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The Eisbären Berlin: exciting hockey, loyal fans, electrifying atmosphere, successful present, long standing tradition and talent development for the future just a short way to describe the four time DEL-Champion.
But the Eisbären (engl. Polar Bears) are more than just a successful Hockey Team: Traditionally the Eisbären can count on a strong support by their Fanbase and Sponsors. The relationship is one of passion and emotion. Being an Eisbär is a way of life or as they saying goes: "Once an Eisbär always an Eisbär".
The teams history is also one of the most exciting and interesting stories of German sports as the roots of the Eisbären reach back to the 15-time East German Champion Dynamo Berlin. Since the wall came down the Eisbären have been one of the few sports teams of the fomer East that managed to establish themselves in the highest Division of their respective sport. After struggling for the first few season the Eisbären found their way back to their winning ways of the Dynamo tradition in late nineties.
With the start of the new millennium the Eisbären have constantly improved and established themselves as one of Germanys premier Hockey Clubs known for its fast and offensive style of hockey. Four Championships in the last five years climaxed an ascend of a talent loaded and skilful squad that also reached the final in 2004 and finished first during the regular season in four out of the last seven years along the way.
The Eisbären also run one of the most successful junior programs in the country. No other club has developed more National Team players on junior as well as the senior level in recent years. Through the constant influx of talent Berlin won two championships with the youngest roster of all DEL-teams.
The Eisbären can now say that their prospects of yesterday are the stars of today after they moved into the o2 World - a state of the art multifunctional arena - opened by an 11:0 win of Berlin's team on September 14 2008.
Almost 500,000 people came to see the arena and the Eisbären competing in the DEL, the Champions Hockey League (CHL) and an official NHL pre-season game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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In July 2009 nhl.com, the NHL's official website wrote:
"..." The German DEL is a league that relies heavily on former NHL, minor-league and veteran European players. In a typical season, 80-95 players with NHL experience play in the DEL. The most successful German teams are the ones with an NHL-like mentality. They establish a core of veteran players who have played in the NHL or AHL and have a competitive mentality, then blend in younger, homegrown talent.
No team does it better than Eisbären Berlin (Berlin Polar Bears). Winners of two straight DEL championships and four titles in the last five years, the Polar Bears have become the league's model franchise for success and stability. "..."
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=457817
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