EBEL/ICE Hockey League General Discussion (3 clubs added for 2021-22)

Theokritos

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Apr 6, 2010
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After Zagreb, Znojmo has also decided to not participate in EBEL anymore. Thus, the league should contract from 12 to 10 teams next season. However, Feldkirch have submitted a bid to join, so there could be 11 teams.

Finally, HC Orli Znojmo have opted to stay in EBEL. It seems their only other option would have been the third tier of the Czech league - semi professional I guess? Would have been huge step back.

Feldkirch on the other hand is apparently not yet ready to enter EBEL. It seems they are now aiming for 2020-2021.
 
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Theokritos

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Semi-finals: Klagenfurt sweep Graz in 4 games while Vienna need 7 games to overcome Salzburg.

Now to the finals. Vienna win the first game.
 

Go Donbass

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Sep 27, 2013
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Vinnitsa, Ukraine
Been almost three years since anybody posted in this thread, but in light of today's news I thought it was worth resurrecting it.

The Austrian Erste Bank League playoffs were cancelled today in their entirety, due to corona virus. The government has banned people from attending live sporting events, and the league decided they didn't want to play their playoffs in empty stadiums. So as a result there will be no post season champion in the Erste Bank League for 2019/2020. Will be interesting to see what the Champions League does to determine who, if anyone, will be the the remaining Erste Bank League representative in the Champions League for next season.
 

alko

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Oct 20, 2004
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Will be interesting to see what the Champions League does to determine who, if anyone, will be the the remaining Erste Bank League representative in the Champions League for next season.

From the EBEL portal:
Aufgrund der vorzeitigen Beendigung gibt es in dieser Spielzeit keinen Meister der Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. Neben dem EC Red Bull Salzburg und dem HCB Südtirol Alperia qualifizierten sich die spusu Vienna Capitals als Drittplatzierte der Pick Round für die Champions Hockey League.
 

PanniniClaus

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Oct 12, 2006
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Also to note, that Bratislava Capitals should be the new team in season 2020/2021. They have money, so they could have an interesting team.
So that will bring it to 12 teams?

Good to see a Slovak representative.
 

555Upstairs

Unregistered User
Aug 13, 2016
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Linz, Austria
Linz will most likely get a new team:
Katze aus dem Sack: Frohe Ostern für Oberösterreichs Eishockeyfans
To sum up: a group of sponsors of the Black Wings have founded a new team out of dissatisfaction with the way team president Mr Freunschlag has been running the team.
They have applied for a spot in the league next season, and although the application period is officially over, they should most likely get a spot since one of the sponsors that changed allegiance is Linz AG, a company owned by the city of Linz and owner of the building the Black Wings play in, leaving the Black Wings homeless.

I guess there's still more to come in this ordeal surrounding the team that has been going on for weeks now, but it seems pretty clear now Mr Freunschlag won't be president of the team that plays hockey in Linz next season.
 
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Theokritos

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Apr 6, 2010
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Orli Znojmo have decided to drop out of the league. Their sponsors have been hit hard by the economic consequences of the pandemy and the club expects that only 60% of their 2019-2020 fundings will be available to them next season. They could be back for 2021-2022, but that remains yet to be determined.

 

alko

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Orli Znojmo have decided to drop out of the league. Their sponsors have been hit hard by the economic consequences of the pandemy and the club expects that only 60% of their 2019-2020 fundings will be available to them next season. They could be back for 2021-2022, but that remains yet to be determined.




That is interesting. They openly say, that to be in Czech leagues isnt a long time plan. It is only for the next season. I can imagine, Slovak League will want to catch Znojmo to their net.
 

TheWhiskeyThief

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Dec 24, 2017
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That is interesting. They openly say, that to be in Czech leagues isnt a long time plan. It is only for the next season. I can imagine, Slovak League will want to catch Znojmo to their net.
The money in Slovakia just isn’t there considering the travel implications.
 

alko

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Oct 20, 2004
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The money in Slovakia just isn’t there considering the travel implications.

What else could they do? Its EBEL or Slovak League. EBEL (or how the league will be named) has higher demand to money. And to have a Czech team in Slovak league, plus one from Hungary and eventually from Poland, that could be interesting also for sponsors.
 

TheWhiskeyThief

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Theokritos

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Apr 6, 2010
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Shocking news: Defenceman Adam Comrie, a 2008 Florida Panthers draft pick who last played for Klagenfurt and had a crucial role when they won the championship in 2007-08, has died in a motorcycle accident in the State of Virginia yesterday. He was 30.

Source (in German)
 

Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
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According to league president Pildner-Steinburg, four clubs have submitted bids to join the ICE Hockey League in 2020-21:

Austria: VEU Feldkirch, EHV Linz (Update: bid by EHV Linz withdrawn)
Italy: HC Pustertal (Bruneck)
Slovenia: Olimpija Ljubljana

Judging by his interview, Pustertal has the best chances ("if Austria can support eight clubs, Italy should certainly be able to support two clubs in the league"). He doesn't seem as optimistic about Feldkirch ("we have to discuss that") and Linz ("in Linz there is an ugly fuss with criminal accusations"). No comment on Ljubljana.

Znojmo (Czechia) wants to compete in the league again, but the club considers it a mere reactivation of its membership that has been domant for one season while the league says Znojmo has left the league and would need submit a formal bid and pay the entry fee anew if they are submitted.
 
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Theokritos

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Apr 6, 2010
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Linz ("in Linz there is an ugly fuss with criminal accusations")

Update: Almost a year into the "ugly fuss", three of the main sponsors who used to support Black Wings Linz before pulling out and siding with the new club EHV Linz are pulling the plug now. Today they have announced that they will stop spending money for professional hockey altogether. Thus EHV Linz loses its financial base. The club has announced that it will no longer seek to join the ICE hockey league. A big win for Black Wings Linz, but it remains to be seen whether that will serve to improve their financial restrictions.
 

HungryFrank

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Jun 20, 2015
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I'm looking forward to see how BlackWings plan to exist after government stops their COVID support...
 

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