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NHLGamers, wir sind zurück mit einem neuen Player Spotlight Artikel aus der deutschsprachigen Community. Wir glauben, dass dort viele Spieler sehr unbekannt sind obwohl sie dennoch viel Talent und Können besitzen. Deshalb haben wir uns dafür entschieden Euch diese Spieler ebenfalls vorzustellen. Im zweiten Artikel beschäftigen wir uns näher mit Kevin "@Keuschemisch" Berg, dem Assistenzkapitän von noRex Gaming und Mitglied des Writing-Staffs von NHLGamer. 1. Wie und wann kamst Du dazu den EASHL Modus in NHL zu spielen? Ich habe in NHL 09 mit Schulfreunden angefangen EASHL zu spielen. Meistens waren das nur 3 oder 4 Leute, der Rest wurde mit Bots ausgefüllt, so wie das damals gängig war. Irgendwann später hat mich Raphi (@RPH_31 A.d.R.) im PSN angeschrieben, ob ich einen Club suche und so kam ich zu meinem ersten 6vs6 Club, den damaligen "German Bulls". Dort spielten ebenfalls @Toews19(BarriosLucas18), @Laurentius(Larphox) und Raphi. Seitdem waren BarriosLucas18 und Larhttps://nhlgamer.com/players/210phox Teil jedes Teams in dem ich gespielt habe. 2. Was sind Deine bisherigen Highlights in Deiner EASHL-Karriere? Eines meiner Highlights war die erste Playoffteilnahme in meiner ersten Saison mit den damaligen "Eisbaeren Regensburg" in der GCL4. Insbesondere nachdem das Team in den vorherigen Saisons eher am Ende der Tabelle stand, war der Sieg in den Pre-Playoffs und die anschließende Viertelfinalteilnahme ein großer Erfolg. Dazu kommen in der ECL der zweimalige Aufstieg in die ECL Pro. Das erste Mal mit der Viertelfinalteilnahme in der ECL 10 Lite gegen HUIPPUPASSI (jetzt GOONS; Serie 3:4) was letztendlich zum Aufstieg in die ECL 11 Pro reichte. Sowie der jetzigen Finalteilnahme und Silbermedaille in der ECL 12 Lite und dem direkten Wiederaufstieg in die zweithöchste europäische Spielklasse. Individuell gehört sicherlich die ECL 10 Lite dazu in der ich mir einen Platz unter den Top 10 Scorern der Liga sichern konnte (Regular Season 30GP: 33G + 53A = 86P; Playoffs 16GP: 22G + 23A = 45P). On top konnte ich mir in der vergangenen RCL 8 Pro als Lizenzspieler für EHC Traktor Chelyabinsk den Topscorer-Titel ergattern (22GP: 36G + 35A = 71P). Im 1v1 Modus in NHL21 gelang mir die Vizemeisterschaft in der eDEL (Finalniederlage gegen @Timasy) und eine Platzierung unter den Top 64 in der GWC (Gaming World Championship) in Europa auf der PS4. 3. Was sind deine persönlichen Ziele sowie die langfristigen Ziele deines Clubs? Persönlich möchte ich mich im 1v1 Step by Step weiterentwickeln. Bei der nächsten eDEL würde ich gerne meine Leistung aus diesem Jahr bestätigen und auch in der GWC ist das Erreichen der Top 64 mein erneuter Anspruch. Mein Fokus liegt im 6v6 Modus mit noRex Gaming. Nachdem Wiederaufstieg in die ECL Pro wollen wir uns mit einem jungen, hungrigen und talentierten Kader in der Liga etablieren. Zuallererst gehört dazu der direkte Klassenerhalt. Wir sind ungemein lernwillig und wollen aus jeder Saison das Maximum herausholen, so dass wir unser Spiel mit jedem neuen Turnier weiterentwickeln können. 4. Was ist Dein Lieblingsessen? Himmel un Äd (Typisch Kölsches Gericht. Kartoffelbrei, Apfelmus und gebratene Blutwurst) 5. Wenn Du ein Team zusammenstellen könntest, einmal für die ECL (nicht DACH Spieler) und einmal für die GCL, welchen Verteidiger, Stürmer und Torhüter würdest du verpflichten? Du kannst maximal einen Spieler aus deinem eigenen Team wählen. Mit Begründung. ECL Team: LW @FlyerKungen - C @Beniittto - RW @Eki LD @Lehmannens - RD @loimmu G @ICappeI Im Sturm finden wir drei der stärksten Offensivakteure der ECL Elite. FlyerKungen ist eigentlich auf dem rechten Flügel beheimatet, aber bei seiner Qualität und Erfahrung wird er den linken Flügel ähnlich stark besetzen können. Nach den vergangenen Saisons muss man über Eki und Beniittto nicht viel sagen. Lehmannens ist ein individuell unheimlich spielstarker Verteidiger mit hohen Scoringqualitäten. Hinzu kommen seine unglaublichen Fähigkeiten im 1v1. Mit Loimmu ist die rechte Verteidigung mit dem wahrscheinlich stärksten RD der ECL Elite besetzt. Mit Cappe steht der derzeit beste Goalie der Welt zwischen den Pfosten. GCL Team: LW @IDangledYouOut- C @PlaymakerSJ- RW @Timasy LD @Franky__2768- RD @Toneee9 G @Fightlocke3 In der Offensive sind für mich persönlich ebenfalls die jeweils individuell stärksten Spieler vertreten. Maxi (Toneee9) ist eigentlich LD, aber die Kombination mit ihm und Franky finde ich - vor allem auch offensiv - sehr stark. Fightlocke3 hat sich in den vergangenen zwei Saisons für uns zu einem unglaublichen Rückhalt gemausert. Insbesondere die Tatsache, dass er erst seit Sommer 2020 aktiv NHL spielt macht ihn zu einem der besten und spannendsten "Talente" in der deutschsprachigen Community. (Anmerkung der Redaktion: Das Interview wurde nach der ECL 12 geführt, weshalb die Nennung von IDangledYouOut wieder legitim ist.) 6. Spielst oder hast Du selbst Eishockey gespielt? Ich habe selbst nie Eishockey gespielt, jedoch regelmäßig Street- und Inline Hockey mit Freunden. Dort stehe ich jedoch im Tor und nicht auf dem rechten Flügel. 7. Wärst Du lieber ein Durchschnittseishockeyspieler in echtem Leben oder lieber der beste EA Sports NHL Spieler? Ich wäre lieber der beste EA Sports NHL Spieler. 8. Was ist deine Lieblingserinnerung aus dem realen Eishockey? Hier gibt es ebenfalls mehrere Augenblicke: Mein Lieblingsclub in Deutschland sind die Kölner Haie. Ich erinnere mich gerne an mein erstes Spiel in der Kölnarena. 2004 ein 7:1 gegen die Hamburg Freezers und natürlich das Rekordspiel aus den Playoffs 2008 gegen die Adler Mannheim bei der Gogulla nach 168 Minuten den Siegtreffer geschossen hat. *lacht den Adler Mannheim Fan aus & an* 9. Was machst du in deiner Freizeit, bzw. wie sieht ein normaler Tag in deinem Leben aus? Wenn nicht gerade eine weltweite Pandemie das Leben dominiert verfolge ich gerne die Fußballspiele meines Lieblingsclubs, dem 1. FC Köln, womit ich nebenbei noch zwei Leidenschaften verbinde: Reisen und Fußball - das sogenannte "Groundhopping". Hierbei versuche ich so viele Spiele in verschiedenen Ländern und Stadien wie möglich anzuschauen (habe über 650 Spiele in knapp 300 Stadien in 24 Ländern besucht). 10. Pizza mit oder ohne Ananas? Natürlich ohne. 11. Wenn du an einem Abend während dem NHL spielen nur EIN Lied den ganzen Tag hören könntest, welches Lied wäre das? Wasted Penguinz - Wide Awake (Special Shoutout an @esdor) 12. Wie ist die Geschichte hinter deiner PSN-ID? "Keuschemisch" ist der Ort, an dem ich aufgewachsen bin, jedoch im lokalen Dialekt, was selbst hier außer der alteingesessenen Bevölkerung niemand weiß. 13. Wer ist der beste ECL (kein DACH) / GCL Spieler für dich? ECL: @Eki GCL: @Timasy (Timasy's Profile) 14. Wie verbringst du deine Urlaube und weshalb? Reisen in verschiedene Länder - gerne in Verbindung mit Städtetrips und Fussball (siehe Antwort auf Frage 9) 15. Schützenfest oder OT-Krimi? Definitiv der OT-Krimi (mit dem besseren Ende für uns). 16. Hast du ein oder mehrere Rituale vor Ligaspielen? Vor jedem Ligaspiel gehe ich mit unserem Goalie @Fightlocke3 und Verteidiger @GERxVillain in die Trainingskabine und nehme ein paar Schüsse, Breakaways und Saucerpässe um mich langsam "aufzuwärmen". 17. Wie ist dein Fazit aus Eurer ECL 12 Saison und wie wollt Ihr den Abgang von IDangledYouOut kompensieren? Mit der vergangenen Saison bin ich unheimlich zufrieden. Auch wenn der Titel und das i-Tüpfelchen in Spiel 7 des Finals gefehlt hat, bin ich unheimlich stolz auf das gesamte Team. Nachdem wir im Pro Qualifier sehr knapp gescheitert sind, lag unser voller Fokus auf dem direkten Wiederaufstieg. Die Art und Weise wie wir unsere Gruppe gewonnen haben und bis ins Finale marschiert sind, stimmt mich sehr mutig auf unsere Zukunft. Diese Erfahrung tut unserem relativ jungen Kader sehr gut und legt einen guten Grundstein für NHL22. Mit Alex verlässt uns einer der stärksten Stürmer des deutschsprachigen Raumes. Seine Erfahrung und Klasse hat uns in der ECL 12 Lite natürlich ungemein geholfen. Nichtsdestotrotz werden wir einen adäquaten Ersatz suchen und finden, der sich gut in das Teamgefüge einfinden wird. Über das Kollektiv und die Chemie im gesamten Team ist nahezu jeder Spieler ersetzbar. 18. Was sind Deine Ziele für ECL 13 und GCL 8? Wie bereits in Frage 3 angedeutet gilt unser voller Fokus auf der Etablierung in der ECL Pro mit dem direkten Klassenerhalt. Alle weiteren Entwicklungen auf der europäischen Ebene lassen wir danach gerne auf uns zukommen. Für die GCL 8 möchten wir weiterhin unsere Halbfinalteilnahmen aus den vergangenen drei Saisons bestätigen - und wer weiß: vielleicht auch hier den nächsten Schritt in eine mögliche Finalteilnahme wagen.

NHLGamers, Västerås IK is a Swedish ice hockey club with a very long history. At the moment, it is playing at the second highest tier of competition in Sweden. In their past also lies a 12-season stretch in the national top league between 1988 and 2000. With a long history in hockey, moving to console hockey was their great next step. Jimmy Gerdin, media officer at Västerås IK, commented on the club's decision to join console hockey. "From the club side, we thought it was time to try to get the team into esports. We have received a lot of requests in recent years to start a team, so we put the ball in the hands of our own fans, who had the opportunity to form a team that would represent Västerås IK." The pandemic situation around the world also affected the club's willingness to build a new console hockey team alongside their hockey team. Gerdin highlights the locality of the players and their passion for the club. "First of all, we see it as a fun initiative because it is a team made up of local players who are passionate about the club. When it comes to the situation with the pandemic and the economy, this is not a burden on the association either financially or in terms of workload. This is run entirely voluntarily by the dedicated supporters and players who are passionate about both VIK and esports. Moreover, this is a sport that is not affected by either crowd restrictions or the spread of infection among the players." Daniel @Gunde021 Gunstedt, who's the acting netminder of the Västerås IK console hockey team, commented on his interest in console hockey and his association with the club's colours: "We are all very passionate about console hockey and the fact that we will then get the chance to represent our favourite team Västerås IK setting up a team for esports is an absolutely amazing feeling. Hockey is a great sport and playing alongside teammates and competing is probably the best thing." Västerås IK is heading into the upcoming ECL 11 season with an experienced team, as there are several players who have previous experience in the ECL, among other leagues. "We are part of a team with previous experience competing in esports such as the ECL but we also have some players that are brand new to the competitive scene as well. Many have previously played club games and such, but simply haven't taken their game to the next level yet, so it's a little new for some." Expectations for the team are high, as several players are looking to up their level or get back to their prime: "The goal of the team is to get as far in the divisions framework as possible. Me and a few more of the team have previously played in the Pro and that's where you want to be again, preferably higher than that of course!" The players took initiative in starting up the esports club for Västerås IK in the offseason. Gunstedt opens up about the steps in building their squad. "It started with the gang deciding to leave the Xbox for Playstation and talking to some of the Swedish community on Facebook. In the recruitment process when we got to know each other I realized they were also supporters of Västerås, which made the selection rather smooth. The idea really took off and when connecting with the club we learned that also they were extremely interested in setting up an esports team." "As a team, we try to be hard to play against, focusing a lot on team play, where everyone has to do their part to succeed. As a goalkeeper, I want to say that I have a pretty good idea of the game, but there is still a lot of work to be done." - Gunstedt on their team strengths and his own play in net.

The Rulebook for the ECL has been updated with several important points. Please always refer to the rulebook for the full ruleset - this news story is intended to highlight some of the additions and/or amendments to the rulebook. Without further ado, let's jump into the new rules. Betting While the ECL isn't officially associated with any betting company, some companies have started offering bets on ECL Elite games. This is an honor for us, as it means our games are appreciated at the same level of seriousness as we play and organize them with. In addition to the raised importance of reporting the games and potential reschedules in a precise and timely manner, the introduction of betting poses some potential risks involving integrity. In order to ensure the integrity, members of ECL Elite teams are hereby prohibited from betting on ECL Elite games or other ECL Elite related bets. ECL Elite Playoff Schedule Below you'll find the ECL Elite Playoff Schedule and the dates for the broadcasts (starting time 20:00 CEST). The goal is to cover two of the quarterfinals, both semifinals, and the finals. ECL Pro, Lite & Neo Playoff Schedule Below you'll find the playoff schedule for the rest of the divisions. Due to the overlap of the different division's playoffs, our goal is to cover all of the divisions' finals on our broadcasts. Rescheduling games into the future This is not a new rule, but something we ask teams to pay attention to. Games should never remain unplayed and unreported on a past date. If the games can't be played on the default date, discuss the new date with the opposing team's captains and use the rescheduling tool to update to the new date. This also applies to games played ahead of time - please reschedule them for the earlier date and time before playing and reporting. This is important for e.g.: Betting Fans following your games League staff making sure everything is running as planned End of the regular season Here you'll find the information on the last day to play your games. Any games left unplayed can end up being decided by the League Administration. Instigating a fight While we haven't been presented with any actual evidence about instigating a fight prior to a faceoff, we've been contacted by numerous teams worried about players instigating a fight before faceoffs. In order to save us all from the trouble of speculating about the topic - especially as instigating fights prior to faceoffs is generally speaking pointless - we have decided to ban this behavior. That being said, if you can properly prove that this actually gives you a boost, please send us the evidence, as we're sure EA Sports would appreciate it. Accidental fights Accidental fights rarely get started - in fact, not even once per season. However, it can happen, so we decided to add it to the rulebook to describe what to do under these circumstances and what the outcome could be if the League Administration deems the "accident" intentional. Reporting game immediately after game As mentioned earlier in this article, there are more eyes on the ECL and more teams in the ECL than ever before. This is why it's crucial that games are reported at the very latest within 24 hours of the game. It is good practice to report the games by the end of the evening, though. ECL Elite games must be reported directly after the game. This improves the experience for betting and allows our articles and broadcasts to always work with the most up to date information. Our broadcasts actually get the up to date numbers immediately after reporting now. Winning team reports games This is not a new rule, but something many seem to have a misconception of due to memories of ECL seasons in the past. The winning team is responsible for reporting the games. The losing team is, however, also responsible for documenting the necessary data as a backup. ECL Neo Playoffs Due to the expansion of ECL Neo from 32 teams to 84 teams, we added more groups and more teams make the playoffs. Here's how it works: Transfer Deadlines We allow transfers in ECL. Transfers are like trades, but there isn't a requirement for teams to get anyone in return. Note: The transfer deadline is just around the corner. In order to leave a team or transfer, a player has to request that the captain drops them from the roster. This is to make sure the communication is there when leaving teams - in order to not leave the old team in trouble. How to get help I get messages (PM, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, PSN, email, etc) daily asking for help with a lot of ECL related questions. This applies to many other members of our staff as well. While we love to help you, when you get spammed with 30-50 messages on random platforms each day, it becomes an unmanageable task. In order to be able to help you in a structured way, we offer our support section. Support can be accessed through the Team Tools (for captains) and through the community. Consider bookmarking this link: https://nhlgamer.com/community/support/. Please keep in mind that while we try to reply as soon as we can, sometimes it will take a while for us to get back to you. The important part is that you report the issue and we'll help you out as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience. We hope you found these updated rules logical and reasonable. Please let us know if there are any questions and suggestions on how you would make the rulebook even better. UPDATE: 21.04.2020 Updated Lite playoff specifics (5.6) 22.04.2020 Tweaked Pro transfer deadline to be in line with Lite and Neo (14.1)

NHLGamers, We’re closing in on the eSHL season and are about one month away from puckdrop and with that the time has come to announce yet another participating team. Linköping HC hails from the south of Sweden and has signed the very prestigious roster of FILADELPHIA. The team is regarded mostly as a Finnish group but their roster actually holds two Swedes as Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen and the newest acquisition Casper @ICappeI Lundgren are sporting their colors. This acquisition raises the stakes significantly and is a great boost to the competitiveness of the entire league, as the former FILADELPHIA dominated the game in several ways during NHL 19 and has continued staying at the top in NHL 20 despite not quite reaching similar levels of success. Their star studded offense certainly needs no introductions with multi-champion Erik @Eki Tammenpää flanking the right side, “Mr. Selke” Joonas @Juunas Paatiala centering and the prodigal son turned seasoned and decorated veteran Paul @PleeMaker Arontie on the left. This trio will look to continue wreaking havoc now in the fresh colors of Linköping HC. "This acquisition shows that we mean business when entering the esports scene. We truly want our team to compete at the top level and show up when the brightest trophies are being dealt. There's no doubt that Casper together with his team will represent the LHC lion with pride and lead the way for our entry into esports", says Michael Sturehed, marketing manager at Linköping Hockey Club. Linköping Hockey Club roster: GOALTENDER #72 Casper @ICappeI Lundgren 🇸🇪 DEFENSEMEN #27 Aleksi @loimmu Loimuvirta 🇫🇮 #40 Joel @jtorro1233 Tourunen 🇸🇪 #88 Joonas @SUPERVIRTA Virta 🇫🇮 FORWARDS #25 Erik @Eki Tammenpää 🇫🇮 #44 Paul @PleeMaker Arontie 🇫🇮 #86 Joonas @Juunas Paatiala 🇫🇮 The newest face in the team is also a very experienced player and is one of the most highly regarded Swedish talents playing the game currently. Goaltender Cappe joined the team on September 17th and has been as solid as ever in his new jersey since the transfer. Cappe was also one of the main facilitators in signing with Linköping, so we caught up with him for a chat about the situation: What was it about Linköping that enticed you the most? Ever since our first contact, Linköping impressed us with their attitude towards esports and their ambitions with this project. They sold the idea that this project will be a big part of the club and the LHC family going forward. We're also very honored to be representing a club with a great history of developing talented players and outstanding individuals. Despite you and Torro representing the club, FILADELPHIA is generelly regarded as a Finnish team. Were you set on participating in eSHL right froom the get go? Most definitely. As soon as information about the eSHL reached us, we made a decision to reach out to some teams and enquire about their interests. Sweden isn't that heavily represented at the top of the European standings, so we felt that we are in a great spot going into the negotiations. In my opinion it's interesting to see teams like for example Luleå, with varying nationalities competing at the top. You recently assumed the role as the number one goalkeeper of FILADELPHIA after a long watch under the duo @sibeelius & @FinKonna. How has playing for you new team felt and was the transfer something that was planned long ahead? The transfer discussions happened rather quickly after our run in IS Cup 4. Sibe and Konna surely left me some big boots to fill, but I feel we've been doing great and the boys are making it comfortable to play behind them. Since day one, I've felt very welcome and a part of the team. It's not hard to feel right at home with a captain like @Juunas, what a great guy he is! The new league must be something of a dream come true for a Swedish competitive player. How does it feel to be one of the very best domestic talents in the league and what kind of goals have you set personally for the upcoming season? It's something we've been dreaming about for sure. Personally, I'm going to do everything in my power to win every game I play. I've got a winning mentality and losing is the absolute worst thing I know. As a team we're incredibly hyped about eSHL and will obviously be looking to put a trophy on the shelf at the end of the season. Currently the team stands second in the regular season of ECL 9 Elite and will be playing their last two games tonight against Luleå Hockey. Linköping has a chance to overtake their sweet rival HAVU Gaming for a number one seed going into the playoffs whereas Luleå is looking to secure a favorable matchup for their first round opponent. At the time of posting this article, you can head over to twitch.tv/I_Eki_I or twitch.tv/luleahockeyto watch the game.

Floor17- Northern Stars (NOS) ECL Hidden Gems is a concept that was created by @The_Alpha_Furyan and @pnordetun (patovic). The idea evolved out of discussions concerning what type of content patovic himself would like to see more of at NHLGamer.com and what kind of texts he'd be most interested in writing. Hidden Gems, for the purposes of this feature, means players that the author feels haven't quite gotten their time to shine at NHLGamer or players that aren't getting full credit for the skill they bring to the table. This is the first edition in a six-part series that patovic has written so do enjoy the witty writing of "pato" and leave a comment with your thoughts on the piece. I might find myself out on thin ice over some pretty deep waters right about now, but the fact is that Northern Stars veteran Daniel Anderzon aka @Floor17 doesn't quite get the recognition he deserves in the ECL community. This is a player who is a 5-time ECL veteran (and lord knows how many 6v6 tournaments before that!) that routinely manages to control all aspects off the game, in all zones off the ice. Not only that, he is a beast at the Versus portion of the game as well, having won one Swedish championship and making it far in various other tournaments. As the great coach Marc Crawford once said: "If you want him to shut down the opponents best player, he will get it done. You want him to score goals? He will get it done. You want him to be a playmaker? He'll get it done. You need him to be physical? He'll get it done. He is so gifted and the list just goes on and on". You can trace the origins of the so-called "floorbandyking" back to the old Xbox team "Swedish Tigers" that featured such legends as ivve83 and unbroken-anders (man, where did those guys go?). Floor17 was truly a dominating force in those early Xbox years and have continued to build his legacy in EASHL ever since. At the beginning of his virtual career, he was considered by many to be more of a pure offensive weapon. This went on for years and especially once he found himself playing with @cHIIMEERa on the Swedish powerhouse Northern Stars. The last few seasons, Floor17 has managed to enhance his repertoire to include an ability to play both wing and defenseman at a very high level, as well as the occasional stint at goaltender. Flash forward to today where NOS had Finnish superstars @tbnantti and @plee999 join the team for ECL 5, it has been quite interesting to see how the old "curveshot master" has adapted to the situation and found an integral two-way role on the roster where he has been a big contributor to the teams' success. To summarize: Floor is awesome at videogame hockey and wins stuff, that is just what he does. It ain't easy winning all the time - if it were, everyone would be doing it! PS. Mean rumours back in the day said that the King of Floorbandy used the "99 overall glitch" in EASHL... and that it was possibly @eyebiz (the old rascal!) who had the hackset to hook him up - but if you ask me? Nah, Floor17 didn't need it then and he doesn't need it now - this man is nothing but skill and determination Floor17 Fact Box [Player profile] Daniel Anderzon, Sweden ECL All-Time Stats: 86GP, 60G, 92A, 152P, +85 Participated in all 5 ECL tournaments at NHLGamer: all five for Northern Stars Favors the RW position in EASHL Swedish Champion of NHL 11 Versus Runner-up (Finalist vs. NHLGamer member @Kribba) in NHL 12 & NHL 13 Versus Text by: @pnordetun Intro and editing by: @The_Alpha_Furyan Art by: @OxtreeLAT

All of us surely appreciate the progress our beloved NHLGamer platform has made recently. Especially this year, with all the changes in ECL Elite. Before the eighth season of the toughest and most prestigious EASHL 6vs6 league in Europe kicked off, founder and owner @Kenu proudly presented the collaboration with Elisa Viihde, the leading online entertainment service in Finland, and Dr. Oetker, a massive and well-known international food corporation. ECL is slowly morphing into a more well-organized and reported league which should bring a lot of fun to all parties involved. However, even a league with these standards can’t exist without the players and with this series it’s time to get to know them. Now it’s time to get to know the ECL’s Elite. In the first ever iteration of this series, @Lamsa will be in the starring role. The Rusty Blades winger is a true NHL veteran. As he never represented any other team competitively, the first steps of the Rusty Blades are still fresh memories! Counting the ongoing season, Lamsa has appeared in 188 ECL regular season games for RB so far – not counting playoffs and the IS Cup. Actually, Lamsa, @Tanski87 and @Supreex are the only three players left from the original season in ECL3 and they’re still going strong. A lot of things have changed since the founding days of the club. In their inaugural season the team had a large roster so the level of play basically changed every night. Personally, Lamsa started with NHL 96 and jumped into EASHL sometime around 2008 or 09. He prefers playing on the Right Wing and using a Sniper build, but he’s playing with a physical edge too. Lamsas all-time favorite build was the Hitting Sniper, which he still misses dearly. When asked about his biggest strengths the wise Finn just replied: "I can score ugly goals for days.“ Last season (ECL 7), the (skate)blades were too rusty. The team finished in tenth place and missed the playoffs. The offseason wasn't spent resting on their laurels though, as captain @Tanski87 took to the free agent market. The team added two high-end forwards in @MartindalexC and @Foppatofflan as well as defenseman @The_Alpha_Furyan. The new additions fit in nearly perfectly. RB managed to cap off their ECL 8 regular season with a great surge into the playoffs, finishing at 6th place, which means they will be going up against Symphony in the first round of the playoffs. Lamsa can’t say enough good things about the teams new acquisitions. "It’s really, really nice to play with these guys. They are all really good and skillful players – I still can’t believe that we got those guys on our roster.“ The Sedin twins (thats how Lamsa calls his two new linemates) were locked down after a quick tryout period and the new defenseman The_Alpha_Furyan already had some existing chemistry with Lamsa after a Summer Cup stint together. Personally, Lamsa is enjoying this really successful season. His regular season totals add up to 44 points, out of which 28 are goals. This puts Lamsa at a tie for 5th best goal scorer in the regular season of ECL 8 Elite, not too shabby! All in all, the goal-scoring Finn seems to be a relaxed and level-headed person. His PSN-ID is actually his last name, just without those dots above the letters. That’s not creative, but it suits him real well. Heading into the playoffs, the Rusty Blades are at a familiar spot as a minor underdog going up against a tremendously strong Symphony. Their opponents seem to have found a form that is close to unstoppable, so it'll be crucial for RB to get back on track and focus on the things they are good at - the basics and go forth from there. One thing is for sure: Lamsa and the Rusty Blades are prepared. And they are not going down without putting up a fight. ECL Elite Writer @Tim_FlyersFan