Niederländisch-Deutsche Liga ab 2004
Dutch media reports that after years of discussing an agreement has finally been reached. As of 2004-2005 the 5 Dutch Super Liga teams will participate in a cross-border league with 5 or 6 German Oberliga teams. The format for the competition is to be released in September.
The past few years there have been on going talks of such a league being established, especially due to the top Dutch league being diminished to only 5 teams, however an agreement that suited both parties could never be reached.
Last season, Heerenveen Flyers chairman Gerd Lindemann was opening up new talks that seem to be fruitful this time.
Where at first a cooperation with the German lower league NordRhein Westfalen (NRW) was opted for, they now agreed a pack of 6 teams from the German Oberliga. They board members of the NRW-liga were afraid that the quality gap between the German and Dutch teams would be too big, also the time to erect such a league this season would be too short.
"It surprises me it's a fix already, but I am very happy with it, especially since the Overliga level better suits the level of the Dutch teams", says Lindemann.
The Oberliga is Germany's 3rd level after the DEL and the 2.Bundesliga.
Lindemann continues: "The travelling distances will increase to what was initially planned and that will have financial consequences. But on the other hand will the new league be more attracting to sponsors. It is surely an improvement of the current level, better ice hockey with more attracting and interesting games for both players and fans." The new league could be interesting for Oberliga-Nord teams when that league would be re-installed as of 2004-2005.
Dutch federation (NIJB) director Henk Hille insists the new league should be considered important. "It's meaningless to have a bunch of friendly exhibition games. We are thinking of a NHL-like system in which Dutch teams would meet each other more then they'd meet their German counterparts but where all results would count for the final standings. After the season it'd be an option to have the Dutch teams face each other only to decide the national championship."
Despite all these confirming reports from the Dutch representatives there's still a smoke screen around this to be formed cross border league.
First of all Dutch giants Nijmegen Tigers
(8-times national champions) are financially struggling and they are near a bankruptcy which would mean the Dutch league will only have 4 teams to play with as of the upcoming season.
Yesterday there was a flock of good news to report from the Nijmegen-camp as the arbiter of the lawcourt gave the organisation suspension of payment. This will give the team some more time to arrange deals with creditors and look into possible new sponsors.
Whereas the federation keeps having good hopes Nijmegen will be able to deal with its finanical problems and will participate to next season's championship, other team managers aren't too sure. Geleen chairman Van Sloun thinks there's a 90% chance of Nijmegen not participating in the upcoming season. In that case, he says, the Dutch league will focus on a participation with Belgian teams HYC Herentals, Olympia Heist op den Berg, Chiefs Leuven and Phantoms Leuven.
NIJB-chairman Jan de Greef however denies by saying such a cooperation is "totally out of question".
Asked about the new cross border league, Oberliga league director, Helmut Bauer was quite clear. In German magazine Eishockey News he said that "there is hardly any chance the new league can fit into the Oberliga season in 2004-2005."
EV Duisburg sports director Franz Fritzmeier was surprised as well to read about the new league being a fix yet. Fritzmeier: "We have not heard a single thing yet about such a league!"
The new league will see the following teams participate as it stands now
Netherlands
Amsterdam Bulldogs
Eaters Geleen
Heerenveen Flyers
Nijmegen Tigers
Tilburg Trappers
Germany
REV Bremerhaven
KEV Hannover Indians
Moskitos Essen
EHC Dortmund
Ratinger Ice Aliens
Mittelrhein Bären
ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung, wie ich meine....
Zitieren