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NHLGamers, The past year has brought a multitude of organizations into the NHL esports scene out of which a vast majority are Swedish traditional hockey clubs which is a joy to see. The latest addition to this group of clubs is going to be Sodertalje SK, who will be competing as SSK Esports in NHLGamer organized tournaments and have in fact pushed into the quarterfinals of the SCL already, where the team will be facing the very strong Vaxjo Lakers HC in a series that will be starting tonight and is broadcasted at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. "Now is the time to act on this and we've been impressed with the quick growth of esports in general. Basically every SHL club is represented in esports and we wanted to jump on that train in also establishing a HockeyAllsvenskan presence in esports. We welcome our esports team with open arms and will be doing everything we can to back them in their efforts going forward. It's especially heartwarming to be represented by true supporters of SSK on the virtual ice." - Club director Robert Andersson The roster of SSK Esports consist of several experienced Swedish players with some Norwegian spice in the form of Henning @el_tacobag Drange. The captain trio of David @HambergD Hamberg, Philip @Strumpan87 Ström and Asko @minokin Grön have all played through their own paths and ended up crossing paths in the former Syndicate, who they now have turned into SSK Esports with a few interesting acquisitions, mainly their Norwegian addition and Tobias @svetidaje Karlsson to help out on defense. We had a few words with captain @HambergD ahead of tonight's games against Vaxjo: You've been doing well so far into the SCL and are now heading into a massive challenge facing Vaxjo, what's your gameplan going into this series? - We've been trying to stick to our guns as much as possible and in general it's been working well for us. In order to fight our way tot he semi's we'll keep doing just the same - trusting that we truly can challenge even the best teams and offer a good fight in all three zones of the ice. Vaxjo is a tremendously skilled team that you have to make it hard for to enter your zone. They're at their best when setting up around the net so we'll really have to give our all in every situation in order to top that. Take us through your roster a bit, what are some of your strengths? - I believe we're quite the pain to play against as our system is built on puck cycling offense with lots of movement up front. Our defenders also play a big role in creating offense. We know that we can trust our defense since on top of our two regulars, we've got former defensemen up front who definitely know how to handle themselves without the puck on their stick. If you were to pick out one team that you definitely want to beat, who would that be? - If I were to mention one, I'd say Company of Geeks. We managed to keep a high level throughout that series and were glad to be able to take home that victory. When looking ahead, I'd say Vesa Pompa HC has to be the team everyone wants to beat. They've got the ability to do such unexpected things on the ice and possess all the skill in the world. We felt that we challenged them well in the group stage, so we're definitely eager for a rematch if the opportunity should present itself. Sodertalje SK Sodertalje SK, also known as SSK hails from the east coast of Sweden as Södertälje is located just south of the nations capital Stockholm. The club currently competes at the second highest tier of Swedish hockey - HockeyAllsvenskan and is among the older clubs in the country, as SSK was founded in 1902 and started their hockey operations in 1925. Follow SSK Esports on social media here: Twitch Twitter The team also has an open Discord-server for fans, please request an invite from a team member if you wish to join.

NHLGamers, Welcome to the quarterfinals of the SCL playoffs, where the top 8 teams of Sweden will go to battle for the championship. The first playoff round was one of few surprises, but we saw some lower seeds push through despite some doubt of that happening as HV71 overcame 5th seed Djurgarden and SSK Esports managed to upset 6th seed Company of Geeks. We've got some interesting matchups to offer up in the quarters and will be broadcasting some action whenever possible. Stay tuned for more information about that! Here are your quarterfinal matchups: (1) Vesa Pompa HC vs HV71 eSHL (12) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Casper @ICappeI Lundgren (13+12=25) vs Tobias @Tkautto98 Kautto (9+4=13) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Edvin @Thunborg5 Thunborg (73.33 SV%, 1.6 GAA, 1 SO) vs Isak @IsakTuvesson Tuvesson (82.93 SV%, 2 GAA, 0 SO) The reigning SCL champions Vesa Pompa HC have put together a quite exciting and talented squad for their title defense season. Superstar goalie @ICappeI as a leading scorer - you bet! The scoring goalie is backed by arguably the best player in the world Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha and the usual Vesa Pompa suspects, it's a tough team to beat for sure. If anyone's going to prove an upset though, who better to do so than HV71 eSHL, who now have racked up a ton of experience around their captain Daniel @Demski13 Gadd. I'm doubting Vesa Pompa are yet to meet their match in this series and should make rather quick work of HV71, unless the Jonkoping-based club can shut down the offense of the defending champs. (2) Vaxjo Lakers HC vs SSK Esports (11) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander (9+10=19) vs Philip @Drunkendefender Ström (4+10=14) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Filip @Fcoy_faze Azri (86.96 SV%, 0.75 GAA, 1 SO) vs Mikael @Tauri Tauriainen (69.57 SV%, 1.4 GAA, 1 SO) Vaxjo managed to get out of the first round in rather easy fashion against Rogle BK, who didn't manage to match the speed of VLH, whereas SSK caused the first real upset of the season when overwhelming 6th seed Company of Geeks 4-1 in the series. The depth of Vaxjos roster is second to none as the team could almost put up two competitive lines and stand up to SSK in this series, but we're expecting them to settle with for the players already proven in the first round. Wingers Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen and Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander possess all the skill in the world and will make the lives of SSK defenders tough throughout this series. (3) Northern Ascendancy vs Sjukstugan (8) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Erik @Eki Tammenpää (17+14=31) vs Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (6+8=14) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström (76.92 SV%, 0.75 GAA, 2 SO) vs Patric @Thunstrom89 Thunström (73.24 SV%, 2.71 GAA, 1 SO) It was an absolute landslide in the first round when Northern Ascendancy walked over HockeyProfessorn HC, going 39-3 in aggregate score over the four games played. The experienced lineup surely is gelling well and is expected to make a cup run this season, but the team is still to be tested by a tough opponent. With Sjukstugan, we see a team that has tons of potential and has put together all the right pieces for success, but haven't quite clicked yet. All-time players such as Reto @Haldeem Haldemann, Björn @Bjono Nordetun and Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala look good on any roster, but will need to find chemistry in order to overcome their biggest challenge of the tourney yet. (4) Farjestad BK vs Leksands IF (7) TOP SCORER (playoffs) Andreas @affelj96 Ljungberg (10+6=16) vs Johan @Isindar Jonsson (4+6=10) GOALTENDER (playoffs) Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist (81.08 SV%, 1.4 GAA, 2 SO) vs Kimmo @DUNZA Sunnari (60.61 SV%, 2.6 GAA, 0 SO) This is going to be an exciting clash of two very different styles of play. We know that FBK likes to utilize their quick feet on the wings but also have two defenders in Harri @Totalii Joona and Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist who aren't afraid to join the rush themselves if need be. Leksands is known for running a tight ship defensively and showed just that throughout the groupstage and even into the playoffs. The team isn't afraid to trust the process and give up possession if that means they can look for openings to strike back on counters. The battle of the goalies is also interesting, as Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist and Kimmo @DUNZA Sunnari actually shared responsibility for Leksands in eSHL, but are now at opposite ends of the ice, may the best man win! Tune in for the playoffs tonight! The quarterfinals start tonight as we'll see SSK Esports take on Vaxjo Lakers HC in a broadcast commentated by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson, starting at 21:20 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer. Who are your picks to advance? Let us know in the comments section below!

NHLGamers, Some upsets and some less surprising results came through from the first round of games in the FCL 6v6 playoffs. It's always great to see underdogs push through and prove these small predictions wrong like we did on a couple of occasions in the first round. We'll be trying to cover as much of the action as possible at the NHLGamer Twitch channel, but if it's not broadcasted by us, make sure to follow the teams on social media for all the relevant information. Here are the matchups for the second round of action in the FCL 6v6 playoffs: (1) HAVU Gaming vs SJ Gaming (30) HAVU played their first games of the tourney in the first playoff round against Cheers Hockey, an opponent who arguably should be - and was a piece of cake for the reigning champions. It is only suitable that the opposition gets considerably tougher in the second round, as HAVU will be facing SJ Gaming, who underperformed somewhat in the groupstage, resulting in a low seed into the playoffs. The black and red proved their capability by reversing an impossible looking 2-0 situation against YMCA in the first round. As usual, HAVU relies on their extremely solid unit in order to suffocate SJ, whereas SJ will need to improve in just about every area of the game if they want to steal games against the champs. (2) FILADELPHIA vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (25) We're in for a similar situation as HAVU-SJ in this series. FILADEPLHIA is the well-oiled machine we're used to seeing and made easy work of their opponents in the groupstage, but saw trouble in the horizon against Gotham Knights in the first round, when the bats were only a ping of the post away from upsetting the orange powerhouse. In their first round matchup, Frosty squared off in a Mestis rivalry against SAWO Esports, against whom they proved somewhat of an upset as they took off with a hot start and just never let up, going 3-1 to win the series. (4) hREDS vs CRY IS FREE (21) As mentioned already in the first round write-up, hREDS is one of those teams who can match anyone when it comes to competing solely on skill and talent, but their play as a unit isn't bad either. Power scoring duo Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen and Joakim @Joukki Nyholm was a dominant force in the first round, but secondary scoring should be no problem with the depth hREDS has in their roster. Once again, I'll have to predict a tough series for CRY IS FREE, who easily overcome Exerceo in the first round, proving their hunger and capability to compete at a high level. (5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs Blackdawgs (19) JYP is one of those teams that no one really wants to go up against at this stage of the tournament and that is simply due to their overpowering style of play. The red hurricane has the ability to suffocate their opposition with immense pressure and will utilize given opportunities effectively. Blackdawgs are in for a wild ride unless they find a way to use their own strengths well or neutralizing the pressure of JYP. (6) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs SOPPAJENGI (18) GHETTO FIREBIRDS have really came into their own during the past year, proving all doubters and haters wrong and they seem to be continuing their good run of form in the FCL. By beating first round opponent Sulkavan Sudet with a sweep, the team has a running start to the playoffs with more to come. In this tourney, the FIREBIRDS have also managed to win in overtime, which is a good sign for them. FCL sensation SOPPAJENGI hasn't had as glorious of a run this year around, but are still going strong and expectedly so. Their roster overflows of skill and I'm only expecting their game to improve moving forward. (7) KOVA Esports vs Nordic Stars (16) This series will most likely prove to be a tough battle that might very well extend beyond the first three games. KOVA won their group, but struggled in the first round against Kouvola Screaming Eagles, mostly controlling flow of play but not being able to convert as effectively as hoped for. Nordic stars on the other hand made quick work out of Pata Hellalla, getting big efforts from their whole squad and a solid backstopping input from their goaltender. (9) Tunnel Vision vs Black Horse (13) With the first round in the rearview, both of these teams advance with 3-1 records out of very similar series. Tunnel Vision played some tight games agains Hundred Acre Wood whereas Black Horse went into three consecutive one goal games against Children of Ice. Both of these teams possess tremendous skill and are very even in that department, so most likely it will come down to composure and staying out of the box, combined with converting effectively. A full five games shouldn't surprise. (10) GENESIS vs Kaupallinen Yhteistyo (11) These guys eagerly started off early already last night, with the series now at a 1-1 tie after two tight games, trading blows evenly as is expected in this series. These two are about as evenly matched as can be at this point of the playoffs and it'll be an exciting series to follow for sure. NHLGamer will be broadcasting the conclusion of the series tonight starting at 20:00 CEST and you won't want to miss this clash. Tune in for the playoffs tonight! We'll be broadcasting some exciting 2nd round games tonight at prime viewing time! In the booth, you'll find Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen and Julius Sorjonen, we'll be starting at 19:45 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

NHLGamers, We're getting into the real important games of the SCL and with the play-in round being over, we're now down to the best 16 teams in Sweden to battle it out for the title - and the cash. According to the above excerpt from the SCL 6v6 rulebook, the first round of the playoffs is to be played between 17.9 and 20.9. The playoffs will be played in a best-of-seven manner. (1) Vesa Pompa HC vs Nordic Nosebleed (16) The reigning champions decided to reject a direct invitation to the first round of playoffs in favour of playing through the group stage and building chemistry with their somewhat overhauled talent arsenal. In the first round we'll see an undefeated, seemingly championship-ready Vesa Pompa face an experienced and resilient Nordic Nosebleed. (2) Vaxjo Lakers HC vs Rogle BK (15) In this matchup we'll see two dear enemies face off, Vaxjo paving their way through the group stage as clear winners of their arguably slightly easier group whereas Rogle struggled through the play-ins as clear winners over Viper HC. Vaxjo has a major advantage going into the series. (3) Northern Ascendancy vs HockeyProfessorn HC (14) NOR was the second highest scoring team throughout the league during the group stage and to no surprise - just looking at their lineup you'd think we'd be talking about a hall of fame of some sorts! HockeyProfessorn is in for a massive challenge and will need to think defense first if they want to get a whiff of a victory in the series. (4) Farjestad BK vs Orebro eHockey (13) FBK is known for being a tough team to play against - knocking out JYP in the ECL 10 playoffs was a major surprise and this team looks to continue their good run of form. Solid defenders combined with their multiple offensive weapons will pose a challenge for Orebro, who need to bring top level focus and next level luck if they want to advance. (5) Djurgarden Hockey vs HV71 eSHL (12) DIF has skill up front and a solid defensive core - but so does HV71. This series is going to be a tough battle that's up for grabs for either team. Despite gelling well over time, HV71 still relies heavily on captain Daniel @Demski13 Gadd to provide, so DIF should target him in order to shut the opposing offense down. (6) Company of Geeks vs SSK Esports (11) The legendary CoG proved to be a serious force in the group stage, even challenging Vaxjo for the group win but falling just short. On the other side, SSK is built around the former Syndicate base and possess a tremendous amount of skill, but will need to tighten up defensively if they wish to advance further into the playoffs. (7) Leksands IF vs Studspoikarna SWC (10) Leksands IF has proven to be a tough team to beat when they get going and the eSHL semifinalists sure know how to play competitive playoff hockey. Studspoikarna is something of a counterpart to the Finnish SOPPAJENGI, where skilled players from various teams have built a competitive ensemble to challenge the greats - and doing so in a convincing manner. These guys have the talent to go far, but will need to overcome the sheer experience that gives LIF the advantage. (8) Sjukstugan vs Bask Nation (9) Sjukstugan is one of those teams that has a long tradition in the scene and is always a joy to see take the ice. This time, the team has some new faces in their roster and hasn't seemed to gel quite that well yet, but once they click, they do have the skill to make miracles happen. Bask Nation looks to prove themselves in the playoffs and had some promising showings in the group stage, like beating Northern Ascendancy once. Tune in for the playoffs tonight! The SCL playoffs start tonight with a bang as we'll see Farjestad BK take on Orebro eHockey and Sjukstugan take on Bask Nation in a broadcast commentated by Adam @esdor Ericson and Johan @Zalaz Nilsson, starting at 19:50 CEST on twitch.tv/NHLGamer.

NHLGamers, The FCL is rolling on nicely and with that we're in for some exciting times of playoff hockey to cap off the prestigious Finnish championships. 32 of the best teams remaining will starting tomorrow go all out for the title and of course the biggest share of prize money. Now also the defending champs HAVU Gaming get to hop in on the action as they'll be facing seed 32 Cheers Hockey in their first bout of the competition. According to the above excerpt from the FCL 6v6 rulebook, the first round of playoffs are played in best-of-five manner and are to be played between 14.9 and 18.9. With the formalities now out of the way, let's present our first round playoff matchups with brief previews of each battle: (1) HAVU Gaming vs Cheers Hockey (32) The reigning champions HAVU Gaming get their first taste of competitive hockey since early June in this best-of-five series against Cheers Hockey, who are a skilled team in their own right but in all fairness in an entirely different league compared to HAVU. The champs might be a bit sleepy to start it off, but should be able to advance without any issues. (2) FILADELPHIA vs Gotham Knights (31) FILA is another juggernaut who seem to top the tables in every tournament regardless who they are facing and when they are doing so. They'll be going up against Gotham Knights, who just barely squeezed through as a best 5th placing team, the prestigious franchise has had a troublesome FCL so far, trading points in unfavourable ways in the group stage. FILA advances with ease. (3) YMCA Esports vs SJ Gaming (30) Who'd expect two Elite caliber teams going up against each other at this stage? YMCA has proven themselves in the past few seasons and have continued performing at a high level whereas SJ Gaming had some turnover after ECL 10 and have run into issues at the start of the FCL. A big improvement will be required from SJ if they want to have the slightest chance of advancing. (4) hREDS vs Oulunsalon Pallo (29) The big, bad reds might just be the most skilled team on the virtual ice and they have shown that by dominating their group throughout the group stage. they should have no issues overcoming Oulunsalon Pallo, who are up for perhaps the biggest challenge of their competitive careers so far. (5) JYP Jyvaskyla vs Angry Cats (28) JYP is eager to get back to playing high stakes games after a heartbreaking disappointment in the ECL 10 playoffs. The team topped their group with ease and are looking to continue on that path from now on. Angry Cats have proven to be a capable team but will need to speed up their game by at least a few notches if they want to have a chance. (6) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs Sulkavan Sudet (27) After flexing their offensive guns in the group stage games, GHETTO FIREBIRDS have proven to be a serious contender. Sulkavan Sudet will have their hands full if they want to contain the wide arsenal of the FIREBIRDS while maintaining some scoring danger of their own. (7) KOVA Esports vs Kouvola Screaming Eagles (26) KOVA was the lowest scoring group winner but also is among the teams with least goals conceded - playoff mode already perhaps? Kouvola has a dangerous offense but can compromise in their own end. They will need to find stability if they would want to salvage some wins in this series. (8) SAWO ESPORTS vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (25) SAWO ESPORTS had some issues coming into the tournament, dropping points in unfortunate games for them, but the team managed to find their pace and finished the group stage in spectacular fashion, topping group 7. They'll be facing dear rivals Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa in the first round. The group stage games were even between these two, with the aggregate score 7-6 in favor of Frosty, though. SAWO should be able to win this series however. (9) Tunnel Vision vs Hundred Acre Wood (24) We'll be in for an interesting bout between the very young and talented roster of Tunnel Vision and the Finnish-Swedish connection in Hundred Acre Wood. Tunnel Vision should be able to notch the required victories if they can keep their cool and play true to their level. (10) GENESIS vs Roots (23) What happened here? You'd imagine these two should be switched around when it comes to seeding but the fact is that GENESIS put on a show in the group stage overcoming Roots twice in their matchups. Roots on the other hand dropped important points in the opening round against GENESIS, which pushed them down in the standings. An even battle should be expected, but I'd personally chalk up a series win for Roots. (11) Kaupallinen Yhteistyo vs TIKI TALK (22) Both of these teams have seen some turnover as of late, but it seems like the level of competition has remained high on both sides. Kaupallinenhas a skilled offense with lots of hours in the game, but TIKI is known to be strong on counters and dangerous from every position on the ice. This will be an even one. (12) Exerceo vs CRY IS FREE (21) The recently formed ensemble of Exerceo looks good on paper and is expected to improve even further when they get more games together under their belt. CRY IS FREE has a wide array of talent in their roster, but I'm expecting Exerceo to come away with the series victory, just like they did in both group stage games. (13) Black Horse vs Children of Ice (20) A slightly renewed Black Horse will be taking on Children of Ice consisting of some of the most experienced players around the scene. Black Horse gets a minor advantage in the amount of talent but Children of Ice should prevail through sheer experience. (14) HC Dynastia Hockey vs Blackdawgs (19) These two faced each other already in the group stage, where the tight games both ended in a victory for HC Dynastia Hockey. Hard fought battles are to be expected, but Dynastia should be the ones advancing. (15) Enigma vs SOPPAJENGI (18) Enigma didn't have the easiest start for their FCL campaign as they dropped points against the likes of CapeTown Kings and Hundred Acre Wood, but they clawed their way into the playoffs and have prove themselves before. SOPPAJENGI has an impressive roster with limited time together, it'll be a matchup to keep an eye out for and it's definitely one of the toughest ones to predict. (16) Nordic Stars vs Pata Hellalla (17) This has been said a million times before, but Nordic Stars is definitely one of those teams that seem to have a ton of hours in the game every year and it shows in their game. Pata Hellalla on the other hand seems to be rejuvenated since the acquisition of scene legend @JOHTAJAVIRTANEN. This series in anyones for the taking! Make sure to follow the teams on social media for information on possible broadcasts!

NHLGamers, The first week of 6v6 competition is in the record books, but the 1v1 action is just getting started. With starting the action, you'll naturally also need some information. We're happy to have around 200 participants that all are looking to challenge the champion Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola for the throne. Below is a quick walkthrough of the most important information for participants: Schedule Regular season: 31.8.-20.9. Playoffs: 21.9.-1.10. Finals (Top 4): 10.10. The schedule is accessible through the league page, please remember to contact your opponents in time before the scheduled date. Brief season description The regular season will commence with group stage play. Players will be divided into 15 groups with approximately 13-14 players in each group. In these groups, all players will face each other once and finally the top eight 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 Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola 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 about your tournament progress or any other related content - can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerCOM @Gigantti @esm_gg #FCL #eSM Instagram: When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerOfficial @GiganttiGaming @esmkisat #FCL #eSM We hope everyone has a great FCL. Good luck to all players!

NHLGamers, It's time to jumpstart also the 1v1-action in our national leagues, with that you'll obviously also need some information on how to get the ball rolling. We're happy to see so many signups this year with a total of over 90 Swedish gamers signing up to fight for the championship title, defended by Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund. Below is a quick walkthrough of the most important information for participants: Schedule Regular season: 31.8.-12.9. Playoffs: 14.9.-24.9. Finals (Top 16): 2.10. The schedule is accessible through the league page, please remember to contact your opponents in time before the scheduled date. Brief season description The regular season of SCL 1v1 lasts for two weeks. Players will compete in 9 groups with approximately 10 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 six players (54 in total) and the six best 7th placed players will advance to the playoffs (60 players in total). The playoffs are played in best-of-five manner. The finals with the top 16 players will consist of a group stage with four players in each group. All players in a group will face each other twice and the top two players in each group will advance to the eventual playoffs with the eight best players. 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 #SCL #NHLGamer #esports Instagram: When posting on Instagram, can you please make sure to tag the following accounts and hashtag: @NHLGamerOfficial @swehockeyse #SCL #NHLGamer #esports We hope everyone has a great SCL. Good luck to all players!

NHLGamers, Since last night at approximately 21 CEST, the NHL 21 closed technical test is live. If you signed up for the test, you might want to check your email including spam folder for a possible code. Keep in mind not everyone was guaranteed one. The NHL 21 technical test is held for the purpose of collecting data and feedback on the available features in gameplay, the new dekes, improved AI, and the goalie controls and positioning. The technical test does not include all new features coming to the final product and does not represent the final product in any way. Remember that as per the terms and conditions of the closed technical test, you are not permitted to capture or share any video or screenshots of the test build of the game. No information about the duration of the technical test is currently available. We will update this article when we learn more. We will be sending EA our collective thoughts, so please discuss the test build of the game in the comments section below, in our allocated thread or send your feedback directly to the EA Forums.

NHLGamers, As the summer turns to fall we’re accustomed to be getting news about the next iteration in the EA Sports NHL-series that we’ve all grown to love. This year with the pandemic and speculation about the PS5 launch, the news have been pushed back a bit, but we’re getting closer to a closed beta and the final release of NHL 21. The new game will be released on PS4 and Xbox One, but the new consoles will as announced be backwards compatible. The cover athlete of NHL 21 will be Alexander Ovechkin - The Great Eight. Ovechkin came into the league in a time shortly after the “dead puck era”, where scoring was at an all time low and grindy, physical teams prevailed. The Russian superstar was a welcome splash of personality into an NHL that was at a dull moment in time. Ovechkin made an immediate impact and hasn’t stopped baffling us since his first strides on the NHL ice. We all remember that tinted visor, the yellow laces and the incredible highlight reel performances that has inspired a whole new generation of hockey players - and also the creative team of NHL 21. This years iteration of the game series has drawn inspiration from the eccentric personality of Ovie and the astounding skill that he possesses. From tons of individual customization to all new creative ways of beating your opponent, this is the year for skill hockey to shine. What’s new in NHL 21? The new game brings a few new or overhauled features out of which the largest are an all new casual mode called HUT Rush and the massively improved Be A Pro. HUT Rush is all about skill and showing off those sweet moves in combinations to earn the biggest possible rewards. It is a fast-paced mode that lets you hop into action through either a quick draft or with you HUT team and go up against others in either 5v5, 3v3 or arcade 3’s games. More skill - more points! Be A Pro has seen a massive overhaul and now gives you more control than ever over what kind of career you want to shape. Start either in Europe, the Canadian Junior Leagues or go directly into the NHL and start creating your own puck personality. Complete challenges during games to earn more XP, engage with media, players and coaches at key moments throughout your career and finally hoist the cup. Be A Pro also features an all new player hub that lets you see all information on one screen and navigate way faster and easier. The skill moves! You’ve probably heard about these already. Some of you are scared, myself included. NHL 21 will feature a bunch of new big and small skill moves such as the michigan, behind the net bank and the Kucherov no-move. Added to your arsenal in small space are slip dekes and standing dekes together with chips off the boards and into empty space. Moves such as the michigan and behind the net bank are of course highlight reel stuff and shouldn’t be all too easy to pull off, which will be fine-tuned based on player feedback over the course of the closed beta. However based on our experiences with a build not final - the michigan is REALLY hard to pull off. Improved goaltender controls Goaltender controls have seen minor changes and improvements.Save animations and reactions combined with positioning have been in focus this year. Goaltending controls have been very coarse earlier, but now it should be way easier to make minute movements very smoothly. EASHL practice mode You’ve been heard! NHL 21 brings back one of the most requested features for the competitive community. There are now a free skate and team practice mode in EASHL, where you can either test out your builds on an open sheet of ice or play together with you teammates against an AI opponent to sort out various strategies and set plays. In an open practice, teammates can shoot against either a CPU or human goalie. Server select in private EASHL matches Another great addition for the competitive community that allows a more even playing field when going up against opponents from various geographical locations. In addition to all of these concrete changes in the game, the team has continued to develop the AI in the game. This year, organic play flow has been a big theme in driving the development and bringing the AI to the next level. The AI is now challenging but realistic, your teammates are more predictable and puck carriers are driving the play more than before. Support positioning on defense is greatly improved in order to reward players that put pressure on the opposition. What’s still missing? The missing components are for the most part the usual suspects. This years iteration has addressed some issues like the practice mode and server select, but things like spectator mode are still absent. Some hardcore fans of GM connected have been advocating for bringing that mode back for years, but their voices are still left unheard. Maybe next year! Release date & editions The NHL 21 Closed Beta will be out on the 28th of August. NHL 21 will release on the 16th of October, with the preorder versions of the Deluxe and Ultimate editions granting three days of early access. The available editions are: NHL 21 Standard Edition 69,95€ Preorder bonus: - Up to 2 HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs (1 per month for 2 months) - Be A Pro XP Boost and Bonus Trait and Specialization Points - 1 Unlocked World of Chel Hockey Bag NHL 21 Deluxe Edition 89,95€ Preorder bonus: - Up to 5 HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs (1 per month for 5 months) - HUT Synergy Veteran Choice Pack (Choice 1 of 10; +1 OVR per month until August 2021) - HUT Cover Athlete Choice Pack (Choice of: Ovechkin, Matthews, McDavid, Pettersson, Laine, Subban) - 3 Days Early Access - Be A Pro XP Boost and Bonus Trait and Specialization Points - 2 Unlocked World of Chel Hockey Bags NHL 21 Great Eight Edition 99,95€ Preorder bonus: - Up to 10 HUT Diamond Player Choice Packs (2 per month for 5 months) - HUT Synergy Veteran Choice Pack (Choice 1 of 10; +1 OVR per month until August 2021) - HUT Cover Athlete Choice Pack (Choice of: Ovechkin, Matthews, McDavid, Pettersson, Laine, Subban) - 3 Days Early Access - Be A Pro XP Boost and Bonus Trait and Specialization Points - 5 Unlocked World of Chel Hockey Bags What are your thoughts on the information we’ve got? What did you with they would have added? What are you expecting from the beta? Let us know in the comments!

NHLGamers, It's the day of the FCL kickoff and what better time than to announce a new traditional sports club joining our ranks with an NHL roster. This time, we're glad to welcome TuTo, hailing from the historical city of Turku in southern Finland. TuTo as an organization is involved in a number of various sports including ice hockey, wrestling, football and many more. Esports rounds out that selection into an even ten for the prestigious club founded already in 1929. The club has partnered with graphic design agency Midström in order to produce top-notch media content. Midström will also act as the main sponsor of the esports team. "Lately we've been putting a lot of thought into the development of our kids and youth, and trying to find out role as a club in the change that's happening which brought esports to the forefront for us last year. We saw the possibilities and felt that it could be a successful concept for us alike so many other traditional sports clubs, with a goal to expand but also to learn about the expanding world of sports. As soon as Sami (@Samzoni) contacted me, we found a mutual understanding. We're happy to secure TuTo representation in esports and will continue developing that side of operations once we gain experience." - TuTo ry Operations Manager Sini Paakkinen The roster formerly known as DIKTATUURI will from now on bear the logo and name of TuTo Esports. The team took their first strides on the competitive ice in ECL 10 Lite, making a playoff push that unfortunately ended in the first round at the hands of 2nd seeded EBR eSports Official. Despite being a young club, the roster has some solid experience in their ranks. Assistant captains Sami @Samzoni Lehtonen and Tuomas @Tumpp1A Aaltonen combine for over 300 games throughout the NHLGamer era of NHL esports, whereas defenseman Janne @K31jj0 Matilainen is another player on the team who has been around since the inception of the ECL. "We've discussed a possible affiliation in our club for quite some time already and feel that our game has taken some steps in a good direction lately, which pushed us into discussions with TuTo. I've personally been a supporter of TuTo for quite some time already and our goaltender Henry @Fobba71 Kivilä has represented TuTo back in his hockey playing days, which made them a natural selection to partner with. We're extremely happy to make our deal official and being able to get to work!" - Assistant captain Sami @Samzoni Lehtonen explains some background behind the deal. TuTo ry TuTo Ry is a sports club operating in a total of ten various sports including ice hockey, football, wrestling and esports to name a few. The club was founded in 1929 and has since dabbled in a multitude of sports out of which some have been dropped due to various reasons. Their hockey club competes at the second tier (Mestis) in Finland, and hereby the club becomes the second Mestis club to sign an esports roster.

NHLGamers, During this past week the NHLGWC regional finals and in that also the final events of the GWC season were completed. Due to the worldwide pandemic situation, all live events were cancelled and with that also the grand finals will be absent this year. Instead, fans around the world got to enjoy the play of our regional finalists in what would be some incredibly high stakes regional finals that we would cap off by crowning three regional champions - one in Canada, one in Europe, one in the US. Each of the regional champions took home a total of $10,000 USD and runner-ups earned a hefty slice of prize money with $2,500 USD. Here are your 2020 NHLGWC regional champions: 🇨🇦 Canada: Justin @Regs84 Reguly 🇺🇸 US: Josh @OFs Fuss 🇪🇺 Europe: Arttu @Artuzio Mustila Artuzio had a massive comeback year after a somewhat disappointing showing in the 2018 NHLGWC finals and came back determined to show his doubters this time around. The long time gamer based in Tampere, Finland did so in style and ended up beating Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan in the finals and claiming the EU regional championship. In the US regionals, OFs_HK showed up big and was something of a surprising winner as he managed to overcome the reigning world champion Matthew @TSCCookie Gutkoski in a thrilling final series! Our Canadian gamers brought on a show this year, but it was eventually two very familiar guys who fought for the title at the end, Regs and Matthew @YungGren Grenier went head-to-head in the final series, with Regs eventually walking away as the victor. We got a hold of the European champion Artuzio for a short interview: In 2018 you made a run all the way to the Grand Finals in Vegas. Did you utilize the experience and how have you developed in the last two years? "In Vegas i wasn't a consistent player. My offense was good back then but the defensive side needed improvements. After the 2018 GWC I reviewed my game and found some points on which to improve and since then, I've layed more focus on strategic defense and the hitting game, which i feel has been a great improvement for me." Which opponent do you think was the hardest this year? "Without a doubt @PleeMaker. I know his style very well, but he's always so dangerous, you really need to pay attention on defense in order to win. In both semifinal games, it looked like Plee was close to making a comeback, how did you stay calm during those moments? "I've tried to play a lot of wager games and smaller tourneys this year in order to improve my work under pressure and I feel like it's really paid off, just check the scoreboards!" Finally, what are you going to do with the prize money? "Haven't decided yet, so it'll be put into savings for starters." Congratulations to all participants! We're hoping to see you back next year, hopefully at live events! 🏆 Art: Chris @RyanDesigns Ryan

NHLGamers, SAWO ESPORTS is an organisation fresh out of the box and is the brainchild of community favorite caster Arttu @OLVARI Hämäläinen with help from the likes of Savo Volley and Finnish national team hitter Olli-Pekka Ojansivu, Iiro Naamanka from VR & AR specialists 3D-Talo and Mika Hyvärinen from hockey club Iisalmen Peli-Karhut. The organization prides itself in its heritage in the Savo-area in eastern Finland and has brought together four major clubs that are staples in sports across different sports in the area. Behind SAWO ESPORTS we find hockey clubs KalPa and Iisalmen Peli-Karhut together with football club KuPS. Their heritage is largely visible in the teams branding with the rooster logo that's become synonymous with Kuopio hockey and the black and yellow color scheme that is also repped by all three backing clubs. The objective of SAWO ESPORTS together with its partners is to create an organization with a widespread representation at the very top in various games. Two rosters will be announced this weekend and both are expected to make an immediate impact in their own games. In addition to focusing on the professional side of things, the organization wants to lay heavy focus on their youth operations, which will be run in cooperation with Juniori-KalPa ry. "We're launching an exceptional cooperation in the Finnish esports scene by having three major Savo-based sports clubs invested. Esports is definitely here to stay and will only continue the growing trend. There's also several development opportunities for us with KalPa", states Kalpa-Hockey Oy CEO Toni Saksman to Ilta-Sanomat. "A massive part of running a successful club is being able to productize and being an interesting and above all beneficial partner to our stakeholders. The beauty of these partnerships is the fact that we offer our traditional sports clubs a gateway to reach an audience unique to esports." - General Manager Hämäläinen on creating successful partnerships Today SAVO ESPORTS also announce their first roster, which will be competing at the highest level of NHL esports. The organisation has signed the roster of Checkmate, who has solidified their position as a fierce competitor in ECL Elite after working their way up from the Pro-division at the end of their ECL 8 campaign. The team has now completed two full seasons at the highest tier, having back-to-back heartbreak seasons where they barely missed the playoffs by not even a points margin. The Nikkinen brothers Jonne @TackleControl and Juuso @Juizki are the dynamic duo running the show at center and in net whereas the pieces around them have been shuffled a bit. After ECL 10 the main change will be seen in defense, as mainstay supporting cast Vesa @VesKuLiNe Voutilainen will step up in a bigger role and young stud Roni @MrNipsuli Kaján will move down the wing. The team has also acquired talented but unproven Atte @Akunkku Kuningas to boost their offense. When talking to captain @TackleControl, the man ensures that the team hasn't been in any rush to find a suitable organisation despite having been one of the few Elite teams with no affiliation: "The topic has come up on several occasions but the prevailing sentiment has always been that an affiliation isn't something we actively need, and that the organisation would have to seem interesting and professional for us to consider it. SAWO ESPORTS seems to be just that, we found our ambitions to line up nicely and wanted to see this opportunity through." "FCL is a challenge we take on with high, but realistic expectations, we've analyzed our game and made some roster changes out of necessity but also to simply improve our squad. We're confident in our defense, @Jooonasaurus adds some firepower up front and goaltender Saku @Mehukatti10 Serttilä impressed us during the offseason", Nikkinen continues when speaking about their roster. GM Hämäläinen is familiar to the NHL scene and therefore signing an NHL roster seemed natural: "Getting into NHL esports seemed like a natural choice also because we've partnered with two great hockey clubs KalPa and IPK. After a longer period of negotiations we finally managed to secure an ambitious roster that we believe can do great things for our team. We're hoping to start stocking our trophy shelves within our first year and the upcoming FCL is a great place to start." SAWO Esports start their NHL journey on Monday, 24th of August when the FCL season commences. Expect some tight battles in the fierce competition for the Finnish Championship title.

Pictures courtesy of ENCE. NHLGamers, We've all heard about ENCE on the CS:GO ans Starcraft II-side of things, but what about NHL? The powerhouse organization that has solidified their position as the pinnacle of Finnish esports currently actually ventured into NHL esports quite some time ago as Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen signed to ENCE back in early 2017 when the Brent Burns lookalike was at the top of his 1v1 game. The contract only lasted for eight months and came to a surprising stop, likely due to a lack of action in the community at that time and the organization wanting to move in another direction - which has seemed to work wonders for them. Now the time is right for the successful organization to dive back into NHL esports and what better way to do that than by signing recent free agent and former multi-champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää. ENCE General Manager Niklas "Willkey" Ojalainen talks about their recent signing as follows: "We are very happy to have another World Champion join our ranks. When the opportunity to sign Eki became a possibility and after we sat down a few times, he felt like a natural fit not only as a player but as a great ambassador in the console gaming community. This also marks ENCE's return to sports games after quite a few years and we are excited to see what the future holds." Eki had a world class year in 2018 when he really put his name on the map by in fact winning everything he set out to do in the NHL scene. Within a span of a few months, the young star then conquered championships in both IS Cup 1v1 and 6v6, the NHLGWC and in the ECL. He would then go on to win the inaugural SCL title with Vesa Pompa HC in the spring of 2019, after which Eki has consistently competed at a high level. "It feels amazing to be a part of ENCE. I've followed them grow for a long time and I can't wait to get started. I'm eager to see what we can accomplish together. The bar is now set very high." - Eki on signing with ENCE. Eki will represent ENCE in all upcoming 1v1 competitions in the NHL series.

NHLGamers, Vi ska kora svenska mästarna i ehockey! För andra året i rad sker SCL, där vi kommer utse Sveriges främsta talanger på den virtuella isen. Årets mästerskap har sammanlagt hela 100 000 kr i prispotten. Bakom SM i ehockey står tillsammans med NHLGamer Svenska Ishockeyförbundet SIF, Svenska E-Sportförbundet SESF och Svenska Spel. Årets turnering produceras på grund av säkerhetsskäl i sin helhet online. Likt förra året, kommer även i år en mästare i både 6-mot-6 och 1-mot-1 utses. Båda spellägen kommer spelas endast på PlayStation 4. Den första upplagan av SCL spelades under våren 2019 och ligan som avslutades under ett förlängt veckoslut på Birdie i Uppsala där Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund och Vesa Pompa HC blev Svenska mästare. Enligt reglementet kommer båda motta inbjudan för kvalificering rakt till slutspel i årets turnering. Både lag och enskilda spelare kan välja att fakturera SESF för prispengar via förening eller företag. Prispengar betalas i annat fall ut som lön. Om spelaren vill ha prispengarna i form av lön kommer arbetsgivaravgift och inkomstskatt dras från vinstbeloppet. Vid fakturering faktureras hela beloppet inklusive moms. Spelschema Registrering 17.8-27.8 1-mot-1 Grundserie 31.8.-12.9. Playoffs 14.9.-24.9. Final 2.10. 6-mot-6 Grundserie 29.8.-18.9. Playoffs Runda 1 1: 19.-23.9. Kvartsfinal 24.-27.9. Semifinal + Final 3.10. REGISTRERA DIG FÖR 1-MOT-1 HÄR! REGISTRERA DIG FÖR 6-MOT-6 HÄR! Vem kan delta? Ändringar har skett gällande utlänningskvoten som infördes till första säsongen av SCL, men reglementet är fortfarande baserat på samma logik. Målet med reglementet är att först och främst skapa en plattform för Svensk talang att träda fram, men samtidigt vara inklusiv mot hela vår spelarbas. I SCL 2020 får två icke-Svenska spelare ta till isen under följande förutsättningar: Vid sidan av SCL anordnar NHLGamer nationella mästerskapsligor i Tyskland, Finland och Ryssland. I denna text kommer dessa nämnda nationer hänvisas till som "major communities". Spelare från nationer som inte har dess egen nationella liga kommer i denna text hänvisas som tillhörande till "minor communities". Alla lag måste alltid ha minst fyra Svenska spelare på isen Laget kan innehålla maximalt två spelare (på isen) från ett "minor community", exempelvis Danmark, Frankrike eller Norge. Laget kan innehålla maximalt två icke-Svenska spelare (på isen) då en härstammar från ett "major community" (Finland, Tyskland, Ryssland) och en härstammar från ett "minor community" Laget kan INTE innehålla mer än en spelare (på isen) från ett "major community". Nedan en grafik som beskriver reglementet: Licens Alla Svenska och Finska spelare förväntas inneha spelarlicens från deras respektiva esportförbund, instruktioner för inskaffning av licens är tillgänglig via länkarna nedan. Övriga spelare rekommenderas inskaffa licens från deras egna esportförbund. SESF spelarlicens (Sverige) SEUL spelarlicens (Finland) Om oss Sedan dess verksamhets början har NHLGamer strävat till at erbjuda det bästa för spelare som njuter av tävling på hög nivå speciellt inom EA Sports NHL-spelet. Skapat av spelare, för spelare har teamet nära kontakt med den växande spelarbasen och an förståelse för vad som behövs för att ta det nästa stora klivet. De stora internationella ligorna i Europa (ECL) samt Nordamerika (NACL) är våra kronjuveler som har dragit till sig den absolut främsta talangen runtom världen. Trotts en stolthet av vad vi åstadkommit, fortsätter skapandet av nytt och uppbyggandet av våran gemenskap. I framtiden kommer NHLGamer skapa nya, större ligor med större prispotter och fortsätta jobba tillsammans med partners som strävar till att främja esportens ställning. Om våra partners SIF - Svenska Ishockeyförbunder Svenska Ishockeyförbundet är ett av Sveriges största idrottsförbund med 392 föreningar i 22 distrikt och drygt 68 000 spelare och domare. Tillsammans tar vi ansvar och skapar passion, framgång och glädje i vardagen. SESF - Svenska E-sportföreningen Svenska E-Sportföreningen är en kvalitetsstämpel inom Svensk esport. Målet mer organisationen är att främja esporten och vara en aktiv organisatör av turneringar, ligor och olika tillställningar. SESF skolar också esportdomare i Sverige. Huvudsponsor - Svenska Spel Svenska Spel är hela Sveriges spelbolag. Koncernen omfattar tre affärsområden med välkända varumärken som Stryktipset, Lotto och Casino Cosmopol. Svenska Spel är Sveriges största idrottssponsor på både elit- och gräsrotsnivå.

NHLGamers, We're ready to crown the next Swedish champions! The second iteration of the SCL is here, this year produced by NHLGamer in cooperation with the Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIF), the Swedish Esports Federation (SESF) and Svenska Spel. The Swedish championship will feature an increased prize pool of 100 000 SEK divided between both the 6v6 and 1v1 game modes. Due to safety concerns around the pandemic situation, this years SCL will be produced online in its entirety. The entire league will be played on PlayStation 4. The first SCL season was played in spring 2019 and finished at Birdie in Uppsala, where Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund and Vesa Pompa HC was crowned champions. According to the SCL ruleset, both will receive an invitation to join this years SCL as the #1 seed in the playoffs. Players and teams kan choose to invoice SESF through their organization for earnings in form of prize money. Otherwise prize money will be paid as salary and will be subject to taxation and fees incurred for the "employer" - SESF according to Swedish legislation. An invoice should include the entire amount of earnings including VAT. Schedule Registrations 17.8-27.8 1v1 Regular season 31.8-12.9. Playoffs 14.9-24.9. Finals 2.10. 6v6 Regular season 29.8-18.9. Round 1 19.9-23.9. Quarterfinals 24-27.9 Semifinals + Finals 3.10 SIGN UP FOR 1v1 HERE! SIGN UP FOR 6v6 HERE! Eligibility A change from last year has been made in the eligibility rules, however the rule is still largely based on the same logic. This rule was intended to make sure the Swedish talent was emphasized and showcased, while remaining reasonably inclusive towards our other communities. For SCL 2020, two non-Swedish players will be allowed per team on ice in a game – under very specific conditions. Here they are: Outside of the Swedish championship (SCL), three separate national communities currently feature their own region-based championship. These are the German (GCL), Finnish (FCL) and Russian (RCL) communities. These will be defined as the “major communities” for the purposes of this text. Players hailing from nations that currently do not have a region-based championship to sign up for – one where they are allowed to play free of restrictions and are counted as the main target demographic – will be defined as “minor communities” for the purposes of this text. 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) 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) Below you will find an image to help illustrate this rule clarification: The 1vs1 portion of the SCL is available only for Swedish citizens. License 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) About us Since its inception, NHLGamer has continuously strived to offer the best possible experience for any and all gamers who have come to enjoy the competitiveness of playing the EA Sports series of NHL games. Created by gamers for gamers, we are very much in touch with the growing community and want to understand the fundamental desires of our end customers fully. The international competitive leagues in Europe (ECL) and North America (NACL) are our crown jewels, which have proven to draw interest from the very best teams and players worldwide. While proud of our achievements and the success we've had in creating and maintaining such a great community of talented gamers, we are not done yet. Our long-term goals include growing the community, hosting larger leagues with prize pools, and working together with organizations at the cutting edge of gaming and esports. About our partners SIF - The Swedish Ice Hockey Association The Swedish Ice Hockey Association is the governing body in Swedish ice hockey and inline hockey. The association is involved in all levels of ice hockey in Sweden and organizes the two Swedish Championship leagues being the men's SHL and women's SDHL. SESF - The Swedish Esports Federation SESF stands for Svenska E-sportföreningen and they are the governing body of esports competition in Sweden at the moment. The objective of the organisation is to develop the Swedish esports scene and shows a constant presence in organising tournaments and events. Currently, SESF provides training for esports referees and licenses for both referees and players. In Swedish esports competition, a SESF license is a quality guarantee. Main sponsor - Svenska Spel Svenska Spel is a state-owned company operating the regulated gambling market in Sweden. As a state-owned company, their surplus is paid straight to the Swedish Public Treasury. Svenska Spel offers a multitude of various gambling alternatives including sports betting, casino games and bingo. Through its subsidiary Cosmopol Casino it also operates four casinos in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Sundsvall. Svenska Spel is a massive actor in Swedish sports as the main sponsor of football, handball, ice hockey and esports leagues, the organisation also sponsors the Swedish Olympic Committee. In addition, Svenska Spel supports youth sports in Sweden financially with up to 42 million SEK annually.

NHLGamers, Today we’re happy to announce a very special partnership, it’s the first of its kind, where Team Frosty and the Finnish Mestis club (second tier) Kiekko-Vantaa is entering a mutually beneficial partnership with the objective to strengthen the esports and traditional hockey culture in the city of Vantaa. The first step of cooperation between the two clubs is launching the esports hockey team Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (FKV) for the upcoming FCL season. The partnership entails that the NHL roster of Team Frosty will from now on bear the blue colors of Kiekko-Vantaa instead of the regular red accents of Team Frosty. Despite a change in colors, the team will be repping the familiar wolf emblem on their chest. Both clubs will have an increased visibility in each other's events and content creation around the partnership will be ramped up to the next level. “Our partnership was sparked from the simple desire to put Vantaa on the map in the esports world. Team Frosty is founded in Vantaa, so it was very natural to partner with a local sports club. Kiekko-Vantaa showed interest and we’ve been building this project together all summer.” - Team Frosty chairman of the board Semih Sahin “Partnering with Team Frosty is a great thing for us. Esports has seen tremendous growth recently and we feel that there’s lots of unique opportunities in this partnership. We’re also very proud to be the first Mestis team to partner with an esports organisation.” - Kiekko-Vantaa communications officer Mikko Mannonen “We’re over the top excited! It’s an honor to represent a club like Kiekko-Vantaa. Overall it feels like a dream come true to represent a traditional hockey club as a virtual hockey player. Our goal for next season is to improve our position from last season and to claim an Elite promotion spot.” - Sami “imosi1” Ibrahim on representing the new Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa Team Frosty and Kiekko-Vantaa are entering a partnership that’s new in the Finnish NHL esports scene in many ways. Kiekko-Vantaa will be the first Mestis club to join esports competition, but the tight cooperation between the two clubs is what will really set them apart from the competition. We’ll be eagerly waiting for what’s to come. Team Frosty The esports organisation from Vantaa was founded in 2018 by Semih Sahin and Max Öhquist. The organisation made their first stint in the NHL scene in 2018 and made a comeback with a new roster in the spring of 2020. Kiekko-Vantaa As their name suggests, the hockey club represents the city of Vantaa. The club was founded in 1994 and has been competing at the second highest tier of Finnish hockey since 2000, when Mestis was founded. Most notably, Antti Niemi represented the club in his younger years and in fact his #39 hangs retired in the rafters of Trio Areena. Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo has also made two stints at Vantaa in his early career.

NHLGamers, Almtuna IS, hailing from Uppsala in Eastern Sweden becomes the next Swedish traditional hockey team to start their esports journey. The club reached an agreement with long time fans and NHL gamers Dennis @PillenUpp Johansson and Daniel @dgsson Gustafsson, who will be acting as captain and assistant in the esports club. "Daniel and me wanted to launch an esports team for Almtuna IS. It's great that our beloved club wanted to go along with it and representing them is an inspiration going forward. We'll proudly be sporting Almtunas colors in upcoming events" - Captain Dennis Johansson on signing with Almtuna. We got in touch with goaltender and assistant captain Daniel Gustafsson for some understanding into the mindset of the team and background: Hi Daniel! First off, tell us a bit about your group of guys - what kind of players have you recruited and what are your strengths? - We've had a focus on recruiting players we are familiar with from before. Guys we know we can trust. Our squad is a bit older and possesses a lot of experience, several of our players have captained rosters in the past. Since the beginning, one of our main focuses has been taking everyone into account and making this a mutual project, which is something I feel we've done very well. We've still got our eyes open for a right-handed player capable of moving up and down the left flank. I've heard that both you and Dennis are Almtuna fans, how about the rest of your team? How does it feel to represent "your club"? - Me and Dennis both have grown up in Uppsala and as said - are passionate fans of Almtuna IS, naturally it's beyond exciting to be able to represent them. The rest of our team is divided across Sweden, but I guess this project has slowly converted them and they are now eager to follow Almtuna in HockeyAllsvenskan. After a summer break, the next league is just around the corner. How have you been preparing and what are your expectations moving forward? - Over the summer we've been playing around and participated in some practice tourneys. I feel our game has evolved for the better step by step. We're excited about the ECL and are hopeful about the SCL happening. We're expecting to join the Lite division in ECL 11 and are aiming for a playoff run. Above all though, we're looking to get Almtuna established in esports. Almtuna IS Almtuna IS competes at the second highest level in Sweden, HockeyAllsvenskan. The club itself was founded in 1932, but hockey wasn't added to the program until 1947. HockeyAllsvenskan has been the clubs level since 2003 and Almtuna IS has most notably produced players like Magnus Hellberg and Robin Press to name a few.

NHLGamers, With the NHL's return to play programme seemingly working great, we're getting closer by the minute to having hockey back in our lives. Besides the Stanley Cup Playoffs a spring tradition that's been dear to our gamer hearts has been the NHL GWC, which the NHL broke silence on today by announcing a continuation of the tournament. The 2020 NHL Gaming World Championship will resume and conclude with remotely produced regional final events. The Grand final has been cancelled in order to comply with social gathering and travel restrictions. However, this frees up a whole lot of prize pool money, which has been allocated towards the regional finals, where Regional Champions will now earn $10,000 USD whereas Runner-Ups will earn $2,500 USD. Other prizes have also been increased in amount. The regional finals will feature a total of twenty-four players - the top four players from each region on both PS4 and Xbox. The remaining competitors include 2019 World Champion Matthew "Top-Shelf-Cookie" Gutkoski, 2018 & 2019 GWC finalists John "Johnwaynee90" Casagranda and Matthew @YungGren Grenier to name a few. A schedule for the regional finals will be released in the coming days. All of the events will be broadcast on the NHL's Twitch-channel, NBCSN (US), Sportsnet (CAN) and Viasat (EU) as well as various social platforms of the NHL and its global broadcast partners. Fan favorite, Emmy-nominated sports and esports commentator Arda Ocal returns together with YouTube sensation Andrew @Nasher Telfer to provide play-by-play and game analysis. NBC Sports reporter Corey Robinson is a newcomer in the team, he will help viewers get an inside look on things and get to know the competitors. Another returning aspect is The GWC Lobby, which is a pregame show dedicated to profiling competitors, reviewing team selections and breaking down player strategy. This show is hosted by gaming experts Cole "TacTix" Mogg and Cam "NoSleeves" Halbert. Cole "TacTix" Mogg and Cam "NoSleeves" Halbert will host The GWC Lobby prior to regional final broadcasts. Here are the remaining competitors in the NHL GWC: 🇪🇺 EU Regional Final (Xbox) Paul @PleeMaker Arontie Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund Samuli @ssampee37 Mäntylä Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta 🇪🇺 EU Regional Final (PS4) Roni @MrNipsuli Kajan Arttu @Artuzio Mustila Juuso @Kemppane_ Kemppainen Samu @Suppe19 Salmela 🇺🇸 US Regional Final (Xbox) Eric "PureFishin" Fisher Matthew "TSCCookie" Gutkoski Josh @OFs Fuss Josh "LAK1NGS23" Gonzalez 🇺🇸 US Regional Final (PS4) David "JrPens91" Roebuck Gage "Mekilu" Baker Jonah "dirtyduster1" Pollack John "Johnwaynee90" Casagranda 🇨🇦 CAN Regional Final (Xbox) Carson "CoreyPerry1" Bellaire Jonathan @Mxtayer Metayer Harley "Sitful" Sitko Chris @Odie O'Donnell 🇨🇦 CAN Regional Final (PS4) Justin @Regs84 Reguly Matthew @YungGren Grenier Brett @desyd19 Deschene Luke "Drewy_12" Drewitt

NHLGamers, YMCA Esports is an organization hailing from Tampere, Finland priding themselves in developing Finnish esports and has been a force in the field since being established, also receiving recognition in the Häme area sports gala 2019 as an actor of a new era. Previously, YMCA has been affiliated with GHETTO FIREBIRDS in the NHL scene, but the two parties went separate ways in March. Now YMCA is ready to make another push with the newly signed roster of Unlucky Boys HC. The team will continue under the name YMCA Esports. "I'm extremely excited about our cooperation with YMCA. The organisation has seemed really professional right from the get go and our ambitions seemed to line up nicely. I believe that this partnership will help us take that last step that we've been longing for. We're going to go into the upcoming FCL and ECL seasons with the goal to win, and we're ready to compete whenever the puck drops." - Captain Antti @Anhel Kuru about the future with YMCA Esports Kuru has captained the team since Unlucky Boys was first founded in ECL 4. The team started their journey in ECL Pro, but quickly claimed a spot at the top level and hasn't let up since. Last season was close to being their first showing in the semifinals, as the quarterfinals against hREDS ended in a heartbreaking game seven loss that none of the UB players will want to look back on. Determined to take the last step, the team is pushing forward with the same roster that worked for them in ECL 10. Follow YMCA Esports NHL and YMCA Esports on social media here: https://twitter.com/Ymca_NHL https://twitter.com/EsportsYmca https://www.instagram.com/ymcaesports

NHLGamers, It's been a quieter stretch news-wise over the summer, but after the silence was broken by EA Sports, we feel that it's also time to ramp up the volume on our side of things. With that being said, today we welcome another prestigious organization as Mora IK from Sweden joins our ranks and aims to claim titles also at the esports side of things in the future. "I simply decided to pick up the phone and reach out to Kenny Åström who is responsible for media and communication at Mora. We chatted back and forth about the esports scene whereafter we rather quickly received the acceptance of the club to push forward. Honestly, representing Mora IK feels like a dream to me. Our entire team is fired up and we're extremely proud to be sporting the colors of Mora IK from here on out." - Team captain Andreas @andreaskakan Alhall about signing with Mora IK As we are getting excited about some news that are trickling out about the new EA Sports NHL title, we are also getting closer to the start of a new competitive season after a summer break filled with uncertainty. Mora IK is joining the race at the right time and has been preparing to face competition head-on in upcoming tournaments. Take a look at their roster below: Mora IK Mora IK is a traditional hockey club founded in 1935, hailing from Mora in the central parts of Sweden. The club prides itself in being the first hockey club from the Dalarna area to play organized hockey, a whole three years before dear rival Leksands IF. Mora has had a very eventful history, competing at the highest level for several seasons but also spending time in the divisions framework. The club has seen exceptional talent in it's ranks especially during lockout seasons by having the likes of Marian and Marcel Hossa, Shawn Horcoff, Dan Cleary, Ladislav Nagy and Anders Lilja over in 2004/2005 whereas in 2012/2013, Anze Kopitar and Bobby Ryan made stints with the team.

NHLGamers, With the surge of traditional hockey teams towards the esports scene before ECL 10, interest among other clubs have started rising. Hammarby IF is a prestigious club hailing from the nation's capital Stockholm, with operations in several different sports - now also esports. The person behind the initiative is team captain Pontus @Pontinho Claughton (IPontus-), who is a long-time supporter of "Bajen" and contacted the club in early April with an immediate positive response. "Hammarby Hockey is a big trademark and well-known name, so I thought they should have an esports initiative alike other large Swedish clubs. The response was very positive and our discussions went along smoothly. I'm a supporter of Hammarby since childhood, so it's a dream come true to represent my dear club this way." - Captain Pontus Claughton in an interview at hammarbyhockey.se L-G Burman is responsible for developing the esports side in the organisation and talks about the confidence that the club board has with Pontus and the boys: "We've had several suggestions on the table about getting into esports, but the contact we had with Pontus struck us as very professional and the board was convinced that he is the man for the job after the first meeting." Here is the roster that will be representing Hammarby IF in the ECL and SCL: Hammarby IF Hammarby If is a traditional sports club from Stockholm with a wide variety of representation in various sports, such as football, icehockey, bandy and hanball to mention a few. The club was founded in 1889 as a rowing club that is still going strong as one of the biggest of it's kind in Sweden.

NHLGamers, With Saturday night and game seven of the finals still in fresh memory, what a way it was to end the season. The past ECL was a wild run with a diverse selection of storylines all around the league, perhaps more so than usually. As customary, we'll be taking you through the events of the past in this snapshot into ECL 10 Elite. First of all, on behalf of NHLGamer, I'd like to extend a thank you to our sponsors Prisma Gaming and IS Esports, without whom none of this would have been possible. It was a record-setting season and we're proud to have hosted a league with the biggest prize pool yet. We're at a good place as a community - a strong foundation is built and the trend is looking great! Naturally, we also want to thank the players who are at the very core of all that we do, for putting on such a show over the course of the season. Last but not least, thank you also to each and every one of you who have tuned in for a stream, given a like on social media or shared the notion of our league with a friend - your input to growing the community is invaluable. To differ from the usual, the season had a fair bit of uncertainty at the start. Live-events were put on hold due to the still ongoing COVID-19 situation which naturally didn't effect the online side of things but let's be frank - all of us love that live action. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances out of our control we couldn't deliver on that front this time, but as things slowly get back to normal we're looking forward to providing the next live-event soon enough. Regular season With the eSHL jumpstarting things, we saw a great influx of new organisations into the scene before ECL 10, which naturally is greatly appreciated. Some of these new teams included JYP Jyvaskyla, hREDS, KOVA Esports and SJ Gaming, who joined competition at the Elite level. Out of the new orgs, JYP and hREDS immediately signed up for title contention and put up a warning for HAVU and Linköping - a duo that had been reigning supreme for quite some time already. As seen in the final standings of the regular season, competition was tough. JYP came in hot right out of the gate and didn't let up, managing to close out the competition and secure a regular season win, whereas LHC and HAVU performed along the expected level. On the other hand, hREDS came in fourth but due to a less ideal start to the season, the talented bunch didn't quite keep up in pace with the other three big names. None of the four top teams made large adjustments over the course of the season, as hREDS were the only team to really have rotation in their lineup when founding member Tuukka @Tuukka.R Röpelinen stepped in for a few games here and there. The top four was a collective according to expectations, whereas the rest of the playoff-bound teams could have been a multitude of teams from the wide selection of remaining competitors. After a tough start, Unlucky Boys HC managed to pull it together by acquiring familiar face Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen and finished the season in 5th place with one of the hottest streaks in the league. Close behind came German powerhouse BRAYCE Phantoms, who have been causing waves in the community for a long time due to their impressive skill level, but also due to being the only Elite team from outside the Nordic countries. This has come with some downside for BRAYCE, since they have had trouble finding adequate practice games - an issue which evidently hasn't had too much of an effect on their play in the end. In seventh place, we find Roots who played a very balanced season. The team consists of some of the more experienced gamers in the scene, which was evident in their play throughout the season. While the team dropped points in some unfortunate matchups, they also managed to steal some important games against the likes of JYP and hREDS. Closing out the segment of playoff-bound teams is Farjestad BK, who were a somewhat unexpected addition to the playoff race with a high player turnover in the offseason. Both wingers were new faces, a new defenseman joined the squad and even the starting goaltender was acquired before the season. Despite being so new to each other, FBK managed to stay around .500 throughout the season and eventually edged out Checkmate for a spot among the top eight teams. Moving on to the bottom half of the standings, we have four teams within a points margin of each other - possibly a mere point away from making it into the postseason. Checkmate, KOVA Esports, Vesa Pompa HC and GHETTO FIREBIRDS all put forth very solid efforts but ended up coming just short this time around. Out of these teams Vesa Pompa and GHETTO were making their first run in the Elite division and immediately managed to make an impact around the league. Vesa Pompa had a difficult start but started improving after acquiring legendary scoring machine Vili @Vilupoika Häkkinen, who naturally finished with the highest points/game average in the team - by far. GHETTO FIREBIRDS came in with a bang and made questionable ECL Elite history right out of the gate. The team took a whole 12(!) games to overtime throughout the season and managed to win the extra point in only one of these contests. With eight victories, the newcomers pushed to 12th place only a point away from tying 8th place (by points). The unfortunate part about sports is that someone always has to lose, and that's what the bottom four teams did a lot of this season. SJ Gaming had a solid start but drifted in the wrong direction rather quickly, dropping down to 13th which puts them in a relegation battle against HanaaHC (2-1 for SJ currently). Lulea Hockey has been in a somewhat turbulent state for the past few months with a disappointment in the eSHL and now not being able to produce as expected in the ECL either. The team faced off against Reality Check in a relegation battle and retained their Elite spot with four straight wins. Gotham Knights came in 15th place in their return to the Elite level, not the kind of performance the team would have hoped for, but one of the most long-lived teams in the scene now has a chance to redeem themselves against Pro runner-up Enigma in a relegation battle. The last team and therefore facing direct relegation was Almost Famous, who made a brave attempt at coming back from losing almost their entire roster in the offseason, but the struggle was in vain this time. Playoffs I'm going to start off by using one of the most overused hockey clichés known to man - the playoffs are a different beast. That's the reality that Farjestad BK force fed JYP with in the quarterfinals, running over the #1 seed in five games with their unorthodox stretch passing and excellent play by goaltender Johan @Rundqviiist Rundqvist. Linkoping HC made quick work of Roots whereas HAVU Gaming provided the same treatment for BRAYCE Phantoms, who weren't a match for the #3 seed this time. One of the most exciting quarterfinal series in a while was seen between hREDS and Unlucky Boys HC. The series was taken all the way to a game 7, where Unlucky Boys looked like a certain winner with around 30 seconds to spare in the third period of game seven. UB were awarded a powerplay when Teemu @Xteemuz Polttila headed to the box for hooking at 59:34. After that - mayhem ensues. Joakim @Joukki Nyholm takes of directly from the faceoff, splits the defense and ties the game up shorthanded with 20 seconds to spare in the game. The teams headed into overtime and it was evident that UB had the wind knocked right out of them, as hREDS had the control for most of the 15 minutes until Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen put the nail in the coffin and sent hREDS to the semifinals. Farjestad BK providing one of the greatest upsets in ECL playoff history certainly shuffled the playoff picture around a bit, but that did not stop the inevitable from happening. Both Linkoping HC and HAVU Gaming were set on making it back to the finals and getting their shot at the title. With 4-1 victories in both series, there was really no question about who we were going to se fight it our for the ultimate prize. The finals The ECL 10 Elite Finals were a two-day event, this time online due to the COVID-19 pandemic putting plans on hold when it comes to live-events. Both Linkoping HC and HAVU Gaming had been at this stage multiple times before, in fact three straight times in the ECL between the two of them. Going into the first three games on Friday, tensions were high as the stakes were higher than ever before. Eventually we saw some exciting and low-scoring hockey for three games straight, all ending in a 2-1 result in favor of HAVU Gaming who were set on reclaiming the throne. Going into Saturdays games with a 3-0 chokehold on the series almost set the stage for an early finish but that was not what LHC had on their mind. The reigning champions completed an impressive comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in ECL 9 and looked to do even better this time when they came back step by step eventually tying the series at 3-3 and pushing the finals into a game seven that was one for the ages - a phrase that seems to be repeated opver and over again when it comes to battles between Linkoping and HAVU. Once again, the seventh game of the series was an intense back and forth battle that wasn't finished until overtime with who better to close out the season than HAVU Gaming captain Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, who managed to find an open opportunity head-to-head with LHC goaltender Casper @ICappeI Lundgren. Here's the madness that ensued: 🏆 AWARDS Playoff MVP: Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, HAVU Gaming Most Points: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linkoping HC, 78 Goals, 44 Assists, 122 Points in 46 games Most Goals: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie, Linkoping HC, 78 Goals, 44 Assists, 122 Points in 46 games Most Assists: Erik @Eki Tammenpää, Linkoping HC, 42 Goals, 75 Assists, 117 Points in 46 games Most Hits by a Forward: Kristian @kriketski17 Veijola, JYP Jyvaskyla, 409 Hits in 35 games Best +/-: Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, Linkoping HC, +91 in 46 games Most Points by a Defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linkoping HC, 13 Goals, 43 Assists, 60 Points in 46 games Most Goals by a Defenseman: Wille @willekunq Juntunen, HAVU Gaming, 14 Goals, 27 Assists, 41 Points in 46 games Most Assists by a Defenseman: Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta, Linkoping HC, 13 Goals, 43 Assists, 60 Points in 46 games Most Hits by a Defenseman: Saku @Sakkem Saaranluoma, GHETTO FIREBIRDS, 245 Hits in 30 games Best goaltender (SV%):Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen, HAVU Gaming, 340 saves on 403 shots, SV% 84,37 in 46 games

NHLGamers, What a showdown the two most prevalent ECL dynasties HAVU Gaming and Linköping HC put up for us over the course of these two nights! Based on the ECL 9 finals, we were expecting close games and the teams delivered. All seven games of the ECL 10 Elite finals were decided with a margin of one goal and four games required overtime to sort out a winner. Friday was all about HAVU Gaming as we witnessed three straight games ending 2-1 in favour of the green squad, when in turn Saturday was all about flashbacks galore when Linköping managed to clutch three games and push it to a seventh. Memories from the wild comeback in ECL 9 flashed through our minds, but ultimately - HAVU Gaming prevailed! HAVU Gaming 🏆 Group stage record: 26-3-1 (3rd) Quarterfinals: vs BRAYCE Phantoms (6th) 4-0 Semifinals: vs hREDS (4) 4-1 Finals: vs Linköping HC (2) 4-3 GOALIES #88 H. Kettunen @Hansulinho DEFENSEMEN #28 E. Koski @Eemil #43 W. Juntunen @willekunq #78 K. Katajisto @Nassustelija FORWARDS #6 I. Lehkonen @Buantso #13 R. Järvi @Dominointi #87 T. Keränen @topikeranen # 91 T. Kuha @FlyerKungen Conclusively, it's been one wild ride throughout this season. 16 teams went into battle with the same ambition - some more set on the final objective than others. We were expecting a tighter season than ever before and through some surprising turns of events along the road to the finals, we saw a three-peat of the HAVU & LHC duo in the last series of the season. On behalf of the NHLGamer staff congratulations to our champions HAVU Gaming! We also extend a warm thank you ta everyone who tuned in to the streams over the weekend, if you happened to miss some of the action, the streams are archived on our Twitch-channel. Please find yesterdays broadcast here:

NHLGamers, The days to the big finale are dwindling down as we eagerly await yet another clash of the titans. Tomorrow #2 seed and reigning champion Linkoping HC will be taking on HAVU Gaming in the third straight ECL Elite final between these two clubs. The score is even, who will take the advantage? As we interviewed LHC goaltender and ECL 10 cover gamer Casper @ICappeI Lundgren last time, it is only right that we turn to HAVU goaltender and ECL 9 cover gamer Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen this time: Both Linkoping and HAVU have been dominating the scene for way longer than any other team in recent memory. What do you think is the key to success here? - A similarity is obviously that both teams have kept their core intact over their period of success. This has led to superior chemistry between the forwards and a suffocating defensive unit. This is your third straight final appearance where you meet Linkoping HC, what similarities or differences do you see in this season when comparing to the previous ones? - This time it was more of a surprise than earlier, thanks to JYP letting it slip in the playoffs 😅. ECL 10 was supposed to be the battle between three greats, but it turned out differently. In general I don't think much has changed - pokaali takas kotiin! How have you developed personally if we'd look back at ECL 8 for example? - ECL 8 was our championship season, so I've tried to emulate the same kind of game. Honestly, I don't think there's much development to be done, you do what you can and pray for the big man to give you fortunate bounces. Any last greetings to the fans or opponents? - Let's fight hard and put on a great show! How to watch? The ECL 10 Elite Finals will be played on Friday, 5th of June and Saturday, 6th of June with a broadcast on our Twitch-channel. The broadcast is also available on Ruutu.fi & ISTV. Friday, June 5th 20:00 CEST Games 1-3 (puck drop around 20:25) HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC Saturday, June 6th 20:00 CEST Games 4-7 (puck drop around 20:25) HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC

NHLGamers, Third time's the charm? As customary, ECL 10 Elite culminates at the pinnacle of the season - this being the final series between #2 seed Linkoping HC and #3 seed HAVU Gaming. It feels like I've written this text before and as a matter of fact I have. This duo has been dominating the scene for the past three seasons with this being the third straight ECL Elite final series, in which these powerhouses will be going to battle. This season, it was evident that competition are closing in, but for now it's time to find out who takes the crown once and for all, as reigning champions LHC defend the throne against former titleholder HAVU. We reached out to Linkoping HC goaltender and ECL 10 cover gamer Casper @ICappeI Lundgren for a few comments on the season and the upcoming series: Paul @PleeMaker Arontie has had an outstanding season, possibly drawing attention away from the fact that Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta also has performed at extraordinary level throughout the season. How does it feel to have these guys on your side and what do you see as the base for their excellent performances? - Yeah, it's amazing to play behind these guys every night. A natural reason for the performances we've seen is the incredible amount of individual skill that both of these guys possess combined with the chemistry they have together with @Patzlaf, @Eki and @jtorro1233 on the ice. Every guy knows they can count on the one next to them and the high morale is one of the greatest assets we've utilized to come this far. A while ago, you became a member of the gaming chapter at The Goalie Guild. The club consists of several of the worlds top goaltenders, how has that helped your game? - It's a great asset and a helping hand. The greatest thing is being able to talk things through and exchange thoughts with some of the greatest in the world. In this years iteration of NHL, you've had to make a number of changes and GGG has been a great help in finding the right adjustments to make. This is the third straight ECL Elite final in which these two teams will go at each other. You're definitely familiar with the other team - what would you say will be the decisive factor? - As said, we're two teams that certainly have become acquainted over the years. I'll give you the same old answer. The team that is better defensively will win the series. Any final greetings before the puck is dropped? - Kom igen Cluben! Photo credit: Elias Gammelgård How to watch? The ECL 10 Elite Finals will be played on Friday, 5th of June and Saturday, 6th of June with a broadcast on our Twitch-channel. The broadcast is also available on Ruutu.fi & ISTV. Friday, June 5th 20:00 CEST Games 1-3 (puck drop around 20:25) HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC Saturday, June 6th 20:00 CEST Games 4-7 (puck drop around 20:25) HAVU Gaming vs Linkoping HC