The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team, which plays in the Oberliga, Germany's third tier ice hockey league. They previously played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga from 1996 to 2013.
History Founded in 1975, as ESC Wedemark, the team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in their first DEL season in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. The next season, the Scorpions relocated to Hanover proper and began playing their home games at TUI Arena in 2000.
Despite playing in the region's top venue, as well as enjoying sizeable corporate and political support, the team has struggled to generate sustained interest in Hanover.
Before relocating there in 1997, the Scorpions played their home games in Mellendorf, a small town located 20 km north in Wedemark township. They were actually considered rivals of Hanover. Thus, many local fans resented their longtime foe taking over the Hanover market at the expense of the city's historic hockey team, the less-favored Indians, and refused to support the Scorpions.
With the club stricken by financial problems at the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, the Scorpions were forced to sell their DEL license to 2nd Bundesliga club the SERC Wild Wings on 14 June 2013. The Scorpions were then placed in the Oberliga, Germany's third-tier league.
Honors Champions DEL championship (1): 2010 Champion 1.League (1): 1996 Oberliga Nord Champion (1): 1994 Regionalliga Nord Champion (2): 1977, 1991
Players # Nat Player Pos 30 Björn Linda (G) 94 Lukas Müller (G) 31 Simon Peddinghaus (G) 11 Sean Fischer (D/F) 18 Goran Pantic (D) 58 Dennis Schütt (D) 91 Florian Spelleken (D) 15 Robin Thomson (D) 9 Jörn Welkamp (D) 96 Jannik Weist (D) 36 Reiko Berblinger (F/D) 52 Sachar Blank (LW) 11 Björn Bombis (W/C) 82 Michael Budd (F) 88 Noah Janisch (F) 33 Christoph Koziol (LW) 13 Sebastian Lehmann (F) 72 Robin Marek (F) 91 Chad Niddery (LW/C) 23 Thomas Pape (RW) 61 Robin Ringe (F) 21 Patrick Schmid (LW) 8 Delf Sinnecker (F)
Honored members
10 Joe West 20 Len Soccio 85 Arthur Jamaev
Season records Season Games WonLostTieOTLSOLPoints Goalsfor Goalsagainst Rank Playoffs1996–97481235 1 3 -2815023114 Saved in relegation1997–98442214 6 2 -521601427 Lost in quarterfinals1998–99521825 3 6 -6617519511 No playoffs1999–00562726 0 3 -781881959 Saved in relegation2000–01603222 0 6 -992031827 Lost in semifinals2001–02602528 0 7 -7818020110 No playoffs2002–03522324 5 0 -6914215010 No playoffs2003–04521532 0 5 -4812717513 Saved in relegation2004–05522128 0 3 -6013317512 No playoffs2005–06522817 - 0 7841581507 Lost in semifinals2006–07522617 - 4 5841621576 Lost in quarterfinals2007–08562717 - 3 9861711718 Lost in preliminary finals2008–09523314 - 3 21011731512 Lost in semifinals2009–10562814 - 4 10941691774 Champions2010–11522621 - 4 1811541605 Lost in quarterfinals2011–12521831 - 2 15111916114 No playoffs2012–13522425 - 2 17212414811 No playoffs
References
External links
Official Team Website