ICE Hockey League

Last updated
ICE Hockey League
Current season, competition or edition:
Hockey current event.svg 2023–24 ICE Hockey League season
ICE Hockey League logo.png
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1923;102 years ago (1923)
CEO Karl Safron [1]
No. of teams13
Country Austria  (8 teams)
Italy  (2 teams)
Hungary  (2 teams)
Slovenia  (1 team)
Most recent
champion(s)		 Red Bull Salzburg
(9th title)
Most titles EC KAC (31)
Broadcaster(s)Puls 24
International cup(s) Champions Hockey League
Official website www.ice.hockey/en

The ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League, ICEHL), known as the win2day ICE Hockey League for sponsorship reasons, [2] is a Central European hockey league that also serves as the top-tier ice hockey league in Austria. It currently features additional teams from Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia. The league was known as the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL) from 2003 until 2020 and as the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League during the 2021–22 season. [3]

Contents

Until 2005–06, the league consisted solely of Austrian teams. Since then, the league has added teams from Slovenia (from 2006 to 2017 and from 2021 onwards), Hungary (starting 2007–08), Croatia (from 2009–10 through 2012–13, and again from 2017–18 through 2018–19), the Czech Republic (starting in 2011–12 through 2019–20 and again from 2021-22 onwards), [4] Italy (starting in 2013–14), [5] and Slovakia (starting in 2020–21 through the start of 2021–22).

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.[ citation needed ] The league has had different sponsors, and the current naming rights have been held by win2day.at since 2022.

Teams from the ICEHL participate in the IIHF's annual Champions Hockey League (CHL), competing for the European Trophy. Participation is based on the strength of the various leagues in Europe (excluding the European/Asian Kontinental Hockey League). Going into the 2022–23 CHL season, the ICEHL was ranked the No. 6 league in Europe, allowing them to send their top three teams to compete in the CHL.

History

Foundation

HDD Olimpija vs EC KAC at Bezigrad Stadium during the 2012-13 Austrian Hockey League season Hokej Olimpija KAC 2013-01-08 01.jpg
HDD Olimpija vs EC KAC at Bežigrad Stadium during the 2012–13 Austrian Hockey League season

The roots of the 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.

1965–1990

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

When the Austrian national hockey team earned promotion into the Group B of the IIHF, it led to a boom in spectators. Three 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.

1990–2003

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 five championships from 1994 to 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. The league was named after its sponsor, Uniqua.

2003–2020

In 2003 Erste Bank became sponsor and the league was named Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. 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. [6]

2020–present

In 2020, the league was renamed to ICE Hockey League. "ICE" refers to the league's locale – International Central European – and the surface of an ice hockey rink. At the same time, bet-at-home.com became the title sponsor of the league. [7] From the 2021–22 season onwards the league will expand to 14 teams, with reigning champions Olimpija Ljubljana and Pustertal Wölfe joining from the Alps Hockey League and Orli Znojmo returning after a one-year absence. Austrian online betting platform and casino win2day.at became the league's title sponsor in 2022.

Teams

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Teams currently participating in the ICEHL.
TeamCityArenaCapacityFoundedJoined ICEHLLeft ICEHL
Current teams
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV Flag of Austria.svg Villach Villacher Stadthalle 4,80019231977–78
EC KAC Flag of Austria.svg Klagenfurt Stadthalle Klagenfurt5,50019091923–24
EC Red Bull Salzburg Flag of Austria.svg Salzburg Eisarena Salzburg 3,60019772004–05
Fehérvár AV19 Flag of Hungary.svg Székesfehérvár Alba Aréna6,00019602007–08
Ferencvárosi TC Flag of Hungary.svg Budapest Tüskecsarnok 2,54019282025-26
Graz99ers Flag of Austria.svg Graz Eisstadion Liebenau 4,05019992000–01
HC Bozen–Bolzano Flag of Italy.svg Bolzano Sparkasse Arena 7,22019332013–14
HC Pustertal Wölfe Flag of Italy.svg Bruneck Intercable Arena3,10019542021–22
HC TWK Innsbruck Flag of Austria.svg Innsbruck TIWAG Arena 3,20019942012–13
HK Olimpija Ljubljana Flag of Slovenia.svg Ljubljana Tivoli Hall 6,80020042021–22
Steinbach Black Wings Linz Flag of Austria.svg Linz Linz AG Eisarena 3,80019922000–01
Vienna Capitals Flag of Austria.svg Vienna Erste Bank Arena 7,02220002001–02
Pioneers Vorarlberg Flag of Austria.svg Feldkirch Vorarlberghalle 5,20020222022–23
Former teams (since introduction of current league format)
Asiago Hockey 1935 Flag of Italy.svg Asiago Pala Hodegart3,00019352022–232024-25
Bratislava Capitals Flag of Slovakia.svg Bratislava Ondrej Nepela Arena 10,05520152020–212021–22
VEU Feldkirch Flag of Austria.svg Feldkirch Vorarlberghalle 5,20019451967–682003–04
HK Jesenice Flag of Slovenia.svg Jesenice Podmežakla Hall 4,50019482006–072011–12
HDD Olimpija Ljubljana Flag of Slovenia.svg Ljubljana Tivoli Hall 7,00019282007–082016–17
Medveščak Zagreb Flag of Croatia.svg Zagreb Dom Sportova,
Arena Zagreb 		5,000
15,000		19612009–10
2017–18		2012–13
2018–19
Orli Znojmo Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Znojmo Nevoga Arena 5,50019332011– 12
2021–22		2019–20

2021-22

Dornbirn Bulldogs Flag of Austria.svg Dornbirn Messestadion 4,27019922012–13

2021–22

Playoffs

With their victory in the finals of the 2013–14 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 2007–08 season, losing the championship to EC Red Bull Salzburg.

Outdoor games

EventDateSiteHome teamAway teamScoreAttendance
Klagenfurt 20152015-01-03 [8] Wörthersee Stadion (football) KAC VSV 1–429,700
Šalata 20132013-02-01 [9] [10] Šalata (hockey) Medveščak Capitals 1–25,120
Šalata 20102010-01-31 [11] [12] Šalata (hockey) Medveščak Capitals 4–3 (OT)4,600
Šalata 20102010-01-29 [13] [12] Šalata (hockey) Medveščak VSV 2–34,600
Pula 20122012-09-16 [14] Pula Arena (amphitheatre) Medveščak Capitals 4–17,130
Pula 20122012-09-14 [14] Pula Arena (amphitheatre) Medveščak Olimpija 1–27,022
Klagenfurt 20102010-01-09 [15] Wörthersee Stadion (football) KAC VSV 1–330,500

Bolded teams denote winners

Austrian Champions

ClubWinnersWinning years
EC KAC
32
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, 2021
Wiener EV / EG
17
1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1962
Red Bull Salzburg
11
2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014[*], 2015, 2016, 2018[*], 2022, 2023, 2024
VEU Feldkirch
9
1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Innsbrucker EV (also known as GEV Innsbruck)
7
1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1989
Villacher SV
6
1981, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2006
EK Engelmann (earlier known as Pötzleinsdorfer SK)
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 ICEHL title

See also

References

  1. ↑ "sport.ORF.at". Sport.ORF.at. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  2. ↑ "win2day ICE Hockey League". www.ice.hockey. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  3. ↑ "A NEW ERA IS BEGINNING: BET-AT-HOME ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE". ICE Hockey League. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Znojmo to join Austrian EBEL". Eurohockey.com. 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  5. ↑ "12 teams - 5 countries - HC Bozen affiliated". archive.is. 10 July 2013. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "End of season for Medvescak Zagreb". Eurohockey.com. 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
  7. ↑ "A NEW ERA IS BEGINNING: BET-AT-HOME ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE". ICE Hockey League. 3 July 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "VSV-Sieg in rasantem "Winter Classic"". Sport.ORF.at. 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  9. ↑ "KHL MedvÅ¡Ä?ak Winter Classic". Croatiansports.com. 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  10. ↑ "Spiel Details". 5 February 2013. Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  11. ↑ "Spiel Details". 22 December 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  12. 1 2 Šalata Winter Classic 2010., Croatian Wikipedia.
  13. ↑ "Spiel Details". archive.is. 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Spiel Details". 20 September 2012. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012.
  15. ↑ "VSV gewann Open-Air-Spektakel gegen KAC - oesterreich.ORF.at". Ktnv1.orf.at. Retrieved 2017-03-05.

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