Deutsche Eishockey-Liga
Encyclopedia
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (German Ice Hockey League, shortname DEL) is a German
professional ice hockey
league that was founded in 1994. It was formed as a replacement for the Ice hockey Bundesliga
and is now known as DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga. Unlike the old Bundesliga, the DEL is not under the administration of the German Ice Hockey Federation
. The DEL currently has the highest number of American and Canadian players outside of North America.
(English:Federal Ice Hockey League) was formed in 1957 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position. It was in turn replaced by the DEL, which now also carries the name 1st Bundesliga in its logo.
The DEL was founded in the 1994–95 season, made up of teams from the ice hockey Bundesliga's 1st
and 2nd division
. The condition of this earlier leagues had become intolerable: many of the 1st and 2nd division teams were heavily in debt, while the 2nd division attracted few sponsors and spectators; thus many clubs were forced to fold or withdraw to the lower leagues. Fans and corporate sponsors focus on the 1st Bundesliga teams forced the elite teams to invested heavily in players to avoid relegation, raising the budgets 25% over the last two years.
In the last Bundesliga season 1993–94, only 11 teams wanted to play in the 2nd Bundesliga. Furthermore, two teams folded during the season and after season's end. Ice hockeys reputation in Germany was heavily tarnished and this made it difficult to attract serious sponsorship. Mid January 1994, 20 out of the remaining 21 1st and 2nd Bundesliga teams voted for creating a new entity, the DEL.
Upon founding, the "DEL Betriebsgesellschaft mbH" was the first German professional sports league managed by an organization whose members where incorporated as well. The goal behind the DEL was to create a league, based on the model of the North American NHL, in which the teams could play consistently without relegation concerns and create a stable league. The clubs in the DEL were required to conform to rules that were designed to ensure long-term viability. Twelve clubs from the old 1st Bundesliga, and six from the 2nd Bundesliga came together as founding members. The new league immediately attracted corporate sponsorship with the Krombacher Brewery who was prominently featured on the new league logo.
The hope to be able to avoid the troubles of the old Bundesliga by stricter financial controls did not materialize. During DEL's first season
, on December 18, 1994 the Bundesliga's last champion, the renamed EC Hedos München, folded. This was controversial, as DEL's president Franz Hofherr approved their license certifying their finances. Hofherr was Mad Dogs former president and it was alleged that he must have known about their desperate financial situation.
The Bosman ruling
, a 1995 decision of the European Court of Justice
regarding the movement of labor in soccer, had profound influence on the league. The old Bundesliga had national character with German clubs competing for the German title using mostly German players. After the ruling European Union
players were excluded from the "foreign" player quota. In the 1995–96 season
following the decision, the DEL teams employed 97 EU players lowering their costs significantly, thus enabling the smaller teams to compete more effectively. However, the ensuing frequent player moves were not viewed positively by the fans, resulting in smaller attendance numbers.
Following an agreement with the DEB the league renamed itself to "DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga" in the 1999–2000 season
, while reintroducing relegation and promotion to/from the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga
.
The 2004–05 season
was significant due to the NHL lockout. Among the 22 NHL players came to play the season in the DEL were Erik Cole
, Stéphane Robidas
, Doug Weight
, Mike York
and several German national team players -- Jochen Hecht
, Olaf Kölzig
, and Marco Sturm
,.
The DEL can only admit one 2nd Bundesliga team per season to the league, unless the league strength falls below fourteen, in which case two clubs can be admitted. Since the 2006–07 season, no DEL team can be automatically relegated, a team can only lose its league status through non-compliance with the leagues regulations (see above).
From the 2008–09 season on, each DEL club will only be allowed to have ten non-EEC
players under contract.
The ESBG guarantees to admit any DEL team wishing to step down to the lower 2nd Bundesliga or Oberliga
. The team, however, has to purchase a license (licensing fees for the 2nd Bundesliga are currently set at € 100,000.00).
To regulate the relationship between the DEL, the DEB and the ESBG (2nd Bundesliga), a so called Kooperationsvertrag exists. This cooperation contract was signed in December 2005., and is valid until 2011. This contract ended years of dispute between the three organizations over competencies and financial issues.
In November 2007, the DEL announced another change in policy. The league expanded to allow 16 teams beginning in the 2008–09 season, resulting in direct promotion for the 2nd Bundesliga
league champions, should they fulfill all requirements and be interested in joining the DEL. Should this not be the case, or a current DEL team resigns from the league, a selection process would determine the club, or clubs, who would be eligible to join in order required to archive 16 teams. (Note: Füchse Duisburg resigned before the 2009-2010 season and was not replaced until the following season.)
Additionally, a new format for the game schedule will limit the number of regular season games to 52 for each team. This is achieved by each team playing four games against eleven others and two games against the remaining four. To determine which teams play which, the final standings of the previous season are used.
The DEL would also reintroduce promotion once more. The first- and second-lowest ranked teams will play a best-of-seven series to determine which team faces the 2nd Bundesliga
champion for a place in the league. There is, however, an ongoing dispute about those games as second division teams may only have five foreign players on contract, and therefore face a handicap in comparison to the DEL teams with twelve import players each. For now, the ESBG has declared that no team from the 2nd Bundesliga would take part in these matches and therefore no promotion/relegation with the DEL will take place.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league that was founded in 1994. It was formed as a replacement for the Ice hockey Bundesliga
Ice hockey Bundesliga
The Ice hockey Bundesliga was formed in 1958 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position...
and is now known as DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga. Unlike the old Bundesliga, the DEL is not under the administration of the German Ice Hockey Federation
Deutscher Eishockey-Bund
The German Ice Hockey Federation , commonly abbereviated as DEB, has been the responsible federation of ice hockey associations since its establishment on June 16, 1963, for the sport of ice hockey in Germany...
. The DEL currently has the highest number of American and Canadian players outside of North America.
History
The Ice hockey BundesligaIce hockey Bundesliga
The Ice hockey Bundesliga was formed in 1958 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position...
(English:Federal Ice Hockey League) was formed in 1957 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position. It was in turn replaced by the DEL, which now also carries the name 1st Bundesliga in its logo.
The DEL was founded in the 1994–95 season, made up of teams from the ice hockey Bundesliga's 1st
Ice hockey Bundesliga
The Ice hockey Bundesliga was formed in 1958 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position...
and 2nd division
2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)
The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
. The condition of this earlier leagues had become intolerable: many of the 1st and 2nd division teams were heavily in debt, while the 2nd division attracted few sponsors and spectators; thus many clubs were forced to fold or withdraw to the lower leagues. Fans and corporate sponsors focus on the 1st Bundesliga teams forced the elite teams to invested heavily in players to avoid relegation, raising the budgets 25% over the last two years.
In the last Bundesliga season 1993–94, only 11 teams wanted to play in the 2nd Bundesliga. Furthermore, two teams folded during the season and after season's end. Ice hockeys reputation in Germany was heavily tarnished and this made it difficult to attract serious sponsorship. Mid January 1994, 20 out of the remaining 21 1st and 2nd Bundesliga teams voted for creating a new entity, the DEL.
Upon founding, the "DEL Betriebsgesellschaft mbH" was the first German professional sports league managed by an organization whose members where incorporated as well. The goal behind the DEL was to create a league, based on the model of the North American NHL, in which the teams could play consistently without relegation concerns and create a stable league. The clubs in the DEL were required to conform to rules that were designed to ensure long-term viability. Twelve clubs from the old 1st Bundesliga, and six from the 2nd Bundesliga came together as founding members. The new league immediately attracted corporate sponsorship with the Krombacher Brewery who was prominently featured on the new league logo.
The hope to be able to avoid the troubles of the old Bundesliga by stricter financial controls did not materialize. During DEL's first season
1994–95 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season
The 1994–95 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the inaugural season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Kölner Haie the won the first DEL season to become German Champions....
, on December 18, 1994 the Bundesliga's last champion, the renamed EC Hedos München, folded. This was controversial, as DEL's president Franz Hofherr approved their license certifying their finances. Hofherr was Mad Dogs former president and it was alleged that he must have known about their desperate financial situation.
The Bosman ruling
Bosman ruling
Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association, and direct effect of article 39 of the EC Treaty...
, a 1995 decision of the European Court of Justice
European Court of Justice
The Court can sit in plenary session, as a Grand Chamber of 13 judges, or in chambers of three or five judges. Plenary sitting are now very rare, and the court mostly sits in chambers of three or five judges...
regarding the movement of labor in soccer, had profound influence on the league. The old Bundesliga had national character with German clubs competing for the German title using mostly German players. After the ruling European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
players were excluded from the "foreign" player quota. In the 1995–96 season
1995–96 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season
The 1995–96 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 2nd season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .As a replacement for the Mad Dogs München, the SC Riessersee moved up from the 2nd Bundesliga. However, continuing the financial unrest in the German Ice Hockey, SC Riessersee, as well as ESG Sachsen...
following the decision, the DEL teams employed 97 EU players lowering their costs significantly, thus enabling the smaller teams to compete more effectively. However, the ensuing frequent player moves were not viewed positively by the fans, resulting in smaller attendance numbers.
Following an agreement with the DEB the league renamed itself to "DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga" in the 1999–2000 season
1999–00 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season
The 1999–2000 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 6th season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .An agreement was reached between DEL and the 1. Liga. With DEL being the top-level league, it would be known as the DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga, and the 1. Liga as the 2. Bundesliga...
, while reintroducing relegation and promotion to/from the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga
2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)
The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
.
The 2004–05 season
2004–05 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season
The 2004–05 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 11th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Eisbären Berlin became first time German Champion, a feat they will repeat a number of times in the next seasons...
was significant due to the NHL lockout. Among the 22 NHL players came to play the season in the DEL were Erik Cole
Erik Cole
Erik Cole is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League . He has played most of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes. He also played a brief stint with the Edmonton Oilers before returning to Carolina in 2009...
, Stéphane Robidas
Stephane Robidas
Stéphane Robidas is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Doug Weight
Doug Weight
Douglas Daniel Weight is a retired American professional ice hockey player who is currently an Assistant Coach and Special Assistant to the General Manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina...
, Mike York
Mike York
Michael York is an American professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .-Playing career:...
and several German national team players -- Jochen Hecht
Jochen Hecht
Jochen Hecht is a German professional ice hockey player for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals...
, and Marco Sturm
Marco Sturm
Marco Johann Sturm is a German professional ice hockey winger with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League . Sturm began his career with EV Landshut of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, playing with the team from 1995 to 1997. Selected 21st overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose...
,.
Current teams
There are currently 14 teams playing in the DEL.| Team | City/Area | Arena | Capacity | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Teams | ||||
| Augsburger Panther Augsburger Panther The Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion.... |
Augsburg Augsburg Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a... |
Curt Frenzel Stadium Curt Frenzel Stadium The Curt Frenzel Stadium is an arena in Augsburg, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of the Augsburger Panther. It holds 7,774 people... |
7,774 | 1878 |
| Eisbären Berlin Eisbären Berlin ' are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga , the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... |
O2 World (Berlin) | 14,200 | 1954 |
| DEG Metro Stars DEG Metro Stars The DEG Metro Stars is a German professional ice hockey team in Düsseldorf. It was Germany's most successful hockey club for a long time and had many international players... |
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the... |
ISS Dome ISS Dome The ISS Dome is a multi-use indoor arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, it opened in 2006. The arena has a capacity of 12,500 people and 13,400 people for hockey matches.It is used mostly for ice hockey and basketball matches, as well as concerts... |
13,400 | 1935 |
| Hamburg Freezers Hamburg Freezers The Hamburg Freezers are a member of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga that play their games in Hamburg, Germany. Originally known as the Munich Barons from 1999 until 2002, team owner Philip Anschutz relocated the franchise to Hamburg for financial reasons on 3 June 2002, and renamed the team the... |
Hamburg Hamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
O2 World (Hamburg) | 12,947 | 2002 |
| Hannover Scorpions Hannover Scorpions The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. The team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. Their games are played at TUI Arena of the Expo Plaza... |
Hanover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... |
TUI Arena TUI Arena TUI Arena is an arena in Hanover, Germany. The arena opened in 2000 and holds 10,767, during hockey matches and up to 14,000, during concerts... |
10,767 | 1975 |
| ERC Ingolstadt ERC Ingolstadt The ERC Ingolstadt are a member of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Commonly known as the Panthers, they play their games in Ingolstadt, Germany at the Saturn Arena. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Ingolstadt signed NHLers Marco Sturm, Andy McDonald, Jamie Langenbrunner and Aaron Ward... |
Ingolstadt Ingolstadt Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents... |
Saturn Arena Saturn Arena Saturn Arena is an arena in Ingolstadt, Germany. It is primarily used for the ice hockey club ERC Ingolstadt. Saturn Arena opened in 2003 and holds 4,815 people.- External links :*... |
4,815 | 1964 |
| Iserlohn Roosters Iserlohn Roosters The Iserlohn Roosters are a professional ice hockey team based in Iserlohn, North-Rhine-Westphalia. They are members of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga since 2000 and play their home games at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn which is also known as Eissporthalle am Seilersee. Playing nine years in the DEL the... |
Iserlohn Iserlohn Iserlohn is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region.-Geography:... |
Eissporthalle Iserlohn Eissporthalle Iserlohn Eissporthalle Iserlohn GEOCACHE is an arena in Iserlohn, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of Iserlohn Roosters. It opened in 1971 and holds 4,999 People- External links :*... |
5,000 | 1959 |
| Kölner Haie Kölner Haie The Kölner Haie are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.The team colours are red and white.... |
Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... |
Lanxess Arena | 18,500 | 1972 |
| Krefeld Pinguine Krefeld Pinguine The Krefeld Pinguine are an ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play in Krefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the KönigPALAST. Founded first in 1936, the pro team became a limited liability company in 1994 and joined the top tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga... |
Krefeld Krefeld Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine... |
König Palast König Palast König Palast is an arena in Krefeld, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey, and is the home to the Krefeld Pinguine of the DEL. König Palast opened in 2004 and holds 8,000 people.-External links:*... |
8,000 | 1936 |
| Adler Mannheim Adler Mannheim Adler Mannheim are an ice hockey team of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest ice hockey league in Germany. The team is from Mannheim, a city in the north of Baden-Wurttemberg... |
Mannheim Mannheim Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart.... |
SAP Arena SAP Arena SAP Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Mannheim, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and handball, and is the home arena of the Adler Mannheim ice hockey club and the "Rhein-Neckar-Löwen" handball club. Inaugurated in 2005, the arena has a capacity of up to 15,000 people.More than a... |
13,600 | 1938 |
| EHC München Eishockeyclub München Eishockeyclub München is a professional ice hockey club based in Munich, Germany that currently plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-History:... |
Münich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
Olympia Eishalle Olympia Eishalle Olympia Eishalle is an indoor sporting arena located in Munich, Germany. It is used for various indoor events and is the home arena of the ice hockey team Eishockeyclub München now playing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The capacity of the arena is 6,256 spectators.-External links:*... |
6,256 | 1967 |
| Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers | Nuremberg Nuremberg Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664... |
Arena Nürnberger Versicherung | 8,400 | 1980 |
| Straubing Tigers Straubing Tigers The Straubing Tigers are a professional men's ice hockey team in the German Ice Hockey League . They play out of Straubing, Germany, and they play their home games at Eisstadion am Pulverturm, which can hold 5,800 spectators.... |
Straubing Straubing Straubing is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held.... |
Eisstadion am Pulverturm Eisstadion am Pulverturm Eisstadion am Pulverturm is an arena in Straubing, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of Straubing Tigers. It opened in 1967 and holds nearly 6,000 people. It is one of the smallest arenas in the DEL.... |
6,000 | 1948 |
| Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg | Wolfsburg Wolfsburg Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG... |
Eisarena Wolfsburg Eisarena Wolfsburg Eisarena Wolfsburg is an arena in Wolfsburg, Germany. It is primarily used for the ice hockey club EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams. Eisarena Wolfsburg opened in 2006 and holds 4,660 people.-External links:*... |
4,660 | 1975 |
| Former Teams | ||||
| Füchse Duisburg | Duisburg Duisburg - History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC... |
Scania Arena Scania Arena Scania Arena is an arena in Duisburg, Germany which was named by Scania, the Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of EV Duisburg Die Füchse. It opened in 1970 and holds 4,800 people.... |
4,800 | 1971 |
| Frankfurt Lions Frankfurt Lions The Frankfurt Lions were a professional men's ice hockey club from Frankfurt, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club ceased operations in 2010 due to financial difficulty.-History:... |
Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... |
Eissporthalle Frankfurt | 6,946 | 1959 |
| Hannover Indians | Hanover Hanover Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg... |
Eisstadion am Pferdeturm | 4,600 | 1948 |
| Kassel Huskies Kassel Huskies The Kassel Huskies were a professional ice hockey team based in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. They played the majority of their seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.The club was founded as ESG Kassel in 1977 and was renamed into EC Kassel in 1987... |
Kassel Kassel Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :... |
Eissporthalle Kassel Eissporthalle Kassel Eissporthalle Kassel is an arena in Kassel, Germany. It opened in 1977 and holds 6,100 spectators. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of Kassel Huskies of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-External links:*... |
6,100 | 1977 |
| Landshut Cannibals Landshut Cannibals The Landshut Cannibals are a professional ice hockey team based in Landshut, Bavaria. Currently they are members of the 2nd Bundesliga. The team was founded in 1948 as Eislaufverein Landshut , but since 2002 the professional team is organised as “Landshut Cannibals”. The EVL is still responsible... |
Landshut Landshut Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the... |
Eisstadion am Gutenbergweg Eisstadion am Gutenbergweg The Eisstadion am Gutenbergweg is an indoor sporting arena located in Landshut, Germany. It is primarily used for ice hockey. The complex of buildings consists of two ice rinks, one generally used for training purposes. The second arena is the home venue of the Landshut Cannibals, a professional... |
7,000 | 1948 |
| Lausitzer Füchse Lausitzer Füchse The Lausitzer Füchse is a German ice hockey team, based in Weißwasser, Saxony.- History :The team was founded already in 1932 but is most significant for its remarkable domination as SG Dynamo Weißwasser in the GDR ice hockey league with over 25 championships... |
Weisswasser Weißwasser Weißwasser is a town in Upper Lusatia in eastern Saxony, Germany.Weißwasser is the third largest town in the Görlitz district after Görlitz and Zittau. The town's landmark is its water tower.- History :... |
Eisstadion Weisswasser | 3,000 | 1932 |
| München Barons | Münich Munich Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat... |
Olympia-Eissportzentrum | 6,300 | 1999 |
League regulations
The DEL is an independently run league, fully owned and operated by its 15 member teams. Each team must fulfill the DEL's basic requirements to remain in the league:- A written application for membership;
- "On ice qualification" for new teams (championship in the 2nd Bundesliga);
- A stadium that meets DEL standards;
- Financial qualification;
- Formation of an ordinary company (the DEL consists of franchises);
- Development program for young players; and
- Purchase of a license (currently, the licensing fee is set at € 800,000.00)
The DEL can only admit one 2nd Bundesliga team per season to the league, unless the league strength falls below fourteen, in which case two clubs can be admitted. Since the 2006–07 season, no DEL team can be automatically relegated, a team can only lose its league status through non-compliance with the leagues regulations (see above).
From the 2008–09 season on, each DEL club will only be allowed to have ten non-EEC
EEC
EEC is an abbreviation that usually refers to the European Economic Community, the forerunner to the European Union.It may also refer to;* The East Erie Commercial Railroad, a shortline in Pennsylvania...
players under contract.
The ESBG guarantees to admit any DEL team wishing to step down to the lower 2nd Bundesliga or Oberliga
Oberliga (Ice Hockey)
The Oberliga is currently the third tier of ice hockey in Germany. In the 2007-08 season, the Oberliga is split in a northern and a southern group.-1948-58:...
. The team, however, has to purchase a license (licensing fees for the 2nd Bundesliga are currently set at € 100,000.00).
To regulate the relationship between the DEL, the DEB and the ESBG (2nd Bundesliga), a so called Kooperationsvertrag exists. This cooperation contract was signed in December 2005., and is valid until 2011. This contract ended years of dispute between the three organizations over competencies and financial issues.
In November 2007, the DEL announced another change in policy. The league expanded to allow 16 teams beginning in the 2008–09 season, resulting in direct promotion for the 2nd Bundesliga
2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)
The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
league champions, should they fulfill all requirements and be interested in joining the DEL. Should this not be the case, or a current DEL team resigns from the league, a selection process would determine the club, or clubs, who would be eligible to join in order required to archive 16 teams. (Note: Füchse Duisburg resigned before the 2009-2010 season and was not replaced until the following season.)
Additionally, a new format for the game schedule will limit the number of regular season games to 52 for each team. This is achieved by each team playing four games against eleven others and two games against the remaining four. To determine which teams play which, the final standings of the previous season are used.
The DEL would also reintroduce promotion once more. The first- and second-lowest ranked teams will play a best-of-seven series to determine which team faces the 2nd Bundesliga
2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)
The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
champion for a place in the league. There is, however, an ongoing dispute about those games as second division teams may only have five foreign players on contract, and therefore face a handicap in comparison to the DEL teams with twelve import players each. For now, the ESBG has declared that no team from the 2nd Bundesliga would take part in these matches and therefore no promotion/relegation with the DEL will take place.
Past champions
DEL standings
30 clubs have played in the DEL since founding, with 15 currently playing. Since 2007, 10 clubs have qualified for the play offs. The 1994 standing represents the 1st/2nd Bundesliga.| Club | 1994 Ice hockey Bundesliga The Ice hockey Bundesliga was formed in 1958 as the elite hockey competition in the Federal Republic of Germany, replacing the Oberliga in this position... |
1995 1994–95 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 1994–95 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the inaugural season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Kölner Haie the won the first DEL season to become German Champions.... |
1996 1995–96 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 1995–96 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 2nd season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .As a replacement for the Mad Dogs München, the SC Riessersee moved up from the 2nd Bundesliga. However, continuing the financial unrest in the German Ice Hockey, SC Riessersee, as well as ESG Sachsen... |
1997 1996–97 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 1996–97 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 3rd season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .Adler Mannheim became the DEL Champion, winning a German title for the second time in their history... |
1998 1997–98 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 1997–98 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 4th season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .Adler Mannheim became the DEL Champion for the second time in a row, winning a German title for the third time in their history. The season had its share of instability... |
1999 1998–99 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 1998–99 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 5th season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .Adler Mannheim continued their dominance in German ice-hockey and became the DEL Champion for the third time in row, winning a German title for the fourth time in their history... |
2000 1999–00 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 1999–2000 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 6th season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .An agreement was reached between DEL and the 1. Liga. With DEL being the top-level league, it would be known as the DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga, and the 1. Liga as the 2. Bundesliga... |
2001 2000–01 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2000–01 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 7th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Adler Mannheim won the DEL Championship the fourth time in 5 seasons, extending their dominance in German ice hockey. It was also the fifth time in their history they held the... |
2002 2001–02 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2001–02 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 8th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The league also introduced a new logo, that will stay in use until the 2011-2012 season.... |
2003 2002–03 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2002–03 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 9th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Krefeld Pinguine became German Champions... |
2004 2003–04 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2003–04 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 10th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Frankfurt Lions became German Champions, and the Wölfe Freiburg were relegated back to the 2... |
2005 2004–05 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2004–05 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 11th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The Eisbären Berlin became first time German Champion, a feat they will repeat a number of times in the next seasons... |
2006 2005–06 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2005–06 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 12th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The German champion Eisbären Berlin defended its title in the final game on 17 April 2005... |
2007 2006–07 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2006–07 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 13th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . The league was played with 14 clubs in the 2006-07 season, the same number as the previous season... |
2008 2007–08 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2007–08 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 14th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . 15 Teams played after the Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg received the license and were admitted to play in the DEL. Each club played the other four times, resulting in 56 regular season games... |
2009 2008–09 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season The 2008–09 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 15th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga . 16 Teams played after the 2. Bundesliga Champion, the Kassel Huskies received the license to play in the DEL... |
2010 2009–10 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season -Regular season:GP = Games Played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime win, SOW = Shootout win, OTL = Overtime loss, SOL = Shootout loss, L = LossColor code: = Direct Playoff qualification, = Playoff qualification round, = No playoffSource:... |
2011 2010–11 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season -Regular season:GP = Games Played, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime win, SOW = Shootout win, OTL = Overtime loss, SOL = Shootout loss, L = LossColor code: = Direct Playoff qualification, = Playoff qualification round, = No playoff -Playoff... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Tigers | 2BL | 12 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Eisbären Berlin | 1BL | 17 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Kölner Haie | 1BL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 9 |
| Iserlohn Roosters 1 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 12 | |||||||
| Mannheimer Adler | 1BL | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 7 |
| Hamburg Freezers 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 11 | |||||||||
| Hannover Scorpions | 14 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | |||
| Düsseldorfer EG | 1BL | 5 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | ||
| ERC Ingolstadt | 12 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||
| Krefeld Pinguine | 1BL | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 4 |
| Augsburger Panther | 2BL | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 14 |
| Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg | 13 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Straubing Tigers | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | |||||||||||||
| EHC München | 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| Kassel Huskies | 2BL | 7 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | |||
| Frankfurt Lions | 2BL | 10 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 2 | |
| EV Duisburg | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| Freiburg Wölfe | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| Schwenninger Wild Wings | 1BL | 9 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 14 | ||||||||
| Revier Löwen Oberhausen | 14 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 13 | |||||||||||||
| Moskitos Essen | 15 | 16 | 14 | |||||||||||||||
| Preussen Berlin | 1BL | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 15 | |||||||||
| München Barons 2 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Star Bulls Rosenheim 1 | 1BL | 8 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 12 | |||||||||||
| Landshut Cannibals 3 | 1BL | 2 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Ratinger Löwen | 1BL | 16 | 10 | 16 | ||||||||||||||
| ESV Kaufbeuren | 1BL | 11 | 15 | 13 | ||||||||||||||
| SC Riessersee | 14 | |||||||||||||||||
| Hannover Indians | 2BL | 14 | 16 | |||||||||||||||
| Lausitzer Füchse | 2BL | 15 | 18 | |||||||||||||||
| Mad Dogs München 4 | 1BL | 18 |
| Color code | Result |
|---|---|
| Gold | Champion |
| Silver | Finalist |
| Green | Semi finalist |
| Blue | 1st round |
| Purple | Preliminary round |
| White | not qualified for play-offs |
- 1 In 2001, the Star Bulls Rosenheim sold their DEL licence to the Iserlohn Roosters.
- 2 In 2002, the München Barons relocated to become the Hamburg Freezers.
- 3 In 1999, the Landshut Cannibals sold their DEL licence to the München Barons.
- 4 In 1995, the Mad Dogs München folded during the regular season.
- In the 1995 and 1996 season, 16 clubs were qualified for the play offs.
- In the 1998 season, 14 clubs were qualified for the play offs.
Former Teams
- BSC Preussen BerlinBSC PreussenBSC Preussen was an ice hockey team in Berlin, Germany. They played between the first and fourth level of German ice hockey from 1983-2005.-History:...
later BSchC Preussen, dissolved 2005
refounded as Eissport & Schlittschuh Club 2007 Berlin - Frankfurt LionsFrankfurt LionsThe Frankfurt Lions were a professional men's ice hockey club from Frankfurt, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club ceased operations in 2010 due to financial difficulty.-History:...
dissolved July 5, 2010 due to bankruptcy - Füchse Duisburg
- ESG Füchse Sachsen Weißwasser/ChemnitzLausitzer FüchseThe Lausitzer Füchse is a German ice hockey team, based in Weißwasser, Saxony.- History :The team was founded already in 1932 but is most significant for its remarkable domination as SG Dynamo Weißwasser in the GDR ice hockey league with over 25 championships...
now Lausitzer Füchse - EC HannoverEC HannoverThe Hannover Indians are a professional German ice hockey team and public limited company from Hanover in Lower Saxony which was renamed in 2006 from the Kleefelder Eissportverein to the EC Hannover Indians. Since 2002 the team had played in the Oberliga and was promoted in the 2008 2009 season to...
now Hannover Indians
- Kassel HuskiesKassel HuskiesThe Kassel Huskies were a professional ice hockey team based in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. They played the majority of their seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.The club was founded as ESG Kassel in 1977 and was renamed into EC Kassel in 1987...
dissolved August 27, 2010 due to bankruptcy - Kaufbeurer Adler
- EV Landshut
now Landshut Cannibals - Maddogs MünchenMaddogs MünchenThe Maddogs Munchen were an ice hockey team in Munich, Germany. They played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga for the 1994-95 season.The club was founded as EHC 70 Munchen in 1970. For the 1994-95 season, the newly-christened Maddogs started playing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
dissolved 1994 due to bankruptcy - Moskitos Essen
- Munich BaronsMunich BaronsThe Munich Barons were a professional ice hockey team between 1999 and 2002 run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group in the German Ice Hockey League ...
- EC Ratingen "Die Löwen"Ratinger LöwenRatinger Lowen was an ice hockey team in Ratingen, Germany. They played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1994-1996. The club was founded in 1979.-History:...
later Revierlöwen Oberhausen - Revierlöwen OberhausenRevierlöwen OberhausenReiverlowen Oberhausen was an ice hockey team in Oberhausen, Germany. They played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1998-2002.The club was founded in 1997, and folded in 2007.-Season-by-season record:...
dissolved 2007 - Starbulls RosenheimStarbulls RosenheimStarbulls Rosenheim is an ice hockey team from Germany. The team joined SB/DJK Rosenheim in 1979, after EV Rosenheim had folded, and in 1994 the team adopted their current name.The team played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1995-2000...
- SERC Wild Wings
- SC RiesserseeSC RiesserseeSC Riessersee is an ice hockey team from Germany.They play their home games at the Olympia-Eissport-Zentrum, located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberbayern. They currently play in the second level of German ice hockey, the 2...
- Wölfe FreiburgWölfe FreiburgWolfe Freiburg is an ice hockey team in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. They play in the 2nd Bundesliga, the second level of ice hockey in Germany.-History:...
External links
- Meltzer, Bill. "Germany a Hockey Haven for Former NHL Players" at NHL.com Retrieved 03-23-06.
- Meltzer, Bill. "Three European Champs, Three Different Paths to the Top" at NHL.com Retrieved 08-18-06.
- Official DEL website (in German)
- Official Website of the German Ice Hockey-Federation - DEB
- Official DEB-MySpace-Website
- Hockeyarenas - DEL Arenas
- GermanHockey.net - English news site on German DEL hockey
- Internet Hockey Database - standings and statistics
- Hockey Archives - International ice hockey website with tables and results (in French)
See also
- German championsGerman champions (ice hockey)- 1912-1948 :- 1949-58: Oberliga in West Germany :- 1958-94: Bundesliga:* Until 1990, the Bundesliga covered only West Germany. After the reunification of the country, East German clubs took part in the competition to.- 1995 - current: DEL :...
- 2nd Bundesliga2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the DEB, the German Ice Hockey Federation. In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 teams.- History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga :...
- OberligaOberliga (Ice Hockey)The Oberliga is currently the third tier of ice hockey in Germany. In the 2007-08 season, the Oberliga is split in a northern and a southern group.-1948-58:...