Rusty Blades

[janbonator]

It's a rare sight to see such a motivated, hard-working blue-collar-bird for just 9 euros a day. I mean, the bird can hardly keep off the ice! One often hears about the home team having an extra player -- this bird finally showed me what it actually means.

[janbonator]

The story of your mascot reminds me of something I saw recently. Is it the same guy?!

Once upon a time in Moscow..

[Tanski87]

49 minuuttia sitten, janbonator kirjoitti:

The story of your mascot reminds me of something I saw recently. Is it the same guy?!

Once upon a time in Moscow..

I do not believe that it is the same guy. Some similarities yes, but all in all that Moscow guy is not even in Albas league. He is that special little fella.

[Tanski87]

The season and ECL5 is over for us. 
Aapon Taikasauva found a whole new gear after first two games and our 0-2 lead. We lost the series 4-2.

But the season was strong from us. Only a few believed that we have what it takes to get to playoffs. 

Dissapointment is the feeling I have right now. But that is just because our season ended yesterday. 
But we have a good team and im not talking about gaming skills right now. I am surrounded with great guys on the ice and it is fun to play with them. Looking forward for the next season already. 😊

[Janikka]

A highly respectable season by you guys amid the toughest competition in the ECL. While Aapon Taikasauva ended up powering through to the next round, you fought tooth and nail against a team that's up there among the best. You were supposed to be an underdog, but the way you challenged all of these teams this season points to something beyond that. In the end, you are no underdog. You are one of the elite.

Thanks for the show and have fun in ECL 6!

Edited November 28, 2017 by Janikka

[Tanski87]

 

Fight for the ECL5 championship is still going on, but the season is over for us and I feel to be ready to dig in a bit to it.
 

Final standings
As many might know already, we finished 8th in regular season and forwarded to playoffs against all odds.
How did that happen?

We had a flying start to the season as we won our first Elite games 2-0 and 1-2. These games against Northern Ascendancy were really even, but we managed to get full points thanks to our solid team defense, goaltending and deadly finishing.
After this strong start we faced Northern Stars and Written In The Stars. These games showed us how tough Elite will be. We only managed to get 1 point from these two opponents. Scores was even and did not have big problems, it just turned the way it turned. Aapon Taikasauva was the only regular season opponent that felt really hard to play against.

We had difficulties with our scoring at first half of the season. Pucks just didnt seem to go in. Our team defense worked greatly on the other hand, and that saved us a lot of points.
It was actually Carlsberg HC games that got us fired up for the rest of the season.
Some might remember our games against Carlsberg at ECL4 in Pro division? Carlsberg was marching on in Pro, defeating everything on their path to Pro title. Then this little team Rusty Blades came and took 4 points against them. That felt awesome then. I had a really good feeling about playing against Carlsberg this season. And we did it again, 4 points.
This gave a really good drive for our roster. After this it felt like playoffs can be achieved, it will be achieved.

So we did end up in 8th place and got our place in playoffs. Opponent was Aapon Taikasauva, the team that was most difficult opponent for us in regular season. Most difficult by a large margin.
As a huge underdogs we surprised everyone by winning first two games. Aapot was not ready to play us, as they counted on too much for being so big of an offensive force that they dont have to organize their team defense. After these first two games we saw a whole new Aapon Taikasauva on the ice. They played a really tight defense, used our very own weapons against us. That is the Aapot that are able to hoist the cup, no matter who they play against.
But still, I have to admit that it was a bitter one to drop.

All in all our first ECL Elite season was a rock solid. And others have noticed it, as I am hearing lots of rumours about Rusty players.

Supreex was great at the net as usual. We do defend well, that helps him a lot.
Still I do stand behind my words: Supreex is the best goaltender in ECL.

Tauri did not play. But believe it or not, he was still a great part of the team.
If we ever have to get rid of our mascot Alba, I do know who to call next!

Brothers Kinnunen, Kiki and Kinu did well also. Both of them are now tested and approved to be Elite level d-men.

Wuorio was as solid as I knew him to be. Good two-way hockey and 14+20 points.

Koojii aka Koutsi, important piece of our team solid just like Wuorio. 17+17 points and after a hard first half of the season in faceoffs he managed to get fow% to 45,9.

And Dirty Kantor aka "Hidden Gem" and "Who?". He did have a monkey(or was it ape?) on his shoulders at first. Then everything just clicked and he got it really going. 25+23 in 30 games. Thumbs up.

Just a little something about the season. Anxious to get the next one started.
 

[Tanski87]

Remember to follow us on facebook on https://m.facebook.com/RustyBladesEASHL

I will try to keep it as active for followers. 

And also remember that we are streaming our ECL(atleast)  games on https://m.twitch.tv/rustybladeseashl

Feel free to follow in twitch also. 😊

Edited February 22, 2018 by Tanski87

[Tanski87]

Our sophomore season in ECL Elite did not go as planned. We did not reach the playoffs this season, as some might have hoped and some not that much. There is no any individual to blame, as a team we did not win the right games. 

Our strenght has pretty much always been team defence. This season we we're not at our best on it. In the other hand our offensive production saw an improvement. For example our very own @Lamsa was thirth in goals scored, tied with Written In The Stars forward @Joukki.  @Supreex did all that was possible to do on the net. @koojiikoojii was as good 2-way center as always. Kinnune was also as solid as expected abd Epelis did his job at lw. We just did not perform well enough in the right games.

Now it is time to move on and set our sights to fall and ECL7. ECL6 is still going on with playoffs just started and we have already made(suprisingly) little adjustment to our team. Here is our updated logo:

 

And first roster move is Wuorio out.  He is one of the founding members of Rusty Blades that was formed right after ECL1. So I must thank him for a long and hard work. Afterall majority of our roster were not familiar with 6v6 playing when we started. No drama in the departure of Wuorio. He just felt that he needed some fresh winds to find his NHL motivation again. Good luck for you on your future paths. 

 

And yeah we also have made a new signing. Yeah, we! 

This player have played with me in the past years ago in We Kings. He is good at both sides as a D. He is truly a veteran player and really nice guy too. 

We welcome you @Janikka to Rusty Blades! 

[Tanski87]

 

Koojiikoojii "Joe Happy" #86

ECL in Rusty, 121gp 60g 91a = 151p
eSM 18gp, 14+10

Thank you from your time in Rusty Blades during these 4 seasons!

And good luck for you in the new path of your choice. 

It has been a privilige to me to play these couple years with "Koutsi". Such a great guy to have in a party and off the ice, and one of the best defensive forwards game after game. 

[Tanski87]

Gg's kinnune @Eric Daze!

Four season of ECL in Rusty Blades.

Good luck to you in Club One, with your new captain and ex-Rusty Epelis. Have some good hockey with your bro and ex-rusty Kikiukko!

 

 

[Tanski87]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23.10.2018:
Games against Dynasty had just ended. Two overtime losses. Two extremely tight and even games. That was the end of eSM for us.
eSM as a whole was good from us, and we felt that we will be having a great season in ECL8. 

But couple first weeks of the ECL didn't go as well as we hoped.  We started the season with two overtime losses against Northern Ascendancy.  We felt that we could have done more in those games. After Nor we lost to Sjukstugan in overtime and in regular time. At that point it was visible that we didn't perform as well as we can. 
We got the game going on during the season, but it was not enough this time. But it is what it it. Season was not bad, not at all. Elite is very even and competitive league and it is not the easiest task to grab the playoffs spot.

Tanski87:  As a GM of this team I am pleased for our season. I wanted to get to playoffs, but things just not always work out the way you want to. 
But I had good times with my team in ECL7. For example two wins against Written in The Stars was a great night from us. 

 

Rusty Blades is losing three players when it comes to ECL8. Koojiikoojii and kinnune both are looking for something new after 4 seasons in Rusty. Migo_Boo will be in the army during ECL8, so can't lean on his great work as a center man.

As a first recruit I would like to announce you all @pentsaa
He has played in Falun Coal Miners for the last three seasons. 
Pentsaa is able to play pretty much any position on the ice. He is known to be a humble young man from Finland. Hard working and a good guy, a player that is nice to have in a team off- an on-ice. He is not projected top-6 player, but as a backup he is everything any team could hope from a player.
Welcome Pentsaa to Rusty!


Then there is another signing that has made GM Tanski thrilled.
Tanski87:  This guy I like. He is well known in the community we have here. He is very talented offensively, but maybe a bit underrated defensively as he really can do that really well also. 
He is nice company to have in the chat when playing EASHL. And he is Swedish.



Welcome to Rusty Blades @The_Alpha_Furyan!

The_Alpha_Furyan:  I am very excited to be joining the Rustiest of Blades in the NHLGamer community. 
ECL 8 will be an interesting season for me - the first in a long time not being a captain of FCM. Luckily, I have gotten a very warm welcome from captain Tanski and the RB core.
I look forward to learning a  lot from the players on this team. I also look forward to picking up some secondary assists when @Lamsa goest coast-to-coast and beig bailed out with a big save from @Supreex when I lose the puck for the 100th time.


So a warm welcome to Rusty Blades Alpha_Furyan!

Edited December 7, 2018 by Tanski87

[Daigle_]

nice reading ⬆️

[Tanski87]

Before ECL 8 began, I knew we would see a different Rusty Blades for ECL 8. Long-time members left to spread their wings on other teams, while others left for the army.

I knew I had a desire to get Rusty to the level where we can truly compete against the best. Not just be the underdog who is able to steal some "surprise" victories. So we set out to find new players. We found some in The_Alpha_Furyan and pentsaa, but we were still looking for that (or those) difference maker(s) at the forward position. As we tried out different players we looked past just the individual skill of the players, because all of the players who came to play were skilled. It is a big factor sure, but we also wanted the "right" players for the team. Team players who never give up.

I think we have now found the last two missing pieces of our puzzle.

Rusty Blades are proud to announce @MartindalexC and @Foppatofflan will be joining our roster.

With a combined point total of 425 throughout the last four ECL Elite seasons, this duo is the NHLGamer community equivalent of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen... except instead of a Finn and a Canadian, this pairing hails from Sweden and England. They will be true difference-makers as we aim to make the playoffs for the second time in RB team history.

Our roster is now complete and reads like this:

G
Supreex @Supreex

D
Tanski87 @Tanski87
ktewjh @Janikka
The_Alpha_Furyan @The_Alpha_Furyan

F
Lamsa @Lamsa
MartindalexC @MartindalexC
Foppatofflan @Foppatofflan
pentsaa @pentsaa
Migo_Boo (Army) @Migo_boo

Thank you for @The_Alpha_Furyan with hisxaid in this post.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Tanski87

[iSvamp]

From the Rusty Blades "blacklist" in EASHL (foppas bot was way too good) - and now playing in the same team! 
NYÅRSRAKET!
Good signings!

(And Alpha - Foppa is righthanded!) 😙

Edited December 22, 2018 by iSvamp

[cHIIMEERa]

2 hours ago, iSvamp said:

From the Rusty Blades "blacklist" in EASHL (foppas bot was way too good) - and now playing in the same team! 
NYÅRSRAKET!
Good signings!

(And Alpha - Foppa is righthanded!) 😙

I Believe It’s left handed

[Obagol]

Perfect fit! 🤩 #Makerustygreatagain

[Zip player]

Do i smell next ecl winner here?

[xLVxRitchey]

That line up o boy 🤩

[SibeIius]

100% playoff team right here

[Tanski87]

First day of the year, so happy New Year everyone! Next season is just around the corner, so here is little something of two Rusty players. Hope you enjoy it! 

 

It was late November. Season for Rusty Blades had already ended, even if the most important games of ECL season was still to come.
General manager of Rusty felt the disappointment for the second season in a row. Left outside of the playoffs twice in a row.
He already knew they will lose long time Rusty members @koojiikoojii and @Eric Daze (kinnune) to their new paths and army will make @Migo_boo unable to play in ECL8.
So there was a lot to do before the next season that was just around the corner already. Lot to do to not to be forced to feel the slight bitterness of a season too short.

At the same time Falun Coal Miners dwell in even more bitter disappointment. Their season was long and hard, everyone knows that.
Rusty GM Tanski87 heard a rumour about story of this coal mining team to be at it´s end. For now at least. 
These rumours meant that @The_Alpha_Furyan was reached, some games played and some messages in WhatsApp sent. 

The_Alpha_Furyan was signed to Rusty Blades. This meant that there is now three well capable defenders in Rusty, but also that there will be some English heard in Rusty Blades´s Twitch @ https://twitch.tv/rustybladeseashl 
Before official signing of FCM captain another last seasons Falun Coal Miners player @pentsaa reached out to Rusty GM Tanski87. It took one night on the ice with him and the deal was sealed. Pentsaa is not in projected starting six. But he is a perfect match for his role. He can play at the highest level, is a team player to the core and heart and is also a great guy.

The_Alpha_Furyan is a Swedish born player. He is a well known character in this community, not for only being a long time captain or because his offensive skill set as a defender. He is also known from his great writing and articles in here at NHLgamer and other hockey related sites. 
The_Alpha_Furyan has played 220 games in ECL scoring 77 goals and 186 assists. This 1,2ppg is a great number for a defender. 
Rusty Blades defense now has combined 607 ECL games played and 589 points scored. 
He is known to be a big weapon in offense as a defender, some may even say that he is like a fourth forward.  Rusty Blades in somewhat known for a team defense that is hard to score against to. These two combined properly can lead in to a deadly weapon for the next season in Elite. 
One thing is certain and it is the thirst of this player for success. He gives his all in the ice and is a great fit in Rusty Blades as a player and as a person.

Pentsaa has played 85 games in ECL and scored 101 points in these games. Pentsaa is able to play any position on the ice and does it well enough, even if his amount of ECL games is not that impressive. Always ready to jump on the ice when needed to. Always ready perform well on his role. Great team player to the bone.

Why Rusty Blades?

Pentsaa: 
I already knew few players from RB before-hand and had enjoyed playing with them. Felt like a good decision to contact Tanski for possible back-up role. 

The_Alpha_Furyan: 
Once it was clear FCM was no longer playing, I immediately knew I wanted to play in Elite next season. I'm a (really) competitive person and wanted redemption after a sub-par ECL 7.
I had felt a responsibilty to my former teammates and was prepared to continue lead FCM in Pro, but once it was clear the level of interest and dedication was no longer there among most of the original members, we decided to call it - gracefully.
So, Elite it was.

I received interest from a few different clubs, but Tanski and Rusty Blades were among the most enthusiastic ones. I got a great impression of the whole team during my tryouts and once a handshake was offered, I was ready to accept. It didn't hurt that my old Summer Cup 2 friend @Lamsa was the team's resident sniper. I had been looking forward to the opportunity to play some games with him again.

___________________________________________
How do you like the roster of your new team now that ECL 8 is just around the corner?

Pentsaa:
We have a really competitive roster, could even say that it's the best one I have ever been a part of. The strong core roster with latest additions, @Foppatofflan , The_Alpha_Furyan and @MartindalexC, will surely take us far. I'm really looking forward for the upcoming season and expecting good results from us.
 

The_Alpha_Furyan:
In short: couldn't be more thrilled. I truly bought into the vision Tanski presented of RB evolving from an "on the bubble", underdog team to one of the toughest teams out there to beat. 
He has delivered with every move so far and I can't wait to start the season with these guys.

___________________________________________
Personal goals for the season?

Pentsaa:  
To have the water bottles filled up whenever needed.
Jokes aside, personally just want to play good hockey and have fun while doing it.

The_Alpha_Furyan:
Well, I've finished 8th in the defender scoring race both seasons I've been in Elite, so I'd like to fight for a top-5 position. 
Competing with the great offensive defenders out there like jtorro1234, vatalisti, Ilmari30 and vSilenttio is inspiring and pushes me to always try and be better.
I also look forward to learning from my new defensive colleagues ktwejh and Tanski87.

 

___________________________________________
Hardest opponents to play against?

Pentsaa: 
All the teams are really competitive nowadays, not really easy points from anyone.
Hardest team in my books is Dynasty because there is always possibility that they are going to use their secret weapon and unleash @Tehh Ahola.

The_Alpha_Furyan:
Well, its hard not to say FILA with the 2018 they had. Truly the most complete roster out there with star players at every position. SKY and SYM are two other teams that always force you to be at your very best at all times.

 

___________________________________________
 

Who would you predict to be Rusty MVP of the next season?

Pentsaa: 
I always see that great team needs a great goalie. And that is what we have with @Supreex. So, I'll name him as our MVP candidate.

The_Alpha_Furyan:
I think Foppatofflan could do some tremendous damage up front for us this season.
If not him, Supreex's ability to always come up big whenever we're being pushed back has been inspiring (and comforting!) to see. MVP-worthy for sure.

___________________________________________
 

Thank you everyone for reading this, I do hope you enjoyed it.
There is more to come!

Remember to follow us on:
https://twitch.tv/rustybladeseashl
https://twitter.com/_RustyBlades_
https://facebook.com/RustyBladesEASHL

Edited January 1, 2019 by Tanski87

[Tanski87]

After signing of @The_Alpha_Furyan and @pentsaa the search was still on. 
Rusty Blades wanted to get a player or players that would be a perfect match on how they like to play the game. 
There was several players trying in Rusty, none of them felt bad at all, it was not just the right time for them. 

Season was getting closer, it was going to be a short off-season. Puzzle was almost ready but from where to get those couple missing pieces?
Then it happened, like a lightning from the clear sky. Northern Ascendancy was no more. 
Opponent that was always(Cama Svamp, give some love.)enjoyable to play against, their players as a free agent. Could these be the missing puzzle pieces? Some nice pieces these would be. 

So @MartindalexC and @Foppatofflan was reached. These guys must have had so much offers, so many messages trying to recruit them. 

Tanski87:  It was a real pleasure when I heard the news from both of these guys. There must have been many quality offers on the table, but they did choose us Rusty Blades.
They are both really good players and I have been a keen fan of their passing game for a long time. 
We are still getting to know each other on the ice, but I have the most highest believes on how great we are able to perform as a team. 
Ode to the Joy shall be ringing in our opponents ears after everything clicks on their right places. 

 

 

 

MartindalexC #16

Another well known character in our community.
He is from England. Worth to mention as it is not the most common country ECL players come from. 
MartindalexC is a force to be reckoned with his offensive skill set. Cunning forward who has his bag filled with tricks to surprise his opponents.

Let´s give MartindalexC a chance to tell himself about how he found world of EASHL:

MartindalexC:   I’m not entirely sure what turned me towards EASHL in reality. My first experience of playing ‘NHL’ came through 2k10 I believe, then I played EAs NHL 10 offline for a bit, finally transitioning to NHL 11 EASHL sometime around Christmas 2010. 
As far as where I played before ECL, myself and @poliskontroll played 2s / 3s in 11. For 12 we moved up to 4s with @Juizki & his brother @TackleControl.
Then, finally, we ‘graduated’ to 6s in 13 and joined up on consolehockey.

After this came ECL and Northern Ascendancy participated in very first ECL.  
In ECL 2 MartindalexC  played couple games in Sjukstugan, but after that it has been all about Northern Ascendancy/Unknown. 
MartindalexC has played 189 regular season games in ECL. He have scored 153 goals and has 210 assist. That is 363 points and it is 1,92PPG.
In ECL5 He was the best goalscorer i elite and had the most points in regular season.

 

Why Rusty Blades?
A couple reasons. First and foremost, I wanted to keep playing with Foppa since I like getting in his way and trash talking his faceoffs, can’t put a price on teamplay and all that and what better way than to make someone question their life decisions? But nah, basically I’ve always liked how you guys try to focus on carrying out the simple stuff first, making sure that you have that down pat before attempting the complex.
Additionally, I’ve wanted to play with Alpha for a few seasons now, plus I think that Supreex is one of the top 3 goalies in the game, in perpetuity, so you could say that helped.


Hardest defenders to play against?
Well, I wouldn’t go that far, most of what I do is get carried away with spins, curse out my passing, and get confused as to what I’m doing half the time.
If I was forced to ‘name-drop’ however, well, in truth it’s somewhat difficult to really think of anyone since it’s tough to accurately gauge someone’s skill / ability from one off games for the most part.
Of course, it could be hubris but in terms of defensive ability, I don’t think there is a lot separating most (if not all) defenders, offensive ability however is where the real difference is extremely apparent. 

 

How does the new Rusty roster feels after big changes?
It feels pretty decent I suppose, there’s of course some kinks to be worked out but I don’t think we’re unique in that regard. 

 

Who has the most potential to be Rusty Blades MVP in coming season?
With how this game is so incredibly slanted towards abysmal low scoring affairs, having a goalie who can make legit game saving plays is almost essential to win any game, so with that in mind my vote goes towards Supreex.

Foppatofflan #44

This Swedish forward really knows what he is doing on the ice. Known from his absolutely great playmaking abilities but also as a sharp finisher. 
Foppatofflan is one the rare these days that started EASHL right when it was published in NHL09. Not too many know that Foppatofflan started his EASHL as a goalie and a defender.  It was late of NHL10 when he tried out his wings as a forward, and those wings have out carried pretty well.
He has 4 EHL wins in Unknown and one in The United Knights.  ECL Elite victory is still to come, but it has been close with Northern Ascendancy.

As stated before Foppatofflan is known to be a playmaker to watch out for and a finisher who can surprise his opponents with very limited space. 
He has an ability to see the ice and to make a fast decision, so even a hard pass looks like simple and easy. 
His defensive game might be a little underestimated, as he can make opponents life really hard with his positioning in neutral zone and in the defensive zone. 
One of the best attackers in the game.
Foppatofflan has played 205 regular season games in ECL. representing Bombers Hockey in ECL1 and Northern Ascendancy aka Unknown after that.
In these 205 regular season games he has scored 186 goals and has outstanding 243 assists. That is 2,1 points average in a game. 
In his 72 playoffs games the point scoring pace has not been slowed down much as it is 1,9 points in a game at playoffs.
Foppatofflan was placed 3rd in points at ECL5 and 6. He won assists in ECL5 ans was second in ECL6.

Why Rusty Blades?
Activity, the chill mentality of everyone in the team and having a game plan that is close the what I am used too and that I enjoy playing.
 

Hardest defenders to play against?
On next gen its impossible to tell, it seems like defenders cant stand out as much defensively as they could a few years ago. There are a few insanely talented defenders now like @vatalisti but they are all great because of their insane offensive upside more than being able to shut down an entire wing defensively.  Back then the  defenders that f****d me up the most were probably @Supremski and especially @vSilenttio. Supremski was incredibly annoying and really good, but you could still get a few chances a game. Silenttio on the other hand was just impossible to play against, there was nothing you could do most of the time, his timings on pokes and hits were just stupid. It got so bad that whenever we ended up playing Sika I just told my Lw to switch wings with me in-game so I would not have to deal with him.

 

How does the new Rusty roster feels after big changes?
It looks pretty damn good on paper, have not had a chance to play with everyone yet, but people definitely knows what they are doing. We have had a bit of a rough start perhaps, but with so many new players its to be expected to take a while before we get everything working properly. I´m very optimistic for the season.
 

 

Who has the most potential to be Rusty Blades MVP in coming season?
Got to be @Supreex, he has the ability to just win us games single handedly.

________________________________________________
Thank you everyone for reading this, I do hope you enjoyed it.
There is more to come!

Remember to follow us on:
https://twitch.tv/rustybladeseashl
https://twitter.com/_RustyBlades_
https://facebook.com/RustyBladesEASHL

Edited January 5, 2019 by Tanski87

[l-Furyan-l]

If you're a member of the NHLGamer community, you've played against Rusty Blades.

I considered writing "chances are" at first, but really - if you've been around the community for more than a few months you will have come across Rusty Blades in the matchup screen.

Since the teams inception sometime before ECL 3, RB has been known - among other things - for its high level of activity. Annually at the top of the EASHL 6v6 leaderboards for games played, the Blades gradually started to climb those same leaderboards in the "Win" column as well. 

Practice makes perfect, they say, and it is my firm belief that no team - North American or European - played more games of EASHL 6v6 than Rusty Blades between their debut season in ECL 3 (18-25-3) and their next season; ECL 4 Pro. That season, they surprised many in the community by finishing third in their conference behind eventual Elite promotees Sjukstugan and Carlsberg HC. By also earning their promotion to Elite that season, RB proved that they were for real and that they were here to stay.

Throughout their six-season run, the team has been led by the same man; @Tanski87 . For those of you who don't know Tanski, he's the hard-hitting, fast-passing #13 RD (and occasional C) you quickly learn to hate if you try to skate up the left wing against RB. A builder by trade, Tanski took his passion for constructing things and applied it to the construction of what eventually became a 6v6 EASHL team.

Tanski87 aggressively barking orders as he skates up the ice, with a terrified MartindalexC looking on.

With him for the duration of RB's ECL journey, Tanski has had his two lieutenants @Lamsa and @Supreex. Both known today to be top players at their respective positions RW and G, back when they started out they were just a group of guys trying to have fun by playing some EASHL.

"Well, I have always believed that there should be no drama in a team", says Tanski as he returns from one of his customary smoke breaks between EASHL games. 

On this particular night - a few days before the start of ECL 8 - a disconnected matchup has paved the way for a longer break, allowing Tanski to answer some of my questions.

"We have had success in this and I do believe we have made everyone feel comfortable playing in Rusty. Much of that is due to Lamsa and Supreex."

I ask the RB captain to tell me a bit more about his two longest-tenured players.

"Lamsa I have actually known each other since 7th grade in school. So my friendship with him reaches deeper than just this game we are playing together. As a player, Lamsa loves to score those goals. And he does have some unreal talent to score. It seems like he has no space and then boom - it's a goal."

Long-time friends Lamsa and Tanski "comparing sticks"

"He is also a fun guy in voice chat while playing. I do believe everyone who has played with him can agree with that."

What about the man selected by all four Rusty Blade players interviewed so far to be the teams MVP?

"Well, when talking about Supreex it would be foolish not to mention his skills as a goalie. One of the best, if not the best in this game. It seems like many agree with this. He was actually recruited from a Finnish gaming forum without having any 6v6 experience beforehand. He learned really quickly as he was not happy allowing goals."

A man who does not like to allow goals.

"Also, Supreex is a really competitive guy who hates to lose. Hates it. He has that in common with me. But his passion for the game is unmatched. I still vividly remember the ECL4 playoffs. We had just lost game 7 in overtime and Supi said that he would be out at least a week... but there he was the next day between the pipes of the Rusty net. That's passion, that's Supreex and that's Rusty Blades."

At once, we are joined by a third player. With a voice deeper than the mariana trench, Lamsa announces his arrival.

"Hello", he gravels.

I ask the high-scoring RW some questions about previous seasons and his expectations for ECL 8. By utilizing a surprisingly effective mix of English, Finnish and profanity - with some translation help from his captain - Lamsa digs into the questions.

The time spent playing EASHL has given Lamsa plenty of grey hairs.

"Last season was quite a disappointment. The expectations were big after quite a good eSM tournament. Start of last season was really awkward for us. We didn't play as good as a team as we were able to and it kinda destroyed our chances that season. My own game was slow to get going and felt like a ride on a rollercoaster. Sometimes it felt like it was my first time on the ice and everything was new and difficult.

What about this season? 

"I hope we can play a good season without too many bad phases. Expectations are high and I believe that we will be a playoff team.

Even with so many roster changes?

"Yeah. The changes have felt good. And big changes they are. I, of course, miss my old teammates but this new Rusty has been lots of fun to play with."

Tanski chimes in. 

"I had a really good time with the old Rusty roster. Great guys and great times. But I am really thrilled about this new roster and change. And also really motivated off and on the ice. Only negative is that with this really short offseason we are still getting to really know each others on the ice. But still I have positive vibes."

Just like @Foppatofflan and @MartindalexC, Lamsa is asked which ECL defenders he considers difficult to play against. After mentioning @DieCutterMC, @jtorro1233, @vatalisti, @Janzuh and @FakiiR1 he admits he's probably leaving a lot of skilled defenders out.

"I'm really bad at remembering names, I can barely even remember the names of my own teammates."

*****

Suddenly, the rest of the team is back.

It is time to return to the EASHL grind - the same grind that has turned Rusty Blades and its longest-tenured members Tanski87, Lamsa and Supreex into forces to be reckoned with in the ECL community.

The same grind that gives the trio hope that the sixth chapter in the Book of Rusty Blades will be the most successful one yet.

Edited January 9, 2019 by The_Alpha_Furyan

[Tanski87]

 

There is always an ending for every chapter. And a start for a new one. 

This is an ending for this chapter. 

 

I have been with Rusty Blades for over three years now. Personally it has been a huge and important thing for me.  As many might already know, I have three little kids. Rusty has been my way to get away from the daily routines it brings. A way to be just one of the guys, not a dad 24/7, even if I love that "job" so much. 

This season, ECL8 Rusty Blades did evolve with few good signings. Top-4 in ECL Elite with this level of competition being so high these days. Not bad, eh?  That Symphony series was all about the things I love in  this game. A rollercoaster of emotions and a tough competition with two groups going head to head. Win of that series was a huge prize for all the work behind it. Even if Sky was just too great this time, I hold this as a great season. 

@MartindalexC and @Foppatofflan the Sedin twins like we called you guys. It was an honor to play with you two, even if it lasted too short time of a period from my point of view. I can say that Connor is underrated as a player. I thought I was getting a very good player, but instead we got a really great player to Rusty. And he has a great sense of humour, hits the right spot with me. And Foppa, well he is a beast born with that Razer Raiju in his hands. Was nice to play with you. 👏

And then there is @The_Alpha_Furyan great Swedish offensive defender. I know I did not answer anything to your latest message. I just did not knew what to say. I had a good times to play as your defense pair. And the stuff off-ice also. And it is a wonderful thing that you have found your lost passion for this game again. Good luck to you my friend. 

I have to also say that @PatzyDrake did a great job this season when we needed him. Thanks Patzy. 

And @Supreex the goalie and a long time team mate. Great season once again my agm. 👍

And @Lamsa of course. Here with me since the very beginning of Rusty Blades. Best friend outside the ice also. Pure killer with those goals. Thanks man, I salute you. 

 

Why am I writing this? Well you guys might already guess or know it, there is no Rusty Blades at the momemt. I can't say that there will not be. Long time still to NHL20 and ECL9, but for now it is time to end this chapter, no matter how sad it feels for me. And I feel like I have to write this, even if it most certainly give some laughs to certain people. 

I feel kinda a disappointment towards myself. Failed as a GM. After a good season I was not able to keep the pieces together. Too many parts gone to fix it right now... 

I also want to mention few guys that has been a big part of this journey. 

@koojiikoojii @Eric Daze you guys joined me, Lamsa, Supreex and Wuorio after ECL3. We had great times together and we always had fun on the ice, no matter win or lose. Koojii is one of the nicest guys to have in the party chat. And there should be Kinus picture next to loyalty in dictionary.

And @Janikka I am not mad or disappointed at you of how you left the team. I really do think you are a good guy and I liked to play with you. A lot.

@Migo_boo the "kid" with us old guys. 😄 Very talented and nice young lad. Aamuja. 

@kikiukko @epelis @Tauri @Albatross

@yrjoo

You guys are great. 👌

And thanks to everyone who has played with us, against us and who has been supporting us during these three wonderful years. 

 

This is not the end. Will this be? Who knows at the moment. 

 

Gg's!

[vSilenttio]

6 minuuttia sitten, Tanski87 kirjoitti:

And I feel like I have to write this, even if it most certainly give some laughs to certain people. 

I feel kinda a disappointment towards myself. Failed as a GM. After a good season I was not able to keep the pieces together. Too many parts gone to fix it right now...

Gg's!

It's your team, your thread and your thoughts. Good stuff.

Disappointed? RB played it's best season ever thanks to GM job before ECL8 and teamplay you guys managed to build in a short time period. Most of the time it's not up to one guy when there's around 8 guys per team - but yeah, know how you feel. Take a breather & come back stronger.

Gg's & wp!

[Tanski87]

All righy then. 
As some might have noticed, my last message can be forgotten.

Rusty comeback was and idea just a couple days after FCL announcement. 
And I am really glad of the roster we managed to gather together. 
We are still learning the ropes with each others, but this is a bunch of guys who can really play and are nice to play with.

Oh yeah, Rusty is new and so is our logo: