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Hi there NHLGamers! You might have spotted some social media posts some weeks back about founder @Kenu being interviewed for a broadcast on Aito Hitti – A Finnish radio station, part of a network that according to their website has around 800 000 frequent listeners. Unfortunately, the interview was done only in Finnish and we felt that we shouldn’t exclude our international audience from learning what our founder had to say. Therefore, in this article I’ll briefly be recapping some of the main points discussed in the almost 20 minute segment about NHLGamer. The interview focused on some basic things about NHLGamer, such as the conception of the community and the idea behind it and the ECL. Besides that, also some of the hottest topics in the community were discussed - such as money tournaments in the scene and the evolution of these. Some of our community members have been with NHLGamer all the way since late 2015 when the site was released to the public. However, the idea was conceived already in 2009, when EA Sports discontinued their NHL-series for PC. Kenu had been creating popular mods (SM-liiga Pack, later FHR) for the PC version of the NHL-series for around 10 years together with a small group of people. When the possibility to create such mods was suddenly missing, there was a need to start doing something else. After creating the Finnish Cup's and taking a brief stint at the EHL-series at ConsoleHockey, Kenu and @Lurkins decided to combine forces in creating what we now know as NHLGamer.com. This domain wasn't always theirs, though - a guy called Petri Wathén, PW, had a platform for organising NHL tournaments at the start of the century, but as his interest faded, some of the remaining staff decided to acquire the domain. In recent years, NHL gaming has come a long way and as mentioned above, one of the topics discussed was the introduction of money tournaments into the NHL gaming scene. A good example of this is the NHL Gaming World Championship, which was introduced this spring. The qualifiers for this tournament are currently in progress, with community members @Hansulinho and @FlyerKungen already advancing to the regional qualifiers in Stockholm, Sweden. (After the interview took place, also @Erkki, @plee999, @Kane and @Nieppii have secured their spots in Stockholm. That's 6/6 for our community. Keep it up!) Currently, the EASHL community hasn't seen major money tournaments, but rest assured - they will be coming right here on NHLGamer. For those of you that are able to understand the interview without a translation, you'll find the interview above. The current ECL season was also discussed. Kenu mentions the increase in teams within the last few seasons and the fact that games are tighter than ever. All of the divisions hold very talented teams and the divisions framework introduced in ECL 4 has worked very well in assigning teams to appropriate skill levels - creating tighter matchups and more interesting and exciting seasons. It's been great to see the growth of our community with new members joining every day. It's also been great to witness how people are coming together and building lasting friendships. A beautiful sense of belonging was present at the recent IS Cup (November 2017), where we saw some tough competition but also how close our community members actually are. An interesting question briefly discussed was wether the Finnish Liiga has shown any interest in NHLGamer. At this stage there have been no talks, says Kenu, but it's absolutely not out of the question. Professional ice hockey teams such as Ässät, HIFK and Pelicans - to name a few - are active in the gaming scene. No teams are currently represented in virtual ice hockey, but as money is starting to be discussed in the scene, interest might spark. The consensus at the end of the interview was that the future for NHLGamer and virtual ice hockey is bright. As sponsors and organisations are getting the smell of money, it will create more interest. It's now up to us to show what we as a community can do in order to make this bright future happen.

ECL All Stars The first ever ECL All Star week has come and gone, leaving us with a single winner but multiple fond memories. The week began with a draft, broadcasted live at NHLGamerTwitch, as the eight captains came together to select their teams. Every team was to be comprised of one goaltender, one defender and two forwards. At the same time, all of the 16 teams from ECL Elite were to be represented by at least one player. In the end, both the draft and the live broadcast proceeded smoothly and set the tone for future events to come. Once the drafting was complete, many viewers made sure to single out and praise @cHIIMEERa, @FlyerKungen and @vatalisti for putting together strong teams. The eight teams were randomly seeded into two groups of four. The group stage was played over a stretch of two days (Wednesday, Thursday) with each group taking center stage for one day each. You can watch the recorded streams by following the below links: Wednesday stream, Group 1: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/245812315 Thursday stream, Group 2: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/245813540 Here are the results of that group stage: GROUP 1 1. Team ICappeI - 3 GP, 6 P (3-0-0) 2. Team cHIIMEERa - 3 GP, 5 P (2-0-1) --------------- 3. Team TehhAhola - 3 GP, 2 P (1-2-0) 4. Team SepiDN - 3 GP, 0 P (0-3-0) GROUP 2 1. Team vatalisti - 3 GP, 4 P (2-1-0) 2. Team FlyerKungen - 3 GP, 4 P (2-1-0) --------------- 3. Team norpee - 3 GP, 4 P (2-1-0) 4. Team MartindalexC - 3 GP, 0 P (0-3-0) With the first stage of competition complete, it was time for the playoffs. Four teams had qualified; Teams @ICappeI, cHIIMEERa, vatalisti and FlyerKungen. Team @Norpee was also tied in points with Team vatalisti and team FlyerKungen in Group 2, but after the tie-breakers, the goal difference ended up being the deciding factor and putting the other two in front. During the qroup stage, Group 1 seemingly focused more on defense (perhaps not truly in the all star groove yet?) as the second group outmatched the first in terms of goals scored by quite a wide margin. Would it be defense versus offense in the playoffs? To the delight of every viewer who tuned in for the playoffs - it would turn out to be a full-out offensive war. You can watch the recorded stream with both of the Semifinasl and the Final here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/245814928. SEMIFINAL 1 Team ICappe vs. Team FlyerKungen 4-3 This game started out as the @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) show, with the highly skilled winger scoring two dazzling goals in the first period. Captain Cappe managed to wake his team up in the second period as defenseman @The_Alpha_Furyan scored two goals to tie the game at 2 before the third period. "Apes" completed his hat trick in the third period and seemed poised to lead Team FlyerKungen to a 3-2 victory... until @tbnantti stepped in with just three minutes remaining. First, he tied the game up and then - with just 55 seconds left on the clock - he scored the game-winning 4-3-goal. What a finish! SEMIFINAL 2 Team cHIIMEERa vs. Team vatalisti 6-7 If you thought the first semifinal was intense, boy you were in for a treat with this one. Before the game started, both teams were forced into some lineup changes. Due to the unavailability of @jtorro1233 and @Nampa77, @taemtaem and @SadaPoika stepped in as defender and forward for the respective teams. The game featured vatalistis team putting on a show with the captain himself scoring four (!) goals while new recruit Sada supplied a hat trick and playmaker @anrh17 dishing out 6 assists. Team vata held a 7-2 lead with just 8 minutes remaining and things seemed hopeless for cHIIMEERa and his team. Then, the veteran captain got his team moving. With four unanswered goals in the last few minutes, all of a sudden we were back to watching a one-goal game. Despite this, Team vata managed to hang on and secure a 7-6 win. Phew. Surely the finals couldnt top this? ALL STAR FINALS Team ICappeI vs. Team vatalisti 5-6 (OT) You had to know that the ONLY overtime game in the entire All Star-event was to take place in the finals, right? It was just too good to be true. Team vatalisti once again got out to a comforting lead by going up 4-1 - paced by two goals and two assists from the captain himself - before Team ICappeI even knew what hit them. Even though @Lamsa scored a nice goal to get the game to 4-2, things seemed hopeless with just a single minute remaining of the game. Thats when Team ICappeI scored twice to knot the game at 4. Incredibly enough, with a mere ten seconds remaining they scored again. 5-4 Cappe with 19.50 on the clock! Surely this was it? Nope. Team vatalisti won the faceoff, came down on one final rush and tied the game at 5 with SadaPoika dishing an incredible pass to anrh17 who scored. At this point, @Kenu and @Panarinz were going nuts in the broadcasting booth. In the overtime, Team vatalisti was the stronger team and took home the first ever ECL All Star-win through a goal by captain vatalisti. Congratulations to Team Vatalisti for taking home the first ever ECL Elite All-Star Week win! Thanks to all participants and viewers for a great event that is sure to come back again in the future. Below you will find the full stats and logos for each team: Team cHIIMEERA G, Supreex, 4GP 2W 71,1SV% 2,75GAA D, jtorro1234, 3GP 4+3=7 D, taemtaem, 1GP 3+2=5 F, indi969, 4GP 5+6=11 F, cHIIMEERa, 4GP 2+8=10 Team TehhAhola G, Zande95, 3GP 1W 69,56SV% 2,33GAA D, OxtreeLAT, 3GP 0+2=2 F, Foppatofflan, 3GP 2+1=3 F, TehhAhola, 3GP 3+1=4 Team SepiDN G, SepiDN, 3GP 0W 70,96SV% 3,00GAA D, Isumpppi90l, 3GP 1+1=2 F, Puantso, 3GP 1+1=2 F, koojiikoojii, 3GP 0+1=1 Team ICappeI G, ICappeI, 5GP 4W 70SV% 2,4GAA D, The_alpha_furyan, 5GP 6+6=12 F, tbnantti, 5GP 6+8=14 F, Lamsa, 5GP 5+7=12 Team MartindalexC G, Hullued, 3GP 0W 38,09SV% 4,33GAA D, MartindalexC, 3GP 0+2=2 F, Kungenkurwa, 3GP 2+2=4 F, Penatski, 3GP 4+2=6 Team Norpee G, poliskontroll, 3GP 2W 53,33SV% 4,66GAA D, JParola, 3GP 0+8=8 F, SadaPoika, 5GP 12+11=23 F, Norpee, 3GP 5+3=8 Team FlyerKungen G, Ranta83, 4GP 2W 51,43SV% 4,25GAA D, Ilmari30, 4GP 4+6=10 F, KingOfApes_, 4GP 10+4=14 F, FlyerKungen, 4GP 4+7=11 Team Vatalisti G, Danielcadabra, 5GP 5W 48,98SV% 5GAA D, Vatalisti, 5GP 12+13=25 F, Anrh17, 5GP 7+20=27 F, Nampa77, 3GP 9+6=15

NHLGamers, The playoffs have arrived also for our Pro division. We've got the best 16 teams remaining to fight it out for the Pro title and promotion spots for ECL Elite. This spring we have some very interesting matchups set up for us and we're excited to be able to preview them for you guys. Let's get going with the matchups: Monarchs (1A) - Raging Monkeys (8B) The Monarchs were a team many around the community knew about even before the start of the season due to Captain and goaltender @chavelski's brutally honest forum series "Life of a General Manager". Toes were stepped on, certain amounts of drama was created - but the unit of players that ended up representing the Monarchs was a strong one. Going into the playoffs, the lineup will be led by veteran Swedish center @pajenc, known for his terrific puck control and excellent vision. Flanking him to the left he'll have @Tacterz, and to the right @Zalaz, one known for his excellent dangling skill and the other for his smart two-way play. On defense they'll ice point-producing machine @Philip Strom with smart defensive defender Bortalaget covering up in home field. In net Chavelski has yet to be defeated this season, going 18-0-0 during the regular season. That will be put to test versus the Raging Monkeys where Swedish captain @Buffy has assembled quite the foreign legion. @DangledYouOut and Akin71 from Germany and @Birkedal96 rumoured to be from Denmark. Furthermore, word around the community says Group 2 was the tougher overall group, which could have left the Monkeys battle-hardened and ready for a challenge. Raging Monkeys excel by playing an up-tempo, fast attacking style when they have the puck while remaining patient without it. It will likely come down to a battle of captains here as BuffyTBH was Monkeys' leadings scorer while chavelski's undefeated tenure in net is certainly impressive. Prediction: Monarchs win 4-3. FILADELPHIA (1B) - Quality (8A) We knew going into the season that FILA was a heavy favorite contender. They surely lived up to the hype by surfacing as the number one seed into the playoffs with an astonishing 27-1-2 regular season record. They were by far the highest scoring team in the Pro division, outscoring the second best team in this category by 29 goals in total. Defensively we know these guys can hang with the best in the game. It should be all about motivation and focus for FILADELPHIA in this series. Will they keep powering on in the playoffs or can the underdog Quality put them back in their place? Quality was the lowest seed into the playoffs, a team that underwent several roster changes before the deadline and almost the whole starting lineup was changed at some point. However, the team managed to find their game a bit closer to the end of the regular season. The addition of @KattenJansson97 seemed to boost their offensive production, but the defensive play is still a concern. Can they match the dominant FILA offensive trio of @mikaasi-@Erkki-@Joonas Paatiala who put up a combined point total of 239 points in the regular season? Prediction: FILADELPHIA win 4-1. Almost Famous (2A) - Monte Carlo (7B) Almost Famous was the runner-up last season in Lite and they also came 2nd in group 1 this season in Pro. They are used to finishing in 2nd place and will want to show that they can reach for that gold this playoff. With last Lite season’s best point and assist producer and also ECL 6 Pro’s best faceoff taker, @Ikavalko, and their mentor/coach in the own zone @Aze, they know how to play strong in both ends of the ice. Monte Carlo has been a team flying under the radar this season with a mid-table finish, playing even matches throughout the season. But if you look at their team you see that it is full of former top players, see @Lage, Octobussy (@Masapunda) and @J0HTAJA for example. With ECL Leader @Kenu by their side, anything can happen. The series has already begun and Monte Carlo have a 2-1 lead so far. Although I see Almost Famous turn it around, being a consolidated group of guys and knowing each other’s playstyle in and out may be the difference in this series. Prediction: Almost Famous win 4-3. Alliance HT (2B) - Deadly Phantoms HC (7A) In this series we'll have the clash at the Iron Curtain with a really strong Alliance HT against the Deadly Phantoms HC, who performed well in their inaugural season in Pro. Alliance finished their season with 7-3-0 in their last 10 games as they started to click and find their game. They scored 20 goals in their last four games of the regular season, led by @Awptim as their top scorer. @JaikenK was solid in both ends of the ice, proving to be a tremendous off-season signing and an important addition to the team. The German team Deadly Phantoms HC will certainly have their work cut out for them, but an upset is not completely out of the question in this one. The Phantoms are a solid defensive team who will go for the simple solutions offensively, but tend to be very effective despite that. The most dangerous element in this team is the fact that they can ice five scoring players in any game. There isn't one obvious scorer and one obvious playmaker so it'll keep the Alliance defense on their toes. Prediction: Alliance HT win 4-2. SIKA (3B) – Arctic (6A) Oh boy - two veteran teams here going at it. Or, let me re-phrase that: two groups of veteran players going at it. While SIKA is a storied franchise in the halls of NHLGamer, Arctic is a fresh team but it does consist of veteran players like captaincy trio @selänne8, @TackleControl and @MAYZIIX. Expect SIKA to carry the play and defend well through well balanced defensive pairing @vSilenttio and @MCH_98. While vSilenttio is the more offensively gifted of the two, both bring strong two-way sensibilites to the game and can help you win regardless of opponent. The attack will be led by SIKA stalwart @imosi and new aquisition @yrjoo, likely flanked by @Naikou88. On Arctics side, a lot comes down to captain BiggestEight - the primary offensive threat on Arctic. This "Hidden Gem" is a goal-scoring machine but will be relied upon to make plays and defend as well, if Arctic is to come out alive from this one. Mayziix and YouShallNotPass (@swe best sniper) form a strong D block and TackleControl is the primary dishmaster for "the Cold Ones". Look for this one to go 7. Prediction: SIKA Win 4-3. Shameful Knights (3A) - Red Machine (6B) The Knights had a decent regular season. They didn't quite perform as well as some might have expected, but certainly did enough to get the job done. Their roster performed evenly and the scoring worked well in every way. The problem I can see Shameful running into is not being able to provide the "wow"-factor. The lineup hasn't changed much and their game hasn't quite evolved to the level it probably should have. As their playoff series start they will surely hope to prove this preview wrong and put on a show for us viewers. On the other side of the ice we'll see a team in their second ECL season after a Lite title run in ECL 5. Red Machine acquired their top scorer @RutonMosse just before the start of the season and although there have been rumours about an upper body injury, the youngster has kept producing. As long as his linemates can continue feeding him the puck we might see an upset provided my RED. Prediction: Red Machine win 3-4. White Trash (4A) - Clowns On Ice (5B) White Trash have a lot of ECL experience, as they have played 4 ECL seasons. Watch out for Kaneyh (@Kane), White Trash top scorer with 34 goals and a 53.1 shooting percentage during the regular season. Clowns On Ice have former ECL experience too, playing in 3 seasons and also having just started GCL Season 2. Clowns On Ice had the worst PP% of all teams that made it to the playoff, but their forward @Tim_FlyersFan was 2nd in goals, 3rd in points and 1st in shots taken during the regular season in Pro. Both teams are fairly comfortable in high scoring games and you will probably see that in this series as well. Prediction: White Trash win 4-2. Synergy Hockey (4B) - Baltic Sea Eagles (5A) Two games have already been played and the series is tied 1-1. Synergy finished the season in a very strong manner, with six wins and grabbing points in nine consecutive games. Synergy is a very experienced team that has played all six ECL seasons, two of them in Elite. After being relegated last season they would look to get promoted back up again. Baltic Sea Eagles have been consistent throughout this season and have a very stable and reliable defense. They also have players at the top of the hits leaderboard. When you face them you need to stay focused throughout the whole game, cause if you don't, you will get mangled in the boards. These games will probably be very defensive and don't be surprised if a couple of the games goes to OT. This prediction is highly relying on Synergy's form at the moment. Prediction: Synergy win 4-2. There's a lot of playoff hockey to be played and anything can happen. The beauty in this time of year is that any game can go any way and in a tightly contested series we can expect to see some exciting turns of events. Be sure to check the NHLGamer front page for streams to tune in to! Thanks to @Panarinz and @The_Alpha_Furyan for creating this preview in co-operation with Yours Truly.

Hi there NHLGamers, The playoff spring is starting to heat up as the sun shines brighter and we close in on the really important games of the season. For some, the season ends and a break from hockey ensues, but there is still a lot of action to keep your eyes peeled for. Our Lite division is going on to it's second round of playoff action. This means that the best 16 teams in this division remain to compete for the title and promotion to the Pro division come ECL 7. Let's have a look at the upcoming matchups: (1) Bare Knuckles Hockey vs MotherPuckers (19) Much like their last series, Bare Knuckles Hockey has all the pressure in this one. Once again, we will witness a David vs. Goliath-matchup. Although MotherPuckers have some experienced players in their lineup, their game hasn't really translated to the scoresheet this season. The outcome of this series will very much depend on the performance of Bare Knuckles top scorer Teroe94 (@Tero Paikkari). If the MotherPuckers up the level of their team defense, this series could definitely be up for grabs for them. Prediction: 4:3 Bare Knuckles Hockey (2) Cowabunga Hockey vs Bucketeers (17) Cowabunga Hockey is one of my personal favourites as a title contender. A high-scoring offense (84 goals in the regular season) complemented with excellent team defense and a strong goaltender in @Jonitski makes them one of the best teams in the Lite division. In the second round, they will be facing Bucketeers, who rely heavily on a good neutral zone trap and simple decisions in the offensive end. Bucketeers isn't a team that will present the most beautiful hockey, but it surely is effective in winning the games. Prediction: 4:1 Cowabunga Hockey (3) SGWEER United vs Sektion K (15) SGWEER United picked up right where they left after the regular season. Being the highest scoring team in the regular season, they scored 33 goals in 5 games during their first-round matchup against Kaksikymmentaseitseman. @Gregson91 and riNBF3 (@rene hackberger) are responsible for most of their production, so it will be crucial for Sektion K to shut down this dynamic duo. Sektion K will be relying on @Tauri in net to be a brick wall and @Edhoolm97 to produce for them in the offensive zone. Prediction: 4:2 SGWEER United (4) Hippo Rangers vs Pohjoista Voimaa (13) Both teams swept their first round opponents. In other similarities, both teams finished their regular season in 2nd place in their respective groups. Both teams also have very strong goaltenders in @Perkkari for Hippo and @meiha for Pohjoista Voimaa. This will be a tough series - expect low scoring games. Prediction: 4:3 Hippo Rangers (5) Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat vs Freddie Mercury Insitute (12) I'm expecting a tough clash in this series. Both teams are solid defensively, backed by good goaltenders in @hulkamaania and @TheSpeedo, who will be having their own battle of the goalies. The other significant battle in this series will be between the more experienced members of each team. @Samzoni on Hinkkaajat's end will need to elevate his game to match Kickingapollo (@kApollo) in what I see as the other pair of players that will make an impact on this series. Prediction: 4:3 Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat (6) Suomen Sonnit vs Style (11) Personally, I saw Suomen Sonnit as one of the strongest contenders before the season. Inconsistency in the regular season might have lead to a surprisingly low seed for the playoffs, but I'm expecting this team to pick it up a bit the further we go into the important games. On the other side we have Style - a team in their first ECL season after dominating the Swedish OEHL. I'm expecting to see a tightly contested series as both teams know how to put the puck in the net and defend in their own end. Prediction: 4:3 Suomen Sonnit (7) GHETTO FIREBIRDS vs Korpens Finest (10) In this series we have GHETTO FIREBIRDS who are looking to redeem themselves after a tough last season in Pro. The regular season didn't go as well as they maybe would've hoped, but the birds still easily made the playoffs and managed to overcome their first-round opponent 4-1. This series isn't going to be as easy, as Korpens Finest is hoping to put up a good fight. Although seeding 10th into the playoffs, we must not forget that Korpens topped their regular season group. Prediction: 3:4 Korpens Finest (8) EV Duisburg vs Etelan Vetelat (9) Duisburg is one of the most experienced Lite teams. Having been close to promotion for a few seasons, this might be the time to shine for them. We know they won't be stumbling on goaltending with @FoxGoalie standing tall in net. Can they produce enough to move on to the next round? We're expecting to see great things, especially from @ShawnMcNeil and @GreatOne139 up front. The Germans will be facing an inexperienced Etelan Vetelat, led by @jouni29 on offense. Etelan will hope to cause an upset, but it is hard to see as they were struggling a bit in the first round against 5th Line Heroes. Prediction: 4:0 EV Duisburg We're expecting tight matchups and an exciting time. Be sure to post your streams on the frontpage so we'll be able to follow along! The second round is going to be played from 23rd March until 29th March 2018 (next Thursday). No extra time will be given! Special thanks to @Panarinz for assisting in the creation of this preview.

The All-Star Week Gameday 1-stream is live NOW at our Twitch-channel! Stream is hosted by @Kenu and @nylanderi. The schedule of tonight will be as follows: Team ICappeI 20:30 CET Team SepiDN Team TehhAhola 20:45 CET Team cHIIMEERa Team cHIIMEERa 21:00 CET Team SepiDN Team TehhAhola 21:15 CET Team ICappeI Team ICappeI 21:30 CET Team cHIIMEERa Team SepiDN 21:45 CET Team TehhAhola We expect to see you in the stream!

Hey there NHLGamers, Last night we saw the kick-off of the first ever ECL Elite All-Star Week with the draft stream. Eight captains drafted players in three rounds which in the end determined our ECL All-Star teams. The first draft round was an expansion round, as captains were limited to drafting players from the 8 teams not yet represented in the All-Star Week. The stream topped off at around 110 viewers and on behalf of the staff I'd like to thank you all for showing up. This All-Star Week is a completely new concept that we've been putting a lot of work into, so it's going to be really interesting to see how the games turn out and what kind of feedback we'll receive. It'll certainly be a nice bonding experience for all of the players participating, as they will be put into completely different scenarios with new teammates. Personally, I'm expecting lots of breakaways and different kinds of skill-moves on the ice. We certainly will have some magicians out there so we'll see what the guys will come up with. If you aren't familiar with the concept, or you'd like to refresh your memory with more info on the All-Star Week, have a look at this article. The point of this post, however is to preview and showcase the teams that were drafted yesterday, so without further ado, below you'll find the draft events, a listing of the randomly generated groups and a few words about every team - let's get to it: 1st Round #1 Supreex, Team cHIIMEERA #2 Danielcadabra, Team Vatalisti #3 Ranta83, Team FlyerKungen #4 serg1vratar, Team Norpee #5 The_Alpha_Furyan, Team ICappeI #6 Isumpppi90l, Team SepiDN #7 OxtreeLAT, Team TehhAhola #8 Kungenkurwa, Team MartindalexC 2nd Round #9 Penatski, Team MartindalexC #10 Foppatofflan, Team TehhAhola #11 Puantso, Team SepiDN #12 tbnantti, Team ICappeI #13 SadaPoika, Team Norpee #14 KingOfApes_, Team FlyerKungen #15 Nampa77, Team Vatalisti #16 jtorro1234, Team cHIIMEERA 3rd Round #17 indi969, Team cHIIMEERA #18 Anrh17, Team Vatalisti #19 Ilmari30, Team FlyerKungen #20 JParola, Team Norpee #21 Lamsa, Team ICappeI #22 koojiikoojii, Team SepiDN #23 Zande95, Team TehhAhola #24 Hullued, Team MartindalexC GROUP 1 - Broadcasted on Wed 21st from 20:30 CET Team cHIIMEERA I believe there really was some thought put into the drafting of this team. First round pick @Supreex makes for a brick-wall in net and @jtorro1233together with @indi969 are ECL 5 champions from Aapon Taikasauva. Joined by captain @cHIIMEERa on the ice this team will certainly be interesting to watch. Team TehhAhola We'll be seeing a group of highly skilled guys going at it with @Zande95 in net, @OxtreeLAT on D and @Tehh joined by @Foppatofflan up front. The question here is whether the forwards will click, as the duo represent rather different playstyles in their respective clubs. If they find a way to connect, they will surely be producing some highlights for us. Team SepiDN Sepi has drafted a team that will certainly be solid on the defensive end, having @sumppi90 and @koojiikoojii in their roster. I think the big question is how their playing style will translate into the 3v3. @SepiDN in net will definitely be making gamesavers and @Buantso will be keeping the puck on a string, that's for sure. Team ICappeI This team has the Swedish connection in the own zone with cap @ICappeI picking biscuits in net and @The_Alpha_Furyan throwing sauce breakouts up to his forwards @tbnantti and @Lamsa who certainly know what to do with the puck on the offensive end of the ice. GROUP 2 - Broadcasted on Thur 22nd from 20:30 CET Team MartindalexC Captain @MartindalexC is expected to feel right at home in fast-paced 3v3 hockey. Most of us also know that @Penatski is magical in the offensive zone. Joined by one of the best goalies right now in @Hullued and @kungenkurwa, the press-release genius from Pata Hellalla, this team will definitely be entertaining to watch. Team Norpee Well, @SadaPoika and @Norpee is certainly a skilled forward-duo who we can expect to create some beautiful plays for us to drop our jaws on. Having the experienced Dynasty defenceman @Jorma Parola on the back won't hurt the team either. In addition, the guys will be joined by @Serg1vratar in net. Team FlyerKungen @FlyerKungen's first round pick was also a very solid goaltender in @RaNtA, who is one of the more experienced top-level netminders in the scene. On defence we'll find @Ilmari_30 who prevails with solid decision-making on both ends of the ice. Flyer's forward pair will be @Tuukka.R who most likely will fit like hand-in-glove on the 3v3 with all the space and time to make moves. Team Vatalisti Team Vatalisti consists of four established Elite level players. @Danielcadabra in net will be hungry to show some highlight-reel stops, Carlsberg captain @vatalisti will be assisting him with the defensive duties and good two-way play. @anrh17 and @Nampa77 on offense will aim to generate quality scoring chances in flashy manner. It'll be a pleasure to watch the first ever All-Star Week at NHLGamer unfold. Let's all try to make this into something beautiful and an enjoyable experience for every party. Take this as an opportunity to bond as a community, much like the very well received Summer Cups. Next time we'll be live with some All-Star-action for you guys on Wednesday evening at 20:30 CET with three matchups from group 1. Matchups will be announced closer to the broadcast.

You've played NHL 18, but never like this. This spring, the National Hockey League is organising the biggest EA Sports NHL-based tournament yet with the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship. The tournament is a versus competition, where the very top players of the world are going head-to-head first in regional qualifiers and finals, ending up with the top 6 players in the world battling it out at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada for the title of 2018 NHL Gaming World Champion. To make it even more exciting, the stakes of this tournament will be significantly greater than ever before in NHL gaming as the top 6 competitors will be fighting over a $100,000 prize pool. This is surely a massive announcement for all us NHLGamers as the tournament has so many major players involved. Some of the games will be broadcast on Viasat, Sportsnet and NBC digital channels as well as the NHL's official Twitch-channel. Details are still to be announced regarding the broadcasts, but a major boost in visibility for the NHL gaming community is expected. To qualify, you have to enter an online regional tournament for your console. Qualifiers are held each Saturday from March 24th thru April 14th. Each regional qualifier will determine two top players who will advance to the regional finals. The eight European finalists will compete at the Viasat Studios in Stockholm, Sweden; the eight Canadian Regional finalists will compete at Sportsnet Studios in Toronto, Ontario; and the eight US Regional finalists will compete at NBC Studios in Stamford, Connecticut. Check out the official video here, brought to you by NHL.com: You can see the full schedule for the tournament below: March 9th Registration opens at Faceit.com March 24th-25th Online qualifiers (Xbox One) March 31st-April 1st Online qualifiers (PS4) April 7th-8th Online qualifiers (Xbox One) April 14th-15th Online qualifiers (PS4) May 6th European Regional Finals (Stockholm, Sweden) May 11th Canadian Regional Finals (Toronto, Ontario) May 20th US Regional Finals (Stamford, Connecticut) June 19th World Finals (Las Vegas, Nevada) June 20th NHL Awards (Las Vegas, Nevada) In order to be eligible for the tournament you need to be a legal resident of the US, Canada or EU. You also need to be 16 years of age or older. So, what do you guys think? Will you be signing up? The thing that's for sure is that history is in the making and this is a tremendously positive thing for our community. Keep your heads up for more amazing news alike! Source: NHL.com

Fathers and sons tend to have a certain amount of resemblance. A father or mother is often a personality that the offspring looks up to and wants to mimic in a way. Then again, there might be some characteristics the younger generation is trying to stay clear of. Where am I going with this? Well, I have gotten word that we will be experiencing a very special 'first' today at NHLGamer as ECL Lite division team Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat will feature father @Aitis and his 10 year-old son @viba2008 in their lineup in their games against Burns Beardy Bastards. This will be the first ever father-son duo playing ECL games and is certainly something we at NHLGamer respect greatly. The three founders of Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat - Aitis, @Matti Parviainen and @ninnanunna share godfather responsibilities for each others children and now are also equally responsible for this newest family member, their ECL team. After being established in early 2016, interest in 6v6 games grew quickly. Aitis recruited his cousin @samppa1995 and some other players joined. The club's first ECL tournament was ECL 5, which ended in a second round playoff exit against Raging Monkeys. This season the squad hopes to prove they can compete in the playoffs too and have fared well so far, holding a 4th place spot in their group with 7 wins in 10 games. Aitis describes the team as follows: "Hinkkaajat is a team where most players lack soft hands and hockey sense, but we are a group of guys who believe in the strengths of team play." "The kid has been begging for ice-time since last season" Aitis is your average 37 year-old Finnish guy. His son Viljo, who is 27 years younger, has recently started showing interest towards gaming and a natural step to take is obviously following his father into the ECL scene. What better than joining the team his father is leading in their second ECL season in Lite. "Viljo started playing the NHL-series in NHL14, but first played with our team in NHL17, when Beaverskin asked him to step in for one of our players. Viljo quickly impressed skill-wise and has been in a tough hockey school ever since.", Aitis comments about his son playing for the team. "The kid has been begging for ice-time since last season and thinks it's no wonder we aren't doing better as he isn't playing yet.", he adds. The games tend to start late at night, so that's the main reason Viljo hasn't been in the lineup yet. Come puck drop we will be witnessing dad Aitis81 playing left defender, feeding his son Viljo on the left wing with quick and smart breakouts you only see from a blood-related duo. When asking the youngster about tonights games, he replied that a regular spot in the opening lineup will be obvious after these two clashes. We'll see how it turns out in the evening. We will be watching with excitement and most definitely rooting for the 10 year-old in black and green. You can also join in at the Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat stream at 21 CET.

NHLGamers, ECL 6 is already on the roll and lots of changes have happened during the off-season, the buzz has been ramping up in the last few weeks. It’s all part of the game and that’s what keeps us coming back for more. We’re all looking forward to yet another competitive season of virtual hockey, only this time, it will be the most competitive, most well-covered season yet. Mark my words. As teams have scrambled together their squads for the upcoming season, one question still remains: who will falter to the ground, and who will prevail as the victor? The Pro preview for this season will follow the same formula as for ECL 5. I will be highlighting a top 3-list of contenders for each group (teams will be in alphabetical order) as well as three players to watch from each group. This ECL is the first one we are operating with the extended staff and in Pro we will have @Crisu_rottis as the lead, assisted by @Mannheimer1938, @Snapster and Yours Truly. Without further ado, lets get on with the preview: Top 3 contenders in group 1 Baltic Sea Eagles BSE was one of the highest seeding teams going into the playoffs in ECL 5, but fell short in the first round against Evolution. They will surely look to redeem themselves this season. The roster underwent some minor changes during the offseason with G @Mehiiss and defenseman @Prom99leaving for White Trash. They countered by adding established pro players @FakiiR1, @vilperi90 and @otto aaltonen from Nordic Stars. The biggest question mark right now is their goaltending, can new addition pablojardinero step up to the challenge? Click here to see team page Shameful Knights The Knights roster remains close to the same as last season, with the only mentionable loss of goalie @Hullued leaving for Sjukstugan. Much like Baltic Sea Eagles, Shameful Knights have an inexperienced goaltender in @Stilando. This is a stellar chance to show what he is capable of in the crease. The very consistent offensive trio of @Tapparafan - @Migo_boo - @Ollizhki looks to keep on producing and pushing the Knights far into the playoffs, maybe this is the season they make a run for an Elite spot? Click here to see team page White Trash The roster of White Trash experienced something of a cleanse during the off-season as the roster size was reduced greatly. None of the core players left and it seems like White Trash aims to complete the season with a minimal squad rotation. The most notable addition in the off-season was promising goaltender @Mehiiss. It remains to be seen if this established Pro team can take the next step in ECL 6. Click here to see team page Players to watch in group 1 @selänne8, Arctic Playoff round 2 this time? BiggestEight is back, now as the captain of newly established team Arctic. He is surely hoping to click with his teammates and being able to elevate his game to the next level. Is this the season he will develop into an Elite-level scoring player? Click here to see player profile @vilperi90, Baltic Sea Eagles This experienced, high-scoring forward was added to BSE during the off-season after completing a successful push for elite with Nordic Stars in ECL 5. He has been a very consistent point producer during the last three seasons, all with different teams so I would expect Vilperi to elevate the game of BSE to the next level. Click here to see player profile @Stefan_397, Inter Iceland Scoring power for days in this prolific German winger. Can he repeat his Pro scoring title from last season? Click here to see player profile Underdog Monarchs I've heard that the Monarchs have been practicing hard during the off-season. Taking Lavetten's spot they certainly have their work cut out for them in living up to that name. The team is rather inexperienced, but by adding @pajenc before the season start they certainly make up for that a bit. Expect these guys to clinch a playoff spot. Click here to see team page Top 3 contenders in group 2 Alliance HT Alliance dominated the first season of RCL and played a decent ECL 5. In the off-season they lost @MAYZIIX but added @JaikenK, who is definitely one of the most exciting transfers regarding defensemen in Pro. The Russian team is now looking to be a serious contender and push far into the playoffs. Click here to see team page FILADELPHIA FILADELPHIA is yet another super-team, alike Carlsberg from ECL 4. They are a fusion of players from the disbanded Elite teams Aapon Taikasauva and MUKIMIEHET, accompanied by captain @Joonas Paatiala, who is no stranger to pushing one of these super-teams into Elite. Anything but a promotion will be a disappointment. Click here to see team page Synergy Hockey These guys have been playing this game for a long time and after a disaster season which led Synergy to be relegated from Elite last season, they look to make a push back in ECL 6. During the off-season, Synergy merged with DEAD END KINGS. Are they truly stronger in union? To be continued... Click here to see team page Players to watch in group 2 @Chafak, Red Machine Heart and soul of Red Machine. Known for his skills on the versus-side, he had a tough time last year. However, in ECL the season ended in a Lite title with a dominant scoring performance only matched by a few individuals, now also competing at the Pro level. We follow with excitement as he hopes to continue producing in ECL 6. Click here to see player profile @Erkki, FILADELPHIA Come on, is it even fair? This guy was one of the biggest factors in winning the Pro title for Evolution in ECL 5. Eki will look to keep taking face-offs, sniping biscuits and being what he is - an Elite level player, come ECL 6. Click here to see player profile @JaikenK, Alliance HT One of the most reliable two-way defenders in the game. After a difficult season with Sjukstugan in ECL 5, he is hoping to improve this season with the ultimate goal of earning Alliance HT a promotion. Click here to see player profile Underdog Red Machine Last season Lite champions made some minor adjustments to their roster with the most notable addition being @RutonMosse right before the season start. The youngster spent last season on a hiatus, but man does he have natural skill. However, the team lost goaltender and ECL 5 playoff MVP James_Bontage to OG Royals. Click here to see team page Personally, I have to say that this is the most exciting ECL season yet. There is so many amazing things happening in our community right now that this is a time to be grateful, stay hungry and wait with excitement for things to come. I left many good teams out of this preview and I hope those teams will prove me wrong during ECL 6. Best of luck to all of you and see you out on the ice!

Well, well, well... There's been lots of talk about how the NHL series lacks the "Weekend League" game mode the FIFA series is blessed with. As of today, your prayers appears to have been answered with the brand-new introduction of HUT Champions. HUT Champions will be a high-stakes, high-rewards mode for those looking to play HUT on a whole different competitive level. What? HUT Champions is the NHL equivalent of FIFA Weekend League. It is esentially a "hardcore mode", where you play the best opponents in a tight timeframe. The objective is to accumulate as many wins as possible within the given time frame and restrictions. Wins earn the player points which in turn will lead to higher rankings. Rewards are given at the end of the season based on the leaderboard standings. When? The first season of HUT Champions will go live today, February 16th at 2:00 PM PT. The week will hold three qualifiers on February 16th, 20th and 22nd. The champions weekend itself will take place on February 23rd 2:00 PM PT until February 25th 2:00 PM PT. Results will be processed by February 27th. How? Qualification for this special league requires possessing a HUT Champions Season 1 Qualification Collectible, which can be obtained by earning a Div 1 title in online seasons between Friday February 16 2:00 PM PT and Friday February 23 2:00 PM PT. The other option is placing within the top 1250 in one of the HUT Champions Season 1 Qualifiers. Rewards Rank 1: 99 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 250,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 2: 98 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 200,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 3: 97 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 150,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 4: 96 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 100,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Rank 5: 96 OVR Pavel Bure, 5 Ultimate Packs, 50,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 6-10: Choice Pack with a choice of 2 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 4 Ultimate Packs, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 11-20: Choice Pack with a choice of 2 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 3 Ultimate Packs, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 21-50: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 2 Ultimate Packs, 1 Rare Players Plus Pack, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 51-100: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 2 Ultimate Packs, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 101-250: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 1 Ultimate Pack, 25,000 Coins, Qualification Collectible for HUT Champions Season 2 Ranks 251-500: Choice Pack with a choice of 1 of 10 Random 90+ EVO Players, 1 Ultimate Pack Ranks 501+: 1 Ultimate Pack HUT has been the topic of some controversy this year in regards to the card market and such, but this is certainly a welcome addition. HUT Champions adds a new level of competitiveness to the game. It remains to be seen how the mode will be welcomed in the NHL community. On the FIFA side of things, Eurogamer.net have previously reported on the brutality of the Weekend League, as players were grinding out 40 games a weekend, meaning closer to 20 hours of gameplay in a single weekend. In HUT Champions, the minimum amount of games to receive a rank is 5, which is a relief, for those familiar with the 20 game minimum in FIFA. The maximum will be 40, just like in the FIFA Weekend League. The first qualification round is only a few hours away at the moment of writing this. What do you think about this new way to play HUT? Will you be participating? Let us know in the comments below.

NHLGamers, We’re closing in on the deadline for registrations and the excitement is ramping up. Currently we stand at 90 teams, so we’re nearing the 100-team-mark with two days still to go. Tonight we will be hosting a preseason stream featuring a number of staff members, including @Kenu, @MartindalexC, @nylanderi and @SepiDN. The stream will be a forum for all new and old members to ask anything that comes to mind from our staff. We have a couple of things on the agenda, such as introduction of our new expanded staff and obviously discussing the new season about to start, along with all the fuzz and transfers going on in the community right now. We will be showing some preseason gameplay during the stream too, an opportunity to scout your opponents here! Tune in on our Twitch channel today at 20:00 CET, get your questions ready and put us on the spot! Last but not least, here is a listing of our new ECL Staff members, along with their approximate responsibilities. @Angepaoli - Social Media Representative, Forum Moderator @Bantubox - Forum Moderator @ICappeI - Forum Moderator @chavelski - ECL Elite Assistant, Journalist @cHIIMEERa - Streamer/Broadcast Crew @Crisu_rottis - ECL Pro Lead, ECL League Administrator, Streamer/Broadcast Crew @iRSPe - ECL League Administrator, Journalist @jahajaha93 - ECL Pro Assistant, Journalist, Social Media Representative @Kookasi - ECL League Administrator @Mannheimer1938 - ECL Pro Assistant, ECL Pro Assistant @MartindalexC - Streamer/Broadcast Crew @miisolegend - ECL Lite Lead @nylanderi - Streamer/Broadcast Crew, Journalist @Panarinz - ECL League Administrator @pnordetun - Journalist @ramseyy2 - ECL Lite Assistant @SepiDN - ECL Elite Lead, Streamer/Broadcast Crew @Snapster - ECL Pro Assistant, ECL Lite Assistant @Stylez-Hades - ECL Elite Assistant @Virtual_Saku - Journalist, Streamer/Broadcast Crew @Veikkonator - Social Media Representative In addition, @Hennisch has also joined our NHLGamer team as a programmer. Give our new staff members a warm welcome and stay tuned for more great stuff to come!