Swedish Ice Hockey Association facts for kids
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| Association name | Swedish Ice Hockey Association |
|---|---|
| IIHF Code | SWE |
| Founded | 17 November 1922 |
| IIHF membership | 23 March 1912 |
| President | Anders Larsson |
| IIHF men's ranking | 4th (2020) |
| IIHF women's ranking | 9th (2020) |
| www.swehockey.se | |
The Swedish Ice Hockey Association (called Svenska Ishockeyförbundet or SIF in Swedish) is the main group for all ice hockey clubs in Sweden. It was started in Stockholm on November 17, 1922. Seven different clubs came together to create it. Before SIF was formed, the Swedish Football Association was in charge of organized ice hockey in Sweden.
Sweden joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) in 1920. Besides ice hockey, SIF also looks after inline hockey. The current general secretary of the association is Tommy Boustedt.
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Ice Hockey Leagues in Sweden
The Swedish Ice Hockey Association helps organize all levels of ice hockey in Sweden. They run the two main Swedish Championship leagues. These are the men's Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). They also organize many other leagues and tournaments across the country.
Men's National Leagues
These are the top leagues for men's ice hockey in Sweden:
- Swedish Hockey League (SHL)
- HockeyAllsvenskan
- Hockeyettan (this used to be called Division 1)
- J20 SuperElit (also known as J20 Nationell, for players under 20)
- J18 Allsvenskan (for players under 18)
- U16 SM-slutspel (the Swedish Championship Playoff for players under 16)
Women's National Leagues
This is the top league for women's ice hockey in Sweden:
- Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL)
Regional Leagues
There are also regional leagues for both men and women:
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Men's Regional Leagues
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Women's Regional Leagues
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Ice Hockey Districts
Sweden is divided into different regions for ice hockey. Each region has its own districts that help organize the sport.
| Region South | Region West | Region East | Region North |
| Blekinge | Dalarna | Gotland | Jämtland/Härjedalen |
| Bohuslän/Dal | Gästrikland | Stockholm | Medelpad |
| Gothenburg | Hälsingland | Södermanland | Norrbotten |
| Skåne | Värmland | Uppland | Västerbotten |
| Småland | Västmanland | Ångermanland | |
| Västergötland | Örebro län | ||
| Östergötland |
Sweden's National Hockey Teams
Sweden has many national hockey teams that represent the country in international games. These teams are made up of the best players from different age groups.
Here are some of Sweden's national hockey teams:
- Men's National Team - also known as Tre Kronor (Three Crowns)
- Women's National Team - also known as Damkronorna
- Men's National U20 - called Juniorkronorna (Junior Crowns) or Team 20
- Men's National U19 – Team 19
- Men's National U18 - called Småkronorna (Little Crowns) or Team 18
- Women's National Under-18 Team – Damlandslaget U18
- Men's National U17 – Team 17
- Women National U16 – Damlandslaget U16
- Men's National U16 – Team 16
- Men's National Inline Team
Leaders of the Association
Many different people have been the chairman of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association over the years. Here are some of them:
- 1922–1924: Isaac Westergren
- 1924–1948: Anton Johanson
- 1948–1973: Helge Berglund
- 1973–1978: Ove Rainer
- 1978–1983: Arne Grunander
- 1983–2002: Rickard Fagerlund
- 2002–2004: Kjell Nilsson
- 2004–2017: Christer Englund
- 2017–present: Anders Larsson
