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NHLGamers, We are proud to introduce our ECL 5 Lite where we will have 49 participating teams. These 49 teams consists of well known franchises from previous ECL season, teams which played 6vs6 games as early as NHL12 and newcomers - so this ECL 5 Lite season holds an interesting mix of teams. This will be our Lite preview and it is based on what I know of these teams so feel free to hit 'Comment' on the article if you agreed or disagreed. Prediction for the Regular Season Top-5 1. Almost Famous In pre-season games this team have shown a tremendous amount of success. They have managed to beat Elite teams left and right. Their heart and soul player is se_ve420 and I believe he will decide if this team goes far or not. Almost Famous is real contender to win Lite, but can they find consistency in their performance in the big games? 2. Face Wash Hockey This might be one of the oldest teams I know of. FWH have true depth in their roster so they can call up anyone on main roster for ECL play. At this point I have got to bring up a few players which are, in my opinion, true legends of the 6v6 scene. Taemtaem, ARSI_69, NorppaAsd, Korkkiruuvi_82 - I bow to your history. It brings back memories of one of the older 6v6 finals between Woodhands vs. Face Wash Hockey. Good times! Question mark here is; can these skilled players shake the rust off their hands and find that group chemistry they were known for back in the day? 3. Deadly Phantoms HC This is another "old-time" team who has regrouped and added more skill to their previous player core of willywonkaa, The_Rayman80, doksdel. On paper, DPC has some really impressive players and when you a player like XxTHENEXTONE87xX its an easy prediction to make that this team will be one of the major contenders for this season. 4. Try Another Hole TAH is a fast-paced team that will tear you apart if you don’t defend against them as a 5-man unit. This team features on of ECL Lites best offensive duos in hegyttaja and ankkalasvegas. Recent addition juntunen88 makes them even stronger, not to mention he is an ex-Infinity player so, what more do I need to say? This team will improve their overall game over the course of the ECL season so be afraid, be very afraid. Furthermore, in my book this team would have been a Pro team, but they decided to stick to Lite which tells you how down to earth these guys are. 5. Breakers Of The Bone I am going to quote one of the best Javelin throwers from Finland here: When the interviewing reporter asked Seppo Räty after the javelin qualifiers in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics: “How could your throw be so successfull when you'd only had one big competition to prepare before these games”? Seppo answered, “... and 20 years.” This quote fits perfectly with this team. They have so much experience from big games and from playing together in older NHL versions. One of the big "inside" questions here is does the Nevala brothers still play or not? Oh and Seppo Räty? He won an Olympic bronze medal in Atlanta. Players to watch 1. CalciChew69, LW – Penalty Box One of the best offensive LW’ers in early years of the 6v6 scene. ‘Calci’ has tons of creativity, tremendous individual skills and is overall very dangerous in the offensive zone. His trademark is to create a scoring change out of nothing. He might lack some physicality, but he can definitely beat you 1-on-1. This is his comeback year in EASHL. 2. Yoloberg, C - Face Wash Hockey Yoloberg is known as a good Versus and HUT player. ‘Yolo’ is a mobile, transitional two-way playmaker who looks poised and reads the game well most of the time. Strong skater who likes to carry the puck on his own and if you give him just glimps of free space and time he’ll punish you. All-in all, a very competitive playmaker who can be relied upon in all situations to make a difference. 3. JaKurrii, C - Red Machine An extremely talented two-way center, JaKurrii has a large dose of hockey sense and soft hands. His technical skills are very good and his trademark is smooth puck handling and ability to find his linemates in tight spots. People might also know him as a successful HUT player. 4. |tokFan|, C - The Beagle Boys Complete two-way center who first and foremost is a true competitor. TokFan always plays like there is 10 seconds left on the clock, he never takes a shift off and works hard to never have a bad game. He plays to win, not for himself, but for the team he captains. He’s also exceptional in the faceoff circle. 5. Lidaas_79, RW – Nordic Nosebleed Dynamic offensive forward who backchecks very hard and understands playing smart and puck-possession hockey. Lida will battle hard on all three zones and shows willingness to do whatever it to takes to get puck to the back in the net. You could call him weak version of ‘Lämsä’. 6. willywonkaa, G – Deadly Phamtom HC This goaltenders track record goes back all the way to NHL12. He might be one of the oldest goaltender in the game but he plays his angles conservatively, moves very well and doesn’t move or play too aggressive. willywonkaa tracks the puck well and doesn’t allow many rebounds. Cornerstone to his team success. 7. Jahajaha93, RD – Almost Famous Having a breakout year in NHL 18 for sure if you look at his pre-season games. Has improved his overall game by a large margin compared to last year. His name doesn’t always flash on the scoreboard, but he does everything well in the defensive zone and can carry the puck if needed. Next JaikenK maybe? 8. Britn1, LD/RD – Elämäm Kiekko Defenseman who has good overall skills. He's a little better defensively than offensively, but has yet to flourish as a two-way defender. The tool box is there but we haven’t seen it transition to the ice fully. Overall a patient player who positions himself well. Doesn’t like to hit, but plays the body enough to consistently steal the puck. Could be his breakout year too! 9. ankkalasvegas, C – Try Another Hole, A true two-way center who will be a Top-10 faceoff guy. Really special guy to have for the penalty killing. Has the complete set: strong physical presence, strong defense, solid skill and his trademark goal, slapshot on the breakaway. Weak side could be that his physical play sometimes leads to him taking too many penalties. Has a real chance to win "Best Player"-trophy for ECL 5 Lite. 10. RutonMosse, RW – Soldiers Of Odens, Still a young prospect who has all the tools to be "the real deal superstar", but have yet to find consistency in his game. He’s very strong with the puck and possesses some creative, quick hands - allowing him to get fancy with the puck on the rush. Could easily be the overall goal scoring winner in this seasons Lite division. Underdogs: Teams to watch 1. Soldiers OF Odens They have a monster offensive upside, but will their skaters work out how to play as a 5-man unit? This team can go to the end if they remember to defend properly. 2. Elämäm Kiekko EMK have kept their original roster and they have clearly improved their game. Nowadays you can’t find many holes in their game. With this squad, consistency will be the biggest issue but I believe these boys are a playoff team for sure. 3. Finnish Hockey Legends FHL has a good grasp of the game and knows how to play the game right way. Really impressive possession game, but lack of experience in tight games could be an issue. Very interesting team! Phew, the more I dig in to teams, the more questions pops up. This has the potential to be a really special season for ECL Lite. We're seeing so many old teams return to the ice who are facing off with all our exciting newcomers. This season will decide if the ‘old timers’ have what it takes for this tight ECL league or if NHL 18 is the game of the "new generation". As I mentioned many times in this preview, consistency will be the key word for many teams this season. Lets enjoy this and keep the game clean, I wish everyone good luck and see you on the ice. Please note: Company of Geeks has sadly decided to withdraw their participation last night at the doorstep of the season. Best regards, @Ranksu for NHLGamer.com Editing: @The_Alpha_Furyan

NHLGamers, The time has come for ECL 5 to get started and here is the Preview for the ECL 5 Pro division. This is the second season under the ECL divisional umbrella and Pro this season looks to be even tighter than last season. While there are some very high-skill teams participating this season as well, there aren't any clear-cut favorites the same way a team like Carlsberg HC was for ECL 4 Pro. On the other hand, that should make this regular season a sight to behold. This is taken directly from @gzell60s excellent ECL 5 launch summary: Group 1 AK 47 Alliance HT Bare Knuckles Hockey Black Panther Party Evolution Falun Coal Miners God Tier Gotham Knights Hawks Hockey Club Inter Iceland Lavetten Murohoki Nemesis SIKA Squirt Hockey White Trash Lets begin by taking a look at the teams added to Pro Group 1 by application (marked in bold). 4 out of the 9 teams promoted through application ended up in Group 1. Out of those, Black Panther Party had the strongest original claim due to their Quarterfinal berth in the ECL 4 Lite playoffs. The remaining "application teams" - God Ties, Squirt Hockey & Falun Coal Miners - will have their work cut out for them to qualify for the playoffs among established teams like SIKA, Gotham Knights and White Trash. Speaking of which, both SIKA and Gotham Knights (under the name "Refuse To Lose") both participated in ECL 4 Elite and will be hungry to prove themselves after getting demoted. On the other side of the spectrum, Group 1 also features two teams that made their way up from Lite last season by going far in the playoffs: Lavetten and Hawks Hockey Club. Look for both these teams to finish high in this group as they have continued to develop their team play since that promotion. Finally, you got to keep your eyes open for a team like White Trash who came close to getting promoted to Elite last season. Projected Top 3 from Group 1: 1. SIKA - Never underestimate the Hogs. If anyone is going to turn their trend around and work them back to being an Elite-level team, it is captain and leader vSilenttio. 2. White Trash - Did well in the playoffs in ECL 4 Pro and hasn't lost a step since. With some of the biggest dogs (Carlsberg, Sjukstugan, Kattiautomaatti, Silver Sword Griffins) out of the way, it wouldn't be a surprise to see White Trash evolve into one of the new big dogs of Pro. 3. Gotham Knights - It is time for a bounce-back season from dynamic duo Hanssoni and RedMisTi. After being at the very top of the ladder for many seasons in the predecessor to ECL (the EHL), they haven't quite found their groove in the ECL yet. This season presents an excellent opportunity to do so! Players to watch from Group 1: 1. ZipPlayer & Kaneyh, White Trash - Dynamic duo that has led White Trash in scoring the last two seasons (one each). With White Trash expected to be one of the highest scoring teams in ECL Pro Group 1, the board is set for these two to put up 100+ points each if they play enough games during the season. 2. KattenJansson97, Lavetten - Highly skilled center who handles the puck with ease and supplies highlight reel goals more often than not. Likely to be the leading scorer for up-and-coming Swedish team Lavetten, Katten will have to make sure to stay grounded in his two-way game to handle the rigors of a Pro season. 3. SpiderRoyal, SIKA - One of the most experienced goaltenders in the Group, Spider is a calming presence between the pipes for SIKA. Will be expected to shoulder the majority of the teams games in net and there is no doubt in my mind that this veteran keeper can do it. Underdog - Team to watch from Group 1: 1. Evolution (previously Nocturnal Hunters) - With the late additions of TackleControl and topikeranen to a team that already featured Jageksi as the anchor of the offense, Evolution just jumped to the top of the list as one of the overall most dangerous offensive teams. It would not be a surprise to see this team pull of some crazy performances under captain Crisu_Rottis and end up as one of the top seeds in the playoffs. Look out! Group 2 Baltic Sea Eagles Banterfield Battalion Bellizzi Clowns on Ice DEAD END KINGS EN HUND Free From Rodents GHETTO FIREBIRDS J P T J Nordic Stars Pata Hellalla Shameful Knights Speedy Bros Hockey Sypperstaars THE UNITED KNIGHTS Unlucky Boys HC The teams promoted by application in this group were Banterfield Battalion, Clowns on Ice, EN HUND, Ghetto Firebirds and THE UNITED KNIGHTS. If you see one team name there that stands out, it is most likely THE UNITED KNIGHTS. Besides having their name featured in ALL CAPS, this team has a long and storied history as a top team, dating back even to the PS3 tournaments. Outsides of these five, returning Pro franchises Unlucky Boys HC and Shameful Knight have their eyes fixed on achieving what they barely fell short of last season, making the Elite division. Teams J P T J and DEAD END KINGS will feel instantly comfortable in the Pro division with the increased competition seeing as they flew high through Lite last season. Finally, never count long-time franchise Baltic Sea Eagles out of the fight. Projected Top 3 from Group 2: 1. Unlucky Boys HC - Fell short last season but will be one of the top teams from Group 2, anything else will surely be dissapointing for captain Anhel_Kuru and his established, high-skill team. 2. Shameful Knights - Anyone who has played Shameful Knights in regular EASHL competition know that they are a frustrating team to play against. Content with turning the puck back to their defenders, the patient play style of this team has gotten many teams in trouble before. With their opponents lulled into a false sense of security, the Shameful Knights have the ability to strike suddendly and dart through the opposing teams defense. 3. THE UNITED KNIGHTS - Big-time franchise that is returning to ECL competition after a long layoff but hasn't looked rusty at all when doing it. TUK has given EASHL opponents fits so far in NHL 18 and while the season hasn't gotten going yet, it is safe to say that the name THE UNITED KNIGHTS will be feared once more before too long. Players to watch from Group 2: 1. Johataja699, Speedy Bros Hockey - Ahead of ECL 5, the captain, heart and soul of Finnish Roosters saw his once great team on the verge of collapsing. To keep this from happening, he teamed up with hard-hitting defender Ampuhaukka78 to create a hybrid team between Finnish Roosters and the newly formed Speedy Bros Hockey. Brings ton of skill and experience to the lineup and will be an important component for the success of Speedy Bros Hockey. 2. Nephenzy, DEAD END KINGS - The "players to watch"-list for Group 2 becomes a list of captains as Nephenzy of DEK takes the second spot here. Not pleased with being put in Lite last season, this point producer went out and carried his team all the way to a Pro promotion. Remains to be seen if he can do the same from Pro to Elite (and re-kindle the rivalry with Synergy Hockey) but if he brings the same determination as last season, anything is possible. 3. Seahyena, Nordic Stars - We complete the captaincy trio by adding Nordic Stars' long-time captain Seahyena. A solid two-way defender who can score point and light opponents up with big hits, Seahyena will be crucial to NS' success this season in ECL Pro Group 2. Underdog - Team to watch from Group 2: 1. J P T J - The team that dominated every statistical category imaginable in ECL 4 Lite jumps up a step and faces Pro competition. Will their journey continue on its meteoric path or will the challenge of facing teams that are stronger defensively put a lid on this offensive powerhouse? Only time will tell but something tells me that J P T J might find themselves at the top half of the standings once it is time for the playoffs. That was our ECL 5 Pro prediction here at NHLGamer. Be sure to stay tuned for more previews and quality content as the European Championship League progresses. @The_Alpha_Furyan for NHLGamer.com

Hey NHL Gamers, the ECL 5 sign-up period ended yesterday, and we are very proud of the fact that a total of 98 teams will be participating in the first season taking place on NHL 18! This is up 24% from the 79 teams that signed up for ECL 4 - a truly amazing growth. Without further ado, let's look at the final division structure. ECL 5 Elite - All teams 15 teams confirmed their participation for ECL 5: Written In The Stars Northern Ascendancy (previously Unknown) Kattiautomaatti Sjukstugan SJK eSports (previously Laser HT) Silver Sword Griffins Carlsberg HC Aapon Taikasauva Dynasty Northern Stars Nordic Nightmare MUKIMIEHET Synergy Nordic Lightning TIKI TALK Due to the fact that Limitless were folding, one spot in the Elite division had to be filled. To make this decision, League Administration was looking for the most successful ECL 4 Pro team that wasn't promoted to the Elite division by regular means. Round 2 of the ECL 4 Pro playoffs featured 4 possible contenders: White Trash (4 PO wins / 1.18 reg. season PPG) Shameful Knights (5 PO wins / 1.43 reg. season PPG) Unlucky Boys HC (6 PO wins / 1.5 reg. season PPG) Rusty Blades (7 PO wins / 1.54 reg. season PPG) Based on these numbers, League Administration offered the 16th ECL 5 Elite spot to Rusty Blades. The invitation was accepted by the team's captains. ECL 5 Pro - All teams 23 teams (excluding Rusty Blades, which were moved to ECL Elite) confirmed their participation for ECL 5: Alliance HT Baltic Sea Eagles DEAD END KINGS SIKA Inter Iceland J P T J Bellizzi Nordic Stars Shameful Knights Lavetten Gotham Knights (previously Refuse To Lose) Pata Hellalla Hawks Hockey Club White Trash Speedy Bros Hockey (previously Finnish Roosters) Evolution (previously Nocturnal Hunters) Bare Knuckles Hockey Sypperstaars (previously Rynnäkköviikset) Free From Rodents Unlucky Boys HC AK 47 Nemesis Murohoki This means a total of 9 spots had to be filled with ECL Lite sign-ups. As ECL 4 Lite quarter-finalists, these three teams were prioritized and moved to ECL 5 Pro: EN HUND Banterfield Battalion Black Panther Party (previously HC Ancient Warriors) For the 6 remaining spots, we were looking at all the remaining ECL Pro applications from these 14 teams: Red Machine The Beagle Boys Soldiers of Odens God Tier Clowns on Ice GHETTO FIREBIRDS THE UNITED KNIGHTS Dirty Animals Slapshot Club Germany Squirt Hockey Face Wash Hockey Falun Coal Miners Phantoms HC Company of Geeks To ensure a competitive and sustainable Pro division, League Administration not only looked at in-game leaderboards and records, but also considered EASHL history as well as notable achievements, recent games and ECL experience (games played, points, wins etc.). At the end of our evaluation, these 6 teams were considered suitable and are moved to ECL 5 Pro: God Tier Clowns on Ice GHETTO FIREBIRDS THE UNITED KNIGHTS Squirt Hockey Falun Coal Miners ECL 5 Pro - Final groups ECL Pro will be played in 2 groups with 16 teams each. With 2 games against each opponent, this results in a 30 game regular season in which the top 8 teams out of each group will go to the playoffs (16 teams total). To determine the final groups, 10 pre-seeded teams were randomly assigned to the 2 groups. Afterwards, the remaining 22 teams were assigned to the groups. Here is the result: Group 1 AK 47 Alliance HT Bare Knuckles Hockey Black Panther Party Evolution Falun Coal Miners God Tier Gotham Knights Hawks Hockey Club Inter Iceland Lavetten Murohoki Nemesis SIKA Squirt Hockey White Trash Group 2 Baltic Sea Eagles Banterfield Battalion Bellizzi Clowns on Ice DEAD END KINGS EN HUND Free From Rodents GHETTO FIREBIRDS J P T J Nordic Stars Pata Hellalla Shameful Knights Speedy Bros Hockey Sypperstaars THE UNITED KNIGHTS Unlucky Boys HC ECL 5 Lite - All teams The remaining 50 teams will be participating in ECL 5 Lite: Elämäm Kiekko The Beagle Boys iNF4M0US Pohjoista Voimaa Terrific Tigers HC Aurinko Ice Phoenix Rising Phantoms HC EV Duisburg Papat Nordic Nosebleed Company of Geeks Red Machine Soldiers of Odens Lucky Strike Freddie Mercury Institute Puck Panthers Nottingham Chiefs Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat Nordic Eagles Try Another Hole SGWEER United Rusty Bulls Finnish Hockey Legends Raging Monkeys Nearbird Fighters Mentula SKA Dirty Animals Slapshot Club Germany Squad Vilttiketju Deadly Phantoms HC Almost Famous Bucketeers DarrasStars Cold Turkeys Rasend Krokodil Face Wash Hockey Kouvola Screaming Eagles NuggetZ South Sweden Panthers Roistot Hc Nappiaivot KulmalaHengaus Donec Reges Phantoms HC Penalty Box Burns Beardy Bastards RAKETTIPUTKET Breakers Of The Bone PUNANEN REHTORI ECL 5 Lite - Final groups ECL Lite will be played in 5 groups with 10 teams each. With 2 games against each opponent, this results in an 18 game regular season in which the top 6 teams out of each group, as well as the two best 7th ranked teams out of all groups will go to the playoffs (32 teams total). To determine the final groups, 15 pre-seeded teams were randomly assigned to the 5 groups. Afterwards, the remaining 35 teams were assigned to the groups. Here is the result: Group 1 Face Wash Hockey Finnish Hockey Legends Freddie Mercury Institute Lucky Strike NuggetZ PUNANEN REHTORI Puck Panthers Raging Monkeys Roistot Terrific Tigers Group 2 Cold Turkeys EV Duisburg Ice Phoenix Kouvola Screaming Eagles Nottingham Chiefs Penalty Box Phantoms HC Rasend Krokodil Red Machine Rukoilevat Hinkkaajat Group 3 Company of Geeks Deadly Phantoms HC Donec Reges HC Aurinko iNF4M0US KulmalaHengaus Pohjoista Voimaa Rising Phantoms HC Soldiers of Odens Try Another Hole Group 4 Almost Famous Breakers Of The Bone DarrasStars Elämäm Kiekko Mentula SKA Nearbird Fighters Nordic Nosebleed Papat South Sweden Panthers The Beagle Boys Group 5 Bucketeers Burns Beardy Bastards Dirty Animals HC Nappiaivot Nordic Eagles RAKETTIPUTKET Rusty Bulls SGWEER United Slapshot Club Germany Squad Vilttiketju ECL 5 Rules The rules for ECL 5 can be found here: All players, whether they are captains or not, are obligated to be aware of all the rules. Make sure to memorize all rules outlined in "8. Game rules" due to the 30 second limit for stoppages in-game. Throughout the tournament, the rules may be updated. Any updates will be conveniently listed at the very top of the ruleset. Make sure to check out if anything changed once in a while. League Administration members All league related decisions will be made by League Administration. To open up a case, create a new question in the "Contact League Administration" helpdesk: https://nhlgamer.com/community/forum/27-contact-league-administration/ Please note: Teams are expected to solve issues on their own before contacting League Administration - the rules include lots of guidance for different issues. League Administration is always the last resort to solve any disagreements. Team management tools All teams have been created, and the captains will shortly be unlocked for the team management tools on the main page (go to https://nhlgamer.com and click on your username in the top right corner to access them). All players need to be invited to the team rosters ahead of your first game. Please note that all invited players need to accept the invitation (there will be a popup alert on https://nhlgamer.com) before they show up on the team roster and can start playing! In case you have any questions, please use the comment section below this news story. Good luck to all teams and have fun! @gzell60 for NHLGamer.com