2011–12 Austrian Hockey League season

The 2011–12 Austrian Hockey League was a season of the Austrian Hockey League (known as Erste Bank Eishockey Liga - or EBEL league - for sponsorship reasons). The Black Wings Linz won their second Austrian championship after 2003 by defeating the EC KAC in the Playoff-Final four games to one.
==Teams==
Team 	City/Area 	Arena 	Capacity 	Founded	Joined EBEL
Red Bull Salzburg 	Salzburg 	Eisarena Salzburg 	3,600 	1977 	
Graz 99ers 	Graz 	Eisstadion Graz Liebenau 	4,050 	1999 	
EC KAC 	Klagenfurt 	Stadthalle Klagenfurt 	5,500 	1909 	
Black Wings Linz 	Linz 	Keine Sorgen Eisarena Linz 	3,800 	1992 	
Vienna Capitals 	Vienna 	Albert Schultz Eishalle 	4,500 	2000 	
Villacher SV 	Villach 	Villacher Stadthalle 	4,800 	1923 	
Acroni Jesenice 	Jesenice 	Dvorana Podmežakla 	6,000 	1948 	2006/07
Olimpija Ljubljana 	Ljubljana 	Dvorana Tivoli 	4,500 	1929 	2007/08
SAPA Fehérvár AV 19 	Székesfehérvár	Ifjabb Ocskay Gábor Ice Hall	3,600 	1960 	2007/08
KHL Medveščak Zagreb	Zagreb 	Dom Sportova / Arena Zagreb 	6,000 / 15,024	1961 	2009/10
Orli Znojmo 	Znojmo 	Hostan Arena 	5,500 	1933 	2011/12
==Regular season==
===Regular season===
After 40 regular season games, the league was divided into two mid-season groups, who played games amongst each other. The first six teams qualified into the playoffs, but played a further 10 games each in the Placement Round to decide the best rankings. Earlier points were annulled, except for the 1st team receiving +4, the 2nd +3, the 3rd + 2, and the 4th +1 extra initial point(s) for this phase.
The last 5 teams played 8 games each in the Qulaifying Round to reach the remaining two playoff spots. Earlier points were annulled except for the 7th receiving + 3, the 8th + 2, and the 9th + 1 extra initial point(s) for this phase. In the playoff games the better placed team at the end of these mid-season groups will have the right to play at home first. In the quarterfinals the 1st ranked team will play against the 8th ranked team, 2nd vs 7th, 3rd vs 6th, 4th vs 5th - each in a best-of-seven series.
Key to colours in group tables
Top six placed teams advanced to the Placement Round
Last five placed teams advanced to the Qualifying Round
 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1 	Black Wings Linz 	40	29	11	4	147	104	62
2 	KHL Medveščak Zagreb	40	24	16	6	135	99 	54
3 	Red Bull Salzburg 	40	24	16	3	144	129	51
4 	EC KAC 	40	22	18	4	124	114	48
5 	Olimpija Ljubljana 	40	21	19	3	122	119	45
6 	SAPA Fehérvár AV 19 	40	20	20	4	132	122	44
7 	Villacher SV 	40	21	19	0	112	101	42
8 	Vienna Capitals 	40	17	23	6	120	136	40
9 	Graz 99ers 	40	19	21	1	112	123	39
10	Orli Znojmo 	40	14	26	6	100	137	34
11	Jesenice 	40	9 	31	7	82 	146	25
===Placement Round===
EHC Black Wings Linz started with +4, KHL Medveščak Zagreb with +3, EC Red Bull Salzburg with +2 and EC KAC with +1 points.
 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1	Black Wings Linz 	10	6	4	0	32	29	
2	KHL Medveščak Zagreb	10	5	5	1	31	29	
3	SAPA Fehérvár AV 19 	10	7	3	0	37	26	14
4	Red Bull Salzburg 	10	4	6	1	32	42	
5	EC KAC 	10	4	6	0	26	28	
6	Olimpija Ljubljana 	10	4	6	1	35	39	9
===Qualifying Round===
Villacher SV started with +3, Vienna Capitals with + 2 and the Graz 99ers with +1 points.
Key to colours in group tables
Top two placed teams advanced to Playoffs
 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1	Orli Znojmo 	8	5	3	1	28	22	11
2	Vienna Capitals	8	4	4	1	30	20	
3	Villacher SV 	8	4	4	0	16	18	
4	Graz 99ers 	8	4	4	1	18	18	
5	Jesenice 	8	3	5	0	19	33	6
==Playoffs==
In the semifinals the four winners of the quarterfinals will play as follows: the best ranked club (in the regular season) of the four semifinalists will play against the worst ranked club, the second best ranked club against the second worst ranked club - each in a best-of-seven series. The two winners of the semifinals will play a best-of-seven series in the final round.
If a playoff game is undecided at the end of the regular time after a 17 minutes break a 20 minute "Sudden Victory Overtime" will be played. Should the game still be undecided after the first overtime period after another 17 minutes break a second 20 minute "Sudden Victory Overtime" will be played and so on until the deciding goal is scored. Each team may only use four skaters; however, at least three skaters must be used.
==External links==
*Official website
==References==
Category:2011–12 ice hockey leagues