Ice Hockey: Steelers start Mission 20/21 – Sportmix

By Jürgen Kemmner 27. July 2018 – 14:29

After years of fierce fighting, LED and LED2 are once again leading and relegating to the 2020/2021 season – and the Bietigheimer Steelers are keen to step up.

Stuttgart – Sometimes you hear a message and have to pinch yourself in the arm – because you think it's a sweet and irrational dream. The news: The German Ice Hockey League (DEL) and the second league called DEL2 present again for the 2020/2021 season the ascent and descent – so many fans of the Bietigheim Steelers should have had huge eyes In conjunction with an incredulous look, many ice hockey fans around Ellental hardly expected this. Should it really be possible for the Steelers to switch to LED?

"Yes," said Volker Schoch, general manager of the second division – and he can do so with complete conviction. The 53-year-old worked on the agreement between DEL and DEL2, it was sometimes tough negotiations, which drew like sticky fingers on the gum. Finally, a week ago, discussions developed in this direction. "The leagues are getting closer," Schoch finally said. "The story is not yet waterproof, the necessary signatures of the shareholders of both leagues are still missing – but this operation will probably only represent a formality. "The winner is ice hockey, as in all other sports, promotion and relegation will bring us additional excitement," said Peter Merten, chairman of DEL2's board of directors. "We are hoping for an important boost for our sport," adds LED President Jürgen Arnold. In other words, the LED taillight must go down, the champion DEL2 mounts

The Steelers were four times vice champion

For Volker Schoch, this agreement fulfills a goal that it has reached since his entry into office five years ago worked in the Ellental. As a pastor gives the blessing at the end of the Mbad, Schoch repeatedly stressed the importance of this interweaving. That it is harmful for the club, if the elevator is out of service because the fans and sponsors can not offer anything new. Four-time second division champion of Bietigheimer (2009, 2013, 2015 and 2018), four times, they have been delighted with the bittersweet feeling of having won a worthless sports title. "Finally, we have new perspectives – and I can show a vision to our fans and partners," says the honorary CEO of the Steelers, who runs an electrical engineering company.

For the Steelers, July 27 marks the start of Mission 20/21, which is aimed solely at becoming second division champions this season, to receive the DEL license and in the season 2021/2022 finally to be a member of the German Eliteliga Ice Hockey. The necessary infrastructure with the Ege-Trans-Arena (capacity: 4517 seats) and the office is available in Bietigheim, but the economic and sporting conditions must be created. Under a seasonal budget of four million euros, Schoch does not want to send the Steelers to the LED.

Four million euros in budget are the minimum for LED

The club has reduced its debt from 1.3 million euros to about 680,000 euros, Schoch's goal is "to go without financial legacy in the LED race, In two years we want to have a white jacket". This means that the Steelers are in close collaboration with potential sponsors – Schoch is confident that some doors will open. "He's missing a top ice hockey division in our economically strong region," he says, noting that the Steelers need to position themselves in the brightest spotlight until the first season of promotion. Both are very attractive for players to form a powerful team, as well as financially strong partners who provide the necessary budget.

Because the competition for the LED spot is also in the starting blocks, the Kbadel Huskies, the Löwen Frankfurt and the Dresdner Eislöwen want to ride in the elevator up to the top floor. "It does not become a self-runner, we are aware of it," says Schoch. The CEO feels overwhelming motivation to make the Steelers equal in all respects – he's been working on the Ascension solution for five years. Now, his vision of the Steelers in the LED should be fulfilled. Best already in 2021.