Oberliga (Ice Hockey)
Encyclopedia
The Oberliga is currently the third tier of ice hockey in Germany
. In the 2007-08 season, the Oberliga is split in a northern and a southern group.
Oberliga is the oldest continuously operating league in this sport in Germany
. The league was formed in 1948, then as the highest level of play in the country. It started out with six teams who played a home-and-away season to determine the German champion
. The founding members were:
The league expanded to eight clubs for the second season and twelve in the third. From 1952 onwards the league operated with eight clubs again. The 1957–58 season was the last one for the league as the highest level of play in the country. It was decided to form the Eishockey Bundesliga. The best eight clubs from the Oberliga, which then operated with twelve clubs again, qualified for the new first division.
The league reunited in a single division in 1970, now with a strength of 16 teams and direct promotion to the Bundesliga.
The 1972-73 season was the last one as a tier-two league. With the foundation of the 2nd Bundesliga, the Oberliga fell to tier three. While the league champion moved up to the Bundesliga and the teams placed two to nine gained entry to the new second division, only the bottom seven clubs remained in the league.
The 1998-99 season was very much a transition season. The DEB had reintroduced a single-division, nationwide league, titled Bundesliga to compete with the DEL. The league below was now the 1st Liga, which was made up of those clubs from the 1st Liga not admitted to the new Bundesliga and 2nd Liga clubs. However, this situation existed for only one season.
Due to a lack of interest, the Oberliga Nord dissolved after the 2000-01 season. The three clubs from this region which were still interested in playing on Oberliga level joined the southern division.
The Oberliga Süd, largely made up of Bavaria
n clubs, continued to operate successfully in the coming season, usually including a couple of northern clubs, while the Oberliga Nord was not reestablished until 2007.
The ESBG, now operating the 2nd Bundesliga and Oberliga for the DEB decided to reform an Oberliga Nord in 2007. The two separate divisions of the league were however not completely independent of each other, like in the past. Teams from the same league would meet each other four times now, while clubs from different divisions would only meet twice in the regular season. At the end of this, a combined play-off round would determine the Oberliga champion.
The ESBG plans to extend the league from 19 to 20 clubs for the 2008-09 season, to run two regional divisions of ten clubs.
The Oberliga was split in a northern and a southern group for the first time in years. The northern group contains nine, the southern ten clubs. The four best-placed teams from each group will be entering a best-of-five play-off round to determine the Oberliga champion and the two promoted teams to the 2nd Bundesliga. The bottom four in each group enter a play-down round to determine the relegated teams.
Ice hockey in Germany
Ice hockey is one of the more popular sports in Germany, however it still ranks far behind football in spectator favour and meaning. Ice hockey is organized today in Germany by the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the highest professional league, and by the Deutschen Eishockey-Bund ice hockey federation,...
. In the 2007-08 season, the Oberliga is split in a northern and a southern group.
1948-58
The ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
Oberliga is the oldest continuously operating league in this sport in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The league was formed in 1948, then as the highest level of play in the country. It started out with six teams who played a home-and-away season to determine the German champion
German champions (ice hockey)
- 1912-1948 :- 1949-58: Oberliga in West Germany :- 1958-94: Bundesliga:* Until 1990, the Bundesliga covered only West Germany. After the reunification of the country, East German clubs took part in the competition to.- 1995 - current: DEL :...
. The founding members were:
- EV FüssenFüssenFüssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu situated from the Austrian border. It is located on the banks of the Lech river. The River Lech flows into the Forggensee...
(became first champion of the league) - Preußen Krefeld
- SC Riessersee
- VfL Bad Nauheim
- HC AugsburgAugsburger PantherThe Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion....
- Kölner EK
The league expanded to eight clubs for the second season and twelve in the third. From 1952 onwards the league operated with eight clubs again. The 1957–58 season was the last one for the league as the highest level of play in the country. It was decided to form the Eishockey Bundesliga. The best eight clubs from the Oberliga, which then operated with twelve clubs again, qualified for the new first division.
1958-73
The Oberliga remained in existence however, now as the second tier of German ice hockey. Starting out with eight clubs in the league again, it expanded to twelve in the coming seasons. The year 1966 saw the league split into a northern and a southern group. The two separate leagues were called Oberliga Süd and Oberliga Nord. The winners of the two divisions would determine the Oberliga champion in a home-and-away series.The league reunited in a single division in 1970, now with a strength of 16 teams and direct promotion to the Bundesliga.
The 1972-73 season was the last one as a tier-two league. With the foundation of the 2nd Bundesliga, the Oberliga fell to tier three. While the league champion moved up to the Bundesliga and the teams placed two to nine gained entry to the new second division, only the bottom seven clubs remained in the league.
1973-94
The Oberliga was now again divided into a northern and a southern group. The top two teams out of the two divisions originally played out a promotion round to the 2nd Bundesliga which also served to determined the Oberliga champion. While the modus and number of teams in the league continued to fluctuat, the overall situation remained the same.1994-99
The year 1994 saw major changes in the German league system. The Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga merged to form the new DEL, an independently run league consisting of 18 clubs in its foundation years. Those second division clubs that did not elect to join the DEL were integrated into the new 1st Liga, which had replaced the Oberliga and operated in a northern and a southern group. The best teams of each of the two divisions played out a DEB championship, similar to the old Oberliga championship.The 1998-99 season was very much a transition season. The DEB had reintroduced a single-division, nationwide league, titled Bundesliga to compete with the DEL. The league below was now the 1st Liga, which was made up of those clubs from the 1st Liga not admitted to the new Bundesliga and 2nd Liga clubs. However, this situation existed for only one season.
1999-present
From 1999, the league returned to its traditional name Oberliga, with two regional groups, north and south. In turn, the league above it took the name 2nd Bundesliga. The DEL renamed itself DEL - Bundesliga.Due to a lack of interest, the Oberliga Nord dissolved after the 2000-01 season. The three clubs from this region which were still interested in playing on Oberliga level joined the southern division.
The Oberliga Süd, largely made up of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n clubs, continued to operate successfully in the coming season, usually including a couple of northern clubs, while the Oberliga Nord was not reestablished until 2007.
The ESBG, now operating the 2nd Bundesliga and Oberliga for the DEB decided to reform an Oberliga Nord in 2007. The two separate divisions of the league were however not completely independent of each other, like in the past. Teams from the same league would meet each other four times now, while clubs from different divisions would only meet twice in the regular season. At the end of this, a combined play-off round would determine the Oberliga champion.
The ESBG plans to extend the league from 19 to 20 clubs for the 2008-09 season, to run two regional divisions of ten clubs.
Season 2007–08
- For main article, see 2007–08 German ice hockey league season2007–08 German ice hockey league seasonThe DEL, 2nd Bundesliga and Oberliga are the first three levels of ice hockey in Germany. All three leagues operate nationwide. While the DEL is an independenty operated league, the other two are run by the German ice hockey federation, the DEB, through the ESBG...
The Oberliga was split in a northern and a southern group for the first time in years. The northern group contains nine, the southern ten clubs. The four best-placed teams from each group will be entering a best-of-five play-off round to determine the Oberliga champion and the two promoted teams to the 2nd Bundesliga. The bottom four in each group enter a play-down round to determine the relegated teams.
1949-58
- From 1949 to 1958, the Oberliga champions were also the German championsGerman champions (ice hockey)- 1912-1948 :- 1949-58: Oberliga in West Germany :- 1958-94: Bundesliga:* Until 1990, the Bundesliga covered only West Germany. After the reunification of the country, East German clubs took part in the competition to.- 1995 - current: DEL :...
.Season Club 1948-49 EV Füssen 1949-50 SC Riessersee 1950-51 Preußen Krefeld 1951-52 Krefelder EV Krefeld PinguineThe Krefeld Pinguine are an ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play in Krefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany at the KönigPALAST. Founded first in 1936, the pro team became a limited liability company in 1994 and joined the top tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga...1952-53 EV Füssen 1953-54 EV Füssen 1954-55 EV Füssen 1955-56 EV Füssen 1956-57 EV Füssen 1957-58 EV Füssen
1959-73
- From 1959, the league was the second tier of German ice hockey.
Season Club 1958-59 VfL Bad Nauheim 1959-60 TuS Eintracht Dortmund 1960-61 ESV Kaufbeuren 1961-62 EV Landshut Landshut CannibalsThe Landshut Cannibals are a professional ice hockey team based in Landshut, Bavaria. Currently they are members of the 2nd Bundesliga. The team was founded in 1948 as Eislaufverein Landshut , but since 2002 the professional team is organised as “Landshut Cannibals”. The EVL is still responsible...1962-63 EV Landshut 1963-64 TuS Eintracht Dortmund 1964-65 Preußen Krefeld 1965-66 Berliner Schlittschuhclub - League played in a northern and southern division.
Season Oberliga Nord Oberliga Süd 1966-67 VfL Bad Nauheim Augsburger EV Augsburger PantherThe Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion....1967-68 Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht FrankfurtEintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...SC Riessersee 1968-69 Kölner EK ESV Kaufbeuren 1969-70 EC Deilinghofen Iserlohn RoostersThe Iserlohn Roosters are a professional ice hockey team based in Iserlohn, North-Rhine-Westphalia. They are members of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga since 2000 and play their home games at the Eissporthalle Iserlohn which is also known as Eissporthalle am Seilersee. Playing nine years in the DEL the...EV Rosenheim - Bold denotes Oberliga champion.
Season Club 1970-71 Preußen Krefeld 1971-72 Berliner Schlittschuhclub 1972-73 Kölner EC Kölner HaieThe Kölner Haie are an ice hockey club based in Cologne, Germany that plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team was one of the founding members of the DEL.The team colours are red and white....
1973-94
- From 1973, the Oberliga was now the third tier of German ice hockey.
Season Oberliga Nord Oberliga Süd 1973-74 EC Hannover EC Peiting 1974-75 Herner EV EHC 70 München 1975-76 1976-77 1977-78 1978-79 1979-80 Hamburger SV VER Selb 1980-81 Hamburger SV Augsburger EV 1981-82 Eintracht Frankfurt EC Peiting 1982-83 ESG Kassel SV Bayreuth 1983-84 EC Bad Nauheim VERE Selb 1984-85 SC Solingen EHC 80 Nürnberg Sinupret Ice TigersThe Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers Nürnberg are a professional ice hockey club located in Nuremberg, Germany. They play in the country's premier league, the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-History:... - In 1975, the TSV Straubing won the title, having come second in the regular season.
- For two seasons, the league was split into three divisions.
Season Oberliga Nord Oberliga Mitte Oberliga Süd 1985-86 Neusser SC EV Stuttgart EHC 80 Nürnberg 1986-87 EC Ratingen EV Stuttgart ERC Ingolstadt ERC IngolstadtThe ERC Ingolstadt are a member of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Commonly known as the Panthers, they play their games in Ingolstadt, Germany at the Saturn Arena. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Ingolstadt signed NHLers Marco Sturm, Andy McDonald, Jamie Langenbrunner and Aaron Ward...
| Season | Oberliga Nord | Oberliga Süd |
|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | Westfalen Dortmund | ERC Sonthofen |
| 1988-89 | ECD Sauerland Iserlohn | Augsburger EV |
| 1989-90 | Grefrather EV | EV Ravensburg |
| 1990-91 | EC Bad Nauheim | SC Memmingen |
| 1991-92 | ETC Timmendorfer Strand | TuS Geretsried |
| 1992-93 | Frankfurter ESC Frankfurt Lions The Frankfurt Lions were a professional men's ice hockey club from Frankfurt, Germany that played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The club ceased operations in 2010 due to financial difficulty.-History:... |
EV Landsberg |
| 1993-94 | ESC Wedemark Hannover Scorpions The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. The team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. Their games are played at TUI Arena of the Expo Plaza... |
Heilbronner EC |
- In 1994, the EC Bad Tölz won the Oberliga championship, having finished third in the regular season.
- Bold denotes Oberliga champion.
1994- present
- The league was renamed and became the second tier of German ice hockey.
Season 1st Liga Nord 1st Liga Süd Championship 1994-95 ERC Westfalen Dortmund SC Riessersee EHC Freiburg 1995-96 ESC Wedemark Heilbronner EC ESC Wedemark 1996-97 EHC Neuwied EC Bad Tölz EHC Neuwied 1997-98 EHC Neuwied Heilbronner EC EHC Neuwied 1998-99 REV Bremerhaven SC Bietigheim-Bissingen REV Bremerhaven - The league returned to its old names and became the third tier of the league system again.
Season Oberliga Nord Oberliga Süd 1999–2000 EV Duisburg EHC Straubing Straubing TigersThe Straubing Tigers are a professional men's ice hockey team in the German Ice Hockey League . They play out of Straubing, Germany, and they play their home games at Eisstadion am Pulverturm, which can hold 5,800 spectators....2000-01 EHC Wolfsburg EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly AdamsEHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams are a professional ice hockey club of the German professional ice hockey league Deutsche Eishockey Liga. They play their games at Eisarena in Wolfsburg...EV Regensburg - The Oberliga Nord folded and the southern division became the only German Oberliga.
Season Oberliga Süd 2001-02 EV Landshut 2002-03 1. EV Weiden 2003-04 REV Bremerhaven 2004-05 Dresdner Eislöwen 2005-06 EV Landsberg 2000 2006-07 Heilbronner Falken - The league is split into two groups with a joint finals round.
Season Oberliga Nord Oberliga Süd Championship 2007-08 Dresdner Eislöwen Tölzer Löwen Dresdner Eislöwen 2008-09 Hannover Indians ESV Kaufbeuren not determined
External links
See also
- Deutsche Eishockey Liga, the DEL
- 2nd Bundesliga2nd Bundesliga (ice hockey)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 :...
- Bavarian ice hockey leaguesBavarian ice hockey leaguesThe Bavarian ice hockey leagues are part of the German ice hockey league system and form the tiers four to six of the league system in the state of Bavaria...