The Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) is the top professional ice hockey league in Germany. It was founded in 1994 and currently consists of 14 teams. The league operates a promotion and relegation system, with the top team in the second-tier league, the DEL2, having the opportunity to be promoted to the DEL. The bottom team in the DEL is relegated to the DEL2. The DEL is considered one of the top professional ice hockey leagues in Europe.