Kassel Huskies fail again: The bitter promotion curse continues

The Kassel Huskies miss the leap to the DEL once again. After the 0:4 defeat in the final against the Krefeld Pinguine, this season also joins a series of failed attempts – and intensifies the impression of a team that is strong athletically, but ultimately not fully developed.

For Kassel, the DEL2 season ends again without promotion. The Huskies lose the playoff final against Krefeld clearly with 0:4 and once again remain stuck on the way to the top German ice hockey league.

Kassel misses promotion again

The final defeat against Krefeld ends the next attempt by the Kassel Huskies to reach the DEL. Thus, the club remains in the DEL2, even though promotion has been the central goal for years. The result weighs particularly heavily because it does not stand as a single slip, but rather fits into a series of similar disappointments.

The Huskies, as a traditional club from North Hesse, remain second-class. Operationally, the organization is run by Kassel Sport & Entertainment GmbH – responsible for professional operations and marketing. Athletically, the renewed failure is especially noteworthy because Kassel has regularly been one of the strongest teams in the league in recent years and has repeatedly dominated the regular season, without ultimately taking the decisive step.

A series of failed attempts since 2021

The missed promotion in Kassel does not stand alone. Sixteen years ago, insolvency forced the club down to the 5th league. After that, the Huskies worked their way back up and re-established themselves in professional ice hockey. Until 2021, sporting promotion and relegation to the DEL was not possible for licensing reasons – the prospect of the top league only became a concrete sporting possibility again after that.

• In 2021, the Huskies were regular season champions, but failed in the playoff final against the Bietigheim Steelers.
• In 2022, Kassel did not submit the necessary DEL documents in time before the start of the league – promotion was thus ruled out early; they finished in 4th place.
• In 2023, after finishing 1st in the regular season, they were eliminated in the semifinals against EC Bad Nauheim.
• In 2024, the Huskies again reached the final as regular season champions and failed there against Eisbären Regensburg.
• In 2025, the season ended after finishing 1st in the regular season in the semifinals against the Dresdner Eislöwen.

From a sporting perspective, one contrast remains: Kassel regularly delivers during the long season, but in the playoffs – where series turn and pressure situations decide – the final step is missing. This very discrepancy makes the record so tough: Kassel was at the top again, but again it ends without promotion.

Even for Krefeld, DEL promotion is not yet certain

Krefeld has secured sporting success with the finals victory, but actual promotion to the DEL is still open. For the DEL license, 1.4 million euros are required. The decision must be made by May 17.

"I would say we are at a 60:40 scenario. I still can't promise it one hundred percent. But we are definitely on a very, very good path." – Peer Schopp, Managing Director of the Krefeld Pinguine

The sporting triumph is thus the decisive first step, but the focus remains on the formal and financial hurdle that determines league membership.

In this context, there are also rumors circulating that Krefeld might want to stay in the DEL2 despite sporting success – the reason given is that the money might not be enough. At the same time, it is said that those responsible and sponsors are working to create the financial framework for the DEL license.

For the Kassel Huskies, meanwhile, only the next missed opportunity remains for now. Krefeld has made the sporting step – but whether this will also result in actual promotion has not yet been definitively answered.