GERMANY: DEL

The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (German Ice Hockey League, shortname DEL) is a German professional ice hockey league, which currently has the highest number of American and Canadian players outside of North America. It was formed as a replacement for the Ice hockey Bundesliga and is also known as DEL - Die 1. Bundesliga.

The DEL is an independently run league, fully owned and operated by its 16 member teams. Each team must to fulfill the DEL's basic requirements to remain in the league:

* A written application for membership;
* "On ice qualification" (championship in the 2nd Bundesliga);
* A stadium that meets DEL standards;
* Financial qualification;
* Formation of an ordinary company (the DEL consists of franchises);
* Development program for young players; and
* Purchase of a license (currently, the licensing fee is set at € 800,000.00)

The DEL can only admit one 2nd Bundesliga team per season to the league, unless the league strength falls below fourteen, in which case two clubs can be admitted. Since the 2006-07 season, no DEL team can be automatically relegated, a team can only lose its league status through non-compliance with the leagues regulations (see above).

From the 2008-09 season, each DEL club will only be allowed to have ten non-EEC players under contract. Currently, the number is set at twelve.

The ESBG guarantees to admit any DEL team wishing to step down to the lower 2nd Bundesliga or Oberliga. The team, however, has to purchase a license (licensing fees for the 2nd Bundesliga are currently set at € 100,000.00).

To regulate the relationship between the DEL, the DEB and the ESBG (2nd Bundesliga), a so called Kooperationsvertrag exists. This cooperation contract was signed in December 2005., and is valid until 2011. This contract ended years of dispute between the three organizations over competencies and financial issues

CHAMPIONS:

1957-58 EV Füssen
1958-59 EV Füssen
1959-60 SC Riessersee
1960-61 EV Füssen
1961-62 EC Bad Tölz
1962-63 EV Füssen
1963-64 EV Füssen
1964-65 EV Füssen
1965-66 EC Bad Tölz
1966-67 Düsseldorfer EG
1967-68 EV Füssen
1968-69 EV Füssen
1969-70 EV Landshut
1970-71 EV Füssen
1971-72 Düsseldorfer EG
1972-73 EV Füssen
1973-74 Berliner Schlittschuhclub
1974-75 Düsseldorfer EG
1975-76 Berliner Schlittschuhclub
1976-77 Kölner EC
1977-78 SC Riessersee
1978-79 Kölner EC
1979-80 Mannheimer ERC
1980-81 SC Riessersee
1981-82 SB Rosenheim
1982-83 EV Landshut
1983-84 Kölner EC
1984-85 SB Rosenheim
1985-86 Kölner EC
1986-87 Kölner EC
1987-88 Kölner EC
1988-89 SB Rosenheim
1989-90 Düsseldorfer EG
German reunification
1990-91 Düsseldorfer EG
1991-92 Düsseldorfer EG
1992-93 Düsseldorfer EG
1993-94 EC Hedos München