The Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB) has completed the game plans for the coming 2020/21 season in the upper leagues of the North and South seasons. In consultation with the clubs, different game modes were agreed in the two leagues. While the Oberliga Nord a double round with a subsequent pre-play-off game and the play-offs, it will be in the Oberliga Süd First give a single round. This is followed by the championship and interlocking rounds and then the play-offs begin. The season is planned until May with the cross-season Oberliga final series as the highlight.
In the event of game cancellations due to corona, the intention is to make up for these as quickly as possible. With the holiday in Bayern There is at least one officially scheduled alternative date on January 6, 2021, otherwise weekdays remain. The entire season will require an extreme degree of flexibility and demand from everyone involved - from the clubs to the DEB up to the audience. The premise will be to be able to carry out the planned games up to the play-offs. However, developments in the Covid-19 pandemic will most likely make it necessary to continually respond to current situations.
In the Oberliga Nord 52 match days are initially planned until April 5, 2021 Oberliga Süd will initially have 26 match days until January 17, 2021, followed by the championship round or an interlocking round with the Bayernleague from January 22, 2021. The play-offs begin on March 19, 2021 Oberliga Süd with the first round in best-of-seven mode. The Oberliga Nord will follow suit from April 9, 2021, but will play the play-offs in “best-of-three” mode.
As a result, the league champions of the relays will first be played until April 27, 2021 at the latest. The potential newcomer to the DEL2 will be searched for from April 30, 2021. Whether this happens in a best-of-three or best-of-five final series will be decided depending on ice availability, as this series could last until May 9, 2021 at the most. It will be in the Oberliga Nord There will be no relegation, the winner of a relegation round between the best in the Regionalliga West, North and East can be promoted. The qualification for the Oberliga Süd The best four teams in the interlocking round receive the Bayernleague, which will be played in a “best-of-five” play-off round.
DEB-Vice President Marc Hindelang: “The season is now a bit more tangible again, which certainly increases people’s anticipation Fans. But even when we were drawing up the game plan, it was clear that we were facing a very complicated season. I maintain that due to external influences - start date, changing hall availability, long unclear and even odd number of participants - it has never been more difficult to create a reasonably balanced plan. The goals were also to arrange more attractive games towards the end of the year in the hope of larger spectator capacities and avoiding long away trips on weekdays. All of this is like squaring the circle, so I would also like to compliment him DEB-Game operations with league director Markus Schubert, who did this in coordination with the league spokespersons Erik Haselbacher and Peter Gast.”
The general dates at a glance:
Oberliga Nord: November 06.11.2020th, 07.04.2021 (start of season), April 09.04.2021th, 23.04.2021 (pre-play-offs), April XNUMXth, XNUMX (start of play-offs), April XNUMXrd, XNUMX (start of final).
Oberliga Süd: November 06.11.2020th, 22.01.2021 (start of season), January 19.03.2021nd, 16.04.2021 (start of championship/interlocking round), March XNUMXth, XNUMX (start of play-offs), April XNUMXth, XNUMX (start of final)
Oberliga final series: Start 30.04.2021
Withhttps://www.deb-online.de/service/downloads/ are Schedules the upper leagues north and south as well as the general calendar of events are available.