No 2. Bundesliga revolution this summer

19 Jul 2012 | Dennis Mende

After several weeks of trouble the general meeting of the German 2. Bundesliga avoids major changes

As we have informed you before on several occasions there were a lot of rumours about the destiny of Germany's second highest professional ice hockey league. The Eishockeyspielbetriebsgesellschaft (ESBG), the association of the 2. Bundesliga teams, held its general meeting yesterday.

It was decided that 2. Bundesliga champion Landshut Cannibals, who were originially denied their licence for the next season, can continue in the league. Also the Fishtown Pinguins from Bremerhaven, who were actually relegated to Oberliga, can stay in the league as Oberliga champion Tölzer Löwen refused to be promoted. Inital reports said that Bad Tölz was not given a licence for the 2. Bundesiga, but in fact they did get one but couldn't afford the money for the additional requirements. By July 11 the latest they had to pay a guarantee of 225.000 euros to the ESBG but failed to get this money in time.

The big loser of the meeting was the German ice hockey federation DEB as they wanted to gain more influence on the 2. Bundesliga, but instead the 2. Bundesliga teams are still planning to work closer with the DEL in the future to have a joint organization for the first two professional leagues in the country with relegation. One first step is to get a contract to get young DEL talents to play in the 2. Bundesliga who by now have to go to the third tier of German ice hockey, the Oberliga.