registered 7 takeaways and 10 interceptions in this game Stat of the Series: In each of their last three playoff meetings, the series was decided in a Game 7. Each Game 7 was decided by one goal, and two of the three were won in overtime. Prediction I promise that I don't mean to dramatize or overstate things, but this feels like one of the biggest Finals matchups that we have had in the Elite Division over the past few seasons. What makes this different? Well, history. Valokuitunen Esports are looking to cement their place as the top team in the history of the ECL, something that some could argue they have already done. However, by beating Tunnel Vision in another Finals series and earning a record-extending fifth Elite title, their spot as the top dogs in Elite history feels like it could be set in stone for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Tunnel Vision has epitomized what it means to climb the ranks of the ECL. They earned their way from the Pro Division into the Elite Division after winning a relegation series in ECL 11 against Deadly Phantoms (then known as Team LEISURE). They missed the playoffs in their first Elite season during ECL 12, but have made it to the postseason every season since, and have emerged as one of the top squads in Europe with two Elite Division trophies to back it up. However, times could soon be changing for this group, as there has been word around the community that the team is treating this playoff run as "the last dance". What this means for the future of the club is unknown to the public, but it seems like considerable changes could be coming for this team after this game cycle. This means that this is potentially Tunnel Vision's last chance to further cement their legacy and even more importantly, this could be the last chance to play on this stage with this same group, or at least for the time being. It's history book vs storybook, and only one can prevail in this series. I think that Tunnel Vision has as good of a chance as anyone to beat this Valokuitunen side. They know what it takes to do it as they have done it before in the playoffs, and the motivation of wanting to end this era at the top of the ECL mountain will be something that you'd think can give them a good boost. However, the inconsistencies in their game this season leave me concerned, and though Valokuitunen did struggle against The Black Jacks in their quarterfinal series, that felt like more of an outlier than Tunnel Vision's struggles have. These two teams are as closely matched as it gets, so I have zero expectation of being right or wrong on this prediction. However, I think that consistency has to mean something, and Valokuitunen has been as consistent as it gets. Valokuitunen in 7 FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X Tune in on Friday, June 14th at 20:00 CEST for games 1-3 and on Saturday, June 15th at 19:00 CEST for the rest of the best-of-7 series! Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may not have covered? Let me know in the comments!

MATCHUP 1 (1) Valokuitunen Esports vs (5) EXEN Regular Season Results: 7-1 Valokuitunen Esports W 3-2 Valokuitunen Esports OTW Valokuitunen: Phew, well that was close. Despite punching their ticket to another Semifinals last week, their series probably ended up being a bit too close for comfort, as the defending champs were pushed to a Game 7 against (8) The Black Jacks last week. Some could maybe even argue that Valokuitunen was fortunate to escape the series, but they did escape, and in the playoffs that is all that matters. Valokuitunen were led by many of the usual names during their Quarterfinals victory. Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen led the way for the group with 9 points, putting up 3 goals and 6 assists in his six games played. They also saw major contributions from their captain and center Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen, who pitched in 8 points with 4 goals and 4 assists in seven games, while also posting a 53.8% face-off percentage. Roope @pikkuroger Bergström was held to just 6 points during the series, but 5 of those were goals, so he was still able to step up in a big way, continuing to show his abilities as a goal-scorer. Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes also carried over his regular season success into the postseason, backstopping Valokuitunen with an 86.75% save percentage and 1.57 GAA in seven starts. He also had 14 shutout periods and made the second-most saves of any goalie in the Quarterfinals with 72, while also facing the second-most shots (83). Now they will turn their attention to EXEN, a team that they were able to get the best of in both regular season meetings. The regular season series was a tale of two games for Valokuitunen despite getting the win in both contests. In the first meeting, Valokuitunen outshot EXEN 21-7, had 9:42 of time on attack (4:22 more than what EXEN had), and scored 5 goals in the second period alone. The second matchup however was very different. They continued to find offensive zone time, earning 9:53 of time on attack, but they only posted 11 shots on net. Their five skaters also combined for 48 giveaways in the second game; a massive increase from their 21 giveaways in the first game. Valokuitunen will need to hope to find some of the same magic that they saw in the first matchup between these two teams compared to the second, especially in terms of winning the possession game and not hesitating to shoot the puck when at all possible. Valokuitunen Player To Watch: Roope @pikkuroger Bergström (Left Winger) In Valokuitunen Esports' two regular season meetings against EXEN, @pikkuroger had 9 points with 5 goals and 4 assists. He also took 15 shots in those two games, including 12 in their 7-1 win. He's established himself as one of the best goal scorers in Europe over the past few years and he's going against a team that he played very well against earlier this season. Expect him to be a big factor in this series. EXEN: After earning the only sweep in the Quarterfinals against Tohtorit, EXEN finds themselves back in the Semifinals for the first time since the ECL '23: Winter season. They were rather dominant and were possibly the most impressive of the teams that made it into the next round, especially on the offensive end. Each of EXEN's five skaters tallied 6 points or more during the four-game series and four of their five skaters scored at least 2 goals. Though EXEN has plenty of talent at forward, I would argue that it was the defense that led the charge for this group offensively. Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström tied with forward Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala for the team lead in points with 9, including 3 goals to go along with 6 assists. His defensive partner Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen contributed 8 points in the series, with all of them being assists. The most impressive thing about the pairing? Each of them possessed the puck for over 27 minutes during this series, an average of just under 7 minutes per game. When you combine these numbers, that makes for almost 25% of the total game where one of them has the puck on their stick, so their importance to this team cannot be understated. Someone else to keep a close eye on in this series would be V-V @cTunkeilija Lampela, who in my opinion has been one of the most underrated centers in the Elite Division for a few seasons now. He'll be matched up with one of the best at his position, making for an intriguing position matchup in a series that is going to be filled with them. He also had 21 takeaways in the Quarterfinals against Tohtorit and contributed a point on each of EXEN's 3 goals against Valokuitunen during the regular season series. Keep an eye on him. Focusing now on their upcoming matchup, EXEN is going to have to prioritize playing the possession game and making their time in the offensive zone count. Though they lost both regular season meetings against this team, the quality of their play in both losses highly contrasted. In that second game, EXEN nearly doubled their offensive production and also saw drastic improvements in their defensive play, which is what I feel was the biggest difference between the two contests. In the first game against Valokuitunen, EXEN allowed 21 shots on net, in the second matchup they allowed just 11. They also forced Valokuitunen into many more mistakes with the puck, forcing 17 takeaways in the second game after only forcing 6 takeaways in the first matchup. EXEN will need to remember the lessons that they learned in their regular season series against Valokuitunen, while also carrying over the success that they had in the Quarterfinals. If they can, it could make for the perfect storm. A storm so perfect that it could lead the team to its first-ever Finals appearance in the Elite Division. EXEN Player to Watch: Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen (Left Defense) There are lot of different options that I could go with here, but considering the fact that he played for this team last season as a forward and has played against them in the ECL Finals and Semifinals multiple times, I think that @Mozjayh has to be the pick here. He has been a perfect match with this EXEN group and his experience in the playoffs as a three-time Elite champion, as well as his history and knowledge of their opponents will be invaluable in a critical series like this. Prediction This series has a lot of different storylines with a lot of different angles. These two teams are two of the most experienced in the division but in a completely different way. Valokuitunen Esports have cemented themselves as one of the best teams in Europe over the past few years and have the pedigree and history to back that up. They've won four championships, are the only team in ECL history to win three straight titles, and are the defending champs in these playoffs after winning the trophy last season(formerly under the hREDS brand). Meanwhile, at the same time that their opponents were dominating the European scene, EXEN went through a rollercoaster experience. This team had to completely rebuild itself from the ground up, going from being the Elite's top seed in the ECL 11 playoffs to being relegated to the Pro Division not long after. They then won the Pro Division title in ECL '22: Winter in their first season there to earn their way back into Elite; and now they are back to competing for championships in the ECL's top flight (all formerly as JYP Jyväskyla). They've built well over the years and have grown significantly, but in their entire time in the Elite Division, they have yet to make it to the Finals. Is this the season they can get it done? This team certainly has a different feeling than its past teams did and we've already seen Valokuitunen get pushed to the brink in these playoffs, narrowly escaping against the ECL's eighth-seeded team to get here. There were moments in that series where they felt hesitant, made uncharacteristic mistakes and at times even seemed to let their frustrations show and get the best of them. I'd expect this group to step up their game in the Semifinals and be much better than what we saw two weeks ago. It's what they have always done and they've had a 10-day break to regroup as a team, which I think will benefit them after a series that I highly doubt that they were happy with, even despite advancing. I think this series will be close and that EXEN has a true shot to potentially pull off the victory, but I'm not going to go against this Valokuitunen team. It rarely goes well when you do. Valokuitunen Esports in 6 MATCHUP 2 (2) Straikers vs (3) Tunnel Vision Regular Season Results: 2-0 Straikers W 5-2 Straikers W Straikers: In what was another close call in the Quarterfinals, Straikers were able to avoid the upset against Unwanted for a second straight season. Straikers' experience in clutch situations again helped them in this series, and their big moment players were the ones that really stepped up and led the way for them when things began to look questionable in that series. Offensive production was distributed rather evenly in their series, as all five skaters score a goal in the series and each of them contributed at least 4 points during the series. Erik @Eki Tammenpää led the way for the group with his 8 points, which included 3 goals and 5 assists. He was huge for Straikers in pretty much every phase of the game and showed why he's seen as one of the top players in the league regardless of what position he plays. He also had 32 takeaways and won 57.9% of his face-offs; all while being the only Straikers skater to not take a penalty during the series. Not only this, but all three of his goals in the series came in Game 7 alone. That's clutch factor if I've ever seen it. Along with him was fellow-veteran forward Ilmari @Puantso Lehkonen, who posted 6 points in the series with 4 of them being goals. His long-time teammate and goaltender Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen was also critical to the series victory, as he stepped up between the pipes with an 82.86% save percentage and a 1.71 GAA. Two of his four victories in the series were shutouts, blanking a strong Unwanted offense in a critical victories in Game 2 and in Game 5. Focusing now on their Semifinal matchup, Straikers have reasons for optimism but also showed that they have some room to improve from their Quarterfinals performance. On the positive side of things, they will match up against a Tunnel Vision team that they beat twice in the regular season. Additionally, Tunnel Vision has some similarities stylistically to Unwanted, as both teams love to utilize counter-attacks and can create quick offense. This is something that could help Straikers, as they just went against this for seven games last week at a more extreme level. However, Tunnel Vision is a more experienced side and is also a better offensive team than what Straikers' faced in the Quarterfinals (with all due respect to Unwanted). Tunnel Vision plays a high-octane style that will see them have more offensive zone time than Unwanted did and they'll also shoot the puck significantly more. Not only this, but they even showed significant signs of improvement in their defensive play last week; something that was the team's biggest weakness coming into the postseason (something that we will talk about further in a bit). To win this series, Straikers will have to be smart and cohesive. They will also need to be more opportunistic on the power play. After sporting the league's best power play at 36.84% during the regular season, Straikers was held to just 1 power play goal on 10 attempts; that's 10% against a penalty kill that ranked at just 10th in the division during the regular season. We all know what this team is capable of when they are firing on all cylinders and they know that last week was far from their best work. I'd expect them to look better than what we saw in the Quarterfinals. Straikers Player to Watch: Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (Right Defense) I wanted to stray away from what could be viewed as the more obvious pick in @Eki and I think that @FlyerKungen has served as one of the most reliable two-way defensemen in the league since moving from RW to RD last season. During the regular season series against Tunnel Vision, he was able to contribute 2 points (1 goal and 1 assist) while also racking up 7 takeaways and 11 interceptions defensively. He's the definition of reliable and rarely makes any big mistakes on either side of the ice. Exactly what you need when going up against a familiar foe and a fellow former champion. Tunnel Vision: Right when it seemed fair to doubt them, Tunnel Vision responded by turning in its most complete effort of the season last week They defeated a scrappy sixth-seed in Bjorkloven Esport team in five games; reminding the ECL world of who they are in the process. Two-time Elite Division champions and finalists in each of the past four seasons. Their offensive production continued to thrive as it did in the regular season, as Tunnel Vision scored a total of 14 goals in its five games (an average of 2.8 per game). This included two games in which they scored five goals in Games 2 and 5. All of these goals came from their forwards, as Arttu @Laiitinen Laitinen, Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Väinö @Pikkarii Pikkarainen each had at least 8 points and 4 goals in the series. However, this offensive production was to be expected. After all, Tunnel Vision dominated on the offensive end during the regular season and have been doing so for years. Where people's concern lied was in their own-zone play and they were able to put many of those concerns to rest in this series. As I mentioned in the Quartefinals preview, Tunnel Vision allowed 2.7 goals against per game during the regular season, which ranked third-worst in the Elite Division. During the Quarterfinals it was a completely different story, as they allowed just 6 goals throughout the entire five-game series, that's an average of 1.2 goals against per game. To cut your goals against in half in such a short time is a remarkable turnaround, and it's something that Tunnel Vision deserves credit for. They also allowed just an average of 8.2 shots per game, so they didn't even allow for many chances. Similarly to Straikers, Tunnel Vision has reasons for both optimism and caution. For optimism, Tunnel Vision should look like a much different team than what Straikers saw in the regular season. For starters, their usual starting winger @Laiitinen was out of the lineup in those two games, forcing @Vattuyy to move out of his usual winger position to play at the center spot. Though this sounds like a small change at face value, the differences between a winger and a center can sometimes be drastic depending on the player's style, so it's not an easy transition to make on short notice. It also means more when playing against a top-end team like Straikers; especially when you are matched up against one of the league's best centers on the other side. Not only this, but this seems to be a different Tunnel Vision team in terms of effort and focus. During an interview that was featured on our broadcast during their Quarterfinals series, I asked Tunnel Vision's captain Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen about the improvements in their defensive play and he immediately mentioned the team's increased efforts with it being the playoffs. This difference was immediately noticeable when watching them and quite frankly, it makes Tunnel Vision a totally different team from the one that we saw during the first 30 games of the season. However, they will be going up against an opponent in Straikers that has gone far too long without hoisting the ECL Elite trophy. Bjorkloven's lack of Elite-level playoff experience was a clear advantage for Tunnel Vision in that series and that is something that won't be there for them this time. Also, Straikers were a far better offensive team than Bjrokloven this season, as while Straikers ranked as the third-highest scoring team in the league with 2.87 goals per game, Bjorkloven ranked at 9th, averaging 2.33 goals per game. They have plenty of reason to feel good about things going into this series, but Straikers are a team on a clear mission. It's going to take Tunnel Vision's most complete version of themselves to knock them out. Tunnel Vision Player to Watch: Ben @benuh_ Rinnet (Goalie) After a stellar Winter season that saw him as a Goaltender of the Season nominee, Ben @benuh_ Rinnet took a step back statistically this season, as his save percentage went from 85.19% during the Winter campaign to 78.74% during the Spring. Now obviously not all of this falls on him. A goalie can only do so much and every netminder's success is somewhat determined by the quality of play in front of him; which defensively also took a step back during the regular season. However in the postseason so far, @benuh_ has completely flipped the script like the rest of his team, playing phenomenally in between the pipes. He averaged an 85.37% save percentage in the series victory and a 1.2 GAA. He also had shut out Bjokrloven Esports in 10 of the 15 periods played during that series (that's roughly 66.7% of the entire series). If Tunnel Vision is going to have similar success in the Semifinals, @benuh_ is going to have to be at the level that we saw him at last week and throughout all of last season. Prediction To be quite honest, you could flip a coin to pick this series and have just as good of a reason to make that pick as you would doing hours of research. That is how close these two teams are to each other. Considering this, I'm just going to make a prediction based on what I feel as I am typing this. The drama is palpable and the storylines create themselves. In recent times, Tunnel Vision has gotten the best of Straikers in the playoffs, including in multiple Semifinals and Finals series. They were knocked off of their championship throne against hREDS last season in a 7-game Finals series and now they are on a mission themselves, hoping to remind the ECL that they are still the team to beat in this division. They will feel confident coming into this matchup and they have every reason to do so. Meanwhile, Straikers are on a a mission that trails back a bit further. They were swept in the Semifinals last season by hREDS and they've come so close to touching gold again multiple times over the last few years, but for one reason or another, it hasn't happened. It's been three years since Straikers last won the Elite Division, so they are hungrier than ever. They want to end the talk of their championship drought, and they want to do it this season. Fine, I'll stop stalling and will make my pick. I think that there is something to be said about consistency. Though Straikers were far from their best in the Quarterfinals, they have been the more consistent and complete team between the two this season and I'd expect them to make significant improvements in their game from what we saw last week against Unwanted. These two teams also have different-looking lineups than when they met in the playoffs a year ago, so this series should look a bit different from each of their past series matchups. I'm just going to go with my gut and not have any expectations of being right or wrong on this. Straikers in 7 FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Semifinals Sunday 2.6 - 19:45 CET | 2# Straikers vs #3 Tunnel Vision & #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #5 EXEN | Games 1-2 Monday 3.6 - 19:15 CET | #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #5 EXEN | Games 3-7 Wednesday 5.6 - 19:15 CET | 2# Straikers vs #3 Tunnel Vision | Games 3-7 Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may not have covered? Let me know in the comments!

While eight teams made their way into the playoffs to fight for the ECL '24: Spring - Elite championship, eight other teams have seen their season come to an end, each wondering what went wrong and what could have been. We will take a look at each of these eight teams, why they missed the playoffs and where things stand as they each look towards the future. We will begin with the 16th ranked team in the standings and then work our way up. 16. Gotham Knights (25pts) Why They Missed: Lack of Form All Season After winning the ECL Pro Division championship over Renascor last season, Gotham Knights' time in the Elite Division has come to a quick close, finishing last in the standings and now likely being relegated back down to the Pro Division. Unfortunately, this team just never really found their footing in Elite this season. In their 30 games played, they only managed to collect standings points in 11 of those games and their longest win streak of the season was 2 games. That simply isn't a recipe for success. They did show some glimpses of potential this season, as out of their 9 total wins this season (including OT wins), four of them came against playoff teams. However, this league is all about being able to win consistently and unfortunately, Gotham Knights were never able to find their way there. We'll see what the future holds for this club and if they can find their way back into Elite in the future. 15. Renascor (31pts) Why They Missed: Offensive Woes Last season's Pro Division runner-ups earned promotion to Elite after making it through the qualifiers in April. Not many people expected much of this group in its first Elite season and unfortunately, they finished right around where many had predicted them to before the season. Though Rensacor did seem to find a little bit of rhythm later on in the season, they only won 4 of their first 19 games (including OT wins). This pretty much did them in when it came to being able to secure a Top 8 finish. The biggest reason for this was Renascor's offensive struggles this season. For starters, they had the lowest goals for per game of any team in the Elite Division at 1.67. They also had the fourth-lowest shots per game in the division at 12.1. The Elite division is a big step from the Pro Division and it's not easy to adjust. Now this team will get ready for their relegation series in a few weeks against the Pro Division runner-up, hoping to stay up in the ECL's top division next season. 14. Heimo (34pts) Why They Missed: Not Being Able to String Together Wins After finishing in no man's land last season at the 11th spot, Heimo unfortunately found themselves further down the Elite table and now have to go to a relegation series. What's wild is that last season they had 36 points, so it goes to show that the Division as a whole performed better this season when it came to accumulating points in the standings. Something that Heimo may have suffered from more than any other team this season in terms of their place in the standings. As for where this team fell short, they never really found that consistent form of winning that they needed. This Heimo team would get a win and then follow that up with two or three straight losses. In fact, this team only had two win streaks all season, and their longest winning streak lasted the minimum amount of games to be considered a streak, 2 games. It's just tough to make it in when you aren't able to find a consistent stretch of winning. Add that in with increased performance from the other teams that were outside the cutline and Heimo just happened to find themselves where they are. If they can keep their place in the division for next season, hopefully, they can take that same next step that their competitors did this season. 13. GOONS (34pts) Why They Missed: Allowing Far Too Many Goals It's unfortunate to see how things have trended for this team over the last few seasons. As weird as it seems, GOONS haven't qualified for the Elite Division playoffs since ECL '22: Spring, a season in which they made it to the semifinals. That was two years ago. Since that season, this team lost multiple critical pieces to that core due to transfers and has been trying to rebuild themselves since. And now, they are going to have to win a relegation series just to keep their spot in the division. The biggest reason GOONS find themselves outside of the playoffs again is due to the high amount of goals that they allowed, which ironically is the same thing that plagued this team last season. During the Winter season, GOONS allowed 3.5 goals per game, which ranked third-worst in the Division. This season they allowed 3.1 per game, which though an improvement, still ranked them as the second-worst in the league, only finishing ahead of Gotham Knights. Not only this, but just 8 of their 19 total losses this season were by one goal, and this includes overtime games. On a positive note, they were one of the division's better teams offensively this season with an average of 2.53 goals for per game, which ranked 6th in Elite. They also broke the ECL's record for hits in a regular season with 1163 (across all divisions), so they were also able to make some history despite missing the postseason. However, I have the feeling that this summer could be one with a lot of soul-searching for this GOONS team; especially with their future in the division now being uncertain. 12. Polski Boys (36pts) Why They Missed: Not Improving Offensively From Last Season Polski Boys find themselves in no man's land for a second straight season and the biggest reason for this was their struggles on offense. Interestingly enough, this was exactly what held this team back last season. During their Winter campaign last season, which was their first in Elite, Polski Boys averaged just 2.03 goals for per game, which ranked as the 5th lowest in the division. They also struggled mightily on the power play last season, only converting on the man advantage 14.29% of the time, which was the lowest in the division. Despite having a season of Elite division experience under their belt and returning all six starters from last season's team, the Polski Boys' offense saw minimal improvements in the Spring. They averaged just 2.07 goals for per game which ranked 2nd lowest in the league, only ahead of Renascor. Their power play was also a weakness for them again this season, as their 16.22% on the power play was 4th lowest in the league. One positive thing to note is that they did seem to find some form late in the season, as they collected points in the standings in 8 of their last 10 games of the regular season, though they only surpassed the two-goal mark in 2 of those 10 games. As someone who has had the pleasure of covering this team's rise through the ECL ranks over a few seasons, the potential is there for Polski Boys to be a genuine threat in the Elite division, but that won't happen until they find a way to improve their play offensively. They have yet to find success there at this level, and until they do they're bound to be stuck in the middle of the pack. 11. Vesa Pompa (37pts) Why They Missed: Losing Close in Regulation Games and Not Putting Together A Winning Run Of the teams that didn't get into the Top 8, Vesa Pompa was probably the most surprising. After making the playoffs as a #6 seed and making it to the Elite semifinals last season, missing out on the playoffs altogether this season is a disappointing result for this group. Unfortunately, they just never really found the same form that they had in the Winter season and it ended up costing them dearly in the playoff race. For starters, Vesa Pompa lost valuable points in the standings in close games, as 8 of their 14 regulation losses were decided by one goal. Not only this, but they never were able to find a consistent winning run the way that they did last season. In their Winter campaign, they were able to make the playoffs off of the back of a 12-game points streak, a streak that saw them win 10 of those 12 games. This season, Vesa Pompa's longest points streak lasted just four games. It's unfortunate that this team will have to watch the playoffs from the sidelines this time around, as we've seen this group be able to make some magic happen in the postseason before. On the bright side, they didn't see themselves eliminated from playoff contention until the final day of the regular season, so this team was in the hunt throughout. Unfortunately, the factors that we've mentioned were just too much for Vesa Pompa to overcome in the end. A tough result for a high-quality squad. 10. Roots Gaming (42pts) Why They Missed: Too Many Regulation Losses, Struggling Against Playoff Teams, and Not Finding Enough Offense Before we talk about why Roots Gaming didn't make the playoffs, I want to spend some time talking about the vast improvements that this team made this season. I'll be honest, I think that this season could be considered a success for Roots Gaming, as they arguably improved more than any team in the league this season. Last season they finished 15th in the standings with just 24 points and had to win a relegation series just to maintain their place in the Elite Division. This season however saw a complete turnaround for this team. And the most impressive part about it? All six starters this season were on this team last season; with five of them starting 20+ games during that Winter campaign. Now that we've talked about the good though, we have to talk about why they missed out, and unfortunately, I couldn't pick just one reason to tell the full story. For starters, 14 of Roots Gaming's losses this season came in regulation, meaning that they lost out on potential points that they could've gained by pushing more games to overtime (they went 7-7 in regulation games this season). Second, they had a record of 3-13 against playoff teams and 11 of those losses were in regulation. Lastly, their offense just never really seemed to find itself. They tied with Heimo for the fourth-lowest goals for per game at 2.07. They also took the least amount of shots of any Elite division team at 353 (that's an average of just 11.8 shots per game). I promise you that I don't mean to pile on. This group has a ton to be proud of considering where they were in the standings just a season ago. However considering that they missed the playoff cutline by only 4 points, it feels like they could've made the postseason if they had been able to correct even just one of those three factors. Regardless, Roots Gaming should go into the offseason feeling good about their efforts. The question now is, can they build on it? 9. Purification (42pts) Why They Missed: Their Second Half of the Season Every team has aspirations of making it into the postseason before the season begins, which makes it even more crushing for the group that ends up finishing as the first team outside of the playoff cut line. However, let's give Purification their due credit. This was an impressive debut season in the Elite Division for this group and I don't doubt that they will be back in the playoff conversation in the future. After earning promotion by defeating POGGERS in its relegation series last season, Purification was a group that many people were interested in seeing make the jump to Elite, as they were dominant in the Pro Division and fell one win short of making it to the Finals. Early in the season, they looked like a team that would be well on their way to the playoffs and potentially even a Top 4 seed, winning 10 of their first 13 games this season. After this, things unfortunately fell apart. In their last 17 games of the season, Purification earned just 15 points in the standings. That stretch included a 7-game losing streak that saw them earn just 2 points and a 5-game losing streak that saw them earn zero points. During this stretch, they lost 10 games by one goal (including overtime losses) and had a 1-5 record against non-playoff teams, including two regulation losses to Gotham Knights and a regulation loss to Renascor on May 16 that eliminated them from playoff contention. I know that Purification is going to be disappointed that they aren't playing playoff hockey this season, especially considering that they looked like a lock during the first half of the season. However, I think that they also have a lot to look back on positively, as they've proven that they can truly compete at the Elite division level. This season will be valuable for them to learn from and will be something good to build on for the future. I'm excited to see where they go from here. If you have any feedback or if there is anything that you feel that I missed, make sure to let me know in the comments! If you want to learn more about the teams that did qualify for Elite division playoffs, you can check out my Quarterfinals playoff preview below.

MATCHUP 1 Valokuitunen Esports (1) vs (8) The Black Jacks Regular Season Results: 3-2 The Black Jacks W 3-2 Valokuitunen Esports OTW Valokuitunen: Another dominant regular season from the defending champions (formerly known as hREDS) as they clinched the top seed in their finale against Straikers. The group has been truly elite in all phases of the game so far this season. They finished as the top team in the Division in goals for per game, goals against per game and shot attempts. They also saw each of their three forwards finish Top 10 in points. This includes Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Roope @pikkuroger Bergström, who shared the points title this season with 68. Speaking of @pikkuroger, he has filled the void left by Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen admirably this season after transferring from Straikers, posting a career-best season that will likely see him get consideration for both Forward of the Season and Transfer of The Season. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the stellar season that Sebastian @FINSeRe Remes has had in net for the group, posting an 88.24% save percentage, 1.4 GAA and 10 shutouts while starting all 30 games this season. His save percentage increased by nearly 8 percentage points from last season (80.25%). This could very well be considered one of the most impressive regular season campaigns that we've seen in the Elite Division, but this team cares about winning championships more than seedings and flashy numbers. Now is when their true season starts. Stat of The Series: Valokuitunen Esports have yet to lose a game this season by more than one goal. The Black Jacks: Another season, another playoff appearance for The Black Jacks. It feels like this group always manages to find their way into the Top 8 despite the league getting deeper. This marks their fourth straight playoff appearance, as they have not missed the postseason since the ECL '22: Spring season. Though this team returned much of its lineup, they did have a major question mark down the middle after losing its captain and Center in Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi, who departed from the team after being with them since ECL 6 (2018). They filled his place in the lineup with another experienced Center in André @Foppatofflan Liljegren who has been solid for them this season with 35 points in 30 games. The biggest addition for this team however was Johan @McSavid Rundqvist; who after taking a break last season has proven to still be one of the top goalies in the game. The way that this team has been able to find success this season has been through its defensive play. The Black Jacks took massive strides in their defensive play this season, going from allowing 2.3 goals per game last season (which ranked 7th in Elite) to allowing just 2.07 this season (4th best in the league). This number was even lower before their last four games of the regular season, which saw them allow 3.75 per game during that stretch. If they can get back to the defensive play that we saw during the first 26 games, this series should be low-scoring and rightly contested. Stat of The Series: The Black Jacks' played in 17 games during the regular season that were decided by one goal; they had a 9-8 record in these games (this includes overtime games). Bonus Stat: The Black Jacks are 12-3 in home games this season (including OT games). This is important because The Black Jacks are known to play on the Central European server, and it appears they have been able to use that to their advantage in those games this season. Prediction: I truly do like this Black Jacks side. They are experienced, talented and are one of the best defensive teams in the entire ECL. Unfortunately, they are just running into an outright juggernaut in Valokuitunen Esports. I respect them enough to predict them to steal a game and feel like they have had about as much success against this group as any team in ECL, but it would probably be the biggest upset in league history if they were to pull off a series win. I just don't see it happening. Valokuitunen Esports in 5 MATCHUP 2 (2) Straikers vs (7) Unwanted Regular Season Results: 2-1 Unwanted W 5-2 Straikers W Straikers: For the second straight season, Straikers find themselves at the #2 seed after another stellar regular season. The group was balanced and showed their elite form in every way, as they finished Top 3 in the Division in goals for per game, goals against per game, shots, power play percentage and face-off percentage. They also finished 4th in penalty kill percentage. Much of this group's core remains the same from the past season, with the lone addition to their regular season lineup being Teemu @temppanen Karvonen, who scored a career-high 23 goals in his first season with the club. Someone else to look out for will be Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen. The veteran netminder put together another spectacular season with strikers, starting in 20 games and posting an 84.95% save percentage and a 1.55 GAA. Straikers are 14-5-1 in games in which he started in the regular season. As a matter of fact, the last time that @Hansulinho had a save percentage below 80% was in an ECL regular season was in ECL 4 when he played for Laser HT. That was in 2017. if that's not dominance, I don't know what is. Overall, this Straikers team has had plenty of regular season success over the year and even some playoff success, but the reality is that this team is starved for a title. Ever since combining the cores of FILADELPHIA and HAVU before NHL 23, this group has made it to the finals twice, but fell short both times to Tunnel Vision. Last season they were knocked out a round earlier in the semifinals after being swept against hREDS (now Valokuitunen Esports). The last time anyone in their lineup won an ECL Championship was in ECL 11 when FILADELPHIA did it in early 2021. It's been far too long since this group has held gold and they're going to come in with a chip on the shoulder. They'll have a tough path no doubt, but they were the league hottest team down the stretch with an 8-2 record in their final 10 regular season games. This is one of the last teams you'd want to see in a playoff bracket. Stat of the Series: Straikers played in just one overtime game all season, which was 2-1 loss against Purification on April 18. They have an overall record of 8-4 in one goal games this season (including OT games). Unwanted: Though I'm sure Unwanted are happy to be back in the playoffs for a second straight season, they have to feel like they left some meat on the bone during the later stages of the regular season. The wolves wound up as the 7th seed after finishing the season with a 4-5-1 record in its last 10 games. This includes a 7-1 loss to the now-relegated Gotham Knights and a 4-3 loss against Purification in their last game of the season, a game in which they held both a 2-0 and a 3-1 lead in the second half of the game. If Unwanted wins just one of those two games, they would've finished in 5th. if they had won both? They would've been 3rd. Despite the disappointing end though, Unwanted still had a lot to be happy with this season. A nine game win streak from April 24 to May 5 is what pushed this team into the Top 8, as they collected a whopping 25 points in the standings during that time. That streak makes up for 49% of their points all season. Not only this, but Unwanted are the only team in the entire league that can say that they swept Valokuitunen Esports, as they won both games against them in the regular season (4-3 W and 5-4 OTW on April 29). Where this team can be most dangerous is in the offensive zone and that shows in their 2.73 goals for per game, which ranks 4th in the Elite Division. They've seen multiple players step up, as four of their five skaters finished this season with 30+ points. Eetu @Launonexx Launonen was quietly one of the division's top playmakers this season with 33 assists (3rd for all skaters), while Steffen @Suth98_ Sutherland was one of the division's best finishers, finishing tied for 5th in the league goals with 27. Some else to keep a close eye on is Adam @karlssonadam_ Karlsson. In his rookie campaign, @karlssonadam_ had an 85.57% save percentage while making the third most saves of any goalie in the Elite division this season with 350. He also had more desperation saves than any other goalie in Elite with 28. Look out for him in this series. Stat of the Series: Despite finishing with the second lowest shot total (354) and shots per game (11.8) in the Elite Division, Unwanted had the highest shot percentage in the league at 23.16%. They were the only team in Elite to finish over the 20% mark. Prediction: These two team met in the Quarterfinals last season as the exact same seedings. 5 of the 6 games were decided by one goal. Four of these games went to overtime. Straikers would eventually prevail to win the series in thrilling fashion, coming back from two goals down with 15 seconds left in Game 6 to take the series later in overtime. Unwanted was a few plays away from potentially winning this series and they have every reason to feel confident. However, this team has been mired by inconsistencies all season and their recent form is reason for concern in my opinion. I think that we'll see many close games again where the goaltenders will shine and it'll come down to who is able to make plays when their team needs them most. Considering all of this, I'll give the advantage to a Straikers team that has a chip on their shoulder and are hot at the right time winning 8 of their last 10 games. Straikers in 6 MATCHUP 3 (3) Tunnel Vision vs (6) Bjorkloven Esport Regular Season Meetings: 4-3 Bjorkloven Esport W 3-2 Tunnel Vision OTW Tunnel Vision: After failing to win their third-straight Elite Championship last season, Tunnel Vision are back in the playoffs in hopes of recapturing their crown. However, their quest has not come as smoothly as we have seen it in past seasons. Despite still being amongst the best offensive teams in the division, Tunnel Vision's play in its own zone has taken an alarming step back. Don't believe me? Let's look at the numbers: Last season Tunnel Vision allowed just 1.57 goals per game during the regular season, which was the lowest in the league. This season, that number has jumped all the way up to 2.7 goals allowed per game, which is the third worst in the league. The only two teams that allowed more were GOONS - who will have to play in a relegation series to stay in the Elite division - and Gotham Knights who will be relegated down to the Pro Division after finishing last in the standings with just five wins. Not great company to be in. On the more positive side of things though, Tunnel Vision are still a team that can score with the best of them. The group averaged 3.03 goals for per game during the regular season, second-best in the league. Additionally, Tunnel Vision saw all five skaters in their main lineup end the season with 30+ points. They even have the league's leading goal scorer in Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen, who scored a ECL career-high 42 goals during the regular season. He also had the second most points of anyone in the division with 62, just six points shy of his career-high 68 points from last season. Someone that everyone will have to keep their eye on especially for this team will be Tomi @tomboo- Laitinen. The captain and star defender had the most time with the puck of any skater in the Elite Division, controlling the puck for 198:51 in his 30 games played. He also ranked 6th for all Elite division skaters in passing percentage (85.1%) and pass attempts (1052). He is the quarterback of this Tunnel Vision team offensively and specifically on the breakout. He should be busy again in these playoffs. This team has mastered the art of winning tight games and they've made the finals in each of the last four seasons, so you can never count them out. However, this Tunnel Vision team seems to have more holes in the armor than they did in those past seasons. You can blame it on some key pieces departing over the years or you can just chalk it up to a few off performances in the regular season. Either way, it doesn't matter. Tunnel Vision is going to be a title threat, there is no question about it. But they are going to have to find away to stifle opposing offenses better than they did in the regular season if they want to make it back to the top of the Elite division mountain. Stat of the Series: 11 of Tunnel Vision's 15 wins were by just one goal (include OT wins). That equates to 73.3% of their wins this season. For comparison, last season 13 of their 21 wins were by one goal (61.9%). They have a 4-3 record in overtime games. Bjorkloven: A team that many felt would be in the playoff conversation at the beginning of the season, Bjorkloven Esport made a statement by locking in the 6th seed in the Division and posting 52 standings points in the process. The part that is even more impressive? This team was in the Pro Division last season and made the jump to Elite through the qualifier before this season. This group also underwent a significant roster overhaul, as only two playoff starters from last season's team have played a game for the team this season. Not only this but multiple players in their lineup hadn't even played in the Elite division prior to this season. Before the start of this season, the most Elite experience on this team came from Miikka @koleslaav_ Kolehmainen, who had played 64 games across two seasons, Miika @zMikkeez Kauppila, who had played 62 games over three seasons, and Arttu @Thewix93 Harju with 34 games in his lone Elite season in ECL 9. Everyone else on this roster was a rookie other than Oskar @x-_-BoBi-_-x Hautala, who played in eight games with Reality Check in this division during the ECL '23: Spring season. @koleslaav_ (49pts) and @x-_-BoBi-_-x (46pts) were the team's two top point producers this season. Interestingly enough, no one on this team scored 20 goals this season, but five different skaters scored at least nine goals and their 2.33 goals for per game, ranked 9th in the division. What makes this team special is their ability to slow down opposing offenses, as Bjorkloven Esport allowed just 2 goals per game this season, which ranked third in the league. Juspe @Ricco Laakso has also been a big reason for this, flexing his ability as a rookie with a 83.85sv% and a 2.04 GAA, both in which ranked in the Top 10 in the division. This team is balanced, defensively strong and have a goaltender that has proven to have game-stealing ability. All of the qualities that make for a potential upset pick in the playoffs. State of the Series: Bjorkloven Esport tied with Renascor for the least penalized team in the Elite Division this season, only committing 60 penalty minutes. Bonus Stat: Bjorkloven Esport had an 8-10 record in one-goal games this season (including overtime games) Prediction: I'll be honest, I could see this being a popular upset pick. Bjorkloven are a strong squad that are good enough defensively to compete with Tunnel Vision's high-octane offense. However, I have concerns about Bjorkloven's lack of experience, as not a single player on their roster has played a playoff game at the Elite level (not including relegation series games). I know that it's a cliche thing to say, but it means something. There is something to be said about a team that has yet to play in the postseason at this level, going up against a team that has made the Finals each of the past four seasons and are two-time Elite Division champions. As for Tunnel Vision, I'd be lying if I said that they've been playing to their standard. I wouldn't go as far as to say that this team is vulnerable right now, but I would definitely say that they are susceptible. They've just looked off-kilter this season and have yet to find that next level in their game that we have seen from them in the past. However, I think they'll step up and get the job done in what should be a tightly contested series. If they don't, it could be a long offseason with a lot of soul-searching ahead of them. Tunnel Vision in 6 MATCHUP 4 (4) Tohtorit vs (5) EXEN Regular Season Series: 5-4 EXEN W 2-0 EXEN W Tohtorit: The last time we saw Tohtorit in Elite was in the Spring '23 season, where they went 11-15-4 and finished 13th in the league. They beat Deadly Phantoms in 5 games in their relegation series to stay up in Elite, but didn’t participate last season, taking a one season hiatus. This season Tohtorit came back, replacing the Mayhems brand and bringing back multiple players from that Tohtorit team from last year. Considering this, not many people picked this team to make the playoffs, but they did, and now they have a chance to add another chapter to what has been a storybook season for the club. They will feel as if they missed an opportunity to earn a better seeding, as they lost each of their last 4 games in regulation and wound up just two points behind Tunnel Vision for the #3 seed, but a Top 4 finish is still extremely impressive, especially from a team that many didn't even have making the playoffs at all. This team is the perfect example of a group that isn't elite at anything specifically, but they do a lot of different things well and rely on playing a balanced game in all three phases. Their 2.01 goals allowed per game was 5th best in the division and they also had the division's third-best power play at 31.43%. They also averaged 2.43 goals for per game, which ranked right around the middle of the division in 7th. Tohtorit started the same six player for all 30 games this season. Some impact players for the group include Jere @Harlowi- Paloranta, who racked up a team-high 52 points (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters), Tuomas @Ojala16 Ojala who tied @Harlowi- for the team lead in assists with 31 (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters), and Jere @profiilipakki Kangasniemi who led the team in goals with 26 (ranks Top 10 amongst all Elite division skaters). Another player that you can expect to be active in this series will be Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, who compiled 28 points this season with 25 assists. He also had the second-most time with the puck of any player in the Elite division this season with 187:48 of possession time, so expect to hear his name often in this series. Lastly, I wanted to mention Stan @Stammer70 Adamus and the stellar season that he has had, as he's backstopped his Tohtorit team all season with an 83.76 SV% and 2.10 GAA. These numbers are actually very similar to his Spring '23 season with this team and he's truly emerged as arguably one of the more underrated goalies in a division that is stacked with elite goaltending talent. Overall, this team does a lot of things well. The question is whether they can replicate their success in the postseason. Stat of the Series: Tohtorit went 6-8 against playoff teams in the regular season, including 1-7 against teams that finished in the Top 5 of the standings. None of these games went to overtime, and 6 of the 8 losses were by more than one goal. Bonus Stat: @Kkarkass played for JYP Jyväskyla last season and was one of their most impactful players, playing in all 30 games and putting up 30 points in his lone season with them. He was on Tohtorit during the two seasons prior to their hiatus. EXEN: It's hard to not feel like the team has to have a chip on their shoulder, right? You'd be hard-pressed to find another team in the ECL that have gone through as many ups and downs as this EXEN side has over the past three years. Formerly JYP Jyväskyla before rebranding to the EXEN name this season, this group has seen the following things happen since the Summer of 2020. ECL 10 - Earned #1 seed in the playoffs, were later upset by #8 seed Farjested BK in 5 games ECL 11 - Made the semifinals as #4 seed before losing to eventual champion FILADELPHIA ECL 12 - Went 10-17-3 in the regular season and were relegated to Pro Division after losing the relegation series in 5 games ECL '22: Winter - Went 23-5-2 in the regular season and won the Pro Division championship to earn promotion back into Elite ECL '22: Spring - Went 12-14-4 and finished 11th in Elite standings with 28pts, avoiding the relegation series zone by 1 point ECL '23: Winter - Made the semifinals as #5 seed before losing eventual champion to Tunnel Vision in 6 games ECL '23: Spring - Push #2 seed Tunnel Vision to 7 games in Quarterfinals, but lose in game 7. ECL '24: Winter - Earn #3 seed in playoffs, lose to #6 seed Vesa Pompa in 6 games See what I mean? Sure, many of the players from that time have come and gone since, but the history of this team still is there and it deserves a deep playoff run. Turning the focus now to this season, things have been up and down for this EXEN group. The expectation for this team was to make the playoffs, which they did, but it feels like they could've been a little higher in the standings than where they ended up (5th). EXEN ranks in the Top 5 in the league in goals for per game (2.63) and shots per game (15.5). They also sport the Elite division's best penalty kill at 91.87%. Similarly to Tohtorit, EXEN has played the same six players in all of their games this season. 4 of their 6 starters returned from last season's group, but EXEN's two additions have both proven to be great adds for their squad that they are hoping can take them to new heights in the postseason. Aaro @xAaro89x Aarvala returned to the group after spending last season with Heimo. He led EXEN with 55 points (which ranks Top 5 in the division), 24 goals and 31 assists (both rank Top 10 in the division) during the regular season. The addition of Aleksi @Mozjayh Kähkönen on defense as also proven to be a critical one. After helping hREDS win the league last year and helping Tunnel Vision win the title in the two seasons prior, @Mozjayh posted 25 points with 19 assists in his debut season with EXEN this season. He and Aapeli @Lxndstrom Landström have become one of the division's best defensive pairings this season and their impact has been immense. In terms of goaltending, Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt has been stellar once again for this team with an 83.09sv% and a 2.30 GAA. The backend has proven to be the backbone of this team, so these three players will be major factors for EXEN in this series. EXEN has a ton of experience in this league and plenty of skill and chemistry to go with it. The perfect combination for a deep playoff run. Stat of the Series: @Lxndstrom(184:11) and @Mozjayh (171:52) rank 3rd and 5th amongst all Elite division skaters in time with the puck. These two are the straw that stirs the drink for EXEN's offense and much of the team's offensive success will likely involve them in some form. Bonus Stat: Though EXEN went 4-7 in their last 11 games of the regular season, two of those wins came against Tohtorit, who they swept in their regular season finale on May 16. Prediction: This series is so tough to call because these are two teams that do a lot of things well. They are both balanced and have players on both ends of the that can impact the game at any time. However, EXEN went 7-7 against playoff teams and five of those losses were by one goal (this includes overtime games). They also went 5-3 against teams that finished Top 5 in the league. Meanwhile Tohtorit, as impressive as they have been, have yet to prove that they can beat the teams of this caliber consistently, something that is extremely important in a playoff series. They also just lost twice to EXEN on Thursday. None of this is particularly inspiring for them, and when you combine with EXEN's experience, I just don't think that it's a favorable matchup for them. The one thing that I will say though is that this team has been used to being doubted. Just like I am doubting them right now, they have been doubted since the before the season started. Yet every time they have prove these doubted wrong. They are playing against an EXEN team that has disappointed in these Quarterfinals in the past, including just last season. I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if I was wrong, but I think EXEN will just be a little too much for this tough Tohorit team to overcome. Prediction: EXEN in 5 Who do you think will win each series? Are there any key points or factors that I may have not covered? Let me know in the comments! FOLLOW THE ECL ELITE PLAYOFFS LIVE You can watch live coverage of EVERY GAME of the Elite Division playoffs on Twitch, YouTube and X. Week 1: Monday 20.5 - 19:45 CEST | #4 Tohtorit vs #5 EXEN & #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #8 The Black Jacks | Games 1-2 Wednesday 22.5 - 19:15 CEST | #1 Valokuitunen Esports vs #8 The Black Jacks | Games 3-7 Thursday 23.5 - 20:45 CEST | #4 Tohtorit vs #5 EXEN | Games 3-7 Week 2: Monday 27.5 - 19:45 CEST | #3 Tunnel Vision vs #6 Björklöven Esport & #2 Straikers vs #7 Unwanted | Games 1-2 Tuesday 28.5 - 19:15 CEST | #3 Tunnel Vision vs #6 Björklöven Esport |Games 3-7* Wednesday 29.5 - 19:15 CEST | #2 Straikers vs #7 Unwanted | Games 3-7* *These dates may be reverse