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Hey NHLGamers, We are proud to announce that in addition to NHLGamer now being a member of SEUL (Suomen elektronisen urheilun liitto / Finnish Esports Federation), we have also signed a contract that covers the NHL and FIFA eSM - the Finnish Championships - license for two additional years. NHLGamer hereby announces the following eSM tournaments for 2018: FIFA 18: 1 vs. 1 (Summer 2018) NHL 19: 1 vs. 1 (End of 2018) NHL 19: 6 vs. 6 (End of 2018) Yes, you read it correctly - in addition to battling out the 1 vs. 1 Finnish Champion in 2018, we will also be crowning the Finnish Champions in 6 vs. 6 NHL! We are working together with SJK eSports in creating the best live events. More details about participation, prerequisites and prize pools will be released after the negotiations are completed, so stay tuned! Extending this partnership is the next logical step towards establishing NHLGamer and its leagues and tournaments in the gaming landscape. Together with our allies, we will remain dedicated to bringing you - the players - the thrilling and meaningful gaming experiences you are looking for. About the Finnish Esports Federation The Finnish Esports Federation (SEUL) works as the umbrella organization for Finnish competitive electronic gaming. Their mission is to improve and promote electronic sports and the activities of their members. The federation was established in December 2010 to respond to the growing need for an organization to promote esports as a hobby and as a respectable sport. The activities performed by SEUL are divided into the development of esports, protection of player’s interests and communicational work. The development of esports is done partly by utilizing workgroups, which are based on the work of our volunteers. The board is responsible for the day to day operations in co-operation with employees. The federation co-operates with many national organizations such as VERKE, EHYT ry and KAVI, promoting a positive image of gamers and gaming in general. The federation’s participation in international field is strong, since we represent Finland in the International Esports Federation (IESF). SEUL is also on the receiving end of the yearly grants given out by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture for youth programs. eSM 2018 will feature the following games: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, Dota 2, NHL, FIFA, League of Legends, Tekken 7 and iRacing. The official eSM website is available at eSM.gg. About SJK eSports SJK eSports is an organisation that functions under SJK, a football club in Seinäjoki, Finland. SJK eSports is mainly focused in bringing new business concepts into the Finnish gaming scene. SJK eSports is especially commited to the growth of the console gaming scene, and is happy to work alongside NHLGamer to achieve that. About NHLGamer NHLGamer.com first saw the light of day in the end of 2015 by launching the European Championship League („ECL“), a 6 vs. 6 virtual ice hockey league carried out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The platform started off with immediate success, hosting 50 teams in its initial season, and has since grown exponentially into what is the largest community for EA SPORTS NHL gamers in Europe. NHLGamer continuously strives to offer the best experience for any and all gamers who have come to enjoy the competitiveness of playing the EA SPORTS series of NHL games. Today, over 4000 website members not only visit NHLGamer to step on the ice themselves. We also enable them to be on top of all the latest NHL and gaming related news, watch broadcasts of NHLGamer league games featuring the very best players in the world, and enjoy exclusive content such as developer interviews and early gameplay impressions of upcoming titles. While proud of our achievements and the success we‘ve had in creating and maintaining such a great community of talented gamers, this is just the beginning. Our long-term goals include further growth to host even larger leagues with prize pools, and working together with gaming oriented organizations to ultimately establish a platform for professional NHL players at the cutting edge of esports.

Hey NHLGamers, The ECL Elite Playoffs are already partly underway, so let's jump directly into our predictions for the first round, also known as the quarter finals, where the best eight teams battle for a chance to make it into the semi finals. These predictions were written by @chavelski and @pnordetun. (1) Written In The Stars vs Northern Stars (8) Written In The Stars won the regular season in style. The team really had that 'wow'-factor being talked about from time to time. A left-wing seemed to be what SKY needed to out them on a rocket ship right towards the title. Except for acquiring the new winger, little has changed and we can expect SKY to try to control this series. With great goalies in @eissi83 and @JanneK. (Januri98), amazing defenders that can dominate both blue lines and all three zones, and a highly skilled offensive trio up-front. So, is the sky the limit or will Northern Stars be the end of the line? NOS took the 8th and final playoff spot this time, avoiding pressure and expectations, perhaps. However, the old giant fears no one. NOS knows these situations and certainly holds more experience of these tight spots compared to their opponents. With their basic game and some @tbnantti magic they can surely match SKY. These players have been in so many playoff games together that we might see their low playoff seed actually work in their favour. Prediction: 4-2 Written In The Stars (2) Dynasty vs SJK eSports (7) Second seeding Dynasty goes up against SJK eSports in the quarterfinals in a matchup that could have, and in many Community members' minds would and should have been a clash later down the bracket. That's not the case this time around, as here we go! Dynasty has been nothing but a true joy to watch in the regular season. With quick passing, movement, their timing close to perfection and some great variety in their offense - they are as effective as they are stylish. @Buantso (Puantso) is deadly and with @jumalpeku and @Tehh (TehhAhola), they have a perfect trio. Puantso and jumalpeku combined for 55 goals between them in the group stage, just 10 shy of the SJK total. As always, it's important to shut your opponents offense down, and this will not be an easy task for SJK to do. Dynasty is also really solid on the defense and won't give up anything for free with @Snapster keeping the lines clear from intruders, alike the Finnish war hero Simo Häyhä. In the net, DYN has a good situation with @Sandr0hh and @Lukkoukko (Lukkolinho) having similar, strong stats. SJK will have to respond to Dynasty's offense in this series, and they need to prove that they really are defensive masters. Like we are used to, @Dominointi will be the cornerstone of their game. It'll remain to be seen who SJK will ice on the wings but your best bet will likely be @Leksa94 and @indi969. @Ilmari_30 on defense is set in stone and beside him we will most likely see @Selarit. @ICappeI stood tall in net for yet another great regular season, it'll remain to be seen if he can put up another stellar showing in the playoffs. Showcasing their defensive ability, SJK allowed only 48 goals (1,6 per game) in the regular season (2nd to SKY) and they have a tremendous defense in all zones. Sometimes playing SJK you're happy being able to create any good scoring chances at all, and how frustrating isn't that in a best of 7 series for the opponent? Can SJK lower the games' pace and ace their defense? Do they have the variety and creativity not to get stuck chasing behind every game? SJK has so much experience from these games it's almost scary. They are used to tight spots and used to advance - can they do it this time? Prediction : 4-2 Dynasty (3) Carlsberg HC vs Sjukstugan (6) Carlsberg HC was one of the hottest teams in the off-season and was one of the favourite teams coming into ECL 6. They finished with a solid third place right after Written In The Stars and Dynasty. @Vilupoika, @Penatski and @Tuukka.R (KingOfApes_) comprise a forward line that makes any GM out there jealous. All of them have great hands and vision and also the game changer ability, as anyone of them can win a game for their team. With one of the best defensive pairings in the league with @Janzuh and @vatalisti, this team looks like you couldn't replace one player with another and expect better results. If CAR wants to be successful they can and if they can stay humble and focused facing a very seasoned 112, they will prevail. Don’t count their opponent out just yet! You can easily say that Sjukstugan is the underdog in this matchup, but if you look closer at the players they have, the team looks really good. With one of the most prestigious right defensemen in the game in @Gustafsson7 returning back after a season in Synergy, taking his familiar place as the king of the hill in Sjukstugan's defense, they have a strong leader down low. Helping him along the way we have @Karkkyjaa, @Basstian23 (JaromirSniper) and @Klingen45 who is expected to be dressing for the next game. Look for him to be a game changer as well. On the forward side we have the brothers @pnordetun and @Bjono with @Norpee skating out with them. Norpee could easily be one of the most underrated players in the whole community. I suspect we will see @Nampa77 in this series as well, as he adds something the rest of the forward core doesn't have - the right-handed shot. The real MVP of Sjukstugan can be found in net as @Hullued has taken the community by storm and been excellent throughout the season. If CAR can stay focused and disciplined for the entire length of the series, they will move on to the next round. On the other hand, if 112 wants to have a chance in the series, they cannot try to mimic the play style of opponent Carlsberg, as they tried to do in game #2 of the series. The series currently stands at 1-1. If Sjukstugan can score the first goal and play as a defensive unit out on the ice, we might have a long series here that could end either way. Prediction: 4-3 Carlsberg HC (4) Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys HC (5) Northern Ascendancy vs Unlucky Boys is already far into the series (2-3) as UB are only one win away from the Elite Semi finals in their first season in Elite! The last season runner-up in Pro has surprised the whole community by beating a few of the big teams during the season and finishing the season as fifth in the standings. Lead by @Anhel (Anhel_Kuru) alongside @JimBoo (jm__98___) and @Wenger (re_wenger), the trio has been playing together all season, and with @Jugeh_ and @Frilander on the back end, the five skaters really come together as a team. @Danielcadabra has bounced back from a disappointing last season in Synergy where he looked somewhat rusty. This season he has been again at the very top among goalies and he can steal games for you. Northern Ascendancy with the fast paced very beautiful style of playing ended the regular season on a solid fourth place. @poliskontroll has been better this season and @Foppatofflan has been scoring points as usual. This season he got some help from @hpkfani (MuKiMaisteri) who was the leading scorer this season for NOR. @MartindalexC has switched from LW to RD and transitioned quite nicely making a nice pair with @Haldeem. And the cherry on top is that you have @anrh17, an excellent two-way player, as a center. You could think this team would be ready for a championship. However, once again they are facing a team who looks to want it more and play to win and not simply to get on the scoresheet. Can NOR bounce back, come together and break the trend that has been haunting them and get past the quarterfinals? Prediction: 4-2 Unlucky Boys Many of the teams continue their series' tonight, and while we sadly won't be able to provide an official commentated stream tonight, be sure to be on the lookout for the team's own streams in the streams section and the chatbox over in the community section. What did you think of the above predicitions? Who do you think will go all the way? Let us know in the comments section below!

Hey NHLGamers, The ECL 5 Elite Finals have been played and it turned out Aapon Taikasauva were absolutely unstoppable this season and they secured their championship with a 2-1 win in game 5 against SJK eSports. NHLGamer would hereby like to congratulate Aapon Taikasauva for being the new ECL Elite Champions! If you wish, you can watch all five of the finals here: https://www.twitch.tv/nhlgamertwitch/videos/all These are the series results: Game 1: SJK eSports @ Aapon Taikasauva | 0-4 Game 2: Aapon Taikasauva @ SJK eSports | 4-0 Game 3: SJK eSports @ Aapon Taikasauva | 2-1 OT Game 4: Aapon Taikasauva @ SJK eSports | 3-2 Game 5: SJK eSports @ Aapon Taikasauva | 1-2 Aapon Taikasauva Championship roster: G: #33 E. Larmi (aka swagx88) G: #49 F. Hardy (aka ICappeI) D: #27 S. Voynov (aka xDoumi) D: #29 W. Nylander (A) (aka nylanderi) D: #40 T. Torro (A) (aka jtorro1234) F: #9 S. Tuuba (C) (aka indi969) F: #55 L. Snapster (aka Puantso) F: #91 T. Domi (aka ShaneC27) F: #96 G. St-Pierre (aka Penatski) Aapon Taikasauva's road to the cup: 24 wins, 2 losses & 4 OT-losses during the regular season, ranked 1st Quarterfinals: 4-2 victory against Rusty Blades Semifinals: 4-3 victory against Northern Stars Finals: 4-1 victory against SJK eSports ECL 5 is not over yet though, as Pro and Lite Divisions are still fighting for their championships and promotions, with some really intense match-ups ahead. Make sure to keep an eye on further coverage! A more detailed ECL Elite season recap including award winners will be released in due time - stay tuned.

The European Championship League Elite season is reaching its peak tonight, as we head into game #5 between Aapon Taikasauva and SJK eSports. Aapon is one win away from the championship, but SJK was the dominant team yesterday despite the wins being 1-1 last night. Look forward to two hungry teams and at the end of the night we will celebrate the ECL 5 Elite champion! We will be broadcasting tonights battle on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and you can watch the games there or below this news story. Tonight's games are commentated by: @janbonator, @Kenu and @OxtreeLAT The stream will be live from 20:45 CET and will take you through the rest of the ECL Elite Finals. Watch live video from NHLGamerTwitch on www.twitch.tv Without further ado, we hope you enjoy the stream and join us in the chat with some questions and comments.

The ECL 5 Elite season is at it's high point as Aapon Taikasauva (#1) is facing SJK eSports (#3) in the Best-of-7 Finals. Aapon Taikasauva was able to win the first two games 4-0 despite some good pressure by SJK eSports and it is possible that we will see a new champion tonight, unless SJK eSports is able to bounce back and challenge Aapo. You don't want to miss the pinnacle of 6vs6 eSports hockey! In case you missed the first two games and you want to watch those, you can do it here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/207570643 We will be broadcasting tonights games (#3 & #4) on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and you can watch the games there or below the news story. Tonight's games are commentated by: Jānis "@OxtreeLAT" Eglītis Jani "@janbonator" Keskinen The stream will be live from 21:45 CET and will take you through games #3 and #4 of the ECL Elite Finals. If needed, the info on the later rounds will be announced as the times are confirmed. Watch live video from NHLGamerTwitch on www.twitch.tv Without further ado, we hope you enjoy the stream and join us in the chat with some questions and comments.

The ECL Elite season is coming to its high point as the two finalists - Aapon Taikasauva (#1) and SJK eSports (#3) are ready to jump onto the ice competing for the ECL 5 Elite Championship in this best-of-7 series! We will be broadcasting the games on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/NHLGamerTwitch and you can watch the games there or below the news story. The stream will feature three of our staff members voices to host you through the first two games that are played tonight: Hampus "@The_Alpha_Furyan" Duvefelt Jānis "@OxtreeLAT" Eglītis Kenneth "@Kenu" Lehtinen The stream will be live from 20:55 CET and will take you through the first two games of the ECL Elite Finals. Info on the later rounds will be announced as the times are confirmed. Watch live video from NHLGamerTwitch on www.twitch.tv Without further ado, we hope you enjoy the stream and join us in the chat with some questions and comments. EDIT: Game has ended, you can watch the recording here:

NHLGamer member @Hansulinho signs with SJK eSports Some of you may have already guessed it a few weeks ago when well-established ECL franchise Laser HT changed their name to SJK eSports, but today the SJK organization made it official by way of press release: they have signed Hannes "Hansulinho" Kettunen. Hansulinho himself recently announced he was leaving the ENCE organization and it should come as no surprise that SJK had since been active in trying to aquire the services of the successful finnish NHL player: - Hannes has been in our sights for quite a while. He's a tremendous character and a very skilled NHL player, says SJK eSports Manager Pekka Riihimaa. Officially joining the SJK organization also means Hansulinho will be able to call his close friend Risto "Dominointi" Järvi (already a member of the SJK team) a teammate both in the EASHL and on the Versus side of NHL competition. - To join SJK at this stage of my career feels like the right move. They have a lot of talented people involved both when it comes to console gaming and management. Above all, they are eager to keep the movement around competitive NHL gaming moving forward, says Hansulinho. The first official competition for Hansulinho under the SJK banner, outside of the currently ongoing ECL 5, will be IS Cup 2 in November, administered by NHLGamer.com. - The level of play in Versus has improved dramatically these last few NHL games. Watching the recent online IS Cup qualifiers it was especially evident so I better keep calm and bring my A game during the IS Cup tournament to have a shot at winning, says Hansulinho. Here at NHLGamer we'd like to congratulate Hansulinho on joining SJK eSports and wish him the best of luck at the IS Cup in November. Hansulinho Fact Box [Player profile] 5x Finnish Champion Finished 3rd at the NHL World Championship Series in Las Vegas Finished 4th at IS Cup 1 (NHL 17) Participated in all 5 ECL tournaments at NHLGamer: twice for Nordic Blizzard (champions of ECL 1), twice for Laser HT (champions of ECL 4 Elite) and now SJK eSports Favors the G position in EASHL Read the full announcement article (in Finnish) at: https://www.sjk2007.fi/w/sjk-esports--tervetuloa-hansulinho- Fun Fact: With his SJK signing, Hansulinho once again becomes the third NHLGamer member to currently represent an official esports organization. Outside of himself and Dominointi for SJK eSports, @Chafak represents Paranoia esports. It remains to be seen which organization will scoop up rising NHLGamer stars like @plee999 (PleeMaker); the champion of IS Cup 1, @eskoeinari; champion of the recent Finnish Championship eSM and @Erkki (I_EKI_I); finalist in both IS Cup 1 and eSM. Stay tuned! @The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com