Release from 09.06.2021

100 days until season start

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In exactly 100 days, the 2021/22 season of the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League kicks off. Starting on September 17th, 14 teams from six countries will battle for the title in a new championship mode for the first time - and then again in front of spectators.

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The new season in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League is approaching and, as things stand today, so the comeback of the fans in the ICE arenas. According to current information, the rinks in Austria are expected to be almost fully packed for the planned start of the league in mid-September, with a negative test, vaccination certificate or certificate of COVID recovery.

The other teams expect to welcome spectators in their rinks too: The Czech Republic currently imposes the same guidelines as Austria, requires the wearing of mouth-nose protection and restricts capacity, while in Hungary currently only vaccinated persons have access to sporting events (persons under 18 do not have to be vaccinated). In Slovakia, a capacity of up to 25% is possible by special permit, and in South Tyrol a maximum of 500 people is currently allowed to enter sport events - but by September it is hoped that the maximum number will be increased. Slovenia currently has a capacity limit of 50% of the seats.

Christian Feichtinger, Managing Director of bet-at-home ICE Hockey League: "I hope that we will celebrate the start of the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League season with spectators in the areans. The signals for this are currently very encouraging from all member countries. Hockey is a very spectacular sport - with fans it's a spectacle."

More ICE hockey than ever before
With the increase of participants in the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League to 14 teams, more ice hockey is guaranteed than ever before: the new mode - with 52 games per team - brings 364 games in the regular season and at least 32 more duels in the newly created pre-playoffs and the playoffs. A maximum of 419 matches will be possible. This means that in the coming season there will be almost 35% more games than in the previous one.

Earlier in the week, a change in the treatment of dual citizenship in the allocation of point values based on the IIHF 480-day rule was also established by circular resolution. The decision was made by a large majority.