Islanders Represented at NHL23 World Championship

The NHL23 World Championship is rapidly approaching and the New York Islanders have an elite representative in the global Esports contest.

Erik "Eki" Tammenpaa, whose gamertag is i\eki\I, is a powerhouse gamer representing the New York Islanders and qualified as one of the final four players vying for the Gaming World Championship, slated to take place on June 27 in Nashville.

Tammenpaa has a track record of success in the new and expanding world of competitive gaming, most recently becoming a five-time European Champion this year.

"Erik has competed for us for two years now, winning in Game Three overtime in back to back European Championships," said Islanders Esports Strategy Lead, Jordan Zelniker. "He continues to excel, growing his game year by year, and now he's able to represent the Islanders in the World Finals. We're thrilled to have him there representing us on the largest stage possible."

To earn his fifth European title on May 6, Tammenpaa defeated long-time rival in the tournament, Teemu "Temppanen" Karvonen, who represents the Anaheim Ducks.

"I know my experience was probably my biggest X factor in the European Final," Tammenpaa said. "But the matchup was so even across the board."

Karvonen took Game One of the European Final, while Tammenpaa retaliated with a Game Two victory. In the deciding matchup, Tammenpaa scored the game-winner in thrilling fashion with a goal in overtime.

"Game Three was our rock fight," Tammenpaa said. "I ended up winning in overtime and it felt amazing. I could have played a lot better in general, but of course the result was what I wanted."

Coming off his fifth European Championship, Tammenpaa is utilizing seven weeks to regroup and prepare for the World Finals.

"For me, it's always been 50% mental and 50% gameplay," Tammenpaa explained. "Playing for big money when the games are very short, you have to be prepared mentally. After the European Finals, I took two weeks off. I played a little bit, but nothing too crazy. Now with the World Finals coming up, I've started to grind again and will continue to do that until the Finals."

Preparation looks different for every gamer, but Tammenpaa benefits from playing his rival in scrimmages. He believes it's helpful for his own game to face other top players in Europe before actual tournament play.

"I avoided it in the past actually, but I've had tournaments where I've noticed that maybe I haven't practiced against the best players enough," Tammenpaa said. "So nowadays I just try to play as much as possible against anybody to prepare."

The Finnish native said his background as a goalie growing up helped him mentally while developing his competitive edge. He casually played video games with his friends as a teenager - unaware of his exceptional abilities and capability to compete professionally - until he tried his first tournament just for fun at age 17.

"I ended up finishing second which was a huge surprise for me," Tammenpaa said. "And after that,
I realized that this might be something I could do."

He went on to win the NHL's first Gaming World Championship in 2018 in Las Vegas, earning $50,000 along with the title of world champion.

"I was 19 back then and the tournament really built up my confidence," Tammenpaa recalled. "It was such an awesome experience looking back on it. But I was so nervous. That's something I'm really trying to do nowadays when I play in tournaments, to just enjoy the moment. And if you don't stress too much, you play much better as well."

Tammenpaa is one of four players competing in the World Finals this year, which will open with a round-robin format to determine seeding. First place will automatically make it to the final round, while second and third place will face off in a best-of-three series. The final round is also set up as a best-of-three to decide the champion.

"At the end of the day, there's not too many games there," Tammenpaa said. "I just have to have to be ready at the start."

Fans will be able to watch the NHL23 World Championship in Nashville this year. With the growing popularity of Esports and COVID-19 restrictions lifted to allow an in-person audience for the second straight year, the 2023 contest is expected to have an energized atmosphere.

"It's very nice to see fans and their reactions," Tammenpaa said. "NHL is such a new esport, so there haven't been many instances where there's actually people watching us play. It's different and it's fun, and I hope we see more of that."

The Islanders and UBS Arena hosted their first-ever Esports night on Dec. 6, flying in Tammenpaa and Isles GT teammate Justin "Regs" Reguly to the New York, inviting them to a pair of Islanders games, but not before the two went head-to-head in a scrimmage in front of fans on Long Island.

"We had a crowded space where we played [in front of] a lot of people watching, it was it was very cool," Tammenpaa said. "Watching two live Islanders games was awesome. My experience at UBS Arena was amazing, you could tell everything was super fresh and new. It was one of the nicest arena's I've ever been to, I loved it."

The Islanders are expanding their global outreach while bringing excitement to new fans interested in Esports, while supporting Tammenpaa and his game.

"The NHL continues to grow the gaming space as a whole," Zelniker said. "As we find new ways for us to engage with hockey fans, it's nice for us to be able to connect with the European audience and get involved with all the fans out there."

"It was always clear that the Islanders and I were a good fit," Tammenpaa said. "They are the team that puts the most backing into esports and they wanted me to play for them, which is a huge honor. It's been awesome."