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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

Hello NHLGamers, For this season of ECL Elite we will be releasing a recurring segment that will look to detail the ‘hottest’, ‘coldest’ and… ‘mildest’? teams in Elite 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 be 'missed', although if the results are significant enough they will be mentioned in the following next week's article. 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, therefore I will do my best to elucidate the reasoning behind why 'X team' deserves to be ranked at 'Y'. 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: Week 0 (16in16) Week 1 ‘Wild West’ Yes, that is a pun about Red Dead Redemption 2 being released recently, and yes, it is the last pun I will ever make. Nevertheless, I feel it’s a fitting description given how some teams have played 8 games whilst some have only played 2, consequently making the ranking of any team quite onerous. *Rankings accurate as of 27/10/18 1. Butterfly Effect (6-1-1) [+11] Playing the most games in Elite thus far FLY have certainly sent a statement out that they’re here to play; despite being the last call up from Pro due to the folding of Monarchs. They’re ranked 1st over the similarly impressive Sjukstugan due to them playing more games against 'better opponents', most notably one of them being the highly touted Dynasty. 2. Sjukstugan (6-0-0) [+5] Despite what the ranking may suggest, being placed 2nd here is not a case of playing second fiddle in any way. In fact, it’s tough to really differentiate the two teams so treat this pick as 1b rather than 2, especially when you consider the fact that four of 112’s wins came against the previous regular season ‘president’s’ winner in Written in the Stars, as well as a playoff hopeful and stalwart defensive team in Rusty Blades. 3. Gotham Knights (3-1-0) [+11] Having the most points out of any other team on such a hard-opening schedule Gotham Knights have shown that they are here to play and don't need any games to get up to speed, dismantling Radical in regulation as well as OT, on top of defeating NOS in OT before falling to them in regulation. 4. FILADELPHIA (3-1-0) [-2] Wins over a previously predicted playoff bound team in Northern Stars, as well as going toe to toe with FLY and coming out with 2pts mark a pretty good showing thus far by FILA. Their stock is carried quite heavily by their rinsing of NOS 7-1 however, so much so that without it they perhaps wouldn't find themselves so highly ranked here. 5. Symphony (4-0-0) [-1] Are Symphony's wins against a pair of opponents who aren't the 'best'? Sure. Nevertheless, they've exhibited the ability to win and at any level that's something that simply cannot be understated. (Plus, they sort of dominated all games bar one so there's that too.) 6. Northern Ascendancy (2-0-0) [=] What is there really to be said so far? Northern Ascendancy have played only two games, winning both of them in overtime as they "only did what they had to do" against Rusty Blades. A little birdie told me that Rusty had more to give in those games and that they perhaps should have earned more than just two points from NOR. I must say that when a veteran team like NOR takes home four points and you hear these "ifs" and "buts" after the games - it just doesn't surprise me anymore. Next up they are facing SKY, BAT and FILA so it's easier to get back to this team when they have dealt with more opponents. (Courtesy of @vSilenttio) 7. Written in the Stars (2-0-2) [-6] Visible struggles against Sjukstugan mar an otherwise solid showing thus far, although one could argue that said struggles were overcome in a 8-0 victory versus the defensively orientated Unlucky Boys. Therefore, with such a varied level of play it's tough to place them anywhere other than 'mediocre'. 8. Rusty Blades (0-1-3) [+1] It's at this point we make our way into the 'no man's land' of mediocracy, don't take this as a diss by any means but that's kind of the way these rankings tend to go. That is not to say that Rusty have been bad per se, for instance their defence seems to be in form yet again sporting a 2 GA/GP which is historically a pretty decent level. With that said however, it's not like everything is rosy for Rusty as their offence has all but completely dried up (1 GF/GP) which could spell danger if it continues, although it should be mentioned that they've played two 'defensive' teams in NOR & 112 which can explain their apparent lack of goal scoring ability to some degree. 9. Unlucky Boys (3-3-0) [+1] I can see it already... "why are UB 9th with 6pts but Rusty at 8th with 3pts?". Well, as I alluded to before in the introduction, points aren't everything. Sure, UB have 6pts but those came via a series of unconvincing one goal wins vs. pretty subpar opponents in Team Frosty & Sika, then they got smacked down by a resurgent Written. Still though, running at a pt/g average in elite is nothing to scoff at, especially as that is historically close to the playoff cut-off point (avg. 1.17 P/GP). 10. Northern Stars (1-1-2) [-2] As we slip further and further down this list any issues plaguing these teams becomes less and less of a niggling problem and more of a systemic issue that poses a severe risk to derailing their chances of clinching a playoff spot. Of course this does not mean that NOS are in danger territory yet, especially as the point made about UB and maintaining a pt/g average applies here as well, just that there are some issues that perhaps could become larger problems unless tackled at some point, one of these perhaps being the fact that Chimera is currently averaging over double the amount of turnovers as his forward line mates whilst performing below their level points wise. Despite this they've played two very solid teams and come out of as a .500 team, so the panic button doesn't need to pressed just at this moment but if they want to solidify their playoff ambitions then Chimera is going to have to pull his play together. 11. Almost Famous (3-3-0) [=] If UB were rated at 9th because of their unconvincing wins and blow out losses, then Almost Famous are ranked even lower despite identical records due to a series of even more unstable and ever-changing performances by the newly promoted team. Opening up the season losing two straight to FLY stings, but it happens, winning the next two (albeit in close fashion) against FCM certainly atoned for their opening display, however splitting their games against TF (with one being a 4-1 loss) certainly puts a dampner on things and AF may rue these early missed points come later in the season. 12. Dynasty (1-1-0) [-7] Two points against a seemingly strong opponent in FLY yet here we are at 12th, what gives? I suppose it's a little bit like a 'chicken and the egg' situation, did Dynasty get two points because they played well? Or did FLY get three points (reg. W and OT W) because Dynasty played badly? Usually all that these 'hypotheticals' teach us is that context is key and in order to get context you need a certain amount of background information to make an informed decision, as Dynasty have only played FLY thus far I'm going to err on the side caution and simply say that they just weren't playing up to their usual standard and that's that. 13. Team Frosty (2-4-0) [+3] This season is looking like it may be a bit of a rough one for Team Frosty. Opening up with two losses to Symphony surely wasn't part of the plan although I doubt many could have expected a different result. Going on to split games against AF & UB is again, nothing to scoff at of course, yet outside of their wins their offence has struggling exceptionally with them only potting 3 goals in 4 games. One could say that these type of stats are inherently cherry picked and to some degree I agree, since it seems intuitive that when you win you're going to perform better than when you loss, however if you're relying on random games where your offence 'explodes' then games down the stretch are going to get very frustrating very quickly when you desperately need to close out or get within reaching distance of an opponent, only to 'hope' that something happens eventually. Nevertheless, despite such a depressing outlook this type of play may be all that Team Frosty needs to stay afloat in Elite as long as their 'average-ish' defence holds steady. 14. Radical (0-1-1) [-12] Similar to Dynasty it's especially tough to gauge exactly how good a team is when they've only played two games and had mixed results. In addition to this, it doesn't exactly leave much to be discerned from the 'noise' so to speak so... yea. 15. Falun Coal Miners (1-4-1) [=] Has Kopparberget began to run dry? With a frankly pitiful 1.17 GF/GP (good for joint 5th worst) the Miners from Falun are looking up once again as underdogs after a series of poor results vs. teams that were predicted to finish quite close to them in the standings (Sika, Almost Famous & Butterfly Effect). On the one hand if you take away their losses from FLY (who look to be an early dark horse candidate this season) FCM's results don't seem too bad, however even with that in mind giving up points to teams that you are looking to displace in order to get into the playoffs is never a great strategy. 16. SIKA (1-6-1) [-3] Worst GF/GP, 4th worst GA/GP and three points out of a potential 16 makes for a start that the Finnish Swine were not exactly looking for. There's always time to work their way up the standings but even this early it may be a case of damage control and securing safety as opposed to lofty playoff aspirations. That's it for this weeks Power Ranking, we'll be getting back to you in a weeks time and take a look at which teams have made a climb and who possibly hasn't. Until next time, gamers! Do you agree with our ranking? You can create your own in the comments below!

Hi NHLGamers, I'm so glad you've found your way here! For this season of ECL Pro, we will start up a "Team of the Week"-segment. In other words, we'll be showcasing the best ECL Pro teams for both groups that week, but also a Top 6 lineup of individuals that excelled during said week. The articles will be released each Monday (excluding this article). Beware that we are only counting the stats for games played during each game week. Group 1 - Team of the Week - 1 Wasps Gaming The Wasps had a great run of form recently, playing only 4 games last week they managed to snag all 8 points and all wins were in regulation time. Even though they are most known because of their offense, it's their defense that's won them all 4 games. They've only let in 3 goals in the games played, accumulating 2 shutouts along the way. An honorable mention in their offensive line is @JaKurrii who has been racking up some points in all four games. They also lie at the top of the table in group 1 and have a few of their players in the top 10 of points, assists and goals. This is why they're our team of the week for group 1. Group 2 - Team of the Week - 1 Checkmate Checkmate have really started the season on the right track. They've won their first 6 games of the season against at least two teams with serious playoff ambitions of their own and in that making a clear statement that they were deserving of the Pro spot. Goalie duo @Lage and @Tomsuu (a_pantera) have both stood their ground and got shutouts, their defense has set up a blockade at the blue line - those are the facts that make us believe you will probably see Checkmate fighting for that first place spot in group 2 and succeding in doing so. Checkmate won't be sparking off offensive fireworks but instead rely on their defensive stability and strength on counter attacks, they're very good in those categories and will punish you as soon as they get the chance. Pro division - Players of the Week - 1 @Tzon93 - @JaKurrii - @Tim_FlyersFan @puke85 - @gzell60 @DUNZA @Tzon93 (Speedy Bros Hockey) is ranked 3rd under all goal scorers so far and is a significant factor in the good start of his team Speedy Bros Hockey. He's the classic fast paced winger all GM's would love to be able to flash on their left wing. @JaKurrii (Wasps Gaming) is the key factor in the early success of Wasps Gaming. We all know how important a reliable, hard working and scoring center is. On top of all that, this guy can also win faceoffs (58%)! Let's see if he can continue his dominant performance in the face off circle and lead the Wasps lineup into more heated battles. @Tim_FlyersFan (Deadly Phantoms HC) is a playmaking machine on the wing and he is used to scoring on command too. You should never lose track of him because he's going to make you pay from it real fast. He is speedy, he is filthy, he is dangerous without massive drawbacks on his defensive play. Look out for top cheese all day baby! @puke85 (Wasps Gaming) lead his team Wasps Gaming to a very strong start and is a dominant force in the defense. He has recorded 6 points already in 4 games played (3 Goals, 3 Assists) with a +8 rating. @gzell60 (Deadly Phantoms HC) is the go to guy if you want to have a playmaking defenseman who throws sauce on the tape all day. He makes plays in all three zones while quarterbacking his team throughout the whole game. Gzell can make forecheckers look almost nonexistent in the blink of an eye. @DUNZA (Synergy Hockey) 4 games, 4 wins, 3 shutouts...do I need to say more? Can this guy be beaten? He's only facing around 8 shots per game but saved nearly all of them, is that even fair? Early Pro MVP candidate? That's all for now, ladies and gentlemen. If you want to be featured next week here's the recipe: work hard, play hard and do your best to make it happen! Be sure to tune in next week to see if you, your team or one of your teammates made it into our "Team of the Week". Special thanks to @Mannheimer1938 who co-wrote this article with me.

Hi there NHLGamers, Welcome to another edition of "Who's Hot and Who's Not". A format first introduced during the very first ECL Summer Cup, the "Hot or Not"-column was a source of much emotion and debate during its first tour of duty... so naturally it’s been making a comeback every now and then! For this Summer Cup, we’re hoping to make this a weekly thing, reviewing the performance of players and building our knowledge week by week. I’ll be kicking off by highlighting some first week performances, but hopefully I’ll get some other writers in on the fun as we go along. Let’s get to it: Who's Hot Forward - @Eki The fresh NHL Gaming World Champion has also went on a complete rampage in the Summer Cup, totalling 33 points in only six games, resulting in an average of 5,5 points per game. Seems so easy, right? This young man is surely taking the virtual hockey world by storm and is on his way to becoming the wonderkid of the scene. Runner-up - @Joukki NG Puck Nation has found a great one-two punch in Joukki and team captain Hazard-Laser, who have lead the second-highest scoring team in the whole league to a 7-3-0 record starting off the group stage. Currently, Joukki places first in both total points and goals scored. Defenseman - @vatalisti The Eki-vatalisti combo is one of the deadliest weapons in the Summer Cup. We even saw it in action as the duo pulled off one beauty of a breakout play straight from the pelimies80 playbook. This power duo is fine tuning their play that we’ll have the privilege to watch next season as FILADELPHIA plays their first Elite season. Goalie - @Caazual (AcED719) AcED719 has managed to go undefeated through the eight first games of the season, letting in less than a goal per game and amassing five shutouts in the process. He's faced only 7 shots per game on average, so he surely is showing up big the times he is needed. We'll be expecting the great efforts to continue! Runner-up - @JanneK. (JANURI98) Going 9-0-1 in the first ten games isn't an easy feat. Januri has a solid team in front of him but that doesn't take away from the credit of sporting amazing stats in every category. Who's Not Forward - @pajenc The ECL Pro champion was the first round pick of NG Mousetrap and big things are expected of him, as he is paired with his ECL teammate @Tacterz flanking him to the left. However, the Summer Cup hasn't started too well for Pajen so far, as he is -9 in eight games, with a total of 7 points on the board. Defenseman - @Bleiki (Bleiki81) Bleiki has been an all-rounder for NG We Dem Boyz so far, with four out of six games played on defense. He's managed to put up a decent 1+3=4, but a -21 will not do for a defenseman. We'll be hoping for improvement from this guy! Goalie - @Camora The captain and goalie of NG Thunder hasn't quite got the start he wanted. Going 1-0-7 thru eight games won't do wonders for your team and a GAA of 4.00 isn't too flattering either. There is still time to bounce back, so let's hope Camora does just that. This listing is rather stat-based and the views expressed are also based very much on the leaderboards. We're hoping to get a better grasp of each team as the tournament goes on and hopefully we can evaluate our players even better next week. For the ones mentioned in our Hot listing - keep up the good work and you might see yourself there again next week! For the ones on the Not list - don't let this push you down, take it with a grain of salt and keep chipping away at it. The only way to improve is by going on and practicing.