Bären Neuwied crown themselves as a Cehl master-drama in the final!

Bären Neuwied crown themselves as a Cehl master-drama in the final!

The Bären Neuwied won the championship title on March 30, 2025 in an exciting final of the Central European Hockey League (Cehl). In the decisive fifth game against the Eaters Limburg, which took place in front of 2,208 spectators, a Powerplay goal by Michael Jamieson ensured the 5: 4 victory. The Neuwieder reorganized for their defeat in the cup final and secured a place in the next season of the Cehl.

Although the bears initially led 2-0 in the series, they had to take two defeats before they could win the decisive game. In the second leg, the Eaters Limburg had meanwhile compensated for 4: 4 after a 2: 4 deficit. Nevertheless, Neuwied managed to win over the finish line after winning the fourth game 5-2 in jellies. Manager Carsten Billigmann praised the team as the best team of the season and made it clear that the club would remain in the Cehl.

The future in the Cehl

Billigmann, who led the declaration of intent to participate in the Oberliga, emphasized that the talks about a return to the Oberliga no longer meet the current status. A return to German ice hockey could only become realistic in the 2026/27 season. The ice hockey club Neuwied e. V., who enjoys a strong fecruch in his 44-year history, is not only very popular because of his success, but also because of his modern youth concept and the emotional playing style, as diebaeren2016.de reports.

The first team has been successfully playing in the Regionalliga West since 2016 and became champion in the 2022/2023 season. The club joined the Cehl in the 2023/2024 season and immediately reached the final against the Bulldogs Liège in his debut year.

The Central European Hockey League

The Cehl, which was founded in 2015, is the highest ice hockey league in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was renamed the Bene League in 2024. The EHC Neuwied and the EC Diez-Limburg are the two German teams that have been participating in the league since the 2023/24 season. In the current season, which runs in 2024/25, nine teams are fighting for the title. Previous title bearers are the Bulldogs de Liège, who became champions in 2024, and the record champion is Hyc Herentals, who, like the Heerenveen Flyers and the Bulldogs de Liège, won two titles. The league has developed into a central point of European ice hockey and attracts numerous spectators wikipedia leads.