1. EV Weiden

1. EV Weiden
Greatest successes
Promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga 2003 German Oberliga champions 2003 Promotion to the Oberliga 1991 , 2012 German regional league champions 1991 Bavarian runners-up / 4. League 2012 Champion Regionalliga Süd 2001
Club information
history	1. EV Weiden (1985–2000) Blue Devils Weiden (since 2000)
Location	Willows in the Upper Palatinate
Nickname	Blue Devils Willows
Parent club	1. EV Weiden e. V.
Club colors	blue White
league	Ice hockey league
Venue	Hans-Schröpf-Arena / Weiden leisure center
capacity	2,560 seats (including 1,260 seats)
Head coach	Ken Latta
captain	Ralf Herbst
Season  2019/20	9th place orienteering south

The 1. EV Weiden , founded in 1985, is an ice hockey club from Weiden in the Upper Palatinate . The professional team has played under the nickname "Blue Devils" since the 2012/13 season in the third-rate ice hockey league .

The club's greatest sporting success to date, which plays its home games in the Hans-Schröpf-Arena with a capacity of 2,560 , was promoted to the 2nd national ice hockey league in 2003.

Since 2018 the first team in the Blue Devils Spielbetriebs-GmbH has been outsourced.

history

Ice hockey at SpVgg Weiden

As early as the winter of 1949/50, SpVgg Weiden set up a natural ice rink for the first time , on which a SpVgg ice hockey team played their first game against a combined team from EV Füssen (final score 1:22) on the weekend of January 20th to 21st, 1950 . In the following weeks, the team lost 8-0 at SV Hof and won at home against the team from Wacker Marktredwitz 4-0. Since at that time there was no real ice rink in Weiden, ice hockey could never really establish itself and disappeared from the scene again in the mid-sixties.

Foundation of the 1st EV Weiden

After it became known that an ice rink was to be built in Weiden , a few ice hockey fans founded the 1st EV Weiden in 1985. Before a team took part in league operations for the first time in 1987, the club was a hobby team. The first friendly match took place on September 4th in front of 2,300 spectators against ESV Bayreuth and was lost 1:19. In the first season 1987/88 they played in the national league, in the end they were fifth with 18:18 points and 82:97 goals.

In the following season, the 1. EV Weiden made third place in the main round as the first in the promotion round to be promoted to the Bavarian League. In addition to the sporting success, the number of spectators in the nine home games increased from an average of 1,633 (1987/88; total 14,694) to 2,078 (1988/89; total 18,705).

From the Bayernliga to the Oberliga Süd

After the ascent "only" succeeded in the second season in the regional league, the Weidener made it straight away from the Bavarian League to the Regional League South and from there to the Oberliga Süd in the two following seasons .

In their first league season , the team reached the championship in the preliminary round, so they could assert themselves for the first time in the "Oberpfalz duel" against EV Regensburg . Due to a facial injury to Pavel Richter, they could only occupy a place in midfield in the subsequent championship round.

1st League South / Hacker-Pschorr League

Between 1994 and 1998 the Weidener played in the 1st League South , which was renamed the Hacker-Pschorr League from 1996/97 . At the time, this was located directly under the DEL .

In 1994/95 they reached seventh place in the table in the main round and were thus directly qualified for the championship round. Since you finally finished fourth there, you had home rights in the next round of 16 in the subsequent playoffs. However, they were defeated there against EC Wolfsburg in the first two games of the best-of-three series and were thus eliminated prematurely.

In the following season, they finished only tenth after the main round. So you still had to qualify for the championship round, which shouldn't be a problem. In this one came sixth and was assigned to EC Bad Nauheim as an opponent in the playoff round of 16 . Here, too, the season for the Blue Devils should come to an end, after a 5: 1 defeat in the first and a 5: 2 win in the second game, they lost 5: 3 in the decisive third game.

For the 1996/97 season, the first division changed not only the name of the southern season - the season was sponsored by the Hacker-Pschorr brewery - but also the mode; After the main round, consisting of a joint single round and a group phase, EV Weiden only managed to place 11th, which was already a “relegation place”. However, they won the series against EC Ulm / Neu-Ulm and EC Peiting in the first and second round and thus secured a starting place for the 1997/98 season.

Due to the planned introduction of a single-track amateur league below the DEL for the 1998/99 season, the relegation places in the first division fell away this season, the top 12 teams should be allowed to move up directly to the Bundesliga . The EV Weiden only reached 12th place in the main round - a rise seemed a long way off, as they had to assert themselves against 15 other clubs, some of them from the 2nd division at that time, in the qualifying round. Again they met EV Regensburg in Group A, which meanwhile, after having gone bankrupt, had found their way back to EVW. In the final table of group A, EV Weiden had the upper hand and was second in the group with 29 points, ahead of EVR (4th place, 24 points). Thus, in the first playoff round, they met ESV Bayreuth, against whom they won 4: 1 in the third game and thus just made it through to the second round. There you could prevail 6: 3 against ETC Crimmitschau , also only in the decisive game . In the third round, however, they failed at the Deggendorfer EC , so you had to win the outstanding duel against SC Bietigheim-Bissingen to get a place in the Bundesliga. In the first game in Bietigheim they lost 3-2, but at home they were able to keep the decision open with a 4-3 win. However, the decision was made in favor of the Swabians, who clearly won the third game 5-2 and were promoted to the Bundesliga. Nonetheless, Weiden could look back on a very successful season.

So in 1998/99 they started again in the - now third-class - 1st League South. There it came again in the regular season to the "Upper Palatinate Derby" against EV Regensburg. Here, however, the Donaustadters should have the upper hand, so the Regensburg team took fourth place after the main round and took part in the playoffs for the Bundesliga. This could not be achieved in Weiden, so that, in 8th place, you had to face the qualifying round. In this one, however, was knocked off the last and is therefore relegated to the regional league.

Season balances 1987 to 1999
season	league	class	group	placement	PO	PD	Final placement	Audience Ø
1987/88	National league	VI	North	Runner-up			-	1,633
1988/89	National league	VI	North	master			Master ↑	2,078
1989/90	Bayern League	V	Group A	master	BYL		Bayr. Master ↑	2,330
1990/91	Regional league	IV	south	master	RL		Master ↑	2,375
1991/92	Oberliga	III	south	master	OIL		6th place	2,183
1992/93	Oberliga	III	south	10th place		X	1. Group B	2,018
1993/94	Oberliga	III	south	5th place	OIL		4th place ↑	2,031
1994/95	1st League	II	south	7th place	1st League		Round of 16	1,900
1995/96	1st League	II	south	10th place	1st League		Round of 16 ↓	1,989
1996/97	1st League	II	South / HPL	11th place		X	1st place	1,774
1997/98	1st League	II	South / HPL	12th place		X	2. Group A	1,799
1998/99	1st League	III	south	8th place		X	7. Group 1 ↑	1,556

Source: passionhockey.com, source: eishockey-online.com, promotion / relegation ↑ ↓

From the Oberliga through the Regional League to the 2nd Bundesliga

Actually, the 1st EV Weiden would have been relegated from the league in the 1998/99 season. But since some clubs had to file for bankruptcy in the summer of 1999, they could also play in the Oberliga Süd in the following season . However, they finished the qualifying round as penultimate and thus rose to the regional league. For the 2000/01 season , the EV Weiden gained an epithet and was henceforth called Blue Devils . They were able to become champions in the Regionalliga Süd right away, but the decisive 5th playoff game in Füssen was lost 5-2.

Even a year later they did not make promotion, but the Regionalliga Süd was merged with the Oberliga after the 2001/02 season . Thus the Blue Devils could play in 2002/03 in the Oberliga Süd-Ost. The squad was strengthened selectively and reached third place in the preliminary round. In the playoffs you could successively win the series against the EHC Klostersee (quarter finals) and the EC Peiting (semifinals). In the final, after two victories against the Dresdner Eislöwen , they were able to celebrate promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga . After the league could be managed surprisingly in the 2003/04 season, the Blue Devils had to start the bitter course back to the league at the end of the 2004/05 season. Due to the poor economic situation in the region and the few sponsors, there was a lack of financial means to send a competitive team into the race that could keep up with the financially stronger competition.

Back in the big leagues

In the following league season, the Blue Devils reached the playoffs over the championship round, in which they were subject to the later runner-up ETC Crimmitschau in the quarter-finals . In view of the very poor economic situation in the North Upper Palatinate, especially in Weiden, it is a great achievement that EV Weiden has been able to play confidently in the upper league for years without major sponsors. After the 2007/2008 season, financial difficulties became known, which eventually led to the club withdrawing from the league.

New start in the regional league and promotion to the upper league

For the 2008/09 season, the first team took the place of the second team in the Bavarian State League , Group North. After the team was placed in the group stage among the first four teams, you could compete in the promotion round. There you had to take first place in the promotion round to be promoted. Again there was a duel against the "neighbors" from Regensburg, because EV Regensburg had also started in the state league after bankruptcy. After the two duels were lost 5: 3 and 5: 4 in the main round, a 4: 4 draw was made at home on February 6, 2009 - the decision was to be made two weeks later in Regensburg. Due to several injuries and illnesses, the team could not compete in full squad and experienced a 10-0 defeat, which made promotion to the Bavarian Ice Hockey League impossible. For the 2009/10 season the team was again divided into the Landesliga Gruppe Nord, became "Bavarian State League Champion" and was promoted to the Bayernliga . At the same time, the team won the Bayernkrug , the Bavarian ice hockey cup . On Friday, September 16, 2011, the 1st EV Weiden announced the successful out-of-court settlement at a press conference in the Hotel Admira. In the 2011/12 season promotion to the Oberliga Süd was achieved.

Seasonal balances from 1999/2000
season	league	class	group	placement	PO	PD	Final placement	Audience Ø
2019/20	Oberliga	III	south	9th place			-	1,202
2018/19	Oberliga	III	south	7th place	OIL		Round of 16	1,380
2017/18	Oberliga	III	south	8th place	OIL		Round of 16	1,266
2016/17	Oberliga	III	south	7th place	OIL		Round of 16	1,416
2015/16	Oberliga	III	south	8th place	OIL		Round of 16	1,537
2014/15	Oberliga	III	south	12th place		X	2nd round	1,284
2013/14	Oberliga	III	south	11th place		X	2nd round	1,448
2012/13	Oberliga	III	south	8th place	OIL		Quarter finals	1,629
2011/12	Regional league	IV	(BYL)	5th place	X		Vice champion ↑	1,481
2010/11	Regional league	IV	BYL	7th place	X		4th Place	1,435
2009/10	National league	V	North	master	BLL		Master ↑	1,301
2008/09	National league	V	North	3rd place	BLL		3rd place	1,287
2007/08	Oberliga	III	North	4th Place	X		VF (withdrawal) ↓	1,259
2006/07	Oberliga	III	-	6th place	X		Quarter finals	1,266
2005/06	Oberliga	III	-	6th place	X		Semifinals	1,330
2004/05	2nd Bundesliga	II	-	14th place		X	6th place ↓	1,568
2003/04	2nd Bundesliga	II	-	13th place		X	1st place	1,710
2002/03	Oberliga	III	-	3rd place	X		Master ↑	1,580
2001/02	Regional league	IV	south	3rd place	X		Semifinals ↑	1,122
2000/01	Regional league	IV	south	master	X		Quarter finals	1,237
1999/00	Oberliga	III	south	14th place		X	10th place ↓	1,141

Source: passionhockey.com, source: eishockey-online.com, promotion / relegation ↑ ↓

successes

Promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga in 2003 German league champions 2003 Promotion to the league in 1991 , 2012 Champion Oberliga Süd 1992 German regional league champion 1991 Champion Regionalliga Süd 1991 , 2001 Promotion to the Regionalliga in 1990 , 2010 Bavarian runner-up / 4. League 2012 Bavarian champion 1990

Vice champion Bayernliga Gr. B 1990 Promotion to the Bayern League in 1989 Bayernkrug Cup winner 2010 Bavarian regional league champion 1989, 2010 Champion National League North 1989, 2010 Runner-up in the North Regional League in 1988 "EVW-1b" Champion National League North 1989 "EVW-1b" Champion District League North 1996

player

The Blue Devils pastures served many players as a stepping stone to higher leagues. Among others, the top players of the 2nd Bundesliga, Conny Strömberg, Dustin Whitecotton and Carl-Johan Johansson made their breakthrough in Weiden. The most important foundation of the club, however, is the exemplary work with young talent and the numerous home-grown groups that all youth teams have gone through and form the framework of the first team.

Benedikt Schopper ( Straubing Tigers ) was the first “real” Weidener to make it into the DEL . He was followed by Michal Bartosch ( EHC Wolfsburg ) and Sandro Schönberger (Straubing Tigers) from Weiden . The most prominent player to date who has already been on the ice for the Weidener offspring is national player Dominik Kahun , who is now under contract with the Buffalo Sabers in the NHL .

Local, ambitious players paired with good, but mostly unknown and therefore affordable foreigners result in a team that impresses with team spirit, morals and passion. With Tomáš Jelínek and Tomáš Divíšek , two former NHL players were already under contract with the Blue Devils Weiden. Jelínek played in the 1992/93 season for the Ottawa Senators , Divíšek from 2000 to 2002 for the Philadelphia Flyers .

Record player and audience favorite Marcel Waldowsky, who wore the colors of the Blue Devils for a total of 14 years, caused an international sensation with his legendary interview from 2018.

The current squad includes Tomáš Rubeš, one of the top scorers in the league, who played his way into the hearts of Weiden fans from his first appearance in the Hans-Schröpf Arena. The longest-serving player in the current team is Michael Kirchberger from Weiden, who has been playing for the blue devils without interruption since 2009. Weiden's home grown Florian Zellner, who played a total of 734 games for his Blue Devils during his career as a player, is now successfully an assistant coach behind the gang.

Record player

Surname	position	Games	Gates	Assists	Points	Penalty minutes
Jan Penk	defender	532	128	337	465	1071
Michal Piskor	striker	294	157	247	404	344
Stefan Peschek	striker	233	165	224	389	128
Milan Blaha	striker	206	202	150	352	477
Marcel Waldowsky	striker	512	228	402	630	838
Florian Zellner	striker	734	166	192	358	697
Joe Hayse	striker	105	142	141	283	196
Pavel Richter Sr.	striker	61	100	169	269	114
Jiri Hlinka	striker	162	105	141	246	382
Mark Butler	striker	67	146	121	267	66
Florian Bartels	striker	426	81	177	258	213
Lubos Thür	striker	236	106	137	243	216
Sergei Ageikin	striker	111	133	106	239	123
Miikka Jäske	striker	143	84	149	233	201

Trainer

• Ken Latta (since January 2018)
• Milan Mazanec (August 2017 - January 2018)
• Markus Berwanger (April 2015 - April 2017)
• Fred Carroll (May 2014 - April 2015)
• Peter Hampl (January 2014 - April 2014)
• Viktor Proskurjakov (August 2013 - January 2014)
• Josef Hefner (December 9, 2010 - April 2013)
• David Musial (May 31 - December 7, 2010)
• Viktor Proskurjakov (August 8, 2008 - April 2010)
• Alex Stein (June 3, 2007 - March 31, 2008)
• Jiří Neubauer (May 2005 - June 2007)
• Sergei Swetlow (January 29, 2005 - May 2005)
• Alexej "Leos" Sulak (2002/03 to January 20, 2005)
• Miroslav Klapac (preliminary round 1999 / 2000–2002)
• Jiří Holík (August - November 1999)
• Steven Polgar (1995-1999)
• Wilbert Duszenko (1994/1995)
• Hans Schulz (1992–1994)
• George Quinn (1992)
• Richard Pergl (1990-1992)
• Svetozar Materak (1987–1990)

offspring

In the 2019/20 season, the following teams took part in the 1. EV Weiden under the name "Young Blue Devils Weiden":

• the Juniors U20 in DNL Division III South (4th place in the table)
• the youth U17 in the Bundesliga Division II South (4th place in the table)
• the students U15 in the Bayernliga (5th place in the table)
• the boys U13 in the Bavarian League (4th place in the table)
• the junior students U11 in registration class A.
• the youngest students U9 in registration class B.
• the Bambini U7 in tournament play (no rating)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Blue Devils found Spielbetriebs GmbH. Retrieved August 7, 2020 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Bayerische Sportschau, born in 1950, viewed in the Bayerischer Staatsbibliothek
3. ↑ Championnat d'Allemagne de hockey sur glace 1987/88. Retrieved on August 7, 2020 (French). 
4. ↑ Archive Ice Hockey Germany from 1908/09 Passionhockey
5. ↑ Viewers ice hockey online
6. ↑ Weiden ice hockey club withdraws from the major league - Blue Devils play in the national league. In: onetz.de. May 19, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2017 . 
7. ↑ admin: The 1. EV Weiden eV is saved. In: evweiden.de. October 4, 2011, accessed August 24, 2017 . 
8. ↑ Archive Ice Hockey Germany from 1908/09 Passionhockey
9. ↑ Spectator statistics for ice hockey online
10. ^ Championnat d'Allemagne de hockey sur glace 1989/90. Retrieved on August 7, 2020 (French). 
11. ↑ Championnat d'Allemagne de hockey sur glace 1987/88. Retrieved on August 7, 2020 (French). 
12. ↑ Marcel Waldowsky's anger interview becomes an internet hit - no sanctions "World Wide Waldi". Retrieved August 7, 2020 . 

Web links

• Official website
• Junior side of Young Blue Devils Weiden
• Ice hockey offspring in Weiden