(minutes). The tenth season of the German Ice Hockey League 2 begins today. Eight clubs from the 2013/14 season are still (“again” in the case of Landshut) among the 14 participants; Including EC Bad Nauheim. With four event games (including the Red Devils’ winter derby in front of 15,000 fans in Offenbach), along with the re-introduction of DEL’s links, licenses from former NHL pros and national players, DEL2 made all the positive headlines at the moment.
Before the start of the main round, we have compiled here the essential facts for the 2022/23 season.
Play: Frankfurt (above) and Bad Tölz (below) have left DEL2. He will be replaced by Krefeld (from DEL) and Regensburg (from Oberliga).
The Penguins of the Rhineland are aiming for a straight return to the first division. The squad has been roped in with great names. Last season, 15 players were still under contract at DEL. In addition to Krefeld, Kassel is considered a title candidate. Coach Bo Subar, who led the Frankfurt Lions in May, made drastic changes to the Huskies team after losing against Bad Nauheim in the quarter-finals. Like Krefeld, competition has been hurt by the economic sums circulating in the scene regarding salaries.
Behind them would be Ravensburg, Landshut and Dresden as contenders for direct playoff qualification (ie sixth place). A midfield with the teams from Bayreuth, Heilbronn, Krimmitschau, Kaufbeuren and of course Bad Nauheim would play in the same location.
Venues Freiburg, Selb and Weisswasser and newcomer Regensburg will probably aim primarily for pre-playoff qualification to be able to avoid a battle for relegation.
finance: The club’s planned turnover, excluding revenue from a potential final tournament, is equal to 40.6 million euros. DEL2 published this in a press conference. On average, this means around 2.9 million euros per club. This amount in turn corresponds to the budget of EC Bad Nauheim, as confirmed by Managing Director Andreas Ortwin when asked.
The cost of personnel in DEL2, which is about 60 percent of the budget, amounted to 24.5 million euros. “Clubs were able to present themselves as financially stable in the licensing exam, which is why the league could start with one of the highest planned budgets. In the last season, including the final round, clubs made 43.6 million dollars. Earn Euros,” explains René Rudorish, managing director of DEL2. Ten years ago, when it started with twelve clubs, the total turnover was around 28 million. In the next season, with 14 clubs, sales totaled 33.6 million euros.
DEL Candidates: The number of potential climbers has increased. Which creates tension. While only Löwen Frankfurt duly met the DEL requirements last year, there are now three clubs in Krefeld, Kassel and Dresden that want to (re)promote financially if they win the championship.
North America dominates: DEL2 is traditionally North American. 28 Canadians and six Americans are under contract at the start of the season. This is a slight decrease compared to the previous season (32/11). The number of Scandinavians has increased slightly. In addition to the eight Finns, six Swedes (four in Dresden alone) have contracts in DEL 2. Four Czechs, two Slovakians and two Russians complete the figures.
Transfer Hotspot: The multinational Alpenliga remains a hot game, with teams from Austria, Italy and Slovenia looking for foreign professionals. Six players (seven in the last year) moved from there to DEL2. Four players have turned DEL2 internally, three in Landshoot alone. Cassel (Tim McGauley/Ingolstad), Krefeld (Kel Moulierat/Straubing) and Selb (Peter Treska/Bremerhaven) signed last year’s DEL Pros. Striking: Clubs consistently rely on key players with European experience. Alex Tong (three acts in Heilbronn/Poland) arrives as a newcomer from overseas.
more and more aggressive : It has been said for years that German defenders are difficult to find. Nevertheless, clubs are increasingly relying on attackers for overseas positions and are looking to inspire with goals. There are now 47 casual strikers under contract with 14 clubs (42 last year, before it was 35) and only eight defenders. Then comes Sergei Belov. Krefeld was relegated for the last time with a Russian goalkeeper.
A colorful mix: Coaches from eight countries are under contract as head coaches; Including four trainers born in Germany. In second place is Canada bloc (three). Five clubs are starting the season with a new coach, with three clubs having already handed over responsibility during the previous season. Six clubs rely on their proven coaches, including EC Bad Nauheim. For the first time in Germany, Sweden coached Leif Stromberg, who is going to take Krefeld back to the top. Marco Raita is also entering new territory as a “boss” with Dell 2. Löwen has moved from the Oberliga to Kaufbeuren, a former Frankfurt assistant. Regensburg Eisberen’s promotion coach Max Kaltenhauser also celebrates his debut.
Video proof: There is an important innovation for referees regarding video evidence. From now on, the available camera images will be expanded. Referees can now also access all available video recordings, which previously could only be viewed in live streams.
TV Times: Streaming portal Spread TV will also broadcast all the games of this season live. The cost of one game is 8.90 euros.
