Release from 25.04.2017

Ljubljana leaves Erste Bank Eishockey Liga

Short text 241 CharactersPlain text

The tenth Erste Bank Eishockey Liga season has been HDD Olimpija Ljubljana's last one for the moment. The Slovenes took the league's offer for a dormant membership which means that twelve teams will participate in the 2017-18 campaign again.

Press release 1614 CharactersPlain text

HDD Olimpija Ljubljana sprang a surprise in their debut season 2007-08 with reaching the final of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. After making it to the semifinals in the 2011-12 campaign, the dragons missed the postseason for five successive years. Precisely because it also did not run as planned off the ice, Ljubljana could hardly follow the league's organizing and sporting developments and ongoing professionalization in the past years. Now the club wants to consolidate and took the league's offer for a dormant membership for that reason. It leaves the Slovenes open the possibilty for a comeback - after compliance with the league's financial requirements at a later date - and additionally they received a guaranteed playing right in Sky Alps Hockey League. This has been a coordinated approach with the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia.
 
"Olimpija has been an important part in Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for many years and hopefully they will be again in the future. Because of that the league has made a fair offer and the club accepted it. We want to continue our cooperation with the club and also with the Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia on a long-term basis - as we have always done since our league was established," states Dr. Peter Mennel, president of Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. After the return of Medvescak Zagreb, twelve teams will participate in the 2017-18 campaign again. Preparations for the upcoming season are in full swing with the schedule being announced after the 2017 IIF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A in Kiev/Ukraine.