The Ladies' Ice Hockey Bundesliga () or DEBL is a multi-national ice hockey league operated by the Austrian Ice Hockey Association (ÖEHV). It was founded in 1998 and originally served as the Austrian Championship league in women's ice hockey – the national championshup () has been contested in a separate tournament since the introduction of international teams to the DEBL in the 2008–09 season. Austria had 615 female players in 2013.
History Founded in 1998, the league uses a format of home and away matches. In the 2004–05 season, the best Austrian teams additionally also competed in the international Elite Women's Hockey League (EWHL). From the following season onward, the top teams only played in the EWHL, making the Bundesliga in a sense the second-level league of Austrian Women's ice hockey. As a result, the title of Austrian champion is decided in a separate tournament titled (National Championship), featuring the three teams that play in the EWHL and the top DEBL team. Exceptions were the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons where EWHL clubs were the only competing teams. Since 2008, following the example of the men's Austrian Hockey League, the DEBL has also featured teams from Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Turkey.
Format 2017–18 season The nine teams of the DEBL are assembled into one division. The teams play each other three times a year.
The top DEBL team qualifies for the where it meets the three Austrian teams from the EWHL. The tournament uses a home- and away-game format. The two top teams contest the final, using a best-of-three format. The better-placed team has the right to contest the first game in its home ground. The other two teams contest the third-place play-off, also using a best-of-three format.
Teams 2025–26 season Eleven teams participated in the 2025–26 DEBL season: five from Austria, four from Hungary, and one each from Croatia and Slovenia. Team Location Home venue Head coach Linz Linz AG Eisarena EAC Capitals Vienna Steffl Arena Klagenfurt Ferencvárosi TC Budapest FTC-Telekom Rink Graz Merkur Eisstadion HDK Maribor Maribor Ledna dvorana Tabor HK Budapest II Budapest Tüskesator HK Siscia Sisak Ledena dvorana Zibel MAC Marilyn Budapest Budapest Kisstadion Rampage Veszprém Veszprém Jégcsarnok Veszprém Villach Stadthalle
Past participants Austria EC Grazer Eishexen (Graz), 2001–2004 EC Kitzbühel (Kitzbühel), 2012–13 SpG Kitzbühel/Kufstein (Kitzbühel), 2015–2022 EHC Kundl Crocodiles (Kundl), 2002–2004 KSV Neuberg Highlanders (Neuberg an der Mürz), 2005–2013 & 2019–2021 DEHC Red Angels Innsbruck (Innsbruck), 1998–2010 EHV Sabres (Vienna), 1999–2005 EHV Sabres II (Vienna), 2006–07 & 2010–2016 EC The Ravens Salzburg (Salzburg), 2002–2005 EHC Wildcats St. Johann (St. Johann in Tirol), 1998–2002 WE-V Flyers II (Vienna), 2005–2008 SpG WE-V Flyers/KSV Neuberg Highlanders, 2016–2019 Croatia Grič Zagreb (Zagreb), 2012–2019 Hungary Angels Dunaújváros (Dunaújváros), 2023–24 Hokiklub Budapest II (Budapest), 2015–2023 KMH Budapest II, 2015–2022 KSI SE Budapest (Budapest), 2021–2023 Óbudai Hockey Academy (Budapest), 2017–18 Slovenia HDK Maribor (Maribor), 2011–2015 HK Celje (Celje), 2009–2011 HK Triglav (Kranj), 2008–2014 Slovenia Select (Ljubljana), 2022–23 SpG Triglav/Olimpija, 2015–16 Turkey Turkey women's national team, 2011–12
Championship record DEBL Champions by season + Season Champion Runner-up Third Place 1998-99 Gipsy Girls Villach Vienna Flyers DEHC Red Angels Innsbruck 1999-2000 Gipsy Girls Villach EHV Sabres Vienna not contested 2000-01 Vienna Flyers EHV Sabres Vienna not contested 2001-02 EHV Sabres Vienna Vienna Flyers not contested 2002-03 EHV Sabres Vienna EC The Ravens Salzburg DEC Dragons Klagenfurt 2003-04 EHV Sabres Vienna EC The Ravens Salzburg DEC Dragons Klagenfurt 2004-05 EHV Sabres Vienna EC The Ravens Salzburg DEC Dragons Klagenfurt 2005-06 DEHC Red Angels Innsbruck Gipsy Girls Villach 1. DEC Devils Graz 2006-07 Gipsy Girls Villach DEHC Red Angels Innsbruck 1. DEC Devils Graz 2007-08 DEC Dragons Klagenfurt SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg Gipsy Girls Villach 2008-09 HK Triglav Kranj DEC Dragons Klagenfurt Neuberg Highlanders 2009-10 SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg HK Celje HK Triglav Kranj 2010-11 Neuberg Highlanders HK Triglav Kranj EHV Sabres Vienna II 2011-12 Neuberg Highlanders EHV Sabres Vienna II HDK Maribor 2012-13 Neuberg Highlanders HDK Maribor Grič Zagreb 2013-14 KHL Grič Zagreb Gipsy Girls Villach HK Triglav Kranj 2014-15 EHV Sabres Vienna II KHL Grič Zagreb HDK Maribor 2015-16 SpG HK Triglav/HK Olimpija KMH Budapest II SpG Kitzbühel/Kufstein 2016-17 KMH Budapest II SpG Vienna/Neuberg SpG Kitzbühel/Kufstein 2017-18 Óbudai Hockey Academy KMH Budapest II SpG Kitzbühel/Kufstein 2018-19 Ferencvárosi TC KMH Budapest II SpG Kitzbühel/Kufstein 2019-20 Neuberg Highlanders KMH Budapest IInot contested 2020-21 KMH Budapest II Neuberg Highlanders 1. DEC Devils Graz2021-22 MAC Marilyn Budapest Hokiklub Budapest II Villach Lady Hawks2022-23 Villach Lady Hawks 1. DEC Devils Graz Ferencvárosi TC2023-24 EAC Women Capitals Villach Lady Hawks Graz99ers Huskies II2024-25 Villach Lady Hawks EC-KAC EAC Women Capitals2025-26 IceCats Linz Villach Lady Hawks
DEBL2 In 2004, due to the increasing number of teams, a second division called DEBL2 (also DEBL II) was created. There was no match play in this league in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons.
The team that finishes at the bottom of the DEBL league table at the end of the season meets the top team of the DEBL II over a best-of-three series. The winner of that contest then plays in the DEBL during the next season, while the loser is relegated to the second DEBL. "DEBL II – Austragungsmodus" (description of 2nd league format), ÖEHV Women"s Ice Hockey website
Teams 2025–26 season Six teams participated in the 2025–26 DEBL2 season. All of the teams were based in Austria and three of the teams were the farm teams of DEBL clubs. (Linz) (Graz) Red Angels Innsbruck (Innsbruck) SC Samina Hohenems 1974 (Hohenems) SPG Kitzbühel/Kufstein (Kufstein) (Villach)
Championship history + Regular season champions Season Champion 2004-05 Kundl Crocodiles 2005-06 EHV Sabres II 2006-07 Ravens Salzburg II 2007-09 not contested 2009-10 FTC Eagles Budapest 2010-11 EC "Die Adler" Kitzbühel 2011-12 Neuberg Highlanders II 2012-13 DEC Devils Graz 2013-14 SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg 2014-15 SPG Kitzbühel/Salzburg 2015-16 HDK Maribor 2016-17 Red Angels Innsbruck
See also Austria women's national ice hockey team European Women's Hockey League (EWHL) DEC Salzburg Eagles
References This article incorporates information from the existing French Wikipedia article at :fr:Championnat d'Autriche féminin de hockey sur glace and the existing German Wikipedia article at :de:Dameneishockey-Bundesliga.
External links
Women's ice hockey page on ÖEHV website Austria women's ice hockey on www.eishockey.org EWHL website Austria women's ice hockey pages in hockey365