HC Bolzano confirmed as EBEL team

09 Jul 2013 | Dennis Mende

All 11 EBEL teams voted for the addition of HC Bolzano to their league after the Italians ended negotiations with league officials on Friday successfully. EBEL also published the schedule for next season.

The Austrian-based Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL) continues with 12 teams from 5 different countries also at least in the next season. After the departure of Croatia's KHL Medvescak Zagreb who joined Europe's top competition Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for the 2013-14 season, one spot was free and it wasn't clear if any team would fulfill the conditions to take it. After long and heated discussions HC Bolzano was able to give all financial guarantees wanted by the league by Friday afternoon after several extensions of the league's dead lines.

As we reported 18-time Italian champions HC Bolzano tried to join EBEL several times in the past but neither did they fulfill the financial conditions nor was permission given for a league change by the Italian federation. This changed when for the next year several important Serie A teams decided not to play and HC Bolzano tried to secure top professional hockey in Italy.

The following teams will play in the 2013-14 EBEL season:

EC Red Bull Salzburg (AUT)
UPC Vienna Capitals (AUT)
Dornbiner EC (AUT)
EC Villacher SV (AUT)
EC Klagenfurter AC (AUT)
HC TWK Innsbruck (AUT)
Moser Medical Graz99ers (AUT)
EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz (AUT)
HC Orli Znojmo (CZE)
SAPA Fehervar AV19 (HUN)
HDD Telemach Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO)
HC Bolzano (ITA)

Regular season will be played from 7 September 2013 to 12 January 2014. Afterwards there will be a qualification round from 17 January 2014 to 2 March 2014 before the playoffs start on 7 March 2014 - quarterfinals best of 7, semifinals and finals best of 5.

The first EBEL weekend starts with the following matches:

SAT 07.09.2013 17:30 Dornbirner EC - EC VSV
SUN 08.09.2013 17:30 HC Innsbruck - HC Bolzano
SUN 08.09.2013 17:45 Vienna Capitals - EC KAC
SUN 08.09.2013 17:30 EHC Black Wings Linz - Graz 99ers
SUN 08.09.2013 17:30 Orli Znojmo - SAPA Fehervar AV19

The complete schedule can be found on eurohockey.com!