EBEL 2013/14 and future?

[Ivan94]

HC Bolzano/Bozen from Italy joins the EBEL-League after Medvescak Zagreb leaves with direction KHL.

In 2013/14 play:

8 Austrian Teams:

Dornbirner EC
EC KAC
EC Red Bull Salzburg
EC VSV
EHC Linz
EC Graz 99ers
Vienna Capitals
HC Innsbruck

Czech 2. league team:

Orli Znojmo

Hungarian top-club:

Fehérvár Alba Volán 19

Slovenian top-club:

HDD Olimpija Ljubljana

Italian top-club:

HC Bozen




What do you see for EBEL future if red bull join KHL?

should the league expand in 2014/15?
candidats are:
- a hungarian team from Budapest, which needs new arena.
- a team from slovakia´s 2. league
- comeback of Jesenice after financial problems
- maybe other italian team
- maybe a farm team of Medvescak Zagreb.

Click to read more...

 

[Sucro]

What about Cracovia? Krakow will have 15k seater available for hockey in 2014 to host Volleyball World Championship.

 

[ficohok*]

- maybe a farm team of Medvescak Zagreb.

Not going to happen. No point in having farm team where 20 foreginers are going to play...

 

[Sucro]

There is a chance that top Slovak clubs will join Czech Extraliga in future, so what if other 4-6 ones join the EBEL? I think the level would be increased.
Take some more 2nd tier Czech clubs + Krakow and Katowice and you can make a whole division.

 

[vorky]

There is a chance that top Slovak clubs will join Czech Extraliga in future, so what if other 4-6 ones join the EBEL? I think the level would be increased.
Take some more 2nd tier Czech clubs + Krakow and Katowice and you can make a whole division.

There is no chance bold to happen. Czech league does not want slovak clubs, slovak clubs does not have arena/money (maybe Kosice). Yes, Kosice claims that club´s goal is to join czech league. Yes, everything can happen but I dont see it happening soon.

If Red Bull joins KHL, EBEL will have to find out solutions. IMO Red Bull would stay in EBEL somehow (farm or so).

 

[Sucro]

There is no chance bold to happen. Czech league does not want slovak clubs, slovak clubs does not have arena/money (maybe Kosice). Yes, Kosice claims that club´s goal is to join czech league. Yes, everything can happen but I dont see it happening soon.

If Red Bull joins KHL, EBEL will have to find out solutions. IMO Red Bull would stay in EBEL somehow (farm or so).

Well, you know that Czech Hockey Federation changes its opinion sometimes...
What about full merging then? Would current EBEL teams be able to compete with Kosice and Zvolen?

I really hope that Munich will join the KHL, Salzburg has too small arena and population number. Vienna should be the first expansion destination in Austria, while any club from large German city will open the way to other teams.

 

[vorky]

Well, you know that Czech Hockey Federation changes its opinion sometimes...
What about full merging then? Would current EBEL teams be able to compete with Kosice and Zvolen?

I really hope that Munich will join the KHL, Salzburg has too small arena and population number. Vienna should be the first expansion destination in Austria, while any club from large German city will open the way to other teams.

Q is why Czech Hockey Federation changed its opinion on Lev Prague... if you talked about this case. Does slovak federation/clubs have the same "argument"? I dont think so...

It is impossible to full merging. Slovak clubs does not have so much money as czech clubs, arenas are disaster (only Kosice has appropriate arena), etc etc. It would be surprise of century if all slovak extraleague to merge with czech league.

I agree with Munich/Vienna in principle, we discussed it elsewhere.

 

[Sucro]

Q is why Czech Hockey Federation changed its opinion on Lev Prague... if you talked about this case. Does slovak federation/clubs have the same "argument"? I dont think so...

It is impossible to full merging. Slovak clubs does not have so much money as czech clubs, arenas are disaster (only Kosice has appropriate arena), etc etc. It would be surprise of century if all slovak extraleague to merge with czech league.

I agree with Munich/Vienna in principle, we discussed it elsewhere.

I meant merging of Slovak Extraleague with EBEL, not with Czech Extraleague.
Also, is it true that Czechs changed opinion on Slovan after its joining the KHL?

 

[vorky]

I meant merging of Slovak Extraleague with EBEL, not with Czech Extraleague.

I dont see a reason why should EBEL like/want that. It would be step back for EBEL. Much more sense is to merge czech league and EBEL, but there are "political" problems etc. Yes, these problems can be solved if there is a will/money (the same was with Lev Praha and KHL).

Also, is it true that Czechs changed opinion on Slovan after its joining the KHL?

No. IMO "Slovan joining czech league, then refused and joined KHL" was only a PR move from Slovan, not serious attempt. I dont have evidence. Slovan asked fans during last extraleague season what league should Slovan play. Czech league was above KHL. So Slovan must do this PR move with czech league, when they was refused, Slovan could say their fans - czechs does not want us, our only option is KHL... Comparison with KHL in Finland, KHL tried for 5 yrs to get finnish club, KHL did not give up after 1st or 2nd failure ... Slovan changed its mind with czech league within a week or so. Did Slovan really want to join KHL or it was only a PR? I have an opinion about that.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Olten and Basel should join. 2 big clubs that are "stuck" in the NLB.

 

[ficohok*]

Olten and Basel should join. 2 big clubs that are "stuck" in the NLB.

AFAIK they couldn't draw fans even when they played in NLA. It is soccer only town.

 

[jaco]

What do you see for EBEL future if red bull join KHL?

should the league expand in 2014/15?
- maybe other italian team
QUOTE]

Since Italy's Serie A (now Elite A) seems more and more disintegrating, this looks like a very probable scenario: Appiano, Gardena, Merano, Egna and Caldaro have already joined INL (2nd tier below EBEL), so I think Milano (the dream of joining KHL is probably over...) is a strong candidate for EBEL, if Salzburg "upgrades" to KHL..

 

[Sucro]

I'm thinking of some questions regarding future of EBEL, it would be intersting to hear points of view on them:
1) How far geographically can the league expand? Should we expect teams from, let's say, Barcelona or there will be clubs from Central Europe only?
2) What is the maximum number of teams for near future? How stable will EBEL be with 16 or more clubs?
3) Is the league going to be less like Austrian open championship and become a truly international league?
4) Will INL merge with MOL-league to become development league for EBEL or make some sort of partnership?
5)Will the league change its name to non-sponsor one?
6) Are there any clubs from Germany that can be interested to join?
7) Can a Romanian club be competitive in EBEL? If not, what is the level gap between it and the league?

 

[Kokoschka]

I'm thinking of some questions regarding future of EBEL, it would be intersting to hear points of view on them:
1) How far geographically can the league expand? Should we expect teams from, let's say, Barcelona or there will be clubs from Central Europe only?
2) What is the maximum number of teams for near future? How stable will EBEL be with 16 or more clubs?
3) Is the league going to be less like Austrian open championship and become a truly international league?
4) Will INL merge with MOL-league to become development league for EBEL or make some sort of partnership?
5)Will the league change its name to non-sponsor one?
6) Are there any clubs from Germany that can be interested to join?
7) Can a Romanian club be competitive in EBEL? If not, what is the level gap between it and the league?

I'll try to answer some of that from my perspective.

1) Central Europe only. Travel costs would explode if the away team has to actually fly to the location. Not doable for teams like Innsbruck, Linz, Szekesfehervar, Ljubljana. I heard some rumors (don't know where anymore ) of Dunaujvaros willing to move to Budapest to join the EBEL. Perhaps Ferencvaros can step up financially? Living in Vienna, it'd be great to get some Danube-city rivalry. Furthermore, I could use the away games as an excuse to visit Budapest .
Also, I don't see Red Bull Salzburg joining the KHL, rather Munich.
I think adding some Slovak teams would be great for the league. I think Kosice is a bit better than the EBEL-teams, but the rest is certainly within reach. Would love Trnava, Trencin or Nitra in the EBEL. Prerhaps Jesenice can come back. Add a 2nd tier Czech team for Znojmo.

2) that depends entirely on how the clubs fare financially. I think a 2 division (say SouthWest with VSV, KAC, Innsbruck, Bolzano, Salzburg, Jesenice, Ljubljana and Dornbirn and NorthEast Linz, Vienna, Znojmo, Szekesfehervar, Budapest, Graz + 2) could work. You'd have to reduce the extremes travelling-wise, so, for example, Innsbruck has to go to Hungary only once etc.

3) God I hope so.

4) No idea about that.

5) Erste Bank is pretty present in the EBEL-countries. I can imagine they offer a decent amount of money for sponsoring the league. As long as there's money to be made by selling the league's name, I frankly don't see Austrian hockey-officials moving away from it. (I think the name is an atrocity, btw )

6) Someone like Landshut or Rosenheim perhaps (just guessing here). Don't see any DEL teams joining EBEL. Frankly, I don't have much of an idea, but I can only see teams interested that are a) playing 2nd German league and b) are located near the Austrian border (id est, some of Bavaria and certain parts of BaWü).

7) Honestly, I think there's quite a gap. Csikszereda and Brasov perhaps. The rest, absolutely not. I see the gap similar to NLA-EBEL, so quite significant.

Hope that helps.

 

[Ivan94]

I'm thinking of some questions regarding future of EBEL, it would be intersting to hear points of view on them:
1) How far geographically can the league expand? Should we expect teams from, let's say, Barcelona or there will be clubs from Central Europe only?
2) What is the maximum number of teams for near future? How stable will EBEL be with 16 or more clubs?
3) Is the league going to be less like Austrian open championship and become a truly international league?
4) Will INL merge with MOL-league to become development league for EBEL or make some sort of partnership?
5)Will the league change its name to non-sponsor one?
6) Are there any clubs from Germany that can be interested to join?
7) Can a Romanian club be competitive in EBEL? If not, what is the level gap between it and the league?

1) I think this countries are geographically possible:

- South - Poland (all Polish teams are located near the Czech and Slovak border)
- Czech Republic
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Germany (Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Saxony)
- Switzerland
- North-Italy (all Italian teams are from North-Italy)
- East-France (most teams are located at Italian, Swiss and German border)
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Serbia
- Romania


2) I think with splitting in Divisions 20-24 Teams are possible in some years.


3) I hope EBEL is going to be a competive international league on a level with NLA, DEL, SHL and SM-Liiga.

To be this the league have to expand and be international.


4) That is a good idea. In future both league could be the 2nd league under the EBEL. they are it today too, both a partnership with MOL-liga would be good for development of the regional hockey


5) maybe in future, but now it brings important money.


6) a month ago it wasn´t sure that the 2nd German league will start. but now a DEL II is created and the chance for an german team in EBEL decreased.
In history EBEL was a pressure medium for EC Munich to let them join DEL from 2nd League.

7) With homegrown players not, but with a lot of foreign players. The gap is the same like that when medvescak joined EBEL. big, but not impossible

 

[jaco]

Wow Bolzano! 4 games 4 wins! What a start!

 

[SCBdude]

Olten and Basel should join. 2 big clubs that are "stuck" in the NLB.

Basel maybe, although they don't have a lot of fans. Olten is good enough to have a chance to get in to NLA in the next 5 years, so there's no reason for them to join.