Austrian Hockey League


The Austrian Hockey League is the top-tier ice hockey league in Austria, although it currently features additional teams from Czechia, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia. The league was known as the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga from 2003 until 2020.
Until 2005–06, the league consisted solely of Austrian teams. Since then, the league has added teams from Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Czechia, and Italy.
The non-Austrian teams are competing for the "League Champion" title. Only Austrian teams in this league are additionally eligible for the "Austrian Champion" title. The league has had different sponsors, and the current naming rights have been held by bet-at-home.com since 2020.

History

Foundation

The roots of the EBEL league go back to 1923 and various Championships, whose winner is officially recognized as the Austrian Champion. There was no Austrian competition between 1939 and 1945. During World War II, a number of Austrian teams competed in the German Ice Hockey Championship, which is why the EK Engelmann Wien and Vienna EV list German Championships in their history.

1965–1970, first seasons

The Bundesliga, as it was called, was incepted for the 1965-66 season by EC KAC from Klagenfurt, IEV from Innsbruck, WEVg from Vienna, and KEC from Kitzbühel.

1970–1980, dominance of EC KAC

EC KAC won the championship 8 times in the 1970s.

1980–1990, boom and first financial hiccups

When the Austrian national hockey team earned promotion into the Group B of the IIHF, it led to a boom in spectators. 3 foreign players were allowed and first signs of financial hiccups came. SV Kapfenberg went bankrupt, and WAT Stadlau abstained from participating in the Bundesliga for financial reasons.

1990–2000, dominance of VEU Feldkirch, internationalization, and crash

A first step in internationalization was undertaken as the clubs, in addition to the national championship, participated in the Alpenliga. The Alpenliga was formed with clubs from Italy and Slovenia. After making Ralph Krueger their manager in 1991 VEU Feldkirch won 5 championships from 1994-1998. Rising budgets caused more and more clubs to abstain from participation. In 1997 SV Kapfenberg went bankrupt during the season, and the championship was down to only four clubs. In 2000 VEU Feldkirch went bankrupt.

2000–2010, league named after a sponsor, expansion

The league was named after its sponsor, Uniqua. In 2003 Erste Bank became sponsor and the league was named EBEL.

Since 2010: European hockey, signs of financial inequalities

In 2013–14, Italy's Bolzano Foxes became the first non-Austrian team to win the EBEL title when they beat the Salzburg Red Bulls 3 games to 2 in their best-of-five final series. Such success is not unheard of for an Italian outfit, but previous similar results took place in the Alpenliga and the Cup of the European Leagues, standalone competitions whose postseason tournaments were distinct from the Austrian playoffs. One year after rejoining the league from the Kontinental Hockey League, KHL Medveščak Zagreb once again withdrew from the EBEL, this time citing the difficult economic situation of the club.

Teams

Playoffs

With their victory in the finals of the 2013/2014 season, HC Bolzano became the first non-Austrian team to claim the league title. Formerly the best non-Austrian team result was when HDD Olimpija Ljubljana managed to get into the finals in the 2007/2008 season, losing the EBEL championship to EC Red Bull Salzburg.

Winter Classics

Austrian Champions

ClubWinnersWinning Years
EC KAC
31
1934, 1935, 1952, 1955, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2019
Wiener EV / EG
17
1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1962
VEU Feldkirch
9
1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Red Bull Salzburg
8
2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
Innsbrucker EV
7
1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1989
Villacher SV
6
1981, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2006
EK Engelmann
6
1932, 1936, 1938, 1946, 1956, 1957
ATSE Graz
2
1975, 1978
Black Wings Linz
2
2003, 2012
Vienna Capitals
2
2005, 2017

bold – seasons in which league had teams outside Austria
– seasons in which the Austrian Champion didn't win the EBEL title