2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)


The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga was the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany until 2012/13 and has since been replaced by DEL2. Starting in 2002, the league was organized by the ESBG, to which the league organization was outsourced from the DEB, the German ice hockey federation. In the 2012–13 season, it featured 13 teams.

History of the 2nd Ice Hockey Bundesliga

The league was first introduced in the 1973–74 season as the second tier of German ice hockey, the level below the Ice hockey Bundesliga.

History up until 1994

The large number of insolvencies of second division clubs in 1994 was the reason for the abolition of the 2nd Bundesliga and the introduction of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga with 18 teams, without promotion and relegation. A number of top clubs from the second division were admitted to the DEL.
Below the former 2nd Bundesliga, the Oberliga now became the highest league still under control of the DEB. The Oberliga was however renamed 1st Liga for the next couple of seasons, until returning to its old name.

From 1998

As the highest single-division for the DEB, a new league was formed in 1998, receiving the name "Bundesliga". The decision to name the new league "Bundesliga" led to conflicts between the Deutschen Eishockey-Bund and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, since the DEL was of the opinion that it owned the right to call itself Bundesliga, being the highest league in the country. For this reason, the DEL logo also carries the name 1st Bundesliga in smaller letters below. Eventually, a compromise was reached, naming the new league 2nd Bundesliga instead.

From 1999

Since 1999, the league became the 2nd Bundesliga again, which is organized today by the Eishockeyspielbetriebsgesellschaft. As in the DEL, the clubs must undergo a strict financial examination.
Despite this fact, some clubs still found themselves in financial difficulties throughout the season and had to withdraw, like the EC Bad Nauheim in the past. The Moskitos Essen and Eisbären Regensburg both declared insolvency on 15 April 2008, being unable to meet their debts. Both clubs were immediately relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga. Due to the structure of the 2nd Bundesliga, where all teams playing are separate companies operated by the mother club, the insolvency of one of those does not mean the club itself becomes insolvent.
In the 2008–09 season, the Tölzer Löwen had to declare insolvency and, despite coming second in the league, were relegated. Because the Füchse Duisburg had to return their DEL licence, the champion of the 2nd Bundesliga has the option of promotion to the DEL this season.

Promotion and relegation

In November 2007, the DEL has introduced promotion to the league once more. The teams placed 15th and 16th in the DEL will play a best-of-seven series to determine which club faces the 2nd Bundesliga champion for a place in the league. There is however an ongoing dispute about those games as second division clubs can only have five foreign players on contract and therefore face a handicap in comparison to the DEL clubs with currently twelve. For now, the ESBG has declared that no club from the 2nd Bundesliga would take part in these matches and therefore no promotion/relegation with the DEL will take place.
The two bottom teams in the 2nd Bundesliga are relegated to the Oberliga and the top-two Oberliga teams promoted to this league.

League champions

SeasonSouthNorthChampionship Round
1981–82EHC 70 MünchenDuisburger SCEHC Essen

SeasonRegular SeasonPromotion Round
1982–83ERC FreiburgERC Freiburg *

SeasonSouthNorthRelegationround Eishockey-Bundesliga
1983–84SV BayreuthPreussen BerlinECD Iserlohn 1
1984–85SV BayreuthPreussen BerlinSC Riessersee 1
1985–86Augsburger EVPreussen BerlinEintracht Frankfurt 1
1986–87EHC FreiburgPreussen BerlinPreussen Berlin *
1987–88EHC FreiburgKrefelder EVPreussen Berlin 1
1988–89SV BayreuthKrefelder EVEHC Freiburg 1
1989–90SV BayreuthECD SauerlandEV Landshut 1
1990–91EHC NürnbergECD SauerlandESV Kaufbeuren *
1991–92Augsburger EVEC KasselDynamo Berlin *

SeasonRegular SeasonPlay-Offs
1992–93Augsburger EVSB Rosenheim *
1993–94Augsburger EVAugsburger EV *
1998–99ESC Moskitos EssenESC Moskitos Essen *
1999–2000Düsseldorfer EGDüsseldorfer EG *
2000–01ERC IngolstadtERC Ingolstadt
2001–02ERC IngolstadtREV Bremerhaven
2002–03SC Bietigheim-BissingenEHC Freiburg
2003–04EHC WolfsburgEHC Wolfsburg
2004–05EHC StraubingEV Duisburg
2005–06REV BremerhavenEHC Straubing
2006–07Kassel HuskiesEHC Wolfsburg
2007–08Kassel HuskiesKassel Huskies
2008–09SC Bietigheim-BissingenSC Bietigheim-Bissingen
2009–10SERC Wild WingsEHC München
2010–11Ravensburg TowerstarsRavensburg Towerstars
2011–12Landshut CannibalsLandshut Cannibals
2012–13Bietigheim SteelersBietigheim Steelers

2nd Bundesliga standings

Club199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Düsseldorfer EG31DELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDEL
Iserlohn Roosters
Iserlohner EC		66DELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDEL
Ingolstadt Panther
ERC Ingolstadt		13211DELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDELDEL
Straubing Tigers
EHC Straubing		1098315DELDELDELDELDELDELDEL
Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg
EHC Wolfsburg		671DEL482DELDELDELDELDELDEL
EHC München116922DELDELDEL
Bietigheim Steelers
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen		8431683971410111
Schwenninger Wild Wings
Schwenninger ERC		DELDELDELDELDEL28464481432
EV Landshut
Landshut Cannibals		DELDEL54462525813
Ravensburg Towerstars
EV Ravensburg		1143174
Fischtown Pinguins
REV Bremerhaven		521251312911395
SB Rosenheim
Starbulls Rosenheim		DELDELDELDELDELDEL5746
Heilbronner Falken
Heilbronner EC		10924591336227
Lausitzer Füchse
ES Weisswasser		151298147131313681368
Eispiraten Crimmitschau
ETC Crimmitschau		5151011128121212109
Dresdner Eislöwen
ESC Dresden		71111961310
Hannover Indians
EC Hannover Indians		1398111
ESV Kaufbeuren131113914105512
SC Riessersee81166133145107 21213
Freiburger Wölfe
EHC Freiburg		538106DEL9101714111
Kassel Huskies
EJ Kassel		DELDELDELDELDELDELDELDEL11DELDEL4
Duisburg Füchse
EV Duisburg		14952DELDELDELDEL1
Tölzer Löwen943711612121213 1
Moskitos Essen
ESC Moskitos Essen		1DELDELDEL1101486 2
Eisbären Regensburg
EV Regensburg		1210734710 2
EV Landsberg1014
1. EV Weiden1314
Rote Teufel Bad Nauheim25111122 2
EC Wilhelmshaven107 2
Erding Jets
TSV 1862 Erding		1112
Hamburg Crocodiles
FTV Hamburg		147 3
EHC Harz-Braunlage713
Grefrather EV1614
EHC Neuwied12157
GEC Nordhorn4167

ColourResult
GoldChampion
SilverFinalist
GreenSemi finalist
BlueQuarter finalst
PurplePreliminary round
Whitenot qualified for play-offs
DELdenotes club played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga