2017–18 DEL2 season

The 2017–18 DEL2 season was the fifth season since the founding of the DEL2, the second tier of German ice hockey, set below the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The season ran from 15 September 2017 till 22 April 2018. SC Riessersee was crowned league premiers by finishing top of the regular season standings. Bietigheim Steelers claimed the championship title by defeating SC Riessersee 4-1 in the final series. Bayreuth Tigers lost the relegation playoffs 4-1 against promoted team Tölzer Löwen, however they were saved from relegation from DEL2 to Oberliga due to SC Riessersee not being granted a DEL2 licence in the summer of 2018.

2017–18 DEL2 season
LeagueDEL2
SportIce Hockey
Duration15 September 2017 – 22 April 2018
Number of games364 (52 per team)
Number of teams14
TV partner(s)Sprade TV
Regular season
Season championsSC Riessersee
Season MVPAndreas Driendl (Riessersee)
Top scorerRichard Mueller (Riessersee)
Relegated to OberligaSC Riessersee
Playoffs
ChampionsBietigheim Steelers
  Runners-upSC Riessersee
Finals MVPShawn Weller (Bietigheim)

Modus

Fourteen teams competed in the 2017–18 DEL2 regular season. Tölzer Löwen was promoted from Germany's third division, Oberliga. Each team played each other twice in the regular season, home and away, for a total of 52 matches each. The top six teams directly qualified for the championship playoffs, played in a best of seven format. Teams placed seven to ten advanced to the championship playoff qualifiers, which followed a best of three format. The bottom four teams enter the relegation playoffs. The two losing teams from round 1 face off in the relegation final with the losing team being relegated to Oberliga.[1]

The DEL2 champion does not automatically get promoted to DEL. In September 2015, the DEL and DEL2 agreed to reintroduce promotion and relegation between the two leagues from the 2017–18 season onwards. The DEL2 champion would then have the opportunity to be promoted, provided it fulfilled the licensing requirements of the DEL, while the last-placed DEL club would be relegated.[2]

Regular season

Results

The cross table represents the results of all matches of the regular season. The home team is listed in the middle column, the visiting team in the top row.

First round Team Second round
SCB FRA ECK DRE ESV LFX FRB BTT SCR RVT ECN HNF EPC ECT SCB FRA ECK DRE ESV LFX FRB BTT SCR RVT ECN HNF EPC ECT
3:2 4:3O 3:1 3:2 6:1 3:1 2:0 6:3 7:5 4:1 4:3 7:3 4:3 SCB 3:4S 4:2 4:5 0:7 2:1S 4:5O 5:2 4:5S 3:2O 3:4 3:2O 3:0 5:1
4:3O 5:4 4:2 5:4O 9:2 2:4 6:2 5:1 3:2 4:5S 8:5 1:2O 6:5 FRA 4:5O 3:4O 2:1O 1:6 4:5O 1:4 8:3 2:3O 4:3 2:3 6:3 2:5 8:4
5:2 4:3O 3:1 4:1 5:4O 6:1 4:3O 5:9 5:3 6:1 3:0 7:0 2:1 ECK 2:4 5:1 3:2 2:1 4:3O 1:5 2:3O 2:5 5:7 5:2 2:5 3:1 6:5S
4:2 5:1 1:7 4:2 4:2 3:1 6:0 3:1 2:5 6:1 3:4O 4:3O 4:2 DRE 0:4 3:6 7:4 0:4 0:5 0:1 5:0 4:8 5:4O 4:3 2:3 6:3 1:2
5:4O 1:2 3:2O 2:3 7:1 1:0 1:5 1:2 3:5 7:1 1:4 5:4O 5:2 ESV 4:1 4:5 1:3 5:1 3:5 5:0 5:2 6:1 4:0 2:1 3:1 4:3 5:0
2:3 6:1 3:4O 2:3S 4:3O 2:0 6:3 2:5 2:4 0:7 3:4O 4:5O 2:1 LFX 2:4 4:1 3:4 4:3 7:2 2:5 3:1 3:5 4:0 3:2 3:4O 3:4O 6:2
3:1 3:6 1:3 1:3 3:5 4:1 3:2O 1:3 4:3 3:2O 4:5O 2:4 6:3 FRB 2:3 2:6 3:0 7:5 1:4 2:4 3:4O 4:5S 4:3S 0:4 3:6 0:3 6:4
1:2 2:3O 2:1O 3:6 0:3 1:0 5:1 4:3 6:3 3:2 2:5 3:4 2:5 BTT 3:2S 1:5 3:6 7:2 4:3O 1:2 4:5 1:4 1:6 6:4 1:4 3:4 5:2
3:4O 2:8 5:3 2:1O 3:2O 2:3S 2:1 2:0 3:1 3:2 5:2 5:1 9:4 SCR 3:2O 6:3 2:1 4:5 1:3 5:1 3:2 5:2 4:3O 6:1 7:4 4:3 6:1
6:2 2:3O 5:4 5:2 3:5 3:5 4:3 10:1 5:2 4:3 6:3 1:2 5:2 RVT 5:2 2:3 4:1 4:6 5:2 6:2 4:3S 4:2 2:4 3:4O 3:5 2:5 3:2O
2:3S 2:1O 5:3 1:4 4:3 1:2 3:5 2:1 3:0 3:4S 3:0 6:1 5:4 ECN 4:9 2:6 4:3O 4:3O 5:2 4:1 3:2 3:2 5:2 5:3 2:6 3:2 6:3
3:6 4:1 1:2 4:0 3:5 5:2 2:5 5:4S 1:4 3:4O 7:3 4:7 3:4O HNF 6:5S 4:2 2:0 2:1 1:2O 3:2 1:4 2:3S 2:6 1:2 1:2 8:3 3:4
5:8 5:8 3:4S 3:2O 0:4 5:2 5:3 5:2 2:1 2:1 1:2 0:3 3:2 EPC 7:1 2:5 3:6 3:1 3:2O 1:3 7:2 0:5 3:6 3:2 3:5 1:3 5:4O
0:2 4:7 7:3 2:3 3:2O 4:1 6:2 6:4 7:3 1:5 2:4 3:1 2:3 ECT 2:3 3:5 3:2 2:3 3:2 1:3 5:2 5:4O 3:2 3:4O 3:4 2:1O 2:3S

Note: O Overtime; S Shootout

Standings
Pos Team GP W OTW SOW OTL SOL L PTS GF GA GD PIM HF AF
1.SC Riessersee (P) (R) 5229521114103196149+4746417-4-2-312-3-0-11
2.Bietigheim Steelers (C) 5227524410103186155+3174616-4-3-311-3-5-7
3.Löwen Frankfurt 522542711395207174+3388512-3-6-513-3-2-8
4.ESV Kaufbeuren 522440601886174130+4453314-3-0-910-1-6-9
5.EC Bad Nauheim 522432122085163166-349915-3-2-69-2-1-14
6.EC Kassel Huskies 522162501884180160+2065814-5-1-67-3-4-12
7.Ravensburg Towerstars 522132422079190168+2257614-2-2-87-3-4-12
8.Dresdner Eislöwen 522221502277155164-959413-2-1-109-1-4-12
9.Heilbronner Falken 521942512175167167+08299-2-4-1110-4-2-10
10.Eispiraten Crimmitschau 521961212374158181-2369610-3-1-129-4-2-11
11.Lausitzer Füchse 521921722172148172-2456311-1-6-88-2-3-13
12.EHC Freiburg 521631222860142176-346897-3-3-139-1-1-15
13.Tölzer Löwen 521340323052156199-4363710-3-2-113-1-3-19
14.Bayreuth Tigers 521042323147134195-615298-3-1-142-3-4-17
Championship playoffs Championship playoff qualifiers Relegation playoffs

Points rules: 3 points for regulation win; 2 points for OT or SO win; 1 point for OT or SO loss; 0 points for regulation loss
Tie-break rules: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Premiers; (R) Relegated
Source:[3]

Top scorers
Name Team GP G A PTS PIM +/−
Richard MuellerSC Riessersee5136448020+33
Andreas DriendlSC Riessersee4830497938+34
Matt McKnightBietigheim Steelers5234447816+14
Jordan KnackstedtETC Crimmitschau51224668122+15
Shawn WellerBietigheim Steelers50254267140+14
Sami BlomqvistESV Kaufbeuren5231356626+26
C.J. StretchLöwen Frankfurt5028376572+30
Tyler McNeelyBietigheim Steelers4722436568+12
Charlie SaraultESV Kaufbeuren5121446512+20
Robbie CzarnikETC Crimmitschau5237276450+16

Source:[4]

Top goaltenders
Name Team GP SO MP GA GAA SH SV SV%
Stefan VajsESV Kaufbeuren4382508:23982.341271117392.29%
Marcel MelichercikHeilbronner Falken2611528:50702.7587780792.02%
Jonas LangmannRavensburg Towerstars4612765:191382.991664152691.71%
Mirko PantkowskiEC Kassel Huskies2411349:59622.7673667491.58%
Miroslav HanuljakEHC Freiburg4422627:101353.081590145591.51%
Hannibal WeitzmannLöwen Frankfurt2001030:01492.8557652791.49%
Ilya SharipovBietigheim Steelers3021816:24792.6192684791.47%
Olivier RoyETC Crimmitschau2101192:30623.1272766591.47%
Markus KellerEC Kassel Huskies3211779:49882.97102493691.41%
Marco EisenhutDresdner Eislöwen4212435:111223.011416129491.38%
Tomas VosvrdaBayreuth Tigers4112384:171383.471571143391.22%

Note: To qualify for this list, goaltenders need to have played a minimum of 20 matches
Source:[5]

Playoffs

Championship

The championship play-offs:[6]

The qualifiers for the playoffs ran between 6 March 2018 to 9 March 2018. Four teams (7v10 and 8v9) competed in best of three series’. The two winning teams advanced to the championship playoffs. In 2018, the two lower ranked teams in the qualifiers, ETC Crimmitschau and Heilbronner Falken, won their series and advanced to the playoffs. Dresdner Eislöwen and Ravensburg Towerstars were knocked out and their season ended.

The championship playoffs ran between 13 March 2018 to 22 April 2018. Eight teams competed in best of seven series'. The series winning teams advanced through from the quarter-finals to the final. In 2018, the top two seeds SC Riessersee and Bietigheim Steelers each won their quarter and semi-finals to reach the final. The Steelers defeated the league premiers 4-1 in the finals series to secure the division 2 championship title, their second DEL2 championship trophy.

  Wild-card round Quarter-finals Semi-finals Finals
                                     
  1 SC Riessersee 4  
8 ETC Crimmitschau 3  
8 Dresdner Eislöwen 0     1 SC Riessersee 4  
9 Heilbronner Falken 2     4 ESV Kaufbeuren 2  
3 ESV Kaufbeuren 4
  6 EC Bad Nauheim 1  
(Pairings are re-seeded after the first and second round)   1 SC Riessersee 1
  2 Bietigheim Steelers 4
  2 Bietigheim Steelers 4  
7 Heilbronner Falken 1  
7 Ravensburg Towerstars 0     2 Bietigheim Steelers 4
10 ETC Crimmitschau 2     3 Löwen Frankfurt 2  
4 Löwen Frankfurt 4
  5 EC Kassel Huskies 2  

Note: All numbers represent series results, not a match score

Relegation

The relegation play-offs:[7]

The relegation playoffs is contested between the four teams who finish bottom of the regular season standings. Run between 13 March 2018 and 6 April 2018, the four teams play best of seven series’. The teams that lose their first round advance to the second round. The winners secure their DEL2 status and avoid relegation. Whoever loses the second round is relegated to Oberliga. The 2018 edition would have seen Bayreuth Tigers relegated to Oberliga after losing their first round series 3-4 against Lausitzer Füchse before losing in five matches against Tölzer Löwen in the second round. However the Tigers were saved from relegation due to SC Riessersee not being granted a DEL2 licence in the summer of 2018. Instead, Riessersee was subsequently relegated to Oberliga.

Semifinals Finals
      
11 Lausitzer Füchse 4
14 Bayreuth Tigers 3
13 Tölzer Löwen 4
14 Bayreuth Tigers 1
12 EHC Freiburg 4
13 Tölzer Löwen 3

Note: All numbers represent series results, not a match score

References
  1. "Spielmodus Saison 2018/2019" (in German). www.del-2.org. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  2. "DEL: Rückkehr zu Auf- und Abstieg? Fahrplan steht!" [DEL: Return of relegation and promotion? Schedule decided!]. kicker.de (in German). Kicker (sports magazine). 8 September 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  3. "DEL 2 Tabelle 2017/18". www.kicker.de. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  4. "Statistiken Top Scorer" (in German). www.del-2.org. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  5. "Statistiken Top Goalies" (in German). www.del-2.org. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
  6. "2018 DEL2 play-offs". www.kicker.de. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
  7. "2018 DEL2 play-downs". www.kicker.de. Retrieved 2019-09-16.
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