DEL publishes schedule for 2013/14 season

03 Jul 2013 | Dennis Mende

All 14 candidates received a licence for the 20th season since the league's start in 1994 with Schwenninger Wild Wings taking over the DEL licence of Hannover Scorpions.

The highest German ice hockey league today officially confirmed that all of the 14 teams who applied for a licence for the following season also received one. This includes league newcomers Schwenninger Wild Wings who replaced the Hannover Scorpions after their departure from the league due to the lack of financial stability within the organization for several years. As eurohockey.com reported there were some disagreements whether the Scorpions should sell their licence to 2. Bundesliga champions Bietigheim Steelers or the vice champions Schwenninger Wild Wings but in the end the financial power of Schwenningen let them win the race. This team change is extraordinary for DEL which is a closed league and teams can only join the league via the purchase of another team's licence.

Although every team was confirmed for the next season, several conditions were imposted on last year's bottom team Düsseldorfer EG regarding financial guarantees.

The regular season starts Friday, 13 September 2013, with the following matches:

13.09.2013 19:30 Adler Mannheim Schwenninger Wild Wings
13.09.2013 19:30 ERC Ingolstadt Eisbären Berlin
13.09.2013 19:30 Krefeld Pinguine Düsseldorfer EG
13.09.2013 19:30 Kölner Haie Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers
13.09.2013 19:30 Iserlohn Roosters Augsburger Panther
13.09.2013 19:30 Straubing Tigers Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg
13.09.2013 19:30 EHC Red Bull München Hamburg Freezers

The regular season ends on 7 March 2014 after every team played 52 games - four against each opponent. After pre-playoffs (best-of-three) the league will be played from the quarterfinals on as best-of-seven for the first time in all rounds. The complete schedule is available on eurohockey.com!

If there will be 2. Bundesliga/DEL II hockey next year and who would run the league (professional hockey league DEL or the national ice hockey federation DEB) is not yet clear and both the 2. Bundesliga teams together with DEL on one side and DEB on the other side are willing to bring the case to the courts.