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In this first part we'll be diving in to captaincy itself and analyzing the captains of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League. In the second part we will be focusing on the Eastern Conference and captaincy in virtual hockey. The NHL season recently kicked off, so far we've had around 50 games played, over 200 goals scored and a bunch of NHL firsts. Be it first points, first goals or first games. We're living an exciting time of year and it's simply wonderful that the greatest league in sports is back with some action. The term captain derives from the Greek word katepánō, which roughly translates to ” placed at the top”. That defines a captain rather well, a captain is the Top-Dog, the Alpha-male, the one who steers the ship. Your ship could be the fastest, biggest or the most expensive in the world, but it's useless without a good captain. The same very much goes for ice hockey teams. Without a proper captain, your ship sails where the current takes it. You need a captain with the passion, vision, fire and will to win - then you can even sail against the wind. A hockey match is a battle where questioning your choices might very well mean defeat. That’s where the captain comes into play. He makes sure that everybody goes by the plan and that everybody does their part on the ice. That is what differentiates a good captain from the average or bad ones. A good captain gets the whole team to stand by him no matter what and if the plan needs to be changed he can communicate it to the team and he will lead by example. Let’s take a closer look at all NHL-teams and their captains. I'll give you my opinion and analysis about them. Western conference: Pacific Division: Anaheim Ducks – Ryan Getzlaf Getzlaf is the best player in his team season after another. Point production and playing intensity can vary depending on the mood of Ryan, but even on the off nights he is a force to be reckoned with. When he is in the zone, nothing can stop him. He is a big player with a good shot, but prefers assisting. Getzy also defends well and has no real weaknesses to his game. Has also won a Cup with the Ducks in '07. Truly a franchise player. One of the most underrated players in the NHL. Arizona Coyotes – Oliver Ekman-Larsson OEL claimed the captaincy out in the desert this summer. Arizona has been adrift for quite some years and the hockey culture in over in the Phoenix-Glendale area has suffered immensely, partly due to the lack of success. The Swede is turning into the face of the franchise very much needed after the era of Shane Doan has passed. We'll have to wait and see what kind of captain OEL will turn out to be, in a recent interview he stated that he will let his play do the talking and let his assistants be more vocal in the locker room. Calgary Flames – Mark Giordano Solid defender with a flame in his heart. Has always represented Calgary at the NHL level and I think he will stay there till the end of his career. No major achievements in his career and that is the biggest problem. I think a good captain needs to have that winning mentality and culture, which sorry to say - Mark simply doesn't possess. I doubt the Flames will make a cup run with Giordano as captain. There is no big flaws in his game but on the other side there aren’t any superb ups in his game either. History won’t remember him as a great leader, but history will remember him as a loyal and solid Flames defenseman. Edmonton Oilers – Connor McDavid Does this player even need an introduction or any explanation on why he is the captain? Best player of the NHL right now. McDavid as captain was set in stone from the moment he was drafted. I believe he will turn the franchise around and do good things with them. Los Angeles Kings – Anze Kopitar Anze is going into his third season as a captain. His first captaincy season was his worst in the NHL. He had to prove that he can be a leader both on and off the ice and that he did in the 17/18 season as he put up an amazing tally of 92 points. Has two cups already, so he knows what it takes to be the top dog and communicate it to the team, boosting others to make the whole team better. Will the high flying of this Slovenian magician carry on and will rest of the team catch some air time too? It all remains to be seen, but I wouldn't count them out as contenders in 18/19. San Jose Sharks – Joe Pavelski ”Captain America” or ”Big Joe” took the Sharks leadership after another great in leader Joe Thornton. I recall some minor controversy when the captaincy was transferred to the younger Joe. However, the passing of the torch went well and Pavelski has led the San Jose team efficiently. They even went head to head with the Penguins for the cup in 15/16 but ended up on the losing side. Even though Pavelski has proven himself as playmaker, passer and scorer he still need to prove himself as winner. His only notable win outside of juniors is an Olympic silver medal and with that you won’t go down in history as a great captain. Vancouver Canucks – Vacant The age after the Sedins begin. Vancouver is in a huge crisis right now. Their defense is mediocre, goalies are mediocre and offense is mediocre. No captain and basically no playoff expectations. They really need to start building their team for the long term in hopes of making the playoffs in the next 5 years. The Canucks have some young assets in Elias Petterson(who's been looking like a stud in his first strides on the NHL ice!) and Brock Boeser, who went almost a point-per-game in his first full NHL season. Vegas Golden Knights - vacant As you know, the Golden Knights are team who has done tremendously well without a captain. I think that this is a unique situation in the history of the NHL. There is some kind of a magical atmosphere within the team and everybody does their best to chip in. I think that stems from the fact that all players were starting from 0 in a new team that has no burdens of history. I certainly thought they'd have to pick a captain for this season as the ”honey moon” is over and some of the first season magic will fade. Central Division: Chicago Blackhawks – Jonathan Toews No drawback found here. Toews is an all-round package in a playing field with some of the best hockey senses ever both on defense and offense. It's a huge reason why the Blackhawks have won three titles during his tenure. He has also won two Olympic gold medals and a World Cup. This guy really knows how to win and every team in NHL would be lucky to have such a great leader in their team. Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog Had a bad season in 16/17 and had a lot prove in 17/18. Gabriel ended up delivering an excellent effort along Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Solid overall player who is leading by example both on the ice and in the dressing room. Still young at the age of 25 and really excellent choice for a captain albeit the criticism that has earlier surrounded him. Can be the leader for coming years and is a good piece to start slowly building a true Cup contender team. Also notable that he has been the team captain for almost 6 years already. Dallas Stars – Jamie Benn Still relatively young at age 29 and he has been a captain since 13/14. Has proven himself as goal scorer and a true offensive threat. He is a natural winner and has a U20 gold medal, a WHL championship and an Olympic Gold medal to back that up. In my opinion, Dallas as a team doesn't currently have what it takes to win a cup, but if they can improve some areas such as goaltending I predict that Benn has the qualities to lead the Stars to a Cup. Minnesota Wild – Mikko Koivu Koivu has had a bit too big of a hill to climb when has been the sole leader of Minnesota. Since the acquisition of Eric Staal in 16/17 they have a second big leader in the dressing room and Minnesota has bounced back nicely. Also notable is that Mikko's older brother Saku was the captain of the Montreal Canadiens for 10 years so the leadership gene sure runs in the family. Both have also been captains of team Finland and both are gold medalists in the IIHF World Championships, however neither one has won Stanley Cup. Still remains to be seen if the Koivu family will get a taste of the Cup. Nashville Predators – Roman Josi Roman Josi has had a great start to his captaincy. Nashville lost to a strong Winnipeg team after a struggle the Playoffs last year, mostly simply due to how good their opposition was. The Preds defense backstopped by "Betoni-Pekka" Rinne is one of the best in league. Josi himself is a superb defender who is never in a rush whether it’s in the attacking zone or in front of the own net. His team can rely on him every night and even if there is a hiccup Mr. Rinne will handle the rest. I'd be surprised if Josi wouldn't lead his team to at least a legitimate cup run in the next three seasons. St. Louis Blues – Alex Pietrangelo Reliable. That is the term that defines Pietrangelo. He won’t be the top scorer or top passer, but you can bet on him to be on the ice when the game is in its closing moments and it's time to play the hard minutes. Chasing the 3-gold club as he has an Olympic gold and World Cup gold. Still needs a Stanley Cup and has at least 6-7 seasons left to get it. He knows how to win and what makes a winning team. Now he just needs the material around him to be good enough and he will lead them to glory. Winnipeg Jets – Blake Wheeler Blake Wheeler is a machine of a human being. Huge presence on the ice. He is big, he is fast and has the scoring and passing ability. The epitome of a power forward who can be on the ice on powerplays and on the PK. Wheeler doesn't have any big team achievements or major personal trophies in his career so far. The argument could be made: does he have enough passion and fire for winning to achieve greatness as the Jets captain? Winnipeg has a good group of guys put together and it remains to be seen if Wheeler is the locomotive that can haul the rest of the team all the way to a Cup. Inked a fresh five year deal, I predict at least a Cup final run within these five years. What are your thoughts so far? Who is you favorite captain in the West? Who should be named captain to take one of the vacant spots? Let me know in the comments and stay tuned for the second part in which we'll take a look at the Eastern conference and dive in to what captaincy means in virtual hockey.

Hey NHLGamers, if you happen to be a trophy collector like me, you might be interested in the NHL 19 trophies & achievements that have been revealed today! We'll list all the trophies and their description/tier in the same order they are displayed on PlayStation Network. Here you go! Raise Your Banner '19 (Platinum) Acquire all of the Bronze, Silver and Gold trophies. Someone get that kid the puck! (Bronze) Play and score your 1st NHL goal in a regular season game. You're not Cut (Bronze) Make your NHL team out of the preseason in Be a Pro. Champion (Bronze) Win the Stanley Cup® in Be A Pro mode. Getting Drafted (Bronze) Get drafted to an NHL team in Be A Pro Mode. Practice Makes Perfect (Bronze) Complete all training camp drills. CHL Scout (Bronze) Assign a scout to one of the WHL, OHL or QMJHL regions in Franchise Mode. Cup Champs (Bronze) Win the Stanley Cup as the 32nd NHL team in Franchise Mode. Fully Scouted! (Bronze) Assign a scout to create a potential and comparison report on an amateur player. Pro Scout Master (Bronze) Assign a scout to create 5 Complete Reports on 5 NHL Players. 3 Star Performance (Bronze) Complete and win an NHL® Threes Circuit Game with 3 Stars. King of the west (Bronze) Defeat the final boss of the Western Circuit in NHL® Threes. Cooperative (Bronze) Complete and win an Online Co-op NHL® Threes Circuit Game. Star Collector (Silver) Collect all the stars in an NHL® Threes Circuit. Circuit King (Bronze) Win the final circuit trophy for NHL® Threes Mode. Mascot Winner (Bronze) Win a game as either Mascots West or Mascots East in a Threes Now game in NHL® Threes Mode. Dropping In (Bronze) Play a game of Drop-in Threes. Best of the Bunch (Bronze) Win a Ones game. Diamond Rink! (Bronze) Play in a final rink game in Ones. Enhance! (Bronze) Complete a game with 2 traits and a specialty applied to your player. Bag of Goodies (Bronze) Open your first Progression Rewards bag. Who's the Pro Now? (Bronze) Win a Pro-Am game. Conference Champions (Bronze) Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won a Division Title and return to the Seasons HUB. Overtime Heroics (Bronze) In a World of CHEL game, score the game-winning overtime goal. You'll always remember your first (Bronze) Score your first goal as a skater or complete and win your first game as a goalie. How Prestigious (Silver) Level up your World of CHEL pro past Player Level 50. Flip Biscuit (Gold) Score a goal by flipping the puck back against the grain from the backhand toe drag in any mode. Extend the Twig (Bronze) Deflect a shot with the Defensive Skill Stick in any mode. Kids a Beauty (Silver) Score a goal with a between the legs shot in any mode. Not My Bottle! (Bronze) Knock off the opposing goalie's bottle from the net by scoring a goal. Manual Sauce (Bronze) Get an assist from a manual saucer pass in any mode. Tee it up (Silver) Score a goal with a manual one timer in any mode. Own the crease (Bronze) Have a shutout and win a game as a user-controlled goalie in any mode. Costume Party (Bronze) Score a goal as a Mascot in an NHL® Threes game. Tuck me in (Silver) Score a goal with a one hand tuck in any mode. Apple a Day (Silver) Get an assist with a between the legs pass in any mode. Contract Extension (Bronze) Use a contract item on any Gold grade player in Hockey Ultimate Team. Winner, Winner (Bronze) Win a game (online or offline) in Hockey Ultimate Team. You're all set (Bronze) Complete a set in Hockey Ultimate Team. Auctioneer (Bronze) Buy or Sell an item in the auction house in Hockey Ultimate Team. Take it online (Bronze) Complete an Online game in Hockey Ultimate Team. First Overall (Bronze) Complete an NHL® Draft Champions Draft. Specialized (Silver) Collect a special item in Hockey Ultimate Team. Legendary! (Silver) Collect a legend item in Hockey Ultimate Team. So HUT right now! (Silver) Recently win the title in a Hockey Ultimate Team Season and return to the Hockey Ultimate Team Hub. Seeing Stars (Silver) Earn a total 50 Stars in HUT Challenges. Committed (Silver) Collect 100 Free Packs in Hockey Ultimate Team. HUT Superstar! (Gold) Reach Division 1 in Online Seasons in Hockey Ultimate Team. Super Synergized (Silver) Have every player on your active Hockey Ultimate Team Lineup have an active Synergy. Overall, there are 49 trophies to obtain, including 1 Platinum, 2 Gold, 12 Silver and 34 Bronze. As usual there are some similarities to the predecessor, but we are also seeing a couple of new trophies for this iteration. Will you be going for the Platinum trophy in NHL 19? Which trophy do you believe will be hardest to get? @gzell60

NHLGamers! As of today, the European online qualifiers for the NHL Gaming World Championship 2018 are over and we have very exciting news to share. All eight regional finalists are part of the NHLGamer community! Best wishes are going out to: @Hansulinho (Xbox Live: Hansulinho) - EU XBOX #1 bracket winner @plee999 (Xbox Live: PleeMaker) - EU XBOX #1 bracket runner-up @Erkki (PSN: I_Eki_I) - EU PS4 #1 bracket winner @FlyerKungen (PSN: FlyerKungen) - EU PS4 #1 bracket runner-up @Kane (Xbox Live: Kaneyh) - EU XBOX #2 bracket winner @Nieppii (Xbox Live: Nieppi) - EU XBOX #2 bracket runner-up @Darkic01 (PSN: Darkic01) - EU PS4 #2 bracket winner @Artuzio (PSN: Artuzio) - EU PS4 #2 bracket runner-up The European Region Finals will take place in Stockholm, Sweden at Viasat Studios on May 6th, from which the winner and runner-up will be invited to the World Finals in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19th to compete against the best players from Canada and the USA, who will be represented by two players each as well. If you don't know what the NHL Gaming World Championship is about, read up on it in our previous news story! Good luck everyone - the entire NHLGamer community will be rooting for you!

Hello NHLGamers, I am hoping that what I am about to share will get the community buzzing and bring some serious excitement for what is to come. But first, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. Some of you out there I already know and some of you are new to me. My name is Kim Kallio but amongst gamers I am probably more known as “Hc”, or “Ho0Ceri”. While I have played the NHL series for almost 20 years, I first started creating leagues and tournaments for the NHL gaming community in 2011. Many in the community might know me from the Facebook page I started back in February of 2014; NHL Suomi (currently NHL 17 Suomi). My goal then was – just like it is today – to make the online NHL scene bigger and better. After running my Facebook page for several years, including both HUT and Versus tournaments, I am happy to say I have gotten to know a lot of people and players who are all dedicated to the same objective I am: Improving the NHL gaming experience for all of the community. Today, I am excited to announce I will bring my passion, knowledge, experience and dedication to NHLGamer.com where my main task will be to run 1vs1 tournaments of the same sort I have been running at NHL 17 Suomi, only on a larger scale. I look forward to combining the full power of NHL 17 Suomi and NHLGamer.com to create the biggest and most competitive 1vs1 leagues in Europe. I also look forward to interacting with all of you in the near future. Keep your eyes open for a 1vs1-tournament announcement in the near future, NHLGamers.

Hey NHL Gamers, First of all, congratulations to X Factor on winning ECL Season 3 in an amazing final effort against the Finnish Roosters! Tomorrow we will post a full season recap, so keep an eye on the news section. Many of you have been asking for ECL Season 4 registrations to open already, and today is the day! We are opening the floodgates for our first ECL Season in the new Divisions format. Not only do we think this is the start of the most exciting chapter in NHL gaming history, we also believe it points towards a very bright future for this community. During the last few days we have received many interesting comments from long time community members, suggesting ECL is undoubtedly heading into the right direction. At the same time, ECL is still as newcomer-friendly as ever - which will always be a top priority for us. Don't hesitate and spread the word on your own team channels, so we can mark another significant growth in participation with ECL Season 4. Many thanks for your continued support! ----- 'Divisions? Dude, what are you talking about?' In case you were hibernating during the last few weeks (it's freaking cold outside, we understand!), please read the latest update on ECL Divisions. ----- 'I see! What else do I need to know?' First of all, there are a few general rules that apply to our ECL branded tournaments: Regional restrictions: ECL is a European tournament format, however we do not necessarily exclude North American players. North American players are not allowed to host matches / be captain in the lineup, which means all games need to take place on European servers. The same rule applies for Russian players: Please evaluate your previous connection experience against some of the teams participating in the ECL, especially if you live in eastern parts of your country (which likely connects you to US West servers). In case of severe connection issues, we reserve the right to exclude teams or players. ECL is a 6 vs. 6 tournament building upon the EASHL mode in the latest EA SPORTS NHL iteration, NHL 17. Each player needs to sign up with NHLGamer.com and create his personal Player Card. You can find a tutorial video right here in case you experience issues. Teams need to have at least 8 players to sign up. The roster cap is 14 players. Default game days are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Registrations are open until 23:59 CET on February 10th / 00:59 EET on February 11th. The tournament will start approximately one week after registrations are closed. ----- 'What about the other tournament & gameplay rules?' The final ruleset will be released shortly ahead of the tournament start. ----- 'How do I register my team?' (PS4 ONLY, see below for Xbox One) If you qualified for ECL Elite during Season 3, please read the 'Signing up for ECL Elite' paragraph below. If you are a new team or did not qualify for ECL Elite during Season 3, you need to decide whether you would like to join ECL Pro or ECL Lite. ECL Pro will accomodate 2x16 teams, while ECL Lite does not have a limit. In case we exceed ECL Pro capacities, we will look at each individual ECL Pro registration and determine, whether you qualify according to several criteria (Players on the team, team history, stats from previous seasons if available, EASHL 6vs6 ranking and stats) compared to the other teams. By signing up for ECL Pro you accept to be moved to ECL Lite in case it is required according to our decision. You are also allowed to sign up for ECL Lite right away. If you wish to participate in ECL Pro, please read the 'Signing up for ECL Pro' paragraph below. If you wish to participate in ECL Lite, please read the 'Signing up for ECL Lite' paragraph below. ----- Signing up for ECL Elite Applies to the following teams only: Aapon Taikasauva, Dynasty, Fat Cats, Finnish Roosters, Laser HT, MUKIMIEHET, Nordic Lightning, Nordic Nightmare, Northern Ascedancy, Northern Stars, Refuse To Lose (to replace Nordic Blizzard), SIKA, Synergy Hockey, TIKI TALK, Written In The Stars, X FACTOR Go to the ECL Elite registration thread and use the registration template below to confirm your participation or withdrawal! Withdrawal posts are final - you immediately give us the permission to nominate another team from Season 3 to fill your spot. Signing up for ECL Pro Go to the ECL Pro registration thread and use the registration template below to sign up. Signing up for ECL Lite Go to the ECL Lite registration thread and use the registration template below to sign up. ----- Registration template Team name: Team Abbreviation: Team Captains (PSN IDs): Captain 1, Assistant Captain 1, Assistant Captain 2 Team Roster (PSN IDs): Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Player 7 Player 8 ... (Optional: Add a team logo if this is the first time your team participates in a tournament on NHLGamer.com, or if you simply wish to change it.) ----- 'How do I participate with my Xbox One team?' At this time, there will be no division format on Xbox for ECL Season 4. However, Xbox players are very welcome to start their NHLGamer career in a regular tournament, and you can sign up in this thread. Please use the registration template above and add your Xbox Live IDs instead of PSN IDs. ----- For now, that's all you need to know. Get those sign-ups in, and in case of any questions, please use the comments below! NHLGamer.com

Hey NHL gamers, We hope you are already enjoying the NHL 18 Beta! Our staff is committed to streaming the beta almost non-stop, so why don't you stop by for a chat. Our first stream is already underway and the first host is @vSilenttio, who is playing with his team SIKA. He is talking to his team in Finnish, so someone please go and tell him "English please". Other confirmed hosts include @OxtreeLAT, @gzell60 and @Dominointi. Without further adieu, please jump in: https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch On behalf of the NHLGamer staff,

Good evening, NHLGamers! On the eve of NHL18 Beta, we've crowned the champions of our second Summer Cup - NG Cheap Shot. For team's captain @pelimies80 and assistant captain @xLVxRitchey this isn't anything new - they were part of Team pelimies80, winners of the first Summer Cup. NG Cheap Shot overcame NG 50 Shades of Blades' superb defense and took a convincing 3-1 series victory. Game 1 - NG Cheap Shot vs. NG 50 Shades of Blades 3-1 Game 2 - NG 50 Shades of Blades vs. NG Cheap Shot 2-3 OT Game 3 - NG Cheap Shot vs. NG 50 Shades of Blades 0-1 Game 3 - NG 50 Shades of Blades vs. NG Cheap Shot 2-1 OT NG Cheap Shot's roster Goalies #22 Supreex - L. Borga #40 zaukki159 - M. Peikko Defensemen #5 Noddactius - S. Noddactius #80 pelimies80 - T. Iceman Forwards #10 MCH_98 - M. Hendricks #13 Dominointi - I. SK #15 nispekt - T. Daddy #19 yrjoo - P. Bert #23 xLVxRitchey - B. Lotus #47 RONDEBOY__ - D. Dziurzynski #88 SomeJerk-_- - H. Steffe Series GWG - https://clips.twitch.tv/DoubtfulFairCobraSMOrc You can view our broadcast, including commentary, here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/161628574 Congratulations to both the winners and the runner-ups! Members of NG Cheap Shot will receive a copy of NHL18 and €30 gift card, members of NG 50 Shades of Blades will receive a copy of NHL18. All courtesy of Webhallen. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this tournament possible - my fellow staff members, all the captains, players and obviously Webhallen for supporting us and sponsoring this amazing tournament. In adition with the NHL18 Beta approaching, we've planned a little surprise. Follow us on our social media channels in order to be notified of any further announcements. Sharpen your skates and get ready for NHL18 Beta! OxtreeLAT // NHLGamer.com

Now that the expansion draft and rookie drafts have passed it's time to sit down and see what and who Las Vegas Golden Knights have acquired. Here is my analysis of the players that currently are in the roster. After each player analysis you can find the current NHL 17 overall rating and my prediction of where the overall rating will be when NHL 18 is released. Goalies: Marc-André Fleury: Three-time Stanley Cup winner, Olympic Gold medalist. First pick off 2003. Everyone who watches NHL knows this guy. He is a winning goalie and still not even that old at age 32. I predict four good seasons for Fleury. Coach Gallant can rest easy his team won’t stumble in the goalie department. Simply put, Vegas got a jackpot with Marc-André. Overall in NHL 17: 88 Prediction for NHL 18: 87 Calvin Pickard: Pickard had an ok season with Colorado starting 50 games and getting a 90,4% save percentage. Has a cap hit of 1.0 mil so he is a good back-up for the price. Don’t really see potential in him will robbing the starting goalie position from Fleury but still a solid back-up. Overall in NHL 17: 82 Prediction for NHL 18: 84 Defense: Deryk Engelland: Seasoned pro with a decent size. Your basic third pair defender and trustworthy near own net. Not getting any younger at age 35. Will not make or break the team. Overall in NHL 17: 81 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 Jason Garrison: Highish cap hit at 4,6 mil. Not a point making defender either. Can play full seasons but movement is a problem. Jason is clocking the scales at over 100 kg although he is 188 cm. His last two seasons has been -4 and -8 playing for Tampa Bay. Overall in NHL 17: 84 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 Brayden McNabb Good sized defender of 193 cm and 94 kg. Moves well on the ice considering his size. His last three seasons with the Kings were +11, +11 and +1. Not high on points but at a cap hit of 1.7 mil and the age of 26, you can't go wrong with this guy. McNabb also has good point tallies in the AHL, so there might be some potential bubbling under. Overall in NHL 17: 85 Prediction for NHL 18: 85 Jon Merril Bad version of McNabb. Good size, but awful +/- stats for last the four seasons. -3, -14, -15, -9. Not in the first six defenders in my books. Overall in NHL 17: 84 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 Colin Miller One full season in the books for this guy. Did not shine, but also did not disappoint. Has some point potential and is still young at the age of 24. Overall in NHL 17: 80 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 Lucas Sbisa Good two-way defenseman with a good shot. Has good scoring potential and is very usable on the powerplay. Sbisa is a bit wonky on defense at times and passing is so-so, but he can compensate with some good puck handling. Overall in NHL 17: 83 Prediction for NHL 18: 85 Clayton Stoner Defensive defenseman with a physical presence. Stoner suffered from injuries last season and only played in 17 games. Don’t expect anything spectacular from Clayton and you might be surprised, most likely you won't, though. Overall in NHL 17: 81 Prediction for NHL 18: 80 Shea Theodore At age 21, Theodore is a bit young for a defenseman and it shows when he gets the call to the NHL. He has an ok size but is quite penalty prone. Has potential to be a point leading defender for his team but it’s still a few years in the future. I think he will spend half of the season in the AHL. Overall in NHL 17: 80 Prediction for NHL 18: 80 Alexei Emelin A leading defender for Vegas. Aggressive player with a superb slapshot. Not huge on points but a defender you can trust and put on the ice in every situation. 31 years old so has a few good seasons still ahead. Vegas can’t go wrong with this guy. Overall in NHL 17: 85 Prediction for NHL 18: 85 Overall defense The defense seems to be lacking in players that will score points. Sbisa is the only one who can consistently score and get points. Theodore will be up there in few years, but in the meantime, there needs to be someone else. The rumored Vatanen trade would be a blessing. The team could use one more seasoned leading defender as Marc Methot was traded away. Emelin by himself is not enough for a whole season of penalty kills. Offense: Pierre-Édouard Bellemare Workhorse for the 4th line with a low low cap hit of $712 500. Low risk, low reward player. You know what you get and cannot be disappointed. At the age of 32 now, was a late bloomer and currently playing the best hockey of his career. Still two or three seasons left in the NHL and then I expect him to play in Europe. Overall in NHL 17: 80 Prediction for NHL 18: 80 William Carrier 41 games for the Buffalo Sabres, resulting in 8 points, 21 penalty minutes and a –1. Those stats tell me one thing and one thing only: This guy plays in the AHL next season. Aged 22 so he can still grow as a player and cement his position as an NHL player. I just don’t see it happening this upcoming season. Overall in NHL 17: 76 Prediction for NHL 18: 78 David Clarkson 33-year-old. Cap hit at 5.25 mil. Not a single game played during the last season due to injury and may not ever play in the NHL again. Clarkson's contract ends in the 19/20 season and even if he could play I don’t see David as an asset for the team. One good season for the Devils in his whole career, otherwise kind of a so-so third-line player. Even at full health the cap hit is too high in my opinion. Overall in NHL 17: 80 Prediction for NHL 18: 80 Cody Eakin Cody Eakin is an stablished NHL player and is still quite young at the age of 26. He has had a few 30+ point seasons and one 40-point season. Second line center for sure. I really think Eakin could bloom in Vegas after a rougher season in Dallas. Good playmaking abilities and plays well in his teams own end. Put a decent sniper to his side and I would almost guarantee a career high in points during next season. Eakin also provides some crucial “secondary scoring” for the team. Overall in NHL 17: 84 Prediction for NHL 18: 83 Mikhail Grabovski Another “Mr. Injury”. Did not play last season. If he can play he is a huge asset to any team. One of the best hands in the business, can do anything with the puck, also shoots well and is a superb passer. Only minuses are lack of physicality and Mikhail can sometimes “forget” to defend. Hugely entertaining player whenever he is on the ice. Overall in NHL 17: 82 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 Erik Haula Solid defensive forward with an ok ability to pass and shoot. Not a spectacular player but will get the job done. Can play penalty kills. Combine this with the age of 26 and a cap hit of 2.75 mil and we have a superb deal. Still has potential to grow and become an even better player, as his role in Minnesota was mainly in the lower lines. Overall in NHL 17: 83 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 William Karlsson Where to even start with this youngster. Awesome hands, superb speed, good shot and nice passing ability. You have the whole package here. Hopefully he will take the next step playing for Vegas and becomes the point machine that he has the potential to be. I predict over 50 points this upcoming season and superstar status in coming years for this guy! Overall in NHL 17: 80 Prediction for NHL 18: 82 Jonathan Marchessault “Poor man’s Gaudreau”. Nice hands, good speed and nifty moves. Lacks the size and strength but will make that up with everything else. Last season Marchessault had 51 points in Florida and I don’t see why that can’t happen again. Needs good two-way forward on his side because defending is not one of his strengths. Overall in NHL 17: 83 Prediction for NHL 18: 85 James Neal Aged 29 and starting his 10th season in the NHL, Neal has one 80+ point season under his belt playing for the Penguins, otherwise solid 40-60 point seasons. Definitely a 1st line guy and possible potential for team captain. Could even become the face of the franchise for the next 10ish years. Overall in NHL 17: 88 Prediction for NHL 18: 88 Tomas Nosek Good sized player but is still a complete mystery if this guy is good enough for the NHL. 17 games spanning two seasons in Detroit. Starting in the AHL and despite his size still needs to gather strength and be more aggressive on the ice. Overall in NHL 17: 72 Prediction for NHL 18: 74 David Perron David Perron seems to be getting the hang of the game again after scruffy seasons in 14-15 and 15-16. Last season he played for St. Louis and racked up 46 points. Two over 50-point seasons overall and is at the golden age of 29. Vegas is getting the best years from Perron and hopefully he will deliver. Cap hit is also reasonable at 3.75 mil, however the contract is just for the 17/18 season, so a good season could potentially bump it up to ~5 mil. Overall in NHL 17: 84 Prediction for NHL 18: 85 Reilly Smith 26-year-old with a long contract spanning to 21/22 season. Cap hit at 3.425 mil. Good offensively oriented player with high scoring potential. Still need work with all-around playing and needs to gather more strength. +/- stat was -13 last season and that cannot happen again. Smith is still relatively young, so he can still work on the shortcomings and spark that star status in Vegas. Overall in NHL 17: 85 Prediction for NHL 18: 83 Alex Tuch Huge power-forward, clocking the scales at 100 kg and 193 cm tall. Just six NHL games under the belt, but decent stats in the AHL. He is just 21 years old, so sky is the limit with this guy - just don’t expect that he will reach the sky next season. Overall in NHL 17: 73 Prediction for NHL 18: 76 Vadim Shipachyov The Russian wonder finally decides to come to the NHL. Not a physical player, but moves so fluidly on the ice. Really loves the puck and lives or dies with it. Great passer and awesome shot. The only question mark is how well Vadim settles into Vegas, as he has never played outside of Russia before. In the NHL he is not automatically “the star” that he is in Russia and sometimes the Russian star players haven't been a good fit for the faster and more physical play style of the NHL. I had same doubts about Radulov last season and he proved me wrong. If the same happens with Shipachyov, the Golden Knights has a golden nugget in their hands. Overall in NHL17: 78 (World Cup player) Prediction for NHL18: 85 Overall Offense: Considering that this is first season for the Golden Knights, the offense is looking decent on paper. If Grabovski can play he will bring a lot to the table, but we need to be realistic as he most likely won't be able to play. Vegas needs at least one star status player who can bring a solid scoring ability to the team. Otherwise the youngsters need to step up their game with huge leaps if they want to go to Stanley Cup playoffs. Overall thoughts of the team: The first season is always hard. There are some seasoned pro's on the coaching bench and at the back office. But most of these players haven’t played together, so there are no established dynamic duos or existing chemistry between players. No tradition of a playing style, no rivalries between the Kinghts and other NHL teams. All these things start from a zero and coaches, players and even fans will have to work double-time to make these things happen. Vegas is a different kind of city compared to anywhere else on the planet, so there wont be a shortage of viewers on the game nights, but how easy it is to build fanbase on such a tourist-heavy city? And will the tourists cheer for Vegas or are they there for "just" the show? In other words: will there even be a proper home audience? The possible problems aside, overall it has the potential of being a decent team and a good addition to the Pacific Division, but if they want to truly compete for a playoff spot, they need two or three spot-on trades. At least one point-oriented defender and one solid sniper on offense are the minimum requirement for the team. Even if they get these additions it’s not an easy road to clinch the playoff spot. I don’t think that Vegas has problems being ahead of Vancouver or Arizona, but Los Angeles and Calgary are a different story. San Jose, Anaheim and Edmonton are in different category than the rest of the Pacific, so all points from them are a plus. My prediction with the current knowledge and roster: 5th in Pacific division If they can get the rest of the puzzle pieces to the roster: First round of playoffs, but they lose to Edmonton. Do you agree or disagree with my analysis and predictions? Let me know in the comment section. I would love the know what you guys think!

Hey NHL Gamers, during the NHL Awards and the Expansion Draft last night, EA SPORTS dropped the highly anticipated first news for NHL 18! And because we know you guys love polished, exclusive content, here is our full breakdown of everything we know so far. +++ 1. TRAILER +++ We recommend you take a look at the new official gameplay trailer first, as it will be one of the main sources for the remaining deep dive. Go check it out! NHLGamer thinks: "Likely one of the best EA SPORTS NHL trailers in recent history. 93 seconds packed with new moves, new game modes and lots of hype. Well done!" +++ 2. GAMEPLAY FEATURES+++ NHL 18 is all about creativity, that's why EA SPORTS added a lot of new deking mechanics for attackers to the game. Between-the-leg shots, one-handed dekes, back-handed toe-drags, heel drags, puck flips and and the ability to link moves together based on moment-to-moment decisions and reaction time allow you to show your skills like never before. For defenders, NHL 18 introduces an all-new Defensive Skill Stick with features like poke check targeting, extended pokes and controlled stick sweeps to cover zones and passing lanes to counter attack the best players on the planet. NHLGamer thinks: "All the new dekes and especially the new Defensive Skill Stick will step up the game to a whole different level. According to a lot of players, NHL 17 already offered the broadest and most advanced gameplay feature set of all EA SPORTS titles so far, and this is an addition that everyone has been asking and waiting for a long time. Thanks for listenting to your fans!" +++ 3. EA SPORTS NHL THREES +++ EA SPORTS NHL THREES delivers an all-new 3-on-3 hockey experience with bigger hits, faster action and more open-ice to create big plays, beautiful dangles and more goals. It is a mode inspired by fun, pick-up-and-play arcade sports games where you can play any way you want to, online or offline, co-op or competitive. EA SPORTS NHL THREES also features a complete single-play campaign that allows you to compete against different teams and leagues in a circuit-style tourney. Get ready to unlock objective-based rewards like new teammates, jerseys, logos and other surprises along the way! No offsides and no icing means anything goes and the fun does not slow down. Penalties even send you straight to center-ice for a penalty shot to score that crucial goal. In EA SPORTS NHL THREES, you determine the rules. Choose how many periods you play or what goal limit determines the winner. Gotta win by two? Your choice as well! The new EA SPORTS NHL THREES commentator will deliver more humor and fun to add to the unique energy and excitement of the fast 3-on-3 action. Brand new arenas, exclusive to the EA SPORTS NHL THREES will deliver more color, more special effects and completely unique on-ice designs that keep the games as fresh and exciting as the gameplay. EA SPORTS NHL THREES can be played online in Versus and Team Play mode to jump into 3-on-3 hockey on a team with your friends, facing three other players in a full six-player competitive online game. NHLGamer thinks: "Spectacular! EA SPORTS NHL THREES looks like an extremely well done remake of the original 3 on 3 NHL Arcade which was released on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2009. Featuring a smaller rink, no offsides and no icing, this could turn out to be a go-to game mode for competitive players to fine tune their deking skills. May even be worth a #3on3ECL on it's own?" +++ 4. MORE FEATURES +++ The new Creative A.I. will now make use of all the creative deking and passing tools that human players do, which will allow for smarter plays up and down the ice. By using off-the-boards bank passing, lead passing and improved positioning, the AI will be able to create better breakout opportunities. And with the new Defensive Skill Stick, they will be your effective companion in the defensive zone. EA SPORTS Hockey League will now support full 3-on-3 matches, opening up the ice to get creative, pull off big plays, and showcasing true #skillhockey with all the new moves. The all-new Hockey Training Camp will help you become successful immediately by giving you the opportunity to watch real-life videos from hockey professionals that teach you the right moves for the right moments. Training sessions and challenges will make you a truly competitive player. A new Expansion Draft feature added to Franchise Mode allows you to create and draft a 32nd NHL team to shake up the league. Select the best players from across the league, or if you're playing as an existing franchise, protect your current team roster by setting your own Protected Player List. The hometown for your 32nd expansion team can be selected from cities all across North America and even in Europe - from Stockholm to Helsinki to Berlin to St. Petersburg. For the first time ever, you can now design your very own custom mascot in addition to the arena, the jerseys and the franchise logo. Vegas Golden Knights will be added to the game, including authentic rosters, uniforms, logo and the brand new T-Mobile Arena, seen in the video above. And if you need a helping hand or just want to show off your roster, you can now invite friends to join you in more modes, including Hockey Ultimate Team, Online Versus and EA SPORTS NHL THREES. NHLGamer thinks: "We are looking forward to the new Creative A.I., which will hopefully fix one of, if not the greatest weakness in NHL 17. The addition of 3-on-3 games to EA SPORTS Hockey League sounds interesting. We feel like it's another approach to get people more invested to the non-AI games found in full 6 vs. 6 matches so far, and it could potentially increase the user base in the long run. One thing we are not sure about: Aside of the THREES arenas, customization options and commentary - what else will be different compared to 3-on-3 EASHL?" +++ 5. COVER +++ This year's cover athlete is Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. NHLGamer thinks: "We were expecting a Vegas Golden Knights player to be honest. Nevertheless, Connor McDavid looks hot!" +++ 6. EDITIONS +++ Just like last year, NHL will come in three different editions: Regular Edition, Young Stars Edition, Young Stars Deluxe Edition. The Young Stars Deluxe Edition will release on September 12 worldwide (digital only), and include these bonuses: 3 days early access 40 Gold Plus Packs for Hockey Ultimate Team (2 per week for a total of 20 weeks) Connor McDavid Rookie HUT player object Connor McDavid adidas HUT jersey Connor McDavid EASHL celebration 1 Rookie HUT player object of your favourite NHL team Returning user bonus: If you owned NHL 15, NHL 16 or NHL 17, you will receive a special jersey for Hockey Ultimate Team resembling your previously owned titles. The Young Stars Deluxe Edition will be available at 99.99$/99.99€. Preorder via the NHL 16 or NHL 17 main menu to receive a 10% discount (90$/90€)! The Young Stars Edition will release on September 12 worldwide (digital only), and include these bonuses: 3 days early access 20 Gold Plus Packs for Hockey Ultimate Team (1 per week for a total of 20 weeks) Connor McDavid Rookie HUT player object Connor McDavid adidas HUT jersey Connor McDavid EASHL celebration 1 Rookie HUT player object of your favourite NHL team Returning user bonus: If you owned NHL 15, NHL 16 or NHL 17, you will receive a special jersey for Hockey Ultimate Team resembling your previously owned titles. The Young Stars Edition will be available at 79.99$/89.99€. The Regular Edition will release on September 15 worldwide (digital and retail), and include these bonuses: 5 Gold Plus Packs for Hockey Ultimate Team (1 per week for a total of 5 weeks) Returning user bonus: If you owned NHL 15, NHL 16 or NHL 17, you will receive a special jersey for Hockey Ultimate Team resembling your previously owned titles. The Regular Edition will be available at 59.99$/69.99€. NHLGamer thinks: "The simultaneous release in the US and in Europe is much appreciated! Unfortunately, if you are from Europe and opting for anything else than the Young Stars Deluxe Edition, you will have to pay a premium. The 10% discount on the fully packed edition on the other hand seems to be aimed at hardcore gamers, and offers good value for its price." +++ 8. BETA +++ The NHL 18 Beta will take place from July 25th to August 2nd and gives you the opportunity to take an exclusive look at the new gameplay, EA SPORTS Hockey League, EA SPORTS NHL THREES and Online Versus! To sign up, click here. NHLGamer thinks: "Everyone was looking forward to the beta, and we are happy EA SPORTS decided to continue it this year as well. We will see you on the ice on July 25th!" +++ 9. TRAILER BREAKDOWN: YER' WANT SOME GIFS? +++ At NHLGamer, we are always saving the best till last. Here's a collection of some of the new moves, features and other stuff: How do you like all of today's news? What do you think about #3on3ECL? Tell us in the comments below! @gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

Battle Royale After what can only be described as a thriller of a tournament, Laser HT has been crowned the champion of the 4th European Championship League in a plot that would have left even Stephen King hanging on the edge of his seat, while desperately holding onto his MUKI. The start of the season was Written in the Stars, but the scripture had too much TIKI TALK in it, and was thus shattered around with a banhammer, also known as Kenu's Taikasauva, with other teams picking up the fragments for points as the season progressed - eventually turning it into a Nordic Nightmare for them, on the first round of the playoffs. How we saw nightmares on Round 2 is anyone’s guess, as on Round 1 they had triumphed against an Unknown team. In an extremely competitive regular season the Northern Stars were fading and only two Swedish team made it to the playoffs, but unfortunately lacked the Synergy to shut down the beam team of to-be-champions. One team seemed to regard the playoff-line non-existent, and in their nearly Limitless limitlessness almost eliminated themselves out of the limited-for-eight playoffs. No Dynasty was made this season, either, as they continued an impressive record of 3 Game 7 losses in the past four tournaments, reportedly leading to a violent burst of Nordic Lightning in the vicinity of Kouvola. All the while, at the bottom of the standings, there was a team that Refused to Lose only four times during the tournament. Other relegations were the Animalia of Elite; Finnish Roosters and SIKA (pig) will be seen in the Pro division next season, together with Rynnäkköviikset. Promoted teams The teams that were promoted from Pro to Elite for ECL 5 are: Carlsberg HC, Kattiautomaatti, Silver Sword Griffins and Sjukstugan. We will inform of any changes to the divisions and teams after ECL 5 registration, if need be. Awards A big thank you to @The_Alpha_Furyan for compiling the statistics for all three divisions. Here's a list of the best performers in Elite during ECL4. Forwards Most points: Dominointi [39+55 = 94p in 28 games - 3.35 Points/GP], Laser HT Most goals: PleeMaker [49g in 30 games - 1.63 Goals/GP], Limitless Most assists: Dominointi [55a in 28 games - 1.96 Assists/GP], Laser HT Most hits: PleeMaker [145 hits in 30 games - 4.83 Hits/GP], Limitless Best +/-: Haldeem, Penatski, tbnantti, PleeMaker & nylanderi [+43 in 30 games], Limitless Defensemen Most points by a Defenseman: nylanderi [12+22 = 34p in 30 games - 1.13 Points/GP], Limitless Snapu48 [4+30 = 34p in 30 games - 1.13 Points/GP], Dynasty Haldeem [6+28 = 34p in 30 games - 1.13 Points/GP], Limitless Most goals by a Defenseman: nylanderi [12g in 30 games - 0.40 Goals/GP], Limitless Most assists by a Defenseman: Snapu48 [30a in 30 games - 1.00 Assists/GP], Dynasty Most hits by a Defenseman: friilander [140 Hits in 30 games - 4.66 Hits/GP], SIKA Goalies Best Save% (min. 50% of games played): Ranta83 [80.58% in 30/30 games], Unknown Best GAA (min. 50% of games played): Sandr0hh [1.93 GAA in 16/30 games], Dynasty Most Wins (W+OTW) by a Goalie: Ranta83 [19 Ws in 30 games], Unknown Most Shutouts: Danielcadabra [4 shutouts in 12 games], Written in the Stars DUNZA [4 shutouts in 14 games], Synergy VilberttoCarlos [4 shutouts in 18 games], Nordic Nightmare FinKonna [4 shutouts in 30 games], Limitless Playoff MVP Dominointi, Laser HT Words of a Champion Now, let’s hand over the pen to Risto “Dominointi” Järvi, the captain of Laser HT and the MVP of the tournament: “For the regular season our objective was only to make the playoffs. It got very tight in the end, but we managed to battle ourselves to 7th. A couple of players left the team at the end of last season and we got the replacements for them from Nordic Blizzard. I think it made each players’ role in the team much more clear. We played the regular season quite a bit differently than what people perhaps expected or had seen from us before. I played quite a lot up the ice, looking for stretch passes while the wings gave close support on the breakouts. I feel like it helped a lot, at least against certain teams. The team probably wasn’t on equal level skill-wise compared to last autumn, but this season we played strong as a team from the get-go, which I think was the primary reason for our success. Nowadays in this game you have to play as a team if you want to succeed, the level of competition is simply so tough. In the playoffs we were just trying to keep our own end clear of goals, with the front of the net being the keywords. We knew that if we kept our defence tight, we had a chance to win every game, as we pretty much always manage to score at least a few goals. We couldn’t go into a goal-scoring competition - something that would not have ended up well against every team. On the first round of the playoffs we faced Synergy, a team we’re very familiar with. For the most part we knew how they’d be playing and where we would need to strike at. The first games were tight, but we managed to clinch them and eventually won the series. On the second round we were up against Nordic Nightmare, a team that eliminated us last year when playing for Nordic Blizzard, so we were looking for a revenge. We thought of our approach carefully because Nordic Nightmare has a unique style of play for Elite. Our game-plan was to strike them on the breakout and try to prevent their quick counter-attacks. We knew they’d be playing very straightforward hockey and blocking shots would be important. Of course, we supposed our opponent would also know how we’d be playing, so we tried to mix that up a little as well by getting more pucks to the defencemen and more shots from the blueline. We played well and deserved to progress on to the finals. In the finals we were up against a very familiar team, Dynasty. We knew them to be a great defensive team and to add to that they have a lot of skill on every position. Their goalies were top of the league, too. We set out to play brave hockey and apply strong pressure to the defencemen, always shooting the puck and crashing the net when there’s an opening. The first four games of the series were tight, but somehow it felt we had that slight edge, even though the stats were very even in every game. The weekend break started with us leading the series 3-1. After the break we had games 5 & 6, and quite frankly, we had no chance. The opponent had changed their approach and our tactic was not working at all. Deserved wins for Dynasty and off we went for a game seven. For the deciding game, we agreed to just play our regular game, not try anything too complicated and just park the bus in the neutral zone. After some thrilling events and a lot of screams and shouts, we clinched it 2-1 and won the title. The series could not have been tighter – that’s just how it ended this time. Overall, I think Leksa played a fantastic tournament. Counting both the regular season and the playoffs, I don’t think he had a single off-game. I will tip my hat to the performance of our goalies in the playoffs, especially Hansu in the finals. The defence was rock solid throughout the playoffs, too. Vesa and Wille were excellent in the finals and Selarit played as well as he always does. As for the future of the team, I can’t tell. We agreed that we’ll look at it again before the beta, but most likely we’ll be continuing with the same lineup.” The Decider Scored by who else than Risto "Dominointi" Järvi in the closing seconds of the 3rd period of Game 7. Broomsticks and Magnets Every year the game franchise makes small but significant changes to online gameplay. One year it's short-side one-timers, the other it's far-side one-timers. One year poke-checks are overpowered, the other it's stick-lifts. I'm yet to witness a year, however, in which the rock-paper-scissor of the meta game would've have found, say, rock unbeatable. This year there were some tricks to be found in terms of puck control, the kind of tricks your user manual doesn't tell. Some individuals and teams started picking up on these towards the latter parts of ECL 3, one of the masters of such arts winning the MVP award of the tournament. These type of players and their rather spectacular-looking play-style I call Magnets. Some teams spent their off-season between ECL 3 & 4 figuring out how to deal with Magnets, and one of the answers was a Broomstick. By now, the Broomstick technique has spread wide and has arisen some heated debates, and I know there are teams that refuse to play against each other because of this. The Broomstick is of course the crouch block position you can go to by pressing L1. The most obvious advantage is that you can't get penalized; you can't trip, slash or interfere with a player while doing so. While I think anyone would agree using the function in the game as intended should be allowed, many would say spamming it the way it is possible to spam, is effectively abusing a glitch. Personally, I'm inclined to disagree that it should be forbidden or whatnot. The Broomstick is much more effective along the boards than it is anywhere else as a means to strip the puck. Now, if we look at board play and puck control in general, is it balanced, or does the offensive or defensive player have an advantage? I think definitely the player with the puck has the advantage; with the puck your player is much more agile, you can actually move your stick through the boards while controlling the puck etc. So, effectively, I find the Broomstick a balancing, not a breaking factor of gameplay. Furthermore, I find the gray area on the defensive side to be larger than on the offensive side. In real hockey, too, you're effectively allowed to do things on the defensive side of the puck that you're not allowed to do when attacking. Also, you can still be a great player in this game even if you never used the whole function. Thank You I had absolutely no stake in organizing ECL 4 and thus would like to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to those that did – Kenneth, Samuli, Max, Väinö, Hampus, Jānis and Teemu, it was yet another great tournament to take part of, thank you very much for your effort on behalf of all of us players, and let’s try to build on this as a community going forward. From now on I’ll be back on-board with the staff as well. Have a great summer everyone, hope to see many of you in the SC - you still have a day left to register have you not done so already, but if not, see you in the autumn with ECL 5!

Hey NHL Gamers! Today marks one of those very special days in the short history of the website we have all been waiting for. In the past few weeks - alongside the ECL 4 Playoffs and our coverage of the IS Cup - interesting and highly promising connections have come together. Thanks to our Staff member Hampus (@The_Alpha_Furyan), who acted as the leading negotiator throughout this process, we are finally able to reveal the first official sponsorship for NHLGamer.com: Summer Cup Season 2, Presented by Webhallen! We could not be more proud of this partnership with one of the leading retailers for consumer electronics, hardware and software in Sweden - running a total of 26 stores scattered across the country. We believe this partner is a perfect match for a populated and innovative eSports platform like NHLGamer. Webhallen can be found here: Online Shop Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Twitch THE DEAL Webhallen will be accompanying us throughout the duration of Summer Cup Season 2, leading up to the announcement of NHL 18 during E3 in Los Angeles which takes place on June 13-15. While everyone is going to be excited about EA SPORTS NHL 18 feature announcements, trailers and other types of content; Webhallen will act as NHLGamer's recommended retail source for purchasing the game, due to release in September 2017 (estimate). Finally, to honor the best Summer Cup Season 2 teams, Webhallen will be offering the following prizes for Summer Cup Season 2: Summer Cup winners receive one physical copy of NHL 18 (PS4) per player, arriving at launch Members of the 2nd place team receive runner-up prizes, which are to be announced in due time OUTLOOK Last year around 150 players took part in this draft-type league, which was aimed at experienced players as well as community greenhorns. The stated goal of the tournament was to improve networking between our players and to open up ways for prospects to make their way into EASHL's best teams out there. This is the same promise we are going to deliver on with Season 2, only even better. Based on this, there will be a few tweaks to the following aspects of Summer Cup: Team building: No more than 2 players from a single ECL 4 team are allowed to play in the same Summer Cup team. This rule applies to the final rosters, after transfers and free agents. Team names: Due to our new API reporting tool, the Summer Cup will be played in dedicated EASHL teams which will have "NG" as a prefix - for example "NG Golden Knights". Sign-ups: To rule out unfortunate circumstances when it comes to player positioning, holidays and other aspects, the sign-ups will follow a clearer structure, allowing captains to recognize fitting players more easily. Draft procedure: We are working on improving our draft pick tool and simplifying communication towards and between team captains to reduce idling, allowing us to increase the speed in which draft picks are made. LEAGUE DETAILS Summer Cup Season 2 will take place on PS4 - if you are looking for Xbox action, we would love to see your team sign up for Xbox ECL! Last day to sign up is Wednesday, May 24th. Players instead of teams sign up using the registration tool linked at the bottom of the post. All signed up players are aimed to be seeded into teams with a size of 10 players (may vary). Out of all registrations, NHL Gamer Staff will elect an according number of team captains from the players that offered to take on a captaincy rule in their sign-up post - anyone is allowed to apply for it. Team captains will receive a draft sheet on May 26th, containing all signed up players and relevant information in a structured form. Team captains will be taking part in a live draft event on May 28th, picking their roster until all players are seeded. All games are played 6vs6 using dedicated EASHL teams. The leagues are set to start on the week of May 29th and aimed to be finished in July. Full rules will be released after registration is over. HOW TO PARTICIPATE To participate, make sure you are logged in or create an account first, visit the sign-up page and fill in all fields of the registration form like below - make sure the player positions in your Player Card are up-to-date so captains know who they are drafting! You can update your Player Card on the "Edit Player" page. Sign-up page: Click here! That's all you need to do... sounds easy eh? Let's take this opportunity - together with our new partner Webhallen - to finish NHL 17 with a bang: Sending shockwaves through the community and setting up NHLGamer.com's ambitious goals for NHL 18. @gzell60 for NHLGamer.com

Hey NHL Gamers, We recently posted our first part from our visit to Seinäjoki to attend the IS Cup. I had the privilege of attending this event with the wonderful @The_Alpha_Furyan. You can read more about the tournament in that article, as this time around it's about the video recap we've put together from that weekend. To make sense of all the material we collected during this intense day (it was a lot), we enlisted the help of professional Viaplay video editor @LastMandalorian who did a fantastic job putting everything together. You can check out the end result below! Hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed being there! Can't wait to be a part of more of these events in the future! As mentioned above, check out our written first part if you missed it previously: Until next time,