Death Case Investigation ongoing at DEL2: ERC Ingolstadt suspends cooperation with EC Bergkamen Bears

ERC Ingolstadt has pronounced with immediate effect the suspension of cooperation with cooperation partner EC Bergkamen Bears following the death of a 20 years old ice hockey player.

The club announced this on Wednesday after a meeting of the management. The background to the decision is the ongoing investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Arnsberg (North Rhine-Westphalia) into the circumstances of the player's death.

The 20-year-old collapsed and died in the dressing room after a training session on Tuesday evening. According to initial findings, there was no external impact.

As a precautionary measure, the ERC Ingolstadt has suspended all cooperation with the EC Bergkamen Bears until further notice. This includes the exchange of players, joint training sessions and friendly matches.

The ERC Ingolstadt emphasizes that the decision was made in close consultation with the EC Bergkamen Bears. Both clubs agreed that the investigation into the player's death must be given top priority.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of the young ice hockey player," said ERC Ingolstadt Managing Director Claus Gröbner. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. We will do everything in our power to support the investigation and to ensure that the circumstances of his death are fully clarified."

The EC Bergkamen Bears also expressed their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. "We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event," said EC Bergkamen Bears Managing Director Jörg Lukowski. "We will cooperate fully with the investigation and do everything in our power to support the authorities in clarifying the circumstances of the player's death."

The investigation into the circumstances of the player's death is ongoing. The public prosecutor's office in Arnsberg has ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The DEL2 is the second highest ice hockey league in Germany. The ERC Ingolstadt is one of the most successful clubs in the league and has won the championship twice in the past.

The EC Bergkamen Bears is a newly founded club that started playing in the DEL2 in the 2022/23 season. The club is based in Bergkamen, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia.