Keuschemisch

Our Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other! Three weeks before the release of NHL 23, we are back with yet another iteration of our Player Spotlight-series! You voted and we listened, so here we are with a closer look at Alex @IDangledYouOut Wagner, dubbed by your favorite commentary guy Paul @Cyn Anderson as "the player with the biggest set of arms in ECL Elite". He is known as a hard hitting forward and part-time EBUG for the Swiss back-to-back GCL Champions ZSC Esports! 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? I think this goes way back to NHL 11. Back in the days I used to play with Stefan @Stefan_397 Hämmerle who is also one of my best friends in real life. We started playing 2v2 where the remaining positions were played by the AI until one of our opponents messaged us if we want to join them. My first competitive 6v6 games was when I joined UKnighted HC roughly one year later. 2. What’s the best part of playing for your current club ZSC Esports? I really like our determination and positive mindset. No matter the result our biggest strength is to stay positive at all times and push ourselves. Most of our team have been playing in the same squad for a long time now. This and the fact that we all know each other off the virtual ice as well can surely give us the edge in many moments. 3. You are one of the few German players that have been here since ECL Season 1. What is your favourite NHL Gaming memory so far? There were many great memories made on the journey. My first ECL Elite Shutout as a goalie and getting promoted to ECL Elite with ZSC Esports three seasons ago. But If I had to choose on specific moment I had to choose winning the GCL 7 title against our "eternal" rivals Deadly Phantoms. Finally being able to beat and especially sweep them in the finals was a big relief. Being able to defend our Championship in GCL 8 really tops things off - especially with the way we played and dominated. 4. You started playing competetive 6v6 as a Goalie. Which things do you like most about playing as a Goalie and as a Forward? The thing I love most about playing as a Goalie is being one of the most important x-factors in the team. Working together with your D-pair can be very decisive if you perform well or not. But being able to decide games with important saves is an amazing feeling. As a Forward or Defender I like making creative plays. Always trying to find new ideas and solutions for certain situations in a game and working with your teammates to improve is why I love playing this game. The rewarding feeling to see how you build up chemistry and improve your results is also one of the main reasons for that. 5. You are GM for one day and can pick your perfect starting six. One GCL Lineup (only DACH players; you are allowed to pick 2 players from your own team) and one ECL Lineup: ECL Lineup: LW: @xLeikku C : @Patzlaf RW: @NikkeDangles                     LD: @xDoumi RD: @loimmu                                    G: @Faze91- GCL Lineup: Obviously I would love to pick all of my current teammates because in my opinion they all belong to the best players in the community. But to mix things up I am going to pick following players: LW: @Stefan_397 C : @IiVAPOR100iI RW: @DangledYouOut(TIUINIA)                              LD: @Reutschner16nhl RD: @Spezi                                                      G: @Hasek100 6. Which team do you support in real hockey? I support my hometown club EV Füssen who are currently playing in the "Oberliga Süd" (3rd German division).  7. Do you play or have you played hockey? When we were younger we always used to play Inline Hockey in the Summer and Ice Hockey on the frozen lake in Winter. Unfortunately I never played actively in a club. 8. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL? Most of the time you will find me in the Gym. When I'm not lifting weights you will most likely find me watching videos of Markus Rühl*. Apart from that I love to spend time with my friends, drinking a beer and having good conversations. I'm also a big fan of listening to podcasts. At the moment my favourite podcast is "Einfach mal Luppen" by Toni and Felix Kroos. *Explanation to our non-German readers: Markus Rühl is a famous German bodybuilder. 9. Who’s the best player in the ECL according to you? If I had to choose one specific player I would pick Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala. The combination of offensive and defensive awareness, Hockey-IQ and vision on the virtual ice is just fun to watch. How he masters the game mechanics on both ends of the ice is something I really look up to. 10. Who's the best player in the GCL according to you? I have to pick my current teammate Max @Toneee9 Tonitz. In my opinion he is the perfect combination of ideal defensive awareness and offensive abilities. He is irreplaceable for our game. 11. How did you come up with your PSN ID? My PSN ID is an "homage" to one of my former teammates: Jürgen @DangledYouOut(TIUINIA) Kloster. He is one of my closest friends and at one point in time he changed his ID (to TIUINIA) and so I asked him if I can take his nickname instead. For me he is one of the most underrated forwards in the DACH-community. 12. Describe your perfect breakfast. Oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pancakes, EAA'drink, whey clear isolate and I'm ready for the day! 13. If you had to choose: being the best player in EA SPORTS NHL or an average hockey player in real life? To be honest I would pick being an average hockey player. To witness the atmosphere created by the fans in the arena must be an amazing feeling. Even if I was able to "only" play for my local 3rd division team EV Füssen. 14. You are DJ in the dressing room and can play one song to hype up your teammates. Which song are you playing? Limp Bizkit - Rollin'. 15. What’s your best hockey memory? This has to be when my local club EV Füssen gained promotion back into the Oberliga (3rd division). It was an amazing away day and securing promotion on that day away from home is something I will never forget. Apart from that another special moment was the World Championship quarterfinal in 2021 when Eisbären Berlin forward Marcel Noebels sent us into the semifinals with a cheeky one-hander against our favourite enemies from Switzerland. 16. What's the most important goal you have scored in a competetive 6v6 match yet? To be fair I cannot remember any specific goal. But one of my best performances has to be securing a shutout in ECL'22 Winter against Conquer Gaming after being called up as an "emergency goalie" for our team and being a bit shaky in the warmup games. 17. If you had to choose to play only one position for the rest of your virtual career. Which position would you pick and why? I think Goalie is my "most natural" position since I also stand between the pipes in real life when playing football or hockey with my friends. This position was always most fun to play for me. But currently I would prefer playing as a Forward especially due to the broken matchmaking in the game, playing as a Goalie can be quite ungrateful. 18. Pizza with three toppings, what are your choices? I'm rather uncomplicated in those things. Pizza Margherita is the way to go. 19. Who do you want to see featured next in Player Spotlight? I think it's finally time for Joshua @Hasek100 Plattner!

SportsGamers, After a long season in NHL22 we are able to present to you your first GCL 1v1 Champion: Max @Toneee9 Tonitz wins the title in our inaugural German Championship 1v1 league and beats Kevin @Kevinator-373 Würterle in a tight and exciting Final! The Austrian manages to secure his "GCL Hattrick" after winning the 6v6 GCL8 league and cup title with ZSC Esports. Which team did you choose on the way to your Championship? "I choose the Tampa Bay Lightning. Good mixture of star players such as Kucherov and Stamkos, as well as big defenders to bump opponents off the puck like Victor Hedman who is without a doubt the meta in NHL22." What has made you such a dominant player during the season despite not spending much time in the 1v1 mode? "Right after the motto defense wins championships I focused on defense first. Not conceding is always a good fundamental to success. Another important aspect in my game is patience in both ends of the ice but at the same time driving to the net and always looking for that scoring opportunity. In the end I am very happy that these traits which are important in 6v6, also lead to success in 1v1!" Let's take a look back at @Toneee9's road to the Championship: Group Stage record: 16-0-0 (#2 seed) Round 1 vs @Player-Chris1992 3-0 Round 2 vs @Palawatsch 3-0 Quarterfinals vs @CuteTerminator7 3-0 Semifinals vs @cpt_dirtyDangler 3-1 Finals vs @Kevinator-373 3-2 SportsGamer would like to congratulate Max @Toneee9 Tonitz on a tremendous season and winning his first Championship. A big thank you to all players of the DACH-Community who participated and made this tournament possible!

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other!   GCL8 is just about to finish! We have seen many favourites maintaining their position in the league as well as supposed smaller teams tripping up the juggernauts of the DACH-Community. Right in time we are back with yet another player spotlight. This time we are glad to present to you Thomas @newman_2909 Neumann. Captain for the Eisbären Lauf - on and off the virtual ice! 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? My first experience was back in 2012. Since I started to play in 1994 on the Super Nintendo I always played EA SPORTS NHL quite regularly. Most of the times I used to grind Franchise Mode with a friend until I fell in love with Be a Pro and World of CHEL. 2. How did you end up in the 6v6 community? Due to the lockdown caused by Covid in 2020 we decided to found our Offline team (Eisbären Lauf) in World of Chel. In the beginning we played with 2 or 3 players and the other positions were played by the AI. After grinding 5v5 games with an AI goalie we decided to sign up for ECL 12 Neo and were in need of a goalie. Due to the fact that we were quite new to the community most of the Free Agents declined our offers to join us. Luckily two friends of our team decided to join us as our first goalie tandem in 6v6 EASHL! Looking back it was a big surprise that we managed to reach the ECL Neo Playoffs in our first season. 3. Describe your perfect day! Spending time with my friends and family while being on vacation. I would love to stay at the seaside, lake or pool! The day starts with a relaxing breakfast. Good conversations or board games are accompanied by a cold beer! A good BBQ session in the afternoon is completed by a live sport event at the evening. 4. Do you play hockey in real life? Yes, I play Goalie since 2008 for the Eisbären Lauf. We were able to secure four consecutive DNHL titles before Covid stopped the league operations (DNHL = Die Nordbayern Hockey Liga; similar to Beer/Hobby League). I hope that we are able to secure the 5th title in a row as soon as the season starts! 5. What's the biggest similarity between virtual and real hockey? Details matter. Just as in real hockey the small details will make the biggest differences in EASHL, too. In my opinion small things are extremely important to perform well. Feeling good with your equipment and setup is the foundation to be succesful. I also like to watch and try other players loadouts especially from the Elite and Pro Division to improve myself. But in the end it is very important that you feel comfortable - on and off the virtual ice. 6. As mentioned before you are between the pipes in real hockey. What do you prefer playing as a forward or defender in EASHL? In my first competitive seasons I played as a Defender since it was the only option in our team. I like playing as a defender because you are always under pressure and can be the deciding factor to your team on both ends of the ice. Since the start of this season I started playing as a Center. I really like being involved in almost every offensive and defensive play on the virtual ice. It starts with winning faceoffs which can be the x-factor in tight matchups and ends with being the transition man from defense to offense. 7. You are GM for one day and can pick your perfect starting six. One GCL Lineup (only DACH players; you are allowed to pick 2 players from your own team) and one ECL Lineup: ECL Lineup: LW: @PleeMaker C : @Beniittto RW: @Eken45jr       LD: @Toneee9 RD: @Bobiraataja(nikhaa27)                               G: @McSavid The ECL Lineup is a bit more tricky for me to pick. Even though I watch as many ECL Broadcasts as possible it is difficult to pick certain players due to the high performance density in the league. But above mentioned players have always been very remarkable to me. GCL Lineup: LW: @Keuschemisch C : @PlaymakerSJ RW: @IDangledYouOut                         LD: @GERxVillain RD: @CashAllGreen                                                G: @Hasek100 Due to the fact that the density in the DACH-Community is not that high, picking 6 players is a bit more easy for this lineup! Both wingers have proven themselves in the Elite Division and shown what they are capable of. @PlaymakerSJ and @Hasek100 have been institutions in this community for years now! And I really like both D-men and their capabilities on the offensive end of the ice! 8. You are quite new to competetive 6v6. What is your favourite NHL Gaming moment so far? There are two moments I'd like to highlight. Making the playoffs in our very first ECL Neo season as well as winning our first playoff series in this years ECL'22 Spring Core! 9. What was your dream job growing up and what do you currently do? As a child I always wanted to become a policeman or pilot. Unfortunately for both jobs my vision and eyesight were not good enough. Nowadays I'm working as a client advisor for a private bank. 10. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL? I love playing real hockey and spending as much time as possible on the rink. Apart from that I like visiting sports events such as hockey, football or handball games. 11. Who is the best player in the ECL and GCL? ECL: Definitely @Eki. There can't be any discussion about someone who secured several consecutive 1v1 European Championships. GCL: @Original-SnuS and @PlaymakerSJ are both extremely fun to watch. Their experience and skillset in 1v1 and 6v6 is something to look up to. But even though we are doing this interview I have to pick @Keuschemisch. In my opinion there is no other player in the whole community who invests so much time into the game to improve. His record and Championship in the eDEL and performances in 6v6 underline that. 12. High scoring game or OT drama? OT drama all the way. Those are the games that everybody wants to see. 13. What was your favourite team in real hockey? Chicago Blackhawks. Tony Amonte was the first player that I watched on TV. I was totally blown away and became a fan of the Blackhawks! 14. What are your goals in the next ECL in NHL23? In the next ECL '23 Winter Core we would like to make the playoffs again. We want improve step by step and perhaps secure Home ice advantage in round 1! Maybe we are capable of winning two consecutive playoff series next season! 15. What do you like most about being a captain on and off the virtual ice? Apparently I am not that bad at organizing. Since I always captained the team off the ice it was obvious that I would to that on the virtual ice, too. I really like to create a good environment so that everybody in the team feels comfortable. Building a good philosophy for the whole squad and having good conversations with all of my teammates is something I really appreciate. Seeing a good development of a certain player makes me really proud! 16. What’s your best real life hockey memory? Two Championships with the Eisbären Lauf! One decided in Overtime and the other one with a shorthanded GWG at 59:58. Absolute scenes! Apart from that I enjoyed watching my first live NHL Game back in May 2019. Game 5 between the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks! I wrote an article for nhl.com/de and was able to interview the German goalie Philipp Grubauer after the game. 17. Pizza with or without pineapple? Obviously without. If I'd put pineapple on Pizza I won't be able to go on vacation in Italy anymore. 18. Who would you like to see next in Player Spotlight? I would love to see Christian @GERxVillain Ungeheuer in the next Interview!  

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other!   GCL8 action is on its way and we have a special guest for our next "Player Spotlight". Justin @JS_1510 Schütz - Player for EHC RB München in the DEL and Captain for The Real Rookies on SportsGamer.gg! Let's take a closer look at the German international and if there are similarities between virtual and real hockey!   1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? I started playing NHL casually back in 2017.   2. Which team did you support when you were younger? Pittsburgh Penguins have always been my favourite team!   3. Describe your perfect holiday. I'm a big fan of a relaxing All-inclusive holiday. Lying at the pool, spending time at the beach with my girlfriend or good friends and enjoying life! 4. In real life you are playing in the highest German division (DEL) for EHC RB München. In your quite young career you already played over 100 league games. What is your best memory yet? My best memory yet is the first game of the season in 2019/20. I scored the gamewinning goal against Augsburg in what was only my 4th league game. This season is also really special because it was my first full season in the league! 5. How do you prepare yourself for a DEL match? Having good lunch, relaxing while playing some videogames, catching some good sleep and arriving early at the Arena. I like to be quite early in the dressing room to prepare my equipment for the game. 6. You are GM for one day and can pick your perfect starting six. One lineup consisting of EASHL players of the DACH-community and the other one of DEL players in real life: DACH-Lineup: LW: @Keuschemisch C : @Domi_PENTA RW: @Timasy              LD: @GERxVillain RD: @Franky__2768                                   G: @RPH_31 DEL-Lineup: LW: Cedric Schiemenz C : Taro Jentzsch RW: Yasin Ehliz                  LD: Zach Redmond RD: Marco Nowak                             G: Mathias Niederberger 7. How do you like to spend your sparetime? Obviously hitting the practice rink to improve in real hockey. But apart from that I love spending time with my girlfriend, family and friends. 8. You are DJ in the dressing room and can play one song to hype up your teammates. Which song are you playing? Jorge Quintero - 300 Violin Orchestra 9. What other sports do you follow beside hockey? I love watching football, tennis and Formula 1! 10. Where are the biggest similarities between real and virtual hockey? The biggest similarity between virtual and real hockey is that it's always very important to stay creative also while being under pressure. Surprising moves and good decisionmaking gives you the edge in tight games in EA SPORTS NHL aswell as on the real ice! Having a gameplan and believing in it is also a really important aspect in both games. Sticking to the tactics and gameplan is the key to success. 11. Pizza with or without pineapple? Definitely without. 12. Highscoring game or OT drama? OT drama! 13. Who was your hockey idol when you were younger? I always looked up to Sidney Crosby and his Hockey-IQ. 14. What are your goals for this GCL8? We definitely want to perform better than in ECL'22 Winter and Spring. One of the most important factors for us is having fun but obviously we want to get as far as possible. Making the playoffs should be doable and maybe we can provide some upsets! 15. If you had to choose: Champions in the CHL or winning the German Championship in the DEL? I think I would choose winning the CHL. Being the best team in Europe sounds good to me. 16. What is your favourite dish? To be honest I do not have any favourite dish. I'm uncomplicated. 17. Which is the most important goal you have scored yet in your career? My most important goal has to be the OT GWG in the CHL Quarterfinals 2021/22 against Lukko Rauma. Scoring the winner in OT and advancing to the semifinals in the CHL is really something special! 18. Which player would you like to see next here? I would love to see my The Real Rookies teammate @OlafjenneJR (Eichelkratzer10) soon! Thanks for having me.

SportsGamers, the Player Spotlight series is making its return with the objective of showcasing gamers that would perhaps otherwise fall outside normal reporting, but that we want to get to know better. Our strength is this community, so let's get to know each other! Right in time we are back with yet another Player Spotlight! The first week in the 8th season of the German Championship League is on its way - so it's the perfect time to take a closer look at Reto "eTschitsch" (@afc_Tschitsch) Ulrich. Goalie of the reigning GCL champion ZSC Esports from Switzerland!   1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? I started playing in NHL09 with Claudio @Freeman7187 Salamoni. We started playing 2v2 where all remaining positions were played by the AI. After a few years I stopped playing until Claudio contacted me in 2018 again. They were in need of a Goalie for the former "The Black Jacks". That's when I started grinding again.   2. What do you value most in playing for ZSC Esports? It makes me extremely proud to be part of this team and represent one of the biggest clubs in the country. Furthermore ZSC is my childhood club. So it's even more special to me.   3. Describe your perfect day! Sleeping until 11am. Have a good workout in the gym and spending the rest of the day in Zürich, enjoying the sun and having good dinner.   4. You are GM for a day and get to pick any player for your 6v6 team. Who is in your perfect ECL lineup and GCL lineup (only DACH-players)? ECL Lineup: LW: @NikkeDangles C : @Eki RW: @FlyerKungen         LD: @Toneee9 RD: @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_)                         G: @uhNikke   GCL Lineup: LW: @IDangledYouOut C : @PlaymakerSJ RW: @Freeman7187                              LD: @Toneee9 RD: @Haldeem                                          G: @PLA77NER     5. Do you play hockey in real life? I played 14 years for ZSC Lions Youth teams. When I was 18 years old I had to end my career due to an injury.   6. What's your best hockey memory? There are several moments I like to remember. I was able to play with great players who paved their way to the NHL. Such as Kevin Fiala, Jonas Siegenthaler, Denis Malgin, Sven Andrighetto and many more. But apart from that my biggest highlight was winning the Swiss Youth Championship back in 2012 and finishing as the top scorer of the league.   7. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL? I love doing sports and having a good time with my friends. Spending time with my family is really important to me as well as travelling as much as possible.   8. Pizza with Pineapples. Yes or No? NO!   9. What song do you listen to while playing an intense match in ECL? Currently my favourite tune is "Good Vibe" by R.I.O. & Kyanu.   10. What's the background story to your PSN ID? As a kid I fell in love with the Croatia kit at the World Cup 1998. My father bought me one and due to the fact that most of Croatias players name ended on "-cic" he told me that 'Cic" has to be my new name. A few friends started calling me that nickname and so it started its course until it eventually became "Tschitsch" instead of "Cic".   11. Who is the best player in the ECL? This is a really tough question to answer. There are many great players and talents out there. But if I had to choose one I would pick @Eki. He is almost always able to make a difference and give his team the edge over the opponents.   12. What's your favourite dish? As a Swiss there can be only one answer: cheese fondue.   13. What are your goals for this GCL and next ECL in NHL23? For this GCL I will take the role as a backup goalie to have Mike @burban26 Müller and Christian  @Fightlocke3 Schubert's back. But our only goal for this season has to be to defend the title. In the next ECL I would love to participate in the playoffs. In the past seasons we improved steadily and making the playoffs has to be the next step.   14. High scoring game or OT drama? Since I'm a Goalie I will obviously take the OT drama. And personally I feel like I perform best when being under pressure.   15. What are your NHL career highlights so far? My biggest highlight has to be winning the GCL7 title in the finals against Team LEISURE (now Deadly Phantoms again). After falling short in four finals it was a big relief to finally beat them. On top of that we were able to secure the title with three sweeps in a row and personally securing five shutouts in the postseason felt really good! The ECL 7 Lite title was also really special to me aswell as making it to the top of the ECL and playing there now for the 4th consecutive season.   16. Who should be featured next in "Player Spotlight"? In the next spotlight I would love to see my Swiss fellowman Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi!     Feel free to also suggest who you'd want to see in the Player Spotlight-series. Also, if there are any questions you'd like us to add to the arsenal, let us know!  

SportsGamers, The 8th season of the German Championship League is just around the corner and we want to take a closer look at the most exciting teams this upcoming season. Who are the favourites for the title? Which teams could prove themselves as "David" against the expected "Goliaths" in the league? We will see many exciting teams and tight matchups in the upcoming GCL8 but we decided to take a litter closer look on the following teams. Make sure to let us know in the comments down below which teams you are most excited to see! Previews written by @Keuschemisch and @Francoconte ZSC Esports: The reigning GCL Champion seems to be the biggest favourite in the 8th season of the German Championship League! The Swiss outfit managed to add Kevin @Keuschemisch Berg and Christian @Fightlocke3 Schubert before last ECL '22 Spring to their already strong roster. Both players played a big role in their Elite debut season which eventually lead to rank 10 and missing the playoffs just by a small margin. Christian @GERxVillain Ungeheuer followed the path of his former "noRex Gaming" teammates and will reinforce the Lions after playing one season in ECL '22 Spring Pro for the Deadly Phantoms. Captain Sven @Original-SnuS Julmi, Max @Toneee9 Tonitz and Mike @burban26 Müller were able to reinforce the team once again and the roster looks stronger than ever. To secure more depth to the offensive and defensive end, Finnish loan players Joonas @Patzlaf Paatiala (Frölunda HC) and Niklas @NikkeDangles Tukiainen (hREDS) join the blue and red for the upcoming GCL. While Reto @afc_Tschitsch (eTschitsch) Ulrich will take the role as a backup goalie, we can expect Alex @IDangledYouOutWagner to show off his scoring abilities once again, after finishing as the teams top scorer in ECL '22 Spring Elite (17G + 24A - 28GP). The only Elite participant from the DACH-Community will be in favour of securing their first back-to-back GCL title. Anything else than another final appearance would be a big disappointment. Prediction: Title favourite Deadly Phantoms: The German juggernaut will be keen on getting back the title after getting swept by ZSC Esports in the finals of GCL7. Frank @Franky__2768 Münch, Niklas @xXPsykoSkillsXx Schmitz, Felix @ProfaneKiss Kiss and Patrick @RPH_31 Braun are still the foundation of the ECL Pro participant. It will be interesting to see if the two veterans Simon @PlaymakerSJ Junker and Tim @Timasy Hess will be part of the Phantoms starting six or if freshly added winger Nico @Nicoli2311 Schubert will find his place in the offense of the German outfit. After the departure of Florian @Flo_goes_grazy(flgr93) Griechbaum it will be very important to find their rhythm right from the start of the season. In our opinion it is highly possible to see the Phantoms back in the finals! Prediction: Title challenger Geekz Energy Esports: Another Pro Team of the DACH-Community is set to make it far in the playoffs! After a rather disappointing season in GCL7 (Seed #7; 0:4 in the Quarterfinals against former Team LEISURE; now Deadly Phantoms again) Captain Joshua @Hasek100 Plattner added high quality to his roster! Stephan @Krinke Krinke joined the former Inter Iceland from PENTA and had a big impact in the last ECL '22 Spring Pro but eventually fell short to Växjo Lakers (1:4) in the first round of the playoffs. Geekz Energy Esports is well-known for their quick and dangerous counter attacks. Especially Stefan @Stefan_397 Hämmerle is a nightmare for every goalie in the league. Both forwards will be glad about the arrival of the Swiss veteran Claudio @Freeman7187 Salamoni who joins on loan from ZSC Esports. It will be interesting to see what starting six we are going to see at the beginning of the regular season! As good as Geekz's offense has been in the past, the defense has been the teams weakness - especially in tight matchups and long playoff series. Nevertheless we can expect to see Geekz Energy Esports making the semifinals! Prediction: Top 4 Hyperion: Another possible semifinalist could be Hyperion! The team around the SportsGamer veterans Stefan @Rayman Mieth and Maximilian @gzell60 Käsmaier has improved a lot and seemed to have taken the next step in last ECL'22 Spring Lite. Young gun Paul @Xx__PaulZz__xX (Pauner08) Weingart matured a lot - his skillset and silky hands can be dangerous to any team in the upcoming season. Dominik @CashAllGreen Bellersheim organizes the defense and is surely one of the main reasons for the success of Hyperion! The "Gladiators" have a good mixture of experienced veterans and upcoming talents that could make it very far in the postseason! Prediction: Battle for Top 4 Team NGU: The former PENTA has seen quite a radical change in its squad! Captain Akin @DaMan (Akin71) Isik and Dominik @Domi_PENTA Rühl who have been teammates for several seasons now, managed to add big experience from Switzerland. After adding Bryan @CuteTerminator7 Bolliger before last ECL'22 Spring Lite to the team, we can expect to see eNLA 1v1 Back-To-Back Champion Mirco@Tron1x90 (Komir_90) Salvi and Kyle @KG12PK88 Grossen opening up the play from behind! A well balanced roster can give Team NGU the edge in tight matchups and secure a good seed for the playoffs! It will be exciting to see how NGU performs in a long playoff series and how they will position themselves in the league. Will they be able to maintain their status as a top 6 team and maybe even beat favoured teams on their postseason journey? Prediction: Battle for Top 4 Herforder Ice Dragons: After getting relegated in the last GCL7, the Herforder Ice Dragons bounced back in ECL'22 Spring Core. Tobias @Hohner Hohner drew the right conclusions and managed to form a very competetive and strong squad! After falling short in the Core Quarterfinals to Finnish Outfit Etelan Vetelat, Nico @Nicoli2311 Schubert decided to part ways and join the Deadly Phantoms. They found the perfect substitute in Jürgen @DangledYouOut (TIUINIA) Kloster who brings the experience of several seasons at the Pro level and the combination with Center Christoph @IiVAPOR100iI Stotz should cause a stir offensively! One more addition made right before the start of the regular season is Arttu @laitineen64 Laiitinen, who joins on loan from ECL'22 Spring Elite semifinalist GOONS. The Finnish winger had an incredible season, scoring 56 points in 30 games. If Laiitinen will take the role as a backup player or find himself in the starting six of Herford could be a decisive factor for their game. One player the whole league should watch is Tim @LeMalkin71 Strompf who looks like one of the most exciting upcoming defenders in the German community. If the Ice Dragons can continue on their good momentum, a good seed for the postseason should be their main goal! Prediction: Top 8 DEG Esports: The Esports team of the Düsseldorfer EG has become an institution in the DACH-Community. Steffen @Seibertus94 (Leucht-T) Leuchtenberger and Daniel @DangerBrooklyn Goepfert are very important pillars and the foundation of DEG Esports! After experiencing many changes to the squad in the last couple of seasons, the DEG always managed to set their roster right in time! The red and yellow outfit is well-known for simple hockey and will surely find themselves in the postseason. Prediction: Top 16 Central Hockey Canucks: The Canucks are also one of the teams that experienced big changes within their roster. Once again the former "Niederrhein Canucks" managed to retrieve many familiar faces! Daniel @Daniel Thenextone Reinhardt, Dominik @xDurchf4ll_- Mosser, Much @Much1979 Ramu, Jamie @Da1m0n Fischer and Dean @daen Zimmermann are all back at their former domain. On top of that the squad is reinforced by Michael @devilfish333 Herold and Peter @Peter Zelko (Zelkovci) Zelko between the pipes! For the Canucks it will be about building chemistry and finding their rhythm. @HerzogMagnus and @Baby Thornton (xxICEFORCERxx) can play decisive roles in the attack of the team. Qualifying for the playoffs has to be priority number one! Prediction: Top 16 Gleumes Hockey Krefeld: Surely one of the teams that took one of the biggest steps in the GCL. Gleumes Hockey Krefeld is slowly but steadily taking the steps in the right direction and improving the squad on every position on the virtual ice. The team profits from continuity and a calm environment within the roster. Captain Manuel @ManU287 Engels brought Patrick @Pathen-21- Hendrix and Oliver @Red09Dragon08 Knapp to Krefeld who already proved themselves in the playoffs of GCL Division 1 aswell as in ECL Pro and Lite! We expect to see Gleumes in the playoffs. Where will their journey end? Prediction: Top 16 Thunder United: After missing the last ECL '22 Spring season, the Thunder is back for GCL action. A very well-balanced team that has the potential to grab a good seed in the regular season which could pave their way to a succesful playoff run? Sandro @SanDeRolino Ryman brought familiar faces back together such as Jan @Janstetze Stetze and Kevin @Gregson91 Householder. On top of that Thunder United added a bit of Elite experience in Jim @SadaPoika Leskinen and Juhani @Tanski87 Tanskanen (both Falun Coal Miners) to give them the edge in tight matchups. Especially in group 3 many outcomes are possible. Where will Thunder United see themselves after the season? Prediction: Top 16 Deggendorfer SC Esports: Much alike Thunder United, the Esports Team from Deggendorf missed out on the last ECL '22 Spring to reset for GCL8. After winning the Divison 2 title of last years GCL7, the Bavarians are keen on proving themselves among the best teams from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Since most of the squad knows each other on and off the virtual ice we can expect a great team spirit within DSC Esports. Player to watch: Johannes @Johannes.Helmbrecht Helmbrecht. The talented defender made it to the finals of the eDEL (German 1v1 Championship) and determines the pace of Deggendorfs game. Prediction: Top 32 Eisbären Lauf Gaming: Talking about teams from Bavaria: The ECL Core outfit of Eisbären Lauf is also one of the most improved teams in the community. After falling short in the second round of the ECL playoffs, Max @theburner18 Spachmüller and Thomas @newman_2909 Neumann added Marko @Nr-0847 Reza to give their team a bit more defensive calmness and experience. To decide tight matchups veteran Stefan @Toews19(BarriosLucas18) Schoierer and @Linkku60 should always be able to make the difference - especially against teams on the same level as the polar bears! Playoffs are more than feasible. Prediction: Top 32 Nürnberg Ice Tigers eSports: The official Esports squad for the DEL Club from Nuremberg could prove themselves as a stumbling block for many perceived top teams of the league. Luca @cpt_dirtyDangler Knoll and Eric @AveRxDallas Polk proved themselves among the best German 1v1 players in the eDEL and steadily improved during the last ECL seasons. 1v1 eSpengler Cup 2021 champion Kevin @Kevinator-373 Würterle joined from Team NGU and is able to accompany the Ice Tigers to the next level. Prediction: Top 32 With that, we're now ready to get the action started! Perhaps some of these teams will prove us wrong as the season progresses, and we're happy to watch that unfold! Play hard, and have fun!