...and check out one of the most exciting sports around
Have you heard it? The drums beating, the sounds of the “animals”? No, it’s not feeding time at the zoo—it’s a typical crowd at the home games of the EHC Munich ice-hockey team, which has been playing at the city’s Olympic Ice Stadium since 2002. The shushing of skate blades, a puck being passed from stick to stick and the sounds of bodies crashing against boards accompany the drums and cheering at what is one of the most exciting sports around.
Hockey in Germany is divided into a number of leagues and divisions. The top division in the German League (Bundesliga) is the Deutsche Elite League (DEL). Within this are 15 teams from cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Mannheim, Hanover, Cologne, Augsburg and Nuremberg.
In the second nationwide division are a number of Bavarian teams, including Landshut, Regensburg and Munich. The third division is split into two groups—south and north. In the southern part are teams from Rosenheim, Peiting, Grafing and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, among others. There is then an amateur league, comprising of two divisions—the Landesliga (county league) and the Bezirksliga (district league). Despite the number of different divisions, good quality ice hockey can be found at all levels and the difference between players’ abilities tends to be only slightly detectable. Indeed, teams regularly move up or down.
During its short existence, the Munich team has already achieved a number of successes. In 1999, they were named champions of the district league, achieving runner-up status in the county league the following year. Munich then won the county league in 2003, and came runner-up in the third division last season. As a result, they have now been promoted to the second division.
This success has not been without thehelp of a group of non-German players—the majority of whom are from Canada and the United States—who have found a niche in the European game. Indeed, it is by no means unusual for clubs to call on help from overseas—each team is allowed a certain number of non-German players. The second division allows eight non-Germans on the roster (though only six are permitted to play in each game). Among those to have contributed to winning scorelines in Munich are T. J. Guidarelli, who came to Bavaria from Lakeville, Minnesota, and Dan Carlson, from Edina, Minnesota. So far this season, Guidarelli has scored 25 points in 28 games for Munich and Carlson has notched up 29 points in 29 games. “The European game is different to that back home,” says Guidarelli. “Here, players can really showcase their skills, whereas, in North America, hockey is all about speed and hitting. Also, the rink is bigger in Europe, which means players have to skate more on the open ice—it’s more of a technical game.”
Carlson, who found his way on to the Munich team via his agent and current head coach of EHC Munich, Gary Prior, agrees. “The game certainly flows a lot differently in Europe,” he says. But it’s obviously a difference he enjoys. And, despite having a business degree under his belt, Carlson says he’s not quite ready to quit the game for a “proper job.” “I do plan to return to the US after my hockey career, but not just yet,” he adds.
The variety of divisions along with the number of teams both in and outside Bavaria offers spectators a chance to watch players competing at every level of the game. But if you are more inclined to put on your own shin pads and skates, there are numerous opportunities for amateurs to play hockey. Many towns have recreation leagues and more than 36 teams are registered to compete in the annual Bayern Cup, a competition specifically for the Bavarian league. In addition, there are two other leagues in Munich—the Munich Hobby League and the Wild Hockey League (WHL)—that are always looking for players. For more information on getting involved, see the Website http://bayerncup.kuslkf.de.
