The Bayernliga season can come

Created: 07/15/2022, 1:00 p.m

By: Roland Halmel

Small difference of opinion: As in the previous season, tough matches can be expected again this year, especially when the Dorfen Ice Pirates (white-blue) and the Erding Gladiators meet.

© Christian Riedel

It may be midsummer, but preparations for the new ice hockey season are already underway.

District – The league conference of the Bavarian ice hockey leagues, to which the Bavarian Ice Sports Association (BEV) had invited, was held online.

The framework schedule for the coming 2022/23 season was set and the mode discussed.

There will be no round of gearing with the Oberliga this year either.

The 15 clubs – including ESC Dorfen and the Erding Gladiators – start the new season on Sunday, October 2nd.

The season opening game, which has now become a beautiful and popular tradition, takes place the day before.

Last year, TSV Erding was the host, the Gladiators met the Kempten Sharks at the start.

This year the first game of the season will be played at ESV Buchloe.

The Pirates' opponent is not known until the game plan is published.

This is expected to be the case in early August.

What is clear, however, is what the mode looks like.

It will not change significantly compared to the previous year.

In the preliminary round, the Bavarian league contest a single round with 28 games on 30 match days.

Last day of play is on January 27, 2023.

A week later, on February 3rd, the promotion and relegation round begins.

The top eight will then play out the playoff participants in two groups.

In Group A, the teams placed 1st, 4th, 6th and 8th are represented, in Group B the teams placed 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th.

From March 3rd, the playoff quarter-finals will follow: first in group against fourth in group, and second against third in best-of-three format.

The semi-finals and finals will then be played in best-of-five mode.

The better-placed club after the promotion round or preliminary round has home rights.

The winner of the final series is Bavarian champion, but not automatically promoted to the Oberliga.

The promotion place is only determined in a duel against the winner of the Regionalliga West.

"Probably in a return match," said BEV chairman Frank Butz to the representatives of the Bavarian league.

In the relegation round, the teams end up from 9th place. They complete a single round with twelve games on 14 match days.

The two teams in the bottom two places of this relegation round are relegated to the Landesliga.

Separate playdowns will not be played.

"Overall, the league conference went off very harmoniously," reported Butz after the digital meeting with the clubs.

He's already looking forward to the new season.