Game plan change for the Grizzlys Wolfsburg: After the DEL announced that the main round of the ice hockey upper house would be extended by a week, the Wolfsburg team now have certainty about the end of the season.
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The Grizzlies will now play the unusual games against the Krefeld Pinguine and the Augsburg Panthers on March 25th and 27th respectively. Originally, the Lower Saxony were supposed to play their last two main round games at the Adler Mannheim and against the Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven on these days. However, these were postponed to April 1st and 3rd.
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„The additional week gives us time so that we can catch up on all the canceled games if possible“, DEL Managing Director Gernot Tripcke explained the decision, which was made jointly by all 15 first division clubs. The first playoff round is scheduled to start on April 5th. The quarter-finals will then follow from April 10th, before the first semi-final is scheduled to kick off on April 20th. The start of the final series is scheduled for April 30th.
Just one relegation this season
The DEL also announced on Friday that there will only be one relegated team from the top ice hockey league this season instead of the two planned. This agreement is “under the ongoing sporting and economic influence“ of the corona pandemic, as stated in a press release. Those responsible for the DEL and DEL2 had agreed on this.
The sporting qualification of the second division champions remain unaffected. The new season could run again with 15 teams if everyone gets the license. In 2022/23 there will be two relegated and one promoted. If there is no promoted team, only one team will be relegated. 2023/24 should then be played with 14 teams.
“I am convinced that we have found a good solution for everyone involved through this agreement,” said Jürgen Arnold, Chairman of the DEL Supervisory Board. Peter Merten, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of DEL2, added: “Together we have found a good solution, especially for sports, under the corona-related influences.” A way was found to support the DEL without suspending promotion and relegation again. In return, the DEL was also accommodating in the “redesign of the future split guarantee provision of possible climbers from the DEL2”.
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