The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called "PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga") (; English: ''German Ice Hockey League'') or DEL, is a German professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
league and the highest division in German ice hockey. Founded in 1994, it was formed as a replacement for the
Eishockey-Bundesliga and became the new top-tier league in Germany as a result. Unlike the old Bundesliga, the DEL is not under the administration of the
German Ice Hockey Federation
The German Ice Hockey Federation (), commonly abbreviated as DEB, is the governing federation of German ice hockey associations. It was established on 16 June 1963 in Krefeld. Until 1990 it served only the old Federal Republic of Germany and West ...
. The DEL is regarded as one of Europe's premier ice hockey divisions behind leagues in Sweden, Finland and Switzerland. Three German clubs represent the DEL on the European stage each season in the
Champions Hockey League
The Champions Hockey League is a European first-level ice hockey tournament. Launched in the 2014–15 season by 26 clubs, 6 leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the tournament features top teams across Europe.
Backgrou ...
, although no German club has yet won this competition.
In the 2016–17 season, the league was the second-best supported ice hockey league in Europe, behind the Swiss
National League A
The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and is the top tier of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A. During the 2018–19 season, the league h ...
, with an average attendance of 6,198 spectators per game. Fifteen different teams comprise the league, playing their home games in a diverse mix of venues, including a few large, modern arenas (e.g. in Berlin, Mannheim, Cologne, and Düsseldorf) and older, smaller venues (e.g. in Bietigheim, Schwenningen, and Straubing).
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.
The ''Kölner Haie'' play their hom ...
(English: Cologne Sharks),
Düsseldorfer EG
Düsseldorfer EG (short DEG) 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. The famous Eisstadion at the Brehmstrasse was the home venue for ...
, and
Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
(Berlin Polar Bears) all regularly attract over 15,000 fans for home games.
Adler Mannheim (Mannheim Eagles) also regularly attract over 12,000 fans per home game with each of their home games in the 2019 DEL Playoffs, including all three games in the final series against
EHC Red Bull München, selling out. Despite attracting some of the biggest crowds in the DEL, and hosting
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
teams in preseason games, Kölner Haie have not won a championship since 2002.
In the DEL Winter Game, similar to the
NHL Winter Classic where matches are played in larger outdoor venues, Cologne and Düsseldorf have played in front of crowds in excess of 40,000, notably in 2019 as Düsseldorf won in overtime in rival Cologne's
RheinEnergieStadion. The DEL Winter Game traditionally takes place every two years; four editions have been played since 2013, including games in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
and at the home of
TSG Hoffenheim
Turn- und Sportgemeinschaft 1899 Hoffenheim e.V., or simply TSG 1899 Hoffenheim or just Hoffenheim () is a German professional football club based in Hoffenheim, a village of Sinsheim municipality, Baden-Württemberg.
Originally founded in 1 ...
, with each attracting over 30,000 spectators. Following a 2021 postponement due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the DEL Winter Game is set to return in December 2022 with Cologne hosting Mannheim in the RheinEnergieStadion.
The DEL is known for its game-day atmosphere, as well as producing NHL talents including
Dominik Kahun of
EHC Red Bull München. Many of the German national team that
took silver at the
2018 Winter Olympics
The 2018 Winter Olympics ( ko, 2018년 동계 올림픽, Icheon sip-pal nyeon Donggye Ollimpik), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (french: Les XXIIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver; ko, 제23회 동계 올림픽, Jeisipsamhoe Donggye Ollimpi ...
in
Pyeongchang played in the DEL, while
EHC Red Bull München became the first German team to reach the
Champions Hockey League
The Champions Hockey League is a European first-level ice hockey tournament. Launched in the 2014–15 season by 26 clubs, 6 leagues and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the tournament features top teams across Europe.
Backgrou ...
final in
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, losing to the Swedish team
Frölunda HC.
EHC Red Bull München followed this up by reaching the semi-finals in the
2021-22 Champions Hockey League. Ice hockey is growing as a sport in Germany and is seen as a popular alternative to
football or
handball, building upon the Olympic success in 2018.
A new system of promotion and relegation with the
DEL2
DEL2 (also known as DEL II) is the second tier ice hockey league in Germany, below the '' Deutsche Eishockey Liga'' (DEL) and ahead of the '' Oberliga''. Founded in 2013 to replace the defunct '' 2nd Bundesliga'', DEL2 is administered by ESBG, ...
began with the
2021–22 season, in which the last-placed DEL club will be replaced by the DEL2 champions.
SC Bietigheim Steelers joined the DEL for the
2021-22 DEL season
Increment or incremental may refer to:
* Incrementalism, a theory (also used in politics as a synonym for gradualism)
* Increment and decrement operators, the operators ++ and -- in computer programming
* Incremental computing
* Incremental backu ...
as DEL2 champions ahead of the first promotion/relegation to
DEL2
DEL2 (also known as DEL II) is the second tier ice hockey league in Germany, below the '' Deutsche Eishockey Liga'' (DEL) and ahead of the '' Oberliga''. Founded in 2013 to replace the defunct '' 2nd Bundesliga'', DEL2 is administered by ESBG, ...
. Following the conclusion of the
2021–22 season, Bietigheim retained their place in the top flight while
Krefeld Pinguine
The Krefeld Pinguine (Krefeld Penguins) are an ice hockey team in the DEL2. Their home ice is in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the König Palast. Founded first in 1936 by Willi Münstermann, the pro team became a limited liabil ...
were relegated after finishing bottom of the table.
Löwen Frankfurt (Frankfurt Lions) will be promoted as
DEL2
DEL2 (also known as DEL II) is the second tier ice hockey league in Germany, below the '' Deutsche Eishockey Liga'' (DEL) and ahead of the '' Oberliga''. Founded in 2013 to replace the defunct '' 2nd Bundesliga'', DEL2 is administered by ESBG, ...
champions for the
2022–23 season.
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
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
where the top seed remaining holds home-field advantage in a Game 7 scenario.
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
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
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
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
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
ERC Ingolstadt (''Eishockey-und-Rollschuh club'', ) is a German professional ice hockey club that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Commonly known as the Panthers, the team plays its home games at the Saturn Arena in Ingolstadt.
History ...
(2014 Champions as the 9th seed) and
Grizzlys Wolfsburg
Grizzlys Wolfsburg are a professional ice hockey club of the German professional ice hockey league Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play their games at Eisarena in Wolfsburg.
History
Wolfsburg earned their first promotion to the DEL in 2004. Howe ...
(2021 runners-up) have also enjoyed deep playoff runs in the last decade.
Some of the league's biggest rivalries include
Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.
The ''Kölner Haie'' play their hom ...
and
Düsseldorfer SG, Cologne and
Adler Mannheim, and
Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
and
EHC Red Bull München. The Bavarian Derbies between München,
ERC Ingolstadt
ERC Ingolstadt (''Eishockey-und-Rollschuh club'', ) is a German professional ice hockey club that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Commonly known as the Panthers, the team plays its home games at the Saturn Arena in Ingolstadt.
History ...
,
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.
Founded in 1878, the team's name was Augsburger EV ...
,
Straubing Tigers, and
Nürnberg Ice Tigers
The Nürnberg Ice Tigers are a professional ice hockey club located in Nuremberg, Germany. They play in the country's premier league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
History
The roots of the team can be traced back to SG Nürnberg, an ice hockey cl ...
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
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.
Founded in 1878, the team's name was Augsburger EV ...
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
1st and
2nd divisions. The condition of these earlier leagues had become intolerable. Many 1st and 2nd division teams were heavily in debt. The 2nd division attracted few sponsors and spectators. As a result, many clubs were forced to fold or withdraw to the lower leagues. Fans and corporate sponsors focused on the 1st Bundesliga teams, forcing the elite teams to invest heavily in players to avoid relegation. This increased budgets 25 percent over the previous two years.
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
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, in which teams could play consistently without relegation concerns and create a stable league. Clubs in the DEL were required to conform to
rules
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education
* Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia
Human activity
* The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power
* Business rule, a rule pert ...
, which 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, which was prominently featured on the new league logo.
The hope of avoiding the troubles of the old ''Bundesliga'' by stricter financial controls did not materialize. During DEL's
initial season, on 18 December 1994, the ''Bundesliga's'' final champion, the renamed ''EC Hedos München'', folded. This was controversial, as DEL's president Franz Hofherr had approved their license and certified 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
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
players were excluded from the "foreign" player quota. In the
1995–96 season following the decision, the DEL teams employed 97 EU players. This lowered costs significantly, enabling smaller teams to compete more effectively. However, 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 as "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
The NHL lockout may refer to any of the four labour actions in the history of the National Hockey League:
* The 1992 NHL strike, which postponed 30 games of the 1991–92 season
* The 1994–95 NHL lockout, which cancelled many of the games of ...
. 26 NHL players came to play the season in the DEL, including
Jamie Langenbrunner
Jamie Craig Langenbrunner (; born July 24, 1975) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Langenbrunner was formerly the captain of the 2010 United States Olympic Team, a member of the 1999 Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup championship ...
,
Erik Cole
Erik Thomas Cole (born November 6, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. Originally drafted by the Hurricanes in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Cole played 15 seasons in the NHL for the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oiler ...
,
Stéphane Robidas,
Doug Weight
Douglas Daniel Weight (born January 21, 1971) is an American professional ice hockey coach, executive and former player. He is also the former head coach and assistant general manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey ...
,
Mike York
Michael Allan York (born January 3, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger. He last played and captained the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Playing career
York was born in Waterford, Michigan. ...
and several German national team players –
Jochen Hecht
Jochen Thomas Hecht (born 21 June 1977) is a German ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player. He has been serving as assistant coach for Adler Mannheim since March 2022.
Hecht played 833 games in the National Hockey League (N ...
,
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig (born 6 April 1970) is a South African-born German former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltender coach and player development coach for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). With the excepti ...
, and
Marco Sturm
Marco Johann Sturm (born September 8, 1978) is a German professional ice hockey coach and former winger who played in the National Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He is currently the Head Coach of the Ontario Reign.
Sturm began his ca ...
.
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.
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
The ''Füchse Duisburg'' are a German ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called h ...
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-
EC players under contract.
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. 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.
Teams
Members of the
2022–23 DEL season.
Former teams
*
BSC Preussen Berlinlater ''BSchC Preussen'', dissolved 2005
refounded as ''Eissport & Schlittschuh Club 2007 Berlin''
*
Frankfurt Lions dissolved 5 July 2010 due to bankruptcy
*
Füchse Duisburg
The ''Füchse Duisburg'' are a German ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called h ...
*
ESG Füchse Sachsen Weißwasser/Chemnitznow Lausitzer Füchse
*
Hamburg Freezers ceased operations 24 May 2016
*
EC Hannovernow Hannover Indians
*
Hannover Scorpions
The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team, which plays in the Oberliga, Germany's third tier ice hockey league. They previously played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1996 to 2013.
History
Founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark, the ...
*
Kassel Huskies
The EC Kassel Huskies are a professional ice hockey club based in Kassel, Hessen, Germany. The club currently competes in DEL2, the second level of ice hockey in Germany. The Huskies were founded in 1977 and have competed in the top five levels ...
dissolved 27 August 2010 due to bankruptcy
*
Kaufbeurer Adler
ESV Kaufbeuren (ESVK) is a professional ice hockey team based in Kaufbeuren, Germany. They currently play in DEL2
DEL2 (also known as DEL II) is the second tier ice hockey league in Germany, below the '' Deutsche Eishockey Liga'' (DEL) and ...
*
EV Landshut
EV Landshut, also known as EVL Landshut Eishockey and formerly known as the Landshut Cannibals, are a professional ice hockey team based in Landshut, Bavaria, Germany. They currently play in Deutsche Eishockey Liga 2, the second level of ice ho ...
*
Maddogs Münchendissolved 1994 due to bankruptcy
*
Moskitos Essen
The Essen Mosquitoes are a professional ice hockey team from Essen, Germany that competed in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) from 1999–2000 until the 2001–02 when they lost their license due to insolvency. After this the team played in t ...
*
Munich Barons
The Munich Barons were a professional ice hockey team between 1999 and 2002 run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in the German Ice Hockey League (''German: Deutsche Eishockey Liga - DEL''). The best year the team had was in 2000 when th ...
relocated in 2002 to become Hamburg Freezers
*
EC Ratingen "Die Löwen"relocated in 1997 to become Revierlöwen Oberhausen
*
Revierlöwen Oberhausen
*
Starbulls Rosenheim
Starbulls Rosenheim is a professional ice hockey team based in Rosenheim, Oberbayern, Germany. They currently play in Oberliga. Prior to the 2013–14 season they played in the 2nd Bundesliga. They play their home games at '' Rofa-Stadion'', loc ...
*
SC Riessersee
SC Riessersee is a professional ice hockey team based in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Oberbayern, Germany. They currently play in The Oberliga, the third level of ice hockey in Germany. Prior to the 2013–14 season, they played in the 2nd Bundesliga ...
*
Wölfe Freiburg
DEL seasons
Past champions
*
1994–95 Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.
The ''Kölner Haie'' play their hom ...
*
1995–96 Düsseldorfer EG
Düsseldorfer EG (short DEG) 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. The famous Eisstadion at the Brehmstrasse was the home venue for ...
*
1996–97 Adler Mannheim
*
1997–98 Adler Mannheim
*
1998–99 Adler Mannheim
*
1999–00 Munich Barons
The Munich Barons were a professional ice hockey team between 1999 and 2002 run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in the German Ice Hockey League (''German: Deutsche Eishockey Liga - DEL''). The best year the team had was in 2000 when th ...
*
2000–01 Adler Mannheim
*
2001–02 Kölner Haie
The Kölner Haie (English: ''Cologne Sharks'') are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the professional Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.
The ''Kölner Haie'' play their hom ...
*
2002–03 Krefeld Pinguine
The Krefeld Pinguine (Krefeld Penguins) are an ice hockey team in the DEL2. Their home ice is in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the König Palast. Founded first in 1936 by Willi Münstermann, the pro team became a limited liabil ...
*
2003–04 Frankfurt Lions
*
2004–05 Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2005–06 Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2006–07 Adler Mannheim
*
2007–08 Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2008–09 Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2009–10 Hannover Scorpions
The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team, which plays in the Oberliga, Germany's third tier ice hockey league. They previously played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1996 to 2013.
History
Founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark, the ...
*
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2011–12 Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2013–14 ERC Ingolstadt
ERC Ingolstadt (''Eishockey-und-Rollschuh club'', ) is a German professional ice hockey club that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Commonly known as the Panthers, the team plays its home games at the Saturn Arena in Ingolstadt.
History ...
*
2014–15 Adler Mannheim
*
2015–16 EHC München EHC may refer to:
* Eastern Harbour Crossing, a transport tunnel in Hong Kong
* EHC Hoensbroek, a Dutch football club
* The Electric Hellfire Club, an American industrial metal band
* Encompass Health, an American healthcare provider
* Environm ...
*
2016–17 EHC München EHC may refer to:
* Eastern Harbour Crossing, a transport tunnel in Hong Kong
* EHC Hoensbroek, a Dutch football club
* The Electric Hellfire Club, an American industrial metal band
* Encompass Health, an American healthcare provider
* Environm ...
*
2017–18 EHC München EHC may refer to:
* Eastern Harbour Crossing, a transport tunnel in Hong Kong
* EHC Hoensbroek, a Dutch football club
* The Electric Hellfire Club, an American industrial metal band
* Encompass Health, an American healthcare provider
* Environm ...
*
2018–19 Adler Mannheim
*
2019–20 EHC München EHC may refer to:
* Eastern Harbour Crossing, a transport tunnel in Hong Kong
* EHC Hoensbroek, a Dutch football club
* The Electric Hellfire Club, an American industrial metal band
* Encompass Health, an American healthcare provider
* Environm ...
(RS)
7
*
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
*
2021–22 Eisbären Berlin
Eisbären Berlin (; English: ''Berlin Polar Bears'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey, and is also o ...
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.
*
1 In 2001, the ''
Starbulls Rosenheim
Starbulls Rosenheim is a professional ice hockey team based in Rosenheim, Oberbayern, Germany. They currently play in Oberliga. Prior to the 2013–14 season they played in the 2nd Bundesliga. They play their home games at '' Rofa-Stadion'', loc ...
'' sold their DEL licence to the ''
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 (DEL) since 2000 and play their home games at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn which is also known as '' ...
''.
*
2 In 2002, the ''
Munich Barons
The Munich Barons were a professional ice hockey team between 1999 and 2002 run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in the German Ice Hockey League (''German: Deutsche Eishockey Liga - DEL''). The best year the team had was in 2000 when th ...
'' relocated to become the ''
Hamburg Freezers''.
*
3 In 1999, the ''
Landshut Cannibals
EV Landshut, also known as EVL Landshut Eishockey and formerly known as the Landshut Cannibals, are a professional ice hockey team based in Landshut, Bavaria, Germany. They currently play in Deutsche Eishockey Liga 2, the second level of ice h ...
'' sold their DEL licence to the ''
Munich Barons
The Munich Barons were a professional ice hockey team between 1999 and 2002 run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in the German Ice Hockey League (''German: Deutsche Eishockey Liga - DEL''). The best year the team had was in 2000 when th ...
''.
*
4 In 1995, the ''
Maddogs München'' folded during the regular season.
*
5 In 2012, the ''
EHC München EHC may refer to:
* Eastern Harbour Crossing, a transport tunnel in Hong Kong
* EHC Hoensbroek, a Dutch football club
* The Electric Hellfire Club, an American industrial metal band
* Encompass Health, an American healthcare provider
* Environm ...
'' changed their name to ''
EHC Red Bull München''.
*
6 In 2012, the ''
DEG Metro Stars'' changed their name to ''
Düsseldorfer EG
Düsseldorfer EG (short DEG) 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. The famous Eisstadion at the Brehmstrasse was the home venue for ...
''.
* 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
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
, which caused the cancellation of the play-offs. The teams are listed by their placement in the regular season.
*
8 The 2021 playoffs were conducted under a reduced format, with no preliminary round and only eight playoff teams.
See also
*
German champions
The German football champions are the annual winners of the highest Football in Germany, association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country thr ...
*
DEL2
DEL2 (also known as DEL II) is the second tier ice hockey league in Germany, below the '' Deutsche Eishockey Liga'' (DEL) and ahead of the '' Oberliga''. Founded in 2013 to replace the defunct '' 2nd Bundesliga'', DEL2 is administered by ESBG, ...
*
Oberliga
References
External links
*Meltzer, Bill
"Three European Champs, Three Different Paths to the Top" at NHL.comRetrieved 08–18–06.
Official DEL websiteOfficial Website of the German Ice Hockey-Federation – DEBHockeyarenas – DEL ArenasHockey Archives – International ice hockey website with tables and results
{{Ice Hockey Leagues
Sports leagues established in 1994
Professional ice hockey leagues in Germany
Top tier ice hockey leagues in Europe