In 2019 there was still a lot of ice in the Berlin polar bear arena. After a good year break, the fans should now return.
Foto: imago images/Mario Stiehl
Again fans in the stands, an almost completely vaccinated team on the ice and more money in the club treasury – all this characterizes the new season of the Eisbären Berlin. After the past ghost season in front of empty ranks and thus with considerable financial losses for all clubs in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL), it should now go back to normal step by step. In the past pandemic season with a changed mode and shortened playoffs, the league’s total turnover shrank to 84 million euros, which, according to previous experience, meant a loss of around 60 million euros. In the last “normal” season 2018/2019, the DEL had turned over 130 million euros. For the 2021/2022 season, at least 120 million are calculated again.
It is a miracle that in view of the slump in sales no club has slipped into bankruptcy, says DEL managing director Gernot Tripcke. The league reacted to the difficult financial situation of the clubs and had them submit budgets for licensing for the new season without audience income. The topic of viewers remains topical, because the hoped-for economic relaxation depends on it. The polar bears can currently plan in every home game with 6450 spectators. This number was set by the Berlin Senate Administration after examining a hygiene concept. “All of our season ticket holders can therefore watch the home games,” says the new Eisbären managing director Thomas Bothstede, explaining the consequences of the decision. Visiting the hall is linked to the 3G rule: only those who have been fully vaccinated, recovered or tested negative can come in.
In terms of sport, there are many innovations: In the usual game mode, everyone against everyone, with two home and two away games each, this time 15 clubs will meet. The Bietigheim Steelers from Baden-Württemberg rose from DEL 2. According to managing director Volker Schoch, the smallest location in the league is now “facing a monster task in order to survive in the highest league”.
For the first time since 2006 there will be a relegation with the bottom of the table in the main round. A second one may even be added. Because if the Frankfurter Löwen, the only second division team eligible for promotion according to the regulations, win the DEL 2 title and thus rise, the 14th has to go into the lower house.
The first title contenders are the Berlin polar bears. After the triumphant eighth title win with two wins in the corona-related shortened final series against Wolfsburg, expectations are high for the record champions. Eisbären sports director Stéphane Richer leaves no room for doubt: “Our goal must be to defend the title. We have the squad for it, and finally the fans behind us again. “
The polar bears essentially held their master team together. Some of the ten departures were still painful. Especially that of the great talent Lukas Reichel. The 19-year-old striker, who scored 24 goals and provided 32 assists last season, was awarded a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in the North American National Hockey League, the world’s top ice hockey league. The nine additions are almost all top-class, so that the sports director and master coach Serge Aubin speak in unison of “being even stronger in the attack than in the championship season”. The defensive of Berlin – led by national goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger – was recently the second best in the league. This value should be linked.
However, the fact that the Berliners were only three times victorious in eight games in the preparation phase and have lost all four group games in the Champions League so far shows that the team is still struggling to maintain their form. While the sports director relativizes the moderate balance by pointing out that “in the Champions League, the opponents from Finland and Sweden, in contrast to us, are already fully involved in the championship events”, coach Aubin speaks bluntly of an “indisputable performance”. Richer also warns: “Mannheim, Munich and Ingolstadt have heavily upgraded and are ready to declare war.”
The big favorites of the preseason from Mannheim and Munich failed unexpectedly early and are now under enormous pressure. The polar bears are likely to feel this in their season opener this Thursday in front of their home crowd against their Munich rivals.
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