Ice hockey in Vienna
Ice hockey has a long tradition in Vienna and can be traced back to 1898 today. Back then, people played with a ball, a sport also known as bandy . The disc ( puck ) has been played with since 1921/22 . The European championship was held in Vienna in 1927, followed by the Group A ice hockey world championship five times : 1967 , 1977 , 1987 , 1996 and 2005 . Viennese ice hockey teams were able to become Austrian champions 24 times (men) or 5 times (women) and twice German champions.
Men
The first years
The first game on Viennese soil took place at Christmas 1899, when two teams made up of guests from the Engelmann ice rink competed against each other. In January 1900, the first game of two club teams took place. Back then, the Training Ice Club ( TEC) team won 9-1 against the Vienna Athletic Sports Club (WAC). The first international meeting took place in the next season. Opponent was Slavia Prague , who won 17: 3.
In addition to the TEC, a combined team from Vienna and the WAC, the Footballer of the set from 1904-05 First Vienna Football Club and from 1906-07 the Czech-Viennese sports club Slovan a team. 1908/09 also the Vienna Sport Club . In the second half of the first decade of the 20th century, ice hockey continued to develop very slowly due to the very mild winters. The rise of Austrian ice hockey began in the 1909/10 season, when Austria's first artificial ice rink was opened at the Engelmann ice rink in Vienna (November 10, 1909). This artificial ice rink also resulted in decades of superiority for the Viennese ice hockey teams over those from the provinces, where more and more teams were formed.
Also in 1909, the Slovan sports club began to train with the disc for the first time. Unlike in other European countries, it was not until 1922 in Austria that ice hockey was completely converted to playing with the disc.
The upswing
In the 1911/12 season , the Währinger Bicycle Club (WBC) joined TEC, Vienna , Wiener Sport-Club and Slovan . The first Austrian championship in ice hockey (with the ball) took place in the 1912/13 season. However, it was limited to Vienna, participating teams were TEC, Vienna , Wiener Sport-Club, Slovan and the Währinger Bicycle Club (WBC). The Vienna Sports Club won the championship. In the following season, the Cottage Ice Skating Club from Vienna-Währing (CEV) took part with its own team for the first time. The Viennese sports club became the champions again.
In December 1912, the second artificial ice rink in Vienna, operated by the Vienna Ice Skating Association (WEV), opened. On January 25, 1914, the Vienna Ice Skating Club also founded its own ice hockey team.
The war years
Due to the outbreak of the First World War , championship operations were very limited in the 1914/15 season. Only one international match between the WEV and Budapest could be held. In the following season, a war championship took place in Vienna with the teams WEV , Währinger Bicycle Club (WBC), Cottage Ice Skating Club (CEV) and the Engelmann Artificial Ice Rink, the successor to the Training Ice Club. 1916/17 also questioned the Austrian Teacher Association Sport a dedicated team in the championship also took again sports club Slovan part. As in the previous season, the WEV won the championship, winning 9-2 for the first time against Budapest. From the 1917/18 season onwards, the production of artificial ice was banned, and from February 1918 on, the lighting and heating of ice rinks was also prohibited. The ice sports business in Vienna collapsed. In 1918/19 a championship took place in Vienna, which the WEV won, but could not be held until the end. The ban on the production of artificial ice and mild winters prevented the championship in ice hockey in the seasons 1919/20 and 1920/21. A cup competition was planned for the 1920/21 season, but only one game was played: WEV- WAC (23: 1). This game was also the last bandy game on Vienna's Heumarkt, because the disc was played from the next season. The last bandy game in Vienna took place on December 31, 1923 between the CEV and the Engelmann artificial ice rink.
The 1920s
Austrian ice hockey changed not only with the introduction of the game with the disc. Both goals and the playing area have been made smaller. An Austrian ice hockey championship has been held since 1922/23 . As before, this championship was very focused on Vienna. EV Stockerau was the only team represented that did not come from the capital. Champion was the WEV , ahead of the Pötzleinsdorfer SK , the Cottage Ice Skating Club and the Amateur Sports Club. The WAC and SC Ostmark also took part.
In 1923/24 the Austrian championship was increased to 12 teams that played in two groups. The champion was determined in a game between the two group winners. For the first time, a youth competition was held, which, like the Austrian championship, was won by the WEV . For the first time, special pieces for goalkeepers appeared and the playing time was extended from 2 × 20 minutes to 3 × 20 minutes.
In 1924/25 the Austrian championship took place in two classes for the first time. In the first class, all Viennese clubs were represented: WEV , Pötzleinsdorfer SK , Association for Movement Games, Cottage Ice Skating Association, WAC and the Engelmann Artificial Ice Rink Association. The championship was won again by the WEV . The 2nd class championship could not be played to the end. The Cottage Ice Skating Club became youth champions. In 1924, the Klagenfurt AC founded its own ice hockey section. The later record champions should develop into the toughest competitor of the Viennese teams. In 1925, Austria came second in a European championship consisting of only 4 teams . Apart from the goalkeeper, who belonged to the Pötzleinsdorfer SK , the team consisted without exception of players from the WEV .
In 1925/26 the WEV was again champion and youth champion. The outstanding event was the engagement of Canadian Blake H. Watson as player-coach of the WEV . The playing time was again reduced to 2 × 20 minutes. At the European Championships Austria was able to achieve 3rd place out of 8 participating teams. The players came from the clubs WEV , Pötzleinsdorfer SK , Cottage Eislaufverein, and WAC.
In 1926/27, in addition to the compulsory player pass, there was also a new mode of hosting the Austrian championship. This was carried out in three classes. The Austrian Ice Hockey Federation named the six strongest teams, who played the first class champions among themselves in a simple round in which each team had to play against each other. WEVa became champion before WEVb. The first team of the Pötzleinsdorfer SK was third, the club for movement games fourth, fifth and relegated was the WECa. Several games were played on an ice rink at the Hotel Pamhans on Semmering. This season, a combination team from Pötzleinsdorfer SK and Cottage Ice Skating Club became youth champions . In 1927 the European ice hockey championship was held for the first time in Vienna . The Austrian team, made up of players from Pötzleinsdorfer SK and WEV , won all games against the 5 participating teams and thus became European champions. The WEV was also successful internationally . All European top teams could be defeated and the coup Jean Potin won in Paris. In addition to eleven clubs from Vienna, the Austrian ice hockey association now also includes seven clubs from the federal states.
In 1927/28, in addition to the championship, which again won the WEV, the Schlesinger Cup was held for the first time. In the final of this competition, the Pötzleinsdorfer SK surprisingly won against the WEV . In 1st class, EV Stockerau was the only club from the federal states to take part as a newcomer. At the end of the season, however, the club was at the bottom of the table and immediately had to relegate to 2nd class. There was no longer any third class. During this time, ice hockey was booming in Vienna to an unbelievable extent, so that even a ban on membership for Viennese clubs was issued because there were not enough training opportunities. The rules were also fine-tuned again: The playing time was extended to 3 × 15 minutes, the offside line was moved to a third of the field and the goalkeepers were now allowed to defend themselves kneeling, sitting or lying down. At the Olympic Games in St. Moritz in 1928, the Austrian team was eliminated in the preliminary round. Despite thorough preparation, they only managed a 4: 4 against Switzerland and a 0: 0 against Germany.
In 1928/29 the ban on admission was lifted after the WEV made its facilities available to the association for four days. After the clubs from the federal states caught up more and more with those from Vienna, the question arose more and more whether this Viennese championship, which was also the Austrian championship, was still representative at all. The main problem of the provincial teams was the dependence on the weather. Both the championship and the Szabo youth hiking award are won by the WEV . The national team that took part in the European Championships in Budapest again consisted exclusively of players from Pötzleinsdorfer SK and WEV . The team won the bronze medal.
In 1929/30 the championship mode was changed again. The game was played in two groups, the group winners played for the championship title. As in previous years, this was won by the WEV , as was the Schlesinger Wanderpreis. The youth championship went to the Jewish sports club Hakoah . Austria came third in the European Championship and fourth in the World Championship. The biggest success of that year, however, was the 1-0 win on February 7, 1930 against world champions Canada.
The 1930s
In 1930/31 the championship was held again only by Viennese clubs and clubs from the Vienna area in 2 groups. The WEV was able to win the almost obligatory final of Pötzleinsdorfer SK against WEV . Likewise the Schlesinger challenge cup. The Szabo Youth Prize went to Hakoah again . The other Viennese clubs came under more pressure again after the WEV reduced the training days made available to the association on the ice rink at Heumarkt from four to three. At the World and European Championships in Krynica-Zdrój , Austria was European champion for the second time and third behind Canada and the USA in the World Cup. The fair play prize was also won. For the first time, the national team included players from Viennese clubs as well as two legionnaires from the Berlin ice skating club and Cambridge University ( Hans Trauttenberg ).
In the 1931/32 season, the champions were first played out of the group first and second of the two groups. For the first time since the introduction of the game with the disc, the WEV was not champion. He lost to the Pötzleinsdorfer SK in the final with 1: 2. The WEV also won an international tournament in Klagenfurt before the KAC. With Egger (KAC) and Amenth (Innsbruck), players from the federal states played for the first time in the national team. This team was unable to take part in the Winter Olympics for financial reasons, but it was able to take part in the European Championship, where it won the silver medal.
After the WEV had reduced the association operations on the Heumarkt again in the previous season, this was completely discontinued in the 1932/33 season, which forced the training ice skating club and the Vienna ice hockey club to give up. For the first time, the Austrian champion was determined throughout Austria. The winner of the provincial championship played against the winner of the Vienna championship for the championship title. However, this final game never took place due to weather and timing reasons. The WEV was then declared master. The Szabo Youth Prize also went to the Vienna Ice Skating Club. At the European Championships in Prague, second place could be won, which meant fourth place in the World Cup.
In 1933/34 the dreary economic situation and the new dictatorship made themselves felt. The boom that had occurred the previous season subsided. For the first time, the Austrian championship title did not go to Vienna. In the final, the KAC defeated EK Engelmann Wien (successor to Pötzleinsdorfer SK). The WEV won the Szabo Youth Prize. The Austrian team could not convince at the world or European championships. The 7th place in the World Cup and thus the 5th place in the EM ranking went to Austria. In addition to an amendment to the offside rule, the boards were raised this season and nets were installed behind the goals.
In the 1934/35 season , the Austrian championship became the state championship. Again the successful team in the Vienna championship played against the winner of the provincial championship. In Vienna, 21 teams played in two groups. The winner was the WEV, which was defeated by the KAC in the final for the national championship title. The national team, which in addition to England legionnaire Hans Trauttenberg only consisted of Viennese players, came in sixth at the World Cup in Davos and fifth in the European Championship. The greatest success was the sending of one player each from WEV and EKE to the European team.
In 1935/36 both major Viennese clubs signed Canadian coaches. The warm weather this winter prevented many championship games. Since the KAC did not take part in the final of the state championship, the EKE was declared state champion. The Vienna Championship was also won by the EKE. At the Olympic Games in Garmisch, the Austrian national team reached seventh place. With the exception of three players, all national players came from Vienna clubs.
The 1936/37 season meant economic death for many clubs that did not have an artificial ice rink. Only 15 teams took part in the Vienna Championship, the third class was therefore dissolved. This year the WEV became national champion. Austria did not take part in the World Cup this year .
In 1937/38 an Austrian championship was held for the last time before the annexation to the German Nazi regime. This won the EKE. Also for the last time before the war the national team competed in a world championship . In Prague, the team fought ninth.
Viennese ice hockey during the Nazi regime
Both the Vienna EG and EK Engelmann Vienna succeeded in winning a German championship title after joining the Nazi regime .
After the Second World War
The horrors of war and Nazi rule had also hit ice hockey hard in Vienna. A provisional championship was played in the winter of 1945/46. EK Engelmann Vienna emerged as the master , which had moved from the destroyed ice facility on Syringgasse to Heumarkt. The Viennese EV slowly began to play again.
In the following season a proper championship was held again. In addition to the Wiener EV , EK Engelmann Wien , KAC , Innsbrucker EV, the Wiener Straßenbahner Sportvereinigung and the Postportverein Wien also took part in the championship, which was held in two groups. This was won by the WEV . The national team won the bronze medal at the World Cup in Prague in 1946. However, this team consisted mostly of players from the pre-war generation. A fall in Austrian ice hockey should follow.
In the 1947/48 season, the WEV again achieved the championship title. They were also able to convince internationally. The EK Engelmann Vienna got weaker and weaker from then on. At the Olympic Games, only one of eight games could be won.
In 1948 the best players of the two big Viennese clubs became the Wiener Eissport-Gemeinschaft (WEG). This achieved the championship title in its first season. The championship was played in two groups, the winners of which ultimately competed for the championship title. There were three sub-leagues: East, West and South. In the League East, in addition to Klosterneuburg and Langenzersdorf, the Viennese clubs played: WAT 10, WAT 16, Post, Police and EKE 2 .
In 1949/50, 33 clubs were already playing for the domestic championship. In the top division seven, including the WEG, which was again champion.
1950s and 1960s
In 1950/51 the Viennese ice sports association won the Austrian championship title again. This merger then dissolved and WEV and EK Engelmann Vienna went their separate ways again.
In 1951/52 the KAC was able to win the championship title. Both the Viennese clubs and the Austrian national team became increasingly insignificant. In the latter there were just four players from Vienna.
In 1952/53 the WEV did not even reach the finals of the three-part national league (then the first division). The Innsbrucker EV won the championship title. The WEV remained only the master in the youth competition.
In 1954/55 ice hockey was still on the ground in Vienna. However, the WEV was able to win the Youth Cup again.
1955/56 won EK Engelmann Wien the championship. The Viennese ice hockey legend Walter Znenahlik was among the players. Likewise in the 1956/57 season. After that, however, the association broke up for economic reasons. The WEV dissolved its senior team.
In the 1958/59 season, the WEV competed with a youth team in the senior competition and thus laid the foundation for the later championship title. After one season they were promoted to the top division. In the 1960/61 season, the Vienna Ice Sports Association (WEVg) came last there. Not a single Viennese was represented in the national team. In 1961/62 the WEVg won its last championship title. When the change of name WEV - WEVg took place cannot be determined exactly.
In 1962/63 the Austrian national team rose to the B group. There were also six players from the WEVg , who also became runner-up behind Innsbruck.
The 1963/64 season ended with a curiosity. KAC , Innsbruck and WEVg were tied at the end of the shortened season. However, the goal difference made the KAC champions. The national team only achieved the disappointing 5th place in group B at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck. The team achieved the same result at the B-WM 1965 in Finland.
In 1965/66 the WEVg became youth champions. At the B-WM in Yugoslavia, the promotion could not be made, participation in the home World Cup in 1967 was not possible. The newly founded Bundesliga comprised only 4 clubs: EC KAC , Innsbrucker EV, WEVg and Kitzbüheler EC. Master became Klagenfurt.
From the middle of the 1966/67 season, the WEVg resided in the Donauparkhalle in Donaustadt. The Viennese were penultimate before the promoted ATSE Graz . Master again the EC KAC .
From March 18 to 29, 1967, the world championships of all three groups took place in Vienna , at which the European champions were also determined.
In the Bundesliga , the WEVg also finished penultimate in 1967/68, this time ahead of promoted Feldkirch. The master was again Klagenfurt. Fritz Prohaska made his debut in goal this season. Ice hockey was a real crowd puller in Vienna at that time.
In 1968/69 the WEVg started with a strongly rejuvenated squad. Unlike the other teams, the Viennese bet more on their own offspring than on players from abroad. At the end of the season, the WEVg was in fourth of seven places.
In the Bundesliga season 1969/70, eight clubs played in the top division for the first time. Now the WEVg also had foreign players. Champion was the KAC , Feldkirch was runner-up.
1970s
Ice hockey boomed in Vienna in the 1970s . In 1977 the A-World Championship was held again in Vienna. Company ice hockey also experienced an enormous boom.
The first season of the new decade started difficult for the WEVg . A Canadian coach and two Canadian players were added, the game of the Viennese became harder and more brutal. At the end of the season they found themselves in sixth place. Champion became the KAC.
The 1971/72 season was determined by the surprisingly good performance of the newcomer WAT Stadlau . The Danube townspeople succeeded in signing Morosow and Nikitin, the first two Soviet players who were allowed to play in the West. WAT Stadlau was third in the first season, the WEVg second. Ice hockey experienced an upswing, both the Viennese "beer mug derbies" (both clubs had brewing companies as sponsors) and the games against arch rivals KAC were sold out.
In 1972/73 the WEVg was third in the overall ranking. However, points were subsequently deducted from the club, which meant a fifth place. WAT Stadlau was also unable to maintain the performance of the previous year, but reached fourth place. The KAC became champion, wearing a helmet was compulsory.
1973/74 the champion was determined for the first time in a playoff competition. The WEVg achieved this with fourth place in the regular round and was beaten there by the KAC in the fifth game. WAT Stadlau had to do without the Soviet players for a short time. The club did not succeed in making the switch very well. In the end, WAT was in last place, but did not have to relegate due to the voluntary retirement of Lustenau and Kitzbühel. Champion was again the KAC
In 1974/75 the KAC championship series finally ended . ATSE Graz was the name of the new master. The championship was played again without a playoff. Like almost all other teams, WAT Stadlau had to contend with a huge drop in audience numbers and came in sixth. The WEVg came fourth.
In the 1975/76 season, the two Viennese clubs fought a hot battle for the last two places. WAT Stadlau was seventh, WEVg eighth . The WEVg was able to win the relegation against Villach and did not have to relegate. Champion became the KAC .
The following season began promisingly for the WEVg , but ended with only fourth place. Towards the end, only a few hundred spectators attended the games in the Donauparkhalle. WAT Stadlau decided not to take part in the championship. Klagenfurt became champion in 1976/77 .
In the 1977/78 season, the WEVg focused on young talent. At the beginning there were a few surprises, but at the end of the basic round the team only came in seventh. ATSE Graz became the champion .
The 1978/79 season began with a new championship system. After the basic round, a championship round and a relegation round were played. The WEVg qualified as the fourth club for the championship round and only failed in the final at the Klagenfurt AC .
The WEVg cracks had set high goals for the 1979/80 season . In the end, however, it was only enough for second place, behind Klagenfurt .
1980s
The decade begins with a surprise. The Villach SV is champion for the first time. Second is the WEVg . WAT Stadlau did not have to relegate despite the defeat in the relegation battle against Salzburg, as ATSE Graz renounced the promotion.
The 1981/82 season saw a new master again. The VEU Feldkirch decided the championship for itself. The WEVg finished third, WAT Stadlau was lucky enough not to have to relegate again despite the last final rank due to the dissolution of Salzburg.
The WEVg was plagued mainly by player changes in the 1982/83 season. In the end, despite great expectations, it was only enough for 5th place. WAT Stadlau was penultimate before the newcomer Lustenau. VEU Feldkirch was again the champion .
In 1983/84 the WEVg continued its downward trend . This time the club was last and was relegated to the national league. WAT Stadlau bought generously and took third place. The VEU Feldkirch was able to defend the championship title again. The Austrian national team managed to qualify for the Olympic Games and fight for ninth place. Among them were players from Vienna.
In 1984/85 the WAT Stadlau landed on the penultimate place and waived participation for the coming season, the WEVg managed to get promoted back to the Bundesliga, where the club was penultimate in the first year. Champion was the KAC in both years .
In 1986/87 and 1987/88 the WEVg won the runner-up title behind the KAC.
In 1987 the third group A World Championship took place in Vienna.
1990s until today
The Donauparkhalle was demolished in the early 1990s and the two clubs (WEVg and WAT Stadlau) moved to the Hopsagasse sports hall. In 1992 both clubs faced economic collapse, which is why they merged. EC Vienna should be the successor club. This was in 1992/93 fourth in the second division. After one season, the club was renamed CE Vienna, which was runner-up in the National League in 1993/94. From 1994/95 the CE Vienna was represented in a new 10-league and with rank 7 just missed the upper playoff and failed in the quarter-finals at Feldkirch . In 1995 the club moved to the new Albert Schultz ice rink in Vienna-Kagran. In 1996 the fourth A-World Championship was held in Vienna in the Wiener Stadthalle and the Albert-Schultz-Halle, the Czech Republic became world champion.
In 1995/96 the CE Vienna finished fourth out of eight in the basic round and failed again in the semifinals to Feldkirch . Also at Feldkirch, the CE Vienna failed in the final of the Alpine League . The runner-up title in this competition, however, meant the greatest success in the club's history. In the 1996/97 season, the CE Vienna retired in the round of hope for the fourth semifinal place.
In 1997 the CE Vienna became the WEV (Vienna Ice Hockey Club ) again for marketing reasons . In 1997/98 rank 4 (out of six) was achieved, in the semifinals the team failed again at VEU Feldkirch. The following year the WEV won third place and was eliminated in the playoff semifinals against the KAC . 1999/2000 went exactly like the year before for the Viennese ice skating club, in the upper league the EHC Fischerbräu from Vienna won the championship title.
After the WEV was dissolved in 2000 for financial reasons, the Austrian championship 2000/01 took place without participation from the federal capital. One year later the Vienna Capitals association was founded, which in 2004/05 was able to bring the men's ice hockey championship title to Vienna for the first time since 1962. Since 2003/04 the WE-V (now the Wiener Eislöwen-Verein ) has had a fighting team again that plays in the national league. In the Oberliga, Austria's third-highest division, two Viennese clubs were also active, the community of Vienna Capitals and Junior Capitals and the hockey club “Die 48er” . The Vienna State Ice Hockey Association organizes ice hockey operations on a regional level. Six teams play in the Vienna league and twelve in the Vienna sub-league.
In 2005 the A World Championship came to Austria again. The venues were the Wiener Stadthalle and the Innsbruck Olympic Hall. Vienna embarrassed itself at this World Cup due to poor ice quality.
Women
Since 1998/99, Austria has a league operating in the woman Hockey . There are two women's ice hockey teams in Vienna. The Vienna Flyers were founded in 1998 and were runner-up in their first year. After another runner-up title, the Vienna Flyers succeeded in winning their first female championship title in the 2000/01 season. In 1999 the most successful Austrian women's ice hockey team, the EHV Sabers, was founded . After a runner-up title in 2000/01, the Sabers could win four championship titles in a row.
From 2001/02 to 2003/04 there was also a Vienna League, which was played between the EHV Sabers and the Vienna Flyers. This primarily served the young and new players to gain match experience. In the first year the Sabers were victorious, then the Vienna Flyers twice. Since 2004/05 both Viennese women's clubs have been taking part in the Elite Women's Hockey League . While the Vienna Flyers could only achieve eighth place in the first year, the EHV Sabers could win this league.
swell
Siegfried Margreiter u. a .: The great Austrian ice hockey book, Verlag Buch Spezial, Dornbirn 1986, ISBN 3-900496-04-4