Austrian 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.
The Austrian Hockey League (German:Österreichische Eishockey-Liga), called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (English:Erste Bank Hockey League) for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level ice hockey league in Austria.
==History==
The roots of the EBEL league go back to 1923 and various Championships, whose winner is officially recognized as the Austrian Champion. There was no Austrian competition in 1936, and 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.
The league exists in today's form since the 1965-66 season. 
Until 2005-06 the league consisted solely of Austrian teams. Since then the league has added teams from Slovenia (starting 2006-07 and 2007–08), Hungary (starting 2007-08), Croatia (starting 2009-10 season), and the Czech Republic (starting in 2011-12).http://www.eurohockey.com/article/628-znojmo-to-join-austrian-ebel.html The non-Austian teams are competing for the "EBEL 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 "Sparkasse Bank" and its Erste Bank brand since the 2003-04 season.
==EBEL Playoffs==
All Erste Bank Eishockey Liga Playoffs have been won by Austrian teams. The best non-Austrian team result is the HDD Olimpija Ljubljana managing to get into the finals in 2007-08 season, losing the EBEL championship to EC Red Bull Salzburg.
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. Such success is not unheard of for an Italian outfit, but previous similar results took place in the Alpenliga and the Six Nations Tournament, standalone competitions whose postseason tournaments were distinct from the Austrian playoffs.
==Winter Classics==
Winter Classic 	Date 	Site 	Home Team	Away Team	Score 	Attendance
Klagenfurt 2015	2015-01-03	Wörthersee Stadion (football)	KAC 	VSV 	1–4 	29,700
Šalata 2013 	2013-02-01	Šalata (hockey) 	Medveščak	Capitals 	1–2 	5,120
Šalata 2010 	2010-01-31	Šalata (hockey) 	Medveščak	Capitals 	4–3 (OT)	4,600
Šalata 2010 	2010-01-29	Šalata (hockey) 	Medveščak	VSV 	2–3 	4,600
Pula 2012 	2012-09-16	Pula Arena (amphitheatre) 	Medveščak	Capitals 	4–1 	7,130
Pula 2012 	2012-09-14	Pula Arena (amphitheatre) 	Medveščak	Olimpija 	1–2 	7,022
Klagenfurt 2010	2010-01-09	Wörthersee Stadion (football)	KAC 	VSV 	1–3 	30,500
==Teams==
Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity 	Founded 	Joined ICEHL 	Left ICEHL
Current teams 	Current teams 	Current teams 	Current teams 	Current teams 	Current teams 	Current teams
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 	Villach 	Villacher Stadthalle 	4,800 	1923 	1977–78 	
EC KAC 	Klagenfurt 	Stadthalle Klagenfurt 	5,500 	1909 	1923–24 	
EC Red Bull Salzburg 	Salzburg 	Eisarena Salzburg 	3,600 	1977 	2004–05 	
Fehérvár AV19 	Székesfehérvár 	Alba Aréna 	6,000 	1960 	2007–08 	
Graz 99ers 	Graz 	Eisstadion Liebenau 	4,050 	1999 	2000–01 	
HC Bozen–Bolzano 	Bolzano 	Sparkasse Arena 	7,220 	1933 	2013–14 	
HC Pustertal Wölfe 	Bruneck 	Intercable Arena 	3,100 	1954 	2021–22 	
Asiago Hockey 1935 	Asiago 	Pala Hodegart 	3,000 	1935 	2022–23 	
HC TWK Innsbruck 	Innsbruck 	TIWAG Arena 	3.200 	1994 	2012–13 	
HK Olimpija Ljubljana 	Ljubljana 	Tivoli Hall 	7,000 	2004 	2021–22 	
Steinbach Black Wings Linz 	Linz 	Linz AG Eisarena 	3,800 	1992 	2000–01 	
Vienna Capitals 	Vienna 	Erste Bank Arena 	7,022 	2000 	2001–02 	
Pioneers Vorarlberg 	Feldkirch 	Vorarlberghalle 	5,200 	2022 	2022–23 	
Former teams (since introduction of current league format)	Former teams (since introduction of current league format)	Former teams (since introduction of current league format)	Former teams (since introduction of current league format)	Former teams (since introduction of current league format)	Former teams (since introduction of current league format)	Former teams (since introduction of current league format)
Bratislava Capitals 	Bratislava 	Ondrej Nepela Arena 	10,055 	2015 	2020–21 	2021–22
VEU Feldkirch 	Feldkirch 	Vorarlberghalle 	5,200 	1945 	1967–68 	2003–04
HK Jesenice 	Jesenice 	Podmežakla Hall 	4,500 	1948 	2006–07 	2011–12
HDD Olimpija Ljubljana 	Ljubljana 	Tivoli Hall 	7,000 	1928 	2007–08 	2016–17
Medveščak Zagreb 	Zagreb 	Dom Sportova,Arena Zagreb 	5,00015,000 	1961 	2009–102017–18 	2012–132018–19
Orli Znojmo 	Znojmo 	Nevoga Arena 	5,500 	1933 	2011– 122021–22 	2019–20
2021-22
Dornbirn Bulldogs 	Dornbirn 	Messestadion 	4,270 	1992 	2012–13
2021–22 	
== 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 Klagenfurter
* 1936 Not Played
* 1937 Wiener EV
* 1938 EK Engelmann
* 1939-1945 Not played
* 1946 EK Engelmann
* 1947 Wiener EV
* 1948 Wiener EV
* 1949 Wiener EG
* 1950 Wiener EG
* 1951 Wiener EG
* 1952 Klagenfurter
* 1953 Innsbrucker EV
* 1954 Innsbrucker EV
* 1955 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 Innsbrucker EV
* 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 Bolzano)
* 2015 Red Bull Salzburg
* 2016 Red Bull Salzburg
* 2017 Vienna Capitals
* 2018 Red Bull Salzburg (EBEL title winner HC Bolzano)
* 2019 EC KAC
* 2020 N/A
* 2021 EC KAC
* 2022 Red Bull Salzburg
* 2023 Red Bull Salzburg
* 2024 Red Bull Salzburg
Club 	Winners	Winning Years
EC KAC 	32 	1934, 1935, 1952, 1955, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2019, 2021
Wiener EV / EG 	17 	1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1937, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1962
Red Bull Salzburg 	11 	2007, 2008, 2010, 2011,2014*, 2015, 2016, 2018*, 2022, 2023, 2024
VEU Feldkirch 	9 	1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Innsbrucker EV 	7 	1953, 1954,1958, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1989
Villacher SV 	6 	1981, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2006
EK Engelmann 	5 	1936, 1938, 1946, 1956, 1957
ATSE Graz 	2 	1975, 1978
Black Wings Linz 	2 	2003, 2012
Vienna Capitals 	2 	2005, 2017
Pötzleinsdorfer SK	1 	1932
bold - seasons in which league had teams outside Austria
* - seasons in which the Austrian Champion didn't win the EBEL title
==References==
==External links==
*Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL)
*Austrian Hockey Association (ÖEHV)
*Multilanguage forum on Austrian Hockey
*Summary table in Hungarian at icehockey.hu
*Information about Ice-hockey in Austria (German)
Category:Ice hockey leagues