Let’s go hockey fans!
All German hockey fans have only seven days to wait until the start of the new Hockey season in the DEL2 Ice Hockey German Championship.
The new season will officially launch on Friday 15th September 2023. The Playbook will keep you up to date with all the matchups through to the play-offs in April 2024.
The 23/24 DEL2 season will keep you on the edge of your seat with intense hockey throughout the season and here is everything you should know about it.
The Ravensburg Towerstars: “We have it all”
On April 25th 2023, Ravensburg’s motto changed from “we want it all” to “we have it all”. The Towerstars only needed five games to win their second DEL2 Championship against the team from Neuheim.
33 year old, Robert Czarnik was crowned MVP of the 2022\2023 playoffs with 17 goals and 14 assists.
Crucially, Ravensburg they did not meet the requirements for promotion into the DEL first tier German ice hockey, and so the team is ready to defend their title this forthcoming season.
No promotion from DEL2
At the end of 22/23, there was not a promotion from DEL2 to the DEL (Germany’s premier ice hockey championship).
While Ravensburg didn’t meet requirements, EC Bad Nauheim didn’t file a license application for the firest tier of German ice hockey.
Furthermore, the three clubs that applied for a DEL license (Kassel Huskies, Dresden Eislöwen and the Krefeld Penguins) were elminated during the playoffs.
DEL2 will be a 14 team league for the new season. Rosenheim Star Bulls were crowned Oberliga champions and advanced to DEL2. However, Bayreuth Tigers, who eliminated Heilbronner Falcons from the DEL2 in the final of the Play-Out, failed to receive a new license.
DEL2: What to expect from the new season
It is the 11th season of the DEL2.
While being a launching pad for young players and a place for experienced players to get back on the path of hockey excellence, the level of play in the DEL2 is improving each year.
Bietigheim Steelers and Star Bulls Rosenheim, two well-known teams of German ice hockey, return to Germany’s second highest ice hockey competition. While Bietigheim are in a state of rebuild following relegation from the PENNY DEL, the Star Bulls want to cause a sensation directly after earning promotion from the Oberliga championship.
There will be other serious contenders for the championship. The Krefeld Penguins have a new investor, as well as former NHL player Christian Ehrhoff and an abundance of young talented players that will add fire to the team.
After finishing first in the 22/23 regular season, Kassel Huskies lost in the semi-finals of the playoffs to EH Bad Neuheim. They’ll be prepared for a competitive season with former Frankfurt Lions, Carson McMillan and Markus Freis signing with the Huskies.
ESV Kaufberen will be a hard nut to crack. According to Elite Prospect, Marco Raita is the DEL2 Coach of the year and will be realing from a 4-0 loss in the playoffs to Bad Nauheim, after finishing third in the regular season.
Sami Blomqvist returns from Bayreuth, Max Hopps extended his contract and five young talents from their own academy have been licensed for DEL2.
The place where future stars shine
At age 22, Alec Alroth was last season’s rookie of the year with 50 games played in which he managed to score 16 times and completed 24 assists with an average of 0,8 points per game. The Kassel Huskies player is one to look out for this season.
Another player that will be vital for newly promoted Rosenheim is Kevin Handschuh. The U20 international had previously played for German Young League Champions, Eisbaren Berlin U20 and is a possible future candidate for the NHL draft if his stats continue to increase at a rapid rate.
Bietigheim Steelers signed the best young talent, Paul Mayer on loan from former DEL champions Adler Mannheim. The 17-year-old youngster is definitely a player to look out for in the next DEL2 season. In the last campaign, he was one of the top scorers for the Adler Mannheim U20 team and will be a future DEL player in no time.
Finally, second top scorer for the U20 champions Adler Mannheim, Ralf Rollinger joined the DEL2 Champions, the Ravensburg Towerstars. With 20 goals and 21 assists in the U20 hockey championship, Ralf Rollinger is ready to step up to a new challenge in the DEL2.
As anticipation continues to grow for the start of the new season we can’t wait to keep you updated on The Playbook.
The ice is smooth, helmets are shiny, hockey sticks are prepared, players are trained, fans are fired up and the excitement is reaching the roof. We are ready, Let’s GO.
