Hannover Scorpions
Former DEL champions now playing in Germany's third tier.
The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team currently competing in the Oberliga, Germany’s third division. They spent 17 seasons in the top-tier Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), from 1996 to 2013, and won the DEL championship in 2010.
The club was founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. It adopted the name Wedemark Scorpions for its first DEL season in 1996, taking the name from the rock band Scorpions, who also hail from Hanover, Lower Saxony. The following year, the team moved to Hanover proper. In 2000, they began playing home games at the TUI Arena.
Despite having access to the region’s best arena and receiving significant corporate and political backing, the team has struggled to build a lasting fan base in Hanover. Before relocating in 1997, the Scorpions played in Mellendorf, a small town 20 km north in the Wedemark township. There, they were considered rivals of Hanover. Many local fans resented their former opponent taking over the city’s hockey market at the expense of the historic but less popular Indians, and refused to support the Scorpions.
At the end of the 2012–13 season, the club faced severe financial trouble. On 14 June 2013, it was forced to sell its DEL license to the 2nd Bundesliga club SERC Wild Wings. The Scorpions were then placed in the Oberliga, Germany’s third tier.
Honors include one DEL championship (2010), one 1. League title (1996), one Oberliga Nord championship (1994), and two Regionalliga Nord championships (1977, 1991).
Honored members are Joe West (number 10), Len Soccio (number 20), and Arthur Jamaev (number 85).
Quick Facts
- Text Color
- #000000
- Team
- Hannover Scorpions
- City
- Hanover, Germany
- League
- Oberliga
- Founded
- 1975
- Arena
- ARS Arena Mellendorf
- Owner
- Erich Haselbacher
- Coach
- Kevin Gaudet
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark, the team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in their first DEL season in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. The next season, the Scorpions relocated to Hanover proper and began playing their home games at TUI Arena in 2000. Despite playing in the region's top venue, as well as enjoying sizeable corporate and political support, the team has struggled to generate sustained interest in Hanover. Before relocating there in 1997, the Scorpions played their home games in Mellendorf, a small town located 20 km north in Wedemark township. They were actually considered rivals of Hanover. Thus, many local fans resented their longtime foe taking over the Hanover market at the expense of the city's historic hockey team, the less-favored Indians, and refused to support the Scorpions. With the club stricken by financial problems at the conclusion of the 2012–13 season, the Scorpions were forced to sell their DEL license to 2nd Bundesliga club the SERC Wild Wings on 14 June 2013. The Scorpions were then placed in the Oberliga, Germany's third-tier league.
Reader's Guide
The Hannover Scorpions are notable for their unusual origin as a relocated rival team that struggled to win over local fans in Hanover. Despite winning the DEL championship in 2010, the club faced persistent financial difficulties and fan resistance due to its history as a former foe of the city's traditional team, the Indians. The team's name, inspired by the rock band Scorpions, reflects a local cultural tie. Their relocation from Mellendorf to Hanover in 1997 and eventual move to the TUI Arena in 2000 did not generate the sustained interest expected. The club's financial crisis after the 2012–13 season forced the sale of its DEL license to the SERC Wild Wings, resulting in a demotion to the Oberliga, Germany's third tier. This trajectory—from a small-town club to DEL champions and back to the third division—illustrates the challenges of market penetration and fan loyalty in German hockey. The team's honors include a DEL championship, a 1.League title, and lower-league regional championships, but its legacy is defined by its inability to secure a stable fan base in a market dominated by historical loyalties.
Did You Know?
- The team was originally named after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover home.
- The Scorpions were considered rivals of Hanover before relocating there in 1997.
- They sold their DEL license to the SERC Wild Wings on 14 June 2013 due to financial problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Hannover Scorpions?
They are a professional German ice hockey club originally founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. After spending 17 seasons in the top-flight Deutsche Eishockey Liga between 1996 and 2013, they now compete in the Oberliga, which is Germany's third tier.
How did the team get the name 'Scorpions'?
When the club entered the DEL for the first time in 1996, they rebranded as the Wedemark Scorpions, borrowing the name from the famous rock band that also comes from Hanover in Lower Saxony. The following year the team relocated to Hanover proper and has carried the Scorpions identity ever since.
What is the Hannover Scorpions' biggest title?
Their crowning achievement was winning the DEL championship in 2010, which made them German national champions in ice hockey. It remains the only top-flight league title in the club's history.
Why are former DEL champions playing in Germany's third division?
After their 2013 DEL season, the Scorpions were relegated out of the top league and have since dropped further down to the Oberliga. The club's financial and competitive struggles over the following decade pulled them two levels below the tier where they once held the national title.
Where do the Hannover Scorpions play their home games?
Since 2000 the team has hosted its home matches at the TUI Arena in Hanover, a multi-purpose venue that has served as their primary ice hockey home for over two decades.
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