Deutsche Eishockey Liga
This article's lead section may be too long. (February 2022) |
Upcoming season or competition: 2023–24 DEL season | |
Formerly | Eishockey-Bundesliga |
---|---|
Sport | Ice hockey |
Founded | 1994 |
No. of teams | 14 |
Country | Germany |
Most recent champion(s) | EHC Red Bull München (4th title) (2022–23) |
Most titles | Eisbären Berlin (9 titles) |
TV partner(s) | Magenta Sport ServusTV/DF1 |
Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
Relegation to | DEL2 |
International cup(s) | Champions Hockey League |
Related competitions | DEL2Oberliga |
Official website | penny-del.org |
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called
Teams from the DEL participate in the IIHF's annual Champions Hockey League (CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian Kontinental Hockey League). Going into the 2022–23 CHL season, the DEL was ranked the No. 3 league in Europe, allowing them to send their top four teams to compete in the CHL.
In the 2016–17 season, the league was the second-best supported ice hockey league in Europe, behind the Swiss
In the DEL Winter Game, similar to the
The DEL is known for its game-day atmosphere, as well as producing NHL talents including
A new system of promotion and relegation with the
The DEL Playoffs determine the season champions in a similar format to the NHL. Each team plays 52 regular-season games to determine the regular-season champions before the top 10 teams are seeded and qualify for the playoffs. The top 6 teams receive a bye to the quarter-finals while the teams ranked 7–10 compete in the pre-playoff (wildcard) round. The seedings are re-calculated after each round in a straight knockout system. The DEL Finals, held in late April or early May, is a best-of-seven games format, similarly to the
For the 2021–22 season and 2020–21 season, a shortened version of the DEL playoffs was used in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eisbären Berlin won the 2022 Finals against EHC Red Bull München 3-1 in a best-of-5 format. Berlin also won the title in 2021, defeating Wolfsburg 2-1 in a best-of-3 series following a North/South regional league split during the 2020/21 season due to the pandemic.
The Eisbären Berlin and Adler Mannheim are the most successful DEL clubs and have won the last three editions between them (Mannheim 2019, Berlin 2021 & 2022). Mannheim have enjoyed a lot of success in recent years (2015 and 2019 Champions, 2021 Regular Season Champions) although EHC Red Bull München won three consecutive titles between 2016 and 2018 and also made the 2019 final, losing to Mannheim in five games. München were also top of the 2020 standings before the season was curtailed. ERC Ingolstadt (2014 Champions as the 9th seed) and Grizzlys Wolfsburg (2021 runners-up) have also enjoyed deep playoff runs in the last decade.
Some of the league's biggest rivalries include Kölner Haie and Düsseldorfer EG, Kölner Haie and Adler Mannheim, and Eisbären Berlin and EHC Red Bull München. The Bavarian Derbies between München, ERC Ingolstadt, Augsburger Panther, Straubing Tigers, and Nürnberg Ice Tigers are also fiercely contested. Due to geography, Nürnberg/Straubing and Augsburg/Ingolstadt are notable rivalries although Munich/Augsburg has become a stronger rivalry following their epic 2019 semi-final series. München won that series in the deciding game 7 which also included the longest match in DEL history, won by Augsburger Panther after 104 minutes of action in game 3, as two matches required three overtimes to determine a winner.
History
The Eishockey-Bundesliga 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 Deutsche Eishockey Liga, which now also carries the name 1st Bundesliga in its logo.
The DEL was founded in the 1994–95 season, consisting of teams from the Eishockey-Bundesliga's
In the final Bundesliga season, 1993–94, only 11 teams wanted to play in the 2nd Bundesliga. Furthermore, two teams folded during and after the season. Ice hockey's reputation in Germany was heavily tarnished. This made it difficult to attract serious sponsorship. In 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 were incorporated as well. The goal behind the DEL was to create a league, based on the model of the North American
The hope of avoiding the troubles of the old Bundesliga by stricter financial controls did not materialize. During DEL's
The
Following an agreement with the DEB the league renamed itself as "DEL – Die 1. Bundesliga" in the
The
League regulations
The DEL is an independently run league, fully owned and operated by its 14 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).
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 was valid until 2011. This contract ended years of dispute between the three organizations over competencies and financial issues.[2][3]
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 achieve 16 teams. (Note: Füchse Duisburg resigned before the 2009–10 season and was not replaced until the following season.)
For that season, it was also mandated that each DEL club would be allowed to have no more than ten non-
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, 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.[4] 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.[5]
Teams
Members of the 2023–24 DEL season.
Team | City | State | Arena | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Augsburger Panther | Augsburg | Bavaria | Curt Frenzel Stadium | 6,218 |
Eisbären Berlin | Berlin | Berlin | Mercedes-Benz Arena
|
14,200 |
Fischtown Pinguins | Bremerhaven | Bremen | Eisarena Bremerhaven | 4,674 |
Düsseldorfer EG | Düsseldorf | North Rhine-Westphalia | ISS Dome
|
13,400 |
ERC Ingolstadt | Ingolstadt | Bavaria | Saturn Arena | 4,815 |
Iserlohn Roosters | Iserlohn | North Rhine-Westphalia | Eissporthalle Iserlohn | 5,000 |
Kölner Haie | Cologne | North Rhine-Westphalia | Lanxess Arena | 18,500 |
Adler Mannheim | Mannheim | Baden-Württemberg | SAP Arena | 13,600 |
EHC Red Bull München | Munich | Bavaria | Olympia Eishalle | 6,256 |
Nürnberg Ice Tigers | Nuremberg | Bavaria | Arena Nürnberger Versicherung | 7,810 |
Schwenninger Wild Wings | Villingen-Schwenningen | Baden-Württemberg | Helios Arena | 6,215 |
Straubing Tigers | Straubing | Bavaria | Eisstadion am Pulverturm | 6,000 |
Grizzlys Wolfsburg | Wolfsburg | Lower Saxony | Eis Arena Wolfsburg | 4,660 |
Löwen Frankfurt | Frankfurt | Hesse | Eissporthalle Frankfurt | 6,946 |
Former teams
- BSC Preussen Berlin
later BSchC Preussen/Berlin Capitals, dissolved 2005
refounded as Eissport & Schlittschuh Club 2007 Berlin - Frankfurt Lions
dissolved 5 July 2010 due to bankruptcy[6] - Füchse Duisburg
- ESG Füchse Sachsen Weißwasser/Chemnitz
now Lausitzer Füchse - Hamburg Freezers
ceased operations 24 May 2016[7][8] - EC Hannover
now Hannover Indians - Hannover Scorpions
- Kassel Huskies
dissolved 27 August 2010 due to bankruptcy[9] - Kaufbeurer Adler
- EV Landshut
- Maddogs München
dissolved 1994 due to bankruptcy - Moskitos Essen
- Munich Barons
relocated in 2002 to become Hamburg Freezers - EC Ratingen "Die Löwen"
relocated in 1997 to become Revierlöwen Oberhausen - Revierlöwen Oberhausen
- Starbulls Rosenheim
- SC Riessersee
- Wölfe Freiburg
- Bietigheim Steelers
- Krefeld Pinguine
Champions
Past champions
- 1994–95 Kölner Haie
- 1995–96 Düsseldorfer EG
- 1996–97 Adler Mannheim
- 1997–98 Adler Mannheim
- 1998–99 Adler Mannheim
- 1999–00 Munich Barons
- 2000–01 Adler Mannheim
- 2001–02 Kölner Haie
- 2002–03 Krefeld Pinguine
- 2003–04 Frankfurt Lions
- 2004–05 Eisbären Berlin
- 2005–06 Eisbären Berlin
- 2006–07 Adler Mannheim
- 2007–08 Eisbären Berlin
- 2008–09 Eisbären Berlin
- 2009–10 Hannover Scorpions
- 2010–11 Eisbären Berlin
- 2011–12 Eisbären Berlin
- 2012–13 Eisbären Berlin
- 2013–14 ERC Ingolstadt
- 2014–15 Adler Mannheim
- 2015–16 EHC München
- 2016–17 EHC München
- 2017–18 EHC München
- 2018–19 Adler Mannheim
- 2019–20 EHC München (RS) 7
- 2020–21 Eisbären Berlin
- 2021–22 Eisbären Berlin
- 2022–23 EHC München
Titles by club
Club | Titles | Winning years |
---|---|---|
Eisbären Berlin | 9
|
2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
Adler Mannheim | 7
|
1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2014–15, 2018–19 |
EHC Red Bull München | 4
|
2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2022–23 |
Kölner Haie | 2
|
1994–95, 2001–02 |
Düsseldorfer EG | 1
|
1995–96 |
Munich Barons | 1
|
1999–00 |
Krefeld Pinguine | 1
|
2002–03 |
Frankfurt Lions | 1
|
2003–04 |
Hannover Scorpions | 1
|
2009–10 |
ERC Ingolstadt | 1
|
2013–14 |
All-time standings
33 clubs have played in the DEL since founding, with 15 currently playing. The 1994 standing represents the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.
Club | No. | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 207 | 218 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fischtown Pinguins | 5 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eisbären Berlin | 28 | 1BL | 17 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | |
Straubing Tigers | 15 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||||
EHC München5 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Grizzlys Wolfsburg | 15 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||||||
Schwenninger Wild Wings | 18 | 1BL | 9 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 6 | ||||||||||
Adler Mannheim | 28 | 1BL | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
ERC Ingolstadt | 19 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 8 | |||||||||
Kölner Haie | 28 | 1BL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 9 |
Nürnberg Ice Tigers | 27 | 2BL | 12 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Düsseldorfer EG 6 | 26 | 1BL | 5 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 11 | ||
Löwen Frankfurt | 10 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Iserlohn Roosters 1 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 13 | |||||||
Augsburger Panther | 27 | 2BL | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 |
Bietigheim Steelers | 1 | 13 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Krefeld Pinguine | 28 | 1BL | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | ||
Hamburg Freezers 2 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||
Frankfurt Lions | 16 | 2BL | 10 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
Hannover Scorpions | 17 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 11 | ||||||||||||||
Kassel Huskies | 14 | 2BL | 7 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||
EV Duisburg | 4 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wölfe Freiburg | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Revierlöwen Oberhausen | 5 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Moskitos Essen | 3 | 15 | 16 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preussen Berlin | 8 | 1BL | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Munich Barons 2 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Starbulls Rosenheim 1 | 6 | 1BL | 8 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Landshut Cannibals 3 | 5 | 1BL | 2 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ratinger Löwen | 3 | 1BL | 16 | 10 | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ESV Kaufbeuren | 3 | 1BL | 11 | 15 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SC Riessersee | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hannover Indians | 2 | 2BL | 14 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lausitzer Füchse | 2 | 2BL | 15 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maddogs München 4 | 1 | 1BL | 18 |
Color code | Result |
---|---|
Gold | Play-off champion |
Silver | Play-off finalist |
Green | Semi-finalist |
Blue | 1st round |
Purple | Preliminary round |
White | Did not qualify for play-offs |
Red | Relegated to DEL2 or folded mid-season |
Bold | Regular season champion |
Italics | Play-offs not conducted |
No. | Number of seasons in league (as of 2020–21) |
Notes
- 1 In 2001, the Starbulls Rosenheim sold their DEL licence to the Iserlohn Roosters.
- 2 In 2002, the Munich Barons relocated to become the Hamburg Freezers.
- 3 In 1999, the Landshut Cannibals sold their DEL licence to the Munich Barons.
- 4 In 1995, the Maddogs München folded during the regular season.
- 5 In 2012, the EHC München changed their name to EHC Red Bull München.
- 6 In 2012, the DEG Metro Stars changed their name to Düsseldorfer EG.
- 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.
- 7 The 2020 season was ended prematurely due to the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the cancellation of the play-offs. The teams are listed by their placement in the regular season.[10]
- 8 The 2021 playoffs were conducted under a reduced format, with no preliminary round and only eight playoff teams.
See also
References
- ^ "SC Bern on top for 16th time in a row". iihf.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
- ^ "Kooperationsvertrages" (PDF) (in German). DEL. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ "Fragen zur DEL" (in German). DEL. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ "DEL: Neuer Modus mit Auf- und Abstieg" (in German). Hockeyweb.de. 21 November 2007. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ "DEL: Kein Auf- und Abstieg" (in German). kicker.de. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
- ^ "Frankfurt Lions akzeptieren Entscheidung der DEL" (in German). frankfurt-lions-gmbh.de. Archived from the original on 6 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
- ^ "Hamburg Freezers beantragen keine DEL-Lizenz für die Saison 2016/17" (in German). hamburg-freezers.de. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "Hamburg Freezers werden keine DEL-Lizenz für die saison 2016/17 beantragen" (in German). hamburg-freezers.de. 18 May 2016. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
- ^ "OLG Köln besiegelt DEL-Aus, Team siegt trotzdem noch einmal" (in German). huskies-online.de. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Deutsche Eishockey Liga beendet Saison vorzeitig". del.org (in German). Archived from the original on 13 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
External links
- Meltzer, Bill. "Three European Champs, Three Different Paths to the Top" at NHL.com[permanent dead link] Retrieved 08–18–06.
- Official DEL website (in German)
- Official Website of the German Ice Hockey-Federation – DEB (in German)
- Hockeyarenas – DEL Arenas
- Internet Hockey Database – standings and statistics
- Hockey Archives – International ice hockey website with tables and results (in French)