Inter-National League

The Inter-National League is a second-tier ice hockey league in Austria. It was created as a solution to semi-professional hockey in both Austria and neighboring Slovenia.

History
The Inter-National League was founded on July 14, 2012 with seven teams joining the inaugural season. In Austria seven out of 11 teams from last year’s second tier Austrian National League had left the league. Two teams, Dornbirner EC and HC TWK Innsbruck, were accepted into the Austrian Hockey League (also referred to as the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga due to sponsorship reasons.) The remaining teams either folded or chose to play in lower local leagues.

HK Acroni Jesenice was confirmed to become an inaugural member. However, due to financial problems the team informed the league that they would be folding effective August 31, 2012 (two weeks before the start of the season.)

Scheduling
The inaugural INL season will start on September 15, 2012, while the last game in the regular season takes place on March 2, 2013. The INL playoffs semi-finals and finals are all played in best-of-five format. The fifth game of the playoffs final - if necessary - would be on the April 2, 2013.

The scheduling for the INL was designed to keep the travel costs at a minimum. Each time will play thirty-six games total in a set of six rounds (three home games, three away against all six opponents.) The league will feature a "double weekend", where opponents are played on back-to-back games during the weekend.

Scoring
INL games will be scored with the "three-point rule": three points for the winner after regular time, two points if teams win at overtime or shootout, one for the loser after regular time.

Trades And Transfers
Transfers will be permitted during the season, but only if both teams reach an agreement.

Austria

 * EHC Bregenzerwald
 * VEU Feldkirch
 * EHC Lustenau
 * EK Zell am See

Slovenia

 * Slavija Ljubljana
 * Triglav Kranj