Eisbären Berlin

Eisbären Berlin (English: Berlin Polar Bears) are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members. The Eisbären have won the DEL championship more times than any other team. They captured titles in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013. They also won the German Cup in 2007 as well as the European Trophy in 2010. Before reunification the team won the East German ice hockey championship 15 times.

The club's origins go back to 1954, when an ice hockey section was founded within the existing SC Dynamo Berlin sports club of the East German Police, and the Ministry for State Security. Following incorporation into the West German 1. Bundesliga in 1990, the team was renamed into EHC Dynamo Berlin and again in 1992 into EHC Eisbären Berlin. Since 2008 home games are played at the O2 World.

The Eisbären are one of two DEL teams owned by the American-based Anschutz Entertainment Group, the other being the Hamburg Freezers. The official logo of the Eisbären team is the polar bear, a reference to the black bear appearing on Berlin's coat of arms.

1954–1994: GDR and 1. Bundesliga years
The sports club Dynamo Berlin (SC Dynamo Berlin) was part of the sports association SV Dynamo of the East German Police and Secret service. It offered a wide spectrum of competitive athletic activities, including track and field, swimming, gymnastics, fencing, rowing, boxing and ice skating. SC Dynamo Berlin created an ice hockey section in 1954 and the club won their East German first title in 1966. In 1971 the league was reduced to just two teams and SC Dynamo Berlin and SG Dynamo Weißwasser made up the smallest ice hockey league in the world. All together Berlin won the East German championship 15 times, the last title coming in 1988. In 1984, Dynamo Berlin competed at the European Cup of Champions and came in third place.

In 1990, the year of German reunification, both former East German ice hockey clubs, SC Dynamo Berlin and SG Dynamo Weißwasser, which had been renamed into PEV Weißwasser, were assigned to the 1. Bundesliga, at the time the highest level of play in German ice hockey. The club was renamed to EHC Dynamo Berlin in the same year. However, Berlin was unable to compete successfully and was consequently relegated to the lower 2. Bundesliga at the end of the season. The club was promoted back to the 1. Bundesliga following the 1991–92 season. In 1992 the club was renamed again, this time to "EHC Eisbären Berlin" and also introduced the polar bear logo. However, due to severe financial difficulties, the club had to rely heavily on its junior and other low-tier players and thus regularly finished at the bottom of the standings and struggled to avoid relegation to the 2. Bundeliga.

1994–present: DEL years
The German Eishockey Bundesliga was abolished following the 1993–94 season and a new league – Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) – was created. The Eisbären are one of the league's 18 founding members. Following the Bosman ruling of 1995, the club replaced almost the entire roster with veteran European players in 1996–97. The team finished the regular season in third place and reached the DEL play-offs for the first time. In 1997 the club was renamed into "EHC neue Eisbären Berlin gegr. 1997 e.V.". The following season, 1997–98, the Eisbären advanced to the final round of the DEL play-offs and finished the season as runner up. The team also participated in the Continental Cup in Tampere, Finland, and finished in second place. In 1998–99 Eisbären participated in the European Hockey League and finished in third place.

The Anschutz Entertainment Group acquired sole ownership of the Eisbären in 1999, ensuring financial stability. The team finished in second place at the 2000 IIHF Continental Cup. In 2002–03 and 2003–04 the team finished the DEL regular season in first place, but fell short of capturing the title. At hat time, the team had already become hugely popular, selling out 28 of 31 home games during the 2003–04 season In 2005–06 and 2006–07 the Eisbären were the German representative at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.

In 2004–05, a season by characterized by the [004–05 NHL lockout saw the Eisbären capture their first DEL championship. With the help of NHL veterans, such as Erik Cole, Nathan Dempsey and Olaf Kölzig, Berlin beat Mannheim in three games. The title was defended successfully in 2006 against the DEG Metro Stars. The third DEL championship was captured in 2008, when the Eisbären beat Kölner Haie in the final round of the play offs. In 2008 the Eisbären hosted the NHLs Tampa Bay Lightning in a pre-season game, which the Lightning won 4:1. The fourth DEL title followed in 2009, when the DEG Metro Stars were beaten 3:1 in a best-of-five final play-off round. In 2010 the team won the European Trophy, continuing its success on an international scale. A fifth DEL title was won in 2011, when the Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg were swept in the final round of the play-offs. The most recent title was won in 2012, after a full length best-of-five final against Adler Mannheim. With that title the Eisbären Berlin have won 6 DEL titles, making them the current DEL championship record holder.

Home Arena
Until the 2007–08 season the Eisbären played home games at the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen complex. The corrugated tin roof of the ice hockey facility gave rise to the stadium's popular name "Wellblechpalast" (English: corrugated tin palace). The standing/seating capacity of the stadium is 4695. Whilst the "Wellblechpalast" is still being used as a training facility, since the 2008 season the Eisbären are playing their home games in the newly built O2 World, a multi functional arena located at the Spree River with a seating-capacity of 14200.

Honors
Deutsche Eishockey Liga Championship (7): 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013

East German Ice Hockey Championship (15): 1966, 1967, 1968, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988

European Trophy (1): 2008

Deutscher Eishockey-Pokal (1): 2008

IIHF Continental Cup (2): 1998, 2000

SKODA AUTO European Hockey League (EHL) (1): 1999

Season-by-season record
Note: GP= Games, W = Win, L = Loss, T = Tie, OTL = Overtime Loss, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against

''Point System: Win = 2 points, T = 1 point, OTL = 1 point

Note: W = Win, SOW – Shoot-out Win; L = Losses, SOL' – Shoot-out Losses

''Point System: As of the 1998/99 season a new point scoring system was introduced: Win = 3 points; OT/SO Win = 2 points, OTL/SOL = 1point

Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, OTW = Overtime Wins, SOW = Shoot-out Wins, L = Losses, OTL – Overtime Losses, SOL = Shoot-out Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against

''Point System: Win = 3 points; OT/SO Win = 2 points, OTL/SOL = 1point