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SportsGamers, We're at the Semifinals stage in our ECL '23 Spring Core season already! While these teams certainly are looking for time to vacation in the summer sun, they are still very much hungry for bigger success and larger chunks of the prize money. #1 seed French Eagles remain undefeated in the Playoffs, whereas all other teams have been beaten at least once. An interesting last few series remain!     French Eagles  (1) vs North Sawo Lions  (9) #1 seed French Eagles have been on an undefeated streak throughout the first two rounds of the Playoffs. In this Semifinals series, they'll be taking on #9 seed North Sawo Lions, whom they've already met in the Group stage. Those clashes were two very different games, in which they ended up splitting points in a 2-0 Lions win, and a 7-2 Eagles win. This fight between two groups of predators from the wild will be an interesting one to watch, keep an eye on the top scorers @Caboli30 and @Liimatainenn in particular.  Dompa HC  (5) vs Ismon Valinta  (6) Dompa HC were extremely close to taking home the Group 2 top spot in the Group stage and have proven themselves even further in the Playoffs. This mainly Swedish outfit is reaping the benefits of having @STRANDMANNEN11 in their roster, tearing up the division offensively. He runs their play and controls what happens, for good or for bad. Ismon Valinta is another Group 1 team in the Semifinals, and they've been able to click quite nicely in the Playoffs. They've had a total of nine players take the ice for them in the Playoffs and really seem like a squad that is having fun with their game and being successful as a result of that.   

SportsGamers, As the month of June is rolling on and the sun is slowly starting to find even us up North, the time has come to start with the Semifinals of the Pro division already! We're down to the top four teams in the division, and to be fair any one of these contenders could end up taking the title. At this point, the games will be decided by the smallest of margins, so keep your eyes peeled throughout the round not to miss a second of the action! Luleå Hockey (1) vs Polski Boys (5) This could be an interesting battle between the former ECL Twitter meme princes and the new annoying little brothers, who want to play with the big boys now! While Luleå Hockey (the former POGGERS) have cleaned up their social media game, it seems like their farm team Masin Maansiirto eSports had their account hijacked by some Polish farmers. Polski Boys obviously didn't let this slide and called the big squad out to play, but it seems like we'll have to wait until the action gets going tonight to watch any of it unfold. In terms of what will happen on the ice, Luleå Hockey definitely are the more well versed team that can pose a threat from a variety of situations in comparison to Polski Boys, who have been a bit of a one-trick pony this season. @Migo_boo and @vote_10 respectively will be the guys carrying the puck and being responsible for the breakouts, and @JaKurrii & @xSaski_ will be at the other end, potting pucks in from the back post. As stated, Luleå's offense will consist more of a cycle game when given the opportunity, while Polski poys have been exploiting @punt1la98's cross-crease force to Saski all season long with evidently tremendous success. Luleå Hockey also like to throw pucks at the net more, evident by the 15 deflections for JaKurrii thus far in the Playoffs. These two teams have never played each other in a competitive setting before, so it'll definitely be an exciting series to watch and the first games should set the tones for what's to come in the rest of the series. The experience and chemistry Luleå has built over years of playing together shouldn't be understated in a situation like this, but on the other hand, this team has a history of fluctuating in form - let's hope it doesn't happen in this one! Luleå Hockey and Polski Boys will be starting action tonight at 20:00 CEST - http://twitch.tv/YleTV_Polski Prediction: Luleå Hockey in 6. Deadly Phantoms (2) vs Golden Nights (4) The Deadly Phantoms have really caught fire these Playoffs and look highly intent to keep on going. The German outfit was called out by @ripKeisari last week for a weak social media game and they've since upped their banter, highlighting an impressive snippet of ECL Pro Playoffs info - Ever since ECL 7, the Phantoms have always made the Finals if they've gotten past the first round in the Playoffs. Were not entirely sure that'll mean anything in this series, but nice to know nevertheless! What is actually very interesting to me is the fact that the Phantoms have been able to advance to the Semifinals while playing rotating nine players in their roster in the Playoffs - take that, everyone whose opposed to playing their backups. @gzell60, @xXPsykoSkillsXx and @ProfaneKiss have been locks in the starting six, while everyone else has been in rotation for one reason or another. Regardless of who they end up putting on the ice, the Phantoms with their four forward formation will be a tough team to crack for Golden Nights. While the Golden Nights have been considerably more quiet than their annoying little brother Polski Boys on social media, they found a way to fire back at Deadly Phantoms right off the bat. None of their current players have ever been on the losing side in a Playoff series against the Phantoms, which should make for an interesting story in this one, as their left defenseman @Mikka has never won a game in the ECL Pro Semifinals despite being a top player in the division on highly rated teams for years already. This season, the kid reigns supreme as an offensive defenseman and his squad is looking as strong as ever, but can they break that curse? We're expecting Golden Nights to come out of the gates as the team looking to control the pace of the game, sticking with possession against the Germans. @Sagee95 will be the main man responsible for slowing down the counter attack spearheaded by @ProfaneKiss and his boys. In net, the statistical advantage goes to @RPH_31 and the Phantoms, but both goalies have been outstanding throughout the season and aren't known for letting soft ones slip through, so you can expect this one to go down to the wire as a battle of two different playstyles. Prediction: DPH in 7.

SportsGamers, Our ECL Elite Player Awards vote is making a return and all of you will have the opportunity to impact who will receive the individual awards at the end of the season. We have six categories in total with five nominees in each category. Based on community feedback, this season all nominees have been selected through a vote within the Elite division captains.  Voting will open effective immediately and we're asking you to cast your votes by Thursday, June 15th at 23:59 CEST. The awards will be presented in the ECL '23 Spring Finals broadcasts on Saturday, June 17th. Make sure to cast your vote in order to support your favorite player! Cast your votes here! List of nominees in each category: Forward of The Season The Top Forward award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their forward position. Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen (Tunnel Vision) Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (Frölunda HC) Erik @Eki Tammenpää (Frölunda HC) Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen (Tunnel Vision) Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen (hREDS) Defender of The Season The Top Defender award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their defenseman position. Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen (Tunnel Vision) Veeti @Wenger Paloneva (Tunnel Vision) Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (Frölunda HC) Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen (Mayhems) Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (hREDS) Goalie of The Season The Top Goalie award is awarded to a player that has excelled above the competition in their goaltender position. Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen (Tunnel Vision) Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen (Frölunda HC) Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen (Mayhems) Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen (Leksands IF) Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (hREDS) Rookie of The Season The Rookie Of The Season award is awarded to a player in their rookie ECL Elite season, who has excelled above the competition regardless of position. Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern (Leksands IF) Teemu @temppanen Karvonen (Mayhems) Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs (Mayhems) Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen (Leksands IF) Jami @N44TTI_16 Ruuskanen (Mayhems) Transfer of The Season The Transfer Of The Season award is awarded to a player who after a transfer is deemed to have been the most impactful player for their new team. Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen (Mayhems) Adam @dzouvi Mensik (Färjestad BK) Bajram @Katunarski Xhafa (Leksands IF) Benjamin @benu Rinnet (Nordic Stars) Miikka @xColeslaww Kolehmainen (Reality Check HC) Returning Player of The Season The Returning Player Of The Season award is awarded to a player that after one or more seasons away from ECL Elite competition, makes an impactful comeback to the highest level. Aleksi @ADETIKKI Kinnunen (Tohtorit) Jere @jxrska Laukka (GOONS) Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen (Mayhems) Aaro @xDoumi Ruuhinen (hREDS) Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen (hREDS)

SportsGamers, In mid-May we hosted the 2023 eHockey Finnish Championship Finals in a Sunny Tampere together with the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. The weather was perfect all weekend long and participants got to enjoy gaming in a very special environment at Keskustori right in the city center. The IIHF World Championships generated lots of attraction and the entire city was having an ice hockey carnival. At the end of the weekend, we had crowned two new Champions in the form of Teemu @temppanen Karvonen (1v1) and NHL 19 Allstars (6v6). Check out all of the action in the aftermovie below!

SportsGamers, Yesterday marked the end of Round 1 in the Lite division Playoffs and the action was interesting to say the least! Two big favorites in Dark Wild and Technical disaster are out as the result of massive upsets and we've got plenty of exciting action coming up in Round 2, starting already today. In this Round 2 preview we'll be taking a look at a few interesting series that we expect could end up being quite close, and highlight a lot of interesting statistical anomalies and facts from the first round of Playoff action, join us for the ride! To see all of the RO16 series, head over to the League page! Mustaa Kultaa  (2) vs Golden Sticks  (25) Based on their offensive production, it's tough to discount Mustaa Kultaa from the Championship fight, but the highly talented team didn't quite pop off as dominantly as expected in Round 1 against RoKi Esports. A 4-0 sweep tells the tale of a one-sided series, but in reality, RoKi were in the fight for many of those wins and ultimately struggled with too many individual errors that cost them the series. Mustaa Kultaa will have to gradually rev up their engines again against Golden Sticks, who are coming off a full seven game thriller against Techical Disaster. This squad, consisting of mostly Russian and Latvian players is one to keep an eye on, but they'll certainly need a big effort from either @Romanych13 or @Fuflogon81 in net in order to have a chance. Prediction: Mustaa Kultaa in 5.  Supernatural  (5) vs Sodertalje SK  (18) Supernatural are sporting some of the biggest names in the division and were expected to be true contenders for those top spots - thus far they've definitely delivered, but they could be in for a tough fight against Sodertalje SK in this one. Both clubs have lots of experience, but the more skilled side should be Supernatural in this one - they haven't spent all that much time together which could end up showing in a tight scoring battle against the very disciplined Sodertalje. Keep an eye on @HambergD (David_ovic), who likes to lay the body and is the most physical player left in the competition. He'll pose a forechecking threat to supernatural defensemen @Vilisopanen15 (Ruandalaine) and @Black1Eagle1, who are no strangers to moving the puck.  Prediction: Supernatural in 7.  PunaKala  (6) vs Frolunda HC Academy  (17) PunaKala have been one of those sneaky good teams for some time already. They might be suffering a bit from their reputation as a lower tier club, but have made some impressive development over the course of their career and are now ready to challenge as real contenders in this division. Captain @Mttjs (JMattjus) plays any position his team needs him on and leads the squad from the front. Expect @Unknownlehtis and @sir_sniper to take care of most of the production. Frölunda HC Academy even made a Pro appearance but struggled to find their footing at the higher level. Despite some roster turnover, they are a capable team that could take down any competition in this division. @antonlule (Antonlund_08) is a new talent and has been highly effective for Frölunda this season.  Prediction: Frölunda HC Academy in 7.  Editors' picks from Round 1: Major upsets by both HC Lugano eSports and Golden Sticks, who took down #4 seed Dark Wild and #8 seed Technical Disaster respectively. Hc Replay with a valiant effort against Sunne IK Esport in the first round, their great special teams play continued, but Sunne IK's excellent discipline only allowed one powerplay opportunity in seven games.  Armada Hockey with the choke of the season thus far - the team dropped a 3-0 series lead to Nurnberg IceTigers eSport and are now out after a devastating game 7 OT loss. @Chara 33 (Bugimir68) was in a class of his own throughout the first round with 10+10=20 for Predators. They're up against a defensively sound Nappula in the second round. @sonny - We see you! Four wins and a 90.12 SV% posted in the first round earns an honorable mention for the Boost HC goaltender. Equally impressive goalie heroics by @Samilandia for Ultimatum with 3 shutouts in 6 games.

SportsGamers, An exciting first round of Playoff action is over in the Elite division and while we've seen several extremely tight series already, more can be expected in the Semifinals! We've got two highly competitive series coming up, where the dominant Frölunda HC will face one of the hottest teams at the moment in Färjestad BK and in the second series, Tunnel Vision and hREDS will go at it in a rematch of their ECL '22 Spring Finals clash.   (1)  Frölunda HC vs (5)  Färjestad BK TOP SCORER (Playoffs) Erik @Eki Tammenpää 6 GP, 3+8=11 vs Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander 5 GP, 5+4=9 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen 6 GP, 4 W, 73,53 SV%, 1.5 GAA, 1 SO vs Johan @McSavid Rundqvist 3 GP, 2 W, 84,38 SV%, 1.67 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 24-3-3 vs 16-9-5 The dominance of Frölunda HC has been impressive this season, but we can't go without mentioning the sweaty battles that Redhawks Esport put them through in the Quarterfinals. It's very rare for an 8th seed to be able to challenge the top team in the Playoffs, but the 4-2 series shows just how tight the Elite division has been this season. Statistically, Frölunda HC were able to limit the possession time of their opponents and we expect them to continue on the same path against their next Swedish rival Färjestad BK. FBK are one of the hottest teams in the league at the moment, which might spell trouble ahead, though. These teams clashed early in the season while Färjestad hadn't really found their groove yet, but the games were tight regardless. Expect a tough back and forth throughout the series.  Färjestad BK is a team we cannot count out of the title fight this season. They are on a legendary run over the course of the past month or so, and after a catastrophic start to the season, this team has went 20-2-5 including the Playoffs since their initial losing streak. The team also has an interesting choice to make in terms of which goaltender to play, as both captain Johan @McSavid Rundqvist and Filip @Faze91- Azri have been in excellent form - Faze's outstanding 94,74 SV% and 0.5 GAA thru two games can't be missed though. Prediction: Frölunda HC in 6.    (2)  Tunnel Vision vs (3)  hREDS TOP SCORER (Playoffs) Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen 7 GP, 4+10=14 vs Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen 4 GP, 7+1=8 GOALTENDER (Playoffs) Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 26 GP, 4 W, 81,82 SV%, 1.19 GAA, 0 SO vs Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen 4 GP, 4 W, 87,88 SV%, 1.00 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 24-4-2 vs 20-7-3 Tunnel Vision went a full seven games in their series against JYP in the Quarterfinals, which is somewhat of a surprise taking into account the sheer firepower Tunnel Vision displayed in the regular season. The experience and ability of JYP to match and at times even control the pace of play caused some trouble, but eventually Tunnel Vision came out victorious and are certainly very aware of what they need to do in order to take on hREDS in the Semifinals. Powerplay efficiency (62,5%) and excellent discipline were decisive factors in the Quarters, and the same weapons could end up working well for Tunnel this time around too.  As expected, hREDS managed to pave their way through to the Semifinals, this time with a sweep against Leksands IF, who put up a valiant fight. The Quarterfinals series was a hard fought battle, and we could envision Leksands referencing Rod Brind'amour: “We didn’t lose four games. We got beat but…we were right there”. Regardless, hREDS are now moving on to a big rivalry series against Tunnel Vision, a team they're very familiar with and whom they've played in several legendary matchups over the years, but in fact only once in the Playoffs back in the ECL '22 Spring Finals. Quite interestingly, all but one game in their matchups over the past four ECL seasons have been one goal games, which goes to show just how tight of a battle we could be expecting in this one. Historically, hREDS have had Tunnel Vision's number, but could we see a shift of power creeping in? Prediction:  Tunnel Vision in 7.  Action kicks off already tonight at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG, so make sure to join us at 19:45 CEST!

SportsGamers, It is now time to turn to the final stages of this ECL '23 Spring Core Season and in this preview we'll try to highlight some key factors in each series to come.   French Eagles  (1) vs WarHeads  (16) Both teams are absolutely horrendous on the powerplay- don't expect special teams to be the decisive factor. As one of the highest scoring outfits in the league, French Eagles have a big advantage up front. Keep an eye on @Coco on the right wing. @Trollstivegen is an experienced goalie who is miles above the competition in this division. Tampere Taisto  (2) vs Ambri eSports  (15) If the French Eagles or WarHeads struggle with powerplay, there's no words to describe the performance of Tampere Taisto on the man advantage. Their efficiency is a measly 6%. Ambri eSports have struggled defensively and a 3.46 GAA won't cut it in the Playoffs.  Ambri eSports are also highly undisciplined, with a total of 128 penalty minutes in the regular season. KohKae Esports  (3) vs Nelos kentta  (14) @Joona41 was the #2 scorer in the regular season, a big weapon for KohKae. KohKae are also the hottest team heading into the Playoffs with a 9-1-0 record in their last ten games. @Ylijumala96 for Nelos kentta has the most puck possession in the entire division, expect him to control the pace for his team. Black Sharks  (4) vs Latvian Warriors  (13) Black Sharks cycle most of their play through RD @MSK-89-91 and LW @Brazone91. The Latvian Warriors have put on a clinic on the special teams - a combined number of 128,07%. @Kekava is a force on the man advantage with 6 tucks. Dompa HC  (5) vs Nordic Nosebleed  (12) Dompa are an offensively skilled unit with @STRANDMANNEN11 as their top gun. The experienced Nordic Nosebleed are the lowest scoring team to make the Playoffs, expect them to employ a shutdown game.  Nordic Nosebleed have been in tough Playoff situations many times before and can utilize that experience to gain an advantage. Ismon Valinta  (6) vs Koskenlaskijat  (11) Ismon Valinta have a deep roster and have rotated positions a bit over the course of the season, defenseman @rpxjoona can be seen jumping up to the winger spot at times. @Puosu_ has an impressive 45,6% shooting percentage for Ismon Valinta. Koskenlaskijat like to shoot the puck a lot and centerman @laketson (RHM_Lake) is a deflection machine in front of the net. Taskubilis  (7) vs EV Duisburg  (10) EV Duisburg were by far the most physical team to make the Playoffs - 500 hits in 28 games played. Taskubilis can hang with the best in the division in terms of scoring, thay could run away with a few games if they find their groove. Lutunilkat  (8) vs North Sawo Lions  (9) Lutunilkat are in poor form, with a bad 4-5-1 record in their last ten. @Medu14 will be the key for North Sawo Lions to succees, as he is the catalyst for their play.  

SportsGamers, It's time to get the Playoff summer started also in the Lite division and a total of 32 teams have made the cut for the most important games of the season! We've still got lots of virtual hockey left to play before a Champion is crowned and at this point, none of the previous performances mean a thing - only the form on any given gameday will decide. In this Playoff preview we'll be taking a look at a few interesting series that we expect could end up being quite close, and highlight a lot of interesting statistical anomalies and facts from the regular season, join us for the ride! To see all of the RO32 series, head over to the League page!   Dark Wild  (4) vs HC Lugano eSports  (19) Dark Wild have earned their #4 seed by playing a very well balanced game throughout the regular season and winning tight games at a high rate. They don't play a flashy game, but are able to do what it takes to close out any game. Quite interestingly, they are the worst powerplay team in the Playoffs with a low 12,9% success rate on the man advantage. Most of Dark Wild's play runs through winger @Juhaniz-, who is also the teams leading scorer. He likes to backskate. Don't discount HC Lugano despite their lower seed, the fact is that they have one of the stronger forward cores in the division, consisting of former Elite players @Krinke & @Freeman7187 and the very skilled @DangledYouOut (TIUINIA). Krinke is the teams most important player as the play driver, but in general Lugano is expected to play a bit more of a fast paced game in comparison to their opponents. Lugano aren't quite as sound defensively, which could end up being their demise.  Prediction: Dark Wild in 6.    Ultimatum  (7) vs Lions Academy  (26) We can expect a surprisingly tight battle here between the 7th seed and the 26th seed. While Ultimatum are one of the strongest offensive teams in the league and will rely heavily on @vepdsssss (Werppi) and @tirbbi to continue their explosive production in the Playoffs, they can’t expect to be running through Lions Academy all that easily. The Academy team of the Swiss Elite squad ZSC Esports have several experienced players in their ranks and they excel at keeping games tight, which is evidenced by the fact that a third of their games in the regular season required overtime to be decided. In the regular season these teams clashed in a double-header in which ultimatum came away with four points and left Lions Academy with only one.  Prediction: Ultimatum in 6.    Cheeky Grinders  (10) vs Chiefzz HC  (23) The ECL ‘23 Spring Winter Champions Cheeky Grinders were expected to be able to make an impact in the Lite division right away, and that’s exactly what they did. They are an exciting squad to follow and if they can keep on grinding - according to their name - they could end up making another jump to the Pro division sooner rather than later. Before even thinking about that, they’ll need to go through Chiefzz HC, who very well could have the most experienced roster in the division, both in terms of ECL seasons under their belts and in terms of average age in their team - perhaps an advantage in those decisive Playoff moments?  Prediction: Cheeky Grinders in 7.    Nurnberg IceTigers eSport  (13) vs Armada Hockey  (20) The IceTigers are a team that has emerged seemingly out of nowhere and really put themselves on the map as a solid contender in the Lite division this season. Some high profile offseason acquisitions in the form of Akin and Komir90 bolstered the core that has played together for a long time already and the team seems to have grown nicely over the course of the season. The IceTigers are excellent offensively, but need to tighten up on defense in the Playoffs. Armada Hockey, on the other hand have made a habit out of making the Playoffs as a lower seed and taking down a few strong teams from an underdog position. This squad is highly experienced and very tough to beat in tight scoring games. Armada has a deep roster with a very balanced playstyle, they pose a threat from all areas of the ice at their very best.  Prediction: IceTigers in 6.    xBOTS  (15) vs Sodertalje SK  (18) We’ve hyped up the exciting roster of xBOTS already in the season preview, and as you’d have it, we get to do that again in this Playoff piece. As expected, young talent IOLL1 led the team in scoring in the regular season and received excellent backup from ONN1231853 and Kibeeex on his flanks. In addition, xBOTS also established themselves as an excellent defensive team, who are able to hang in there with the best in the division in tight battles, which is exactly what they’re in for against Södertälje SK. SSK is a team we’re used to seeing in the Playoffs and they’ve even managed to be a fringe Pro team at their best. Based on both teams’ defensive stats, we’re expecting to see a low scoring series in which goaltending could end up being the decisive factor. Statistically, both DanDan919413 and Kussan82 have played very similar seasons, so that’s going to be an interesting battle to follow! Prediction: Sodertalje SK in 6. Interesting stats or anomalies from the regular season: Mustaa Kultaa is miles ahead of their competition in terms of firepower up front, evidence in the form of a stunning 4,4 GF/GP and winger @Allupekkaz winning the scoring title with 95 points Skelleftea AIK are the best defensive team in the Playoffs. Goaltender @Jonte05_ had a stunning regular season, but he is inexperienced - can he keep it together when the games get sweaty? Hc Replay has the best special teams number with an impressive 124,02% @Zaedon led the league in shorthanded goals with 4! for Chiefzz HC  The biggest puck hog in the Lite division is @sir_sniper for PunaKala with 175:31 TwP, a staggering 60 minutes more than his teammate @Unknownlehtis Most breakaways allowed - Dragons Gaming with 16 recorded defensive lapses thru 30 games in total @I_Manu93_I was a honey badger for Sawolanche with 224 interceptions in the regular season @wrlster for Technical Disaster is the most likely to shoot, with 157 shots in the regular season, that’s over 6 shots per game Group 1 ended up being the tightest in terms of deciding the last Playoff spot - RoKi Esports and Stadin Kingit had to go to tiebreakers in order to split the difference, and eventually RoKi earned the last spot by goal differential.

SportsGamers, A full 30 games have been completed by all the teams in the European Top 16 and at this point we've narrowed the pack down to the eight best teams, who'll go head-to-head in the Quarterfinals. Some exciting turns of events right at the end of the regular season saw Frölunda HC taking the top seed and Redhawks Esport sneak into the Playoffs as the #8 seed. It's definitely been a regular season to remember, and we expect nothing less from the Playoffs! We reached out to Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen for some brief comments about the regular season in general: "The top three set themselves apart as expected, but in general it feels like the top eight in the Elite division is tougher than that of previous seasons, although I believe all series have clear favorites, no one will be in for an easy series in these Playoffs. Some excellent teams like Heimo, Nordic Stars and Roots were left in no-man's land and I think any of those teams could've put up a good fight in the Quarterfinals." (1)  Frölunda HC vs (8)  Redhawks Esport TOP SCORER (Regular season) Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala 30 GP, 28+35=63 vs Tim @Timasy Hess 28 GP, 23+26=49 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen 18 GP, 15 W, 83,13 SV%, 1.5 GAA, 2 SO vs Jonas @poliskontroll Lindström 18 GP, 7 W, 82,63 SV%, 2.28 GAA, 0 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 24-3-3 vs 13-10-7 Frölunda HC are on a great run, recent eHSM Champions and now the #1 seed in the ECL - They look like they are really enjoying themselves on the ice. The current form (8-1-1) Frölunda is in is unmatched throughout the division and the eye test really matches the stats in this case. While the experienced squad might not bolster the most overpowered offense around, they are so defensively sound that they'll be a tough team to beat in a best-of-seven series. Great defensive play all around and excellent goaltending from duo Casper @ICappeI Lundgren & Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen is their greatest asset moving forward.  Malmö Redhawks made the Playoffs against all expectations and odds. Almost all #ECL23Prediction submissions placed this team outside of the Playoff picture, but that didn't put the Redhawks down. Their ability to clinch points in almost all of their regular season matchups came in very clutch towards the end of their campaign, and a fun notion is that in fact Redhawks only came away with zero points in one matchup throughout the season. They also won both games against hREDS, which is a testament of their danger from an underdog position. Captain Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt noted on Twitter that going into the Playoffs as the #8 seed is never easy, but Redhawks are playing with house money at this point.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "Frölunda will win the series in 4-5 games, but I don't think Redhawks will let them off the hook easy." (2)  Tunnel Vision vs (7)  JYP Jyväskylä TOP SCORER (Regular season) Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen 30 GP, 44+34=78 vs Santeri @indi969 Pendolin 30 GP, 23+26=49 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen 26 GP, 22 W, 87,5 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 8 SO vs Kasper @Kaz_zu Ramstedt 30 GP, 15 W, 80,11 SV%, 2.33 GAA, 3 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 24-4-2 vs 15-12-3 Tunnel Vision have set themselves apart as an exceptional offensive squad ever since signing winger superstar Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen ahead of last season. They didn't quite reach last season's numbers, but were in a class of their own regardless. In addition to that, the outstanding goaltending performance we've seen by Niklas @uhNikke Nieminen has got us thinking Tunnel Vision is going to be a tough team to crack once again. Tunnel Vision dropped their last games of the season against Mayhems and lost the #1 seed as a result of that. The team seemingly still hasn't found a surefire solution to their somewhat unexplained fluctuations in form, but their base level should surely be enough to make it through to the next round. After an excellent ECL '22 Winter season and no roster changes made, we were expecting JYP to perhaps even sneak their way into the top 4, but some early season struggles and problems with consistency caused them to drop down into 7th place. Regardless of that, this squad has proven their ability to challenge top teams before, but Tunnel Vision definitely had their number this season with 3-0 and 5-3 wins. Both teams are quite similar in the sense that their defensemen carry the puck a lot and like to jump in on the offense. JYP could be in trouble if they end up on the penalty kill, with a poor 66,67% on that front in the regular season. Don't count JYP out, though, but Tunnel Vision's class and quality might end up being too much in their current form.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "I think this should be a tough series, but if we're able to play our best game, we should get it done in 5-6 games." (3)  hREDS vs (6)  Leksands IF TOP SCORER (Regular season) Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen 30 GP, 39+22=61 vs Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern (I-Kaudo-I) 28 GP, 30+30=60 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen 24 GP, 16 W, 78,71 SV%, 2.21 GAA, 2 SO vs Jesper @I-Lillebror-I Nidalen 30 GP, 15 W, 80,45 SV%, 2.6 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 20-7-3 vs 15-9-6 hREDS were very far from the usual dominant form we're used to seeing from that team and at the end, they fell behind from the top two by a surprisingly wide margin. They had a few very rare off-nights and have struggled to some extent to really shut down that own end in their usual way. It'll be interesting to see hREDS sport a rather young talent in Teemu @ITemeI Laukkanen in net these Playoffs. He has proven himself with IQUE already back in ECL '22 Winter and with Tunnel Vision in the 2022 eHockey SM, but hasn't quite been able to rock with the top goalies in the division this season in that low- to mid-eighties SV% category. One thing hREDS have excelled at this season is their powerplay, which has clicked at a 39,39% success rate in the regular season. Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen has been excellent on the man advantage with five tucks to his name, and leads the league with 37 deflections, so keep an eye on his net-front presence. Leksands IF is another kind of surprise, a rookie team that I personally expected to struggle in the Elite division due to the better level of defense, but they did just the opposite. Leksands IF thrived throughout the season and in fact were one of the highest scoring squads in the division. Especially Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern made a strong case for himself as rookie of the season with an impressive 60 points - good for 6th place throughout the league. Expect Leksand to throw their trademark speed up the wings at hREDS, which could end up working in the counter-attack style of play they'll have to employ against a possession team like the former European Champions.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "Leksands were a team that caught me by surprise and this is going to be an interesting series to follow. The first few games will set the tone and I think that the series could be over quick if hREDS are able to find their game early on, but Leksand have a genuine chance to upset." (4)  Mayhems vs (5)  Färjestad BK TOP SCORER (Regular season) Teemu @temppanen Karvonen 30 GP, 22+23=45 vs Adam @dzouvi Mensik 30 GP, 18+27=45 GOALTENDER (Regular season) Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen 30 GP, 17 W, 81,82 SV%, 2.27 GAA, 2 SO vs Johan @McSavid Rundqvist 16 GP, 7 W, 82,23 SV%, 2.19 GAA, 1 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 17-9-4 vs 16-9-5 Both of these teams have been on sensational runs as of late. Mayhems are the second hottest team in the league with 8-2-0 in their last 10 games, only behind #1 seed Frölunda HC. This rookie team almost disbanded mere days before the season and still found a way to upset the entire division and push down several established teams. Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen is one of the biggest stars of this team and is definitely a solid backstopper for somewhat of an underdog team looking to make a cinderella story of their rookie season in Elite. Another very welcome factor has been the emergence of Teemu @temppanen Karvonen as a top tier player on the 1v1 side, and he has translated that success well to the 6v6 ice. Joel @jtorro-_- Tourunen has been a great addition to the back end of Mayhems, a player that really drives their offense and is crucial for them on the breakout. Always a danger in the offensive zone too along with Timi @Kkarkass Kärkäs, in fact, over 21% of goals for Mayhems were scored by defensemen! Färjestad BK also went on an impressive run over the past few weeks. The team slotted in towards the absolute bottom of the standings at the midway point of the season and started their campaign with an eight game losing streak. It seems like they were really able to turn things around in the third week and went 16-1-5 after that initial losing streak. One highly notable factor about their game is that Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen on left defense is the puck-hog of the Elite division with 193:22 of puck possession time, an entire 30 minutes more than Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander, who plays up the right flank. In general, Färjestad are a team who like to stay on the puck and will most likely try to control the pace against Mayhems.  Cover Gamer Tomi @tombo_02 Laitinen: "Although Mayhems have had a great run, I don't think they can stand up to Färjestad in the Playoffs."

SportsGamers, We've heard the feedback from the community regarding the timing and your availability for the Casual Leagues and thus we have extended the period for sign-ups and the new start date for the Casual Leagues is August 20th! As a reminder, while both the eHockey and eSoccer leagues will be running simultaneously, the emphasis is on having fun at a relaxed pace. These leagues are skill capped in order to allow for casual players to enter and have an enjoyable gaming experience. Now is the time to sign up for either the Casual eHockey League, Casual eSoccer League, or perhaps both! Despite the new dates, participation remains free for ECL '23 Player License holders! Here are the updated dates for the Casual Leagues: Start/Week 1 -  20.8 Week 2 - 27.8 Week 3 - 3.9 Week 4 - 10.9 Final day  - 17.9   Visit the landing pages here to read more and sign up: Casual eHockey League Casual eSoccer League   Details Casual eHockey League - NHL 23: Played in two divisions: New Gen: PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S Old Gen: PlayStation 4 & Xbox One World of Chel 3v3 (Teams of 2-4 players) Entry fee 10€/player (free entry for ECL ‘23 Player License holders) Skill cap - participants must not have: - Matches played at ECL Pro or Elite league levels in the current or last four seasons (ECL '23 Winter, ECL '22 Spring, ECL '22 Winter or ECL 12) - Matches played in the TOP 8 ranked team in SportsGamer's national 6v6 tournaments in the last two years. - TOP 16 positions in national or international 1v1 tournaments.   Casual eSoccer League - FIFA 23: Played in two divisions: New Gen: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Old Gen: PlayStation 4, Xbox One FUT (1v1) Entry fee 10 €/player (free entry for ECL ‘23 Player License holders) Skill cap - participants must not have: - Earned FGS points - Played Elite division in FIFA 23 Prizes Both the eHockey and eSoccer league will feature cash prizes for top performers.  The total prize pool for both leagues is going to be 2 500€ each. This prize pool will be split as follows between the top 4 teams/players: #1 40% #2 20 % #3 10% #4 10% The exact prize pool split between the Old Gen (PS4/XB1) and New Gen (PS5/XSX) divisions will be determined based on the number of participating players in each division.  With weekly matches, a friendly community of players, and a range of skill levels, there's no better way to jump into the world of esports. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for our Casual eHockey or eSoccer League today and start playing!

SportsGamers, Please note: We've heard the feedback from the community regarding the timing for the Casual Leagues and thus we have extended the period for sign-ups and the new start date for the Casual Leagues is August 20th! Action for the Casual Leagues will be kicking off on Sunday, August 20th and while both the eHockey and eSoccer leagues will be running simultaneously, the emphasis is on having fun at a relaxed pace. Participation is free for ECL '23 Player License holders! These leagues are skill capped in order to allow for casual players to enter and have an enjoyable gaming experience. Now is the time to sign up for either the Casual eHockey League, Casual eSoccer League, or perhaps both! Details Casual eHockey League - NHL 23: Played in two divisions: New Gen: PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S Old Gen: PlayStation 4 & Xbox One World of Chel 3v3 (Teams of 2-4 players) Entry fee 10€/player (free entry for ECL ‘23 Player License holders) Skill cap - participants must not have: - Matches played at ECL Pro or Elite league levels in the current or last four seasons (ECL '23 Winter, ECL '22 Spring, ECL '22 Winter or ECL 12) - Matches played in the TOP 8 ranked team in SportsGamer's national 6v6 tournaments in the last two years. - TOP 16 positions in national or international 1v1 tournaments. Casual eSoccer League - FIFA 23: Played in two divisions: New Gen: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Old Gen: PlayStation 4, Xbox One FUT (1v1) Entry fee 10 €/player (free entry for ECL ‘23 Player License holders) Skill cap - participants must not have: - Earned FGS points - Played Elite division in FIFA 23 Prizes Both the eHockey and eSoccer league will feature cash prizes for top performers. The total prize pool for both leagues is going to be 2 500€ each. This prize pool will be split as follows between the top 4 teams/players: #1 40% #2 20 % #3 10% #4 10% The exact prize pool split between the Old Gen (PS4/XB1) and New Gen (PS5/XSX) divisions will be determined based on the number of participating players in each division. With weekly matches, a friendly community of players, and a range of skill levels, there's no better way to jump into the world of esports. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for our Casual eHockey or eSoccer League today and start playing!

SportsGamers, The battles have been hard in the Lite division this season, and with the stakes being as high as they are, some massive games still remain in the last few days of the regular season. The last games will be played by the end of Wednesday, May 24th and Playoffs will kick off on Tuesday, May 30th. Group 1 Dark Wild have secured the #1 spot in this group in a tremendously close battle with Technical Disaster. Tupsukorvat and RoKi are chasing Stadin Kingit for the last available Playoff spot and it looks like one of those teams will be the odd one out. RoKi and Tupsukorvat will be playing each other in a massive matchup that could decide either teams fate. Stadin Kingit will be facing Timrå IK in their last games of the season and have surely budgeted a full 4 points from that double-header. Quite surprisingly both HC Korobka and EHC Olten eSports, who had sensational seasons in ECL '23 Winter Core have stuggled massively to translate their game to the Lite level.  Group 2 Nappula are looking like a lock for 1st place and they are strong candidates to take the #1 seed spot into the playoffs, mainly fighting against Supernatural & Mustaa Kultaa from Group 3 and Skellefteå AIK from Group 4 for that advantageous position. Below the Playoff line, Lions Academy, EHC Dinamo Riga and Ducktales BK all have theoretical possibilities of making the Playoffs with some games in hand on the teams above, but they'll need to be at their sharpest in order to make that happen. A big matchup between Lions Academy and Fiilis Hockey will most likely determine the fate of the latter team and also set the bar to make the Playoffs at a minimum of 32 points if Fiilis fail to come away with any in those bouts. Södertälje SK will make a climb towards the middle of the pack to cap off their season. Group 3 This is the only group in which the Playoff teams seem to be solidified already, only some minor movement within the top eight might occur and the most interesting fight leading down to the wire will be had between the top teams Supernatural and Mustaa Kultaa. Both of these teams have four games in hand on the top team Boost HC. Supernatural will have some sweaty games to cap off the regular season against Frölunda HC Academy and Nurnberg IceTigers Esport, whereas Mustaa Kultaa have more favorable matchups against non-Playoff teams Woodhands and Rahinage left in ther schedule. Mustaa Kultaa is also by far the highest scoring team in the division, chased only by Group 2's Ultimatum, and winger @Allupekkaz is topping the scoring charts with @vepdsssss (werppi) in pursuit as a result. Group 4 Skellefteå AIK looks like strong candidates to take home that #1 seed for the Playoffs and as stated, they are fighting for that spot with Group 2's Nappula and Group 3's Supernatural and Mustaa Kultaa.  A new promising goaltender in the form of @Jonte05_ has emerged in their crease this season as he currently leads all goalies with over 10 games played in SV% and has an impressive 6 shutouts to his name this season. He could be an interesting name for several higher level teams in the offseason if Skellefteå can't hold on to him. Close to the Playoff line we could see Chiefzz HC or Deggendorfer SC Esports drop out if they are unable to close out points in their last few games. Mora IK are in hot pursuit of that last available spot with 16 points still up for grabs.  

SportsGamers, Please note that this article was written to reflect the situation before the games played on Monday, May 22nd.  It's been a quieter week in terms of Elite broadcasts with much more other action going on over on our Twitch channel, but several very crucial games have been played over the course of the past seven days, and even more lie ahead with only a few days left to go in the regular season. Especially Tunnel Vision have been hard at work with six games in during the fourth week of the regular season. They've further solidified their position as league leaders and had scoring explosions in multiple games with 7-2 and 7-1 wins over Malmö Redhawks and Örebro Hockey. As a result, also the offensive duo Valtteri @Vattuyy Virtanen and Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen have been able to pull away a bit from hREDS' Perttu @Beniittto Kemppainen chasing them in the scoring race. This team is really setting themselves apart as one of the strongest offensive teams in ECL Elite history with two unusually high scoring seasons back-to-back. Tunnel had a massive Sunday night matchup against Frölunda HC, in which they eventually ended up splitting points. With a couple of games in hand on their main competition, this means Frölunda HC are looking in stellar position to take over the #1 seed in the regular season. It's there for their taking at this point. The first team to finish their regular season campaign was Heimo, who played their last matchup already on Monday evening against Örebro Hockey. They currently sit at 32 points and a 1.07 P/G, which is going to put them right around that #8-9 spot based on previous seasons. It's going to come down right to the wire for Heimo regardless and they'll be praying for some of their toughest competitors in JYP Jyväskylä, Nordic Stars and Mayhems are going to drop some points in the coming days.  One team we cannot help but notice is Färjestad BK. The recent Swedish Champions had a week to remember with a total of twelve games of ECL action being played and an SCL Finals series on Friday night to cap things off! This star-studded roster had been underperforming for quite some time already and had some trouble early on in the season, but with their season on the line it seems like the wolves from Karlstad have really stepped up their game big time. Going into the final rounds of the regular season, it looks like Färjestad BK will be finding their way into the Playoffs again and they could be one of those lower seeds to really keep an eye on! JYP have converted on over 50% of their 17 total powerplay opportunities throughout the season and with that are by far the most efficient team on the man advantage in the Elite division. Their experienced forwards Antti @tbnantti Kuittinen and Santeri @indi969 Pendolin have stood for most of the production, with 4 and 3 powerplay tucks to their names respectively. At the moment, the team has helped themselves to a 7th place in the division and with three matchups left against Nordic Stars, Tohtorit and ZSC Esports, they should be able to stay in the top 8.  Now, one team that unfortunately hasn't impressed us over the past week is ZSC Esports. They're currently sitting in last place in the division and have managed to collect only six points in their last ten games. Their offensive and defensive numbers look decent enough to earn them a spot at least in the vicinity of no-man's-land, but results haven't quite followed for the Swiss lions at the moment. Their game is very heavy on the left wing with both Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg and Max @Toneee9 Tonitz manning that flank and it could be that the inability to balance out their game a bit more is hurting them.  Standings - Week 4 1. Tunnel Vision - 2. hREDS +1 3. Frölunda HC -1 4. Heimo +1 5. Färjestad BK +10 6. Leksands IF -2 7. JYP Jyväskylä -1 8. Nordic Stars +1 9. Mayhems +2 10. Redhawks Esport - 11. Reality Check HC -4 12. GOONS -4 13. Roots Gaming +3 14. Örebro Hockey -2 15. Tohtorit -2 16. ZSC Esports -2

SportsGamers, After a dominant season to say the least, Färjestad BK are crowned your SCL 2023 6v6 Champions! The highly experienced roster really clicked and found a way to go nearly undefeated through their campaign, with only one overtime loss in the regular season and one loss in their Finals matchup against Örebro Hockey. Färjestad really set the tone early in the Finals and never looked back! Färjestad BK's road to the championship: #1 seed from Group 2 with the record 15-0-1 Round 1: vs Company of Geeks (16) 3-0 Quarterfinals: vs Sunne IK Esport (10) 3-0 Semifinals: vs Björklöven Esport (6) 3-0 Finals: vs Örebro Hockey (2) 3-1 The winning roster: GOALTENDERS #50 Johan @McSavid Rundqvist #87 Adam @karlsson_adam11 Karlsson DEFENSEMEN #26 Sebastian @SebbeLarsen86 Larsen (A) #27 Samuel @EDHOLMEN3 Edholm FORWARDS #19 Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund (C) #21 Adam @dzouvi Mensik #62 Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander (A) SportsGamer congratulates the new Champions and extends a warm thank you to all participants.

SportsGamers, Prepare for an exhilarating clash as two of the finest Swedish NHL Esports teams, Örebro Hockey and Färjestad BK, go head-to-head in the highly anticipated SCL 2023 6v6 Finals. This is the ultimate showdown where these top-tier teams will leave no stone unturned in their quest for Swedish glory. The stakes are high, with not only the prestigious title as Swedish Champions on the line, but also a whopping 50 000 SEK prize pool awaiting the two deserving finalists. The tension will be palpable, the excitement unrivaled, as these top tier teams battle it out on the virtual ice. The SCL 2023 6v6 Finals will be a spectacle to behold, and you won't want to miss a second of the action. The showdown will be broadcasted live on the SportsGamerGG Twitch-channel, bringing the thrilling gameplay, exhilarating goals, and jaw-dropping saves right to your screens. Your favorite Swedish caster Adam @esdor Ericson will be relaying the action to you from the caster booth.    Färjestad BK  (1) vs Örebro Hockey  (2) TOP SCORER (Playoffs) Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander 9 GP, 12+21=33 vs Anton @Henka0009 Henriksson 11 GP, 10+14=24 GOALTENDER Johan @McSavid Rundqvist 6 GP, 6 W, 85,45 SV%, 1.33 GAA, 0 SO vs Benjamin @benjamint737 Tallgren 11 GP, 9 W, 86,88 SV%, 1.91 GAA, 3 SO REGULAR SEASON RECORD 15-0-1 vs 13-1-0

Get ready to dive into the exciting world of the European Championship League (ECL) as we bring you the highly anticipated ECL Wraparound, hosted by the one and only Cody @Tougie24 Tougas! From ECL Neo to Elite, witness the fierce competition as teams battled it out for supremacy on the virtual ice. Who emerged as the dominant force in each division? Which players stood out with their exceptional skills and game-changing performances? Find out all the answers and more in the ECL Wraparound.  

SportsGamers, As the ECL '23 Spring Elite season rolls on, most teams have now surpassed the midway point and are pulling down to the main stretch of the season, and while the big three at the top have started pulling away, many teams are still fighting tooth-and-nail for those crucial points. Tunnel Vision have been able to reclaim that top spot for the first time this season, and will surely be trying to keep it that way in order to secure the best possible placement for the Playoffs. However, Frölunda HC are still the #1 team based on points per game due to the fact that Tunnel Vision has played one matchup more.  There were a few teams who didn't see that much action in the past week and dropped a few positions in the standings due to that - mainly Redhawks Esport and Mayhems, who were holding Playoff positions earlier, but have now dropped back to positions 10 and 11 respectively. Based on points per game, both teams are still in good position but both of them will still have to match up against several of the top teams in the division, which might affect their Playoff prospects a bit, barring any upsets. Speaking of upsets, we certainly saw some of those this past week, especially last night, as Färjestad BK showed some signs of slowly warming up in their matchup against fellow SHL competitors Leksands IF. Leksands, who has been one of the biggest surprises this season ended up dropping both games against the experienced Färjestad squad, who have been struggling for a long time already. On top of that Swedish battle, Mayhems and Heimo battled it out in a late night broadcast bout and the goalies made a point to not let anything past them too easily. Through two extremely low-scoring games, Mayhems ended up coming away with two wins and goalie Ville @Viltzup Poutiainen was the clear #1 star of the night.  The past week was a particularly successful one for Tunnel Vision forward Arttu @laitineen64 Laitinen, who claimed the top scorer spot for himself and put up a total of 14 points in six games played throughout the week, including one or more goals in four out of six of those games. The winger still has to increase his pace if he looks to surpass his former high of 91 points in 30 games, but with 10 games still to go in the regular season, we'll have to follow along closely to see if he can break that record or even surpass the 100-point mark.  After spending a few weeks closer to the bottom of the table, we are also pleased to see Örebro Hockey make a push for the Playoffs, or at least no-man's land. The new Elite team struggled early on, but had a very successful last week by claiming five wins out of ten games played. Note that previously this squad had only gotten one win in total. Their most experienced Elite player Jere @keranee Keränen has been invaluable for the teams success and leads the team in goals scored and total points.  Transfers It's a somewhat rare occasion to see some movement at the Elite level after the start of the season. Last week also marked the transfer deadline for this season. Here are the transfers that have come to light since last week: Filip @Faze91- Azri -  hREDS -->  Färjestad BK   Standings - Week 2 1. Tunnel Vision +1 2. Frölunda HC -1 3. hREDS - 4. Leksands IF - 5. Heimo - 6. JYP Jyväskylä +1 7. Reality Check HC +2 8. GOONS +3 9. Nordic Stars +3 10. Redhawks Esport +2 11. Mayhems -3 12. Örebro Hockey +4 13. Tohtorit +1 14. ZSC Esports -4 15. Färjestad BK - 16. Roots Gaming -3

SportsGamers, A full weekend in Tampere has yielded two new Finnish Champions, as on Friday evening we crowned Teemu @temppanen Karvonen the new 1v1 Champion and tonight on Saturday evening, NHL 19 Allstars hoisted the trophy at Keskustori to cement their 6v6 Championship. Nordic Stars put up an impressive effort in their first ever LAN Finals appearance, but the valiant effort wasn't enough at the hands of their highly experienced opponents. For Nordic Stars, the Finals appearance is a monumental step on their way towards the top, this team has been grinding away for a long time and have recently been on a great upwards trajectory. Keep improving, boys! NHL 19 Allstars really proved the depth of their roster by having all nine players lace up the skates over the course of the tournament, and quite impressively, defenseman Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta made his first appearance of the tournament in the finals - without missing a stride, of course. NHL 19 Allstars' road to the championship: #4 seed from with the record 20-0-0 Round 1: bye Round 2: vs Arkham Asylum (30) 3-0 Round 3: vs POGGERSNHL (16) 3-1 Quarterfinals: vs Nemesis (8) 3-0 Semifinals: vs Tunnel Vision (6) 4-2 Finals: vs Nordic Stars (2) 3-0 The winning roster: GOALTENDERS #72 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren #88 Hannes @Hansulinho Kettunen DEFENSEMEN #7 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta #78 Kristian-Mikael @Nassustelija Katajisto #91 Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha (A) FORWARDS #6 Ilmari @Buantso Lehkonen #10 Mika @mikaasi Heikkilä #25 Erik @Eki Tammenpää (A) #86 Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (C)   SportsGamer congratulates the new Champions and extends a warm thank you to all participants. 

SportsGamers, After a long season consisting of an initial group stage, two initial Playoff rounds, a top 16 group stage and finally some incredibly tight Playoffs from the Quarterfinals onwards, we have crowned a new Champion. The weather has been great for us in Tampere and both the staff and players have enjoyed the facilities here at Keskustori. In cooperation with The Finnish Ice Hockey Association, we've been able to put on a great show, and at the end of the first day, Teemu @temppanen Karvonen hoisted the trophy as the new Finnish Champion! Temppanen's road to the Championship: Group stage: 5-0-1 (#5 seed into the Playoffs) Round 1: vs @Black1Eagle1 3-0 Round 2: vs @ITemeI 3-0 Top 16 Group stage: 3-2-1 (#8 seed into the Playoffs) Quarterfinals: vs @NikkeDangles 3-2 Semifinals: vs @sisu33_ 2-0 Finals: vs @J-_-Jamaltheman 2-1 SportsGamer congratulates the new Champion and extends a warm thank you to all participants! 

Are you ready for an electrifying showdown? The eHockey Finnish Championship 2023 Finals are finally here and you won't want to miss a second of the action! Taking place right alongside the IIHF World Championships in Tampere on Friday, May 12th, and Saturday, May 13th, this is the ultimate experience for any NHL esports fan. We'll be waiting for you at Keskustori in Tampere all weekend long! Join us as the top players in Finland battle it out in the virtual rink for the chance to be crowned eHSM 2023 Champions. With high-stakes gameplay, incredible skill, and nail-biting moments, this is NHL esports at its best. Whether you've been with us for years or are new to the scene, the eHockey Finnish Championship Finals promise to be an unforgettable event. Schedule Friday, May 12th eHockey SM 1v1 TOP 4 Finals - Start time 11:45 CEST #5 Sisu @sisu33_ Nurminen vs #8 Teemu @temppanen Karvonen #6 Jimi @J-_-Jamaltheman Rönkkönen vs #7 Jesse @JesseL2002 Linden Saturday, May 13th eHockey SM 6v6 Finals & Bronze series - Start time 12:00 CEST #2 Nordic Stars vs #4 NHL 19 Allstars Get ready to cheer on your favorite players and teams as they compete for the ultimate prize, and witness some of the most thrilling and intense moments in the sport. With a stunning venue and a crowd ready for a true hockey festival, this is the perfect way to spend your weekend in Tampere. In the unfortunate event of you not being able to join us live at the scene, do not worry - both days will be broadcasted live at Twitch.tv/SportsGamerGG!

SportsGamer introduces casual skill-capped NHL 23 and FIFA 23 leagues to run throughout the summer at an easy pace. Join the fun and get a taste of competitive gaming in a supportive environment. Please note: We've heard the feedback from the community regarding the timing for the Casual Leagues and thus we have extended the period for sign-ups and the new start date for the Casual Leagues is August 20th! Are you new to esports and looking for a fun way to get started? This summer, SportsGamer will be hosting Casual eHockey (NHL23) and eSoccer (FIFA 23) leagues, running from the end of May to the start of July! SportsGamer Casual League is a new concept, looking to gather like-minded people to have fun together in a casual gaming setting, all while winning cool prizes along the way. Action for the Casual Leagues will be kicking off on Sunday, August 20th and while both the eHockey and eSoccer leagues will be running simultaneously, the emphasis is on having fun at a relaxed pace. With that being said, anyone should be able to participate in both leagues schedule-wise. These leagues are skill capped in order to allow for casual players to enter and have an enjoyable gaming experience. This is a great place to start your competitive gaming career in a supportive environment, so now is the time to sign up for either the Casual eHockey League, Casual eSoccer League, or perhaps both! Find more info about the Casual eHockey League over at SportsGamer.gg/CeHL Find more info about the Casual eSoccer League over at SportsGamer.gg/CeSL Details Casual eHockey League - NHL 23: Played in two divisions: New Gen: PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X/S Old Gen: PlayStation 4 & Xbox One World of Chel 3v3 (Teams of 2-4 players) Entry fee 10€/player (free entry for ECL ‘23 Player License holders) Casual eSoccer League - FIFA 23: Played in two divisions: New Gen: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Old Gen: PlayStation 4, Xbox One FUT (1v1) Entry fee 10 €/player (free entry for ECL ‘23 Player License holders) Prizes Both the eHockey and eSoccer league will feature cash prizes for top performers. The total prize pool for both leagues is going to be 2 500€ each. This prize pool will be split as follows between the top 4 teams/players: #1 40% #2 20 % #3 10% #4 10% The exact prize pool split between the Old Gen (PS4/XB1) and New Gen (PS5/XSX) divisions will be determined based on the number of participating players in each division. With weekly matches, a friendly community of players, and a range of skill levels, there's no better way to jump into the world of esports. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for our Casual eHockey or eSoccer League today and start playing!

SportsGamers, One more week of ECL '23 Spring Elite action is in the books and while the first week of play proved to be a true wake-up call for some, others really managed to come out of the games sprinting. In our first weekly recap, we made a call to action for a few teams, who we really believed could and should do better, so let's take a quick look at how things have progressed throughout the European Top 16.  As teams are closing in on the halfway point of the season, the standings are starting to shape up and we're seeing which way the campaigns are trending for most squads. No surprises in the fact that the big three - Frölunda HC, Tunnel Vision and hREDS are topping the tables, but Leksands IF in fourth place at this point of the season is nothing we expected early on. Personally, I predicted the rookie Elite squad to struggle in the European Top 16, especially due to the fact that they tend to be more known for their offensive power than their tough defense. The best of the best usually succeed at shutting down the game of such teams at a pretty good rate, but it seems like Leksands IF have defied the odds and kept their production going against higher level opponents. As a result, left winger Robert @Robban kaudern Kaudern (I-Kaudo-I) is leading the league in both goals and points, with two games less than Erik @Eki Tammenpää, who is chasing him in second place.  Another team that might have gotten pushed down a bit in previews and predictions around the community is Redhawks Esport, and it's an undeniable fact that the core, consisting of Hampus @l-Furyan-l Duvefelt, Connor @MartindalexC Martindale and André @Foppatofflan Liljegren aren't quite in the form of their glory days anymore. However, the experience and mental grit that team possesses is miles above several other teams in the division, not to say that their skill level still isn't there too! The Redhawks have managed to start their season quite well, coming away with points out of most of their matchups and even leaving JYP Jyväskylä without anything to write home about in their clashes last week.  Mayhems is one of those teams that was written off quite quickly in all predictions and previews, and to be fair, they still are despite their .500 record throughout the first few weeks. No one expects these rookies to make a real dent in this division and keeping their spot would be a win in itself for them, but they are certainly demanding some extent of respect with their efforts already. The season has been somewhat of a rollercoaster for this team thus far, but they've been able to come away with points in important matchups and even left Reality Check without any in their head-to-head. Mayhems are hoping to be able to piggyback off of Teemu @temppanen Karvonen's success on the 1v1 side to launch them into winning ways. In order to do that, though, they'll need to find more scoring power or tighten up in their own zone.  Finally, we have to talk about a team we already had a look at last week and it's Nordic Stars. What is going on with them at the moment? The Stars had an incredibly tough first week, where they played against all of the big favorites and only came away with one win, but since then, they haven't been able to turn the ship around in the way we expected. Their preseason looked very promising, but could it be that their unsuccessful first week has shattered their confidence? Nordic Stars have only managed to come away with full point in one matchup against Mayhems, but lost again last night against Leksands IF. This team has the skill and talent to turn things around, but will they have the mental strength to do so? Transfers It's a somewhat rare occasion to see some movement at the Elite level after the start of the season, but some transfers have come to knowledge in the past week or so, we'll also be recapping possible movement in these reports. Here are the transfers that have come to light since last week: Oskar @OsquuG Hautala -  Otukset (ECL Pro) -->  Reality Check   Standings - Week 2 1. Frölunda HC +3 2. Tunnel Vision +6 3. hREDS -1 4. Leksands IF -1 5. Heimo -4 6. Redhawks Esport -1 7. JYP Jyväskylä - 8. Mayhems +1 9. Reality Check HC -3 10. ZSC Esports +2 11. GOONS +3 12. Nordic Stars -2 13. Roots Gaming +2 14. Tohtorit -1 15. Färjestad BK +1 16. Örebro Hockey -5

SportsGamers, Last night we finished the SCL 2023 1v1 season and after a Finals series that ended in a sweep, we are able to crown Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund the SCL Champion for the fifth consecutive time! The Champion hailing from Swedish hockey town Örnsköldsvik has dominated the Swedish eHockey scene for years and at the moment, he seems unstoppable. Congratulations to Eken on behalf of the entire community! Eken's road to the Championship: Invite as #1 seed to the Playoffs Round 1: bye Round 2: vs @Sebastian Axelsson (Axelzonee) 3-1 Quarterfinals: vs @esdor 3-0 Semifinals: vs @korvenmikaelsson 3-0 Finals: vs @Ted Kempe (Smayk99) 3-0   How does it feel to have claimed your fifth SCL Championship? It's always fun to be the best, and I enjoy being able to call myself the Swedish Champion once again.  How would you describe this Final series? I was impressed by his game, to be fair! His playstyle was definitely different from what you're used to seeing. He didn't play behind the net to generate chances, but had a quick passing game going and used overload a ton I believe. A lot of respect goes out to Ted @Ted Kempe Kempe (Smayk99). About my own game, I think it was okay, but unusually fluctuant. The highs were very high, though, so I have to be satisfied with that.  You had a few hiccups along the way, how do you tackle those? It's not my first rodeo, so I guess I've learned to handle those situations better. I picked a team with fast forwards and big defensemen, so I really dug deep and focused on the counter attack.  What is it that makes you so good consistently? It's not rocket science, to be honest. I keep on grinding, playing the best players around in all tournaments and leagues. I spend time trying to learn from my games and analyzing the goals against in order to avoid them in the future. Also looking at streams of top players have taught me a lot. 

SportsGamers, It's going to be an action packed weekend and lots of games are going to unfold also in the SCL 1v1 and 6v6 leagues. We're already deep into the Playoffs and several of the world's best teams and players remain in the mix. Let's take a closer look at how we are doing and what we can expect in the next few days.  SCL 1v1 Quarterfinals: 5.-6.5. TOP4: 7.5.* *Semifinals and Bronze series played in the morning, Finals on broadcast starting 17:30 CEST. The 1v1 portion of the SCL is just about to start the Quarterfinals stage, and with Finals scheduled for Sunday, May 7th, the schedule is tight. There's lots of action to unfold in the next few days and some interesting talent still in the mix. Reigning Champion Henrik @Eken45jr Eklund is chugging along as the #1 seed, and he will be challenged by the likes of Ted @Ted Kempe Kempe (Smayk99) and Max @LaxenHD Söderström, while Anton @antoniomannen004 Svensander, another favorite, is still waiting to qualify.    SCL 6v6 Quarterfinals: 4.-7.5. Semifinals:11. & 14.5. 20:00 CEST Bronze & Finals: 17.5. 20:00 CEST We're at the Quarterfinals stage on the 6v6 side and Örebro Hockey is the only team to advance from there at the moment, as they managed to beat Brynäs IF in a convincing 3-1 series in the SportsGamer broadcast on Thursday evening. Some interesting matchups are about to unfold this weekend, with Redhawks Esport going up against Björklöven Esport and Djurgarden Hockey facing Leksands IF. Redhawks and Björklöven faced each other already in the regular season and at that time, the Redhawks managed to claim both wins. Djurgården are in for a tough challenge, as the past week has been turbulent for the team. They have a deep roster, but it'll be tough to adapt in time for a series against the lethal Leksands IF squad.