Deutsche Eishockey Liga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DEL

Formerly	Eishockey-Bundesliga
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1994; 31 years ago (1994)
No. of teams	14
Country	Germany
Most recent champion(s)	Eisbären Berlin (10th title) (2023–24)
Most titles	Eisbären Berlin (10 titles)
TV partner(s)	Magenta Sport ServusTV/DF1
Level on pyramid	Level 1
Relegation to	DEL2
International cup(s)	Champions Hockey League
Related competitions	DEL2 Oberliga

The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (or DEL) is Germany's top professional ice hockey league. It's also known as the PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga because of its main sponsor. The DEL started in 1994. It took over from an older league called the Eishockey-Bundesliga. Unlike the old league, the DEL is run by the teams themselves, not by the German Ice Hockey Federation.

Teams from the DEL get to play in the IIHF's big yearly tournament, the Champions Hockey League (CHL). This competition is for the best hockey teams in Europe. The DEL is one of the top leagues in Europe. This means its best teams can compete for the European Trophy.

The DEL is very popular! In the 2016–17 season, it was the second most-watched ice hockey league in Europe. On average, over 6,000 fans came to each game. The league has 14 different teams. They play in all sorts of arenas, from huge, modern ones in cities like Berlin and Cologne to smaller, older rinks. Some teams, like Kölner Haie (Cologne Sharks) and Eisbären Berlin (Berlin Polar Bears), often have over 15,000 fans at their home games!

The DEL is famous for its exciting game-day atmosphere. It has also helped develop many talented players who went on to play in the NHL. Some of these players include Dominik Kahun, Tim Stutzle, and Lukas Reichel. Many players from the German national team who won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang played in the DEL. Ice hockey is becoming more and more popular in Germany. It's a fun alternative to football or handball.

How the DEL Works

The DEL has a system where teams can move between leagues. This is called promotion and relegation. The team that finishes last in the DEL might move down to the DEL2 league. And the champion of the DEL2 league can move up to the DEL. This system started in the 2021–22 season. For example, Löwen Frankfurt (Frankfurt Lions) moved up to the DEL for the 2022–23 season.

The Playoffs

The DEL Playoffs are how the league champion is decided each season. It's similar to how the NHL does it. Each team plays 52 regular-season games first. The top 10 teams then get to go to the playoffs. The top 6 teams get a direct spot in the quarter-finals. Teams ranked 7th to 10th play in a special "pre-playoff" round. After each round, the teams are re-ranked. It's a knockout system, meaning if you lose, you're out! The DEL Finals are played in late April or early May. The final series is a "best-of-seven" format. This means the first team to win four games becomes the champion.

DEL Winter Game

The DEL also has a special event called the DEL Winter Game. It's like the NHL Winter Classic in North America. These games are played outdoors in really big stadiums. For example, in 2019, Cologne and Düsseldorf played in front of over 40,000 fans! The DEL Winter Game usually happens every two years. It's a huge event for fans.

Top Teams and Rivalries

The Eisbären Berlin and Adler Mannheim are the most successful teams in the DEL. They have won many championships. EHC Red Bull München also won three titles in a row from 2016 to 2018. They even reached the Champions Hockey League final in 2019, which was a big achievement for a German team!

Some of the biggest rivalries in the league are:

• Kölner Haie vs. Düsseldorfer EG
• Kölner Haie vs. Adler Mannheim
• Eisbären Berlin vs. EHC Red Bull München

There are also exciting local rivalries in Bavaria. These include games between München, ERC Ingolstadt, Augsburger Panther, Straubing Tigers, and Nürnberg Ice Tigers. These games are always very competitive! One famous game was in 2019. Augsburg won a playoff game against München after playing for 104 minutes! It was the longest game in DEL history.

History of the DEL

The DEL was created for the 1994–95 season. Before that, German ice hockey had some problems. Many teams in the older leagues were struggling financially. They didn't have enough money or sponsors. This made it hard for the league to be stable. So, in 1994, 20 teams decided to create a new league: the DEL.

The main goal of the DEL was to create a strong and stable professional league. They wanted it to be like the NHL in North America. Teams in the DEL had to follow strict rules to make sure they were financially sound. This helped the league become more reliable. The new league quickly found a big sponsor, the Krombacher Brewery.

Even with new rules, the first season had its challenges. One team, EC Hedos München, had to close down. But over time, the DEL grew stronger. In the 2004–05 season, something special happened. The NHL had a lockout, which meant no games were played there. Because of this, 26 NHL players came to play in the DEL! This included famous players like Jamie Langenbrunner and Olaf Kölzig. It was a very exciting season for German ice hockey fans.

League Rules

The DEL is run by its 14 member teams. Each team must meet certain requirements to stay in the league. These rules help keep the league strong and fair:

• New teams must apply and prove they are good enough to play.
• Teams need a stadium that meets DEL standards.
• Teams must be financially stable.
• They need to have programs for developing young players.
• Teams also have to pay a license fee to join the league.

Since the 2006–07 season, a DEL team can only lose its spot if it doesn't follow these rules. It's not just about finishing last anymore. This helps teams plan for the long term.

Teams

Here are the teams playing in the 2023–24 DEL season:

Former Teams

Many teams have played in the DEL over the years. Some have moved, changed names, or stopped playing. Here are some of the teams that used to be part of the DEL:

Champions of the DEL

Many teams have won the DEL championship since it started in 1994. The champion is the team that wins the final playoff series.

Past Champions

Titles by Club

Images for kids

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  Former DEL logo (1994–1996).

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  Former DEL logo (1997–2001).

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  Former DEL logo (2001–2011).

See also

• List of German ice hockey champions
• DEL2
• Oberliga