DEL meaning in Sports ?

The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (for sponsorship reasons called "PENNY Deutsche Eishockey Liga") (German pronunciation: [ˌdɔʏtʃə ˈʔaɪshɔkiː ˌliːɡaː]; English: German Ice Hockey League) or DEL, is a German professional ice hockey league. Founded in 1994, it was formed as a replacement for the Eishockey-Bundesliga and became the new top-tier league in Germany as a result. Unlike the old Bundesliga, the DEL is not under the administration of the German Ice Hockey Federation.

In the 2016–17 season, the league was the second-best supported in Europe, behind the Swiss National League A, with an average attendance of 6,198 spectators per game. Kölner Haie, Düsseldorfer EG and Eisbären Berlin all regularly attract over 15,000 fans for home games. In the DEL Winter Game, similar to the NHL Winter Classic, Cologne and Düsseldorf have played in front of crowds in excess of 40,000, notably in 2019 as Düsseldorf won in the RheinEnergieStadion.

The DEL is known for having a great game-day atmosphere with a few large modern arenas and other older, smaller venues. The German top flight is also known for producing NHL talents including Dominik Kahun from Red Bull München. Many of the German national team that took silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang played in the DEL, while Red Bull München became the first German team to reach the Champions Hockey League final in 2019, losing to Frölunda HC. Ice hockey is growing as a sport in Germany and is seen as a popular alternative to football or handball.

A new system of promotion and relegation with the DEL2 is set to begin with the 2021–22 season, in which the last-placed DEL club will be replaced by the DEL2 champions.