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NHLGamers, We're down to 32 teams left in the FCL 6v6 Playoffs and winding down towards the toughest games of the season. With that, we'll also be broadcasting action starting tonight. Rusty Blades go at GOONS with puck drop at 20:00 CEST and Hokurit go at Tunnel Vision starting 21:30 CEST over at our Twitch-channel. Round 2 of the playoffs are to be played between today, 6th of September and Thursday, 9th of September in a best-of-five manner.     (1)  FILADELPHIA vs Shameful Knights  (47) (2)  hREDS vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles  (44) (3)  IQUE vs Tohtorit  (41) (4)  POGGERS vs Blacklist  (40) (5)  HAVU Gaming vs Perttilan Kommandot  (36) (6)  Dynastia vs Setelit On Ice  (34) (7)  JYP Jyvaskyla vs STARGAZING  (33) (8)  GOONS vs Rusty Blades  (30) (9)  Tunnel Vision vs Hokurit  (28)  (10)  KOVA Esports vs Lemmenvelhot  (27)  (11)  SAWO Esports vs Spirit  (26)    (12)  Sulkavan Sudet vs Conquer Gaming  (23)  (13)  BoxinElite vs FILADELPHIA Academy  (22)  (14)  Kiekko-Espoo Esports vs Reign  (20)  (15)  Sack Brothers vs VISU Gaming  (19)    (16)  Otukset eSports vs RCTIC (17)    Key points to follow throughout the second round: - Still, Dynastia. After a very strong group stage they had a small hiccup against Wilhelm Devils in the first round. In the end, they advanced with ease but will need too improve with their chance conversion when the games get tighter. Their series against Setelit on Ice should follow the same format and we can expect Dynastia to advance further. - POGGERS & SAWO, both of these established Elite squads had some issues to get going in the first round, can they bounce back and put forth stronger performances against increasingly tough opponents? - Tight matchups, especially some of the mid-table matchups are extremely even as some strong teams didn't perform up to expectations in the group stage. Kiekko-Espoo vs Reign and Sack Brothers vs VISU Gaming are ones to watch closely, those could go either way.   Make sure to tune in already tonight at 19:45 CEST in order to follow the first games of the Round 2 playoffs! Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen will be in the booth over at www.twitch.tv/NHLgamer.          

With the Play-in round finished and only the top 16 remaining ion the battle, it is time to really get going with the playoffs in the SCL 6v6 league! Round 1 will be starting today, Sunday 5th of September and can be played until Thursday, 9th of September. The playoffs are played in a best-of-seven format. We'll be covering the playoffs in broadcasts on our Twitch-channel, where the first matchups will be aired tonight and casted by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson. We wish all participating teams good luck moving forward! Here are your Round 1 matchups: (1) Granit Gaming vs Company of Geeks (16) #1 seed Granit Gaming chose to decline an invitation directly to the playoffs in favor of playing through the group stage along with all the other teams and it has paid off for them in a big way. They're now familiar with a lot of the teams and have gotten up to speed with the level of play in the SCL while retaining their #1 seed along the way. Their opponent Company of Geeks managed to push through the Play-In round in a battle against Blessed Suedis. Interestingly enough, these two clashed in the group stage already and those games were one-sided to say the least. Granit Gaming exited with full points and a goal differential of 18-2 in their favor. This will be a cakewalk for Granit unless Company of Geeks will be able to flip a switch and upset the entire league. (2) Farjestad BK vs Luleå Hockey (15) Farjestad BK have for a long time been that #2 Swedish team but are now mounting an effort to change that with determination. They managed to go undefeated through the group stage and quite notably, they have been the most disciplined team in the league so far, with only 20 PIMs in 14 games this far. It is unlike to really play a role for them yet, but that will be important in the bigger games later in the postseason. Luleå, on the other hand managed to squeeze their way into the playoffs through the Play-in round and are a team that can surprise strong squads in low-scoring battles but have a tendency to go on cold streaks from time to time. Farjestad BK should advance with ease. (3) Djurgarden Hockey vs Nordic Nosebleed (14) Djurgarden have made a steady ascent towards the top in the Swedish scene during the past few seasons of virtual hockey and now it looks like they are close to truly challenging for the throne for the first time. After a great group stage, they are facing Nordic Nosebleed, who have a history of suffocating stronger teams in the early playoff rounds before in various tournaments and won't give this one up easily, that's for sure. (4) HV71 vs Illumination (13) Much alike Djurgarden, HV71 have been on a similar trajectory towards the top and with some of the high-profile acquisitions made over the past six months, the team now looks stronger than ever, which is evident in their play. Despite ending up at the #4 seed, they are right there with the best of teams in the league and will be on the lookout for the biggest trophy. Illumination, who they will be facing are an ensemble of experienced gamers, but the team lacks that x-factor that could push them over the edge to being a true contender. (5) AiKnown vs HockeyProfessorn HC (12) With perhaps some of the most experienced players in the scene on their roster, AiKnown are pushing on with an exciting mix of experience and young talent. They've shown already in the group stage that they possess the skill to steal wins from strong teams and will be going into this series as a favorite. HockeyProfessorn are in for a big challenge and would need to tighten up their play a bit of they are looking to advance. Thjey struggled with scoring against stronger defensive units in the group stage and need to find a way past that. (6) Björklöven Esport vs Sjukstugan (11) Despite their #6 seed, Brörklöven are a team that could battle up there with the best of them. Statistically, they are a very strong defensive unit with stellar special teams that can seemingly score at will. However, the reinvented Sjukstugan won't be giving up easily and surely have the experience to handle themselves in tough spots, but haven't quite found their groove on the ice yet. Goaltender @poliskontroll is among the best ones in the league on a good day. (7) Södertälje SK vs IK Oskarshamn (10) It is looking like we could be in for a very tough series in this one, as both teams played through the group stage with rather moderate numbers. Södertalje SK are the lowest scoring team still left in the postseason, whereas IK Oskarshamn are following quite close behind in that department. Special teams could be a decisive factor if the series go the low-scoring route and in that department, SSK holds a minor edge. (8) Raging Monkeys vs Ice MachineZ (9) Raging Monkeys and Ice MachineZ are going head-to-head in this mid-tier battle although it is tough to imagine Ice MachineZ not advancing. They have a strong squad consisting of players that don't necessarily have that much experience together, but should find a way to tighten things up in the playoffs. That is not to say that Raging Monkeys wouldn't be a good team, but their quality will be put to a true test in this matchup. Tune in to www.Twitch.tv/NHLGamer tonight at 19:45 CEST for the first matchups of the SCL 6v6 Playoffs!

NHLGamers, We're down to 64 teams remaining in the 3rd annual FCL league and with the playoffs starting, the real meaningful games are just around the bend. At this point, also the defending champion and #1 seed FILADELPHIA will join in on the action after sitting out the group stage and enjoying some time to hone their form in time for the playoffs. The FCL 6v6 playoffs will be played in a best-of-five format and qualified teams will be seeded based on PPG going into the postseason. The first round of the playoffs starts Today on Wednesday, 1st of September and is to be played by the end of Sunday, 5th of September. Without further ado, here are your Round 1 matchups: (1) FILADELPHIA vs Bruise Brothers (64) (2) hREDS vs Powerhouse HC (63) (3) IQUE vs Lutunilkat (62) (4) POGGERS vs Nordic Knights (61) (5) HAVU Gaming vs Bare Knuckles Hockey (60) (6) Dynastia vs Wilhelm Devils (59) (7) JYP Jyvaskyla vs Rahinakaukalo (58) (8) GOONS vs VANHAT KYLJYKSET (57) (9) Tunnel Vision vs Murohoki (56) (10) KOVA Esports vs Oulunsalo HT (55) (11) SAWO Esports vs Baby Goons (54) (12) Sulkavan Sudet vs Angry Cats (53) (13) BoxinElite vs Reality Check HC (52) (14) Kiekko-Espoo Esports vs Patience (51) (15) Sack Brothers vs SKYFALL (50) (16) Otukset eSports vs Cowabunga Hockey (49) (17) RCTIC vs RoKi Esports (48) (18) Project X vs Shameful Knights (47) (19) VISU Gaming vs TIKI TALK (46) (20) Reign vs Nordic Stars (45) (21) Hotbox vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles (44) (22) FILADELPHIA Academy vs Pasilan SKA (43) (23) Conquer Gaming vs Stone Age (42) (24) GIFU Hockey vs Tohtorit (41) (25) Arkham Asylum vs Blacklist (40) (26) Spirit vs PunaKala (39) (27) Lemmenvelhot vs UNI Gaming (38) (28) Hokurit vs The Last Line (37) (29) Resurrection vs Perttilan Kommandot (36) (30) Rusty Blades vs Pata Hellalla (35) (31) Rookie Mistakes vs Setelit On Ice (34) (32) Sopranos vs STARGAZING (33) Key points to follow throughout the first round: - The domination of Dynastia. They look a bit out of place among the top seeds filled with established Elite squads, right? Don't be surprised if this ensemble manages to push far into the postseason. They had a convincing group stage, dropping points in only two matchups. It'll be interesting to see how they match up against teams outside their own group. - Group 3 teams and their postseason performance. The group was exceptionally strong throughout the regular season and several of the teams coming out of this group hold point averages on the higher end. Especially Otukset eSports is an exciting squad that somewhat surprisingly managed to snag a #2 spot in their group. - Established squads that underperformed in the group play. Teams such as Conquer Gaming, Rusty Blades, Reality Check HC and Rookie Mistakes to name a few. These teams dropped surprising points in the group stage and as a result hold lower seeds than perhaps expected. Can they plow through their opposition from a tougher position and could it perhaps benefit them in the end? - Underdogs. We've got some interesting teams in underdog positions. A comeback story in Shameful Knights is one to keep an eye on, but also Nordic Stars, Cowabunga Hockey or Patience are a few of the teams that could cause upsets.

Yesterday, we saw the release of the NHL 22 Technical test, focused around the World of Chel. This is an exciting time for our community and we're sure everyone who have got their hands on some codes have already got to testing out the new game. As always, these tests are early versions of the game and don't show the full finalized product, but are here for the community to get a taste of what's to come and voice their opinions. As one of the biggest NHL gaming sites in the world - not to mention the amazing talent and passion of our community members - we want to help out with this. That is why we're reaching out to you in order to hear what you think. Any concerns and opinions are welcome, both the good and bad. Please let us know in the comments section about anything you run into during your time with the game and expand on the topic as much as possible. If you enjoy something in particular e.g. the passing in the Technical Test, be sure to bring that out also to make sure it doesn't change. Screenshots and short video clips are also welcome, so don't hesitate to add those to your messages as they provide valuable added info. Please note that the official EA Answers HQ forum is also live and taking feedback and that is the official way of providing feedback of the beta. You can find it by clicking this text. We hope all of you have a good time with the Technical Test and please remember to let us know what you think!

NHLGamers, As we've closed down the group stage of this years Swedish Championship, many teams have fought bravely for their spots in the Playoffs, some came just short, and others will still have to prove themselves in the Play-ins. The SCL 2021 Play-ins will be played between the 31st of August and the 2nd of September and the participating teams are the squads that finished 4th and 5th in each group, eight teams in total. The Play-ins are played in a best-of-five manner and the winners of the series will enter the Playoffs as seeds 13 to 16. Here are your SCL Play-ins matchups:  Illumination vs Dompa Poppers HC   Blessed Suedis vs Company of Geeks   Mora IK Esport vs Luleå Hockey   Team Modo vs Nordic Nosebleed  Good luck to all teams!

NHLGamer has received a number of codes for the NHL 22 Technical Test to give away to our community and now you have the chance to get your hands on one if you didn't sign up or receive one yet! Simply enter the giveaways by following the instructions on our Twitter and Instagram.   Instagram:  

While a week of competition has already passed in this years iteration of FCL 6v6, the action is just kicking off in the 1v1-portion of the league. With starting the action, you'll also naturally need some information about to be dropped in this article. We're glad to have so many of you participating, as around 230 players are now eager to challenge champion Arttu @Artuzio Mustila for the throne. Schedule Group stage: 23.8-6.9 Round 1: 9.9-12.9 (BO5) Round 2: 13-15.9 (BO5) Round 3: 16-19.9 (BO5) Round 4: 20-22.9 (BO5) Round 5: 23-26.9 (BO5) TOP 4 Finals: 1.10 (BO3) Brief season description The regular season will commence with group stage play. Players will be divided into 20 groups with approximately 11-12 players in each group. In these groups, all players will face each other once and finally the top 6 players from each group will advance to the playoffs (a total of 120 players). The playoffs will be played in best-of-five manner with the exception of a live-event, where the semifinals and finals would be best-of-three. The fourth round of the playoffs will hold 32 players, as invitees Erik @Eki Tammenpää and Arttu @Artuzio Mustila will join the tournament at that stage. The remaining 32 players will be divided into groups of four players, where they will play to face each opponent twice. The two best players in each group will advance to the top 16 finals, which are again played in a best-of-five manner. Rulebook You can find the rulebook here. It is also always available through the league menu. We strongly suggest every player gets familiar with the rules before jumping on the ice.  League Administration All league related verdicts will be decided by the League Administration. To open up a case, visit the Support section. Please note: before contacting League Administration, players are expected to do their best and solve issues they might have on their own. Familiarize yourself with our rules first, as they include lots of guidance for different issues. League Administration is always to be used as the last resort to solve any disagreements. Communication In order to get in touch with your opponent, you can use the private message function on our site or the FCL 1v1 discord channel which can be found on the NHLGamer discord server You can join our discord server by clicking the button below. Please communicate with your scheduled opponent in time.  In the NHLGamer Discord you will find an FCL 1v1 group with designated channels for each group, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below) Licenses All participating players must acquire a SEUL license, which costs 5€ to obtain. Participating without a license can lead to sanctions such as point loss or in grave cases disqualification. Acquire your license here Social media Twitter: When posting tweets of your matchups, recaps, clips - or any other content you might want to create - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:  @NHLGamerCOM @esm_gg #FCL2021 #MukanaWilhelm #kouvolanlakritsi Instagram: When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:  @NHLGamerOfficial @esmkisat @atria_wilhelm #FCL2021 #MukanaWilhelm #kouvolanlakritsi   We hope everyone has a great FCL. Good luck to all players!

NHLGamers, The 1v1-portion of our Swedish national league SCL has already been rolling on for a few days, and here we're dropping all necessary info for players to refer to in case of any problems or questions. We're happy to see so many signups this year with a total of 77 Swedish gamers signing up to fight for the championship title, defended by Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund for the third consecutive season. Schedule Regular season: 20.8-6.9. Round 1: 7-9.9 Round 2: 12-14.9 Round 3: 15-19.9 Round 4: 20-22.9 Finals (Top 4): 24.9.   Brief season description The regular season of SCL 1v1 lasts for just over two weeks. Players will compete in 6 groups with approximately 12-13 players in each group. Games are scheduled but can be rescheduled as desired within the given time constraints. All players within a group will face each other once. The top seven players (42 in total) will advance to the playoffs, where the top three out of each group go directly to the second round and players seeded 4-7 on each group will play in the first round. The playoffs are played in best-of-five manner. Invitee @Eken45jr will join in for the third round at seed #1.   Rulebook You can find the rulebook here. It is also always available through the league menu. We strongly suggest every player gets familiar with the rules before jumping on the ice.    League Administration All league related verdicts will be decided by the League Administration. To open up a case, visit the Support section. Please note: before contacting League Administration, players are expected to do their best and solve issues they might have on their own. Familiarize yourself with our rules first, as they include lots of guidance for different issues. League Administration is always to be used as the last resort to solve any disagreements.   Communication In order to get in touch with your opponent, you can use the private message function on our site or the SCL 1v1 discord channel which can be found on the NHLGamer discord server You can join our discord server by clicking the button below. Please communicate with your scheduled opponent in time.  In the NHLGamer Discord you will find an SCL 1v1 group with designated channels for each group, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below) Licenses All participating players must acquire a SESF license, which is free to obtain. Participating without a license can lead to sanctions such as point loss or in grave cases disqualification. Acquire your license here Social media Twitter: When posting tweets about your tournament progress or any other related content - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:  @NHLGamerCOM @swehockeyse @svenskesport #SCL2021 #SvSeHockey Instagram: When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag:  @NHLGamerOfficial @swehockeyse #SCL2021 #SvSeHockey   We hope everyone has a great SCL. Good luck to all players!

In NHL 22, it’s all about the players that make our game so special, the superstars if you will. The dev team has wanted to reflect that on the game itself as well and with that, this year hockey is getting superstar treatment. NHL 22 cover athlete Auston Matthews has since his debut in the bright lights made it clear that he is no ordinary kid, but a true prodigy leading the wave for a new generation of players. Combining stache with style, size with skill and showcasing elite scoring unlike any other, AM34 is a true superstar of the game. From Ignite to Frostbite One of the most anticipated additions to the NHL Franchise over the past couple of years has been the introduction of a new game engine, which is suitably taking place now at the transition towards the 5th generation gaming consoles. Next gen will be the premium place to play NHL 22, but do not worry - both gen 4 & 5 will be on Frostbite and fully featured. For the most part, the new engine will mean an impressive improvement to the environments and atmosphere of the game with better VFX, post FX, particle FX, ice improvements and an overall more detailed outlook. One of the greatest benefits of the Frostbite engine is deferred lighting, which allows for a more immersive experience and will be most visible in the centerpiece of the game - the ice sheet. X-Factor Abilities The superstars of the game will truly stand out from the others in NHL 22, and they’ll be doing this with their X-Factor abilities. At release, around 150 players will be assigned X-Factor abilities that are divided into two categories, Zone and Superstar abilities. These abilities will change the game and add an entirely new level of strategy and meta to playing, all new to NHL gaming. Auston Matthews, for example, is an exceptional goal scorer with a release that is as deceptive as ever seen in the NHL. He is sporting the Shock & Awe Zone ability, which gives him exceptional power and accuracy when shooting out of, or shortly after a deke. Auston is also equipped with a total of five Superstar abilities, which are Make It Snappy - great snap shot from stride, Seeing Eye - Great shot through screens, Third Eye - Great peripheral passer, Tape To Tape - Great passing within vision and Puck On A String - Great stick handling. Another superstar of the game, Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers will be rocking the Tape To Tape Zone ability, providing him with exceptional power and accuracy on all passes within vision. Passes will also auto saucer when necessary when this Zone ability is active. Finally, the X-Factor abilities also extend to goaltenders, for example Andrei Vasilevsky of the Tampa Bay Lightning will be rocking the Contortionist Zone ability. This will give him an exceptional save range, recovery and save ability while in spread V with or against momentum. Social connection and customization in World of Chel This year, there was an objective to further improve on the social aspects of the World of Chel and with that, EA Sports NHL now introduces an always on dressing room. The new dressing room system makes it easier and faster to connect with friends and jump into games. The World of Chel will also feature tons of new customization options for you to get your personality out there while having fun with your friends. Pre-order versions of NHL 22 - double entitlement NHL 22 features two versions of the game available for Pre-order starting today. Players will be able to opt for the standard version or the X-Factor version on any console. When opting which version to go for, keep in mind that NHL 22 does not feature cross-play between consoles or console generations. If you are planning on upgrading to a next generation console over the course of the NHL 22 life cycle, we can confirm that HUT progress will be transferable to some extent, meaning that the top 20 players and coach can be locked, whereas the rest of your collection will be converted into pack value towards your HUT team in the next gen version of NHL 22. Standard Edition - Up to 2 HUT Diamond player choice packs - 5 World of Chel X-Factor Zone ability unlocks - 1 Unlocked hockey bag - Be a Pro X-Factor slot unlocks (2), XP boost and bonus trait points X-Factor Edition - Double entitlement (Unlocks the game for both Gen 4 & Gen 5 consoles) - 3-Days early access - Up to 10 HUT Diamond player choice packs - HUT X-Factor Player choice pack - HUT X-Factor Power-up starter pack - Up to 4 HUT X-Factor Power-up packs - 5 World of Chel X-Factor Zone ability unlocks - 5 Unlocked hockey bag - Be a Pro X-Factor slot unlocks (2), XP boost and bonus trait points Technical test and release date There will be a technical test going live towards the end of the month of August, but no date or duration has been confirmed at the time of writing. As it is a technical test, the community will be asked to report feedback to the dev team and also all streaming and recording of the work in progress is prohibited. Signups for the technical test have closed by now. NHL 22 will be available on October 15th, 2021 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. For more information visit www.easports.com/NHL. Related articles:

NHLGamers, Tonight we kick off the FCL 6v6 season, and we're pleased to see so many of you taking part in the biggest Finnish NHL Esports league! A total of 85 teams are taking part in this year's Finnish championships, and teams are divided into nine groups of 9-10 teams. Seven teams out of each group will make the playoffs, where they will be joined by reigning champion FILADELPHIA as the #1 seed. The rulebook is out now and we ask all players to get familiar with it before commencing their games. There signups for the 1v1 portion of the FCL are still open until 17.8 - sign up for that here! Schedule Default gamedays for the FCL 2021 season will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Group stage: 16.-31.8 Playoffs round 1: 2.-5.9 Playoffs round 2: 6.-9.9 (BO5) Playoffs round 3: 13.-16.9 (BO5) Quarterfinals: 20.-23.9 (BO5) Semifinals: 27.-29.9 (BO5) Finals: 2.10. (BO5) License & Eligibility The FCL 2021 features a foreign player quota, which entails that a majority (51%) of the team's roster (and line-up) must be Finnish. In addition, all captains must be Finnish citizens. All players require an eSM 2021 license in order to participate in FCL 6v6 and/or FCL 1v1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2021 leagues and tournaments (for 1v1 you must be a Finnish citizen). Social media Twitter: When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerCOM @esm_gg #FCL2021 #MukanaWilhelm #kouvolanlakritsi Instagram: When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerOfficial @esmkisat @atria_wilhelm #FCL2021 #MukanaWilhelm #kouvolanlakritsi Communication In order to get in touch with your opponent, you can use the "Message all captains" button (pictured below) on the team's page. This will send a private message on the NHLGamer community to the three listed captains. Additionally, we offer an NHLGamer Discord server, which you can join by clicking the button below. We ask that at the very least the captains of each team join the server, as messaging through Discord is instant and it is a great way to communicate quickly and briefly. In the NHLGamer Discord you will find an FCL 6v6 group with designated channels, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below)

NHLGamers, Time goes by fast and we've already arrived at the start date for the SCL 6v6 season. We've got a total of 35 teams divided into four groups fighting for the title this season. The two-time champion and invitee Vesa Pompa has decided - despite their invitation to the playoffs as the first seed - to play in the group stage. The top 3 out of each group will make it into the 2nd round of playoffs directly, while teams finishing in positions 4 and 5 will play a play-in round (BO5) to determine the last team to make it into the top 16. Here's a short recap of the most crucial information, please familiarize yourself with the full rulebook for a deeper understanding of how the league will operate. Today is also the final day to sign up for the 1v1 portion of SCL! If you haven't done that yet, you can sign up here. Schedule Default gamedays for the SCL 2021 season will be Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Regular season 15.-30.8 Playoffs Round 1: 31.8-3.9 Playoffs Round 2: 5.-9.9 Quarterfinals: 12.-15.9 Semifinals: 19.-22.9 Finals: 25.9 License & Eligibility All Swedish and Finnish players require a player license from their respective esports federation, acquire your license by following instructions provided in the links below. For players of other nationalities, a license from their respective esports federation is recommended, but not required. Acquire your license here (Swedes) Acquire your license here (Finns) All teams must always feature a minimum of 4 Swedish players in their on-ice lineup Teams may feature a maximum of two non-Swedish players on ice if both players are from a minor community (for example: Danish, Norwegian, Latvian) Teams may feature a maximum of two non-Swedish players on ice if one player is from a major community (German, Finnish, Russian, Czech, Slovak) and the other player from a minor community. Teams may NOT feature two non-Swedish players on ice if both those players are from a major community (German, Finnish, Russian, Czech, Slovak) Below you will find an image to help illustrate this rule clarification: Rosters are locked on 16.8 at 23:59, no transfers are allowed, only free agent signings. Social media Twitter: When posting tweets of your lineups, matchups, recaps, clips, articles - or any other content you might want to create - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerCOM @swehockeyse @svenskesport #SCL2021 #SvSeHockey Instagram: When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerOfficial @swehockeyse #SCL2021 #SvSeHockey Communication In order to get in touch with your opponent, you can use the "Message all captains" button (pictured below) on the team's page. This will send a private message on the NHLGamer community to the three listed captains. Additionally, we offer an NHLGamer Discord server, which you can join by clicking the button below. We ask that at the very least the captains of each team join the server, as messaging through Discord is instant and it is a great way to communicate quickly and briefly. In the NHLGamer Discord you will find an SCL 6v6 group, and own channels for general chat, announcements and to share your streams (image below) Groups We hope everyone has a great SCL. Good luck to all teams!

NHLGamers, There's still time to get in on the action in the biggest virtual hockey league in Sweden! Signups for the 6v6 league are open until 23:59 CEST on August 11th (Tomorrow!) and signups for the 1v1 league are open until 23:59 CEST on August 15th. If you need to catch up on what the SCL is all about, check out the full story here. All Swedish and Finnish players require a player license from their respective esports federation, acquire your license by following instructions provided in the links below. For players of other nationalities, a license from their respective esports federation is recommended, but not required. Acquire your license here (Swedes) Acquire your license here (Finns) PLEASE NOTE: There has been some changes to the eligibility rules and players (and goalies) can only participate in either FCL or SCL - not both. For full explanation of the eligibility and rules regarding that, please read more here. SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE! Registrations for SCL 1v1 are open 28.7-15.8 Group stage: 19.8-6.9 Playoffs: 9.9-20.9 TOP 4 Finals: 24.9 (BO3) SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE! Registrations for SCL 6v6 are open 28.7-11.8 Regular season 15.-30.8 Playoffs Round 1: 31.8.-3.9 (BO5) Playoffs Round 2: 5.-9.9 (BO7) Quarterfinals: 12.-15.9 (BO7) Semifinals: 19.-22.9 (BO7) Finals 25.9 (BO7) This is your chance to play with and against some of the best players in the world and compete for a slice of the 100 000 SEK prize pool, so don't wait, gather your friends and sign up now!

NHLGamers, There's still time to get in on the action in the biggest virtual hockey league in Finland! Signups for the 6v6 league are open until 23:59 CEST on August 11th (Tomorrow!) and signups for the 1v1 league are open until 23:59 CEST on August 17th. If you want the full scoop on what the FCL is, check out the full story here.   Like last year, this iteration of the FCL will allow for non-Finnish citizens to challenge for the throne in the 6v6 league. The upcoming league will feature a foreign player quota, which entails that a majority (51%) of the team's roster (and line-up) must be Finnish. In addition, all captains must be Finnish citizens. All players require an eSM 2021 license in order to participate in FCL 6v6 and/or FCL 1v1. The cost of the license is 5 EUR and it can be obtained at esm.gg/pelaajalisenssi/ (click here for instructions in English). The one-time purchase of the license allows you to take part in all eSM 2021 leagues and tournaments (for 1v1 you must be a Finnish citizen).   SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE! Sign-ups for 1v1 are open now and will be open until 17.8: Schedule for FCL 1v1: Group stage: 23.8-9.9 Playoffs: 13.9-23.9  TOP 4 Finals: 1.10 (BO3) SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE! Sign-ups for 6v6 are open now and will be open until 11.8: Schedule for FCL 6v6: Group stage: 16.-31.8 Playoffs round 1: 2.-5.9 Playoffs round 2: 6.-9.9 (BO5) Playoffs round 3: 13.-16.9 (BO5) Quarterfinals: 20.-23.9 (BO5) Semifinals: 27.-29.9 (BO5) Finals: 2.10. (BO5) This is your chance to play with and against some of the best players in the world and compete for a slice of the 10 000 EUR prize pool, so don't wait, gather your friends and sign up now! Read the more detailed FCL news story here. Photo: Arttu Kokkonen / SEUL

NHLGamers, This weekend, we got to witness a crazy show, mainly put on by your new ECL 12 Champions hREDS! The finals were in general very tight battles with the exception of game two that ended in a 6-0 whooping by hREDS. The big, bad reds suffered defeat by a sweep last season and came back to dish out the same kind of punishment to FILADELPHIA this year, we congratulate the champions and thank FILADELPHIA for their great effort! hREDS have come a long way in a relatively short time and after their devastating loss against FILADELPHIA back in the ECL 11 Finals, their will to win was obvious this time - turning the team into an unstoppable winning machine. Especially their defense was outstanding, conceding only one goal in the four games played. Defenseman Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen answered some questions amidst their celebration: "We didn't really change anything for the Finals, me and Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen are just that good at the moment. It's easy to play together and I guess it shows on the ice. We're definitely a tough team to beat at the moment. Amazing job by Filip @Faze91- Azri. Especially against FILA, allowing just one goal is unheard of, so he's been a backbone for us throughout. Also, when me, Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen and Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen have played together we haven't lost a single tournament, so the connection is definitely special and we're hoping to keep that momentum going." @Beniittto was chosen as the Playoff MVP by his teammates and he truly had a dominant outing throughout the series, with a whopping 4 goals and two assists in game two to really take charge. He commented on his prowess to the NHLGamer studio: "I mean I always try to be at my best level, and I guess in that 2nd game everything just worked out for me. Having Vilu and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen by my side make my game so much easier and it's a big thing for me to get to play with those guys. They definitely elevate me." The day after their amazing feat, social media is filled with posts of former teammates and friends congratulating these guys on their journey towards the top and finally conquering the mighty FILADELPHIA. with that, NHLGamer also took the time to reach out to General Manager Christer Kasurinen for some insight from behind the scenes. "We're really trying to build something more than just a one hit wonder here. There's been talk of "the big three" for quite some time already, but ultimately, we want to be "the big one". This championship is a big thing for hREDS and even though NHL Esports is a small niche in the grand scheme of things, the title is even bigger for us with HIFK being our main owners and all. You could talk about bridging that gap between traditional and virtual hockey." The manager does his best to stay involved with the team and allow them the best chances to succeed. "Behind the scenes, we've tried to do everything we can to help our boys succeed. Whether it's been going through mental stuff over a cup of coffee with some players or setting up some discussions with hockey players, we try to stay involved with the day-to-day of our team. For the Finals, it helped tremendously to get most of our players playing from a LAN location and the chemistry really showed in how comfortable the guys were. We're sad Filip couldn't make it due to travel restrictions, but we tried to set him up with similar conditions in a LAN location in his hometown so that he'd have the best circumstances to succeed." hREDS - Road to the championship: Regular season record: Group 1 - 25-4-1 (2nd) Quarterfinals: vs POGGERS 4-0 Semifinals: vs HAVU Gaming 4-2 Finals: vs FILADELPHIA 4-0 Championship roster: GOALTENDERS #91 Filip @Faze91- Azri #1 Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen DEFENSEMEN #27 Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen #94 Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen FORWARDS #23 Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen #89 Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen #96 Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen Playoff MVP: #96 Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen Congratulations on behalf of the entire community, and see you next season!

It was a hard fought battle as predicted, but in the end, the better team prevailed! The ECL 12 Pro Finals went down at the start of the week and Djurgarden Hockey was seen hoisting that trophy, claiming their spot in the ECL 13 Elite division. The Swedish ensemble have worked hard to achieve this goal, and now several of their players will have the chance to take their first strides in the brightest of lights when it comes to NHL Esports. We reached out to captain Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg for some comments about their journey. The captain himself had an impressive season, breaking the ECL Pro record for most goals by a defenseman in the playoffs - now at 10 goals by the man himself. Congratulations! It must feel extra special to accomplish the championship and promotion with guys that you have worked alongside for such a long time. What are some of the factors that have led your to this point, looking back at past seasons? "As you said, we've been working extremely hard and for a long time. We've worked both on our game as a team as well as the mental aspects of the game. Our players have grown as people, individuals and team players along that way. There truly is no 'I' in this team and it's harder to accomplish that than you'd think when we're composed of such individually skilled players. The fact that everyone fights for each other is the biggest factor to our great run." Next up for you guys is the step up to the European Top 16. What will DIF look like moving forward and what are your thoughts on what to develop? "Actually, we haven't given that too much thought just yet. Obviously it's in the back of your head, but our full focus has been solely on claiming the Pro title, the promotion is a welcome bonus. When it comes to our composition next season, we won't be shuffling things around too much. I'll reveal that we've picked up William @Mumsi- Lindblad from Leksand, but overall I'm very hapy with what we've got. We know it's going to be a tough job in Elite and our primary focus lies on retaining our spot in our first season. From there we'll learn and develop into coming campaigns."  Djurgarden Hockey - Road to the championship: Regular season record: Group 1 - 18-7-5 (3rd) Round 1: vs  4-0 Hotbox Quarterfinals: vs  4-2 Kiekko-Espoo Esports Semifinals: vs BoxinElite 4-1 Finals: vs Team LEISURE 4-2 Championship roster: GOALTENDERS #26 Valtteri @Sorsa103 Mulari DEFENSEMEN #1 Andreas @Clumpyindiana79 Storbacka #81 Björn @Jungledonk Lindberg #92 Tobias @svetidaje Karlsson FORWARDS #46 Joacim @LordStanley46_ Wilhelmsson #71 Philip @Strumpan87 Ström #91 Amadeus @amadee21 Carlsson Congratulations on behalf of the entire community, and see you next season!

It's been a wild ride over the past couple of months that the ECL Elite division has been running and as usual, we could give all the high praise and all the glorious hype because after all - it is our product. This season, however, it was really the players who showed up big time and provided that quality gameplay that we're all out for. Now, only two remain. In a repeat of ECL 11's FILADELPHIA - hREDS Finals, who will hoist the cup this time? FILADELPHIA (1) vs hREDS (2) Tale of the tape (Reg. season record) 28-0-2 vs. 25-4-1 (GF/G) 3.67 vs. 3.80 (GA/G) 1.00 vs. 1.40 (Special teams %) 112.85 vs. 116.70 (Season series) FILA TOP SCORER (Playoffs) Erik @Eki Tammenpää (10GP, 7+15=22) vs Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (10GP, 9+13=22) GOALTENDER (Playoffs) Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (10GP, 8W, 85.88 SV%, 1,2 GAA) vs Filip @Faze91- Azri (10GP, 8W, 81.33 SV%, 1,4 GAA) FILADELPHIA has made the finals each and every season that they've been a part of the Elite division and are the definition of a true NHL Esports dynasty. After their dominant outing last season, there was little to no room for improvement, but lo and behold - the black and orange did even better this season! Despite not reaching new highs individually, the team topped their regular season point total record by amassing 58 points in their 30 games, only two shy of a perfect record. Their postseason started with some hiccups against the surprisingly strong newcomer IQUE, but FILADELPHIA really found their form against Farjestad BK in the semifinals. FILADELPHIA's offense really found their stride in the Semifinals too, with both wingers Erik @Eki Tammenpää and Paul @PleeMaker Arontie collecting ten and eleven points respectively thru their four last games. It also seems like FILADELPHIA is stronger than ever on the defense, the fact that the team is one of the most coordinated lineups in the world certainly has a lot to do with it, but their newest recruit Teemu @Xteemuz (Teemuyy) Polttila has also been a crucial piece to their puzzle. Interestingly enough, he also played a big part in the Finals last season, only on the other side which means he is very familiar with the hREDS guys. If we're talking about FILADELPHIA as the defensive powerhouse in the division, hREDS is their offensive conunterpart. Just the difference isn't that big. Statistically, it looks like hREDS is doing good, but FILA is still that "big brother" that seems to be a bit ahead at everything.. for the time being. What's changed for hREDS since last season is basically their entire left wing with Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen taking the place of Teemuyy and Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen replacing Joakim @Joukki Nyholm, who was sensational for hREDS in the ECL 11 playoffs. All of these players mentioned are certainly skilled and of true contender caliber, so it'll come down to the smallest of details in finding out the difference between the two teams. We know Vilupoika as one of the most prominent scorers of the game from some years back and it still seems like he hasn't risen to his full potential after his return to the bright lights. Now, on the biggest of stages, can he do that to elevate his team to glory perhaps? Prediction: Right now, it seems like FILADELPHIA is an unstoppable force, but it'll remain to be seen if hREDS will be the immovable object. FILADELPHIA has, as stated on a run like no other, and their stellar defensive play so far is an excellent sign for them. As we know, the finals have often come down to the wire, and the team that makes less mistakes very often comes out on top. In this defensive battle, it is tough to predict any other finish than FILADELPHIA hoisting the cup for the fourth time in team history. Tune in to watch who will set the tone for the Finals tonight at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

NHLGamers, On Friday and Saturday we'll conclude the ECL 12 season with the Elite division Finals between FILADELPHIA and hREDS, a rematch of their ECL 11 Finals clash. Both teams are eager to show what they've learned and in the end hoist that trophy and leave with a nice chunk of change in their pockets. The broadcasts over the weekend will be something special, so let's all come together to cap off this great season with two unforgettable nights of world class virtual hockey! We reached out to FILADELPHIA assistant captain and right winger Erik @Eki Tammenpää for some comments about the upcoming series and their season so far. After a dominant regular season, IQUE proved to be a tough opponent in the quarters, after which you conquered Färjestad BK with relative ease. How does your form look right now and do you think the longer break ahead of the playoffs could have an impact on the series? "IQUE's style of play worked very well against us, and we really needed to put some thought into how we're going to overcome them in that series. Against FBK we were able to utilize our strengths and get in the groove of things a bit more. This week, we've played almost every night, but I think the two week break could impact the start of the series to some extent since there hasn't been a break like this during this season." Your teams defensive ability has at least statistically been at an all time high this season, what are some of the factors that have made such an impact on that front? "On paper it's easy to see that we've made a change on defense and that's one obvious reason. As a secondary reason I'd say the fact that our core has stuck together for such a long time. Chemistry is the most important element in the 6v6 mode." Why will FILADELPHIA win and how will the series end? "The 4-0 result last season didn't really do the series justice and the gameplay was way tighter. I think hREDS are playing a similar style as last season, but the individuals have developed. It's going to come down to the smallest of details, but we'll win 4-2 in the end, based on our experience from big games." Tune in for the ECL 12 Elite Finals this Friday at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer!

NHLGamers, On Friday and Saturday we'll conclude the ECL 12 season with the Elite division Finals between FILADELPHIA and hREDS, a rematch of their ECL 11 Finals clash. Both teams are eager to show what they've learned and in the end hoist that trophy and leave with a nice chunk of change in their pockets. We reached out to hREDS captain and centerman Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen ahead of the big games for some insight into his teams mindset going into the finals: We're looking at a rematch from the finals last season. Back then, you guys played well but the results weren't quite there. What have you learned since then that's going to change the outcome? "Last season, we made way too many mistakes, which eventually did us in. We made some changes in the offseason and I believe our game is now elevated to the point where we have more variations and make fewer mistakes." About two weeks have passed since you beat HAVU and advanced to the finals, how have you dealt with this unusually long break and do you think it could have an impact on the play of either team? "We took a few days off after our series win against HAVU, but otherwise we've kept on practicing normally. I don't think this break will have an impact either way." Why will hREDS win and by how much? "It'll be a tight series, but i'll say 4-3." Tune in for the ECL 12 Elite Finals this Friday at 20:00 CEST over at www.twitch.tv/NHLGamer!

After a gruelling workload through the last three months, Wednesday night saw the two best teams in the Lite division clash for the final games of the season. Reality Check HC and noRex Gaming left it all on the ice and went the distance of seven games to eventually see the experienced and resilient Reality Check HC hoist the trophy after a big performance in the decisive game. We reached out to captain @Pursuitti for some comments on the teams season. Before the season, you were eyeing a Pro spot, but suffered a disappointment in the qualifiers. Talk a bit about how your team handled the issue and how you tackled some struggles over the course of the season. "It was definitely a disappointment to not make it through the Qualifiers. In fact, I feel like we played well in those games, but in the short tournament, one off night sealed the deal for us. Eventually, about a week before the start of the season it was clear that we needed to make some roster changes and managed to quickly find replacements in @ItzPoro and @Mister (linuseliel), who showed up big when called upon. Even though we had to make some hasty changes, which threw our game off a bit, we immediately set our sights on the Championship - and I'm glad we reached that goal." You played a big role for the team throughout the season. Were there any other players that stepped up in a surprising way throughout your campaign? "In my opinion, everyone finned their own role exceptionally well. If we were to take a look at things on an individual level, @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) stepped up for us as the season progressed and found new gears throughout the playoffs. ItzPoro and @jezbaru formed a very good defensive pairing, where Poro handled more of the defensive duties and Jesba served as out fourth man on the rush. Linus found his scoring touch at the start of the playoffs and although he cooled down a bit towards the end, he worked hard in both ends of the ice and secured the eventual championship for us with his 4-1 and 5-2 goals in the seventh game. @Kauppias4 is a guy I'm at a loss for words about. This guy played at an incredible level throughout the season and in the finals especially. Also a shoutout to @Kaapro666 (X_KABA_X), who served as our backup netminder and stayed positive, helping the team in that role all season." What does the future hold for Reality Check HC? "As I see it, our future is bright. We've got an excellent spirit within the squad and everyone shares the desire to develop their game as individuals and as a team. I feel like these things have the potential to take us far. I'm not sure if we'll ice a team for the upcoming FCL yet, but you'll definitely see Reality Check HC in the Pro division in ECL 13. Our objective is to maintain the same player core and as a captain, I naturally hope we don't have the need for any changes." Reality Check HC - Road to the championship: Regular season record: Group 2 - 23-3-2 (1st) Round 1: vs Grilli Tulille 4-1 Round 2: vs BIK Karlskoga Esport 4-1 Quarterfinals: vs Hokurit 4-3 Semifinals: vs Lulea Hockey 4-3 Finals: vs noRex Gaming 4-3 Championship roster: GOALTENDERS #33 @Kaapro666 (X_KABA_X) #77 @Kauppias4 DEFENSEMEN #19 @jezbaru #53 @ItzPoro FORWARDS #22 @Mister (linuseliel) #26 @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) #88 @Pursuitti Congratulations on behalf of the entire community, and see you next season!

NHLGamers, This past weekend we concluded the inaugural season of our ECL Core division and it was in a dominant manner that Resurrection was able to claim the very first championship in that division to their name. The young team bullied Stone Age to a 4-0 sweep and claimed the trophy, now sending them on an upwards trajectory towards qualifiers to come. Captain @Jiihooo86 is hopeful for the teams future: "I started building the team once my time with Old Farts came to an end. The objective was to create a team out of inexperienced players with exceptional defensive skill first and foremost. Defensively, we definitely were great all season long and @KinQjuusto & @Saukkis923 (JAMJAM923) found their chemistry as we moved along, but we also showcased our ability to adapt to the playstyle of whatever opponent we were facing. @Teemu97 and @jBoulder-mClump both filled their roles as offensive and defensive centermen respectively. Finally, our two-headed monster @tkantola and @Xkeineri showed great skill, which made it easy for the rest of the team to perform well in both ends of the ice. I'm excited about our future and next up we've got the Pro Qualifiers. We'll be making some adjustments over the offseason and already have an addition in skilled Czech player @BlazEm0de-(Domiinnn), who will be joining our offensive corps."    Resurrection - Road to the championship: Regular season record: Group 8 - 22-7-1 (2nd) Round 1: vs Lassen Lampaat 4-2 Round 2: vs HC PÖNTTÖ 4-0 Round 3: vs Its a nice city 4-0 Quarterfinals: vs Pasilan SKA 4-0 Semifinals: vs STARGAZING 4-2 Finals: vs Stone Age 4-0  Championship roster: GOALTENDERS #86 @Jiihooo86 #97 @ryba_kit DEFENSEMEN #44 @KinQjuusto #62 @GIMISS62 #77 @Saukkis923 (JAMJAM923) FORWARDS #9 @Teemu97 #13 @HCFF_AKA #25 @Bro_killer_ #28 @tkantola #36 @jBoulder-mClump #88 @Xkeineri Congratulations on behalf of the entire community!

It's been a long season over the summer months and the efforts put in by all of the participating teams have been impressive to say the least. While some divisions are boiling down to the finishing moments, others have already concluded and with that we have new champions! After an impressive run throughout the season, our Neo division champions are HC SHH - congratulations! NHLGamer reached out to assistant captain @jormatsefiina for some comments about the journey that his team has made: "The championship means a lot to our team. We had some tough times and were close to falling apart at a point of the season, but eventually pulled through. The future looks good now, we'll be adding a few pieces to the puzzle and keep climbing the divisional ladder!" HC SHH really grew as a team and managed to play at their very highest level especially towards the end of the season, their finals performance against RODIS was dominant to say the least. jormatsefiina comments: "Our goaltender @Kalle Hautala(haukikalle) was a player that improved exceptionally much and he kept us in play throughout several points of the season. In the finals, we knew we could overload RODIS' defense and gain the advantage through that, which worked well for us."  HC SHH - Road to the championship: Regular season record: Group 4 - 11-2-1 (2nd) Round 1: vs Hc Old Stars 3-2 Round 2: vs IK EyBro 3-2 Quarterfinals: vs HC Smolensk Lynx 3-1 Semifinals: vs Bellissimo 3-0 Finals: vs RODIS 3-1  Championship roster: GOALTENDERS #96 @Kalle Hautala (haukikalle) DEFENSEMEN #2 @jormatsefiina #14 @Helsingin TsSKA #34 @Kivikova34 FORWARDS #8 @Isukki (daddyryybs) #12 @Hugobolt #93 @Jeva (Bot_jeva) Once again, congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community!

We've arrived at the final stop of the ECL 12 Core season, that being the Finals between two great teams - Resurrection and Stone Age. Both have a nice mix of players that have managed to gel together over the course of the long season. The finals are where their true potential is going to be measured. Here's the full ECL 12 Core playoff schedule: (2) Stone Age vs Resurrection (16) Stone Age have been on a mission throughout the season - a mission to prove everyone that they in fact still got it. Under command of experienced winger @Maexsa, several players seem to have found a second wind to their careers and are now performing way above their previous levels, especially as team players and important parts of a winning squad. Their playoff run hasn't been without trouble, however, and the team has struggled with converting on chances from time to time. As a result, several of their games have been rather low-scoring and the team has been denied a goal entirely in three of their last seven games. If Stone Age is to win it all, they need to find one more gear and presumed starting goaltender @Dick Weener(ewokvillage) needs to be at his very best. On the other side, we've got challenger Resurrection, who are on a very similar mission. Despite having a very different roster to their competition, the squad has managed to maximize their performance and find new highs as the season has progressed further. Honestly, there might still be much more we haven't seen from this teams as especially youngsters @Xkeineri and @tkantola are very exciting to watch and should be players to keep an eye on in the future. Resurrection have had some ability to rotate players in the postseason and it'll be interesting to se what kind of lineup they'll ice for the finals, as they have found success with every formation they've used so far. Mainly, the choice might be between @Teemu97 or @jBoulder-mClump on the center lane. Both teams certainly possess the skill needed to win it all, and the seven game series about to start will surely be an all-out war. Prediction: 3-4 Resurrection Watch the entire BO7 series tonight at Twitch.tv/NHLGamer!

After an action-packed quarterfinal round in which all top seeds advanced, we're now left with four familiar contenders, all eager to punch their tickets to the grand final. Number one seed FILADELPHIA are looking to defend their title and keep their impressive finals streak going, whereas hREDS and HAVU are clashing in a rematch of their ECL 11 semifinals series!  FILADELPHIA (1) vs Färjestad BK (4)  Tale of the tape (Reg. season record) 28-0-2 vs. 20-8-2 (GF/G) 3.67 vs. 3.3 (GA/G) 1.00 vs. 2.23 (Special teams %) 112.85 vs. 118.18 (Season series) FILA If you feel like you've seen this before, you're not wrong! FILADELPHIA and Farjestad have went head-to-head at this stage back in ECL 10, which was the last time Farjestad was seen in the semifinals. Back then, the Swedes faltered 4-1, but have strengthened their squad considerably since then, while keeping the core intact around captain Christoffer @I-Maise-I Berntsson. To differ from their previous seasons, the new and improved FBK are now on par with the best of them in terms of offensive power with the emergence of Johan @Lehmannens Lehmann and Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt among the very best of defensemen in terms of point production. The problem is - this has happened at the cost of defensive responsibilities at times - Farjestad has an average goals conceded way above the rest of the semifinalist teams, and a significant drop from their numbers last season. FILADELPHIA, the reigning champions. They are on yet another impressive run towards their sixth consecutive finals appearance and is the only team currently in the Elite division to make the finals every season since they entered the top 16. On top of that impressive stat, the team also broke their own record of the highest regular season point total ever with a whopping 58(!). The black and orange remained undefeated in regulation throughout the regular season, but suffered their first loss against IQUE in the quarterfinals. Now facing the very familiar Farjestad, who they made easy work of in the regular season, there should be no stopping FILA in a long seven game series.  This series will be decided in two main areas - the center lane and on defense. There is no doubt about the fact that FILADELPHIA captain Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala has the edge on Farjestad center @I-Maise-I, and the Finn rarely takes days off. Maise needs to step up his game in the faceoff circle and find a way to help his team more off the puck if they are to overcome the beast of a team that FILA currently is. On defense, however, the current form of Farjestad duo @Lehmannens and @l-Furyan-l tops that of FILA's Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta and Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila in terms of production, but the Swedes will need to stay patient and not sacrifice their defensive end, since every mistake will be costly against the defending champs. Prediction: FILADELPHIA in 6  hREDS (2) vs HAVU Gaming (3)    Tale of the tape (Reg. season record) 25-4-1 vs. 22-6-2 (GF/G) 3.80 vs. 2.87 (GA/G) 1.40 vs. 1.17 (Special teams %) 116.70 vs. 116.66 (Season series) hREDS hREDS is one of those teams that have been on the rise for quite some time already. Since entering the top 16 back in ECL 10, the squad has made minor changes and managed to improve every season. Their last campaign was their first finals appearance and ended in a rather quick exit, but now the offensive powerhouse could be ready to take things that one step further with last seasons experience in mind. Former radar duo Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen reunited this season, resulting in a career high in Elite points for both, while Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen followed close behind also reaching career high numbers. On defense, the addition of Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen alongside Tuukka @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) Röpelinen makes for an offense first-pairing, that have managed to help out young star goaltender Filip @Faze91- Azri in a great way so far.  If hREDS have managed to improve on a steady pace, the engine of HAVU Gaming hasn't been chugging along quite as nicely. Despite making the playoffs in the top three once agains, the black and green collected their lowest point total ever (under the HAVU banner) in the Elite division and they mustn't be happy about that. The recent ground-and-pound laid upon YMCA Esports in the quarterfinals surely salvages some of that confidence and we'll see if HAVU can return to their strong form looking for revenge against hREDS. The return of Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen to the left wing is massive for HAVU, as the man usually brings out the best of himself and his teammates in the playoffs.  Last season, HAVU Gaming suffered from an inability to convert on scoring chances against hREDS, whereas the other side was the clearly more prevalent squad on that front. Looking blindly at the stats, it is apparent that we could be in for a similar show this season too, but as seen before - anything could happen in the playoffs. Special teams have been great for both sides and the two are very evenly matched in that department, but hREDS is the far more aggressive squad. In fact, hREDS were the most penalized team of the regular season and can't afford to continue that trend in the semifinals. Prediction: hREDS in 7 Both matchups will be featured tonight on our broadcast, starting 19:45 CEST with Cody @Tougie24 Tougas and Paul @Cyn Anderson in the booth! See you there!