Sports relegation battle
The DEL between heaven and hell
Status: 30.01.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes
The consequence of the Iserlohn Roosters’ 2:4 defeat against Düsseldorfer EG at the weekend was emblematic of the incredible table constellation
Source: picture alliance/Eibner press photo/Jonas Brockmann
In the German Ice Hockey League everything boils down to an absurd showdown in the bottom third of the table. Düsseldorf, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Augsburg and Iserlohn are fighting against relegation – and for the play-offs. The clubs are facing paralyzing weeks.
To be or not to be, there are currently only eight points separating them in the German Ice Hockey League. Ten game days before the end of the preliminary round, five teams are currently fighting against relegation with varying degrees of success and at the same time are still fighting for play-off qualification. Heaven and hell are incredibly close together. “It’s crazy. Now Düsseldorf is in the last play-off place, although it was actually a clear direct relegation duel,” commented Iserlohn’s coach Doug Shedden on Sunday after his Roosters’ 2:4 defeat against Düsseldorfer EG, the historically closest DEL relegation battle ever.
Since the introduction of the play-off qualifying round (2006/2007), in which preliminary round placements seven to ten qualify, the shortest gap between tenth place and 14th place was nine points. That was 13 years ago. In all other years the difference was always in double digits and averaged 22.4 points.
“Every game is just hugely important now,” said Sheddon. His Iserlohn team has made things so exciting again with seven wins from eight games. After a zero-point weekend and the prestige defeat against DEG, the Sauerlanders are still last and are now three points behind second-to-last Augsburg with 46 points.
The Lions Frankfurt and the Nuremberg Ice Tigers (49 each) are particularly worried about this. Only the DEG, the new tenth place, has slightly separated itself with 51 points and can go into the final spurt a little more relaxed. “Our goal is tenth place and the play-offs,” said former national defender Bernhard Ebner confidently after the fifth win in a row.
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“Everyone down there scores points,” countered Augsburg defender Max Renner and predicted: “It will be a fight until the last day of the match to see who finishes tenth and who is last.” Especially since there are still nine direct duels between the teams involved at the end of the preliminary round on March 8th. The final spurt is likely to be a battle of nerves.
Particular stress for DEL club managers
Some people already seem nervous. “We would need a bit more experience and depth. And it would be good if the management brought in someone else for the offensive. “We could definitely use that,” said Nuremberg coach Tom Rowe ahead of the upcoming weekend, which will be groundbreaking for his team, with two direct duels against Frankfurt and Augsburg. Nuremberg’s sporting director Stefan Ustorf immediately rejected the proposal: “I trust the character of this team one hundred percent and am also convinced that we will achieve our goals for the season.”
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The situation is particularly stressful for the club managers. Because the actual planning has to be interrupted for the coming DEL season and license applications for the DEL2 have to be addressed. “From an economic point of view, that would be a fatal cut,” said DEG managing director Harald Witz recently at MagentaSport.
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The team that ends up last will even face crippling weeks ahead. In the worst case scenario, it won’t be clear until the end of April whether the 14th place in the preliminary round. actually has to go to the second class. This is only the case if the second division play-off winner meets the economic requirements for promotion. This is only the case for four teams. From a sporting point of view, promotion is only realistic for Kassel and possibly Krefeld.
If one of these two teams does not become second division champions, the bottom team in the DEL will remain first class, but will only be able to finalize the squad planning for another first division season much later. This means there is a risk of fighting relegation again next season. Just like this season for the Augsburg Panthers, who only managed to stay in the league last season after a delay and without any action of their own.
Those: penny-del.org
