1997–98 DEL season

The 1997–98 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 4th season of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga ().
Adler Mannheim became the DEL Champion for the second time in a row, winning a German title for the third time in their history. The season had its share of instability. After the 15th regular season round, the Kaufbeurer Adler were insolvent and the Düsseldorfer EG left the league after season end.
== Regular season ==
As in the previous season two rounds/phases were played. In the first round, all teams played one home and one away game with each other for a total of 28 rounds. The first 6 placed teams continued playing for the playoff placements {German: Meisterrunde). The 9 last placed teams had to fight it out for the last 2 playoff spots.
=== Phase I ===
 	Team 	GP 	W 	T 	L 	OTL 	GF:GA 	Points
1. 	Adler Mannheim 	28 	20 	2 	1 	5 	111:74 	43
2. 	Düsseldorfer EG 	28 	20 	0 	0 	8 	113:88 	40
3. 	EV Landshut 	28 	18 	2 	1 	7 	100:64 	39
4. 	Frankfurt Lions 	28 	16 	4 	1 	7 	92:74 	37
5. 	Eisbären Berlin 	28 	15 	4 	0 	9 	97:79 	34
6. 	Kölner Haie 	28 	14 	4 	1 	9 	104:94 	33
7. 	Krefeld Pinguine 	28 	14 	2 	1 	11 	85:84 	31
8. 	Hannover Scorpions 	28 	12 	3 	2 	11 	88:96 	29
9. 	Schwenninger ERC Wild Wings	28 	11 	5 	2 	10 	98:100 	29
10.	Berlin Capitals 	28 	11 	2 	4 	11 	73:81 	28
11.	Kassel Huskies 	28 	10 	2 	3 	13 	82:86 	25
12.	Nürnberg Ice Tigers 	28 	9 	2 	2 	15 	93:107 	22
13.	Revierlöwen Oberhausen 	28 	9 	3 	1 	16 	81:103 	22
14.	Augsburger Panther 	28 	10 	0 	2 	16 	78:107 	22
15.	Starbulls Rosenheim 	28 	3 	1 	0 	24 	70:138 	7
16.	Kaufbeurer Adler 	disqualified	disqualified	disqualified	disqualified	disqualified	disqualified	disqualified
GP = Games, W = Win, T = Tie, L = Loss, OTL = Overtime loss, GF:GA = Goals For : Goals Against
     = Continue play for playoff spots,     = Continue qualifications for last 2 playoff spots,     = Disqualified</small>
=== Phase II - "Meisterrunde" ===
 	Team 	GP	W 	T	L	OTL	GF:GA 	Points
1.	Eisbären Berlin	48	27	6	1	14 	179:139 	61
2.	Frankfurt Lions	48	27	6	1	14 	160:126 	61
3.	Kölner Haie 	48	26	6	2	14 	160:1474	60
4.	Adler Mannheim 	48	26	3	3	16 	170:145 	58
5.	Düsseldorfer EG	48	27	1	2	18 	166:164 	57
6.	EV Landshut 	48	25	4	2	17 	148:118 	56
GP = Games, W = Win, T = Tie, L = Loss, OTL = Overtime loss, GF:GA = Goals For : Goals Against
=== Phase II ===
Two teams qualified for the playoff spots 7 and 8.
 	Team 	GP	W 	T	L	OTL	GF:GA 	Points
1.	Hannover Scorpions 	44	22	6	2	14 	160:142	52
2.	Berlin Capitals 	44	19	7	4	14 	136:119	49
3.	Schwenninger ERC Wild Wings	44	19	5	3	17 	157:148	46
4.	Kassel Huskies 	44	19	3	4	18 	140:128	45
5.	Krefeld Pinguine 	44	18	6	1	19 	126:141	43
6.	Nürnberg Ice Tigers 	44	18	4	2	20 	126:141	42
7.	Augsburger Panther 	44	16	2	2	24 	122:160	36
8.	Revierlöwen Oberhausen 	44	14	4	1	25 	132:184	33
9.	Starbulls Rosenheim 	44	6 	3	0	35 	105:204	15
GP = Games, W = Win, T = Tie, L = Loss, OTL = Overtime loss, GF:GA = Goals For : Goals Against
Color code:     = Playoff     = Season end
====Round 1 Playoff Qualifications ====
The first round of playoff qualifications was played as a best-of-five series.
 	 	 	Game	1 	2 	3 	4 	5
Hannover Scorpions 	–	Revier Löwen Oberhausen	3:0 	6:2	5:2 	5:4	– 	–
Berlin Capitals 	–	Augsburger Panther 	1:3 	3:2	1:3 	0:2	1:4	–
Schwenninger ERC Wild Wings	–	Nürnberg Ice Tigers 	3:2 	6:2	4:5 OT	5:2	2:4	6:2
Kassel Huskies 	–	Krefeld Pinguine 	1:3 	3:5	2:5 	5:3	1:2	–
 OT = Overtime; SO = Shootout
====Round 2 Playoff Qualifications ====
The second round of playoff qualifications was played as a best-of-three series.
 	 	 	Game	1 	2 	3
Hannover Scorpions 	–	Augsburger Panther	2:0 	4:3	5:2	–
Schwenninger ERC Wild Wings	–	Krefeld Pinguine 	1:2 	4:3	2:6	2:5
 OT = Overtime; SO = Shootout
The Hannover Scorpions and Krefeld Pinguine qualified for the playoffs.
== Playoff ==
The playoffs were played in a best-of-five format.
=== Quarterfinals ===
 	 	 	Game	1 	2 	3 	4 	5
Eisbären Berlin	–	Krefeld Pinguine 	3:0 	4:3 OT	4:3 n.V.	5:1 	– 	–
Frankfurt Lions	–	Hannover Scorpions	3:1 	4:3 OT	4:1 	2:4 	4:2	–
Kölner Haie 	–	EV Landshut 	0:3 	3:4 OT	1:9 	4:3 SO	– 	–
Adler Mannheim 	–	Düsseldorfer EG 	3:0 	7:2 	4:3 	6:1 	– 	–
 OT = Overtime; SO = Shootout
=== Semifinals ===
 	 	 	Game	1 	2 	3 	4	5
Eisbären Berlin	–	EV Landshut 	3:0 	7:4	2:1	2:0 	–	–
Frankfurt Lions	–	Adler Mannheim	0:3 	2:6	1:5	3:4 SO	–	–
 OT = Overtime; SO = Shootout
=== Finals ===
 	 	 	Game	1 	2 	3 	4 	5
Eisbären Berlin	–	Adler Mannheim	1:3 	0:2	2:4	8:7	1:4	–
 OT = Overtime; SO = Shootout
With the last game, the Adler Mannheim became repeat DEL Champion and won the German Champion title for the 3rd time in the club history.
==Team Photos==
97-98HanSco.jpg|Hannover Scorpions
97-98NurIT.jpg|Nürnberg Ice Tigers
97-98EisBer.jpg|Eisbären Berlin
97-98KolHai.jpg|Kölner Haie
97-98FraLio.jpg|Frankfurt Lions
97-98KasHus.jpg|Kassel Huskies
97-98DusEG.jpg|Düsseldorfer EG
97-98EVLan.jpg|EV Landshut
97-98AugPan.jpg|Augsburger Panther
==References==
DEL
DEL