2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)

Infobox sports league

title = 2nd Bundesliga
sport = Ice hockey
founded = 1973
motto =
teams = 14
country = flagicon|GERGermany
folded =
website =
champion = Kassel Huskies
most_champs =
website = [http://www.esbg.de/ Official ESBG website]

The 2nd Eishockey-Bundesliga is the second tier of Ice hockey in Germany. It is organised by the "DEB", the "German Ice Hockey Federation". In the 2007-08 season, it features 14 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

* From 1973-74 up until 1980-81 the league operated as the single-conference "2nd Bundesliga"
* In the 1981-82 season, it was divided into two conferences: "2nd Bundesliga Süd" (southern division) and "2nd Bundesliga Nord" (northern division)
* For the 1982-83 season, it returned to a single-conference league due to a lack of clubs intresstet in playing in the league
* Starting from the 1983-84 season until 1991-92, it was divided into the "2nd Bundesliga Süd" and "Nord" again, with the top four clubs from each league meeting the bottom two "Bundesliga" clubs for a promotion round for two places in the "Bundesliga"
* In the seasons 1992-93 and 1993-94, the league operated as one single division again

From 1994

The large number at insolvencies of second division clubs was in 1994 the reason for the abolition of the "2nd Bundesliga" and the introduction of the "Deutschen 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 "Deutschen Eishockey-Liga", since the "DEL" was of the opinion that it owned the right to call itselve "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" ("ESBG"). As in the "DEL", the clubs must undergo a strict financial examination.

Despite this fact, some clubs still found themslves 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" [cite web|url=http://www.esbg.de/|title=Nach Regensburg muss auch Essen Insolvenz anmelden (in German)|publisher=ESBG|date=2008-04-15|accessdate=2008-04-16] . Due to the srtucture 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 itselve becomes insolvent.

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 determined 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 [cite web|url=http://www.hockeyweb.de/artikel.php?a=32407|title=DEL: Neuer Modus mit Auf- und Abstieg (in German)|publisher=Hockeyweb.de|date=21 November 2007|accessdate=2008-03-30] . 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 [cite web|url=http://www.kicker.de/news/eishockey/startseite/artikel/376298|title=DEL: Kein Auf- und Abstieg (in German)|publisher=kicker.de|date=14 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-30] .

The two bottom teams in the "2nd Bundesliga" are relegated to the "Oberliga" and the top-two "Oberliga" teams promoted to this league [cite web|url=http://www.esbg.de/Durchfuehrungsbestimmungen.pdf|title=DURCHFÜHRUNGSBESTIMMUNGEN SENIOREN (in German)|publisher=ESBG|date=2007|accessdate=2008-03-31] .

League champions

* The "Hamburg Crocodiles" withdrew to the "Oberliga" after the 1999-2000 season.
* The "EC Wilhelmshaven" folded after the 2000-01 season.
* The "Rote Teufel Bad Nauheim" folded after the 2003-04 season.

ee also

* "Deutsche Eishockey Liga", the "DEL"
* "Oberliga"
* "Bavarian ice hockey leagues"

References

ources

* [http://www.hockeyarchives.info/ Hockey Archives - International ice hockey website with tables and results (in French)]
* [http://www.esbg.de/ Official website of the "ESBG" for the "2nd Bundesliga" and "Oberliga"]