Hello. Welcome to the CBJ 6’s event. Let’s talk about the teams in the event. I have sat on articles this summer as teams have been changing players left and right, making it difficult to make any sort of “top teams” ranking. But, just when you think there is some concrete squads, everyone switches things up again. Nevertheless, there have been some interesting changes, team formations, and team reunifications on top of the large amount of teams entering this season. While I’m not going to rank every team with a numerical value, I will be putting teams into some form of a tier list. There are some teams that myself and others may have limited knowledge on, and will be dark horses or pretty big underdogs heading into the event. The biggest thing I can say is do your best not to be discouraged playing in the event. There are plenty of heavy hitters in this event, and the “top 35-40 teams” feature at least 1 player playing in the LGHL, along with a lot of new players/teams entering events for the first time. If the team has recent results I’ll do my best to include them. So let’s move to the list. The Cup Contenders This is basically the 4 headed beast of 6v6 for NHL 20. All 4 of these teams have been the champions of the 4 major events this year, and have consistently high placings if they don’t end up winning. These 4 teams have the pedigree, the results, and the skill to be considered the teams to bet on, or for the competitors, the teams to beat. Spoiler: Show Composure 1st ESHL S12 T8 ESHL S13 T8 NACL T32 Caps Gaming 2x Rux Madness Winner 1x Rux Madness Runner up 1x Rux Madness T4 & T8 A long storied team and one the longer tenured squads in recent times hit some bumps in the road after capturing the first ESHL title of NHL 20. After a couple of T8 finishes and a disappointing T32 finish in Caps Gaming, Composure decided it was time to make some roster changes, bringing in oHeroism to play LW while MarcoGoes5H0le would drop back to the LD position, replacing OfficialMark07. Marco felt like the impact player offensively for Composure, and while he will bring great puck moving potential to a Composure backend already containing arguably the best RD in Odie, Heroism had big shoes to fill and fast. And boy did he fill them, with Composure exploding off the line since the changes, with a 2nd place finish in Rux Madness Season 4 before winning Season 5 and following it up with a FNP win for the first FNP with a prizepool. This team has been known for it’s near impossible system to break down, and their possession numbers are through the roof, with a combined 53:45 in Time of Attack Difference through Rux S5. Entourage 1st Caps Gaming T4 ESHL S13 T4 NACL T16 ESHL S12 1x Rux Madness Top 4 2x Rux Madness Top 8 Since ESHL S12, Entourage has been a pillar of success in the 6’s scene, winning the $15,000 Caps Gaming LAN event, and followed it up with two top 4 placings. The team has been surprisingly stable given the amount of volatility in teams recently, and their only change of Regs has paid off in dividends for the team, giving them a solid puck mover in the backend, and synergizes perfectly with the high tempo style Entourage loves to play. 6th Sense 1st ESHL S13 2nd NACL It’s a matter of quality over quantity for 6th Sense, as the only recorded events they’ve played together they have never missed a final (exlcuding a single Rux Madness missed playoff). For whatever reason they thought about splitting up following these strings of success, and clearly quarantine sobered them up enough to realize they are too good NOT to be playing together. Here’s hoping they continue their streak of finals appearances in major events, Vertigo 1st NACL T4 ESHL S13 1x Rux Madness Winner 3x Rux Madness Top 4 As a team, Vertigo has been dominant in their own right, never dropping below a semifinalist placing in every event they’ve played. The above placings don’t display the level of dominance Vertigo has asserted throughout the events. Vertigo amassed a record of 80-19-7 in the regular season and a 42-16 record in the playoffs during said events. Not to mention the other events where Vertigo did not participate as a squad. The acquisition of Rockxt 5 at the RW position bolsters their offensive weapons even more than what they already have, and look poised for another impressive run. Playoff Favourites These teams have consistently placed well in events, and seem like locks to make the top 16. Lot’s of new rosters, teams trending upward and major changes makes this a very interesting tier to watch going forward. Spoiler: Show T4 NACL T8 ESHL S13 T16 Caps Gaming T16 ESHL S12 1x Rux Madness Runner up 1x Rux Madness T4 2x Rux Madness T8 Started the NHL 20 season off slow, getting Top 16 at the first 2 events. They have, however, been slowly on the rise in terms of results and placings, starting with a top 8 finish in the next ESHL season before a semifinal placement in NACL. The addition of Auggy from Hidden Potential seems to have given this team new life, and this team is soldiering up to be a real dark horse. Chilltown We are not going to talk about what happened, we are just going to talk about right now. The hodge podge squad is made of many teams, a lot of teams who recently did not make it to the war. There is however, a plethora of talent and pedigree in this squad. I can’t really put any accomplishments here, but a lot of these players have many playoff appearances, and deep playoff runs to boot. Dear god get a new logo. Denial 1x Rux Madness T8 T16 Caps Gaming T8 ESHL S12 18th ESHL S13 *Core from Prophecy Denial is a newly formed team consisting of mainly players from Prophecy. P t P comes off an event win with Vertigo. While this team seems new, these are all veterans of the scene, with plenty of 6’s experience at the highest level. It will be interesting to watch how this team develops chem throughout the event. Flawless T8 ESHL S13 The PSN boys are back for another xbox event. They look to build off an impressive ESHL S13 performance. Joining the team is the former Gladiators duo in ToppestofTops and Enasth, who look to bring their experience to the team to take the next step and make a playoff run. Ruthless While it may seem strange for a team with no placings this high, Ruthless is a combination of well decorated players. Players from Phantoms, 6th Sense, , and Highlanders make up the core of this squad, all who have had very successful campaigns in 2020. The only downside can only be if the lack of chemistry will be their downfall, or will the fresh squad have the motivation to make a run? Turning Point T8 Caps Gaming 1x Rux Madness Runner Up 1x Rux Madness T8 Turning Point has made some roster shuffles in the past, but none have been bigger than the acquisition of former Resilience D partners in Lemelin and Doughty. The duo has been at the top of the 6’s scene for the entire NHL 20 season, and will look to bring the championship calibre ways to Turning Point, joining an already solid core of players up front. They have had solid results so far, but will look to turn it up come event start. Underdogs T4 ESHL S12 T8 Caps Gaming 17th ESHL S13 1x Rux Madness T8 The Dogs are back, and while I’m still unsure what they are planning long term, the 6’s scene is better off with the Underdogs in it. The french squad is consistently a threat every event they compete in. The only thing that has eluded them is the event win. While they did the open division of ESHL S13, they have their eyes set on the big prize. X Factor Another newly formed team, and although they have no placings as a team, the team has plenty of skill. The former Hidden Potential duo of Shockz and CT round out the wings, with Po1andFinest coming from Prophecy. HeroicDuck, Neal and T Hopkins round out the backend, with all 6 starting players coming into the event with high placings, and will look to bring the success to their new team. Playoff Hopefuls The teams that are fighting for the final playoff spots. Lot’s of teams here have previous event experience, with some new teams/rosters. With technically 4 spots left if you count the teams above making the playoffs, it will be a true battle to see who makes it to the top 16. Spoiler: Show Coyotay A new team filled with lots of talented and experienced LGHLers. ESHL experience on a good number of players as well. Able to run all 9 players effectively and will match up well against pretty much any team. Solid squad and will be high up in the standings. Dog Dads 10th NACL 15th ESHL S13 19th ESHL S12 Dog Dads is becoming quite the long running brand, and are back for this event. Most of their staple players like Haxby, Tom 0 and Pandaleupagus are back, with new additions like Stewkos, Koho and Killtarted to name a few. Good squad here looking for another solid placement. Ground n Pound T16 Caps Gaming T12 ESHL S13 1x Rux Madness Top 8 Ground n Pound still seem to fly under everyone’s radar. They have managed to stick together for the long haul, and their chem seems to get better and better each event. They have one of the best goalies in Vaynx, and will look to keep building on past performances. Momentum A team coming through last minute, has a very solid roster. The duo of jared and NinetyEight come over from Instinct, and will look to bring the offensive punch to a solid team. Lot’s of depth on defense, and a solid goalie in Villy to round out the roster. Montage Moment T8 NACL T16 Caps Gaming T24 ESHL S13 Some may consider Montage Moment a meme team, but this team keeps proving everyone wrong. With lots of solid placements, it’s hard not to put this team near the top of the tier. With a revolving door of right defensemen it seems, Dangs will look to be the puck moving dman to continue the success and more for MtM. Most Wanted T8 ESHL S12 The french squad is back for another season, and retain the majority of their old roster. They’ll look to reignite the chem that got them a solid top 8 finish in ESHL S12. Groulxz coming in last minute, whether as a util or starter, instantly gives this team really good forward depth. No Sympathy A good amount of high skill PSN players make up the majority of this team. While this team doesn’t have any results as a team, there are remnants of the ESHL S12 team Sold Out, who finished top 16 in that season. One Nation This team has had a few looks, most prominently as Red Lite District, where they finished top 16. Good amount of talent on the french roster. Expect to see lot’s of LT’s and potential highlights from their playstyle. Prodigy Prodigy is a mix of top versus players with experienced 6’s veterans. Their forward core have the skill to compete with any team, despite not having the same competitive 6’s experience excluding Wickie. Good experienced players in the backend and goalie round out the roster. This team could surprise a few. Recognition T24 ESHL S13 T32 Caps Gaming Recognition did some retooling in the off season, picking up players like Grayyy, Chatah Haht, and shaunaldinho. They will look to build of previous seasons and make it to the top 16. Renegades Majority PSN players known for playing on teams such as Gladiators, Red Lite District and Flawless, come together on a new team, Renegades. Lot’s of experience scattered throughout this team, and may sneak up on some teams given their new name. Resignation 1x Rux Madness Top 8 The young guns have been trolling their way into potentially being a sneaky surprise team. They shocked everyone by making playoffs in Rux, and will look to prove the doubters wrong again in their first large event as a team. The Walking Dead Lot’s of these players have been playing together for quite some time, so you know the chem is going to be there. The high volume offense trio up front will look to do damage as a unit. Tropix New team with tons of potential. Former players from teams like Easy Work, Offseason, and Valiance gives the team some added pedigree. Lots of depth in all positions, good history in the LGHL, and some experience in 6’s events. Now just need to it all together. Unknown Talent T32 Caps Gaming T32 ESHL S13 UxT is back with a similar roster, but with some added pieces. Burnsy is back after a campaign with Reckless Abandon, and will look to reignite old flames in UxT. Wildcards/Gate Keepers A Lot of these teams are either newly formed teams, or teams with decent results both in ESHL and LG. These teams could either make a really good run and make playoffs, or plummet and finish below average. These teams I also consider the “gate keepers” of competitive 6’s, where they seperate the pretenders from the top teams. Beat these teams consistently to really start to get some exposure, at least for LG. Spoiler: Show ARS HC Good run in San Jose, good be a sleeper. Bidstation Lot’s of solid old gen players. Oh, and Carch, and everyone loves Carch! Blacklist Mainly from Showtime in Caps, potential solid chem team. Collision Course Lot’s of 6’s veterans having a disappointing LG season, could surprise a few teams. Complex The all west team will certainly piss of their opponents making them play on their servers. Cracked Mix of LGHLers and good AHLers, decent chem as well. Don’t sleep on AHL players. Crease Crashers Versus guys mixed with old gen guys seems like an odd combo, but who knows it may work really well. Extremely Average LG veterans up front mixed with a more green backend. Will be interesting to see if they click. Homeland T32 ESHL S13 New acquisitions make Homeland another dark horse team for a good run. Houseplant Lot’s of versus players here. Will the inexperience be their downfall, or will their 1v1 experience come through? Knight Shift Mix of former Natty Light Knightz players and good 3’s players. Underrated chem and similar playstyle will play well here. Last Call Mainly LGHLers with lots of skill to go around. Metro Jets LGHL veterans all in one team. Good depth in all positions. Offseason T32 Caps Gaming Back after some decent seasons, will look to build off previous campaigns. Solid defense acquisitions should help out. Pink Whitneys T32 ESHL S13 Look to continue their success in ESHL after last season. Reinvigorated roster will look to grind out some wins. Problematic Bit of a hodge podge of various backgrounds and histories here. Could go anywhere in the standings at this point. Quality Control Lot’s of quality LGHLers here, with a little bit of ESHL experience sprinkled in. Potential Arizona Coyotes chem coming through here. Response 20th ESHL S12 The team has been around for awhile but the results have dipped. Response will look to get back into good standing with Krxwch at the helm. Road 2 Glory Good PSN players here, with some xbox experience recently. Some potential chem from PSN 6’s events. The Railroad T32 ESHL S13 Team was under “Underground Railroad” before, but this is close enough I think. Slept on last season, will they be slept on again? Threat Level Midnight Mike sucks pass it on. Toxicity Lot’s of solid LGHLers and good amount of success in 6’s events, and Rim. True North I am a CHLer therefore this team is good. Unprotected 6ix Wags brings his LG team to ESHL. No seriously that’s basically the team plus goalies and a banned Leveskii. We Run The Show Welsh sucks but NasherFan101 will bring this team to the promise land for all of Columbus. The Up and Comers Teams with less experience and potentially playing in lower tiers of play. Not saying any of these teams suck, but with the event filled with good talent, it will be tough sledding for these teams. Some interesting teams/players to watch for future events. Gonna be grouping up teams like their back in high school cliques or something (some of you might still be in high school idk if this hits too close to home for you). So here you go: Spoiler: Show Challengers Teams who are pushing the gate and give playoff teams some trouble. Agility Anonymous Extremely Average Oblivion Philadelphia Warhawks Reality Check Kangaroo Court Clout9 AHL Fiends Teams with primarily LGAHL players and/or players who are on the come up in the scene. Some good talent here to look out for. FLA Gaming Anaheim Ducks Gaming Simplicity New Generation Clown Academy Goat Business Detox Fatality Manic Men Consistency The Express Los Ninos Malos Few Lonely Guys Light it Up Hershey Kiss Hockey CHL Legends Majority CHL players/teams here. Not a lot to go off of, and some relatively unknown factors. Adopt a Greyhound BangTheDrumm Bottom West Goats Conservative Domination Station Elite NB Epic Gaming Network Intensity Montreal Bulls Necromancy Newfoundland Reapers NJ Devils Gaming Club Offended Vegans Quebec Nordiques Team Radiation The Fluffy Kittens The Force The Jesters The Mighty Drunks The Notorious Dogs Top Chef Unknown Congratulations, you’ve managed to stump me. I don’t really know your team, which may or may not be a good thing. Amateur Hams Connecticutt Cobras (spell check tells me there may be an error here) John Street Frogs NHL the Musical (+ Points if you actually make your games like a musical) Pain Sweatzky Silverbacks Hockey The Blues Brothers THE REDKNIGHTS (caps lock is broken sorry) Wow, you made it through. My brain hurts after all of this. Good luck to all the teams competing. That is A LOT of teams, and I hope this is only the future for 6v6 competitive play! Be sure to support as many streams as you can to grow the game even more!