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NHLGamers, It's time to kick off the ECL season for our Pro, Lite and Neo divisions this week. With that being on the agenda, there was a need for some promotions for vacant spots in ECL Pro. These vacant spots have been left by teams who have either disbanded or simply not signed up for ECL Pro in ECL 9. After promoting the expected four teams (Oton Letkutemppu, Vesa Pompa, Cheers Hockey & We Kings) at the end of the ECL 8 Lite season, a total of eleven spots were open in the division for this season, out of which two were filled with automatic promotions based on performance in ECL 8 Lite (Quarterfinal losers). The two teams promoted based on these criteria are Prowlers Esports (formerly Prowlers) and Virtual Horizons eSports (formerly Blackdawgs). After that, nine spots remained to be filled. The selection of teams receiving promotions has been made based on team history, previous merits and perception of skill and recent performance. Without further ado, here are your ECL 9 Pro groups (promoted teams in bold): Group 1: Cheers Hockey Children of Ice GHETTO FIREBIRDS HC Wildcard Horror Hockey Me Carvoset Nightmare Nordic Stars Oton Letkutemppu Pata Hellalla Resurrection Shooting Stars Silver Sword Griffins The Syndicate Vesa Pompa HC Virtual Horizons eSports Group 2: Alliance HT Bellizzi Black Horse Cowabunga Hockey Delusion Freddie Mercury Institute Gotham Knights Kaupallinen Yhteistyo Nordic Lightning Prowlers Esports Rakish Reality Check Sandstorm Vaxjo Lakers HC We Kings ZSC Lions The schedule has been generated and games will be ready to begin on the evening of Monday, 17th of November.

NHLGamers, With this season review, we'll be able to put yet another ECL Pro season in the books! After an unfortunate delay due to ISP issues, we were able to crown POGGERS the new champion and congratulate them for a guaranteed Elite spot for ECL 9. Without further ado we want to conclude a season review in traditional fashion: Top 8 teams of ECL 8 Pro: POGGERS - The new champion had an outstanding playoff run (16 wins, 4 losses) which wasn't easy. In the first round they only needed 5 games to top the most liked mascot of Raccoon Rampage, 6 games to destroy the hopes of the contender Gotham Knights and 5 games against the very well defending team of Checkmate. In the finals POGGERS faced the team to beat - TIKI TALK ran by veteran @itspardytime who were the favorites all across the board. POGGERS regular season wasn't that pretty, as they finished only 5th in Group 1 which resulted in the 9th seed overall. After rotating a little bit in the regular season, POGGERS sticked with their starting 6 for the playoffs. @Chafak led the team in points all season long but don't sleep on the nice defensive pair of @Speedy104 and @Wickedtah69. It will be interesting to see, how they will perform in the Elite next season. TIKI TALK - The runner-up was the favorite coming into the season and didn't disappoint. They dominated their Group 1 with their high-scoring offense around top-scoring captain @itspardytime. They were no slouches on the the defensive side either and these two factors certainly made them into real contenders this season. TIKI TALK didn't hesitate to make their presence felt in the playoffs as they swept Bellizzi and SIKA in the first two rounds. They had to pay attention in the semi-finals against Black Horse as they beat the 1st seed of The Next Gen, but as it seemed it wasn't too hard to deal with as Pardy and his guys only needed five games to secure their finals spot. Quite disappointing that they fell short against the later champions but TIKI TALK will have a shot at the highest division in their promotion battles against Synergy Hockey. Will there be a joyful ending to their cinderella story? Checkmate - The defensive minded team built around @TackleControl had a pretty shaky line up during the regular season where they used 9 skaters and 2 goalies. This wasn't the case for the playoffs as nearly all of the games were played by their starting 6. Checkmate's way to the semi-final was built up by a pretty good 3rd place in Group 1 which lead to a first round matchup against Speedy Bros Hockey (win in 5 games) and a quarterfinal against Mentula SKA (win in 6 games). They didn't flaunt their offensive guns that much but are very good at shut down defense and very dangerous in the counter attacks. Their effort wasn't enough in the semis against the later champs POGGERS, but you will see them in the Elite next season, as they were able to beat Resurrection in the promotion battle. Black Horse - Going into the season in the role as their name would suggest, Black Horse struggled to show their talent in the regular season. Finishing 5th in Group 2 which resulted in the 13th seed overall, they showed their real potential finally in the playoffs. A contender like Silver Sword Griffins in the first round? Done in 6 games. The highest seed in the quarterfinals? C'mon, let's sweep them. The later runner-up TIKI TALK eventually beat them in 5 games, but nevertheless the team around @Tapparafan made some noise for sure. Unfortunately we won't see this team again as rumours about a breakup have been heard through the grapevine. Gotham Knights - The former Elite team wanted to play a bounce-back season and were an early favorite for sure. They rotated quite heavily during the regular season but top-scorer and captain @ReDMisTi kept his cool with his experience leading his team to a second place finish in Group 1 and the 3rd seed overall. Their defense was outstanding as they only conceded 42 goals in a total of 30 games. While continuing their good form in the first round as they beat the SPARTANS in 5 games, their season came to a quick halt in the quarter finals against the later champions POGGERS. As Black Horse left an open promotion spot by disbanding, the Knights out of Gotham had were given the chance due to their best remaining playoff record and PPG of the regular season. Unfortunately they lost to the Unlucky Boys HC and will remain in the Pro division for ECL 9. Mentula SKA - After they got promoted from Lite in ECL 7, Mentula SKA showed that they can compete also in the second highest division. An immediate playoff qualification with the record 20-8-2 resulted in the 3rd place of Group 2 and the 6th overall seed goes to show for that. After a tight battle which needed 7 games to see a winner in the first round against Rajatorpan Mafia, the team of @Niksu21 fell short against the later Elite qualifying Checkmate in 6 games. Nevertheless a pretty good debut season for the former Lite team and they will be in the mix of the favorites for further tournaments for sure! The Next Gen - The runner-up of the ECL 7 Lite division was on fire right from the get go. Leading Group 2 all the way, they ended up being the top seed overall for the playoffs. This team boasted top-scorers @kriketski17 and @NikkeDangles in their lineup and managed to be one of the defensive powerhouses of the league even with missing their starting goaltender and captain @ramseyy2. Easy tap in in a wide open spot for ECL 9 Elite right? Playoff hockey is a different story - that's something that will be hard to swallow for The Next Gen. They needed 7 games against the GHETTO FIREBIRDS in the first round and guess what? They got swept in the quarterfinals against Black Horse. Pretty disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding season. We're hoping for these guys to be back, that's for sure! SIKA - After a very bad season in the Elite division of ECL 7 it was a team defining season for SIKA. They had some problems adjusting their style to start the season in the Pro division but eventually finished the group stage at 7th in Group 1 and 11th seed overall. This squad is experienced and that ended up paying off in the first round as they beat Born With It, who where the 2nd seed of Group 2, in 6 games. Unfortunately the Hogs weren't quite strong enough to hold up against the later runner-up TIKI TALK in the quarter finals. Can they make a deeper playoff run in ECL 9? AWARDS Playoff MVP: @Chafak Most Points: @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games Most Goals: @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games Most Assists: @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games Most Hits by a Forward: @Enerfity, Speedy Bros Hockey, 227 Hits in 26 games Best +/-: @kriketski17, The Next Gen, +74 in 30 games Most Points by a Defenseman: @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 8 Goals, 35 Assists, 35 Points in 30 games Most Goals by a Defenseman: @Drunkendefender, SPARTANS, 11 Goals, 23 Assists, 34 Points in 30 games Most Assists by a Defenseman: @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 8 Goals, 35 Assists, 35 Points in 30 games Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Lurkins, SIKA, 228 Hits in 22 games TOP 3'S OF ECL 8 PRO Top 3 Forwards Regular Season: 1. @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 47 Goals, 48 Assists, 95 Points in 30 games 2. @kriketski17, The Next Gen, 47 Goals, 35 Assists, 82 Points in 30 games 3. @NikkeDangles, The Next Gen, 38 Goals, 44 Assists, 82 Points in 30 games Top 3 Defenders Regular Season: 1. @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 8 Goals, 35 Assists, 43 Points in 30 games 2. @Drunkendefender, SPARTANS, 11 Goals, 23 Assists, 34 Points in 30 games 3. @oGBioLan, The Next Gen, 6 Goals, 26 Assists, 32 Points in 30 games Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season: 1. @Masapunda, Born With It, 21 Wins, 86.47 SV%, 1.82 GAA, 5 SO in 29 games 2. @PeeloJombb, Mentula SKA, 20 Wins, 84.07 SV%, 1.66 GAA, 4 SO in 30 games 3. @Joshua Plattner, Silver Sword Griffins, 18 Wins, 80.78 SV%, 1.58 GAA, 8 SO in 30 games Top 3 Forwards Playoffs: 1. @itspardytime, TIKI TALK, 28 Goals, 27 Assists, 55 Points in 18 games 2. @Teme, TIKI TALK, 21 Goals, 24 Assists, 45 Points in 18 games 3. @Jirsimarco, TIKI TALK, 10 Goals, 23 Assists, 33 Points in 18 games Top 3 Defenders Playoffs: 1. @Thewix93, TIKI TALK, 6 Goals, 21 Assists, 27 Points in 18 games 2. @Savinaainen, TIKI TALK, 3 Goals, 13 Assists, 16 Points in 18 games 3. @Wickedtah69, POGGERS, 3 Goals, 12 Assists, 15 Points in 21 games Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs: 1. @Janne Hietala, POGGERS, 16 Wins, 86.34 SV%, 1.47 GAA, 5 SO in 21 games 2. @PCJP, TIKI TALK, 13 Wins, 83.53 SV%, 1.50 GAA, 3 SO in 18 games 3. @villamies95, Black Horse, 9 Wins, 80.23 SV%, 2 SO in 15 games The controversial 'Top 6' of the season is making a comeback! What this means is a selection of six players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. Please note that all selections are subjective and they are made by community members who have been keeping an eye on ECL 8 Pro. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Pro division in ECL 8: @Chafak (POGGERS) - @Jirsimarco (TIKI TALK) - @itspardytime (TIKI TALK) @Thewix93 (TIKI TALK) - @Speedy104 (POGGERS) @Janne Hietala (POGGERS) We're happy to conclude the season with this review. Once again, thank you all for your participation and congrats to the promoted teams. See you next season! @jahajaha93 & @Mannheimer1938

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of NACL Pro (PS4) we are rolling out a recurring segment that has been a feature of our ECL Elite coverage for the past two seasons. To put it simply, this weekly article looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Pro over the past week. Each article in this series will be released on Mondays and will thusly be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. Note: Each article will be based off of results starting from the Monday, all the way up to (& including) Friday. Ergo, any games played over the weekend will generally end up being a week 'late' so to speak. The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. Previous rankings: Season preview Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 - 1. No Limits (5-0-0) [+1] 2. Barbajous (5-1-0) [+1] 3. Prestige Worldwide (2-4-0) [+4] 4. Best 4 Business (1-3-0) [+1] 5. RAG RATS (1-0-0) [-4] 6. Gr8ness Awaits (0-3-0) [+3] 7. Expect Many Errors (0-2-0) [+1] 8. Cross Crease (0-3-0) [-4] 9. Br0 Unit (0-0-0) [-3] Standings timeline That's our power rankings after the third week of action in PS4 NACL Pro! We're looking forward to see which teams can keep their form running and who might be crashing. As always, if you want to see yourself at the top - keep working hard, win some games and check out the standings again next Monday! Until next time, @MartindalexC

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of NACL Pro (XB1) we are rolling out a recurring segment that has been a feature of our ECL Elite coverage for the past two seasons. To put it simply, this weekly article looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Pro over the past week. Each article in this series will be released on Mondays and will thusly be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. Note: Each article will be based off of results starting from the Monday, all the way up to (& including) Friday. Ergo, any games played over the weekend will generally end up being a week 'late' so to speak. The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. Previous rankings: Season preview Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 - 1. Code of Conduct (6-0-0) [+2] 2. Heroes (6-0-0) [-1] 3. Epicenter (3-2-0) [+3] 4. Quality Control (4-2-1) [-2] 5. Problematic Esports (3-1-0) [-1] 6. Complex (1-1-2) [+1] 7. GT R (1-3-1) [-2] 8. True North (0-0-4) [+5] 9. Fox Squad (0-0-0) [+1] 10. Kangaroo Court (0-0-6) [-2] Standings timeline That's our power rankings after the third week of action in Xbox NACL Pro! We're looking forward to see which teams can keep their form running and who might be crashing. As always, if you want to see yourself at the top - keep working hard, win some games and check out the standings again next Monday! Until next time, @MartindalexC

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of NACL Pro (XB1) we are rolling out a recurring segment that has been a feature of our ECL Elite coverage for the past two seasons. To put it simply, this weekly article looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Pro over the past week. Each article in this series will be released on Mondays and will thusly be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. Note: Each article will be based off of results starting from the Monday, all the way up to (& including) Friday. Ergo, any games played over the weekend will generally end up being a week 'late' so to speak. The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. Previous rankings: Season preview Week 1 Week 2 - 1. RAG RATS (7-1-0) [+4] 2. No Limits (3-0-1) [=] 3. Barbajous (4-2-0) [+4] 4. Cross Crease (2-1-0) [-1] 5. Best 4 Business (2-3-1) [=] 6. Br0 Unit (2-3-0) [+2] 7. Prestige Worldwide (2-4-0) [-1] 8. Expect Many Errors (2-3-1) [=] 9. Gr8ness Awaits (0-2-2) [+2] Standings timeline* Due to a bunch of games being deleted and re-uploaded due to stat errors the timeline of the standings will be postponed until next week's article. Until next time! @MartindalexC

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of NACL Pro (XB1) we are rolling out a recurring segment that has been a feature of our ECL Elite coverage for the past two seasons. To put it simply, this weekly article looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Pro over the past week. Each article in this series will be released on Mondays and will thusly be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. Note: Each article will be based off of results starting from the Monday, all the way up to (& including) Friday. Ergo, any games played over the weekend will generally end up being a week 'late' so to speak. The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. Previous rankings: Season preview Week 1 Week 2 - 1. Heroes (6-0-0) [+2] 2. Quality Control (2-0-0) [+8] 3. Code of Conduct (3-1-0) [-2] 4. Problematic Esports (2-2-1) [+4] 5. GT R (3-2-0) [+1] 6. Epicenter (3-1-0) [-4] 7. Complex (2-1-1) [-3] 8. Kangaroo Court (0-2-0) [-1] 9. Chicago Mafia (0-1-0) [+3] 10. Fox Squad (1-6-0) [+4] 11. PREDATOR (0-4-0) [-6] 12. Chaos Esports (0-0-0) [-3] 13. True North (0-0-0) [-2] Standings timeline* Due to a bunch of games being deleted and re-uploaded due to stat errors the timeline of the standings will be postponed until next week's article. Until next time! @MartindalexC

NHLGamers, After an incredibly eventful ECL 8, POGGERS are crowned the champions of ECL 8 Pro! The finals were extended due to the widely known issues with the game. As that got fixed, TIKI TALK and POGGERS battled it out for the title during the past week in a series, which ended 4-1 in favour of POGGERS. NHLGamer would like to congratulate our newly crowned champion on the title and a promotion to ECL 9 Elite. NHLGamer would also like to congratulate TIKI TALK, Gotham Knights and Checkmate for outstanding performances and an opportunity to qualify for ECL 9 Elite. The game by game results for the finals are as follows: Game 1: POGGERS - TIKI TALK 2:1 OT Game 2: TIKI TALK - POGGERS 1:2 Game 3: POGGERS - TIKI TALK 1:2 Game 4: TIKI TALK - POGGERS 1:2 Game 5: POGGERS - TIKI TALK 4:2 POGGERS championship roster: GOALTENDERS #41 V.Lehto @Janne Hietala DEFENSEMEN #5 J.Pappas @MrNaiMiZ #87 X.Ripe @Riipperi87 FORWARDS #9 V.Saarijärvi @Chafak #17 -.ENZA @ZPalffy #29 A.Laine @Wickedtah69 #38 -.UI JUMA @Yoloberg #83 S.Gonzales @Speedy104 #98 D.DelaVega @JaKurrii POGGERS road to the trophy: Regular season: 18-8-4 (5th in Group 1) Round 1: 4:1 vs. Raccoon Rampage Quarterfinals: 4:2 vs. Gotham Knights Semifinals: 4:1 vs. Checkmate Finals: 4:1 vs. TIKI TALK Once again on behalf of all of us, congratulations! Now that all divisions have finished playing, stay tuned for our season previews out soon. Your NHLGamer Editor, @jahajaha93

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of NACL Pro (XB1) we are rolling out a recurring segment that has been a feature of our ECL Elite coverage for the past two seasons. To put it simply, this weekly article looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Pro over the past week. Each article in this series will be released on Mondays and will thusly be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. Note: Each article will be based off of results starting from the Monday, all the way up to (& including) Friday. Ergo, any games played over the weekend will generally end up being a week 'late' so to speak. The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. Previous rankings: Season preview Week 1 - 1. Code of Conduct (5-0-1) [+2] 2. Epicenter (5-1-0) [-1] 3. Heroes (4-2-0) [+2] 4. Complex (6-2-0) [+2] 5. PREDATOR (3-0-1) [+5] 6. GT R (4-1-1) [+1] 7. Kangaroo Court (2-3-1) [+1] 8. Problematic Esports (4-1-2) [-6] 9. Chaos Esports (2-2-1) [+2] 10. Quality Control (2-3-1) [-6] 11. True North (2-4-2) [-2] 12. Chicago Mafia (2-0-0) [=] 13. NACL 2nd Battalion HC (0-6-0) [=] 14. Fox Squad (0-6-0) [=] Standings timeline That's our power rankings after the first week of action in Xbox NACL Pro! We're looking forward to see which teams can keep their form running and who might be crashing. As always, if you want to see yourself at the top - keep working hard, win some games and check out the standings again next Monday! Until next time, @MartindalexC

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of PS4 NACL Pro we are rolling out a recurring segment that has been a feature of our ECL Elite coverage for the past two seasons. To put it simply, this weekly article looks to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Pro over the past week. Each article in this series will be released on Mondays and will thusly be based on the days in between each power ranking iteration. In addition to this it should be noted that each ranking will invariably be in some way biased as it is, at the end of the day, a subjective list. Note: Each article will be based off of results starting from the Monday, all the way up to (& including) Friday. Ergo, any games played over the weekend will generally end up being a week 'late' so to speak. The logic behind the ranking is admittedly a sort of internal subjective ranking that weighs up results, opposition 'strength' as well as thoughts on the general play during some games. As such a ranking is not 100% quantifiable in nature there will be some bias that creeps in. One thing I would like to make abundantly clear however is that points are not the be all and end all within these rankings; for instance, just because 3 teams have the same record does not mean they won't be ranked wildly differently, as the context behind said results are of great importance and simply cannot be understated. Previous rankings: Season preview Week 1 - 1. Best 4 Business (8-0-0) [+1] 2. No Limits (7-0-0) [+2] 3. Cross Crease (5-1-2) [+2] 4. Smell My Cup (3-0-0) [-1] 5. RAG RATS (4-2-0) [+1] 6. Prestige Worldwide (4-2-0) [+1] 7. Barbajous (3-3-0) [-6] 8. Br0 Unit (2-5-0) [=] 9. Elegant Elgins (0-4-0) [+1] 10. Expect Many Errors (0-6-1) [-1] 11. Gr8ness Awaits (0-10-0) [=] Standings timeline That's our power rankings after the first week of action in PS4 NACL Pro! We're looking forward to see which teams can keep their form running and who might be crashing. As always, if you want to see yourself at the top - keep working hard, win some games and check out the standings again next Monday! Until next time, @MartindalexC

NHLGamers, We've reached the final bout of the ECL 8 Pro season! After being treated to yet another eventful season, the eventual crowning of a champion is at our hands. Yet again, the playoffs have left us in awe from time to time. This season, 1st overall seed The Next Gen had a convincing group stage and pushed through the first two rounds with ease, after which they hit a brick wall and got eliminated in 4 games by Black Horse. A less surprising feat is seeing 2nd seed TIKI TALK paving their way to the finals. TIKI seems to have found their winning way and look to retrieve a spot at the highest level of ECL hockey by overcoming their opponent POGGERS in the finals. On top of these two, Black Horse and Checkmate also fought their way to the Semi-finals, which allows them a chance to battle for promotion to ECL 9 Elite. This season, it's worth noting that only the Pro champion gains direct promotion, as the 2nd place team will face Synergy Hockey in a relegation matchup. These are your ECL 8 Pro finalists: (2) TIKI TALK vs. POGGERS (9) Going into the ECL 8 Pro finals with a slight hint of favourite status we have TIKI TALK, who have managed to build an astonishing legacy for themselves by powering on for what seems to be an eternity through thick and thin. Before and even during the season, they've made some changes in hopes of pushing their team onto the right tracks and it seems as if they've managed to pull it off as of late. As stated, the team is one of the most long lived ECL franchises, having been there ever since the start of the new era of NHL gaming here at NHLGamer. It's a familiar sight seeing captain @itspardytime leading the team in scoring, which he has done ever so dominantly this season again. Another notable steady performer is goaltender @PCJP, who now in his second season with the team has got in the groove of stopping pucks quite efficiently, arguably being one of the most underrated netminders in the league. TIKI TALK is never an easy team to face, they play a fast paced style of hockey, which sometimes can be regarded as a bit chaotic. Stay alert at all times, TIKI is looking for the cup. POGGERS on the other hand is a new acquaintance. Although they are formed around the shell of last seasons Wasps Gaming and consist out of several very experienced players, they are the youngins by far in this matchup. My instinct would be to say what they lack in experience as a team, they more than make up for in skill. Offensive trio @Yoloberg-@JaKurrii-@Chafak are no strangers to tough matchups and all of them possess that x-factor that could make the players beside them so much better. The newly founded team struggled a bit to start the regular season, but once they have solidified their starting six, there has been very little stopping them as they have taken down strong teams such as Raccoon Rampage, Gotham Knights and most recently Checkmate in the playoffs. POGGERS has also been getting some decent goaltending for all of the ongoing season, as @Janne Hietala(Hassu85) has played an outstanding season and is surely looking to push his name into brighter lights. Prediction: POGGERS win 4-3. Schedule for the finals: Game 1: Wednesday, 6th of March 20:30 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS Game 2: Wednesday, 6th of March 21:00 CET POGGERS vs TIKI TALK Game 3: Wednesday, 6th of March 21:30 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS Game 4: Thursday, 7th of March 20:30 CET POGGERS vs TIKI TALK Game 5: Thursday, 7th of March 21:00 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS Game 6: Thursday, 7th of March 21:30 CET POGGERS vs TIKI TALK Game 7: Thursday, 7th of March 22:00 CET TIKI TALK vs POGGERS Tune in for broadcasts of the games at our Twitch channel! Tonight, yours truly and @Kenu in the booth! Your NHLGamer Editor, @jahajaha93

Hi NHLGamers, The quarterfinals brought us a whole bunch of more upsets, as did the previous rounds. The first seeded team of The Next Gen got swept, Elite experienced teams like SIKA and Gotham Knights got sent to improving their golfing skills as well. We congratulate TIKI TALK, Checkmate, POGGERS and Black Horse for their guaranteed shot at an Elite spot for ECL 9. The ECL 8 Pro Semifinals will be played between Monday, 25th of February and Sunday, 3rd of March 2019. Here are the matchups for the ECL 8 Pro Semi-finals: (2) TIKI TALK vs. Black Horse (13) Is it TIKI TALK's year? Will they finally make their way back to Elite in ECL 9? After a disappointing end to their ECL 7 season, TIKI TALK have finally shown their true potential in the 8th iteration of the European Championship League. They don't want to waste any more time in their quest to advance back to the highest tier division - two sweeps against Bellizzi and SIKA, you can call that impressive for sure. The teams iconic captain @itspardytime rules this team and the division playoffs so far by scoring 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) in 8 games. TIKI TALK have been running with their top lineup for all games so far and we believe this won't change as you don't change a winning team, right? @Thewix93 (4 goals and 13 assists) and @PCJP (89,47 SV% and 1,00 GAA) are the defensive anchors which this highly potential offense need at the back end. Black Horse started the season as their name would imply and surpassed all expectations completely. While they struggled a little bit at the end of the season, which cost them a higher seed for the playoffs, they didn't hesitate to show their skill right at the start of the playoffs against the big guns. They eliminated the 4th seed Silver Sword Griffins in 6 games while burying the top seed The Next Gen in only 4. Is TIKI TALK next in the line on their way to winning it all? Their defense is the key to their success - while they don't win their games with style, they are hard to score against and will make you pay for your mistakes. While former top goaltender @Hullued now is showing that he can be a top center and leads the team in that role in all three zones of the ice, the defensive pair of @Miika (Since2009-) and @Exel56 do an outstanding job and @villamies95 in net is a real stud in his debut season! Pure offensive skill vs a brickwall, who's gonna stand tall when this series has been played? Our bet is on TIKI TALK in 6 games, but expect some really tight battles! (5) Checkmate vs. POGGERS (9) Checkmates situation is very familiar to the one TIKI TALK finds themselves in - they also had a disappointing outcome to the ECL 7 playoffs with a first round exit. Now they are back in business again. While in the regular season they played with quite a big roster, we get that familiar top 6 line up in the playoffs. This roster consists of guys who were able to beat Speedy Bros Hockey and Mentula SKA in 5, respective 6 games. Alike Black Horse, Checkmate is a defensive minded team built around the captain @TackleControl. They established this play style during last season as well, but what is different this year? Maybe the addition of the Elite experienced @Tuukka.R was the missing puzzle piece for their final success. Can they hold on to their strong defense and make it to the finals? Once a Wasp, now a frog - the evolution goes on, but they started with Quality right from the beginning! After defeating Raccoon Rampage and Gotham Knights in 5, respective 6 games, the team around the leader @Yoloberg will make sure to give the best fight they have to offer. The addition of veteran @Chafak helped them to go far in the playoffs. Look out for their offensive trio as they like to throw some extra sauce on their passes and might surprise you coming out of the gates. They are also quite good defensively and will make sure that their top 6 guys are on the ice to win them this series. It will be interesting to see which team is going to be the active part with more puck possession. We're expecting both teams to have to dig deep in their playbook if they want to advance to the finals. We believe it will be Checkmate coming out as a finalist, but it will take the full distance of 7 games! Results from the relegation matchups: (G1 #14) Clowns On Ice vs. Pata Hellalla (G2 #15) 2-4 At last we would like to wish all ECL 8 Pro semi-finalists good luck in these series and would also like to give a big congrats to Pata Hellalla for staying in Pro! Signing off for now, ECL Pro Writing Team @Mannheimer1938 & @Panarinz

Hi NHLGamers, After an exciting 1st round of the playoffs we now have 8 teams that will be facing off in the quarter finals. From this point on, it is also worth noting that teams will be seeded according to P/G. The ECL 8 Pro Quarterfinals will be played between Monday, 18th of February and Sunday, 24th of February 2019. Here are the matchups for the ECL 8 Pro Semi-finals: Previews release later today. (1) The Next Gen vs. Black Horse (13) An incredibly strong TnG is in for their toughest challenge yet. Despite their dominant offense and a strong possession game, they had a tough time overcoming GHETTO FIREBIRDS in the first round. We'll need to see improvement if they want to move on from this matchup against Black Horse, who overcame their first round opponent Silver Sword Griffins in outstanding fashion. The Black Horse offense built around former Elite goaltended turned center @Hullued has been clicking and we expect that to continue. (2) TIKI TALK vs. SIKA (11) TIKI has found their stride as they are playing some fast-paced, effective hockey once again! It may not be pretty, but the bottom line is it gets the job done. Captain @itspardytime is surely the heart and soul of the team and if he can keep the ranks together playing as the good unit they have been so far, they'll have their way in this series. Their opponent SIKA is a scrappy team that's trying to find their way back to performing at the top level but aren't quite as far along the way as TIKI currently. The expectation is for them to have a tough time in this series, but if their defense is solid enough, there's a chance for an upset. (3) Gotham Knights vs. POGGERS (9) Gotham overcame their first round opponent SPARTANS convincingly with a series score of 4-1. They're a strong all-round team and a tight-knit bunch that is eager to bounce back after a tough last season at the highest level. @ReDMisTi and @selänne8 (BiggestEight) have been their most dangerous offensive weapons, so POGGERS need to keep them in check. On the other side we see a highly skilled and multitalented team, who consist of somne proven players. Their offensive trio of @Chafak, @Yoloberg and @JaKurrii is among the best in the league. It is notable that POGGERS won both head-to-head games in the regular season. (5) Checkmate vs. Mentula SKA (6) In the first round, Checkmate crushed all doubt that chemistry wasn't there for them. @Tuukka.R lead them in scoring while the team performed well defensively in an excellent effort besting Speedy Bros Hockey 4-1. On the other side we have Mentula SKA, who have put forth an outstanding effort after being one of the last teams gaining promotion after a Lite campaign in ECL 7. Keep your eyes on duo @Hanssonni and @JiiPee87. Results from the relegation matchups: (G1 #13) EV Duisburg vs. Bone Breakers (G2 #16) 1-4 (G2 #13) Cowabunga Hockey vs. Murohoki (G1 #16) 4-1 (G1 #14) Clowns On Ice vs. Pata Hellalla (G2 #15) 0-0 (Still to be played) (G2 #14) Freddie Mercury Institute vs. Tiffen (G1 #15) 4-0 We wish all teams good luck in the quarterfinals and also a big congrats for staying in Pro: Bone Breakers, Cowabunga Hockey and Freddie Mercury Institute! Signing off for now, ECL Pro Writer @Panarinz

Hi NHLGamers, We are back with a small look into the fith and last week of the Pro division regular season. This season we are doing a player of the week segment, to highlight an individual and his team because of their success during said week. We will also do a small interview with our nominee and try to get to know the person better and get some insights of the team and the league in question. Without further ado we would like to present you our fourth Player Of The Week: PSN-ID: iLLu_8 Team: Bellizzi Position: Left Defenseman (original Center) Games played this week: 6 (vs Cowabunga Hockey, Pata Hellalla and Racoon Rampage) Goals: 1 Assists: 5 Points: 6 +/-: 2 To cap off the week, @Panarinz had a short chat with the man of the hour: After a terrific week for your team, with 5 wins in 6 games you are now playoff bound! How does that feel? - It feels really good! We already felt playoffs were out of our range. But here we are! You played center for your team in a tough start for your team, but ended the season as a LD, why did you change your position and what do you think the change resulted in? - The start of the season was really hard for us. We felt like we needed more skill to our offense so we decided to try this kind of move. We're glad it worked well for us. With 6 points in 6 games this week, you clearly helped your team get that final playoff spot. What would you say was the reason for this weeks success? - Our defense was really solid with the most entertaining goalie of the league Matti ”the cat” (@Proffa- ) leading the way. We were able to take advantage of our opportunities in the offensive zone. Will we see an upset in the first round of the playoffs when your team is facing the mighty #1 seed TIKI TALK? - All the pressure is on their team. If our gameplan works and we get them to play our kind of game I think we will have a chance. And finally, which team will win ECL 8 Pro? - Bellizzi Signing off for now, ECL Pro writing team @Panarinz & @Mannheimer1938

NHLGamers! Yet another Pro season is in the books. We had some exciting times and now 30 games later the deserving playoff goers have been weeded out from the rest. Tomorrow we'll be kicking off the fight for the ultimate goal for any of these remaining teams - promotion to ECL Elite! We'll also have some quality relegation battles up for you guys. As no teams folded or were disqualified, the teams placed 13th to 16th in each group will battle against each other for the right to play in ECL 9 Pro. The ECL Pro Playoffs Round 1 is to be played between Monday 11th of February and Sunday, 17th of February. Without further ado, here are your ECL 8 Pro Playoffs Round 1 matchups: (G1 #1) TIKI TALK vs. Bellizzi (G2 #8) Both teams in this series are very experienced. TIKI TALK has started to find beck their winning ways after a bit of a struggle for the past few seasons. Bellizzi on the other hand has been a Pro competitor for a long time already, but they always seem to get stuck in the masses along the low middle of the table. It'll be interesting to see if they can match up to TIKI, who have found some convincing form lately. (G2 #1) The Next Gen vs. GHETTO FIREBIRDS (G1 #8) The Next Gen is a team whose talent cannot be understated. They have versus powerhouse @kriketski17 centering a line with @Thounii and @NikkeDangles on the flanks and boy have they been dangerous! @oGBioLan will play a crucial part in their playoff run as their most experienced ECL player. Opposing them is GHETTO FIREBIRDS, who are making a strong push back into the top of the Pro division after missing the playoffs last season. Going into the post season as an eighth place seed won't be easy but they should be able to put up a decent fight. (G1 #2) Gotham Knights vs. SPARTANS (G2 #7) Gotham Knights showed us what it takes to be one of the top teams in Pro. Their centerman @ReDMisTi finished the season with 36 points and was a valuable asset for the team all season. On the other side we have Spartans, who got the chance to play in the Pro division and they really made it count. With @rize1988 leading the team in points alongside the fabled @Drunkendefender on defense they managed to finish in seventh place in their group. This series is going to be a tight one but a Gotham win 4-2 is our prediction. (G2 #2) Born With It vs. SIKA (G1 #7) The battle of the veterans! Born With It has had a great season so far and most of it can probably be attributed to being one of the more experienced teams in the league. SIKA is better known as a team and the same could be said for them. We'll expect to see a scoring onslaught as neither teams have been all too convincing in their own end. (G1 #3) Checkmate vs. Speedy Bros Hockey (G2 #6) This is going to be a tough series to call. Checkmate has a stacked roster, featuring former Elite All-Star @Tuukka.R and long-time SIKA forward @Naikou88 to name a few. They seem to be rotating their roster quite much though - do they have chemistry? Their opponent Speedy Bros Hockey declined an Elite promotion during the offseason in order to improve their game for another season in Pro. We'll be waiting to see if all that practice pays off as they go head to head with their toughest opponent yet in this series. (G2 #3) Mentula SKA vs. Rajatorpan Mafia (G1 #6) Two teams that are playing their first Pro season face each other in the first round of the playoffs. Rajatorpan Mafias power play won't get many chances as Mentula SKA play a clean game where they had the least amount of penalties and third least hits in the regular season. Rajatorpan can challenge any team with their consistent play, they got at least a point from every opponent in the regular season. Additionally they had nine games that were decided in overtime. Mentula SKA has a core that has played together for four consecutive ECL seasons and the addition of ECL veteran Hanssonni makes them favorites in the series. (G1 #4) Silver Sword Griffins vs. Black Horse (G2 #5) SSG is one of the older ECL teams, they are in fact closing in on the 300 game mark as a franchise and that's something most teams could only dream of right now. They've gone through some rough times but lately it seems they've found their stride a bit. Maybe this is the season they will take the step back up to the highest level? Black Horse is their opponent. They're a new team that's built around the former Shameful Knights core of @Hullued, @Exel56 and @Tapparafan to name a few. They aren't total newcomers either so to speak. The interesting thing about them is the former top goaltended Hullued making the switch to the forward position and dominating at that too - 54 points in 28 games isn't too shabby for a guy who used to stop pucks more than shoot them. (G2 #4) Raccoon Rampage vs. POGGERS (G1 #5) This series is going to be an even one. POGGERS is the more experienced team, but Raccoon Rampage is a team full of young, hungry players who have successfully been building a decent buzz around themselves recently. Both teams are very responsible defensively and have great goaltending, but the prediction here would be that it all boils down to who can be more effective up front. The Poggers duo of @JaKurrii and @Chafak are something to keep an eye on. Relegation matchups: (G1 #13) EV Duisburg vs. Bone Breakers (G2 #16) (G2 #13) Cowabunga Hockey vs. Murohoki (G1 #16) (G1 #14) Clowns On Ice vs. Pata Hellalla (G2 #15) (G2 #14) Freddie Mercury Institute vs. Tiffen (G1 #15) We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all teams for participation, it was fun to watch and follow your games. Good luck for all teams with the further rounds and battles, good luck and most important - have fun! ECL Writers, @Tonimo92, @Willander97 and @jahajaha93

Hi NHLGamers, We are back with a small look into the fourth week of the Pro division. This season we are doing a player of the week segment, to highlight an individual and his team because of their success during said week. We will also do a small interview with our nominee and try to get to know the person better and get some insights of the team and the league in question. Without further ado we would like to present you our fourth Player Of The Week: PSN-ID: itspardytime Team: TIKI TALK Position: Right Wing Games played this week: 6 (vs God Tier, The Black Jacks and Checkmate) Goals: 10 (33 total, ranked 2nd) Assists: 12 (35 total, ranked 3rd) Points: 22 (68 total, ranked 1st) +/-: 36 (26 total, ranked 6th) To cap off the week, @Panarinz had a short chat with the man of the hour: A good week for your team and especially for yourself, with 23 points in 6 games! What do you think was the biggest reason for your success this week? - Recently we've talked a lot in our team about game strategy. Lately we've succeeded to improve our game level in both ECL and regular EASHL games. Also we decided to try some changes to our lineup, chemistry with Temex on LW was once again fantastic and we played the best hockey as a team so far. It's easy to score when all players deliver the same gameplan. What is your aim for this season? as a team and you personally. - The most important thing is to play high quality hockey and at the same time have fun. I think we have all the chances to go far in the playoffs and also you might see us back in Elite next season. Personally I try my best to cause chaos in our opponents defence. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - "Pardy" is close to my own last name. I wanted to create an account which is also fun and includes that Pardy commentary name. Itspardytime is my own wordplay but sometimes I miss my old Lautaset, some oldschool players might remember that PSN ID. :D What is the best player build in this version of the game for a winger? - It depends on the gamestyle of the team. All player types have own advantages and disadvantages. At the moment I use a pretty small sniper, that fits best for me. What is your strengths as a player? - I think I have decent hockey sense and I hate losing. Maybe you should ask that from the opposing defenders or goalies. Which team will win ECL 8 Pro? - There are many great teams but I think we have a pretty good chance to win Pro, so TIKI TALK. We thank Pardy for taking the time to sit down with us for this interview. Remember, if you want to be featured next week, work hard and help your team to success! Signing off for now, ECL Pro writing team @Panarinz & @Mannheimer1938

Hi NHLGamers, We are back with a small look into the third week of the Pro division. This season we are doing a player of the week segment, to highlight an individual and his team because of their success during said week. We will also do a small interview with our nominee and try to get to know the person better and get some insights of the team and the league in question. Without further ado we would like to present you our third Player Of The Week: PSN-ID: Hassu85 Team: POGGERS Position: Goaltender Games played this week: 6 (vs God Tier, Silver Sword Griffins, Clowns On Ice) Shots faced: 56 Goals against: 5 Save percentage: 91,07% Shutouts: 3 Our writer @Panarinz was sent out to get a few comments from this weeks main man: A good week for your team and especially for yourself, with 3 shutouts in 6 games! What do you think was the reason for your success this week? - Hard to tell. Our roster had a lot of changes from the past season. We also didn’t train almost at all before the season, but now the game has started to fall into it’s place. We have rock solid defense, and what can you expect if you have @JaKurrii as a mastermind of the offense and @Chafak and @Yoloberg as wingers? What is your aim for this season? as a team and you personally. - If I can help the team even a little bit, we will win the whole thing. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - In my hometown everyone calls me Hassu, even my parents. What is the best player build in this version of the game for goaltenders? - When NHL 19 came out, I chose one build right away and I have sticked with it. It’s a secret. What is your strengths as a goalie? - I think I can read the game pretty well. I usually know what the next happen now. Which team will win ECL 8 Pro? - Poggers or Checkmate. If you want to be featured next week, remember to work hard and help your team to success! Signing off for now, ECL Pro writing team @Panarinz & @Mannheimer1938 Additional art by @CzE Toni

Hi NHLGamers, We are back with a small look into the second week into the Pro division. This season we are doing a player of the week segment, to highlight an individual and his team because of their success during said week. We will also do a small interview with our nominee and try to get to know the person better and get some insights of the team and the league in question. Without further ado we would like to present you our second Player Of The Week: PSN-ID: NikkeDangles Team: The Next Gen Position: Right Wing Games played this week: 6 (vs Style, Bone Breakers and Pata Hellalla) Goals: 8 (18 total, ranked 1st) Assists: 9 (15 total, ranked 5th) Points: 17 (33 total, ranked 1st) +/-: 8 (26 total, ranked 1st) Our writer @Panarinz met with Nikke and after a good conversation this was the result: Another great week for your team, your form has been outstanding as of late. What do you think is the reason for your success this season? - I think we have a great team and it’s very easy to play with them. What is your aim for this season? As a team and you personally. - As a team we are aiming for a deep playoff run and I’m going to do my best to play as well as I can. How did you come up with your PSN ID? - My friends call me Nikke and I like to do dirty dangles so that is why my PSN is NikkeDangles.  What is the best player build in this version of the game, in your opinion? - I like to use the two-way forward, because it’s really fast, has decent balance and good deking. What is your strengths as a player? - My strengths as a player are controlling the puck and making surprising, hard-to-read passes. Finally, which team will win ECL 8 Pro?  - The Next Gen. Signing off for now, ECL Pro writing team @Panarinz & @Mannheimer1938

Hi NHLGamers, We are back with a small look into the first week into the Pro division. Last season we ran a team of the week segment, but this season we are mixing it up a bit as we now try to highlight one player, whose week was outstanding. In addition to this, we will make also a small interview with our nominee and try to get to know him better and maybe get some insights of the team or some kind of a trash talk. Without further ado we would like to present you our first Player Of The Week: @kriketski17 PSN-ID: kriketsi17 Team: The Next Gen Position: Center Games played this week: 6 (vs Speedy Bros Hockey, Black Horse and Raccoon Rampage) Goals: 8 Assists: 10 Points: 18 +/-: 13 Our writer @Panarinz was sent out to get a few comments from this weeks main man: Hi @kriketski17, Lets start of with a recap of the first week. How do you think the start of ECL 8 has been for you personally and for your team The Next Gen? - We had a good week but personally I can still bring a lot more to the table. What is goal for this season, both team and individual? - To win the Pro title and personally I want to be the best forward in Pro. How did you come up with your PSN ID kriketsi17? - Cant remember anymore In your opinion, what is the best player build in this version of the game? - It depends on what kind of player you are. In attack I prefer using a two way forward or a power forward. On defense, the grinder and two way defenseman are my go-to's. What is your biggest strength as a player? - My understanding of the game. Finally, the question everyone wants an answer to: Which team will win ECL 8 Pro? - Hopefully us or Gotham Knights. We thank Kriketsi17 for his answers and wish him and his team the best of luck for the rest of the season! It will be interesting to see if Kriketsi17 can continue that success and lead his team through the next weeks. We all know how a center has to be that game-changer in all three zones. Did we get the pick right, which other players would have deserved to get mentioned here? Let us know in the comment section! Signing off for now, ECL Pro writing team @Panarinz and @Mannheimer1938

Guten Tag and välkommen NHLGamers, We'd like to welcome you to another exciting ECL Pro division season! It's only three weeks ago that we saw the grand finale of ECL 7, but here we are again, the short waiting is over and we are hyped to see the road to Elite starting over again. Can the promoted teams make a direct impact? Are the relegated former Elite teams capable of a bounce back season? Time will tell but here are some teams, that should be watched and followed for sure: Teams to watch - Group 1 Checkmate Checkmate had an impressive ECL 7 - the defensive minded team were hard to beat last season and didn't hesitate on the chances they got. 47 Points (23-6-1) were good for the second place in Group 2, so the pressure was high on the team for a decent playoff run. Unfortunately their offense struggled a lot in the elimination to CLUB ONE in 5 games, as they got shut out three times. They have kind of a rebuild as they lost three of their starters where two of them were their top scorers. It will be interesting to see if they can handle this situation with fresh blood for another playoff campaign. Gotham Knights After a disappointing season in ECL 7's Elite, the Gotham Knights are back into the Pro division where they don't plan to stay for long. They were one point shy of no-mans land so the relegation was quite unlucky. Nevertheless they didn't fall apart as many relegated teams - most of the guys stuck together to prove that they are better than what they showed last season. Their one and only goal for this team should be an instant Elite promotion, and with the addition of another Elite experienced player in @selänne8 this time, for good. SIKA SIKA was a late promotion to Elite before ECL 7, but many of us thought they will handle the higher division pretty well as they were very strong in the pre-season. Well, 23 losses later we now are aware that maybe they couldn't handle the pressure properly. Alike Gotham Knights, SIKA will also try to bounce back in the Pro division of ECL 8. Therefore SIKA decided to turn back the clocks and rebuild together with former members of EN HUND (SIKA members from way back). It will be fun to watch how the hounds and pigs will hunt together for points. Underdog The Black Jacks The ECL 7 champion of the Lite division will try to make a direct impact in uncharted territory. Their brutal offense will still be the key factor in their game and they will score some goals, but it will be interesting to see if they can handle the more defensive powerhouses and find some new ways to get the puck to the back of the net. Without any noticeable additions, these Swiss guys are trusting their core players to step up into the new level of competition. Teams to watch - Group 2 Speedy Bros Hockey The Speedy Bros had a decent playoff run after finishing 4th in Group 1 of ECL 7. They were even next in line to get an Elite promotion but after they lost their starting center just at the doorstep of the season, they stepped down to this and will try another run in Pro. By adding @LastMandalorian they get a player with Elite experience and the top scorer of ECL 7 @Tzon93 will try to have another outstanding season to get his team back for another deep playoff run and maybe a chance for a direct promotion. Cowabunga Hockey After a disappointing playoff campaign, Cowabunga got swept by Pata Hellalla in round 1, Cowabunga will try to repeat a nearly perfect regular season (finished 1st in Group 1) and guess who's back? Their former ECL 6 top scorer @Fin_torspo90! Will he be the final piece in the puzzle for success? They surely have a lot of fresh faces in their line-up, can @Tinkesakara get his team together for another exciting season? Born With It After struggling at the beginning of ECL 7, Born With It showed their talent at the end of the season were they had an incredible playoff push. Most of their starters stayed together and they added with @FIN_Potilas to bring some leadership to the squad! They will be in the mix for the Pro title for sure. Born With it have learned from their mistakes of last season and come back stronger than ever motivated as can be. Underdog The Next Gen The runner-up of ECL 7 Lite is ready for another great season and taking the next step. The key factors of their success are still there and they added some Elite/Pro experienced players on their way to avoid hanging around the relegation talk, instead they will aim for a high seed and a deep playoff run. These young guns know what's have to be done to be successful. Players to watch - group 1: Forward - Gotham Knights - @selänne8 (BiggestEight) In a struggling Falun last season in Elite, the big(gest) 8 still managed to put up some points and help his team in the way he does best, score and assist. With another type of opposition in games that can be more open, he will surely get back on his typical ECL Pro form, where in, earlier years, he has put up almost 250 points in 101 games. Defender - Gotham Knights - @eyebiz Yet another player from Gotham is joining our players to watch list, but for good reason. The defender has played 4 seasons in Elite, including a final in ECL 6 with Northern Ascendancy, talk about experience! He will bring that solidness to Gothams defense and can help them on their way back to Elite. Goaltender - Nordic Stars - @Tomsuu (a_pantera) There were a few candidates for this spot, as there are some great goaltenders in group 1! With that being said, a_pantera can be that game changer Nordic Stars need. He joins after a solid season in Checkmate, 84 SV% and 1.75 GAA in 16 games shows what he's capable of. Players to watch - group 2: Forward - Speedy Bros Hockey - @Tzon93 His stats speak for themselves. In ECL 7 he was the top scorer, counting both regular season playoff scoring. He reached the 100 point mark and scored goals from seemingly everywhere on the ice. I'd be shocked if Tzon wouldn't make our "Top 6 of the season" after this season as well as leading his team to a long playoff run. Defender - The Next Gen - @oGBioLan Former Elite winner and Pro silver medalist joins the newcomer and will provide that stability at the back end that every new team would love to have. oG has the ability of a top defenseman in NHL 19 and if he sees more icetime than last season, only 6 games with FILADELPHIA, I would already predict a ECL 8 Pro "Norris" season from him. Goaltender - Born With It - @Masapunda (octobussy) The guy with the great PSN had an incredible season in ECL 7, over 85 in SV%, a GAA of 1.80 and 7 shutouts during the regular season. If it wasn't for the toughest of competition he would've made the top 3 goaltenders list. Maybe he could snag that award this season? Wouldn't surprise me. For your reference, here are again the Groups of the ECL 8 Pro division: Group 1: Checkmate Tiffen The Black Jacks Supernatural Silver Sword Griffins SIKA Rajatorpan Mafia POGGERS Nordic Stars Murohoki Gotham Knights God Tier GHETTO FIREBIRDS EV Duisburg Clowns On Ice TIKI TALK Group 2: Bellizzi The Next Gen Style Speedy Bros Hockey SPARTANS Reality Check HC Raccoon Rampage Pata Hellalla Mentula SKA Horror Hockey Freddie Mercury Institute Cowabunga Hockey Born With It Bone Breakers Black Horse Virtual Horizons eSports That's all for now NHLGamers, be sure to follow our teams during their streams on Twitch and hopefully this season will turn even better as season 7! Signing off for now, ECL Pro Writing Team @Panarinz & @Mannheimer1938

Hello NHLGamers, After another great season with a bit of this and that is done! ECL 8 Pro sure included everything you could've imagined, and we've now arrived at what we call the end review. We had an exciting starting point to the season, as five teams were promoted at the end of ECL 6, leaving a lot of space in the division to be filled up. Some teams also folded in the offseason, freeing up even more. The Pro division experienced something of a cleanse, bringing in tons of new talent such as Raccoon Rampage or Bucketeers who were immediately looking to make an impact, some teams surely did that too! In this review of the season, we'll be taking a brief look at the top eight teams of the season. All of these teams did an outstanding job and we even saw some great surprises among these teams. Without further ado, let's get to it: Top 8 teams of ECL 7 Pro: Deadly Phantoms HC - The champions of ECL 7 Pro had an incredible season. In all honesty, they couldn't have done it better. 1st in the group stage and capping off by winning the playoffs. Their players were topping almost all categories and positions, whilst still focusing on getting the wins, a feat in which they succeeded. After a tough 1st round in the playoffs vs Saints (4-3) they bounced back extremely well and got through the next rounds with only 3 losses in 3 rounds. It'll be great to follow this team in Elite next season and I think they could surprise and make the playoffs. Their record 27-3-0 was a proof of all that. Synergy Hockey - or shall we call them @DUNZA Hockeywall? It was all about their defense and brickwall DUNZA in net to lead them to a record of 22-6-2 with only 34 goals against in 30 games. After losing the final two games of the regular season against their direct rival Cowabunga Hockey, they finished 2nd but were able to go for a long playoff run which ended in the finals. Synergy experienced an unfortunate loss at the hands of DPH but still secured an Elite spot for the next season. Bucketeers - The buckets had a season that could only be described as excellent and a massive upset. Due to the low amount of registered Pro teams they got called up to the big leagues and showed us all that they truly belong there. The semi-finalists won their promotion battle and now Elite is looming in the horizon. Their center @Demski13 stepped up big time in the playoffs and led them to a promotion. He was also ranked 2nd in points during the playoffs. Resurrection - Another semi-finalist that clinched promotion to Elite. After a tough end to the regular season with 3 wins in their last 10 games, Resurrection resurrected from the dead and got by both TIKI TALK and Speedy Bros Hockey in the 1st respective 2nd round. One of the difference makers was their goaltender @Jiihooo86 with 3 shutouts and over 82 in save% during the playoffs. Speedy Bros Hockey - Even if they came just one win short of the semi's, Speedy Bros Hockey still had a remarkable season and have the capability to play in even higher divisions, read Elite. They scored the most goals out of any team in group 1 and 2nd after Phantoms in the whole division. Wasps Gaming - The 2nd highest scoring team in group 1 had a great regular season finishing with the same point score as Synergy, the runners up this season. With a stunning start in the 1st round of the playoffs beating Belizzi 4-1, the Wasps were set for success when they were matched up against 8th seeded Bucketeers. Unfortunately for Wasps, Bucketeers came out swinging and had a run to remember, ending the season for Wasps Gaming. CLUB ONE - Maybe on of the biggest upsets this season was the victory of CLUB ONE against 3rd playoff seed Checkmate. Not only did they come out on top during this series but they did it in a dominant manner, 4-1. Synergy ended up being too much for them and their season ended in the 2nd round vs said team. A big reason for their success was goalscorer @makichuk, with 39 regular season goals and 6 in the playoffs he showed his importance for the team. Pata Hellalla - After just and about clinching a playoff spot in group 2, Pata showed real strength and experience in the playoffs. Getting by the 2nd seeded Cowabunga Hockey 4-0 in the first round. Yes, you read me right - FOUR to ZERO. Not bad for the last seeded team. Unfortunately for Pata, the later champions were waiting in round 2 leading to a rather one-sided series, being sent home with a score of 4-0. Promotions to Elite: Deadly Phantoms HC Synergy Hockey Bucketeers Resurrection Relegations to Lite: Free From Rodents Nordic Nosebleed Sektion K Unity As last seasons recap, this seasons will also be in form of an official NHLGamer ranking. The ECL 7 Pro division ranking (Sorted by playoff wins, P/G and relegation faceoff wins): 1. Deadly Phantoms HC (Group 1) - 16 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 27-3-0 2. Synergy Hockey (Group 1) - 13 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 22-6-2 3. Bucketeers (Group 2) - 10 Playoff wins, 4 promotion faceoff wins, regular season record -- 19-8-3 4. Resurrection (Group 2) - 9 Playoff wins, 4 promotion faceoff wins, regular season record -- 21-5-4 5. Speedy Bros Hockey (Group 1) - 7 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 21-8-1 6. Wasps Gaming (Group 1) - 6 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 21-5-4 7. CLUB ONE (Group 1) - 5 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 17-10-3 8. Pata Hellalla (Group 2) - 4 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 14-10-6 9. Saints (Group 1) - 3 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 16-10-4 10. EN HUND (Group 1) - 2 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 17-9-4 11. TIKI TALK (Group 1) - 2 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 18-11-1 12. Checkmate (Group 2) - 1 Playoff win, regular season record -- 23-6-1 13. Bellizzi (Group 2) - 1 Playoff win, regular season record -- 16-10-4 14. Cowabunga Hockey (Group 1) - 0 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 23-4-3 15. Raging Monkeys (Group 2) - 0 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 19-8-3 16. Born With It (Group 2) - 0 Playoff wins, regular season record -- 17-12-1 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. Raccoon Rampage (Group 1) Regular season record -- 16-11-3 18. GHETTO FIREBIRDS (Group 1) Regular season record -- 14-10-6 19. The Visionaries (Group 2) Regular season record -- 14-11-5 20. Style (Group 1) Regular season record -- 14-12-4 21. Pohjoista Voimaa (Group 2) Regular season record -- 14-12-4 22. Baltic Sea Eagles (Group 1) Regular season record -- 14-12-4 23. Silver Sword Griffins (Group 2) Regular season record -- 13-15-2 24. Le Coq Sportif (Group 2) Regular season record -- 9-11-10 25. Nordic Stars (Group 2) - 4 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 11-14-5 26. Bone Breakers (Group 2) - 4 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 10-14-5 27. Murohoki (Group 1) - 4 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 8-14-8 28. EV Duisburg (Group 1) - 4 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 9-17-4 29. Unity (Group 1) - 3 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 9-18-3 30. Sektion K (Group 2) - 1 Relegation faceoff win, regular season record -- 5-19-6 31. Nordic Nosebleed (Group 2) - 0 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 5-19-6 32. Free From Rodents (Group 1) - 0 Relegation faceoff wins, regular season record -- 1-29-0 AWARDS Playoff MVP: @Rayman (The_Rayman80) Most Points: @Tzon93, 53 Goals, 47 Assists, 100 Points in 41 games Most Goals: @Rayman, 62 Goals, 27 Assists, 89 Points in 45 games Most Assists: @Playmaker, 33 Goals, 63 Assists, 96 Points in 45 games Most Hits by a Forward: @vilperi90, 224 Hits in 35 games Best +/-: @Tim_FlyersFan & @Playmaker, +67 in 34 & 45 games Most Points by a Defenseman: @Mannheimer1938, 11 Goals, 46 Assists, 57 Points in 41 games Most Goals by a Defenseman: @Mannheimer1938, 11 Goals, 46 Assists, 57 Points in 41 games Most Assist by a Defenseman: @Mannheimer1938, 11 Goals, 46 Assists, 57 Points in 41 games Most Hits by a Defenseman: @Speedy104 (speedcell104), 278 Hits in 35 Games TOP 3'S OF ECL 7 PRO Top 3 Forwards Regular Season: 1. @Playmaker, 26 Goals, 53 Assists, 79 Points in 25 games 2. @Tzon93, 38 Goals, 37 Assists, 75 Points in 30 games 3. @Tim_FlyersFan, 27 Goals, 40 Assists, 67 Points in 19 games Top 3 Defenders Regular Season: 1. @AndreasLeafs, 5 Goals, 31 Assists, 36 Points in 30 games 2. @oo-joyst1ck-oo, 2 Goals, 31 Assists, 33 Points in 30 games 3. @SolenX86, 4 Goals, 26 Assists, 30 Points in 27 games Top 3 Goaltenders Regular Season: 1. @RPH_31, 25 Wins, 88.60 %, 1.00 GAA, 9 SO in 27 games 2. @Jonitski, 23 Wins, 89.52 %, 1.10 GAA, 8 SO in 30 games 3. @DUNZA, 21 Wins, 86.19 %, 1.13 GAA, 12 SO in 29 games Top 3 Forwards Playoffs: 1. @Rayman, 23 Goals, 12 Assists, 35 Points in 22 games 2. @Demski13, 13 Goals, 17 Assists, 30 Points in 17 games 3. @Isindar, 10 Goals, 18 Assists, 28 Points in 19 games Top 3 Defender Playoffs: 1. @Mannheimer1938, 2 Goals, 19 Assists, 21 Points in 21 games 2. @riihimaenharski, 0 Goals, 15 Assists, 15 Points in 11 games 3. @Supremski, 2 Goals, 9 Assists, 11 Points in 17 games Top 3 Goaltenders Playoffs: 1. @RPH_31, 16 Wins, 84.44 %, 1.59 GAA, 6 SO in 22 games 2. @DUNZA, 13 Wins, 88.34 %, 1.00 GAA, 7 SO in 19 games 3. @Vampyrgurkan, 10 Wins, 84.07 %, 1.47 GAA, 1 SO in 17 games The controversial 'Top 6' of the season is making a comeback! What this means is a selection of six players in a starting lineup, that have showed exceptional skill and played a good season. Please note that all selections are subjective and they are made by community members who have been keeping an eye on ECL 7 Pro, in this case your Pro writing team. Without further ado, here's the top 6 of our Pro division in ECL 7: @Tzon93 (Speedy Bros Hockey) - @Playmaker (Deadly Phantoms) - @Rayman (Deadly Phantoms) @Mannheimer1938 (Deadly Phantoms) - @Supremski (Synergy Hockey) @DUNZA (Synergy Hockey) There you have it, Gamers. With this review, we're happy to wrap up ECL 7 Pro and turn our looks towards what season 8 brings our way. We'd like to extend a massive thanks to all participants, see you next season! Pro Writing Team @Panarinz & @Mannheimer1938 Editor @jahajaha93

Hey NHLGamers, The ECL 7 Pro Final has now been played and we have a winner! After a long season with a total of 52 games played, we're able to crown Deadly Phantoms HC the champions of ECL 7 Pro! DPH had an excellent playoff run, where they were able to overcome adversity and power on until the end. They really made a statement in the finals by dominating opponent Synergy Hockey. The final series were expected to be very tightly contested as both teams play a very conservative game, leaving very little to chance and defending well. Synergy had a tough time figuring out the German defense and fell short this time. Both teams are promoted directly to ECL Elite for season 8. Congratulations to the teams! If you missed any of the action, you can check the games out on DPH's twitch channel. These are the results of the final series: Game 1: Synergy Hockey @ Deadly Phantoms | 2-1 OT Game 2: Deadly Phantoms @ Synergy Hockey | 3-2 OT Game 3: Synergy Hockey @ Deadly Phantoms | 2-3 OT Game 4: Deadly Phantoms @ Synergy Hockey | 1-0 Game 5: Synergy Hockey @ Deadly Phantoms | 1-2 Deadly Phantoms HC - Championship roster: GOALTENDERS #30 @RPH_31 DEFENSEMEN #23 @gzell60 #27 @Mannheimer1938 #40 @willywonkaaa #83 @steveERC #90 @Jeason99 FORWARDS #11 @neymar92ftrio2 #13 @Rayman (The_Rayman80) #16 @Tim_FlyersFan #87 @Daniel Thenextone (XxTHENEXTONE89xX) #96 @Playmaker (Playmaker1010) DPH's road to the cup: 27-3-0 during the regular season, seeding 1st into the playoffs. 16-4-2 in the playoffs. Round 1: 4-3 VS Saints Quarterfinals: 4-0 VS Pata Hellalla Semifinals: 4-2 VS Bucketeers Finals: 4-1 VS Synergy Hockey Thanks for tuning in NHLGamers! Be on the lookout for the season recap article, up soon. Pro Writing Team @Panarinz & @jahajaha93

Hello NHLGamers, It's 'final-ly' time for the Pro Finals! After yet another exciting season full of interesting events and lots of surprises, the time to crown a winner is nigh. The playoffs have certainly left us gasping for air at times, with surprises like ECL 6 Lite silver-medalist Cowabunga winning their group, seeding in second place into the playoffs only to be eliminated in the first round by 16th seed Pata Hellalla. Bucketeers, another newly promoted team also seemed to find their stride this season, pushing far into the playoffs and reaching the semifinals for a shot to make Elite through a relegation battle. Our final two isn't maybe the most predictable matchup, but certainly two well-rounded teams that have been strong performers all season long. Here's how our final matchup stacks up: (1) Deadly Phantoms HC vs Synergy Hockey (4) In this iteration of the ECL Pro Finals, we'll have a somewhat rare sighting as neither finalist is Finnish. I even believe neither team has any Finnish colour in their roster. Refreshing, to say the least! After a great semi-final round against Bucketeers in a thrilling and even series, the deadliest of Phantoms have yet again stated their claim for an Elite spot and are looking to get that big trophy as well. They've been one of the great storylines this postseason, as they've had to overcome adversity not many teams in the community has faced. From having their play style under scrutiny in the first round to switching up the lineup throughout the playoffs, they have prevailed every time. Synergy Hockey has really gone back to their roots and found the strong play we're so used to seeing from the veteran Swedes. They're a strong defensive unit that doesn't put on a show on the ice, but is tremendously effective at everything they do. The team has had everything go their way this season, starting all the way from the back end, where the marvelled @DUNZA has been taunting forwards on a nightly basis. Synergy has had a rather convincing playoff run so far, as they've dropped only two games in the three series played so far. Prediction: Deadly Phantoms HC in 7. Head-to-head: TOP SCORER The_Rayman80 (17GP, 17+11=28) vs Isindar (14GP, 9+13=22) GOALTENDERS RPH_31 (17GP, 12W, 83.81 SV%, 1.64 GAA) vs DUNZA (14GP, 12W, 91.00 SV%, 0.64 GAA) Schedule for the finals: Game 1: Monday, 10th of December 21:00 CET Deadly Phantoms HC vs Synergy Hockey (1-2 OT) Game 2: Monday, 10th of December 21:30 CET Synergy Hockey vs Deadly Phantoms HC (2-3 OT) Game 3: Thursday, 13th of December TBA Deadly Phantoms HC vs Synergy Hockey Game 4: Thursday, 13th of December TBA Synergy Hockey vs Deadly Phantoms HC Game 5: Thursday, 13th of December TBA Deadly Phantoms HC vs Synergy Hockey Game 6: Thursday, 13th of December TBA Synergy Hockey vs Deadly Phantoms HC Game 7: Thursday, 13th of December TBA Deadly Phantoms HC vs Synergy Hockey That's all for now gamers and as always, be sure to check out our twitch channel for streams on these games and from our other leagues, that's got some exciting playoff action for yall. PS: Stay on the lookout for our ECL 7 Pro Season Recap article, it might be posted sooner than you think... Pro Writing Team @jahajaha93 & @Panarinz