ICE Hockey League

ICE Hockey League
The ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League, ICEHL), known as the win2day ICE Hockey League for sponsorship reasons, 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.
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), Italy (starting in 2013–14), 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. 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
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.
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. 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
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.
Winter Classics
Austrian Champions
1923 Wiener EV
1924 Wiener EV
1925 Wiener EV
1926 Wiener EV
1927 Wiener EV
1928 Wiener EV
1929 Wiener EV
1930 Wiener EV
1931 Wiener EV
1932 Pötzleinsdorfer SK
1933 Wiener EV
1934 Klagenfurter
1935 EC KAC Klagenfurter
1936 EK Engelmann
1937 Wiener EV
1938 EK Engelmann
1939 Not played due to World War II
1940 Not played due to World War II
1941 Not played due to World War II
1942 Not played due to World War II
1943 Not played due to World War II
1944 Not played due to World War II
1945 Not played due to World War II
1946 EK Engelmann
1947 Wiener EV
1948 Wiener EV
1949 Wiener EG
1950 Wiener EG
1951 Wiener EG
1952 EC KAC Klagenfurter
1953 Innsbrucker EV
1954 Innsbrucker EV
1955 EC KAC Klagenfurter
1956 EK Engelmann
1957 EK Engelmann
1958 Innsbrucker EV
1959 Innsbrucker EV
1960 EC KAC
1961 Innsbrucker EV
1962 Wiener EV
1963 Innsbrucker EV
1964 EC KAC
1965 EC KAC
1966 EC KAC
1967 EC KAC
1968 EC KAC
1969 EC KAC
1970 EC KAC
1971 EC KAC
1972 EC KAC
1973 EC KAC
1974 EC KAC
1975 ATSE Graz
1976 EC KAC
1977 EC KAC
1978 ATSE Graz
1979 EC KAC
1980 EC KAC
1981 Villacher SV
1982 VEU Feldkirch
1983 VEU Feldkirch
1984 VEU Feldkirch
1985 EC KAC
1986 EC KAC
1987 EC KAC
1988 EC KAC
1989 GEV Innsbruck
1990 VEU Feldkirch
1991 EC KAC
1992 Villacher SV
1993 Villacher SV
1994 VEU Feldkirch
1995 VEU Feldkirch
1996 VEU Feldkirch
1997 VEU Feldkirch
1998 VEU Feldkirch
1999 Villacher SV
2000 EC KAC
2001 EC KAC
2002 Villacher SV
2003 Black Wings Linz
2004 EC KAC
2005 Vienna Capitals
2006 Villacher SV
2007 Red Bull Salzburg
2008 Red Bull Salzburg
2009 EC KAC
2010 Red Bull Salzburg
2011 Red Bull Salzburg
2012 Black Wings Linz
2013 EC KAC
2014 Red Bull Salzburg (EBEL title winner HC Bozen–Bolzano)
2015 Red Bull Salzburg
2016 Red Bull Salzburg
2017 Vienna Capitals
2018 Red Bull Salzburg (EBEL title winner HC Bozen–Bolzano)
2019 EC KAC
2020 N/A
2021 EC KAC
2022 Red Bull Salzburg
2023 Red Bull Salzburg
bold – seasons in which league had teams outside Austria
[*] – seasons in which the Austrian Champion didn't win the ICEHL title
See also
Austrian champions (ice hockey)
Austrian National League, 2nd league in Austria
Inter-National League
Alps Hockey League
Players in the Austrian Hockey League
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga Playoffs
Hockey Europe
References
External links
Ice Hockey League Official
Austrian Hockey Association (ÖEHV)
Information about Ice-hockey in Austria (German)
Top tier ice hockey leagues in Europe
Professional ice hockey leagues in Austria
Professional ice hockey leagues in Hungary
Professional ice hockey leagues in Italy
Professional ice hockey leagues in the Czech Republic
Professional ice hockey leagues in Slovakia
Multi-national ice hockey leagues in Europe
Multi-national professional sports leagues