We took a week off due to the holiday break but we are back to covering the fantastic tournament of Caps Gaming. The 6 v 6 NHL esports tournament being played on the Xbox One.
Last week, there were some big match ups that created some separation between some undefeated teams. The Phantoms took down one of the favorites, Entourage, in two games. Composure remained undefeated Resilience in last weeks featured game of the week in three games.
Now over the half way point, these teams who remain undefeated put themselves in great position to make the post season. Here is the power rankings through four weeks:
The #CapsGamingShowcase week 4 power rankings presented by @LeidosInc is lead by @TurningPointNHL!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/y1BUHb99If
— Caps Gaming (@capsgaming) December 30, 2019
The featured game of the week includes the 4-0 Composure versus the 3-1 Entourage, who is looking to rebound from last week’s loss. Both teams are looking to position themselves further in the standings and with a win, Composure could lock up a playoff spot.
Here is a good breakdown of the top matches of Week 5, brought to you by @NoSleevesGaming:
Quick take huge match-ups for Week 5 of @capsgaming@ComposureNHL
vs @EntourageNHL@TurningPointNHL
vs Natty Light Knightz@PhantomsESHL
vs Dahlia@MontageMoment
vs
@Nothing_2_ProAlso Big week for @BBBNHL who have to rebound with a win against @HxH_NHL pic.twitter.com/G46YtnNxB0
— Cam / NoSleeves (@NoSleevesGaming) December 31, 2019
Some of the highlights last week feature teams like Clout 9 winning in a deciding game 3 overtime winner. This propelled them into the top 10 power rankings at the end of the week.
https://twitter.com/NoSleevesGaming/status/1211542101286105091?s=20
We also saw what could be the save of the tournament, which didn’t come from a goalie. Dare Infinity’s @NugeTV happened to be at the right place, at the right time. This was in overtime during game 2. If this goes in, the series was over versus BBB. Instead, Dare Infinity went on to win the game and the series in three games.
Save of the tournament so far made by @NugeTV. @infinityNHL trailing 1-0 in their series vs @BBBNHL in overtime of game 2, Nugent COLD AS ICE with the stick save on the goal line.
They win the game and take the series 2-1. @capsgaming heating up! pic.twitter.com/x4m99dnrAd
— Cam / NoSleeves (@NoSleevesGaming) December 29, 2019
Featured Interview:
This week, we got in contact with the first ever NHL esports athlete to be signed by an NHL team (Washington Capitals), John Wayne Casagranda. We wanted to get his thoughts on Caps Gaming and what the future holds for esports in the NHL community.
For those who don’t know John Wayne, he started to play during the release of NHL 95 and has played competitively ever since. He grew up playing versus and EASHL but has recently changed to HUT (Hockey Ultimate Team) since the change in format for the Gaming World Classic.
Before John was signed to his esports contract with the Washington Capitals, there was a long process of many individuals. When asked about his reaction to being apart of the interview process, “pure excitement! I felt like this was the perfect opportunity and something I have always dreamed of. When asked about how life has changed for John since being signed to an esports contract, he replied, “honestly, the buzz around the community has changed. I feel like this year with the Caps Gaming Showcase getting underway and it being the first 6 v 6 tournament in North America since 2009, you can just feel the electricity!”
Since John was primarily a 1 v 1 player, we asked if he was at all surprised about being the first player signed to a group that is hosting a 6 v 6 tournament? “Not at all. I really take pride in growing the game, have it be 1 v 1 or 6 v 6. Growing the game has always been my goal. It is really crazy to see how far NHL esports has come in the last couple years.” The potential for another NHL team to sign someone to an esports contract. We asked John what his thoughts were about that possibility. “Yeah I definitely see potential in that happening. I think this was the first step. I hope we can move towards making an NHL league in the future.”
Last, we asked John about his thoughts on the Caps Gaming Tournament itself. When asked about was he has enjoyed the most about the tournament, “I have really enjoyed the Swiss format. It’s crazy how every week is so crucial for each team and it gives the regular season a playoff feel. I have also enjoyed commentating the games of the week. It is something I’m not used to and takes me out of my comfort zone but it has been so much fun!
You can see John Wayne in attendance at the finals in D.C. “I’m beyond excited! I think it’s going to be awesome to sit back, relax and watch the four best teams compete, to become the Caps Gaming Showcase champions!”
You can find John Wayne on these social media platforms:
Twitter: @Johnwaynee90 Twitch: @Capitals
