By 1987, EHC Nürnberg 1980 moved up to the 2nd Bundesliga. In the early 90's, financial uncertainty around German professional ice-hockey lead to the foundation of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga – DEL. The DEL was modeled after the NHL, with hopes of providing financial stability through licensing and franchising of teams. In 2006, the Ice Tigers and Bionorica AG, signed a three-year agreement giving Bionorica the naming rights to the team. Starting with the 2006–07 DEL season, the team was renamed to Sinupret Ice Tigers, after a Bionorica product.