Swedish Hockey League

Badge

Poster

Established
1975 (50 years old)

First Recorded Event
2010-09-15

Current Season
2025-2026

Sport
Sport Icon

Ice Hockey

Location
Sweden

Gender
Male

TV Rights

Logo

Upcoming
13 Sep	Brynäs I	1:15pm	Växjö L
13 Sep	Djurgård	1:15pm	Skellefte
13 Sep	Frölunda	1:15pm	Linköpin
13 Sep	Färjesta	4:00pm	Rögle BK
13 Sep	HV71	4:00pm	Örebro H
13 Sep	Leksands	4:00pm	Timrå IK
13 Sep	Luleå HF	4:00pm	Malmö Re
16 Sep	Växjö L	5:00pm	HV71
16 Sep	Skellefte	5:00pm	Rögle BK
16 Sep	Linköpin	5:00pm	Timrå IK
Results
01 May	Luleå HF	5 - 2	Brynäs I
28 Apr	Brynäs I	2 - 6	Luleå HF
26 Apr	Luleå HF	3 - 5	Brynäs I
23 Apr	Luleå HF	5 - 1	Brynäs I
21 Apr	Brynäs I	2 - 5	Luleå HF
19 Apr	Brynäs I	2 - 1	Luleå HF
15 Apr	Frölunda	0 - 2	Luleå HF
13 Apr	Luleå HF	5 - 1	Frölunda
12 Apr	Brynäs I	4 - 1	Skellefte
11 Apr	Frölunda	2 - 3	Luleå HF

Description

The SHL (or Swedish Hockey League, Swedish: Svenska hockeyligan) is a Swedish ice hockey league, and the highest division of the Swedish ice hockey system. The league currently consists of 12 teams, though an expansion to 14 teams is planned for the 2015–16 season. The league was founded in 1975, and while Swedish ice hockey champions have been crowned though various formats since 1922, the title, as well as the Le Mat Trophy, have been awarded to the winner of the SHL playoffs since the league's inaugural 1975–76 season.

As of 2010–11, the SHL was the world's most evenly matched professional ice hockey league. During the 2011–12 season, the SHL was the most well attended hockey league in Europe, averaging 6,385 spectators per match, however in 2013–14, the SHL was third best in Europe, with an attendance average of 5,978.

The league was founded in 1975 as Elitserien (in English often called the Swedish Elite League or SEL), and initially featured 10 teams, though this was expanded to 12 for the 1987–88 season. The league was renamed the SHL in 2013, and in 2014, a number of format changes were announced, including an expansion to 14 teams to be finalized prior to the 2015–16 season, and a new format for promotion from and relegation to HockeyAllsvenskan, the second tier league.

Seasons

Teams

Brynäs IF	Djurgårdens IF	Färjestad BK	Frölunda HC
HV71	Leksands IF	Linköpings HC	Luleå HF
Malmö Redhawks	Örebro HK	Rögle BK	Skellefteå AIK
Timrå IK	Växjö Lakers