The sad state of German hockey

[Maverick41]

Really hope the 2nd league will play this year. The DEB is going to inform today what is their position. So, let's see what will happen. I'm not very confident

So let's see. This is the DEB-statement, for all those who want to make up their own mind (and who can read German).

And here is a comment about this matter from Wolfgang Karl, the chief editor of Eishockey News.

 

[Maverick41]

Apparently the DEB and the rogue teams (DEL II) have come to an agreement for the upcoming season, to avoid taking the matter to court.

Later today they are supposed to release a statement regarding the details of the agreement and how the 2013/14 season will be handled.

 

[daforse]

Right. 5 years of cooperation between the federation and the organisations of the 2nd league which will continue as self-organized DELII.

further changes (from 12 to 14 competetors etc.) will be taken in one year's time.

that's quite interesting so far. let's see what the cooperation between DEL and DELII will look like (relegation?). More tomorrow, they say

 

[Bon Esprit]

Germany is a sure goal for the KHL because of its great market and population. Talks about fans accaption and rivalries come up in every place where the league expands, but Lev Prague has showed larger attandance than any team in Extraliga, while attendance of Sparta and Slavia has grown as well, proving that it's not a problem. I agree that the majority are spectators, not real fans of Lev, but it's a matter of time for new team to gain fans, whereever it is. Team in Germany can do the same way: to have a new team in the KHL and a partner/affiliated team in DEL, so people will be able to choose.
As for German side, having the KHL team can be good for NT to compete on a better level and a team will draw more interest in hockey in general, but it wouldn't solve other problems really, it's a job of a hockey federation.
10k seats arenas that meet the regulations of the KHL team are located Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Mannheim, Munich, Stuttgart, Halle (okay for hockey?) and Dortmund (?). Only 1 team from Germany can join now, because the league cannot take more than 32 teams.

PS The rumors about London and Paris are quite old and there is nothing official about these cities. Actually, there were more rumors about Stavanger (Norway's oil capital), Hannover and even Asia Division. Indeed, as you mentioned, KHL planned to expand to "exotic" hockey places: Milan and Gdansk to build base teams for NTs and will have team in Zagreb next season, but cases of Germany and Denmark, for example, are not that different.

I'm following hockey in Germany for 30 years now and from my point of view there's no way any fanbase would follow a team to the KHL.

Hockey here is in traditional markets like Bavaria or BW. I doubt any team like Riessersee, Bad Tölz etc can fill a hall of 6,000 viewers.Hamburg, Hannover or Munich are no traditional markets. Even the best like Cologne, Mannheim or Düsseldorf would not fill a 10,000 viewers hall on a regular basis against Kazan or Omsk.
Forget about Germany.
And good luck with Paris, London or Vienna. I simply don't see it happen.

 

[Maverick41]

The DEL has announced that Ulrich Liebsch will become the DEL's youth coordinator starting of May 1st 2014. He is supposed to work closely with all DEL teams as well as the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) in order to improve the development of young players in Germany.

I wish I knew why they announce this descision now, when Liebsch will only start this new job in 9 months time.

 

[james bond]

The DEL has announced that Ulrich Liebsch will become the DEL's youth coordinator starting of May 1st 2014. He is supposed to work closely with all DEL teams as well as the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) in order to improve the development of young players in Germany.

I wish I knew why they announce this descision now, when Liebsch will only start this new job in 9 months time.

Is there any word on what he will do as youth coordinator? Is there a chance to mirror the structure of the most recent German Football model?

 

[Maverick41]

Is there any word on what he will do as youth coordinator? Is there a chance to mirror the structure of the most recent German Football model?

So far I have only heard the usual platitudes. The plan seems to be to create an environment with a systematic support for the development of youth players. And Liebsch is supposed to be the one to get all the teams and the DEB on board and develop a strategy.

I guess I will wait until we get more information about this initiative before I judge this move. It could turn out to be a step in the right direction or it might end up as just another well meant attempt to improve a system that is already beyond hope.

I really hope that all DEL teams might end up pulling together for once, but with the past in mind I have a hard time to get overly optimistic, about anything any German hockey official says.

Here is the link to the announcement on the DEL homepage:
http://www.del.org/de/news/2013/07/liebsch/page/1394--30-1358-.html

In this article Liebsch is quoted to have said that one of his jobs is to find ways to get more kids interested in hockey.
http://www.eishockeynews.de/aktuell...iebsch-wird-nachwuchskoordinator-der-del.html

 

[james bond]

So far I have only heard the usual platitudes. The plan seems to be to create an environment with a systematic support for the development of youth players. And Liebsch is supposed to be the one to get all the teams and the DEB on board and develop a strategy.

I guess I will wait until we get more information about this initiative before I judge this move. It could turn out to be a step in the right direction or it might end up as just another well meant attempt to improve a system that is already beyond hope.

I really hope that all DEL teams might end up pulling together for once, but with the past in mind I have a hard time to get overly optimistic, about anything any German hockey official says.

Here is the link to the announcement on the DEL homepage:
http://www.del.org/de/news/2013/07/liebsch/page/1394--30-1358-.html

In this article Liebsch is quoted to have said that one of his jobs is to find ways to get more kids interested in hockey.
http://www.eishockeynews.de/aktuell...iebsch-wird-nachwuchskoordinator-der-del.html

The only way I see the owners pulling together is if there can be significant change with IIHF transfer agreements. There is really no point in investing in development if they are going to lose players for a mere $500 US (or whatever it is these days).

Would be interesting to see what kind of budget Liebsch has to work with.

 

[hz]

upcoming season is correct. but i bet that won't last forever. this time it's only because they don't need to make an olympic break and therefore have more time to play PO games.

There wont be a olympic break in DEL? What about players the DEL players from Norway, Slovenia and Austria? Are the teams willing to play without those players?

 

[Maverick41]

There wont be a olympic break in DEL? What about players the DEL players from Norway, Slovenia and Austria? Are the teams willing to play without those players?

They will have to. There aren't that many players from the DEL who are going to play in the Olympics. It would really make little sense to stop the league for a couple of weeks just because a handful of players aren't with their respective teams.

If there are certain teams that have multiple players in the Olympics, the league may change the schedule in a way that these teams have fewer or no games during this time, but to stop the whole league would be ridiculous in my opinion.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

There wont be a olympic break in DEL? What about players the DEL players from Norway, Slovenia and Austria? Are the teams willing to play without those players?

Interesting, because it would seem to me that particularly Slovenia would be hit hard in this case.

I am however of the strong opinion that the DEL clubs will release their Slovenians for the Olympics if requested by the Slovenian federation. German teams rarely stand in the way of their players when it comes to things like this.

 

[zecke26]

There wont be a olympic break in DEL? What about players the DEL players from Norway, Slovenia and Austria? Are the teams willing to play without those players?

wrong wording by my side. the DEL will have a short 10 day break during the olympic hockey games, but not a long one. i think in the past they had a 3 week break or so.

of course all DELers of olympic nations are free to join their national team. probably some DEL teams have to play without them in some games.