Contents
Profile
DEL: Deutsche Eishockey Liga
- Sport
- Ice hockey
- Founded
- 1994
- Country
- Germany
- Level
- 1st division
- Below
- DEL2
- Title
- German champion
- Website
- penny-del.org
The DEL at a glance
The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) is the top league in German ice hockey. It is run by DEL GmbH, in which the clubs hold stakes, and works with the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) under a cooperation agreement. The main sponsor is part of the official league name (currently "PENNY DEL").
Below the DEL come the DEL2 and the Oberliga. You can find all DEL and DEL2 games with results in the ice sports calendar, and the clubs in the teams & clubs directory.
Format
The season begins in September and ends with the final in spring.
- Regular season: each team plays every other team several times, home and away. A win in regulation earns three points; a win after overtime or a shootout earns two, and the loser then receives one point.
- Pre-playoffs: the teams just behind the direct playoff places play short series for the last quarter-final spots.
- Playoffs: quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final are played best-of-seven: whoever wins four games first advances. There is no shootout in the playoffs; overtime continues until the next goal.
The league sets the exact number of teams, matchdays and playoff places before each season.
Promotion and relegation
After its founding, the DEL was for a long time a closed league with a licensing system. There is now sporting promotion and relegation between the DEL and DEL2 again. A promoted club must, however, meet economic and infrastructure criteria, for example regarding venue and finances. If the DEL2 champion does not meet them, the relegated team usually stays in the DEL.
History
The DEL started in the 1994/95 season as the successor to the Eishockey-Bundesliga, which had run into financial difficulties. The league was meant to put professional ice hockey on a more stable economic footing. Since then, several clubs have dominated the championship, above all Eisbären Berlin as record champions of the DEL era, along with Adler Mannheim, among others.
The DEL is one of the best-attended leagues in Europe. According to the league, average attendance was recently more than 8,000 fans per game. Clubs such as the Kölner Haie play in front of particularly large crowds.
The DEL and the national team
The league is the most important talent pool for the German national team. Import rules limit the number of foreign players per game to secure ice time for German players. Successes such as Olympic silver in 2018 and World Championship silver in 2023 have further increased interest in German ice hockey.
Experiencing the DEL live
Tickets are available directly from the clubs. Games are shown on TV or via streaming; rights change from season to season. All dates and results, previews and match reports are on IceHub in the ice sports calendar.
Other names
- Abbreviation: DEL
- Sponsor name: PENNY DEL
Organisation
Deutsche Eishockey Liga GmbH & Co. KG
Deutsche Eishockey Liga GmbH & Co. KG, based in Neuss, operates the competition published as the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Teams in this competition
Frequently asked questions
+Since when has the DEL existed?
Since the 1994/95 season. It replaced the Eishockey-Bundesliga as Germany's top tier.
+How do the DEL playoffs work?
The best teams of the regular season qualify directly, and the next ones play pre-playoffs for the remaining places. Quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final are played best-of-seven.
+Is there promotion and relegation between the DEL and DEL2?
Yes, sporting promotion and relegation is possible again, but it depends on the promoted club meeting economic and infrastructure requirements.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Sport
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is a team sport on skates in which two teams, each with five skaters and a goaltender, try to put a hard rubber puck into the opposing goal with their sticks. Three periods of 20 minutes of effective playing time are played.
Term
Shootout in ice hockey
The shootout decides an ice hockey game if the score is still tied after regulation and overtime. Shooters take turns skating alone towards the goaltender. The result then shows "SO" (after shootout).
Term
Overtime in ice hockey
Overtime follows in ice hockey when a game is tied after 60 minutes. Sudden death applies: the first goal wins. In the regular season, a short 3-on-3 period is usually played; in the playoffs, full 20-minute periods.
Term
Power play and penalty killing in ice hockey
A power play means a man advantage: one team has more players on the ice because an opponent is serving a time penalty. The shorthanded team tries to get through the penalty without conceding (penalty killing).
Term
Offside in ice hockey
In ice hockey, an attacker is offside if both skates cross the blue line into the attacking zone before the puck has completely crossed that line. Play resumes with a faceoff in the neutral zone.