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SportsGamers, The Core season is coming to an end and the final will oppose two teams that were particularly expected for this meeting. Of course the playoffs always reserve their share of surprises and it is not uncommon for favorites to be eliminated prematurely, but this time they are there and there. Schedule Please note that the Playoff structure has been shortened of what was originally planned, and therefore the originally provided Playoff schedule is not valid. Here is the updated schedule: RO16: 22.1-29.1.2023 Quarterfinals: 30.1-7.2.2023 Semifinals: 9.-16.2.2023 Finals: 19.-23.2.2023 Cheeky Grinders (1) vs HC Korobka (2) Their road to the Finals Cheeky Grinders in regular season : 20-2-2 / 127 goals for / 53 goals against / 32% PP / 97% PK RO16 : 4-0 vs Ambri Quarterfinals : 4-1 vs HC Pustertal eSports Semifinals : 4-1 vs Deggendorfer SC Esports HC Korobka in regular season : 18-5-1 / 110 goals for / 57 goals against / 12% PP / 91% PK RO16 : 4-1 vs WarHeads Quarterfinals : 4-3 vs MoDo Hockey Semifinals : 4-3 vs Hannover Indians eSports So here is the matchup that some have seen coming for a long time and which, to a certain extent, does not come as a surprise. Cheeky Grinders had the best regular season record, Korobka was not far behind. And as this final is about to begin, it's hard not to think that Cheeky Grinders has all the elements to win this final. Best attack in the division, a very solid defense, a particularly brilliant special team game… All the indicators tip the scales in favor of the Finns. Even their career in the playoffs pleads in their favor: twelve wins and two losses. In front of that, Korobka presents twelve victories and seven defeats at the same time. And yet, even ahead of the statistics, we must consider the Russian team capable of thwarting the trend. And it is precisely because they have found themselves in difficulty with the teammates of @lordkomar91 that they are perhaps the opponent that Cheeky Grinders must fear. The Russians faced defeat and even found themselves in danger in the previous rounds. The Finns, on the other hand, had a fairly relaxing regular season and playoffs. They did not test themselves in adversity and this could prove decisive if by chance Korobka were to take an advantage at the start of the series. Prediction: 4-3 for Cheeky Grinders

The last straight line before the finals is launched! They are now only four and the fight for the Finals will be open tonight. Three favorites are set at the rendezvous and a slightly less expected guest comes knocking at the door. Let's see right away what is at stake in these two semifinals. Schedule Please note that the Playoff structure has been shortened of what was originally planned, and therefore the originally provided Playoff schedule is not valid. Here is the updated schedule: RO16: 22.1-29.1.2023 Quarterfinals: 30.1-7.2.2023 Semifinals: 9.-16.2.2023 Finals: 19.-23.2.2023 Cheeky Grinders (1) vs Deggendorfer SC Esports (6) The big favorite against the underdog, that's how we could sum up this series which will face two teams both from Group 2. Cheeky Grinders is a team whose path so far has left nothing to chance. Beaten in regular time by only two teams during the regular time, Predators and Pirates eSports, the Finnish players seemed unfazed. Their first two rounds of playoffs were no less tumultuous with a 4-0 victory against the Swiss of Ambri then 4-1 against the Austrian team of Pustertal. Facing them are the Germans of Deggendorfer. In itself their presence at this stage of the competition is not necessarily a surprise. Their regular season has been well controlled even though their record of 15-7-2 is far from that of their opponents, 20-2-2. This is an experienced team that knew how to thwart the torturous traps of the first round of the playoffs where Fenris Wolves almost eliminated them and they had to go through the terrible ordeal of match 7. And that's probably what the team's mind forged because the next round, paradoxically, seemed simpler. Faced with Predators who had preceded them during the regular season, the Germans seemed to experience less difficulty. During their oppositions in season, the Finns won twice, 3-1 then 7-4. This is one more argument that allows us to estimate that Cheeky Grinders will win a ticket to the final. Prediction: 4-2 for Cheeky Grinders HC Korobka (2) vs Hannover Indians eSports (3) Here again we have two teams from the same group which will confront each other. But this time around things don't seem as readable as in the previous series. Between Korobka and their dazzling start, and Hannover and their consistency, it is very difficult to say who will come out of it the most clearly in this opposition. Both are teams with a very similar profile. Two teams that score a lot and concede a relatively low number of goals. For each of them it is clearly the offensive game that gives them arguments and we know that in the playoffs it is the defenses that have arguments to oppose. It should in no way be surprising if the series were to continue until a final game 7. If for each the first round of the playoffs was relatively calm, on the other hand the quarter-finals were epic for both teams. Korobka had to fight against the Swedes of MoDo who never made it easy for them and it was only after an undecided match 7 that the decision was made. Hannover for their part were heroic in reversing a negative trend and winning three games in a row. Led 1-3 by Olten, the Germans were able to recover and went to seek their qualification with the sweat of their brow, also in a match 7. Both teams know how to hit the scoreboard as we know, but whichever of the two best preserves its cage will have its place in the final. Prediction: 4-3 for Korobka

The time has come to see the rest of the playoffs. The presentation is still succinct but will be a more extensive coverage for the Semifinals. Schedule Please note that the Playoff structure has been shortened of what was originally planned, and therefore the originally provided Playoff schedule is not valid. Here is the updated schedule: RO32: 22.1.-29.1.2023 RO16: 30.1-7.2.2023 Quarterfinals: 9.-16.2.2023 Semifinals: 19.-23.2.2023 Finals: 26.2.-1.3.2023 During the previous round, two significant performances were observed. First the sensation came from the elimination of Rusty Bulls, leader of the regular season by Russian Lightning, 3-2. The other feat of arms is to be credited to Dompa HC who got rid of the number 3 seed, The Real Rookies, 3-1. We also remember the sweep imposed by Nbg Ice Tigers 2 (10) at LETTLAND (7). Find the matchups here: Pirati Chomutov Academy (2) vs Russian Lightning (19) Kanukit (4) vs Dompa HC (15) Belissimo (5) vs Nbg Ice Tigers 2 (10) Old Hogs (6) vs EASHL Russian (8)

SportsGamers, The first round of the playoffs delivered its verdict and only the Austrians of Pustertal thwarted the order established by the regular season. Let's take a look at what the next qualifying round should look like. Schedule Please note that the Playoff structure has been shortened of what was originally planned, and therefore the originally provided Playoff schedule is not valid. Here is the updated schedule: RO16: 22.1-29.1.2023 Quarterfinals: 30.1-7.2.2023 Semifinals: 9.-16.2.2023 Finals: 19.-23.2.2023 Cheeky Grinders (1) vs HC Pustertal eSports (12) The regular season leader easily got rid of the Swiss of Ambri. This first round have had no other use for the Finns to raise their confidence a little more by allowing them to score twenty-eight times in four games. For their part, the Pustertal players, after having started their season very badly, were able to finish it very well and it seems that this momentum could have carried them away until they eliminated North Sawo Lions. We knew that the Lions could have a defensive flaw, but this was not the case for the Austrians, with two overtime wins, they showed nerves of steel. Two teams in full confidence will therefore face each other, one has nothing to lose and it is, as such, undoubtedly the most dangerous. Thus, Cheeky Grinders should not consider qualifying easily. HC Korobka (2) vs MoDo Hockey (9) The Korobka players led 3-0 before giving away a victory to WarHeads then finally, and logically, qualified for the next round. Their Finnish opponents have nevertheless shown that Korobka's defense is perfectly shaky. Against the Swedes of MoDo Hockey, it can be problematic. The men of Fjällräven Center managed to eliminate the French Pirates and they owe their qualification in priority to the ability of their attackers to connect, all orchestrated by an Anton Lund who seemed very cramped in this Division Core by being able to be dangerous at any time. Korobka will have to work offensively against a formation which defends low in front of its goalkeeper and which does not hesitate to padlock the neutral zone. It's a series that is undoubtedly exciting! Hannover Indians eSports (3) vs EHC Olten eSports (7) Initially it was the Swiss of Olten who had the best defense in the League. But Hanover, conceding just three goals in the series against the Black Hurricanes, and offering a shutout twice, hit hard. We can never say it enough but in the playoffs it is the ability of a team to keep its net intact which often makes the difference. The Germans leave with this trump card up their sleeve. But be careful because the Swiss still have in front of their goal the one who finished best goalkeeper of the season. Admittedly Vlad seemed less dashing against CapeTown but his career so far seems to be Olten's best asset. Predators (4) vs Deggendorfer SC Esports (6) We do not know what to say about this opposition. During the regular season Predators won twice, including one in overtime. Subsequently each of the two teams had an honorable season but as it seemed that the Predators managed to stay a little more regular then the balance could tip in their favor, without certainty. Always according to the same defensive logic, Predators are also doing better. On the other hand, in terms of the offensive, it is the Germans who have the advantage. It is an open series in which each of the two teams will have their chance.

SportsGamers, Our fifth tier of competition is moving on to the second Playoff round, and we're progressing fast through the postseason! Schedule Please note that the Playoff structure has been shortened of what was originally planned, and therefore the originally provided Playoff schedule is not valid. Here is the updated schedule: RO32: 22.1.-29.1.2023 RO16: 30.1-7.2.2023 Quarterfinals: 9.-16.2.2023 Semifinals: 19.-23.2.2023 Finals: 26.2.-1.3.2023 Please notice that the teams who finished at the 8 first spots of the regular season were directly sent to this second round and had a bye in the first round. No real significant upsets occurred during round 1 except the qualification of Russian Lightning (19) over Engerau Pythons (14). Find the matchups here: Rusty Bulls (1) vs Russian Lightning (19) Pirati Chomutov Academy (2) vs HC Northmen (17) The Real Rookies (3) vs Dompa HC (15) Kanukit (4) vs RAUTANE REMMI (13) Belissimo (5) vs Atomic Hamsters (12) Old Hogs (6) vs Unknown Heroes (11) LETTLAND (7) vs Nbg Ice Tigers 2 (10) EASHL Russian (8) vs Jokers Cergy (9)

SportsGamers, It is now time to turn to the final stages of this ECL '23 Core Season and we will try here to go through some facts for each series. Schedule RO32: 22.-26.1.2023 RO16: 29.1-2.2.2023 Quarterfinals: 5.-9.2.2023 Semifinals: 12.-16.2.2023 Finals: 19.-23.2.2023 Cheeky Grinders (1) vs Ambri eSports (16) By beating Deggendorfer in his last outing and forcing the German team to a final overtime, the Swiss from Ambri managed to qualify for the playoffs in extremis and despite a chaotic journey during the season. But the fight will be difficult for the Swiss against the best formation of the regular season. Admittedly Ambri managed to extract a point in overtime during their confrontation but the Finns who have lost only four times during the season should advance without too much difficulty. Facts - Cheeky Grinders has three players who exceeded 75 points in the regular season: @Ekifoukka (81), @Yaredhagos (80), @tonninen (78) - Of all the teams qualified in the playoffs, Ambri is the team that has won the fewest faceoffs (40.82%) HC Korobka (2) vs WarHeads (15) What if this confrontation was much more balanced than it might seem? The Russians won the two games that opposed them to the Finns, including one after extra time, but the end of the season for Korobka showed a team that seemed to run out of steam. Winners of their first fourteen games, the Russians then experienced relatively unexpected difficulties. WarHeads is a recent team but seems to have grown in strength over the season. Facts - @lordkomar91, for Korobka, is the best scorer of the entire regular season with 93 points (50+43) - With 81.98% of saves @QzRiiot, the French goalkeeper of WarHeads, had the best of his seven ECL seasons Hannover Indians eSports (3) vs Black Hurricanes (14) Hannover came close to finishing first in their group at the expense of Korobka. The Germans had a few upheavals during their season but never really seemed to be in real danger. Their balanced team has a powerful attack and a solid defense coupled with a very good goalkeeper. For the Finns of Black Hurricanes the start of the season was relatively peaceful but the end was a failure with eight consecutive defeats at the end of the calendar. Let's hope for this team that a breath of fresh air will help them in the playoffs, otherwise their first round may be complicated. Facts - @MMTS, for Hanover, totals 86 points in its first season in ECL. - With 1-7-2, the Black Hurricanes worst L10 record in the playoffs. Predators (4) vs Remparts de Tours Esport (13) The formation of Predators is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous. They score quite a bit but at the same time also concede a few goals. Predators have the best defensive record in the entire league, just behind Olten. They are the only ones, with the Pirates, to have beaten Cheeky Grinders in regular time in the Gr.2. For its part, Tours is a team that has had the experience of the Lite division. The all-French team experienced an irregular championship but has, especially in the net, resources capable of turning this series to its advantage. To do this, he will have to outwit one of the best defenses today. Facts - There are eight different nationalities in the Predators roster. - With 283 games played at SportsGamer, Tours is the most experienced team of all those qualified in the playoffs. North Sawo Lions (5) vs HC Pustertal eSports (12) The North Sawo Lions season has been consistent and even linear. A few missteps but overall a coherent course and efficient statistics in all areas of the game, except perhaps in the net where the goalkeeper is below 78% of saves. On the other hand, the Austrian team of Pustertal had a difficult start with seven defeats in their first eight games before the team finally found their rhythm. If Pustertal manages to stay on their end-of-season trend, they could come and upset the established order and perhaps eliminate an opposing team that has had a better run, but Sawo Lions won't let themselves be defeated easily. Facts - North Sawo Lions had just 111 hits on the season, the lowest total in the entire Core Division. They are also the least penalized in the entire championship. - Pustertal used a total of eleven players during the season, one of the highest numbers in the Core Championship Deggendorfer SC Esports (6) vs Fenris Wolves (11) The remaining three series are fully open and each of the six teams can advance to the next round or stay back and leave to play golf prematurely. However, Deggendorfer's German team showed muscles during the season and their number of goals scored clearly indicates a tendency to hit the scoreboard hard. On the other side of the fence, Sweden's Fenris Wolves scored far less than their opponents but also conceded far fewer goals. However, it is difficult to make this type of comparison between two teams that have not played in the same group. Facts - Deggendorfer won few faceoffs, only 45.37% during the season - On the other hand, Fenris Wolves was one of the good students in this sector, winning 54.69% of its face-offs EHC Olten eSports (7) vs CapeTown Kings (10) This is an incredible matchup. The best defense in the league against one of the best attacks. Olten is the only team to have conceded less than two goals per game. "Attack wins games but defense wins championships", so in this case the Swiss are one to watch. But opposite CapeTown has managed to score four goals in each of its matches. The initial balance weighs in favor of the Swiss but CapeTown are a patient team and build their game intelligently. The fight will be fierce. Facts - With four shutouts and 88.28% saves in twenty games, the Olten goalkeeper, @HousePro99, was undoubtedly the best goalkeeper of the season - Only 67.65% efficiency in shorthanded play for CapeTown, the lowest total of teams qualified in the playoffs Pirates eSports (8) vs MoDo Hockey (9) Traditionally the last series of the playoffs tree is always the most open as the gaps between the two teams are so close. Offensively the favor goes to the Swedes who score more. But defensively the French did slightly better. However, it is a team that scores little and wins few faceoffs, thus having to suffer the rhythm of its opponent. But by beating Cheeky Grinders the Pirates showed solid skills. These are two teams that take few penalties but the superiority game of the Swedes is much better than that of the French. Facts - Formerly Cancun Hockey Club, the Pirates are the oldest French team in activity with a first ECL in 2018 and a total of eight participations in the ECL - @MrXbox79 of MoDo is the player who scored the most powerplay goals during the season, 6, tied with @Mestar93 of Black Hurricanes

SportsGamers, We've arrived at the Playoff stage also in our fifth tier of competition, the Neo division. Let's take a quick look at how these Playoffs will proceed an which teams are still in contention for the title! Schedule RO64: 22.-25.1.2023 RO32: 29.2.-1.2.2023 RO16: 5.-8.2.2023 Quarterfinals: 12.-15.2.2023 Semifinals: 19.-22.2.2023 Finals: 26.2.-1.3.2023 These teams seeded #1 to #8 have already secured a spot in the RO32: #1 Rusty Bulls #2 Pirati Chomutov Academy #3 The Real Rookies #4 Kanukit #5 Belissimo #6 Old Hogs #7 LETTLAND #8 EASHL Russian Their opponents will be coming out of the winning teams in the first round, RO64. For instance, Rusty Bulls will face the team with the lowest seed from RO64 and so on. Please find here the first round matchups for the teams seeded #9 to #24 Jokers Cergy (9) vs Wildcats esport II (24) Nbg Ice Tigers 2 (10) vs SWISS TIGERS (23) Unknown Heroes (11) vs FRONTALIERS ESPORT (22) Atomic Hamsters (12) vs Bulle HC (21) RAUTANE REMMI (13) vs Red Lightning (20) Engerau Pythons (14) vs Russian Lightning (19) Dompa HC (15) vs Progress (18) Kiipelin Kiekko (16) vs HC Northmen (17) The Neo Championship playoffs are always difficult to predict and this ECL '23 Winter is no exception to the rule. Obviously the Top 8 teams are already favorites but honestly the gaps between #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11 and #12 are not huge. It's all the more possible that the teams which have to go through a preliminary round can pull a beneficial effect due to the pace of competitive matches from the outset, while the teams at the top of the table will be resting for a short week. Let's have a look at some stats that might help to predict what will happen next. Individuals Most points : @ReKoJ-12 (Jokers Cergy) : 72 points (46+26) Most goals : @ReKoJ-12 (Jokers Cergy) 46 Most assists : @MrMikkiL (Belissimo) : 35 Most hits : @hapsukka (Hauhtonen) (Belissimo) : 124 Most PIM : @HulluSavolainen (HC Northmen) : 32 Most blocked shots : @xagon (Bulle HC) : 47 Most interceptions : @Nassundeerus (SpadduKeisari) (RAUTANE REMMI) : 99 Best saves % (at least 8 GP) : @Berty (Nbg Ice Tigers 2) : 88.98% Most shutouts (at least 8 GP) : @Patelaine (Lohilokeetto) (Kanukit) : 3 Teams Most goals scored : Belissimo 92 / Jokers Cergy 86 Lowest goals allowed : EASHL Russian 25 / Nbg Ice Tigers 2 27 Most faceoffs won : EASHL Russian 64.84% / Old Hogs 63.29% Most hits : HC Northmen 250 / The Real Rookies – HC MAD ROCKETS 245 Less PIM : Russian Lightning 14 / Glasbanken se 22 Most shots : RAUTANE REMMI 372 / Belissimo 313

At the completion of this report approaching the halfway point of the season, the number of games played by each team was still very unequal. However, we were already able to distinguish a trend at the top of the table. At the bottom also even if it remained to qualify. We've made the decision to divide this retail review into three groups: contenders, challengers and chasers. Given that this ranking will certainly still change a lot teams involved in this report will still have a chance to right their course. Please note that the statistics quoted here were recorded on December 30, 2022. Thank you to the teams who took care to answer our questions. Contenders: 1.4pts per game and more Group 1 HC Korobka : 1.72pts/g North Sawo Lions : 1.5 EHC Olten eSports : 1.5 Hannover Indians eSports : 1.5 Warheads : 1.4 Group 2 Cheeky Grinders : 1.79pts/g Predators : 1.44 Black Hurricanes : 1.43 It is reasonable to estimate that the future ECL 23 champion Winter Core is among one of these eight teams. It took fourteen games for Korobka to be beaten after a perfect start. The same goes for Cheeky Grinders who had only lost twice, including one in overtime. As we often say, matches are won in attack but championships are won in defense, the Swiss formation of Olten eSports was then the one who in this register came out best with a defensive coefficient of 1.5 goals conceded per game. Let's have a look at what players from those can release so far. @Steve SteVeKoeck (EHC Olten eSports) "It is an interesting group, with great players. All games are tough and we need a big fight every time to win or lose. We have to remain focused during every game." @Yaredhagos (Cheeky Grinders) "So far the games have been good even if playing on another server that the northern one is bad. For now not many teams have been really impressive except maybe Black Hurricanes who plays in unorthodox style." @Narkkitehti (North Sawo Lions) "Everything is working flawlessly! SportsGamer website is always working and if we face a problem, help arrives super fast. Keep up the great work! HC Korobka and Hannover Indians Esports from our group have been great and the biggest surprise so far. Honourable mention goes to our team, we are playing our first season in ECL and points are coming in from doors and windows." @Mestar93 (Black Hurricanes) "We have tried to play according to the match schedule, but it was found to be impossible. Few teams have had a game day/time according to the match schedule. In any case, we have been able to agree on new days/times relatively easily, with the exception of Turku. Block two Cheeky Grinders stood out from the crowd, and played a good game." Challengers: 1.3 to 1pts per game Group 1 MoDo Hockey : 1.29 pts/g KohKae Esports : 1.25 Fenris Wolves : 1.14 Eliel Kings : 1.07 Group 2 Pirates eSports : 1.25pts/g Deggendorfer SC Esports : 1.2 Mighty Stixxx / Force Majeure : 1 We have previously seen the teams that will undoubtedly play the outposts during the final stages, now here are the ones that could come to play the role of underdog. Honestly, two of them, MoDo Hockey and Mighty Stixxx, could even climb into the top group by the end of the season. There is a surprise in this list and it comes from France. Pirates eSports, which is the first appearance in Core, had a rather advantageous start to the season. We will have to see if this team can maintain its pace during the rest of the championship. Another honorable mention, it is credited to KohKae Esports, which had until then been the only team to have beaten Korobka twice. Let's go to the interview area to get the feelings of the players in this group of underdogs. @khallekha (Fenris Wolves) "It’s a sad thing that we have to pay to join Core. Everyone is ok with paying the license but it’s a bit too much to take more money than that. Another thing that's not good is teams like Korobka in our group. They are playing with 5 ex-pro players and 1 ex-lite player. We think that this team should play at least in Lite, but we understand that they want to play in Core to receive the prize money. Also a very sad thing about so many team drops from core. We should have around 90 teams participating instes of 26. We think you know why so many teams dropped! We are pretty happy with ourselves so far. We are playing with 5 players that have never ever played ECL. And we have a circulating schedule for all players so everyone will play equally. That’s for the future progress skills of the new players! I don't think that many captains resonate the way we do!" @Sebban Chilidoodle (MoDo Hockey) "We had to face a tough schedule but a decent run to begin. We can be dangerous in the playoffs with a tighter defence. We have a tight group that has been playing together for some seasons. Impressed that we have such a good run so far." @Mickebdl (Pirates eSports) "The start of the championship is well beyond our expectations. We are coming out of a satisfactory first block with five wins in eight games and while we were in Neo again last season without ever having been able to go very far in the playoffs. However we have several players who evolved in Core and that helps us a lot. We are now expected and we will have to face teams very well grouped in defense, we are preparing for it. We haven't set ourselves any goals but we will fight to reach the playoffs, which would be a very good performance for our first season in Core." @Fisk33n (Mighty Stixxx) "It has been a fun tournament so far, one of the best tournaments in our team's history. Both when it comes to our own playstyle and results in the games. And the communication with our opponents. Great talk and the few times we needed help from admins, they have been quick and helpful! This might seem egoistic, but our team has impressed me the most so far. Looking at our history it has been an impressive tournament so far from Mighty Stixxx. But if not us, then I have to say that when we played against Cheeky Grinders, we got impressed by their play. They were stronger in every position and had a great tactic. We had no chance at all, and I won't be surprised if they play in the final this season!" Chasers: 0.99pts per game and less Group 1 Remparts de Tours Esport : 0.8pt/g Old Dirty Primates : 0.57 Vasteras IK : 0.4 EHC Basel eSports 0.07 Group 2 Turkunummi : 0.92pt/g HC Pustertal eSports : 0.9 Karhukissat : 0.83 Iserlohn Roosters eSports : 0.7 Ambri eSports 0.6 For each of the teams mentioned in this last group, anything can still happen. Particularly on the side of the Remparts de Tours, whose experience should lead the French team to experience a better continuation of the season. Turkunummi too are undoubtedly a team capable of more accomplished results and January should help them get back on track. The same goes for Iserlohn who knew how to beat Black Hurricanes, thus proving that his current ranking is probably biased. Ditto for the Primates who knew how to beat MoDo, Olten and KohKae, these are encouraging results. As before, let's see what comes out of it on the players' side. @Geoffrey2point0 (Remparts de Tours Esports) "After a nice placement during the previous ECL we really hoped for better from this start to the season. We have not yet been able to raise our level of individual and collective play. There is still a long way to go! We will see what effect the winter break had. We have to give the best of ourselves, especially since the IRL Remparts de Tours team is having a very good season. We must take an example and rise to the occasion!" @Jay Hunter jAY-HUNTER87 (Iserlohn Roosters eSports) "The first games were very close. The league is very balanced and we're slowly getting points. It's going to be an exciting season. As always, the Finnish teams are very strong, so it's even nicer that we've often been able to annoy them on the North server. MoDo Hockey is of course a strong team to keep an eye on." @JPBROO (Ambri eSports) "In the first games we didn't play well enough in the 60 minutes, we had problems both defending and scoring. In the next matches we managed to take a few points with a defensively solid performance. What we miss to get more points is being able to keep the level high in both games against the same opponent. We are trying to increase our level game after game and we will try to reach the goal of the playoffs till the end. In general, I find our group balanced, I saw all well organised teams ready to fight until the end to win. No one gave us points for free. Merit should be given to those who are at the head of the group right now." @hcpfan (HC Pustertal eSports) "From our point of view our group is really strong. Every team can beat any other opponent, so it will be a tight race for the playoffs. We as a team expected some more points from the start for us, but we'll push hard to bounce back and we'll fight for our spot in the playoffs! If we have to name one we'd say Black Hurricanes, but overall most of them were about as strong as expected. We haven't faced every team yet and we're looking forward to impressing some opponents as well!"

The first season of the WECL is coming to an end with the finals in focus - those games will be played this week between Grenoble BDL eSports and Silver Sword Griffins. Before getting into the substance of the matter, we would first like to thank and congratulate all the teams for this first edition. All in all, we had some learning experiences along the way but mainly the championship went very well, and without trouble. for that we'd like for all participants to give themselves a pat on the back and extend yet another warm thank you to the competitors beside you! It would be a lie to say that it is a surprise to find Grenoble and the Silver Sword Griffins in the finals. These two teams, although battered at times, kept their ranks of favorites and made it to the finals without too much problems in the end. An observation seemed acquired around the middle of the regular season, as Group 1 seemed to be closer than Group 2. With both the Griffins and Grenoble in this group, added with a strong squad like Latvian Warriors in particular, there was only one playoff spot really up for grabs - a tough situation for all the other clubs fighting over that last spot. Eventually, it was the Spanish formation Hoko Gang that ended up grabbing the last playoff spot in Group 1, just in front of Remparts de Tours eSport 2. In Group 2, we expected Remparts de Tours eSport and Dynamo Dragons at the forefront with, the remaining seven squads going to battle over the final two playoff spots. In the end, it was the Latvians from Latvian eSports and the Frenchmen from Epinal HC Esport who did the best and managed to punch their tickets to the postseason. The Spaniards in Granada Grizzlies have for a long time seemed able to join the playoffs but a tumultuous end of the season did not allow them to do so this time. The final under the microscope It's very difficult to identify the favorite of this final. On one hand, we have the experience of many Griffins players and on the other hand the very good season put forth in ECL 11 Lite by Grenoble which could put the wind in their sails. The two teams are also statistically very close. 109 goals scored against 22 conceded by the french guys and 120 scored and 20 conceded by the Latvians. In terms of goaltending, the two stand together also. @Trollstivegen (Grenoble) has a save percentage of 81% and 1.64 with two shutouts. The Griffins goaltenders are a bit below that level but @Janikka, who played all six playoff games so far has done great in the postseason being below a goal per game in GAA. As often at this level of competition, the difference could be made in special teams. 37.5% efficiency in numerical superiority converted for Grenoble against 26% for the Griffins, and in contrast, 90% penalties killed by the Griffins against 83% for Grenoble - an interesting matchup on that front. Their road to the finals: Grenoble BDL eSports - Group 1 Regular season: 1st / 16-2-0 / 109 GF/29 GA Playoffs: 1st round vs Epinal HC Esport 3-0 / 2nd round vs Latvian Warriors 3-0 Silver Sword Griffins - Group 1 Regular season: 3rd / 15-2-1 / 120 GF/22 GA Playoffs: 1st round vs Remparts de Tours eSport 2 3-0 / 2nd round vs Dynamo Dragons 3-0 Individual trophies (based on regular season) MVP: AdRi1_ScP (BDL) 41+50=91 Best forward(s): AdRi1_ScP (BDL) 41+50=91 and PSchibra (SSG) 31+59=90 Best defenseman: Method4 (RDT) 9+15=24 Best goalkeeper: badsanta35 (DDR) 89.53SV% / 1.23GAA / 4SO On behalf of NHLGamer, we wish a very good finals to both teams. May the best team win.