Austria women's ice hockey Bundesliga

The Austria women's ice hockey Bundesliga (German: Dameneishockey-Bundesliga or DEBL) is the upper league in women's ice hockey in Austria. It is organized by the Österreichischer Eishockeyverband. Austria had 652 female players in 2013.[1]

Austria women's ice hockey Bundesliga
Current season, competition or edition:
2017–18 DEBL season
SportIce hockey
Founded1998
FounderÖsterreichischer Eishockeyverband
No. of teams9
Country Austria (5 teams)
 Croatia (1 team)
 Hungary (3 teams)
Most recent
champion(s)		Staatsmeisterschaft
EHV Sabres (14th)
Dameneishockey-Bundesliga
KMH Budapest II (1st)
Most titlesStaatsmeisterschaft
EHV Sabres (14)
Dameneishockey-Bundesliga
EHV Sabres (5)
Related
competitions		EBEL
Official websiteOfficial website

History

Founded in 1998, the league uses a format of home and away matches. In the 2004–05 season, the best Austrian teams additionally also competed in the international Elite Women's Hockey League (EWHL). From the following season onward, the top teams only played in the EWHL, making the Bundesliga in a sense the second-level league of Austrian Women's ice hockey. As a result, the title of Austrian champion is decided in a separate tournament titled Staatsmeisterschaft (National Championship), featuring the three teams that play in the EWHL and the top DEBL team. Exceptions were the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons where EWHL clubs were the only competing teams. Since 2008, following the example of the Austrian men's ice hockey league, the DEBL has also featured teams from neighboring countries such as Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

2017–18 season
Format

The nine teams of the DEBL are assembled into one division. The teams play each other three times a year.

The top DEBL team qualifies for the Staatsmeisterschaft where it meets the three Austrian teams from the EWHL. The tournament uses a home- and away-game format. The two top teams contest the final, using a best-of-three format. The better-placed team has the right to contest the first game in its home ground. The other two teams contest the third-place play-off, also using a best-of-three format.[2]

Teams
Dameneishockey-Bundesliga
  • SPG Kitzbühel/Kufstein
  • SPG Wien/Neuberg
  • DHC IceCats Linz
  • Gipsy Girls Villach
  • DEC Devils Graz
  • KMH Budapest II
  • OHA Budapest
  • Marilyn Budapest
  • KHL Grič Zagreb

Championship record
Season by season
Season Staatsmeisterschaft Dameneishockey-Bundesliga
1998-99Gipsy Girls Villach
1999-00Gipsy Girls Villach
2000-01EHC Vienna Flyers
2001-02EHV Sabres
2002-03EHV Sabres
2003-04EHV Sabres
2004-05EHV Sabres
2005-06Ravens Salzburg Red Angels Innsbruck
2006-07EHV Sabres Gipsy Girls Villach
2007-08EHV Sabres DEC Dragons Klagenfurt
2008-09Ravens Salzburg HK Merkur Triglav Kranj
2009-10EHV Sabres SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg
2010-11EHV Sabres [3] Neuberg Highlanders
2011-12EHV Sabres Neuberg Highlanders
2012-13EHV Sabres Neuberg Highlanders
2013-14EHV Sabres KHL Grič Zagreb
2014-15EHV Sabres EHV Sabres II
2015-16EHV Sabres HK Triglav/Olimpija
2016-17EHV Sabres KMH Budapest II

DEBL II

In 2004, due to the increasing number of teams, a second division titled DEBL II was created. There was no match play in this league in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons.

The team that finishes at the bottom of the DEBL league table at the end of the season meets the top team of the DEBL II over a best-of-three series. The winner of that contest then plays in the DEBL during the next season, while the loser is relegated to the second DEBL.[4]

Teams for 2017–18 season
  • DEC Dragons Klagenfurt
  • EHC Lustenau
  • EHV Sabres II
  • Red Angels Innsbruck
  • SPG Salzburg/Linz


Regular season champions
Season Champion
2004-05Kundl Crocodiles
2005-06EHV Sabres II
2006-07Ravens Salzburg II
2007-09not contested
2009-10 FTC Eagles Budapest
2010-11EC "Die Adler" Kitzbühel
2011-12Neuberg Highlanders II
2012-13DEC Devils Graz
2013-14SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg
2014-15SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg
2015-16 HDK Maribor
2016-17Red Angels Innsbruck

See also

References
  1. IIHF, http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/austria.html
  2. (in German) "Staatsmeisterschaft – Austragungsmodus" Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (description of championship format), ÖEHV Women"s Ice Hockey website
  3. Life the Dream, Kiira Dosdall and the Vienna Sabres Capture Gold, http://www.womenshockeylife.com/blogs_view_dsp.cfm?BlogId=266&CatId=6 Archived 2012-03-12 at the Wayback Machine , April 12, 2011.
  4. (in German) "DEBL II – Austragungsmodus" Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (description of 2nd league format), ÖEHV Women"s Ice Hockey website
  • This article incorporates information from the French and German Wikipedias.
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