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NHLGamers, In the latest edition of Player Spotlight, we asked Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen 17 questions. Today it’s once again time for a new article in the series and this time we are featuring the Swiss defender Reto @Haldeem Haldemann. We asked him 16 questions and as you already know, some are the same as earlier and some are brand new. 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? - I started playing EASHL in the summer of NHL 09, only with random people in drop-ins, but the mode itself got me into the game. First I tried as a forward, but my teammates told me because of my “good“ positioning and calmness, I should play in the defense. 2. What’s the best part of playing NHL 20 for the Swiss club ZSC Lions? - My teammates, each individual is a bit crazy in their own way, but always with the right attitude when it comes to everything. Also the support from the fans increased enormously after we switched from The Black Jacks to ZSC Esports, which is a great feeling to watch in every game in the Twitch Chat. 3. What do you remember the most from your NHL 20 career?? - Three highlights came to my mind: 1. Playing in the team “The United Knights“ in NHL 12, with the forward Lineup @Foppatofflan, @hpkfani and @Urlauber61. Unbelievable what these guys were able to do. 2. The only EHL/ECL title I‘ve ever won in NHL 15 with MUKIMIEHET. Some guys say it doesn‘t count because it was on old gen, but hey - an EHL title is a title. 3. The 1vs1 tournament in Switzerland with over 100 participants. Every game was played on one monitor, so one player always had a disadvantage to play two periods downwards. The lucky fairy put me as top seed in the whole tourney and in every game I only played one period downwards. That was the advantage I needed to win the tourney. 4. Describe your perfect breakfast! - A coffee with milk, some pancakes and bacon, looooots of bacon. 5. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team. - In Net is Mr. Einstein @sibeelius. I have always been a big fan of him and his SV% in the current ECL shows the quality he has. My D-Partner would be another former teammate in @loimmu. Not only because of his offensive numbers but he‘s also reliable in defending the own zone and he‘s a Flyers fan, big plus. As forward I would take @FlyerKungen, in my opinion the best 6v6 player right now (let the debate begin). Great two-way game, pain in the ass in 1vs1 situations, good leader (that‘s a wild guess) and a fun guy in the party too. 6. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Swiss hockey league or the world’s best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? - I prefer to be the best in a smaller community than average in a large community, so I’d take the best NHL-player. 7. Do you play or have you played hockey? - No, never in real life. My skating is too bad. 8. What’s your best hockey memory? - It was in 2015 when my local team SCL Tigers got promoted to the highest division in Switzerland. The series itself wasn‘t spectacular, but the party after is something I will not forget. 9. What do you like to do in your spare time besides playing NHL? - I used to play football in a lower division but because of motivation problems I quit. Now it‘s mostly hanging around with friends. 10. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza? - NEVER pineapple on a pizza! 11. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick? - As I listen to basically every genre in music, I can’t decide on one specific song, so we go to the next question. 12. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - My friends came up with the name “Haldem“, which is a short form of my last name. It wasn‘t available anymore so I Added an extra “e“ into it, now everybody says Haldim. 13. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? - Answer is in question 5, @FlyerKungen. 14. What kind of holiday is your favorite and why? - I guess it's a bit generic, but I‘d like to relax on a beach, enjoy the sun and go swimming. Combined with some day trips into hills/mountains. 15. For the last question, as you are from Switzerland, chocolate or cheese? - Hahaha always something “sour“, cheese in every sort and form possible. We thank Haldeem for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. For next time we want you to tell us who to interview. Please let us know which player you would like to hear more from below in the comments!

NHLGamers, With a brand new season going on it’s also time for the Player Spotlight series to make a comeback. In the latest edition, we asked now JYP goaltender Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos 19 questions and the guy has been on a heater since then. Today it’s finally time for a new article in the series and this time we are featuring Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen, who's best known for his dominating performances at the blue line of Linkoping HC. We asked him a total of 17 questions and as you already know, some are the same as earlier and some are brand new. 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL? - My first memory from EASHL was that I played a drop-in match on NHL 13 with a couple of friends. I felt that I liked the game mode from the start and I have played a lot of it since then. 2. What’s the best part of playing NHL 20 for the SHL club Linkoping HC? - There’s a lot of things that are nice with representing Linkoping, but I feel that the best part is all the support from both staff and fans that cheer for us every game. 3. Who is the loudest player in your team during the games? - It’s different from game to game but I would say me, @ICappeI and @Eki. 4. Describe your perfect meal! - Fillet of Beef, potato gratin and red wine sauce. 5. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team. - I would choose @Eki as forward cause I think he is the best forward in the game and he is a person that works with everybody. As defender, I would choose @iilmarii because I think he has evolved a lot in a very short time and I think he can be one of the best in the near future. As goalie I would choose @Supreex cause regardless of what team he has played for, he has been one of the big reasons for the team performing really good. He would be an important player regardless of which team he would be playing for. 6. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Swedish SHL or the world’s best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? - I would rather be the best NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6 because of the simple reason that I am a very competitive person that always strives to be the best. 7. Do you play or have you played hockey? - I played hockey for 12 years and I quit when I was 16. 8. Why did you quit? - I got a couple of concussions during my career and I was afraid that they would do permanent damage to me, and I didn’t have the passion for hockey left. 9. What’s your best hockey memory? - My best hockey memory would be when Finland won the 2016 Junior World Championships. I was watching with my family and everyone screamed with joy when Kapanen scored the game-winning goal on overtime against Russia. 10. Describe a normal day in Joel Tourunen’s life! - I get up at 05:00 and get to work that starts one hour later. I work as an electrician and work from 06:00 to 15:30. When the work is done I go home and sleep a couple of hours, then I grab something to eat and after that, I play NHL until it’s bedtime. 11. Pineapple or no pineapple on pizza? - Pineapple shouldn’t be on pizza. 12. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick? - It’s a very hard question but I would either chose The Box with Roddy Ricch or Roses (Imanbek remix) with SAINt JHN and Imanbek. 13. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - From the beginning, it was my big brother that made an account that was called jtorro123. Both I and he are sometimes called Torro. When my big brother quit playing Playstation I took over his account and during the years I’ve been doing some small edits to the name, like getting rid of the numbers. 14. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? - There’s a lot of players that could be the best but I would say that @Eki is the number one right now. 15. What are your top 3 places or countries you want to visit? - I would like to visit USA, Italy and Nassau. 16. Which team will win ECL Elite? - I believe and hope that Linkoping will win, and we will do everything to make it happen. But it will be tough against HAVU and JYP. 17. Last question, who’s the greatest Swede in Linköping, you or Cappe? - Haha, that’s a good question. Cappe is great both on and off the ice, but if Cappe were to play forward and I would play goalie, then we would be equally great . We thank jtorro-.- for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. For next week we want you to choose the next player that is going to be interviewed. Please let us know which player you would like to hear more from below in the comments! Photo credit: Elias Gammelgård

NHLGamers, After a longer break for christmas and new years we are back with another article in the Player Spotlight series. Before christmas we asked Antti @Anhel Kuru a bunch of questions. Today we are back with the next article in the series and this time we are featuring Oskari @sibeelius Grönroos. We asked him 19 questions and as you probably have noticed by now, some are the same as earlier, and some are new. Let's get to it: 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL like? - My first experience in EASHL was probably a random drop-in game in NHL 17. It was horrible but we've come a long way from that. 2. During this season you switched teams from Filadelphia to Butterfly Effect, has it been any different playing in Butterfly than in Filadelphia? - Yes for sure. Defense has been maybe the biggest difference between these two teams as FILA had really good discipline and a more passive style of defense while Butterfly is more active in the forecheck. Penalties have also been a big difference. 3. Who is the best hockey player in the world according to you? - McDavid is in a league of his own at the moment, there is no question about that. 4. Describe your perfect breakfast! - I rarely eat breakfast, but coffee is a must and maybe some kind of croissant with some ham, cheese and lettuce in it. 5. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team. - I would probably pick young players, so as a defender I would pick @xDoumi from Butterfly Effect. The forward choice is much harder but I think I would take @Beniittto because he is a center and already experienced and young. As a goalie I would probably go with @Hansulinho even tho he isn't as young anymore but he is the most consistent goalie at the moment. 6. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Finnish Liiga or the worlds best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? - If I could be an average real life player in NHL I would choose that any day but in the Finnish league... I will go with being the best EA Sports NHL-player. 7. Do you play or have you played hockey? - I have only played hockey with friends at outdoor rinks. 8. What’s your best hockey memory? - My best hockey memory would be seeing my first NHL game live. It was Flyers vs Lightning. 6-5 overtime ending made it very enjoyable to watch. It was also my first time in America so that made it even more cool 9. What’s your favourite team? - My favourite team is the Chicago Blackhawks. 10. What do you do on a day off? - I don't have a job at the moment as I'm trying to get into law school, but on a day off I would probably just chill at home or see friends. 11. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick? - My favourite at the moment is probably Legends from Juice Wrld so I will go with that. 12. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - When I was younger and played soccer, my soccer coach gave me a nickname and that was Sibelius. People in real life also call me Sibbe as a shoter version of Sibelius. 13. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? - I must say @Buantso is the best player in ECL at the moment for sure. 14. What is the first thing you are going to do when you retire? (from work) - When I retire from work I will just travel as much as I can. I love travelling. 15. What are your top 3 places or countries you want to visit? - That is a tough one. Probably 1. Bahamas 2. Australia 3. Hawaii 16. Which team will win ECL 9 Elite? - I hope Linköping wins it so HAVU won't get a second ECL title in a row. However I still think that HAVU will win it because they are more effective at scoring even though Linköping has scored more goals this season. HAVU has a better goalie and their forecheck will give a hard time to any team who they face at the moment. 17. The eSHL just started and a lot of players and some teams have been signed by SHL-clubs, what are your thoughts on the league and players going there? - I think the eSHL will be a great league with great players and teams and I hope it gets a lot of attention so it could maybe wake interest in other leagues to also create the same kind of tournaments or leagues. Hopefully this league will show the potential of this esport and help it grow. I'm also happy that it wasn't strictly for Swedish players so the league will be more competitive 18. Would you have liked to play in the eSHL? - Yes I'm kinda sad that I'm not participating in this league as it would have been a cool experience but sadly no one needed my services. 19. Last question, Sauna or hot tub? - Hot tub The stats of Oskari "Sibelius" Grönroos We thank @sibeelius for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. Next weeks player has already been chosen but as we plan to release more of these articles, please let us know which player you would like to hear more from!

NHLGamers, A week has passed since the latest and first edition of our Player Spotlight-series was released. Back then we asked Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist seventeen questions. Today we are back with the next article in the series and this time we are featuring Antti @Anhel Kuru. We asked him seventeen questions and you might recognize some of them from the last article, but there are some new ones too! Let's get to it: 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL like? -My first experience with EASHL happened on NHL 14. I was very young at the time so I can barely remember anything special but one strange thing that I can remember is that I played as a LW with a right-handed stick. 2. What's the best thing with competing in the ECL? -Hard to say one thing but maybe the feeling when you've won a tight game against an extremely skilled team with your friends stands out from the rest. 3. This season is Unlucky Boys fourth season in the Elite division, what's the secret to your success? -I think the secret lays behind our roster. Because our roster has been nearly the same for several years, we know particularly well how each and every one of us play. Our team spirit is also great due to playing together for so long and I think it plays a large role in how we are performing on the ice. Everybody plays for the burger on the jersey. Obviously in my opinion each one of us are really skilled individuals too. 4. A lot of you guys have been playing together for a while now, how did the history of Unlucky Boys HC start? -Unlucky Boys HC was founded in NHL16. I created the team with a great friend of mine, @iilmarii. He was new to the whole NHL series and we started to play 2's with good success. After a while it started to be boring and we wanted to leave the bot games behind us. I contacted @JimBoo after meeting him in a drop-in match and he was the third member of our team. Then we just signed both players from drop-in lobbies (like for example our RW @Wenger) and some half-familiar PSN friends like @Sweaty__99. The core of our roster has remained closely the same since the beginning which is very impressive thinking back now. Of course the burger has and will always be our symbol too. 5. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team. -Starting from the easiest pick, as forward I would pick Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha. Well, what couldn't I say about his level of play. He has also always been his teams captain which ensures that he is a leader both on and off the ice. For defender I would go with his linemate Wille @willekunq Juntunen because I think he is the best defender out there. Casper @ICappeI Lundgren would be the goalie. I was lucky to meet him at the IS Cup 4 final event and the man is pure class. 6. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life finnish league or the worlds best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? -I would rather be the best EA sports NHL -player. 7. Do you play or have you played hockey? -I can barely skate so no. 8. What’s your best hockey memory? -Maybe a bit boring answering quite same what @Rubituss said but my best memory is from World Junior Championship in 2016. Me and my dad were watching the final against Russia and it was one of the craziest games ever. I will always remember the winning goal from Kasperi Kapanen. Torille! 9. What’s your favourite team? -Kiekko-Espoo 10. Jari Kurri or Wayne Gretzky? -As a Finn this is an easy question, Jari Kurri. 11. What do you do on a day off? -Studying, listening to music and hanging out with my friends. 12. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick? -Probably Sonne by Rammstein. I love the song and it gets me focused. 13. How did you come up with your PSN ID? -Anhel was my nickname for some time and Kuru is my surname. Then I just combined them. 14. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? -@FlyerKungen 15. What do you do when you don’t play NHL or watch hockey? -I'm a final year student in high school so most of my time goes to studying. Besides that I like going to the gym. 16. Which team will win ECL 9 Elite? -This is a tough one. I'll say HAVU in game seven against Linköping. 17. How are you going to spend christmas? -Spend time with my family and support Finland on the World Junior Championship. We thank Anhel_Kuru for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. If you are lucky, next week you might be the one that gets to answer some of these questions. Who would you like to hear more from? In the meantime, NHLGamer wishes all of you a very merry christmas!

NHLGamers, It’s a bit late into the season but we have decided to launch a new article series where we have a discussion with a player of choice and shoot over some various questions for them to answer. In the newly started series we’ll get to know more about the players competing in ECL Elite, both on and off the ice. First out is Färjestad BK’s Robin @Rubituss Söderqvist who got put on the spot for 17 tough ones. 1. What was your first experience with the EASHL mode in NHL like? -It’s a pretty new one since I just started playing EASHL about a year ago. It was a fun experience with more action and teamplay and I immediately got hooked. 2. How come you didn’t start playing EASHL before that? -I started playing competitive in NHL 18 but I focused on playing versus and HUT. Then I felt like I should give EASHL a try in the middle of the NHL 19 season and it instantly felt like I had a talent for it and then I just kept playing it. 3. If you would be a manager for a day and had to pick one defender, one forward and a goalie to build a new ECL Elite team around. Which players would you choose? You can only choose one from your own team. -I would choose Swedens finest, Casper @ICappeI Lundgren as goalie. Defender is a bit harder but I think I would go with Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta from Linköping, I feel like he’s pretty good both on offense and defense. As forward I would go with who I think is the best player today, Tuukka @FlyerKungen Kuha, what he does on the ice is almost magical and he’s really slippery and hard to read. 4. What would you rather be, an average player in the real-life Swedish SHL or the worlds best EA Sports NHL-player in both 1v1 and 6v6? -I would choose to play in the SHL over EA NHL, sadly I didn’t have the talent for it. 5. I’m guessing you played hockey before? -Yes, I played until I was 18 years old. 6. On what level? -I played in division 4 in Sweden, so it wasn’t really close to the top, I mostly played because of the nice community. 7. What’s your best hockey memory? -That would be when I was down in Malmö with a friend. We watched the World Junior Championship and saw all of Sweden's games live. It was a great experience except when Sweden lost to Finland in the Final. But all in all, it was a wonderful experience. 8. What’s your favourite team? -That’s a sensitive question cause my heart beats for Frölunda, but I would like to add that no matter what I will always give a hundred percent for Färjestad when I represent their organisation. Above: Robin "Rubituss" Söderqvist took home the silver medal in the SCL 1v1 finals at Birdie LAN at the end of May 2019 9. What is your favourite holiday and why? -Christmas, cause I get to spend time with my family and watch the World Junior Championship. 10. What do you want for Christmas? -A trip to North America so I get to watch NHL live. 11. Is there a special team you would like to see? -Rangers, cause of Madison Square Garden. Otherwise it would be Toronto or Montreal cause of their hockey culture. 12. If you would have to spend one day playing NHL and had to listen to one song only, during the whole day, what song would you pick? -Levels with Avicii, I always get hyped up when I hear that song while playing. It got played frequently during the Swedish Championship in NHL 19. 13. How was it to play the Swedish Championship live? -I played the 1v1 tournament and ended up in second place. During the 6v6 tournament I hadn’t signed with the team yet so I sat down and watched it there live. It was a great experience where I learned a lot and it was fun to get a face on the players behind the screens. 14. How did you come up with your PSN ID? -Usually my nickname is Ruben and then my friends just started calling me Rubituss. And since it was available when I created my account, that’s what I went with. 15. Who’s the best player in ECL according to you? - @FlyerKungen 16. What do you do when you don’t play NHL or watch hockey? -I’m studying to be a police officer, in my free time I play floorball in the Swedish Division 2. So there’s a lot of studying and exercising in different forms combined with my gaming. 17. Which team will win ECL 9 Elite? -I think it will be Linköping vs HAVU in the finals. But I think Linköping will win since they have @ICappeI in the goal. They have really picked up pace since he joined the team. Above: Robin "Rubituss" Söderqvist stats in the 6v6 mode so far We thank Rubituss for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. If you are lucky, next week you might be the one that gets to answer some of these questions. Who would you like to hear more from?