2018–19 DEL2 season

The 2018–19 DEL2 season was the sixth season since the founding of the DEL2, the second tier of German ice hockey, set below the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The season ran from 14 September 2018 till 28 April 2019. Löwen Frankfurt was crowned league premiers by finishing top of the regular season standings. Ravensburg Towerstars caused an upset by claiming the championship title by defeating Löwen Frankfurt 4-2 in the final series. Promoted team, Deggendorfer SC, was unable to survive in DEL2 and was relegated after losing the relegation playoffs final 3-4 against Wölfe Freiburg.

2018–19 DEL2 season
LeagueDEL2
SportIce Hockey
Duration14 September 2018 – 28 April 2019
Number of games364 (52 per team)
Number of teams14
TV partner(s)Sprade TV
eoTV
Regular season
Season championsLöwen Frankfurt
Season MVPMatt McKnight (Steelers)
Top scorerRoope Ranta (Falken)
Relegated to OberligaDeggendorfer SC
Playoffs
ChampionsRavensburg Towerstars
  Runners-upLöwen Frankfurt
Finals MVPJonas Langmann (Towerstars)

Modus

Fourteen teams competed in the 2018–19 DEL2 regular season. Deggendorfer SC 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 follow 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] In 2018, the two leagues signed a new agreement to reintroduce an automatic promotion and relegation system to start in 2020–21.[3]

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 ESV ECN ECK RVT DRE HNF EPC LFX FRB ECT BTT DSC SCB FRA ESV ECN ECK RVT DRE HNF EPC LFX FRB ECT BTT DSC
2:4 4:2 5:3 3:8 4:5S 3:4O 6:1 6:3 2:5 2:4 6:3 2:3O 4:2 SCB 4:3O 3:5 3:0 3:0 4:1 6:3 4:3O 6:7O 5:1 5:1 5:0 6:3 4:5O
2:3 5:2 3:4 5:2 4:7 3:1 5:3 4:3 5:4O 5:0 9:2 10:4 1:4 FRA 5:4O 3:2O 3:4O 1:2 8:1 6:1 6:2 9:1 5:1 4:1 4:3 3:4 5:4
3:4O 4:3 7:3 2:1O 1:4 1:4 7:2 6:2 4:6 1:0 7:1 3:2O 9:2 ESV 4:3 6:3 4:3 2:1 3:2 3:5 1:5 9:1 2:5 3:4 3:4O 3:4 6:3
5:3 3:4O 3:5 3:4 7:5 5:4 3:4S 5:0 2:3O 2:5 4:2 5:1 5:2 ECN 3:5 5:4S 0:3 1:0 6:3 6:2 9:5 6:3 5:3 4:0 6:2 3:2 5:1
1:6 0:4 0:1 2:3 2:6 0:2 4:2 1:2 5:2 1:2S 6:2 4:5O 6:2 ECK 4:2 4:1 2:3 3:6 5:2 6:2 5:4O 4:8 3:2 5:2 5:1 6:1 3:1
8:5 1:2 4:3 4:2 3:5 8:1 3:2O 7:2 9:2 5:2 5:4O 7:1 5:1 RVT 2:4 3:1 6:1 5:4O 3:1 2:3O 5:3 5:6O 3:4O 3:0 3:4 2:3 4:3O
6:5 2:5 2:1 3:1 2:5 4:0 3:6 3:4 1:2O 6:3 3:1 3:4O 4:1 DRE 2:5 6:3 6:3 4:2 6:1 3:2 2:6 3:2O 3:4S 3:6 6:2 5:4 3:2
3:5 4:3O 2:3 3:2 2:4 2:5 5:2 3:2 7:6O 7:6O 3:2O 3:2 5:7 HNF 4:3S 3:6 3:4 8:3 3:1 3:4S 3:4O 7:4 5:4 3:0 2:1 6:1 9:1
3:2 2:3S 2:3 6:3 5:2 3:5 11:4 2:5 1:4 4:2 6:3 1:6 3:4 EPC 4:7 4:5S 2:1 3:4 1:5 4:1 6:1 6:3 4:3 5:4 6:3 2:6 6:3
0:3 2:6 2:4 3:2 4:1 5:4 1:0 8:5 5:4 5:4O 2:3O 1:2S 4:2 LFX 3:2 1:2S 6:3 2:4 2:0 4:0 6:2 3:2 3:4 4:1 7:0 1:2O 4:1
2:4 3:1 0:1O 4:0 0:1 2:3 5:4 4:6 5:2 3:2 3:6 5:3 1:3 FRB 2:0 4:6 4:1 0:2 1:2S 2:3 3:4O 2:5 4:1 1:2 3:1 4:2 6:1
3:4O 6:2 2:4 3:4S 4:3 3:7 3:2 7:4 0:3 1:4 5:0 5:2 5:1 ECT 4:7 4:3S 1:2 2:1S 2:3O 1:4 4:3 2:1 3:2S 4:3O 7:3 5:6 3:2
2:3 1:2 5:6O 2:3 3:1 4:5 4:1 4:5 0:5 4:6 4:2 4:2 0:7 BTT 4:3 5:2 4:2 4:7 4:1 5:3 3:5 6:3 5:2 2:4 4:3 3:2O 6:7
1:9 1:5 1:4 2:5 4:2 3:5 3:5 7:5 6:5O 2:4 5:4S 3:5 7:5 DSC 2:0 4:5 4:5 2:1O 2:3 2:7 5:2 7:4 5:6S 4:0 3:2S 2:4 2:0

Note: O Overtime; S Shootout

Standings
Pos Team GP W OTW SOW OTL SOL L PTS GF GA GD PIM HF AF
1.Löwen Frankfurt (P) 522643321497211153+5869916-3-1-610-4-4-8
2.Bietigheim Steelers 522640521593208161+4760114-2-5-512-2-2-10
3.Ravensburg Towerstars (C) 522642301793209163+4668014-4-3-512-2-0-12
4.ESV Kaufbeuren 522740301892178153+2559914-2-2-813-2-1-10
5.Lausitzer Füchse 522541521592174155+1956816-1-4-59-4-3-10
6.EC Bad Nauheim 522612421790187165+2266317-1-3-59-2-3-12
7.EC Kassel Huskies 522221212475146145+157713-1-2-109-2-1-14
8.Heilbronner Falken 521942412274204206-278912-5-2-77-1-3-15
9.Dresdner Eislöwen 522050212473165191-2661815-1-3-75-4-0-17
10.Eispiraten Crimmitschau 522021232471186212-2663414-0-2-106-3-3-14
11.Bayreuth Tigers 521851202668170196-2655612-1-1-126-5-1-14
12.Tölzer Löwen 521533512563152196-4475011-4-3-84-2-3-17
13.EHC Freiburg 521601432857134171-3750012-0-3-114-1-4-17
14.Deggendorfer SC (R) 521432113154161218-377048-4-1-136-1-1-18
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:[4]

Top scorers
Name Team GP G A PTS PIM +/−
Roope RantaHeilbronner Falken5131487965+2
Matt McKnightBietigheim Steelers5126537928−1
Dustin SylvesterEC Bad Nauheim5226457178−1
Jordan KnackstedtDresdner Eislöwen51215071119+3
Sami BlomqvistESV Kaufbeuren5039317032+11
Adam MitchellLöwen Frankfurt5123477050+11
Greg GibsonHeilbronner Falken5135316644+12
Derek DamonHeilbronner Falken5218456368+3
Rob FlickEispiraten Crimmitschau5234276198−5
Norman HaunerBietigheim Steelers5132296126+7
Stephen MacAulayTölzer Löwen5125366148−9

Source:[5]

Top goaltenders
Name Team GP SO MP GA GAA SH SV SV%
Leon HungereckerEC Kassel Huskies2301251:47542.5972066692.50%
Marcel MelichercikEC Kassel Huskies2711503:33742.9592585192.00%
Jonas LangmannRavensburg Towerstars4512652:491302.941523139391.46%
Jimmy HertelEHC Freiburg2111138:00542.8561756391.25%
Olafr SchmidtLausitzer Füchse3131683:33712.5380973891.22%
Matthias NemecEHC Freiburg3411954:361033.161153105091.07%
Felix BickLöwen Frankfurt3832224:241042.811159105591.03%
Ilya SharipovBietigheim Steelers2621501:58702.8076269290.81%
Ilya AndryukhovLöwen Frankfurt2101197:54512.5555150090.74%
Mirko PantkowskiHeilbronner Falken4102343:121343.431440130690.69%
Ben MeisnerTölzer Löwen4312351:461323.371381124990.44%

Note: To qualify for this list, goaltenders need to have played a minimum of 20 matches
Source:[6]

Playoffs

Championship

The championship play-offs:[7]

The qualifiers for the playoffs ran between 8 March 2019 to 12 March 2019. Four teams (7v10 and 8v9) competed in best of three series’. The two winning teams advanced to the championship playoffs. In 2019, the two lower ranked teams in the qualifiers, Dresdner Eislöwen and ETC Crimmitschau, won their series and advanced to the playoffs. Kassel Huskies and Heilbronner Falken were knocked out and their season ended.

The championship playoffs ran between 15 March 2019 to 28 April 2019. Eight teams competed in best of seven series'. The series winning teams advanced through from the quarter-finals to the final. In 2019, the top seed Löwen Frankfurt dominated their quarter and semi-finals to reach the final. However, they lost the final series 4-2 to third seed Ravensburg Towerstars. The Towerstars claimed their second division 2 championship and their first DEL2 championship trophy.

First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
1 Löwen Frankfurt 4
8 Heilbronner Falken 1 8 ETC Crimmitschau 1
9 Dresdner Eislöwen 2 1 Löwen Frankfurt 4
7 Dresdner Eislöwen 0
3 Ravensburg 4 (Pairings are re-seeded after the first and second round)
6 EC Bad Nauheim 0
1 Löwen Frankfurt 2
3 Ravensburg 4
2 Bietigheim Steelers 3
7 EC Kassel Huskies 1 7 Dresdner Eislöwen 4
10 ETC Crimmitschau 2 3 Ravensburg 4
4 ESV Kaufbeuren 1
4 ESV Kaufbeuren 4
5 Lausitzer Füchse 3

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

Relegation

The relegation play-offs:[8]

The relegation playoffs is contested between the four teams who finish bottom of the regular season standings. Run between 15 March 2019 and 16 April 2019, 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 2019 edition saw Deggendorfer SC relegated to Oberliga after losing their first round series 4-0 against Bayreuth Tigers before going to the wire but ultimately losing the seventh match against Wölfe Freiburg in the second round.

Semifinals Finals
      
11 Bayreuth Tigers 4
14 Deggendorfer SC 0
13 Wölfe Freiburg 4
14 Deggendorfer SC 3
12 Tölzer Löwen 4
13 Wölfe Freiburg 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. Diamond, James (2018-07-30). "Top German ice hockey leagues reach agreement to reintroduce promotion and relegation". Inside the Games. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  4. "DEL 2 Tabelle 2018/19". www.kicker.de. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  5. "Statistiken Top Scorer" (in German). www.del-2.org. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  6. "Statistiken Top Goalies" (in German). www.del-2.org. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  7. "2019 DEL2 play-offs". www.kicker.de. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  8. "2019 DEL2 play-downs". www.kicker.de. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
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