Orli Znojmo begin 1st season in EBEL

The Erste Bank Eishockey Liga began its 2011-12 season on Friday night with 10 teams from four countries in action. On Sunday, the league's 11th team from its fifth country makes its debut.

Orli Znojmo (white) in pre-season action against an EBEL foe, the
Vienna Capitals. Photo: Rostislav Pfeffer, reklamafoto.cz.

Orli Znojmo makes its EBEL debut in Zagreb against Medveščak, which is the start of a new era for the South Moravian club. A former member of the Czech Extraliga, Orli was relegated in 2009 and has spent the past two seasons in the First National League, which is the second tier of hockey in the Czech Republic. Sunday marks a return to top-level hockey in Europe, and everybody around the club is excited about it.

"The competition will be very good," said head coach Karel Soudek. "In the pre-season some teams from the EBEL defeated teams from the Czech Extraliga, so it is clear to us that we are in for a challenging year."

Even the team they start against, Zagreb, who is not considered one of the league's strongest, can still boast a roster with former NHLer Andy Delmore on it. They are also one of the top home draws in all of Europe,  averaging over 10,000 fans per game last season. "We certainly welcome stormy atmosphere," said Soudek. "It will be a tough game, as it will with every opponent."

The 11 EBEL teams play a 40-game schedule; four games against all other teams. The league includes six teams based in Austria, two in Slovenia, and one each in Croatia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. After opening the season in the Croatian capital, Orli plays its home opener at Hostan Arena on Friday night against the Linz Black Wings.

The regular season concludes on January 20, after which the league splits into two tiers: the top six teams in one group and the bottom five in another. After a home-and-away round-robin within those groups, the top four teams from the top group and the top two teams from the bottom group advance to the playoffs. The top two teams advance to the semifinals, while the other four teams play short quarterfinal series.

From the club's website, hcorli.cz, here is the team's 2011-12 schedule:

	Date	Home	Visitor	CET
1.	Sun 11.9.	Zagreb	Znojmo	17:30
2.	Fri 16.9.	Znojmo	Linz	19:15
3.	Sun 18.9.	Znojmo	Vienna	17:30
4.	Fri 23.9.	Ljubljana	Znojmo	19:15
5.	Sun 25.9.	Graz	Znojmo	17:30
6.	Fri 30.9.	Znojmo	Fehérvár	19:15
7.	Sun 2.10.	Klagenfurt	Znojmo	17:30
8.	Fri 7.10.	Jesenice	Znojmo	19:15
9.	Sun 9.10.	Znojmo	Salzburg	17:30
10.	Fri 14.10.	Znojmo	Zagreb	19:15
11.	Fri 21.10.	Linz	Znojmo	19:15
12.	Sun 23.10.	Znojmo	Villach	17:30
13.	Tue 25.10.	Vienna	Znojmo	19:15
14.	Fri 28.10.	Znojmo	Ljubljana	17:30
15.	Sun 30.10.	Znojmo	Klagenfurt	17:30
16.	Tue 1.11.	Salzburg	Znojmo	17:30
17.	Fri 4.11.	Znojmo	Jesenice	19:15
18.	Sun 6.11.	Znojmo	Graz	17:30
19.	Wed 16.11.	Villach	Znojmo	19:15
20.	Fri 18.11.	Fehérvár	Znojmo	19:15
21.	Sun 20.11.	Znojmo	Fehérvár	17:30
22.	Tue 22.11.	Ljubljana	Znojmo	19:15
23.	Fri 25.11.	Znojmo	Zagreb	19:15
24.	Sun 27.11.	Vienna	Znojmo	17:30
25.	Fri 2.12.	Znojmo	Graz	19:15
26.	Sun 4.12.	Salzburg	Znojmo	17:30
27.	Tue 6.12.	Znojmo	Villach	19:15
28.	Sun 11.12.	Znojmo	Linz	17:30
29.	Tue 20.12.	Klagenfurt	Znojmo	19:15
30.	Thu 22.12.	Znojmo	Jesenice	19:15
31.	Mon 26.12.	Fehérvár	Znojmo	17:30
32.	Fri 30.12.	Zagreb	Znojmo	19:15
33.	Sun 1.1.	Linz	Znojmo	17:30
34.	Tue 3.1.	Znojmo	Vienna	19:15
35.	Fri 6.1.	Znojmo	Salzburg	17:30
36.	Sun 8.1.	Znojmo	Ljubljana	17:30
37.	Tue 10.1.	Jesenice	Znojmo	19:15
38.	Fri 13.1.	Graz	Znojmo	19:15
39.	Sun 15.1.	Znojmo	Klagenfurt	17:30
40.	Fri 20.1.	Villach	Znojmo	19:15