Blue Devils Weiden
| Blue Devils Weiden | |
|---|---|
| City | Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Germany |
| League | DEL2 |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Home arena | Hans-Schröpf-Arena |
| Colors | Navy, red, blue, white |
| Franchise history | |
| 1985–2000 | EV Weiden |
| 2000–present | Blue Devils Weiden |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Oberliga Championships | 2024 |
Blue Devils Weiden is a professional ice hockey team based in Weiden, Bavaria, Germany. The team currently plays in the DEL2, the second-highest level of ice hockey in Germany. The Blue Devils play their home games at the Hans-Schröpf-Arena.[1]
History
Founded in 1985 as 'EV Weiden', the club began play at the lowest level of German professional hockey, the Bavarian ice hockey leagues (Bayernliga). Little information is available for the team's early years, however, by the early-1990s, the club had made its way into the Oberliga, the third-level in Germany. The club continued its ascent with solid play for a few years before jumping up to the 2nd Bundesliga (2nd-tier) in 1994. Unfortunately, Weiden was not able to continue its winning ways in the second league and had been relegated back to the Oberliga by the end of the 90s.
In 2000 the club was sold, renamed as the Blue Devils, and started their second life in the Regionalliga (fourth-league). Within 3 years they earned a promotion back to the Bundesliga but their second stint there didn't last long. The Blue Devils were relegated in 2005 and then spent three more years in the Oberliga before being sold once more. Weiden returned to the Bayernliga in 2008 but was able to climb their way back to the Oberliga by 2012. While the club was supposed to have been relegated in 2014, they managed to remain in the third league due to the withdrawal of ERV Schweinfurt.[2] After saving themselves from relegation the following year, Weiden was able stabilize as a middling playoff team.
After coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weiden saw a drastic change in its fortune. In 2022, the club set a new franchise record with 29 wins. While they flamed out in the postseason, the Blue Devils won 39 games the following year and ended as the league runners-up. 2024 saw the team win 43 of their 48 scheduled games and cap off the year with a league championship. The title sent Weiden back to the second league (since renamed DEL2) for the first time in almost 20 years.
Season-by-season results
Since 2012
| Season | GP | W | OTW | OTL | L | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oberliga | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–13 | 40 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 50 | 117 | 151 | t-8th of 11, Oberliga South | Won South Qualification series, 4–2 (EC Peiting) Lost Quarterfinal series, 0–3 (Kassel Huskies) | ||||
| 2013–14 | 44 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 26 | 26 | 129 | 198 | 11th of 12, Oberliga South | Lost Relegation Semifinal series, 1–3 (Deggendorf Fire) Lost Relegation Final series, 1–3 (Eisbären Regensburg) | ||||
| 2014–15 | 44 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 31 | 109 | 201 | 12th of 12, Oberliga South | Lost Relegation Semifinal series, 1–3 (ERC Sonthofen Bulls) Won Relegation Final series, 3–0 (EV Füssen) | ||||
| 2015–16 | 40 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 48 | 130 | 160 | 8th of 11, Oberliga South | Won South Qualification Semifinal series, 2–1 (ERC Sonthofen Bulls) Lost South Qualification Final series, 1–3 (Eisbären Regensburg) | ||||
| 2016–17 | 46 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 59 | 169 | 182 | 7th of 12, Oberliga South | Lost South Qualification series, 1–3 (Selber Wölfe) | ||||
| 2017–18 | 46 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 57 | 169 | 201 | 8th of 12, Oberliga South | Lost Eighthfinal series, 0–3 (Tilburg Trappers) | ||||
| 2018–19 | 50 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 62 | 165 | 196 | 7th of 12, Oberliga South | Lost Eighthfinal series, 0–3 (Hannover Scorpions) | ||||
| 2019–20 | 32 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 41 | 105 | 132 | 10th of 12, Oberliga South | postseason cancelled | ||||
| 2020–21 | 34 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 43 | 122 | 128 | 10th of 13, Oberliga South | Lost Qualifier, 0–5 (EC Peiting) | ||||
| 2021–22 | 41 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 100 | 193 | 96 | 1st of 12, Oberliga South | Lost Eighthfinal series, 2–3 (Black Dragons Erfurt) | ||||
| 2022–23 | 48 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 127 | 253 | 88 | 1st of 13, Oberliga South | Won Eighthfinal series, 3–0 (Füchse Duisburg) Won Quarterfinal series, 3–0 (Hannover Scorpions) Won Semifinal series, 3–1 (Saale Bulls Halle) Lost Championship series, 1–3 (Starbulls Rosenheim) | ||||
| 2023–24 | 48 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 132 | 291 | 114 | 1st of 13, Oberliga South | Won Eighthfinal series, 3–0 (Herner EV 2007) Won Quarterfinal series, 4–0 (EC Peiting) Won Semifinal series, 4–1 (Tilburg Trappers) Won Championship series, 4–2 (Hannover Scorpions) | ||||
| DEL2 | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–25 | 52 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 77 | 158 | 166 | 7th of 14, DEL2 | Won Eighthfinal series, 2–1 (EC Bad Nauheim) Lost Quarterfinal series, 2–4 (Krefeld Pinguine) | ||||
References
- ^ "Hans-Schröpf-Arena". Hans-Schröpf-Arena (in German). Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ "Hurra, die Mighty Dogs haben mit Zdenek Vanc endlich ihren Wunschtrainer bekommen" [Hooray, the Mighty Dogs finally got their dream trainer with Zdenek Vanc] (in German). SW1.News. 22 December 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.