Neuss (dpa) - The German Ice Hockey League is about to make a decision about how to proceed as a result of the corona virus. There is still no "final" decision, said a spokesman for the league: "We assess the situation today together with the clubs."
As a possible scenario, it cannot be ruled out that the season for the German ice hockey championship will be terminated prematurely and that main round winner EHC Red Bull Munich will be declared champion. "If we are not allowed to play, we cannot play," said managing director Gernot Tripcke in the "Ice Hockey News": "We will choose a champion." The DEL would "comply with all orders from the authorities". Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) had recommended that events with a size of 1,000 or more be canceled until further notice.
The first round of playoffs should begin on Wednesday in which the two remaining quarter-finalists will be determined. The ERC Ingolstadt meets the Augsburg Panthers. In the second duel in the best-of-three series, the Nürnberg Ice Tigers play against the Grizzlys Wolfsburg. "It cannot be ruled out that the season will end prematurely on Tuesday afternoon and that Munich will then be the first round German new champion," said Nuremberg managing director Wolfgang Gastner of the "Bild" newspaper.
DEL game plan