In the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) are after the pre-playoffs the regular ones playoffs at. What is it exactly? The answers to the most important questions.
When are the playoffs?
The quarterfinals start on March 14th and 15th, 2023, the finals start on April 17th.
Playoffs – Who is playing who?
Eight teams face off in the playoffs: the six best-placed teams from the season (main round) plus the two teams that have won the pre-playoffs have qualified. Fourth plays fifth, third plays sixth, second plays the higher-ranked pre-playoff winner, and first plays the lower-ranked pre-playoff winner.
The team that placed better in the main round has home advantage in the first game. Home law then changes with each game, so that in a possible seventh game the better-placed club has home law again.
From the quarterfinals, the winners in the “Best of seven“Mode determined: Whoever has four wins on their account first moves into the next round or becomes German champion.
| home team | away team | Start (Game 1) |
|---|---|---|
Straubing Tigers | Grizzlies Wolfsburg | March 14, 7 p.m |
Adler Mannheim | Cologne Sharks | March 14, 7:30 p.m |
ERC Ingolstadt | Düsseldorf ground floor | March 15, 7 p.m |
EHC Red Bull Munich | Penguins Bremerhaven | March 15, 7:30 p.m |
What are playoffs in hockey?
The German champion is determined in the DEL “Playoffs”. It is a knockout format consisting of pre-playoffs, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals. The playoffs follow the normal season (main round). The top six of the season-ending table have automatically qualified for the quarter-finals.
What are the pre-playoffs?
In the pre-playoffs, the four teams in the seventh to tenth places of the season compete and determine the last two playoff participants. The seventh competes against the tenth and the eighth against the ninth. Whoever has two wins first (“Best of three”), may play in the playoff quarterfinals. In 2023 the pairings were called: Bremerhaven – Nuremberg and Düsseldorf against Frankfurt. Bremerhaven and Düsseldorf both won 2-0.
No penalty shootout
If no winner is determined in the regular playing time of three times 20 minutes, every single game goes into overtime. This is a 20-minute extension. Whoever scores the first goal wins the game, because every goal leads to the “Sudden death” (sudden death). If no goal is scored, then – unlike in the main round – there is no penalty shoot-out, but it is extended again by 20 minutes. So many times until there is a winner.
Curious – playoffs at second division Krefeld possible
Should the Kölner Haie reach a sixth quarter-final, they will have to give way to Helene Fischer. Since the pop singer is going to give a concert in the Lanxess Arena on March 26, the Haie would dodge and play their home game against the Adler Mannheim in Krefeld. The game was played in the Yayla Arena by second division team Krefeld Pinguine.