1st ice hockey league 1997/98

	1st ice hockey league
	◄ previous	1997/98 season	next ►
Master:	EHC Neuwied
Newcomers:	in the newly founded Bundesliga : EC Bad Nauheim , EC Bad Tölz , Braunlager EHC Harz , TSV Erding , Moskitos Essen , EHC Freiburg , Grefrather EV , Crocodiles Hamburg , EC Hannover Turtles , Heilbronner EC , ERC Ingolstadt , Iserlohner EC , EHC Neuwied , GEC Nordhorn , SC Riessersee , ES Weißwasser
Relegated:	EC Peiting (withdrawal)
↑ DEL   | • 1st league |  2nd league ↓

The 1997/98 season the first ice hockey league was the fourth season of the new second-highest German league and as in the previous year into two groups, the Northern Group and Southern Group , the official name of this season Hacker-Pschorr-League was , played out. After the season the first division became the third highest German division through the introduction of the single-track Bundesliga . The 1997/98 season thus also had the function of qualifying for the new second division.

mode

The preliminary round of the 1st league was played in two seasons: In the south, 16 teams formed the "Hacker-Pschorr League" at the beginning of the season, named after the league sponsor, the Hacker-Pschorr brewery , in the north the "1. League North “played with 18 teams. In the preliminary round, the relays played separately in a single round, the participants of the joint championship round, in which eight teams from the Hacker-Pschorr League and six from the 1st Northern League took part. The southern German teams completed a preliminary round with 30 games each, the northern German teams with 34 games. In the south, the teams in the preliminary round positions 9 to 16 played with the first eight teams of the 2nd league south and in the north the teams in positions 7 to 18 each played three teams for the Bundesliga qualification. In this they met the last-placed teams in the championship round in cross-match games in the "Best of five" mode.

The best eight teams in the championship round played the German champions of the DEB leagues in the play-offs and, like teams in places 9 to 12, were automatically qualified for the 1998/99 Bundesliga season .

1st League North

Attendees

Adendorfer EC EC Bad Nauheim Braunlager EHC / Harz Eintracht Braunschweig REV Bremerhaven EV Duisburg Mosquitoes eat Grefrather EV Crocodiles Hamburg

ASV Hamm EC Hannover Turtles Herner EV Iserlohner EC Limburg EG EHC Neuwied GEC Nordhorn EHC Trier EC Wilhelmshaven-Stickhausen

Main round

Pl.		Sp	S.	OTS	OTN	N	Gates	Points
1.	EHC Neuwied	34	23	2	1	8th	156: 83	74
2.	EC Hannover Turtles	34	21st	4th	0	9	172: 105	71
3.	Iserlohner EC	34	21st	2	4th	7th	176: 105	71
4th	Mosquitoes eat	34	21st	4th	0	9	155: 91	71
5.	EC Bad Nauheim	34	20th	2	4th	8th	157: 106	68
6th	Grefrather EV	34	21st	1	2	10	142: 108	67
7th	EV Duisburg	34	19th	1	6th	8th	154: 103	65
8th.	GEC Nordhorn	34	17th	3	3	11	148: 103	60
9.	REV Bremerhaven	34	15th	3	2	14th	136: 121	53
10.	Crocodiles Hamburg	34	14th	3	2	15th	145: 129	50
11.	EHC Trier	34	12	3	6th	13	128: 102	48
12.	Braunlager EHC / Harz	34	14th	1	1	18th	145: 134	45
13.	Herner EV	34	12	4th	1	17th	113: 142	45
14th	ASV Hamm	34	11	0	2	21st	127: 204	35
15th	EC Wilhelmshaven-Stickhausen	34	10	2	1	21st	106: 127	35
16.	Adendorfer EC	34	8th	4th	1	21st	104: 176	33
17th	Eintracht Braunschweig	34	4th	0	2	28	96: 228	14th
18th	Limburg EG	34	4th	0	1	29	100: 293	13

Abbreviations: Sp = games, S = victories, SOS = victories after penalty shoot-out, SON = defeats after penalty shoot-out, N = defeats
Explanations:     = championship round,     = qualification round,     = insolvency, therefore games stopped.

North qualification

The north qualifying round, also known as the 2nd division north , was held to determine three participants for the Bundesliga relegation and the north finalist of the 2nd division. The other participants were relegated to the 1st League North .

Pl.		Sp	S.	OTS	OTN	N	Gates	Diff	Points
1.	EHC Braunlage / Harz	20th	17th	0	1	2	146: 48	+98	52
2.	GEC Nordhorn	20th	16	1	1	2	134: 53	+81	51
3.	Crocodiles Hamburg	20th	13	1	2	4th	135: 66	+69	43
4th	EC Wilhelmshaven	20th	12	1	1	6th	108: 74	+34	39
5.	EV Duisburg	20th	10	2	1	7th	114: 85	+29	35
6th	REV Bremerhaven	20th	7th	3	0	10	90:80	+10	27
7th	Herner EV	20th	6th	3	1	10	78:86	−8	25th
8th.	Adendorfer EC	20th	6th	1	5	8th	83:97	−14	25th
9.	Limburg EG	20th	5	0	1	14th	79: 137	−58	16
10.	ASV Hamm	20th	3	0	0	17th	57: 197	−140	9
11.	Eintracht Braunschweig	20th	2	1	0	17th	58: 159	−101	8th

Explanations: Final for the championship of the 2nd division , participation in the Bundesliga relegation, participation in the Bundesliga relegation, relegation to the 1st division north <   

It was only in the last two weeks before the end of the season that two clubs, Hammer Eisbären and EHC Trier, were eliminated from the league because both had to file for bankruptcy.

1st League South - Hacker Pschorr League

Attendees

• ERSC Amberg
• EC Bad Toelz
• SC Bietigheim-Bissingen
• ETC Crimmitschau
• Deggendorfer EC
• TSV Erding
• EHC Freiburg
• Heilbronn EC
• ERC Ingolstadt
• EV Landsberg
• EC Peiting
• SC Riessersee
• ERC Selb
• ERC Sonthofen
• 1. EV Weiden
• ES white water

Main round

Pl.		Sp	S.	OTS	OTN	N	Gates	Points
1.	Heilbronn EC	30th	18th	3	2	7th	132: 82	62
2.	TSV Erding	30th	18th	1	2	9	103: 70	58
3.	ERC Ingolstadt	30th	16	4th	2	8th	107: 88	58
4th	EHC Freiburg	30th	15th	3	4th	8th	126: 105	55
5.	ERC Selb	30th	16	2	2	10	112: 119	54
6th	SC Riessersee	30th	14th	4th	3	9	121: 85	53
7th	ES white water	30th	15th	2	3	10	120: 106	52
8th.	ERC Sonthofen	30th	16	1	2	11	111: 92	52
9.	EC Bad Toelz	30th	13	2	3	12	120: 102	46
10.	Deggendorfer EC	30th	13	3	1	13	131: 123	46
11.	ETC Crimmitschau	30th	12	1	3	14th	105: 114	41
12.	1. EV Weiden	30th	12	2	1	15th	82: 101	41
13.	SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	30th	8th	3	6th	13	109: 115	36
14th	EV Landsberg	30th	7th	4th	0	19th	110: 143	29
15th	ERSC Amberg	30th	4th	2	4th	20th	83: 137	20th
16.	EC Peiting	30th	5	1	0	24	70: 160	17th

Abbreviations: Sp = games, S = victories, SOS = victories after penalty shootout, SON = defeats after penalty shootout, N = defeats
Explanations:     = championship round,     = qualification round.

Qualification south

Group A

Pl.		Sp	S.	OTS	OTN	N	Gates	Diff	Points
1.	SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	14th	12	0	0	2	71:48	+23	36
2.	EV Willows	14th	9	1	0	4th	57:36	+21	29
3.	EC Bad Toelz	14th	8th	1	1	4th	56:36	+20	27
4th	EV Regensburg	14th	8th	0	0	6th	68-: 8	0	24
5.	ERC Haßfurt Sharks	14th	6th	1	0	7th	72:67	+5	20th
6th	TuS Geretsried	14th	4th	1	2	7th	62:87	−25	16
7th	EC Peiting	14th	3	0	1	10	37:53	−16	10
8th.	EV Füssen	14th	2	0	0	12	51:79	−28	6th

Group B

Pl.		Sp	S.	OTS	OTN	N	Gates	Diff	Points
1.	Deggendorfer EC	14th	10	2	0	2	82:54	+28	34
2.	ERSC Amberg	14th	8th	1	1	4th	56:45	+11	27
3.	ETC Crimmitschau	14th	7th	2	1	4th	63:43	+20	26th
4th	EC Ulm / Neu-Ulm	14th	8th	0	1	5	59:53	+6	25th
5.	EV Landsberg	14th	7th	0	0	7th	69:69	0	21st
6th	EHC Straubing	14th	4th	1	1	8th	58:63	−5	15th
7th	ESV Bayreuth	14th	3	1	1	9	44:67	−23	12
8th.	TEV Miesbach	14th	2	0	2	10	41:78	−37	8th

Qualification play-offs

1 round

			series	1	2	3
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	-	TEV Miesbach	2-0	9: 4	4: 3	-
Deggendorfer EC	-	EV Füssen	2-0	9: 1	6: 2	-
ERSC Amberg	-	EC Peiting	2: 1	4: 3	2: 4	7: 4
EV Willows	-	ESV Bayreuth	2: 1	4: 1	4: 5	4: 1
ETC Crimmitschau	-	TuS Geretsried	2-0	4: 3	5: 2	-
EV Regensburg	-	EV Landsberg	2-0	10: 3	5: 2	-
EC Ulm / Neu-Ulm	-	ERC Haßfurt Sharks	2-0	6: 2	4: 2	-
EC Bad Toelz	-	EHC Straubing	2-0	6-0	6: 2	-

2nd round

			series	1	2	3
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	-	EV Regensburg	2-0	4: 2	5: 2	-
Deggendorfer EC	-	EC Ulm / Neu-Ulm	2-0	7: 4	9: 5	-
EV Willows	-	ETC Crimmitschau	2: 1	7: 3	1: 6	6: 3
ERSC Amberg	-	EC Bad Toelz	0: 2	2: 7	1:13	-

The losers in the first and second round had to play in the relegation for their place in the first division.

3rd round

			series	1	2	3
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	-	EC Bad Toelz	0: 2	2: 4	1: 4	-
Deggendorfer EC	-	EV Willows	2-0	4: 1	6-0	-

The winners qualified for the final of the "Alpencup", the losers played the last remaining place for the Bundesliga relegation in the last round.

Series for 3rd place

			series	1	2	3
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	-	EV Willows	2: 1	3: 2	3: 4	5: 2

Alpine Cup

winner		Finalists	series	1	2
EC Bad Toelz	-	Deggendorfer EC	12: 9	5: 2	7: 7

The EC Bad Tölz , the Deggendorfer EC and the SC Bietigheim-Bissingen qualified for the Bundesliga relegation.

Championship round

	club	Sp	S.	SOS	SON	N	Gates	Points
1.	Iserlohner EC	26th	16	0	3	7th	110: 81	51
2.	Mosquitoes eat	26th	13	3	3	7th	102: 71	48
3.	TSV Erding	26th	13	2	3	8th	99:79	46
4th	EHC Neuwied	26th	14th	1	1	10	100: 94	45
5.	Grefrather EV	26th	13	2	0	11	89:84	43
6th	ES white water	26th	10	5	2	9	103: 98	42
7th	EC Bad Nauheim	26th	13	0	2	11	82:76	41
8th.	EHC Freiburg	26th	11	3	2	10	95:99	41
9.	SC Riessersee	26th	12	2	0	12	86:91	40
10.	EC Hannover Turtles	26th	10	2	2	12	88: 106	36
11.	ERC Ingolstadt	26th	9	2	3	12	70:78	34
12.	Heilbronn EC	26th	9	0	2	15th	90:90	29
13.	ERC Sonthofen	26th	6th	4th	3	13	76: 107	29
14th	ERC Selb	26th	5	2	2	17th	94: 130	21st

Abbreviations: Sp = games, S = victories, SOS = victories after penalty shoot-out, SON = defeats after penalty shoot-out, N = defeats
Explanations:     = play-offs,     = direct qualification for the ice hockey Bundesliga 1998/99 ,     = qualification round for the Bundesliga qualification round.

Play-offs

Quarter finals

			series	1	2	3
TSV Erding	-	ES white water	0: 2	2: 3 n.p.	0: 2	-
EHC Neuwied	-	Grefrather EV	2: 1	1: 4	4: 3	6: 5
Mosquitoes eat	-	EC Bad Nauheim	1: 2	4: 1	4: 6	0: 3
Iserlohner EC	-	EHC Freiburg	2-0	7: 3	5: 4 a.d.	-

Semifinals

			series	1	2	3
EHC Neuwied	-	ES white water	2: 1	4: 2	3: 6	6: 5
Iserlohner EC	-	EC Bad Nauheim	1: 2	6: 5 n.p.	1: 4	2: 5

3rd place match

			series	1	2	3
Iserlohner EC	-	ES white water	2-0	5: 4	5: 1	-

final

			series	1	2	3
EHC Neuwied	-	EC Bad Nauheim	2-0	5: 2	6: 5 n.p.	-

Bundesliga relegation

In the relegation to the 1998/99 Bundesliga , the three best-placed participants in the qualifying round north, the three best teams in the qualifying play-offs south and the last two in the championship round took part.

The respective series winners (in best-of-five mode ) qualified for the Bundesliga of the following season, while the other teams played in the respective group of the first division in the following season.

			series	1	2	3	4th	5
ERC Sonthofen	-	EC Bad Toelz	0: 3	1: 3	3: 4	1: 8	-	-
ERC Selb	-	Crocodiles Hamburg	0: 3	5:11	2: 8	4: 8	-	-
SC Bietigheim-Bissingen	-	GEC Nordhorn	0: 3	1: 5	2: 5	4: 5	-	-
Braunlager EHC resin	-	Deggendorfer EC	3: 1	9-0	1: 7	8: 3	4: 1	-

Web links

• 1st league 1997/98 at hockeyarchives.info