HockeyEttan, also known as Sweden Division 1, is the third tier of ice hockey in Sweden.
HockeyEttan, also known as Sweden Division 1, is the third tier of ice hockey in Sweden.
We'll kick off this guide by giving a high level overview on HockeyEttan.
If you're reading this, you might already know a bit about the league (or Swedish hockey).
By the end of this article, you'll have much more details and an understanding for the league as we move through this article.
HockeyEttan is Sweden’s third-tier league, with a few dozen teams divided regionally from the South near Stockholm up to the North near the start of the Arctic Circle. HockeyEttan acts both as a developmental league for young players and a majority of teams also roster several imports to further strengthen their rosters each season.
As already mentioned above...HockeyEttan is the third highest tier of ice hockey in Sweden.
The leagues name is HockeyEttan, but it went by Sweden Division 1 since it's founding in 1944 so you'll often hear some referring to the league as this. The league sits just below Allsvenskan above it and Hockeytvaan (Sweden Div 2) directly below it.
It's a very competitive third tier as we'll touch on more in a later section, but this is important to keep in mind.
Due to Sweden's strength as a powerhouse hockey nation, many quality players end up playing here whether it's younger up and coming players or seasoned veterans choosing to play more locally.
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HockeyEttan is a quality league.
It's the third tier in Sweden, but the hockey skill level here is quite comparable to a number of top leagues in lesser dominant hockey countries around Europe.
You need to be a quality player to play here and if you're an import, the standards are even higher expectation wise for you (more on this in a moment).
For third tier leagues in Europe, it's one of the very best due to how strong Sweden is as a hockey country overall. Rosters here are comprised of up and coming talent aiming to move up, a handful of experience imports, and experienced Swedish players who continue playing locally at the Sweden Division 1 level.
The feel at arenas throughout HockeyEttan can vary a bit from one club to the next.
Some clubs have very strong financial and local support while others have a bit less.
These resources from one club to the next impacts everything from arena amentities and team resources all the way to how strong attendance numbers are. There are a number of teams in the league that draw solid crowds and we've been to a number of HockeyEttan matches where the arena is packed, fans are chanting all game, and the pace of play on the ice is high
Swedish fans love their hockey and this is on display throughout a number of arenas in Sweden's 3rd hockey tier.
Sweden is a stunning country away from the rink.
Depending on the time of year, you will have vary different weather (and hours of sunlight), but it's definitely one of the more high quality countries for overall day to day if you're a player overseas.
Different cities and regions offer very different feels to them.
In terms of acclimating to the culture, Swedish people are generally friendly, speak great English (perhaps better than most), and will often go out of their way to welcome you.
For the first few decades from 1944 (when Division 1 was founded) up through the mid 1970's, the league was actually the top tier hockey league in all of Sweden.
When Elitserien (now the SHL) began in 1975, Division 1 became the 2nd tier in Sweden.
Again in 1999 when Allsvenskan was formed, this naturally moved Sweden Division 1 down yet again to be the 3rd tier...which is where it sits today.
