Women's ice hockey in Sweden

Ice hockey is one of Sweden's most popular sports and participation in women's ice hockey is increasing; the number of registered women's ice hockey players in Sweden increased from 3,425 in 2011 to 5,973 in 2020.[1]

2013 Swedish Championship winners AIK IF Dam
Country Sweden
Governing bodySwedish Ice Hockey Association
National team(s)
First played
  • Organized game, 1969
  • National Championship (unofficial), 1984–85
  • National team game, 1987
  • Swedish Championship, 1987–88
Registered players5,973 (2020)
National competitions
International competitions

History

The first organized women's ice hockey game in Sweden was played in 1969 between Modo AIK and Timrå IK.[2] The Swedish women's national team played its first games in April 1987, during the 1987 Women's World Tournament in Ontario, Canada.[3]

The first, unofficial National Championship was played in 1985. Three unofficial championships were held, in 1984–85, 1985–86, and 1986–87. The championships were played with round-robin tournament structure. Nacka HK won the National Championship title in all three seasons.[4]

The Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIF) established the first, official Swedish Championship for the 1987–88 season. Division 1 served as the qualifying league for the Swedish Championship. This league had a variable number of teams distributed into some small regional leagues, followed by a national playoff.

During the 2007–08 season, the best Division 1 teams qualified for a new league, the Riksserien (‘National Series’), which became the top-tier league. Division 1 became the second level of women's hockey in Sweden. The Riksserien comprised eight teams. Each team would face the seven opposing teams in four games, two at home and two away. The top two teams at the end of the regular season would qualify for the semi-finals. The teams classified in third to sixth place would each play a three-game playoff qualifying series. In the semifinals, the match for the third place and final depend on a simple match. The teams ranked seventh and eighth at the end of the regular season would face the top two from Division 1 in a promotion/relegation series to remain in the Swedish Women's Hockey League or be relegated Division 1

The Riksserien was reorganized and rebranded as the Svenska damhockeyligan (SDHL, lit. 'Swedish Women's Hockey League') prior to the 2016–17 season. The change was meant to increase public interest and sponsorship of the teams by branding the league in the style of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and to encourage SHL teams to promote their sister teams.

Domestic league structure
  1. Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL; Swedish: Svenska damhockeyligan), organized by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association
    • 10 teams
    • 36 games in regular season
    • Playoffs for top eight teams, winner is named Swedish Ice Hockey Champion
    • Bottom two teams progress to qualifiers against top teams from Nationella Damhockeyligan, relegation to NDHL DamEttan is possible
  2. Nationella Damhockeyligan (NDHL; lit. 'National Women's Hockey League'), comprises multiple stages of play that are organized by regional organs of the SIF (NDHL DamEttan) or by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association itself (Dam HockeyAllsvenskan)
    • 25 teams began the 2022–23 season in the NDHL DamEttan regional series, split into four geographic divisions: Norra (North), Östra (East), Södra (South), and Västra (West)
      • NDHL DamEttan Norra: 5 teams (30 games per team)
      • NDHL DamEttan Östra: 6 teams (14 games per team)
      • NDHL DamEttan Södra: 8 teams (21 games per team)
      • NDHL DamEttan Västra: 7 teams (20 games per team)
    • Two teams from the top of each division move on to the Dam HockeyAllsvenskan, and are grouped geographically in two divisions: Norra and Södra
      • Dam HockeyAllsvenskan Norra: 4 teams (6 games per team)
      • Dam HockeyAllsvenskan Södra: 4 teams (6 games per team)
    • Playoffs for top-three teams from each Dam HockeyAllsvenskan division, plus the top-two teams from regional qualification (Swedish: regionalt förkval); uses the Dam HockeyAllsvenskan two-division structure and two league champions are named each season
    • Dam HockeyAllsvenskan champions proceed to qualifiers against the bottom teams from SDHL, in which promotion to SDHL is possible
    • Team finishing the regular season with the fewest points of any team in the league is relegated to DamTvåan
  3. DamTvåan, organized by regional organs of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association
    • 15 teams in the 2019–20 season, split into three geographic regions: Södra (South), Västra (West), and Norra (North)
      • DamTvåan Södra: 4 teams
      • DamTvåan Västra: 7 teams
      • DamTvåan Norra: 4 teams
    • Number of games in regular season varies by region, from 6–12 games in 2019–20 regular season
      • DamTvåan, Region Norr: 6 games
      • DamTvåan Västra: 12 games
      • DamTvåan, Region Syd: 9 games
    • Team finishing the regular season with the most points of any team in the league gains promotion to NDHL DamEttan
  4. Various local and district-level recreational leagues, regulated by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association but generally overseen by constituent entities

Swedish Championship

Results
Season Champion Runner-up Score Bronze
National Championship (Riksmästerskapet)[lower-alpha 1]
1984–85Nacka HKModo AIKround-robinDiö GoIF
1985–86Nacka HKDanderyds SKround-robinModo AIK
1986–87Nacka HKModo AIKround-robinDiö GoIF
Swedish Championship (Svenska mästerskapet)
1987–88Nacka HKFoC Farsta11–0Modo Hockey
1988–89Nacka HKModo Hockey3–2Alvesta SK
1989–90Nacka HKAlvesta SK7–0FoC Farsta
1990–91Nacka HKAlvesta SK9–0FoC Farsta
1991–92Nacka HKFoC Farsta3–1Brynäs IF
1992–93Nacka HKFoC Farsta4–3Vallentuna BK
1993–94Nacka HKFoC Farsta3–0Brynäs IF
1994–95Foc FarstaNacka HK5–1Västerhaninge IF
1995–96Nacka HKFoC Farsta6–5Västerhaninge IF
1996–97Foc FarstaVästerhaninge IF4–3Nacka HK
1997–98Nacka HKFoC Farsta3–0Veddige HK
1998–99M/B HockeyAIK IF8–1Modo Hockey
1999–00M/B HockeyAIK IF4–3Veddige HK
2000–01M/B HockeyAIK IF6–3Modo Hockey
2001–02M/B HockeyModo Hockey9–1AIK IF
2002–03M/B HockeyAIK IF7–3Modo Hockey
2003–04AIK IFLimhamn Limeburners HC5–2M/B Hockey
2004–05M/B HockeyAIK IF4–3Modo Hockey
2005–06M/B HockeyModo Hockey2–1Örebro HK
2006–07AIK IFSegeltorps IF2–1 OTModo Hockey
Riksserien
2007–08Segeltorps IFAIK IF5–2Modo Hockey
2008–09AIK IFSegeltorps IF5–0Modo Hockey
2009–10Segeltorps IFBrynäs IF6–0Modo Hockey
2010–11Segeltorps IFBrynäs IF2–1 OTModo Hockey
2011–12Modo HockeyBrynäs IF1–0Segeltorps IF
2012–13AIK IFBrynäs IF2–1[lower-alpha 2]
2013–14Linköpings HCModo HK3–2 OT–
2014–15Linköpings HCAIK IF5–0–
2015–16Luleå HFLinköpings HC4–1–
Swedish Women's Hockey League (Svenska damhockeyligan)
2016–17Djurgårdens IFHV712–0–
2017–18Luleå HFLinköpings HC2–0–
2018–19Luleå HFLinköpings HC3–2–
2019–20Playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden

Notes:

  1. The National Championship (Riksmästerskapet) was played for three seasons before the introduction of the Swedish Championship by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association in 1987. The National Championships are widely regarded as unofficial Swedish Championships.
  2. Bronze medals were officially awarded from 1988 until 2012, at which time the playoff system was restructured. Since the 2012–13 season, no bronze medals have been awarded.

All-time medal count

Updated 1 August 2020

Team Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Nacka HK91111
2M/B Hockey7018
3AIK IF46111
4Segeltorps IF3205
5Luleå HF/MSSK3003
6FOC Farsta26210
7MODO Hockey14914
8Linköpings HC1214
9Djurgården IF1001
10Brynäs IF0426
11Alvesta SK0213
12Västerhaninge IF0123
13Limhamn HC0101
13HV710101
15Veddige HK0022
16Vallentuna BK0011
16Örebro HUF0011

Teams 2010–11

Riksserien

Division I Region South A
  • Grästorp IK
  • Hisingen IK
  • Hovås HC/Järnbrott
  • Lerums BK
  • Munkedal/Stenungsund
  • Trollhättan HC
  • Vårgårda HC

Division I Region South B

Division I Region West
  • Skogsbo SK
  • Hällefors/Lindlöven
  • Sandviken IK
  • Malungs IF
  • VIK Västerås HK Ungdom
  • Leksands IF 2
  • Kristinehamns HT

Division I Region East

Division I Region North

Tournaments

The following are IIHF tournaments that were hosted in Sweden.

EventLocationFinish
2003 4 Nations CupSkövdeFourth
2004–05 IIHF European Women's Champions CupSolna3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gold for AIK IF
2005 Women's World Ice Hockey ChampionshipsLinköping, Norrköping3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Bronze[5]
2005–06 IIHF European Women's Champions CupSolna3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gold for AIK IF
2006–07 IIHF European Women's Champions CupKatrineholm3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gold for AIK IF
2007 4 Nations CupLeksandFourth
2007–08 IIHF European Women's Champions CupVallentuna3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gold for AIK IF
2011 IIHF World Women's U18 ChampionshipStockholm, SwedenNo medal

See also

References
  1. "Sweden". IIHF. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  2. Eric Westlund, Anki Haglund (21 October 2013). "Som att möta en gammal släkting" (in Swedish). Sundsvalls tidning. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  3. "Matches internationaux féminins 1986/87" (in French). Hockeyarchives. 21 April 1987. Retrieved 17 March 2011.
  4. "SM för damer sedan starten 1988" (PDF). swehockey.se (in Swedish). Swedish Ice Hockey Association. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  5. Collins Gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009–10, p.540, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6
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