Eisbären Berlin

Eisbären Berlin

Eisbären Berlin (English: Berlin Polar Bears) are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members. The Eisbären have won the DEL championship more times than any other team. They captured titles in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012. They also won the German ice hockey cup in 2007 as well as the European Trophy in 2010. Before reunification the team won the East German ice hockey championship 15 times.

The club's origins go back to 1954, when an ice hockey section was founded within the existing SC Dynamo Berlin sports club of the East German Police, and the Ministry for State Security. Following incorporation into the West German 1. Bundesliga in 1990, the team was renamed into EHC Dynamo Berlin and again in 1992 into EHC Eisbären Berlin. Since 2008 home games are played at the O2 World, having played the previous five decades at the famous "Wellblechpalast" stadium.

The Eisbären are one of two DEL teams owned by the American-based Anschutz Entertainment Group, the other being the Hamburg Freezers. The official logo of the Eisbären team is the polar bear, a reference to the black bear appearing on Berlin's coat of arms.