Oliverigood

NHLGamers, Another successful ECL Pro season is now behind and what a season it was for the top teams of the division as every one of the top four teams managed to earn the promotion to the Elite division for next season. On behalf of NHLGamer I want to congratulate Enigma, GOONS, Tunnel Vision and ZSC Esports for your success and good luck for next season in the highest division in Europe! It’s clear that the Pro division is heading in the right direction and with help of former Elite players, top teams in the league have found a way to close the gap between the two highest divisions. I like to believe this trend will continue in the future as well, especially now when so many Elite teams were relegated from the highest tier. Enigma was crowned champions after a tight 3-4 series win in the finals against GOONS. Before that we saw great team and individual achievements and to recap it all over we decided to make a little review of the season and award some teams and players for their success in the season. Regular season At the beginning of the season we already had some vision of the favorites and playoff candidates of both groups. Especially Enigma, Tunnel Vision, Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa and Leksands IF were touted to be favorites and tough to beat in their respective groups. Teams such as GOONS, Pata Hellalla and Herlev Eagles were expected to be stronger which turned out to be a correct prediction. The beginning of the season was really hard for two of the biggest favourites of the competition, Enigma and Tunnel Vision both faced several losses in the first rounds and were in light trouble early on. A couple of teams such as Djurgarden Hockey and Inter Iceland started the season really strong while teams like Alliance HT, We Kings and TIKI TALK had some serious troubles from the very beginning of the season and couldn’t really find a way out of the mud at any point. While the regular season was moving toward its end, the competition favorites were able to turn the tides and started beating their opponents night after night. It was also great to see that none of the teams that were promoted from Lite division had any major difficulties playing at the Pro level and especially Sack Brothers managed to overcome their somewhat low expectations and turn that into a playoff spot! Other teams that were able to complete a massive upgrade from last season were Inter Iceland, Djurgarden Hockey, Pata Hellalla, Rookie Mistakes, Herlev Eagles and Company of Geeks and they were all rewarded with a spot in the playoffs. On the other side especially TIKI TALK, Kaupallinen Yhteistyo, RPEAT Esports and Leksands IF had a really disappointing seasons and they need to work some things out to find their way back to glory. GOONS won group 2 and was the best team of the regular season with an impressive 25-4-1 record. Tunnel Vision was first in group 1 with a 20-5-5 record and was seeded as the second team for the playoffs. Inter Iceland and Djurgarden Hockey were able to finish their great regular season in 2nd spot of their groups while future champions Enigma and one of the most improved teams in Herlev Eagles were the 3rd placing teams of their groups. As always in the last rounds of the regular season, the best battles are found near the playoff line where especially Nordic Stars in group 2 were able to secure the playoff spot with only a points differential to Finnish Roosters. In group 1, Sack Brothers did an excellent job taking the last playoff spot just above strong teams such as Leksands IF and Kiekko-Espoo Esports. Best teams of the ECL 11 Pro regular season: GOONS (25-4-1) Tunnel Vision (20-5-5) Inter Iceland (21-7-2) The most positive surprises of the ECL 11 Pro regular season: Inter Iceland (21-7-2) Djurgården Hockey (20-7-3) Herlev Eagles (20-7-3) Biggest disappointments of the ECL 11 Pro regular season: TIKI TALK (8-14-8) We Kings (8-18-4) Alliance HT (6-18-6) Best powerplay of the ECL 11 Pro regular season: Vaxjo Lakers, 46,34 % Rookie Mistakes, 35,59 % Djurgården Hockey 34,21 % Best penalty kill of the ECL 11 Pro regular season: Tunnel Vision 91,3 % HV71, 90,63 % Blackdawgs, 89,36 % Top player stats of the ECL 11 Pro regular season (Attackers): @Kattenj, (33+41=74) in 30 games, Vaxjo Lakers @Stefan_397, (35+36=71) in 30 games, Inter Iceland @vibholm10, (44+26=70) in 30 games, Herlev Eagles Top player stats of the ECL 11 Pro regular season (Defenders): @Supremski, (7+33=40) in 30 games, Leksands IF @JOHTAJAVIRTANEN (10+29=39) in 30 games, Pata Hellalla @Patsberg_ (13+24=37) in 30 games, Rookie Mistakes Best goalkeepers of the ECL 11 Pro regular season: @SanteriAK47, (240 svs, 83.33 save %, 1.6 GAA, 6 SO, 25 W) in 30 games, GOONS @PLA77NER, (280 svs, 80,23 save %, 2.3 GAA, 4 SO, 21 W) in 30 games, Inter Iceland @Vaporik, (196 svs, 82,7 save%, 1,86 GG, 3 SO 14 W) in 22 games, RCTIC Playoffs Personally I love the first round of the playoffs since it’s where the biggest surprises of the season usually happen. This time there weren't many, though. One of the few upsets was when Rookie Mistakes were able to beat Herlev Eagles in round one with the score 2-4 and the great strength that Vaxjo Lakers were able to show against Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa in the series that turned to Lakers favor with dominantly 4-1. RCTIC, who was playing their first season in Pro did an excellent job and won Inter Iceland 2-4. Other than those couple of pairs, there wasn’t much to out of the ordinary business. Teams that were destined for success advanced to the quarterfinals without any major troubles. Quarterfinals turned out to be anything other than tight. The top four teams of the season GOONS, Tunnel Vision, ZSC Esports and Enigma showed no mercy for their opponents and marched to the semifinals with series, 4-0, 4-0, 0-4 and 4-1. Especially ZSC Esports showed their true potential at this point and put forth a great performance against Djurgarden Hockey who were having almost a perfect season until they met the Swiss lions. It was now clear that all of these four teams were going to have a real shot in the Elite relegation series to be promoted to Elite division for the next season. It was the semifinals where GOONS faced their first losses of the playoffs, however it didn’t stop them advancing to the finals after a 4-2 series win against ZSC Esports. Even though GOONS had been perfect for the whole season, ZSC Esports put up a real fight and in the end the win didn’t come easily. In the other pair, Enigma and Tunnel Vision faced each other in a series that were expected to be super tight and there wasn't a clear favorite to win the series. Both teams had excellent quarterfinals series behind them but Enigma showed real character by beating Tunnel Vision with the score 2-4. This was the moment when the odds of Enigma winning the title increased enormously. Many thought GOONS were still unstoppable and they could win the finals in similar manner that they’ve won the previous series, but Enigma came well prepared and focused for the finals. GOONS were perhaps the better team at the beginning of the finals but in the end there was no question about the winners of the cup. Enigma was able to take advantage of their last season's experience and overcome their finals opponents this time. With a great team performance Enigma kept GOONS out of good scoring positions and converted on their chances with a high success rate. The season eventually ended in finals game seven and Enigma are now the champions of ECL 11 Pro. Season awards ECL 11 Pro Champions: Enigma Best left winger of ECL 11 Pro: @pikkuroger, GOONS @Nieppii, Enigma @BensaPoju, Tunnel Vision Best center of ECL 11 Pro: @laitineen64, Enigma @xKeskitalo, GOONS @Original-SnuS, ZSC Esports Best right winger of ECL 11 Pro: @kriketski17, GOONS @sannteri, Enigma @Sokkelo__ , Tunnel Vision Best left defender of ECL 11 Pro: @Makeaxl, Enigma @viba2008, GOONS @tombo_02, Tunnel Vision Best right defender of ECL 11 Pro: @zNico, Enigma @Miika, GOONS @Haldeem, ZSC Esports Best goalkeeper of ECL 11 Pro: @SanteriAK47, GOONS @Pirtsa89, Enigma @MrAllsvenskan, Vaxjo Lakers All-Stars lineup of ECL 11 Pro: @pikkuroger - @laitineen64 - @kriketski17 @Makeaxl - @zNico @SanteriAK47 Rookie of the year in ECL 11 Pro: @pikkuroger , GOONS @viba2008, GOONS @Pirtsa89, Enigma @tombo_02, Tunnel Vision @LordStanley46_, Djurgarden Hockey We want to thank everyone who took a part in ECL 11 Pro. Once again congratulations to the promoted teams and especially champions Enigma. Now it’s time for teams to start preparing for the new season. The bottom teams of Pro will also take part in the new qualification series which should make the competition even tighter and more exciting than ever before. We have already seen some big moves in the transfer market and can’t wait to see more hidden gems and big names doing great things in the next season. Enjoy your off-season, see you on the ice everyone!

NHLGamers, After a sensational victory in the finals we witnessed captain @Nieppii lifting the cup over his shoulders as Enigma were crowned as the champions of ECL 11 Pro. Enigma was down in the series 2-1 after gameday one but the team showed real character on Wednesday in gameday two and completed the comeback with a 3-4 series win. The trophy will now join Enigma’s players in the sauna where the team can also leave last season’s disappointments behind and start the preparations for the next season in ECL Elite. Enigma's road to the championship: Group stage: 20-9-1 Round 1: Company of Geeks 4-0 Quarterfinals: Vaxjo Lakers 4-1 Semifinals: Tunnel Vision 4-2 Finals: GOONS 4-3 The winning roster: GOALTENDERS #32 @Jaakkomusta #89 @Pirtsa89 DEFENSEMEN #4 @Makeaxl #24 @Tappu A #85 @zNico FORWARDS #38 @Nieppii C #64 @laitineen64 #97 @sannteri A Playoff MVP: #97 @sannteri - Enigma (22 GP, 22+14=36) Congratulations to the champions on behalf of the entire community, and a warm thank you to all participants! If you missed the broadcast, you can rewatch it here:

NHLGamers, Two months ago we started the ECL 11 Pro season with 32 teams and over 260 players. Along the way we saw great games, beautiful goals and some surprises. In the end it’s fair to say that the favorites didn’t disappoint us this season. GOONS and Enigma are the best two teams of the season and they’ve deserved the spotlight of the ECL 11 Pro finals. One of these teams will win the cup and earn the direct promotion to the ECL Elite. Without further ado let’s take a look at our finalists. The ECL 11 Pro Finals will be played tonight, on Monday, 8th of February at 20:00 CET and on Wednesday, 10th of February at 19:45 CET. (1) GOONS Road to finals Regular season: 1st in Group 1 (25-4-1) Playoffs round 1: 4-0 vs Sack Brothers Quarterfinals: 4-0 vs RCTIC Semifinals: 4-2 vs ZSC Esports Predicted starting roster and playoffs stats LW: @pikkuroger: 14GP (23+34=57p) C: @xKeskitalo: 14GP (17+26=43p) RW: @kriketski17: 14GP (21+26=47p) LD: @viba2008: 14GP (3+8=11p) RD: @Miika: 14GP (1+14=15p) G: @SanteriAK47: 14GP (80,56%, 2 GAA, 1SO) Backup players: @McSEPPO @yolonaattori69 (profiilipakki) @Aitis GOONS have had an almost perfect run to the finals. They were the best team in the regular season and in the playoffs the team have crushed their opponents game after game. The team was still without a loss in the playoffs before the semifinal series against ZSC Esports, but the Swiss Lions fought bravely and managed to beat GOONS twice. Despite GOONS being clear winners of the series, ZSC Esports exposed the mortality of their opponents and proved there are some vulnerabilities in GOONS' playing as well. This sends an encouraging message to their final opponents but also helps GOONS to keep their feet grounded. (6) Enigma Road to finals Regular season: 3rd in Group 1 (20-9-1) Playoffs round 1: 4-0 vs Company of Geeks Quarterfinals: 4-1 vs Vaxjo Lakers Semifinals: 4-2 vs Tunnel Vision Predicted starting roster and playoffs stats LW: @Nieppii: 15GP (10+24=34p) C: @laitineen64: 15GP (14+20=34p) RW: @sannteri : 15GP (17+8=25p) LD: @Makeaxl: 15GP (2+11=13p) RD: @zNico: 15GP (1+9=10p) G: @Pirtsa89 : 15GP (79,28%, 1,53 GAA, 1SO) Backup players: @Tappu @Torpantienkovalchuk (JumalanTuhnu) @Jaakkomusta Enigma had a rough start for the season but they managed to improve the further the competition progressed. Especially the last two series wins against Vaxjo Lakers and Tunnel Vision proved that the team has left all their worries behind and are playing with their full potential. The team has been able to turn really close games to their favor and I like to believe they want to continue the same trend in the finals as well. This is the second time in a row that Enigma is playing in the Pro finals so the experience is on their side. However their opponent won’t get any easier than last time against Black Horse. NHLGamer decided to contact the captains of both teams for a short interview. Both teams answered the same questions and they haven’t seen their opponents answers: 1. Your team managed to secure the Pro finals spot in an impressive way. What do you think is the key factor behind the success? Were you convinced already at the start of the season that the finals and possible championship are realistic goals for your team? Before the season started, when I decided to establish GOONS, our aim was to become one of the top teams in the league and to make it even close to the realistic target we needed to sign top players. I introduced the project to @kriketski17 who became excited and started working on gathering a competitive team for the season. I already knew the potential of @pikkuroger and @viba2008, and Kriketski signed the rest of the players to the team. The last piece in the puzzle was when Kriketsi and his team at that time JYP Jyvaskyla made an agreement of the player himself moving to our team. After adding Kriketsi I personally became certain that it would require a really great team to beat GOONS in a seven game series and since then our only goal has been winning the Pro championship. - @Aitis I would say the reasons are the same as in the previous season - individual talent, experience and trusting your own doing. Our team spirit is really good and we are constantly looking for ways to improve our game and willing to hear new advice from each other. As last seasons finalists we were hungry for winning the championship this time but we started the season really poorly. However after we decided to sign young prodigy @laitineen64 to our team, things started to work out and we have had a strong belief in our team again. The main goal was to reach the Elite relegation series but of course we are working towards championship and hopefully we will be able to win it. - @Nieppii 2. What do you think are your biggest strengths in the finals compared to your opponents? We will just play our own game and enjoy. It should be enough to win the cup. - @viba2008 Our strength is in teamplay. We have a great chemistry and everything new we plan to do seems to work out. For example in the Tunnel Vision series we managed to win one of the games following a faceoff set play that we were working on in practice mode. Above all we also have strength between the pipes. @Pirtsa89 has been playing very well and he has saved many almost certain goals. - @sannteri 3. How will the final series end? The final series will end 4-1 in GOONS' favor. Enigma has been able to improve their game during the season and the games will be really tight, but GOONS will bring the cup home. - @Aitis The final series will certainly be tight and small things will make a difference. I would say our sauna is ready for the cup after a 4-2 series win. - @Nieppii As you can see from the answers, both teams are very confident to see the cup in their own sauna after the finals. Especially GOONS are very certain that they don’t need to change a thing in their playing and that’s something we all can really agree on. Enigma has found the winning patterns during the season which they believe will lead them to become the champions. There is also a little mind games in the answers as Enigma would like to pile the pressure on GOONS side. However they are not settling for underdogs status and have a lot of faith in their changes. Interesting points to follow: Former JYP Jyvaskyla teammates right winger @kriketski17 and left defender @Makeaxl will go head to head in opposite teams. There are two players from last seasons champions Black Horse. Enigma center @laitineen64 and GOONS defender @Miika. Which of the players will be able to secure the back to back Pro championship? GOONS and Enigma played against each other in the regular season. GOONS was able to win both games (3-2 and 2-5) but this happened before Enigma signed their key player @laitineen64. Both centermen have pretty similar numbers in faceoff stats (49,7% vs 50,4%) so every faceoff will be decisive. GOONS forwards have over 40% average shooting percentage and they all have scored over 40 points each in the playoffs. Enigma needs to keep these numbers in check if they want to win. Prediction: It’s really hard to pick the favorites for the finals especially after Enigma’s great display against Tunnel Vision who plays with quite similar strengths as compared to GOONS. As captain Nieppi said in the interview, the playoff experience is on Enigma’s side but on the other hand inexperience on the GOONS side hasn't shown in any way this season. The series will be extremely tight and the games will end with minimal goal margins. I believe Enigma will benefit from their excellent form and previous seasons experience ultimately lifting the trophy after a game seven win. Enigma will win the series 4-3. What does the community think? Even though Enigma is now predicted to win the cup, I would still keep the sauna warm in the GOONS camp as well. GOONS has been absolutely outstanding this season but Enigma has once again plowed through adversity to the finals. As always we wish you enjoy the series and cheer for your favorite team. You don’t want to miss this!

NHLGamers, What a season it has been so far and now we are already heading to the semifinals! It seems that I was completely wrong with the predictions of the quarterfinals when it was predicted that the games were going to be extremely tight. All of these four great teams had impressive performances in the quarterfinals beating their opponents with clear margins and they showed us the reason why they belong in the top four of ECL 11 Pro. Now all that remains is to figure out which of these teams will go to the finals. As previously, we here at NHLGamer will take a look at the semifinalists and make our best try at predicting these series. Here is the full schedule for the ECL 11 Pro Playoffs: (1) GOONS vs ZSC Esports (8) GOONS continued their victory march by beating RCTIC with a clear 4-0 score. There isn’t really that much to say, this team is having a perfect season and no-one has been able to find out how to stop them. Left winger @pikkuroger is dominating the stats table with an unbelievable 40 points in just 8 games and his teammates @xKeskitalo and @kriketski17 are right behind him in the top 3. Something that can’t be overlooked is Kriketski‘s playing style. It’s really interesting that a player can score 34 points and have 82 hits in 8 playoff games. I think we’re closing in on the division record since the guy has now hit a total of 378 times in 38 games. While the GOONS attackers are smashing, scoring and stealing the spotlights up front, the teams defenders @Miika(MiiQu81-), @viba2008 and goalkeeper @SanteriAK47 (santerichristian) are keeping their own end clear and giving the team and especially the attacking trio a chance to play brave offensive hockey without the fear that every loose puck will turn into a dangerous counter-attack. As I have described in earlier previews, GOONS is really complete in every part of the game and it takes a lot of work to find out how to overcome them. Could ZSC Esports be the team that will finally figure out the weak points of their opponent and put an end to GOONS perfect season? There is no doubt that the team should be mentally well prepared for this great challenge ahead. ZSC Esports took a really convincing victory over Djurgarden Hockey with a 4-0 score and sent a strong message to the whole league that they deserve to be among the teams competing for the Elite spot for next season. Team captain and center @Original-SnuS is the scoring leader of the team with 17 points in 10 games and the fact that every skater on ice has grabbed pretty much the same amount of points tells a lot about ZSC Esports' style of playing this game. Left winger @Alex28 (I__LX__I) is the best goal scorer for his team with 9 goals in 10 games while right winger @Freeman7187 has concentrated more on the creative side of the game. Defenders @Toneee9 and @Haldeem have played a good season at back and become a known threat on the blueline for their accurate slapshots. Even though we are talking about a great team effort it is the goalkeeper @afc_Tschitsch (eTschitsch) that has become one of the brightest stars for his team and of the whole playoffs as well. 90 saves in 10 games and an outstanding 84.11% save percentage tells the fact that GOONS will be facing the hottest keeper in the division at the moment. Prediction: ‘’Domination’’ is the word to describe GOONS' season and we are still searching for the team that is able to stop them. The individual talent, experience from high level and the way these things have formed up into a single unit have made GOONS unstoppable so far. ZSC Esports has a great task at hand but as the season has shown us this team has been able to improve their game throughout the competition and there is no doubt they will be well prepared for the semifinals as well. However this won’t be enough. It seems to be impossible to stop talented GOONS attackers from scoring and even the rock solid ZSC Esports defense won’t be able to shut the doors this time. ZSC Esports great season will end in the semifinals and GOONS will continue to the finals with a score of 4-1. (2) Tunnel Vision vs Enigma (6) Tunnel Vision played a strong series against Rookie Mistakes in the quarterfinals and the team advanced to the semifinals with a comfortable 4-0 series win. After the first game that ended 1-0 in overtime for Tunnel Vision, Rookie Mistakes couldn’t keep up with the speed of their opponent. It was a great response to the difficulties in the first round of the playoffs against Nordic Stars as this time Tunnel Vision came out as clear winners. Left winger @BensaPoju (Jerskayy) continues his good form and is the top scorer for his team with 12 goals in 10 games. Right winger @Sokkelo__ is right behind him with 9 goals and 16 points in 10 games and center @Pikkardz is a couple of points behind his wingers. Defender @tombo_02 is currently leading the defenders points and assists table with 13 assists and 14 points in 10 games as the other defender @Frilander is clearly the more defensive of the two. Goalkeeper @Erholtzi has been the starting goalie with an 81.08% save percentage and a league leading 1.4 GAA. Tunnel Vision has been able to improve their game a lot since the start of the season and now they have to play at their maximum limits to beat another strong title favorite in the semifinals. Enigma was able to beat the strong Vaxjo Lakers with an impressive 4-1 series win in the quarterfinals. Even though the series ended clearly in Enigma’s favor, games were extremely tight and almost all of the games ended with a one goal margin. Vaxjo Lakers had a great season in the offensive zone and Enigma showed real maturity as they put forth a balanced display with strong defense and finished the series as deserving winners. Left winger and captain @Nieppii is the points leader for Enigma with 24 points in 9 games. Right behind him comes the center @laitineen64 with 21 points and right winger @sannteri has scored 17 points so far. Defenders @Makeaxl and @zNico aren’t enjoying a great playoffs in the points department but it’s clear that their job in this team is to defend while the goal scoring is left to the forwards and they have done their job with great success. In this series we’re also having a matchup between two great goalkeepers as Enigma keeper @Pirtsa89 is also having a great season with 81.69% in save percentage and a 1.44 GAA. Enigma was really close to being one of the Elite division teams this season and they are now certainly hungrier than ever for success and claiming what they feel is theirs. Prediction: In the end Tunnel Vision had a smooth run to the semifinals as they were able to play their own game at the best level. Tunnel Vision has been constantly improving this season and now they are facing a team with a pretty similar story. It’s obvious that both of these teams have a real shot to earn the promotion to Elite this season but also both teams want to do that with the Pro division title in their trophy case. In my opinion Enigma’s series against Vaxjo Lakers was really promising. The team knows what it takes to shut down even the most dangerous attacking opponents and this could give them an edge over Tunnel Vision. That's why I believe that the series will be tight but Enigma will advance to the finals with the score 2-4. That’s it! The predictions have been given. Now it’s time for the teams to prove them true or false. Every one of the teams are now one step closer reaching the finals and winning the competition. We at NHLGamer wish you enjoy the games whether you’re playing or watching them. Remember to respect the opponents and have fun! Please tell us your favorites in the comments section below and also other feedback that comes on your mind. Let the games begin!

NHLGamers, The first round of the playoffs is now behind and now we know the quarterfinalists of ECL 11 Pro. The best eight teams of the season are now one step closer to the semifinals and their place in the Elite relegation series. Like in the previous seasons, the winner of the competition will automatically get the spot in ECL 12 Elite and other semifinalists will have their shot in the relegation series against bottom Elite teams. However it’s certain that none of the teams in the competition is thinking only about the relegation series as everyone has an equal chance to win the title and have their names written in the history books. The first round of the playoffs in general went pretty much as expected. Teams that were clear favorites to win had no big problems beating their opponents and the series that were expected to be tight until the final games didn’t disappoint us either. Many new teams and players were able to experience the Pro playoffs for the first time and I bet those players can’t wait to do it again and go even further next time. Here is the full schedule for the ECL 11 Pro Playoffs: Now it’s time to focus on the remaining teams of the competition. All of these eight teams have deserved their place in the quarterfinals and from now on it’s going to be almost impossible to predict the favorites or the winners of the series. Nevertheless we decided to try our best. (1) GOONS vs RCTIC (12) GOONS had no mercy for Sack Brothers in the first round of the playoffs as their series ended 4-0 and GOONS scored 26 goals in four games. Sack Brothers decided bravely to head to the series with an attacking mindset, which turned out to be very costly for them. GOONS punished the opponents from every mistake and when there was too much space given for them in the offensive zone, the puck usually found its way to the back of the net. The first playoff round was a really complete display from the team as the whole season has been so far. This time Sack Brothers wasn’t able to put the team to a real test and GOONS must avoid getting too comfortable with the current situation as they will face a really different kind of opponent in the next round. RCTIC was able to beat Inter Iceland in the first playoff round with the series score 2-4. RCTIC did a really good job forcing their opponents out of their comfort zone as Inter Iceland couldn’t play their really direct, attacking and fast phased style of hockey. The same mentality must continue in the next round as well, as their next challengers are currently the best team in the league. One of the biggest strengths of RCTIC is their ability to adapt to the way their opponents play. Finding the right balance between attack and defense was enough against Inter Iceland, this time a defense first mentality will most likely be their key to success. The quality in the RCTIC roster is definitely enough to challenge GOONS, so they won't have to think about going full turtle mode for this series. Key points to follow: Familiar enemies: These teams have already faced each other in the regular season and GOONS were able to win both games in regulation time (2-1, 1-4). There wasn’t that big of a difference between the two teams and I'm pretty sure both teams have processed what they could have done better back then. The team that has done their homework better, will have an advantage heading into the series. Theme of the series: We’re yet to see RCTIC playing with the same defensive mentality that led them to success last year in the FCL. It’ll be interesting to see how much RCTIC will sacrifice from their offense to keep their own end safe and how this will affect GOONS' playing since getting into the zone has been relatively easy for them so far. Every mistake counts: GOONS were merciless against Sack Brothers in every mistake they made. Although RCTIC isn’t known for making lots of mistakes, even they have to concentrate with extra care not to give any leeway for their opponent. The same goes both ways especially if RCTIC manages to shut down the blue line like they are able to do at their best, every single missed pass or giveaway can become very costly for GOONS. Prediction: GOONS haven’t shown any real weaknesses yet, but I believe that RCTIC is a team that could expose some. GOONS will start the series strong but the further the series go on, the more RCTIC will figure out their opponents tricks. We could see a surprisingly even series but in the end the quality of the GOONS roster and the confidence in their playing will take them to the next round with the score 4-3. (2) Tunnel Vision vs Rookie Mistakes (10) Tunnel Vision did what was expected from them as the team advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 4-2 score against Nordic Stars. However it didn’t come easily for them as Nordic Stars proved to be very worthy opponents and were really close to taking the series to game seven. Small things that differentiate good teams from excellent were the difference makers in this series and led the right team to the next round. I could believe that despite the victory, Tunnel Vision isn’t completely happy with their display in the first round. This could actually serve them well as there won’t be a danger that the team would get too confident which can sometimes lead to underestimating the opponents or certain aspects of the game. Despite the fact that the first round didn’t go as smoothly as the team would have hoped, I still see Tunnel Vision as one of the strongest candidates for the cup this season. Rookie Mistakes played a really good series against Herlev Eagles. Despite the underdog status Rookie Mistakes was able to win the series 2-4 and advance to the next round. Herlev Eagles was having a great season in the attacking zone, but Rookie Mistakes didn’t have to change much of their usual way of playing to overcome their opponents. At times their opponent held control of the games but Rookie Mistakes didn’t panic and the team was able to score when it was needed the most. The first round was definitely promising from Rookie Mistakes and their next opponents have a really similar style of playing the game as Herlev Eagles did. If the team can keep their confidence and continue in the same form as so far, they will have a real shot against one of the favorites in the competition. Key points to follow: Artists on ice: There is an enormous amount of individual talent on the ice when these two teams meet. We will see plenty of brave 1v1 challenges and clever passes from every player. Especially the defensemen will play a major role in this series as they don’t want these guys slipping out of their hands and alone against the goalie because the puck will be in the net with a very high likelihood. Old friends: Tunnel Vision defender @tombo_02 and Rookie Mistakes defender @Patsberg_ will face their old teams from ECL 10 Pro in this series. This kind of situation will always add an extra spice to the mix. Both sides want to prove that they made the right decision leaving the club and of course both players can inform their own teams of the weaknesses and strengths of their opponents. Withstanding pressure: Tunnel Vision is expected to be the stronger of the two sides. After a convincing victory against Herlev Eagles, Rookie Mistakes have proven that they have what it takes to challenge every team remaining in the tournament and even challenge for the cup at the end. Pressure has always two sides to it, you can suffer from it or you can benefit from it. I believe the pressure could actually help Tunnel Vision with focusing on the game and to play more as a team which will give them an advantage in series like this. Prediction: You could say that the first playoff round worked out as a minor wake up call for Tunnel Vision and they will be more prepared to face their opponents this time. Rookie Mistakes have done an excellent job this far but now they will face an obstacle that is too big to overcome. Tunnel Vision will thrive under pressure and advance to the next round with the score 4-2. (4) Djurgarden Hockey vs ZSC Esports (8) Djurgarden Hockey won against Blackdawgs in the first round of the playoffs with the score being 4-2. The start of the series was really tight and there were short periods where Blackdawgs had clear control of the game. However, Djurgarden Hockey took the lead in the the series and kept it all the way to the end with a confident performance. As predicted, Djurgarden Hockey didn’t have to change a thing in their playing from the regular season as the team is already playing with a style that will serve them well in the playoffs. This time they will face a team with a more structured and disciplined playing style than in the first round and it’s going to be a really different kind of challenge ahead. The first games of the series will show us how well their system is working, but I would say that they don’t need to make any changes to their current way of playing the game. ZSC Esports did an excellent job beating Pata Hellalla by 4-2. Especially in the last games of the series Pata Hellalla was unable to make important blocks on the shots of ZSC Esports defenders who scored several goals from the blueline. In general, the series were really tight and almost every game of the series ended with a one goal margin. ZSC Esports kept the puck possession for the majority of the series and I believe they will do the same in the next series as well. The team must feel happy as they were finally able to advance through the first playoff round and it will also serve as a massive confidence boost for the whole squad. In the next round ZSC Esports has to be prepared to work even harder as they will face one of the best defensive teams in the league. Key points to follow: Trap hockey galore: Both of these teams trust their disciplined team playing where all five skaters are involved when the team is attacking or defending. Getting into the offensive zone will be really difficult since both of these teams are excellent in blocking the blueline. That’s why I believe that the team that will figure out how to clear the trap better will win the series. We could very well see more dump and chase action in this series than in the whole season so far. Powerplay: As the margins are already really small between these two teams, powerplay will become a really important factor. Djurgarden Hockey had an excellent powerplay in the regular season which continued in the first round of the playoffs as well. ZSC Esports took quite a lot of penalties in the regular season so they can’t continue the same trend against Djurgarden Hockey if they want to win. The same goes both ways of course especially now when the ZSC Esports defenders have found the perfect aim for their shots. Faceoffs: It’s as simple as that, every faceoff will be important in a series that is not expected to have many goals scored in any of the games. Everyone knows how easy it’s to score from a faceoff set play if your opponents aren’t prepared for it. Every player needs to know their role and the centerman needs to make the right decision at the right time, so the eyes will be laid especially on @LordStanley46_ and @Original-SnuS. Prediction: I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the games would go to overtime in this series. These teams are really equally balanced and their strengths are very similar. I believe that experience will become the difference maker and that’s why ZSC Esports will take the series home with a game seven overtime goal and win the series 3-4. (6) Enigma vs Vaxjo Lakers (7) Enigma took a convincing 4-0 series win over Company of Geeks and kept their excellent playoff form running. It was a pretty similar story compared to the series between GOONS and Sack Brothers where the winner of the series was better in every part of the game. In the second round of the playoffs Enigma is facing one of the hottest teams at the moment and they have to be well prepared for the new challenge. However the ECL 10 Pro runner-ups know what it takes to win in the playoffs and they have clearly reached their top form now when it’s needed the most. The team did an excellent job against Company of Geeks in shutting down their attacks at the blueline and were able to score with terrifying efficiency when they were given access to the high percentage shooting areas. Vaxjo Lakers are in flames. They were able to beat Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa in the first round of the playoffs with a score of 4-1 and on my paper they are now among one of the biggest favorites to win the cup this season. The way these guys can find their linemates stick at the near post is absolutely amazing and their goalkeeper @MrAllsvenskan is having a tremendous season so far. Enigma needs to take extra care of tending to the passing lanes when Vaxjo Lakers are in the offensive zone or the puck will be in the net in the blink of an eye. After beating a team such as Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa that is known for strong defensive play, it’s interesting to see how well they will do against Enigma who aren’t so defensively oriented. However, Enigma is also having an excellent form and they will surely give Vaxjo Lakers a run for their money. Key points to follow: Maximum attack: Neither of these teams want to give the puck possession to their opponents and go full defensive mode. We should see a pretty open game with lots of scoring opportunities and beautiful goals. Both teams have excellent finishers in their lineup so it will be a busy series for both of the goalies. Also defenders will play a key role for their teams as they have to put full focus into marking in their own zone to help the work of the goalies. Powerplay: Vaxjo Lakers is currently the best powerplay team in the league. Enigma had a pretty low powerplay percentage in the regular season but they were able to score five powerplay goals in four games in the first round of the playoffs. If you’ve seen Vaxjo Lakers' powerplay you know that it’s close to perfection so Enigma will have to stay away from the penalty box and also keep the current form of their own powerplay. Hunger: In ECL 10 Pro, Enigma was really close to winning the finals against Black Horse and very close to beating Gotham Knights in the Elite relegation series but they were left without a reward. This time they are determined to do better and prove everyone they deserve the spot in Elite. On the other side of the table Vaxjo Lakers are hungry to avenge their loss against Enigma in the ECL 10 Pro quarterfinals so there is a lot of pride at stake in this series. Prediction: I believe that this series will be very entertaining to watch but frustrating to play in. Both of these teams can create scoring chances out of nothing so the focus has to be 100% in the game and on marking your man. I will take a risk and bet against the odds in this one. Vaxjo Lakers will be the stronger of the two sides and advance to the semifinals with the score 3-4. The stakes are getting higher after every round of the playoffs and winning in the quarterfinals will be yet another milestone in reaching the dream of playing in the Elite division. The games will be incredibly intense and great entertainment for us viewers. Play hard and fair, remember to respect your opponents and don’t forget to enjoy the games. There are many players in this community that are dreaming of playing in the ECL Pro quarterfinals so remember to cherish the moment. May the best team win!

NHLGamers, The regular season of ECL 11 Pro is now finished and the ‘’big games’’ will begin. It didn’t come as a surprise that the race for the playoff spots and better positions in the standings extended all the way to the last rounds of the season. Both groups were extremely tight and there were some surprises along the way but I think it’s fair to say that the best 16 teams will decide the winner of ECL 11 Pro. As brutal as it is, the season is now over for half of the teams in the Pro division. Many feel disappointed, others may have found courage when they noticed they have what it takes to compete at the Pro level. It’s now time for these teams to start preparing for the upcoming season with a brand new league structure which will make the competition even harder. On behalf of NHLGamer we want to thank you for another successful season. See you next time, come back stronger! Here is the full schedule for the ECL 11 Pro Playoffs: Now it’s time to focus on our gladiators on stage. Ladies and gentlemen, here are the matchups of the ECL 11 Pro playoff round 1: (1) GOONS vs Sack Brothers (8) When the season started it was clear that the reinforced GOONS were going to challenge for the top spots in group 2 and they surely didn’t disappoint. GOONS won the group and were the best team of the entire division with most points and only five losses in the regular season. Former JYP Jyvaskyla player @kriketski17, who joined the team right before the season started has made a massive impact for his team: 69 points and an unbelievable 296 hits in 30 games! However the success hasn’t been only on Kriketsi’s shoulders. After a bad start and confusion on the transfer market, pretty much everything has gone right for GOONS. Goalkeeper @SanteriAK47 (santerichristian) was the best keeper of the regular season with most wins and an 83.33% save percentage in 30 games. This is also thanks to both of the defenders, experienced @Miika(MiiQu81-) and rising star @viba2008 who have found the perfect chemistry at the back end. Also other attackers @xKeskitalo and @pikkuroger scored over 60 points this season so it was a very complete display from the whole team. I like to believe that I wasn’t the only one who underestimated Sack Brothers at the start of the season. The former Lite champions didn’t have the easiest preseason after losing two of their leading players before the season started. Sack Brothers proved everyone wrong right from the beginning of the season, winning seven out of their first ten games. After the midpoint of the season it seemed that the course had shifted when the team had a seven game losing streak but they managed to end the regular season in style and took the last playoff spot in group 1. @snippystatue was the second player in the regular season who managed to score 40 goals and new signing @Jjomppa who was playing in the Neo division last season has made an impressive leap to the higher stages. Captain @Datupeijooni(Datzonee) continues to be the player that brings the balance between attack and defense and at the back end defenders @Tuulimylly91 and @Persusta95 / @urkk1 have done convincing work and helped their team to gather some crucial points along the way. @mikeruud who was the best goalkeeper in ECL 10 Lite has been sharing the time in net with @Esko-etikka and it will be interesting to see who will be the starting goalie when the series begins. Prediction: GOONS will start the series as firm favorites. They’ve had the best offense, best defense and best goaltender. However Sack Brothers have already achieved something that only a few could have known and this will put all the pressure on GOONS side. Both teams have an excellent powerplay (>30% powerplay efficiency) which means every penalty could be decisive. Sack Brothers have also proved in the last season that it doesn’t matter if it’s a regular season or playoff game, they can keep their own level. This is a question mark on GOONS side, since the team is heading to the first playoffs with the current roster. Despite all of this it’s really hard to see GOONS losing the series. Both of these teams want to play free flowing attacking hockey and that is where higher division experience of GOONS players will give the team an upper hand. Whatever the result is, this is going to be a fun series to watch. And if Sack Brothers could cause the upset, boy, that would be something to be marked in history books with big markings. GOONS will win the series against Sack Brothers 4-1. (1) Tunnel Vision vs Nordic Stars (8) Tunnel Vision had a rough start to the season. When we were closing in on the midpoint of the season it’s fair to say that the team was heavily underachieving. Then something clicked and the team started to fulfill the high expectations set to them. The last half of the regular season was a complete Tunnel Vision show in group 1 and in the final round they were able to secure the top spot of the standings. Left winger @BensaPoju(Jerskayy) who was marked as the player to watch at season preview had a successful regular season and he has been the most lethal player for his team with 36 goals and 69 points in 30 games. In the end also his linemates on attack @Pikkardz and @Sokkelo__ were able to reach their own level and finish the regular season with +60 points. Defender @tombo_02 has played very well and his defensive partner @Frilander has filled the spot that was left behind by @Eemil with great success. The goalies of the team have been splitting the playing time quite equally for now, but I believe it’s the team captain @Erholtzi who will be the starting goalie to the series. It took some time to reach the full team potential that these great individuals have, but now they look unstoppable. Here we are again, it’s another playoff season for Nordic Stars. In recent seasons, the playoffs have been very unfortunate for the Nordic Stars as the team’s season has always ended in the first round despite the excellent playing in the regular season. This time Nordic Stars struggled a bit as they had to go all the way to the last round of the regular season to win the spot in the playoffs. Could this be a good sign? It’s not a surprise that Captain @Vire30 has been the best attacker for his team this season with 54 points in 30 games. Other attackers @Iltapeli(apetttaja) and @Jerax13 aren’t that far in the stats table but it will be about much more than just finding goals for Nordic Stars this time. If the team wishes to cause a major surprise in the first round, defenders @Katunarski and @kikiukko will need all the help they get from the attackers. Also goalkeeper @Konu(xBenuu) will have to put forth his best performances so far to help his team to get rid of the playoff curse. The potential is surely there and the individual talent in this team is really high as well. Especially the last ten games of the regular season went really well for the team so the confidence is high and the winning form has been found. Prediction: The pressure of winning will of course be on Tunnel Vision’s side but the team managed to overcome some serious troubles already during the regular season and this should have prepared their mental side for the playoffs as well. If Nordic Stars want to win the series, they will have to focus on disciplined defending and effective counter-attacking. However I can’t see Nordic Stars playing full trap-turtle kind of hockey so the players with the more defensive duties in the team will play a huge role for the team's success. Tunnel Vision has lots of playoff experience and they are a really complete team in every sector of the game. Only point that could be seen as a weakness for Tunnel Vision is their faceoff winning percentage (45.62%). If Nordic Stars could take advantage of this and gather a couple of goals with offensive faceoff tactics, things could get interesting. Nordic Stars have also taken quite many penalties in the regular season and this is what both teams should focus on. This is probably the hardest series for Nordic Stars in their near ECL history. Tunnel Vision is one of the clearest favourites for the cup and they are in excellent form. That's why: Tunnel Vision will win the series against Nordic Stars 4-0 (2) Djurgarden Hockey vs Blackdawgs (7) Djurgarden Hockey was one of the teams that took the biggest steps forward compared to their last season In ECL 10 Pro where the team was left out of the playoffs by five points margin. Balance is the word to describe the reason behind the success. Team has been great in every part of the game this season and their playing style is going to be really suitable for playoff hockey as well. Former Almost Famous and KOVA Esports defender @jahajaha93 has brought the experience and confidence to Djurgarden Hockey’s back end which has helped his team to become one of the best defensive teams in the league. Stability at the back has also given his defensive pair and team captain @Jungledonk more freedom in offense, which has led him being one of the most effective defensemen in the league with 37 points in 30 games. One of the players in the attacking trio that deserves a special mention is the center @LordStanley46_, who started his career in ECL 10 Neo with champions Jarnkaminerna and is now heading to the ECL 11 Pro playoffs in his second ECL season! He surely has lots to thank for in wingers @Birkedal96 and @amadee21, who both are also playing their best season right now. Goalkeeper @Sorsa103 has been at his own consistent level the whole season and must be enjoying playing behind the current lineup. Blackdawgs have had a pretty similar season so far as last time in ECL 10 Pro where the team finished 6th after the regular season. Last time they were able to beat TIKI TALK in the first round of the playoffs but this time they will face a team with a really different style of playing. The team roster has changed a lot from last season and the lineup seems to still be finding it's final form. @TheArska (XxProArskaxX) who was the team's leading point scorer last season hasn’t been included in the playing squad lately. Winger @Kucherov86 (Jalkkin-) has moved to defense and defender @Mistertyppo95 is now a center. @James(Jamechkin) has moved from his center position to right winger. These kinds of changes always raises questions - is the team confident and ready for the upcoming games, but when you watch the results from the last part of the regular season it has clearly had a positive effect on the teams playing. @dzouvi has been their star on offense with 53 points in 30 games and former HUIPPUPASSI defender @Mikax222 is having the best season of his career. Captain and goalkeeper @Serg1vratar has made some brave changes during the season. At Least it is clear now that if the lineup changes are the way to turn the series into Blackdawgs' favour, they have the courage and ability to do so. Prediction: This will be the first time for Djurgarden Hockey in the playoffs. However, as said before the team is already playing with a style that could lead Djurgarden Hockey go far this season. Blackdawgs have gathered twice the amount of penalty minutes compared to their opponent and this is something that should be noted in both camps. As both teams are a real threat in powerplay it’s clear that there won’t be room for stupid penalties. If Djurgarden Hockey can continue playing with the stability they have been playing all season, it’s going to be a long series for Blackdawgs finding their way through their defense. On the other hand I see no major reasons why Blackdawgs couldn’t repeat the same outcome as in the last season, if they can find the balance and chemistry in the lineup after some shaking up. This series will not be an easy one for neither of these teams but I believe that Djurgarden Hockey has more quality as a team and more confidence after an outstanding regular season, therefore: Djurgarden Hockey will advance to the next round with a 4-2 score. (2) Inter Iceland vs RCTIC (7) The biggest surprise of the season so far - Inter Iceland has been phenomenal. The team that was called Shooting Stars in ECL 10 Pro finished in 12th place back then and was left out of the playoffs by a large margin. This time Inter Iceland finished 2nd in group 1 and without the bad period at the end of the season they would have won the group. Left winger @Stefan_397 has been in flames this season with 71 points in 30 games and his fellow attackers @Fire_019 and @x Holtbeast (xReuTschNer98x) have also enjoyed +50 points each in the regular season. Inter Iceland’s playbook relies on fast attack playing which sometimes may leave defenders a bit vulnerable. It seems that the arrival of experienced defender @xLVxRitchey has had a positive effect on the whole team and with his defensive partners @Drew-LeBlanc19 and @Charly Inter Iceland has been able to attack without a fear of deadly counter attacks. Team captain and goaltender @PLA77NER (Hasek-39--) has been among the best goalkeepers this season with a 80.23% save percentage in 30 games. If the team can improve their powerplay and penalty killing stats in the playoffs, Inter Iceland can continue surprising teams and make this season one to remember for them. RCTIC was promoted from the Lite division before the season started and they have truly shown that NHLGamer staff made the correct decision. There was no doubt that this team could challenge for the playoff spot this season and they didn’t disappoint. @Hullued has been their most effective player so far with 60 points in 30 games. RCTIC made some changes in the last part of the regular season where center Hullued and left winger @meicci switched places and the team ended the season with a six game winning streak. Right winger @Pursuitti has also had a good season and his experience from Pro playoffs will be valuable for the team. Something that is certain is that you don’t want to let the defender @layout get shots on net. The captain has buried the puck with an incredible 44.4% shot efficiency from the point. I believe that @Mameluck88 who is currently playing his best season so far will be the starting LD for his team but @Zoueli will be ready to jump in if changes are needed. Experienced @Vaporik will most likely be the starting goalie for RCTIC. He has the past experience of successful playoff run with Almost Famous in ECL 6 Pro and he’s been great this season with his 82,7% save percentage in 22 games. Prediction: This will be a tricky one. Inter Iceland has been excellent but their last rounds of the regular season were pretty bad. RCTIC was able to finish the season with a winning streak but their opponents were from the bottom of the table. Inter Iceland masters the fast counter attacking hockey and they have been able to win against teams that have really disciplined defence such as RCTIC. On the other hand RCTIC has shown especially in the FCL playoffs that they can be an excellent playoff team. It will also be a battle between two excellent goalies so I won’t expect many goals scored in this series. One thing that must be pointed out is that RCTIC has played only one ECL matchup in the Middle European server this season while Inter Iceland has got used to the ping difference between two matches. I’m pretty sure this will only have a minor effect on the results and it will be a tight series regardless of the circumstances. I believe this series will go all the way to a game seven where RCTIC will continue their good playoff form and be crowned as the ‘’Kings of Ice’’. RCTIC will win the series 4-3. (3) Herlev Eagles vs Rookie Mistakes (6) At the start of the season it was known that Herlev Eagles were going to be way better than they were back in ECL 10 Pro. The team took the league by storm, including a 13 game winning streak in their campaign and at the end of the season their player to watch @vibholm10 was crowned as the best goal scorer with an astonishing 44 goals in 30 games. He and their other winger @Spearzz_ been fed all season by center @Dreamickie who was the best playmaker of the season with 51 assists in 30 games. Goalkeeper @jubens_ has also played a good season with an around 80% save percentage in 30 games but the questions lies in their defense. It’s really interesting to see how the RD position will be filled in the playoffs. @oSandello has been the clear first choice for the LD position but the RD spot is shared with three different players. The last part of the regular season was honestly quite poor from the team and Herlev Eagles still have work to do returning to their earlier form. Despite the bad ending for the season, Herlev Eagles is still one of the best attacking teams in the whole league and at least they won’t become overconfident before the playoffs. Rookie Mistakes were really close to getting to the playoffs already in their first season in ECL 10 Pro and this time they did it with style. It’s really impressive that all five skaters have had over 30 points this season. It means that it’s not enough to shut down only the attackers when playing against Rookie Mistakes when the defenders @Patsberg_ and @LE1PAKONE (NordZman_) have the skill to finish on the rush as well. Attacking trio @Flopper71, @xColeslaww and @Niskalaukaus have been playing together since the beginning of Rookie Mistakes and they have found that chemistry on ice that every team is after. Their point totals this season might not be as good as those of their opponents but it’s also because Rookie Mistakes defenders are often involved in their offensive play. Goalkeeper @Ilezki_‘s numbers in net aren’t the best in the league but this is due to the fact the team focuses heavily on attacking which can cause some difficult counter attacks for their goalie. However the numbers have been good enough to lead the team to the playoffs. Rookie Mistakes' powerplay has also been excellent this season and they are currently in good form. Prediction: I believe that this series will be one to watch for people that like to see attacking hockey at its best and lots of goals. Two very similar teams go head to head in their first Pro playoffs and neither of these teams want to park the bus. Both teams rely heavily on attack so we will see coast to coast action from the very beginning to the final buzzer. Both teams want to avoid time in the penalty box since neither of the teams have been that great on penalty killing. That's why I believe that powerplay will play a major role in this series and the team that is able to figure out how to keep their own net clean during it, will have the upper hand. Both of these teams can be happy how their season has gone so far and there won’t be any extra pressure on either side. It will be all about adapting to your opponents game and the team that has more quality on finishing will win the series. I believe this time it’s @vibholm10 and his friends in Herlev Eagles, who will win the series 4-2. (3) Enigma vs Company of Geeks (6) Enigma’s season has been pretty similar to that of Tunnel Vision. Although Enigma had an even worse start and from the first ten games the team was able to win only three. Enigma made some adjustments to their roster as ECL 10 Pro champion @laitineen64 joined the team as starting centerman and @Ojamoska transferred to Elite team SJ Gaming. Since then the team's game has been reaching the potential that was expected before the season. Captain @Nieppii has continued where he left off last season being the best point scorer for his team. @laitineen64‘s arrival has been excellent as he has gathered 55 points in only 24 games. Right winger @sannteri might be a couple of points behind his linemates at the moment but his influence will be important in the playoffs as the last seasons have proved. After a rough start also defender @Makeaxl has reached his own level and with his, @Tappu‘s and @zNico‘s help Enigma has been able to bring back the balance in defense that will help them win games night after night. @Pirtsa89, who is playing his first season in Pro seems to be the starting goalie for now, but I bet @Jaakkomusta is ready for duty if he’s called upon. Company of Geeks are playing their best season in a long time. They were among the teams that were able to improve their game significantly between the Pro seasons. Last time in ECL 10 Pro, the team had to fight for a Pro spot in the relegation series so compared to that, this season has been a massive success for them. Right winger @oggezed has been a playmaking machine this season with 50 assists and center @Jesus is the best goal scorer for his team. Adding the young and gifted winger @BlazEm0de-- (xDomin-) to their lineup has given the team a needed boost in the offensive zone and the team was one of the best goal scoring teams in the whole league. On the downside this hasn’t been the easiest season for defenders @Viktorhall, @Kingen_86and goalkeeper @Varabajare (eCeleste31) as the team has conceded the most goals compared to other teams in the playoffs. Team stats say that Company of Geeks hasn’t been able to score on powerplay but this seems to be because the captains haven’t added the results correctly on the website. The same reason is behind the excellent penalty killing percent as well. Therefore the opposing team shouldn’t focus on these numbers too much. Prediction: Company of Geeks needs to figure out their defensive game if they want to challenge talented Enigma. On the other side, Enigma needs to make sure that they won’t start a scoring contest with Company of Geeks since the team is really dangerous if the game starts flowing from coast to coast. Last season Enigma started playing their best game when the playoffs started and the same is expected to happen again. The playoff experience and current good form should be enough for Enigma to take the series. However Company of Geeks have already made a great run this season which will give them a massive confidence boost for the start of the series. If Company of Geeks could start the series strong, continue punishing their opponents with dangerous counter attacks from takeaways and find the balance to keep their own net clean, it could become a very challenging series for Enigma. I still believe that individual talent and the way those individuals have blended to a team during the season will result in Enigma winning the series comfortably. Enigma will advance to the next round with the score 4-1. (4) Vaxjo Lakers vs Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa (5) Vaxjo Lakers has had a solid season so far. They have been the better team in most of the games and many of the defeats they have faced have come as a surprise in matchups where the team has been clearly the better side either in the first or in the second game. I like to believe that Vaxjo Lakers haven’t shown their full potential just yet and their opponents should be prepared for this. Right winger @Kattenj has been the MVP of the season so far with 74 points in 30 games. He has found the perfect chemistry with @EDHOLMINHO and former Farjestad BK player @eBasstian on attack and especially on the powerplay this trio has been extremely lethal with a triangle setup around the net. Vaxjo Lakers have a stunning 46,34 % success rate on powerplay so the opponents must avoid penalties at all costs. @Hockeyjohannes has been the backbone of the defence and goalkeeper @MrAllsvenskan serves as the final lock in the net. We will see who will play the RD position as @Samuel edholm (EDHOLMEN3) and @Gustafsson7 have been splitting the game time so far. This shouldn’t affect too much on the teams playing since both guys are having a good season. Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa’s season has been a mixed one. The first half of the season was mostly victorious but the team faced some troubles at the end of the season. Still they were able to secure the playoff spot comfortably at the end of the regular season. All three attackers @Ikavalko, @JesseL2002 and @Naikou88 have had a solid +40 points season and also both defenders @Crisu_rottisand @MCH_98 have been able to gather a good amount of points during the season. Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa relies on good team performance, there won’t be a goal scoring festival on ice when this team is playing and that can also be seen in the stats table. Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa’s style of hockey will serve them well in the playoffs and at times it can get really frustrating for the opposing team to find holes in FKV’s disciplined defense and that is when the Wolves will strike back. Despite the relatively low individual stats on attack, Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa has the quality to punish their opponent if they lose their focus and I believe that is what the team is aiming for. The team has two excellent goalies @Kaapro666 (X_KABA_X) and @SpiderRoyal and my guess is that X_KABA_X , who is currently playing his best season in net, will be the starting goalie for the series. Prediction: Here we have two teams that are in completely different forms at the moment. Vaxjo Lakers had a great run in the last part of the season while Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa was struggling a bit. However both teams ended their season comfortably in the middle of playoff seeding and the margins will be extremely small in this matchup. Both teams are really balanced and stacked with individual talent. Vaxjo Lakers powerplay will definitely be one of the deciding factors and points to follow in this series. If Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa can succeed in penalty killing they can take away one of the biggest weapons Vaxjo Lakers have had this season although this alone won’t be enough to turn the series as neither of the teams have had problems staying out of the penalty box. Both teams desperately want to win the series as both teams have a pretty equal chance for winning the cup this season. Predicting this series is extremely difficult so I have to trust that Vaxjo Lakers will benefit from their current form and start the series with a couple of tight wins which will give them a mental edge over their opponents and carry them through to the second round. Therefore Vaxjo Lakers will win the series 4-2. (4) Pata Hellalla vs ZSC Esports (5) Pata Hellalla did what was expected already in the season preview. Last season they managed to stay in the league by winning the relegation series and since then the team has been able to constantly improve their game and now it has rewarded them with a 4th place in the regular season and a place in the playoffs. Fast straight forward hockey has suited the team and it’s players very well and with the right mindset this team can be a really tricky opponent. From the players of the team, defender @JOHTAJAVIRTANEN deserves to be singled out with an incredible 39 points in 30 games which gave him a second place in defenders stats in regular season. Center @Tetrejev is the scoring leader for his team with 51 points in 30 games and both wingers @siiderihai and @vizka13 have had a solid +40 points season as well. Captain @kungenkurwa also has 30 points in the bag so it has been an excellent season not only for the team but for every player personally as well. Goalkeeper @Nixa_da_fck has had another good season with a 80.18% save percentage as he continues taking steps forward in his career. It is great to see how much a team can improve between seasons without any major changes in the roster. Pata Hellalla should serve as an example for many teams in the community. Since getting the promotion to Pro division ZSC Esports has been a familiar team in the playoffs. In the previous seasons the journey has ended in the first round, but the opponent has always been almost the hardest possible for them. This time they won’t be facing Vesa Pompa or Enigma but winning won’t be any easier despite that as they will face another heavily offensive-oriented team. @Alex28 (I__LX__I) has played the best season of his career with 68 points in 30 games and he should be marked with extra care. Center and captain @Original-SnuS has had another good season and on the right wing @Freeman7187 will most likely be the starting player despite missing 10 games compared to other attackers. Defender @Toneee9 was one of the best defenders in ECL 10 Lite and he has continued the good form in Pro division as well with 30 points in 26 games. @Haldeem will continue being his solid self at the RD position. Every attacker who has played against this guy knows that there seems to be now way around him so especially Vizka- will have lots of work ahead. @afc_Tschitsch will most likely be the starting goalie for the team while @burban26 will have to wait for his turn. ZSC Esports had the most hits after GOONS in the regular season so Pata Hellalla should keep their heads up. Prediction: Both teams have had a pretty similar season so far winning most of their games without any major winning or losing streaks. ZSC Esports has had twice as many penalties as Pata Hellalla this season and their penalty killing percentage is quite low. If Pata Hellalla could improve their powerplay to the playoffs this could give them an advantage but also if ZSC Esports could stay away from the penalty box they should be the stronger team in the 5v5 game. Just like in the Inter Iceland vs RCTIC series, servers will play a minor role in how the series will go but it can’t be used as an excuse since both teams are in a similar position. ZSC Esports has scored more goals than Pata Hellalla this season and conceded less, so the stats will be on ZSC Esports' side at the start of the series. I believe that ZSC Esports have more hunger for success since the past seasons have ended in the first round of the playoffs for them, while Pata Hellalla has already made great work finding their way out of the relegation zone to the playoffs. That’s why ZSC Esports will win the series 4-2 As the old saying is: ‘’Anything can happen in the playoffs’’. It’s already a great achievement to play your way to the playoffs but now we will truly see who is the best of the best. We hope you enjoy playing or watching the games. Play hard and fair, respect your opponents and have fun! As always the comment section is open for your opinions and feedback of this article and the playoff series itself.

NHLGamers, Christmas is just around the corner and we have great news from the Finnish Lapland as the ice hockey club Rovaniemen Kiekko (RoKi), from the official hometown of Santa Claus - Rovaniemi, joins the world of NHL esports. The roster of Basic Instinct has represented RoKi Esports in ECL 11 Lite group 7 where the team has secured a spot in the playoffs. Compared to Basic Instinct’s last season in ECL 10 Lite it’s clear that the team is already taking big steps forward and cooperation with RoKi will motivate the team to do even better. RoKi Hockey Oy CEO Pekka Kankaanranta chimed in on their new project as follows: "We have been following the rise of esports and other hockey teams joining the scene. Some discussions around our aspirations with esports and what would be the correct route to take were had, but the questions were ultimately answered when Teemu @Tecena Kuusela contacted us and told us about the possibility of changing their already existing team to RoKi’s team. We found common ground in how to run the project and with open minds and great excitement we decided to hop on. I believe that esports will serve us as a new channel and bring many new opportunities. In addition to pro gaming our vision for the future is to offer kids and youngsters new hobby activities in esports and we’ll be taking careful steps towards making this become a reality." NHLGamer decided to contact team captain @Tecena for some insight about dealing with RoKi and his feelings about the news: First of all congratulations on partnering with RoKi. How does it feel to be a part of RoKi Esports? How did the whole thing start and is there some special connection between the members of the team and the RoKi organization? "Thank you very much. Playing for RoKi Esports has been an amazing experience for us right from the beginning. Representing such a great club also brings up more pressure and a competitive mindset to our playing and it suits us very well. The whole idea started when I contacted my old teammate that I used to play with in the amateurs league and he happens to be a sales manager for RoKi Hockey Oy. He took our idea to Pekka Kankaanranta, CEO of RoKi Hockey Oy and soon we were meeting both in person. We talked about the possibilities of esports and It didn’t take long to find a mutual agreement for cooperation. Most of our players are from southern Finland but the city of Rovaniemi is also well represented in our roster. Three of our current players are from Rovaniemi - Me, Osku @Poksus Kylmäluoma and Roope @Ihan pihalla Taavettila, while Me and poksus still live here up North." What is your target as a team in ECL 11 and in the future? Has RoKi given any objectives for you to fulfill? "Our main target in ECL has been reaching the playoffs. Last time in ECL 10 Lite we were left out of the playoffs but this time we are more experienced and stronger. This time we finished the regular season in a playoff spot so I’m really happy with our results so far. Our playing style is very suitable for playoff hockey so the expectations are high and I believe that everything is possible there. In the next ECL tournament we will be able to start the season as RoKi Esports and I believe that if necessary, we could recruit some reinforcements when we start to prepare for the new season. I also believe that playing for organizations such as RoKi, it’s going to be easier to find players that could be interested to play for our club. If every piece in the puzzle fits, our goal in the future will be promotion to the ECL Pro division. RoKi hasn’t set any competitive targets for us but I have to admit we had a spark of joy in our meeting with the club when it was noticed that we were currently topping TuTo Esports in the league. Both clubs are playing in Mestis which is the second-highest men's ice hockey league in Finland. RoKi’s wish for us is to create good content for our social media channels. Currently we have been adding stuff to our Facebook and Instagram pages where you can find for example the highlights from our ECL league games." How would you describe the current roster of the team? Do you see it as a long term project or is there any room for example RoKi fans to contact you and join for a tryout in the future? "Our current roster is in a really good state at the moment. At times it’s really hard to pick the starting six for the games since there are so many players that can play in multiple positions without making our playing system any weaker. So the starters are picked based on my own feelings and the current form of the player. Me, Tommy @Lefa27 Nyman and Jussi @tipsd Tiipiö have been playing together since ECL 9. In ECL 10 Roope (Drippimehu93) and Osku (poksus) joined the team so we know each other pretty well by now. Osku didn’t play any matches in ECL 10 but in ECL 11 he has been impressive in net. He started playing as a goaltender this summer and a tough training camp with Basic Instinct is now showing great results. Pauli @egetelli_ Savenius and Lari @keijo herra Herranen are our latest additions whereas Niko @Lukedos Torniainen has served well in the backup role outside of competitive games. Our target with RoKi for the future is to start a junior team. It would also be awesome to start a reserve team where players from the RoKi organization could play. Maybe we could get even more new players to the NHL scene in the future." Rovaniemen Kiekko Rovaniemen Kiekko was founded in 1979 and it is the biggest hockey club in Finnish Lapland. RoKi’s first team is currently playing in Mestis which is the second-highest men's ice hockey league in Finland and RoKi Women’s first team plays in Naisten Liiga (Women’s League) which is the elite league for women's ice hockey in Finland. Some of the key values for Rovaniemen Kiekko is their youth teams and player production. RoKi wants to help every player to reach their full potential and ensure that everyone can enjoy hockey at a reasonable price. One of the latest gems of RoKi’s junior production is NHL drafted, U20 WJC gold medalist, defender Vili Saarijärvi who currently plays in Liiga (Finnish Elite League) for league leaders Rauman Lukko. https://www.rokihockey.fi http://www.rovaniemenkiekko.fi/ Let’s welcome RoKi Esports to our community! Remember to follow the team in social media to find out the latest news and follow their journey in the ECL 11 tournament. Make sure to follow RoKi Esports on social media! Twitch - twitch.tv/rokiesport Instagram - roki.esport Facebook - Roki Esport Youtube - Roki Esport Twitter - EsportsRoki

NHLGamers, Once again we are heading towards an exciting ECL Pro season. We've got a new game with new features and mechanics that will make predicting the upcoming season really challenging and the first weeks will truly tell us which teams and players have mastered the new meta of NHL 21. Because of the current server system, it’s also the first time for most of the teams, that teams from Northern Europe will be facing some teams on the Middle European server in NHL 21, which will make the season even more unpredictable. It feels like an eternity ago that Black Horse were crowned champions after beating Enigma in a tight final series. Last season we saw that winning the competition won’t be easy and even getting to the playoffs will require a great amount of work and commitment from the whole team. As the Elite division is getting even more competitive after every season, winning the promotion gets harder and harder each time for teams currently at the Pro level. None of the Pro clubs that played in the Elite relegation battle after last season managed to beat their opponent and this has been addressed in many teams: It’s not enough to be only a good Pro team, you have to be at the level of Elite teams. This has also shown on the transfer market. To summarize: This time there will not be teams in the Pro division that were relegated from ECL 10 Elite since Almost Famous disbanded and SJ Gaming, Northern Ascendancy (Luleå Hockey) and Gotham Knights were able to beat their opponents in the relegation battle. Teams that earned the direct promotion (top 4) from ECL 10 Lite to ECL 11 Pro are the champions Sack Brothers, runner-up Ducktales BK and semifinalists GOONS (HUIPPUPASSI). The fourth team in the top 4 was Angry Cats but unfortunately the team disbanded before the new season. After the registration period ended, there were three spots to fill in the Pro division. NHLGamer staff accepted applications from noRex Gaming, HV71 and RCTIC for the open spots in ECL 11 Pro. All of these three teams were in the top 8 of ECL 10 Lite. Team name changes from ECL 10: Team Frosty -> Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa Riven Johdolla -> Tunnel Vision Children of Ice -> Finnish Roosters The Syndicate -> Södertälje SK (SSK Esports) MOCKBA -> Perttilän Kommandot Cheers Hockey -> UNI Gaming (UNI) Exen esports -> Alliance HT Shooting Stars -> Inter Iceland EBR eSports Official -> noRex Gaming GENESIS -> RCTIC HV71 eSHL -> HV71 Here are the groups of ECL 11 Pro. Like in the previous tournaments we decided to take a look at the groups, some of the teams and players and give the basic information and predictions to keep an eye on when the season starts and during it. Group 1 Blackdawgs Company of Geeks Ducktales BK HanaaHC Herlev Eagles HV71 Inter Iceland Leksands IF Perttilan Kommandot Sack Brothers SSK Esports TIKI TALK Tunnel Vision Vaxjo Lakers We Kings ZSC Lions Tunnel Vision Enigma is maybe considered as the favourites at the start of the season but Tunnel Vision is a team with the greatest potential to cause an upset for them. Compared to last season's roster when Tunnel Vision was still called Riven Johdolla, the team has seen many changes in its lineup. However Tunnel Vision played with the current roster in FCL where they enjoyed an excellent campaign. Team went all the way to the quarterfinals where they were beaten by future champions FILADELPHIA in a tight series 3-1. Individual talent in this roster is outstanding and the former HAVU Gaming defender @Eemil (eKoskii) is a massive boost to their already strong defense. @Pikkardz and @Sokkelo__ will also bring the Elite experience to the lineup that could become really valuable especially in the playoffs. Tunnel Vision had a little setback before the season when @Vattu__ moved to Elite team JYP Jyväskylä and recently recruited goalie @ITemeIto go with him. There is no doubt that @BensaPoju (Jerskayy) can fill the forward spot just fine, but the goalie situation remains more of a mystery. Confidence must be high in this team after a successful FCL campaign, which will carry the whole team to another great season. Tunnel Vision can end the regular season topping group 1 and stats tables as well. Placement after regular season: 1-2 Player to watch: Even though every individual is worth following in this team this season, eyes will be on @BensaPoju (Jerskayy). He will fill the boots of Vattu__ in an attacking trio that had already found the perfect chemistry during FCL and his fitting to this lineup will play a key role for the teams success in the offensive zone. Leksands IF When you hear people talking about excellent chemistry on ice, Leksands IF always works their way into the conversation. Something that has become a staple for most of the top Swedish teams is the disciplined teamplay especially in the defense and Leksands IF is mastering this style. This added to the fact that Leksands IF is alway dangerous when they get the puck to the offensive zone is a scary combination for their opponents. In ECL 10 Pro this team was on top of their group after the regular season ended but faced fast elimination against HanaaHC in the first round of the playoffs. Leksands IF also had a good SCL season where they were beaten by future champions Vesa Pompa HC in the semifinals. @Supremski and @berbaboon17 will once again form the defensive pair that can stop even the most slippery individuals on the ice. However it's notable that this time Leksands IF will start the season without the long time serving goaltender @DUNZA. It’s really interesting to see how goalkeepers @relikab and @Mesimaki will cover the spot though it’s believed that playing behind Leksands IF defense isn’t the worst place to start your Pro career. This season Leksands IF will continue from where they left off and fight for the top spot of group 1. I believe last season's early exit has motivated the team and this will show in the playoffs as well. Placement after regular season: 1-3 Player to watch: @fearfulnasu (RAKKAUSPAKKAUS-) had a really good first season with Leksands IF in SCL and it seems he’s settling in really well in the squad. With the help from @Mumsi- and @Isindar he will improve his game even more this season and become one of the top forwards in the league. Södertälje SK - SSK Esports I want to say it before everyone notices: This team will be one of the biggest surprises this season. SSK esports, or Södertälje SK played with the name The Syndicate in ECL 10 Pro where they were left just under the playoff line. After the season ended, Södertälje SK did the opposite compared to other mid table teams who became more passive during the summer. Södertälje SK sharpened their style of play and is now ready to become a playoff team and even more if everything goes well. Also signings center @el_tacobag and forward/defender @svetidaje made the team more complete and dangerous. Södertälje SK advanced all the way to the quarterfinals of SCL where they lost to bronze medalists Växjö Lakers in a series ending 4-1. Compared to other teams that were close but under the playoff line last season, Södertälje SK has improved the most during the summer and will clinch the playoff spot and maybe even challenge for the top of the table at the end of the regular season. Fast paced hockey with accurate passes in the offensive zone is the deadly combination that this team excels in. Södertälje SK is definitely the team that is currently flying under the radar and will surprise many teams during the season. Placement after regular season: 4-7 Player to watch: You can’t leave any room for @Strumpan87 at the left wing since his hockey IQ is one of the best in the league and will give a massive boost to SSK esports attacks. It will actually get a lot harder for SSK esports if this guy is kept in the shadows by the opponent, but good luck with that everyone! Herlev Eagles Last time in ECL 10 Pro, Herlev Eagles were left out of the playoffs by some margin. Since then everyone who has faced them during the off-season have noticed clear improvements in their playing. Herlev Eagles roster played under the name Kouvola Screaming Eagles in the FCL and did a brilliant job finding their way to the playoffs, leaving teams like HanaaHC and ECL 10 Lite champions Sack Brothers behind them. In the first round of the FCL Playoffs Kouvola Screaming Eagles faced Elite team KOVA Esports and were very close making a surprise when the series was taken all the way to game five (BO5) where eventually KOVA Esports was relieved when they saw the puck going in to the Eagles net in overtime. This was definitely a massive confidence boost for Herlev Eagles and it will show in ECL 11 Pro as well. The core of the team hasn’t changed much during the years and if you watch through the player cards, you will notice that most of these guys have been in the team from the very beginning. This means they are really enjoying playing together and have been able to improve season after season and individuals have taken big steps forward along the way. One of the new signings that should keep an eye on is former Vesa Pompa HC winger @Spearzz_ who played his first games with this group in FCL and will bring more firepower to the team's offense. In ECL 11 Pro Herlev Eagles will take the next big step and become a strong playoff candidate. Placement after regular season: 5-8 Player to watch: Since his arrival to Herlev Eagles in ECL 10 Pro, @vibholm10 has been the best offensive player for his team. Especially in the FCL regular season he was in the top 10 of points stats with an outstanding 73 points in 20 games. We might very well see this player doing the same thing again in ECL 11 Pro. Perttilän Kommandot Team that was called MOCKBA in ECL 9 and ECL 10 decided to go back to their old name for this season. Perttilän Kommandot was unfortunate to be just of the playoffs by three points in ECL 10 Pro. In FCL they faced another setback when they were left out of the playoffs there as well. After FCL their beloved goalkeeper @sumskoy26 decided to join his countrymen in Alliance HT and the team was left without a goalie. Former Almost Famous goalkeeper @Jonitski was signed to the team to cover the net and help in the defender position as well when it’s needed. Other than that the team has remained the same as before. Several sources have been saying that the team hasn’t yet been able to climb to the level they once were. As we know the race for the playoff spots will be more fierce than ever before this season and if Perttilän Kommandot can’t find the confidence and balance they had in ECL 9 Lite and ECL 10 Pro, this season could very well become one to forget for them. However underdog status could fit for the team and they should not be underestimated. Experienced defender @riihimaenharski and their best goal scorer @ROUHEEE will play the key role for the team this season. If these two guys can play at their limits, the playoff dream isn’t buried completely just yet for Perttilän Kommandot. Placement after regular season: 9-13 Player to watch: Captain @Jarmonen will have to motivate his troops after a difficult preseason and show an example on and off the ice. The experienced center will balance the team both up and down the ice since it’s known that Perttilän Kommandot’s defenders like to play physical game that will sometimes open dangerous attacks in their own half and that’s when @Jarmonen is needed. Sack Brothers Lite champions will always be interesting to follow when they start their first season in Pro. Sack Brothers had an unforgettable ECL 10 Lite season where they were clearly the best team of the season and were crowned as the champions. Right after the successful season Sack Brothers lost two of their best players @luosttin to HanaaHC and @Kucherov86 (Jalkkin-) to Blackdawgs. These losses hit the team pretty hard. In FCL Sack Brothers were given a tough group and couldn’t challenge for the playoff spot. To cover the spot that Jalkkin- left behind at the defence Sack Brothers signed @Tuulimylly91 who has the Pro experience with God Tier in ECL 8 and Freddie Mercury Institute in ECL 9. One of the biggest questions is can he and @Jjomppa who was clearly too good for ECL 10 Neo fill the big boots of luosttin and Jalkkin- . It’s expected that it will be a hard first season for Sack Brothers compared to other teams that were able to earn the promotion this season and they could very well be one of the teams that will have to fight for their Pro spot at the end of the season. However it’s a long season and a couple of big wins at the start of the campaign could turn the wind completely. Getting to the playoffs is maybe a bit too big of a task for a team with not much previous Pro experience but not impossible. Placement after regular season: 13-16 Player to watch: @snippystatue played a big part in his teams success in ECL 10 Lite and got even better the as the season progressed. He was also the best player for Sack Brothers in FCL and every point that he will make this season will be vital for his team. Every counter attack will be important this season and snippystatue has the individual talent to convert them into goals. Group 2 Alliance HT Djurgarden Hockey Enigma Finnish Roosters Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa GOONS Kaupallinen Yhteistyo Nordic Stars NoRex Gaming Orebro eHockey Pata Hellalla RCTIC Rookie Mistakes RPEAT ESPORTS Sulkavan Sudet UNI Gaming Enigma I think it’s fair to say that on paper this team looks absolutely terrifying. Last season's runner-up Enigma has again gone through lots of changes during the off-season. Former captain and center @MozjaTG moved up to Elite team YMCA Esports and both starting defenders are out of the roster. To cover these major spots Enigma signed former Almost Famous center @Ojamoska, JYP Jyväskylä defender @Makeaxl and Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa defender @zNico. With these new signings Enigma has all the potential to do even better than last season. Despite the slow start in ECL 10 Pro Enigma was able to find the right balance on ice which led them all the way to the finals where they were eventually beaten by Black Horse in game seven. Another setback came against Gotham Knights in the Elite relegation series where they faced another game seven defeat. With the experience from last season and hunger that has been building up from last season's setbacks, Enigma will start the ECL 11 Pro as the favourites and should see themselves on the top of the league table after the regular season. Placement after regular season: 1-2 Player to watch: Aside from the new signings, like in the previous season @Nieppii will be on the spotlight in this season as well. Left winger who will now carry the ‘’C’’ on his chest was the points leader in ECL 10 Pro playoffs and is expected to have another great season. Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa If Leksands IF is the Swedish masters of disciplined teamplay then Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa is the Finnish version of it. Formerly known as Team Frosty had an excellent first season in ECL 10 Pro where they were really close to topping their group after the regular season and moved all the way to the semifinals in the playoffs. Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa also had a really good run in the FCL. They were able to advance to round 2 of the playoffs after beating Elite team SAWO ESPORTS in the series 3-1 but eventually lost against future champions FILADELPHIA. Despite the positive run in FCL, the team lost defenders @zNico to Enigma and @Patsberg_ to Rookie Mistakes. Also captain @imosi announced before the season that he’s moving to free agent. Dark clouds were on the horizon but the new signings turned this team really interesting to follow this season. Forwards @Ikavalko and @JesseL2002 brought a great amount of individual talent to the team's attack and experienced defender @MrNiceguyEddie was brought to pair with captain @MCH_98 at the back. Watching through the roster I would say that the balance in this team is at great level right now. Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa is ready to take the next step and become one of the best teams in the Pro division. Placement after regular season: 1-3 Player to watch: @Naikou88 is the leader on the forward for this team. As the center he’s maintaining the balance of the formation on ice, which is one of the main strengths of Frosty Kiekko-Vantaa. It’s also interesting to see what is Naikou88’s role when @Ikavalko is playing since both are natural centers. GOONS I don’t think many people expected much success in Pro for former HUIPPUPASSI after last season's ECL or FCL but then things started happening. Team that might had been considered as the fourth best team of ECL 10 Lite suddenly turned out to be maybe the fourth best team of ECL 11 Pro. Signings such as @xKeskitalo , @Tzon93 , @Miika (MiiQu81-), @SanteriAK47 (santerichristian) and most recently @kriketski17 gave this team a massive boost at least on paper and many sources are telling that things are working out pretty well on ice as well. Yet still the new signings won’t be the only thing that makes this team one of the top teams and interesting to follow. Young fellows winger @bergsti (pikkuroger) and defender @viba2008 will most likely make their breakthrough this season to be considered as one of the most promising rising stars in the Pro division and in the whole community. There won’t be any room for underestimating when playing against this team. If GOONS can get their motors running and defence stable they will be one of the top teams after the regular season. Placement after regular season: 4-7 Player to watch: @bergsti (pikkuroger) played his first competitive 6vs6 games in ECL 10 Lite and was one of the best players of the whole season. Since then he has shown great progress through the year and it’s really interesting to see how he will do at the Pro level. He is already doing very well in the versus scene and could do the same in EASHL as well. Pata Hellalla This team has been in the scene for a long time, they deserve the title: Legendary. Team that has been playing at the Pro level since ECL 4 had a really difficult season in ECL 10 Pro. They finished the season in 14th place and were forced to play in the relegation series. Pata Hellalla was able to keep their Pro spot by beating Bellizzi with a score of 4-1 and since then good things started happening. In the FCL Pata Hellalla played really good hockey and with the record 13-4-1 advanced to the playoffs. Along the way they took some big victories against teams like KOVA Esports, Gotham Knights and one of the Pro favourites this season: Enigma. From ECL 10 Pro the teams roster has become more compact which can really help with the chemistry and the new addition from ECL 10 Pro champions Black Horse @PasiPuukäsi (bot_dole) will make a fine addition to their team. Fast paced hockey is expected when playing against Pata Hellalla and the team will start the season well and advance to the playoffs. Placement after regular season: 5-8 Player to watch: This time Pata Hellalla has a clear number one goalkeeper when @Nixa_da_fck will be the final lock for his team. This guy showed real character in the beginning of the FCL tournament against Gotham Knights where he saw the puck ten times behind his net in the first match but gathered himself and allowed only one goal in the second match while recording a 90.91 save percent to help his team split the points. The same good form continued to the end of the tournament and will probably continue in ECL 11 Pro as well. NoRex Gaming The team that was previously named EBR eSports Official in ECL 10 Lite and in GCL 6 is now called NoRex Gaming. German ehockey is on the rise and NoRex Gaming is showing the way to other teams dreaming of playing in Pro and even Elite someday. In ECL 10 Lite NoRex Gaming had an excellent season and went all the way to the quarterfinals where they were beaten by GOONS (HUIPPUPASSI) in a tight 3-4 series. They will now have the chance for revenge as both teams will play in the same group in ECL 11 Pro. In GCL 6 NoRex Gaming was the second team on the table after regular season only a couple of points behind the German giants BRAYCE Phantoms. However ZSC Lions, who were actually beaten twice by NoRex Gaming in the regular season, turned out to be too strong for the team at the semifinals of GCL 6 and NoRex Gaming was sent home with a score of 4-0. None of the players in the current roster have Pro experience, so it’s expected that this first season will be a learning process for them. This will also have a positive effect as the excitement of playing on the higher level will help the team avoid relegation this season. Placement after regular season: 9-13 Player to watch: @Keuschemisch has been the top points man for his team since joining the club in GCL 4 and ECL 9 Lite and now we will see how well he can do at the Pro level. In ECL 10 Lite he was among the best attackers in the league and has the individual talent to put the puck in the net if given the chance. Definitely a player that none of the defenders playing in the league should underestimate. UNI Gaming In ECL 10 Pro UNI Gaming, or formerly known as Cheers Hockey was able to avoid the relegation series by two points after the regular season. Despite the disappointing season UNI Gaming was able to gather themselves and put up a fight in FCL where they found their way to the playoffs. UNI Gaming faced HAVU Gaming in the first round and couldn’t do the ‘’impossible’’ losing the series 3-0. After FCL things started happening. The team faced a little crisis when both alternative captains @Borjendahlen and @Vilisopanen15 (Ruandalaine) announced that they will leave the club for new challenges. They also lost both of their goalies and every defender. The team was ay a crossroads and captain @Black1Eagle1 had to make a big decision whether to rebuild and continue in Pro or just give up. Players who remained in the team decided to stick together and keep fighting. Numerous new signings found their way to the roster and especially former Symphony keeper @Lauri (Laurilion) is a great addition to the team. To cover the spot that Borjendahlen left in the offense, UNI Gaming recruited @juusto18 who played a major role in Angry Cats success in ECL 10 Lite. The UNI Gaming defence is covered with many new faces with only a little Pro experience and this might raise questions before the season starts. UNI Gaming has the chance to write the best fairytale of the whole season if they manage to take big wins and even challenge for the playoff spots. However these roster changes might have hurt the team a bit too much and UNI Gaming will be one of the teams that are potentially playing in the relegation series after the regular season. Placement after regular season: 13-16 Player to watch: Team captain @Black1Eagle1, who will most likely also play the center role for his team is going to play a big role on and off the ice with the new roster and choosing the lineups for each game. He’s also the player that is expected to put up most of the points for his team during the season and help his teammates to get used to Pro level hockey. As always, we hope you enjoy the new season. Feel free to comment about these predictions or other interesting points that should be watched when the season begins. Don’t forget to follow our Pro teams on social media to get to know when the games are being played and where you can watch them. There will also be match lineups, game results and other useful info directly from the teams. Play hard and fair, let the season begin!

NHLGamers, We're just a few days away from puck drop in the ECL 11 season! With the record-breaking amount of 264 teams signed up, we continue to raise the bar and can be considered the biggest NHL esports league in the world. Due to the amazing quantity of teams this season, our staff has been hard at work over the weekend and will be finalizing group divisions by the evening of Monday, November 16th. However, we decided it was best to confirm the full list of teams in each division accompanied by some crucial scheduling information. Without further ado, here are your ECL 11 divisions: ECL 11 Neo - Starts Wednesday, 18.11. Default game days and times are: Wednesday 20:00 CET Sunday 20:00 CET Schedule for ECL 11 Neo: Group stage: 18.11 - 13.12 Playoffs Round 1: 14. - 20.12 (BO5) Playoffs Round 2: 28.12 - 3.1(BO5) Playoffs Round 3: 4. - 10.1 (BO5) Quarterfinals: 11. - 17.1 (BO5) Semifinals: 18. - 24.1 (BO5) Finals: 25. - 27.1 (BO5) Brief season description of ECL 11 Neo: The regular season consists of 104 teams split into 10 groups. The regular season lasts 4 weeks and the playoffs will feature 64 teams. The playoffs will be played in best-of-five manner. ECL 11 Lite - Start Tuesday, 17.11. Default game days and times are: Tuesday 20:00 CET Wednesday 20:00 CET Sunday 20:00 CET Schedule for ECL 11 Lite: Group stage: 17.11 - 20.12 Playoffs Round 1: 28.12 - 3.1 (BO7) Playoffs Round 2: 4. - 10.1 (BO7) Playoffs Round 3: 11. - 17.1 (BO7) Quarterfinals: 18. - 24.1 (BO7) Semifinals: 25. - 31.1 (BO7) Finals: 4. - 7.2 (BO7) Brief season description of ECL 11 Lite: Due to popular demand the division size has been expanded to 112 teams. The group size remains at 16 teams per group. The regular season lasts 5 weeks and 64 teams will be making the playoffs that are played in best-of-seven manner. ECL 11 Pro - Starts Monday, 23.11. Default game days and times are: Monday 20:00 CET Tuesday 20:00 CET Thursday 20:00 CET Schedule for ECL 11 Pro: Group stage: 23.11 - 10.1 Playoffs Round 1: 11. - 17.1 (BO7) Quarterfinals: 18. - 24.1 (BO7) Semifinals: 25. - 31.1 (BO7) Finals: 8. - 10.2 (BO7) Brief season description of ECL 11 Pro: ECL Pro consists of 32 teams. The regular season lasts 5 weeks. The top eight teams from each group (16 in total) will make playoffs, where they will be cross-seeded and play best-of-seven series. ECL 11 Elite - Start Monday, 30.11. Default game days and times are: Monday 20:00 CET Wednesday 20:00 CET Thursday 20:00 CET Schedule for ECL 11 Elite: Group stage: 30.11 - 21.1 Quarterfinals: 24. - 27.1 (BO7) Semifinals: 1. - 4.2 (BO7) Finals: 12. - 13.2 (BO7) Brief season description of ECL 11 Elite: ECL Elite is the highest tier of the ECL, consisting of the best 16 teams in Europe. The top eight teams in the six week regular season will advance to the playoffs that are played in a best-of-seven manner, while the bottom four will be in for relegation. The ECL Elite season will be closely followed on our broadcasts. Prize pool will be announced closer to the Elite season start. *Note: The divisions are still a work-in-progress and NHLGamer reserves the right to adjust the divisions as necessary. More information about the ECL and the groups will follow tomorrow (Monday November 16th). On behalf of NHLGamer, I want to thank the community for positively surprising us season after season and the constant big growth of ECL continuing steadily! As we are blessed with a lot of new members and teams, let's be helpful towards each other and help everyone find their place in our community.

NHLGamers, The ECL 10 Lite season started on the 7th of April, 2020 with 64 teams participating. Before the start of the season, six teams were promoted to the ECL Pro division through applications (Rookie Mistakes, Herlev Eagles, Company of Geeks, HanaaHC, Djurgarden Hockey and Team Frosty) and some of the teams that signed up for the Lite division were chosen to prove their worth in the Neo division first. Every season, NHLGamers staff have to make the hard decisions of teams that will get the promotion to the Pro division or move down to the Neo division. These decisions are always facing some criticism especially from the teams that feels they are ready to play in Lite or Pro division, but after the season it’s fair to say that the staff made the right picks. This season turned out to be maybe the most competitive season of ECL Lite history which was actually pretty expected since the community is growing fast and the Lite division isn’t the entry level of ECL anymore. Several former E lite and Pro division players chose to play in Lite teams this season and every one of them faced a worthy challenge. Something that makes the Lite division very unique is the high variation of different nationalities in teams and players competing against each other. This season we saw many new esports organizations from Finland, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Russia and teams and players from other nationalities too. As the organizations are starting to find their way into the community, it’s clear that the level of competitiveness and value of the Lite division will only keep growing in the future. We finished ECL 10 Lite season on the 14th of June, 2020 when Sack Brothers were crowned the division champions. Between the beginning and end there was lots of action and we wanted to do a little recap of the season and give some credit to teams and players who made an impression in this season. Regular season Sixteen teams in four groups and only eight teams from every group continued to the playoffs. At the beginning of the regular season, everyone had their own guess of teams that were going to fight for the top spots in every group. In the Lite division there always seems to emerge a couple of teams that aren’t expected to be as strong as they end up to be. This season those teams were definitely Powerhouse hockey, who won Group 1 and newcomers Piiraaka Osuus ja Nakki, who ended up in 2nd place of Group 3. For the first time we had the pleasure of welcoming some of the best ECL 9 Neo teams to Lite but they couldn’t enjoy success in their first season at the higher level as only runner-up TanssiiTuhtienKansa was able to get to the playoffs. The playoff race stayed tight in every group all the way to the last rounds but especially in Group 2, Poston Fruits must feel devastated as they were left out of the playoffs only by one point by HockeyProfessorn HC who made a great run in the last half of the regular season and took the last spot. It's a rough tale about the competitiveness of the division for a few prestigious clubs alike Elamam Kiekko, Murohoki and Nearbird Fighters that were left out of the playoffs. Teams that made a major improvement from ECL 9 Lite were Ducktales BK, who improved their last seasons record from (4-13-1) to (21-4-5), Powerhouse hockey from (8-10-2) to (23-3-4) and Infamous from (9-7-2) to (21-8-1). Group winners were: Powerhouse Hockey, EBR eSports Official, HV71 eSHL and Sack Brothers. The regular season of ECL 10 Lite will also be remembered for two outstanding attacking trios that dominated the stats table and destroyed defenses night in and night out. Those trios were Sack Brothers' @snippystatue, @luosttin and @Datupeijooni together with Angry Cats' @Korkokokorko, @Lowryy and @juusto18. The trio of Angry Cats managed to score a total of 329 points in 30 games and @Korkokokorko won the scoring title with 114 points (56+58) in 30 games. Hokurit winger @Nagyttaja was the best goal scorer with 57 goals in 30 games, @viba2008 from HUIPPUPASSI had the most points from defenders with 61 (11+50) points in 30 games and Angry Cats goalkeeper @Giinis had the best saving percentage of active goalies with 89,38% (244 svs) in 24 games. A couple of players that had outstanding regular seasons despite their team not being among the top 3 teams in the group. GENESIS winger @meicci with 91 (36+55) points in 30 games, @Unrealhave of TanssiiTuhtienKansa with 89 (32+57) points in 30 games and Fysical center @Frans-Fin with 87 (29+58) points in 30 games. It’s obvious that the personal stats don’t tell the whole story of the season since there are multiple things that will determine a teams success in the end. For example there are several players in the league like Sack Brothers defender @Persusta95, HUIPPUPASSI defender @Mikax222 and Angry Cats defender @Demoni2016 (Myrkky_Maik) who are working hard on ice by keeping their own end clean and balanced which gives confidence and freedom for attacking players to try risky plays that will often lead to goals for their teams. These three players especially played big part in their teams success in the regular season and later stages as well. Playoffs There weren't any major surprises in this seasons playoffs like in ECL 9 Lite where the last seeded Carolus Icemen made a sensational surprise by beating first seeded HanaaHC in the first playoff round. Teams that were strong in the regular season continued their good form in the playoffs as well. In the first round maybe the biggest upset was seen in the series between HC SKULL TOWN and SOPPAJENGI, where SOPPAJENGI who was one of the favourites at the start of the season and among the teams that were expected to get the Pro promotion through Pro applications before the season, was left out of the competition after losing the series with a score of 4-1. The second round of the playoffs will definitely be remembered for Angry Cats' and Hokurits comeback wins against their respective opponents. The third playoff round is always really special since the winners will advance to semifinals and will get the promotion to Pro division for next season. Maybe the biggest games were seen in the series EBR eSports Official vs HUIPPUPASSI and HV71 eSHL vs Ducktales BK, where the underdogs HUIPPUPASSI and Ducktales BK were able to beat their strong opponents and earn the Pro promotion for next season alongside Sack Brothers and Angry Cats. The semifinals were extremely tight as they always are. Especially the matchup between Angry Cats and Ducktales BK that finally ended 3-4 to Ducktales BK victory was joy to watch. Sack Brothers continued their convincing run and not even HUIPPUPASSI who had found an excellent form in the playoffs couldn’t stop them from advancing to the finals. It was definitely a season to remember for Sack Brothers' players who ended the season in celebrations as deserved winners of ECL 10 Lite. Runner ups Ducktales BK can be proud of their season and display in the finals. There simply wasn’t a team that could have stopped Sack Brothers this season. The scoring leaders of the regular season continued their impressive form in the postseason too. Especially HUIPPUPASSI wingers @jjokke19 with 63 points in 22 games and @bergsti (pikkuroger) with 55 points in 22 games seemed to catch fire in the playoffs and they were both big reasons why HUIPPUPASSI ended their season in a top 4 finish. One of the players that catches the eye when scrolling the stats list is EBR eSports Official winger @Keuschemisch, who was his teams best scorer already in the regular season and managed to gather an impressive 45 points in only 16 playoff matches. There were two defenders who were in the spotlights throughout the season: Sack Brothers LD @Kucherov86 and HUIPPUPASSI RD @viba2008. They were clearly the two best attacking defenders of the regular season and the same goes for the playoffs. The closer we got to the end of the season, the more polished the play of Ducktales BK stars center @cHIIMEERa and defender @J-Foppa got and their vast experience showed. Especially the centerman was in flames in the finals where he scored 6 of a total 8 goals for his team and assisted for the rest of the goals as well. Individual awards of ECL 10 Lite 🏆 These awards are given to players who showed exceptional individual talent through whole season and helped their team in a race for the cup. MVP of ECL 10 Lite: @luosttin Sack Brothers Best centers of ECL 10 Lite: 1st. @luosttin Sack Brothers 2nd. @cHIIMEERa Ducktales BK 3rd. @Lowryy Angry Cats Best wingers of ECL 10 Lite: 1st. @snippystatue Sack Brothers 2nd. @Datupeijooni Sack Brothers 3rd. @Korkokokorko Angry Cats Best defenders of ECL 10 Lite: 1st. @Kucherov86 Sack Brothers 2nd. @viba2008 HUIPPUPASSI 3rd. @J-Foppa Ducktales BK Best goalkeepers of ECL 10 Lite: 1st. @mikeruud Sack Brothers 2nd. @Giinis Angry Cats 3rd. @Rymaan Ducktales BK That’s it folks! The season is over. On behalf of NHLGamer I want to thank all 64 teams and their players for another successful ECL Lite season. We hope these articles have brought more spark to your season and you have enjoyed reading them. Now it’s time for off-season rest, practice and rebuilding. See you next season!

NHLGamers, Congratulations to Sack Brothers on winning ECL 10 Lite title. Your name will be written in ECL history alongside teams like Sulkavan Sudet, Oton Letkutemppu, The Black Jacks, EV Duisburg and Red Machine as the champions of Lite division. Sack Brothers started the season as one of the main favourites to win the trophy and they played true to those expectations right from the very beginning. They were the best team after the regular season with a record of record 28-1-1 and didn’t slow down in the playoffs. In the end no one was able to stop their victory march and the captain @Datupeijooni had the honor to lift the trophy above his head as a deserved winners. One of the main reasons for their successful campaign was definitely the quality to finish their attacks in goals. There was no better attacking team in the league than Sack Brothers was and coupled with steady defence and great goaltending this team was unstoppable. Hats off to Ducktales BK who also had amazing season and fought bravely in the finals. Sack Brothers 🏆 Group stage record: 28-1-1 (1st) Round 1: vs HockeyProfessorn HC (32) 4-1 Round 2: vs Tic Tac Toes (25) 4-2 Quarterfinals: vs GENESIS (18) 4-1 Semifinals: vs HUIPPUPASSI (10) 4-2 Finals: vs Ducktales BK (7) 4-1 GOALIES #41 M. Ruutiainen @mikeruud #97 K. Teppana @KXnet1b DEFENSEMEN #6 B. Steel @Kossu80 #7 E. Söderholm @Persusta95 #14 P. Kytta @XippiX #92 E. Yalcin @Kucherov86 FORWARDS #40 J. Asikainen @snippystatue #52 J. Luostarinen @luosttin #55 T. Luukkanen @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) Finals recap We started the final series last Thursday with games 1-3. In the first game Ducktales BK was close to taking the lead in the series but 20 seconds before the final buzzer Sack Brothers captain @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) scored the tying goal and finally won the game for his team in overtime 3-2. In the second game, Ducktales BK changed their approach to a bit more of an aggressive style and was able to steal some puck possession from their opponent. However, counter attacking specialists Sack Brothers were able to benefit from this and won game 2 with a clean 0-4 score. In the third and last game of the day Ducktales BK showed why they are in the finals as they were able to find the balance between offense and defense and won game 3 with a score of 2-1. It was a big mental win for Ducktales BK who now didn’t have to start gameday two with their backs against the wall. After day one Sack Brothers were leading the series with score 2-1. Three days later on Sunday, these two great teams were going to finish the season in games 4-7. Right from the first game of the day it was clear that both teams had made their homework and we saw the most balanced clash of the series so far. After regulation time that included lots of goals, both teams had their chances to end the game in overtime but finally it was Sack Brothers who scored the winning goal that proved out to be maybe the biggest goal of the finals. Game 4 ended 4-3 and Sack Brothers put a chokehold on the series with a 3-1 lead. Now the pressure was on the shoulders or Ducktales BK, they had to win. Game 5 started promising for Ducktales BK as they were able to continue where they left off in the previous match and created good scoring chances. However @KXnet1b who was picked between the Sack Brothers pipes instead of @mikeruud proved why he had deserved his starting spot and made an impressively solid performance in the net and kept the game tied at 0-0. Sack Brothers were able to score two goals in the second period and kept their own net clear. The third goal at the start of third period was too much for Ducktales BK. Sack Brothers started their march to victory and were able to score four more goals behind Ducktales BK keeper @Rymaan. The game finally ended with a score of 1-7 and the party was ready to start. Sack Brothers won the final series 4-1 and were crowned as the ECL 10 Lite champions. Overall, this Lite season was really entertaining and packed with skilled teams and players. Now it’s time to take a little break from ECL games and begin the practice/rebuild stage because the next season will most likely be even more competitive. We hope you enjoyed the finals as much as we did. Once again congratulations to Sack Brothers! Enjoy your success and thank you to all finalists, viewers and casters for giving us an entertaining show. Have a nice summer and stay safe.

NHLGamers, Approximately two months ago we started the ECL 10 Lite season with 64 teams in four groups. After the regular season we had a strong vision of teams that were going to fight for the promotion and final spots this season. The playoffs were as exciting as they always are and several teams had the quality to compete for the cup this time. In the end there were two teams that no one could stop. Now they will go head-to-head in the ECL 10 Lite finals! Here are the finalists of ECL 10 Lite: Sack Brothers (1) Road to the finals Regular season: (28-1-1) 1st in group 4 Round 1: vs HockeyProfessorn HC (32) 4-1 Round 2: vs Tic Tac Toes (25) 4-2 Round 3: vs GENESIS (18) 4-1 Round 4: vs HUIPPUPASSI (10) 4-2 LW: @snippystatue (22GP: 22+31=55 pts) C: @luosttin (22GP: 18+37=55 pts, FOW: 48,9%) RW: @Datupeijooni (Datzonee) (22GP: 26+21=47 pts) LD: @Kucherov86 (22GP: 9+22=31 pts) RD: @Persusta95 (22GP: 4+11=15 pts) G: @mikeruud (22GP: 234svs, 47GA= 83,27 SV%) Ducktales BK (7) Road to the finals Regular season: (21-4-5) 2nd in group 2 Round 1: vs Remparts de Tours Esport (26) 4-2 Round 2: vs ECDC Memmingen eSports (11) 4-3 Round 3: vs HV71 eSHL (3) 4-1 Round 4: vs Angry Cats (5) 4-3 LW: @Zidso (21GP: 17+22=39 pts) C: @cHIIMEERa (23GP: 21+20=41 pts, FOW: 49,8%) RW: @Craig (oskuldsfull) (23GP: 11+20=31 pts) LD: @J-Foppa (23GP: 5+17=22 pts) RD: @tokFan (ItokFanI) (23GP: 1+5=6 pts) G: @Rymaan (23GP: 200svs, 34GA= 85,47 SV%) To spice things up we decided to contact the teams to ask them couple of questions before the the games and had the pleasure to interview @Rymaan from Ducktales BK and @snippystatue from Sack Brothers: How does it feel to be in the finals? Was the finals your goal right from the beginning or where were the expectations set before the season started? @snippystatue ‘’Of course it feels great! The ECL finals are the best that the season can offer and as the captain told us in the beginning of the season, our minimum goal is to win the title after last seasons disappointment.’’ @Rymaan ‘’Feels great! Our main goal for the season was to get that Pro-spot. Achieving that, of course our next goal is to win the tournament.‘’ What is your teams strengths and the reason for success? Why are you in the finals instead of your playoffs opponents? What makes you the champions of ECL 10 Lite? @snippystatue ‘’Counter-attacks, tight team defense and good chemistry. We have practiced with the same players from the beginning of the off-season and the level of play has stayed good the whole time. The reason we are in the finals is that we have been able to minimize our opponents scoring opportunities with solid defending and the attacking has been working in every series. The reason we will be the champions is that we believe in our own playing. Even if we were losing with 4 goals we never give up and the atmosphere stays positive the whole time’’ @Rymaan ‘’Structure, defense, experience and a will to win. We had a game plan for every series and followed it well enough to be victorious. All opponents we played so far have been a challenge and played well, but we don’t want to comment other teams shortcomings. Beating us in 4 games takes great teamplay, individual skill and a solid defense. We've seen 2 out of 3 in Sack Brothers.’’ How well do you know your opponent in the finals? Have you faced them in the club games or earlier seasons? Done any scouting through the streams etc? @snippystatue ‘’We don’t know them very well. Of course we noticed that they were playing really well already in the regular season but we haven’t faced them in club games. We haven’t done any special kind of scouting from the streams but we have seen couple of playoff games from them’’ @Rymaan ‘’Played them a lot during NHL20 (not with Ducktales though) and to be honest they have evolved a lot. They had a fantastic season so far, obliterating their opponents on the way. We scout every opponent in playoffs to learn their tricks.’’ What do you think is your opponents strengths? Will you adjust your own gamestyle to make their playing harder or will you continue the way you have done so far and trust that it will bring you the desiredresult? @snippystatue ‘’We believe their strengths are especially in the defense but it’s hard to say yet since we haven’t faced them before. We will trust our own style of play since it has worked so well but of course we are ready for adjustments if the game isn’t working’’ @Rymaan ‘’They play a fast game and they are deadly when they get to scoring opportunities. We are confident in our style of play but will make adjustments if needed.’’ What will be the score of the series in the end? @snippystatue ‘’It’s going to be tight but I’ll say 4-3 to Sack Brothers’’ @Rymaan ‘’Ducktales wins in 7.’’ The confidence is high in both camps. As the interview tells us, both teams will trust their own style of playing and that’s exactly what they should do. Watching back the opponents that both of these teams have been able to beat it’s obvious that they have done everything right so far. Both teams are also prepared for a tough battle and it’s easy to join their predictions that the champions will be decided in a game seven. As the stats tell, Sack Brothers have been really effective in the offensive zone which has been their theme through whole season, while Ducktales BK have been the team that is extremely hard to score against. It’s going to be really interesting to see how well Ducktales BK are able to shut down Sack Brothers attacks. I believe it’s also a new kind of challenge for Sack Brothers to play against team that is really disciplined at their defense. There may be a possibility that Ducktales BK could make their opponents frustrated which would most likely turn the series in favour of Ducktales BK. But as @snippystatue stated in the interview, the mental side shouldn’t be a problem for his team. While Sack Brothers are figuring out how to get through Ducktales BK they can’t give any leeway in their own defense. Even though Ducktales BK are known having the special quality at their team defense they are also to score if the chances are given to them. Prediction: There is no doubt that the two best teams of the season are facing in the finals. This will be a battle of two different gamestyles and only the matches will tell us which approach will be the right one. If I was asked at the start of the playoffs which team was going to win from these two, I would have said Sack Brothers 4-1. I’m glad no-one asked because watching Ducktales BK journey through the playoffs I would have made a clown of myself. However I still believe Sack Brothers have the quality to break Ducktales BKs defense and captain @Datupeijooni will lift the cup at the end of the day. Sack Brothers will win the series with score 4-3. What a great season we have had and now it’s coming to an end. It will be a season to remember for both of these teams but only one can be crowned as champions. Play hard and fair, respect your opponents and enjoy the finals! How to watch? The ECL 10 Lite finals will be streamed at www.twitch.tv/nhlgamer. Thursday, June 11th 20:00 CEST Games 1-3 Sack Brothers vs Ducktales BK Sunday, June 14th 20:30 CEST Games 4-7 Sack Brothers vs Ducktales BK