The 2014–15 Hockeyettan season was the 16th season that Hockeyettan (up until this season referred to mainly as Division 1) has functioned as the third tier of ice hockey in Sweden, organized by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIHA). The initial groups began on 21 September 2014 and ended on 10 December 2014. The following Allettan groups and continuation groups started on 27 December 2014 and finished on 15 February 2015. The promotion playoffs to the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier began on 19 February 2015 and ended on 6–7 March 2015. The Hockeyettan qualifiers began on 1 March 2015 and ended on 25 March 2015. The HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier began on 12 March 2015 and ended on 4 April 2015.
Format The 2014–15 Hockeyettan season will feature 47 teams divided into four geographical groups: Norra ("North"), Östra ("East"), Västra ("West"), and Södra ("South"). This is a contraction compared to the previous season, which featured 53 teams divided into five groups. With the exception of Hockeyettan North which will have 11 teams, each of the groups will consist of 12 teams. At the end of the groups in December, the top four teams in each of the Hockeyettan North and Hockeyettan East groups will qualify for the Allettan Norra group, and the top four teams in each of the Hockeyettan West and Hockeyettan South groups will qualify for the Allettan Södra group, after Christmas. Meanwhile, the remaining teams in each starting group will continue playing in their starting group ("continuation group") after Christmas. In the continuation groups, the teams will be given extra points dependent on their ranking in their initial group; the lowest-ranked team gets 0 points, the second-lowest-ranked team gets 1 point, the third-lowest-ranked team gets 2 points, and so on. The two Allettan winners will go directly to the 2015 HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier (Swedish: Kvalserien till HockeyAllsvenskan), which determines promotion to the second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan. The top two teams in each of the four continuation groups, as well as the teams ranked 2–5 in each of the two Allettan groups, will qualify for the promotion playoffs, which are played in three rounds—PlayOff 1, 2, and 3—and battle to reach the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier. Each playoff team will start in PlayOff 1, unlike previous seasons where a certain team's placement in their spring group affected whether that team started in PlayOff 1, 2 or 3. The worst-ranked team in the Norra continuation group, and the two worst-ranked teams in each of the three other continuation groups, will have to play in the Hockeyettan qualifier round-robin tournament (Swedish: Kvalserien till Hockeyettan) for their region to avoid relegation to Division 2, the fourth-tier league. In each of the four Hockeyettan qualifiers, the Hockeyettan team(s) will face four of the best teams from the four Division 2 regions. The North Hockeyettan team will face all four teams from Division 2 North; the East Hockeyettan teams will face two teams from Division 2 East, one from Division 2 West and one from Division 2 South; the West Hockeyettan teams will face two teams from Division 2 West, one from Division 2 East and one from Division 2 South; and the Hockeyettan South teams will face two teams from Division 2 South, one from Division 2 East and one from Division 2 West. Per the 2014–15 season format, only the top-ranked team from each of the four qualifiers will be guaranteed a spot in Hockeyettan for the 2015–16 season. The two remaining playoff teams after PlayOff 3 will join the two Allettan winners and the two lowest-ranked teams in HockeyAllsvenskan in the 2015 HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier, where the teams will play a double round-robin tournament and battle for four spots in HockeyAllsvenskan for the 2015–16 season. The remaining teams in the Allettan groups and the continuation groups will remain in Hockeyettan for the 2015–16 season. All groups that are formed in the season, including the initial ones and the qualifiers for HockeyAllsvenskan and Hockeyettan, will be played as double round-robins, with each team playing the other teams in their group once at home and once on the road.
Per the format in the 2014–15 season, the 2015–16 season would be contracted down to 42 teams. It would mark the league's fifth contraction in six seasons, with the first contraction occurring in the 2010–11 season (down to 57 teams from 58). However, the SIHA may promote more teams from the Hockeyettan qualifiers than planned, depending on if teams from HockeyAllsvenskan are relegated and what groups those teams are placed in for the 2015–16 season.
Playing format Each game consists of three 20-minute regulation periods, for a total of 60 minutes. After the 60 regulation minutes, the team with the most goals scored wins the game. If a non-playoff game is tied after regulation time, a five-minute overtime period ensues, in which the team scoring the next goal wins the game. If no team scores during the overtime period, a shootout ensues, with each team taking three penalty shots against the opposing team's goaltender. If the game is still tied after the three penalty shot rounds, additional rounds ensue until one team scores and the other team doesn't. In non-playoff games, points are awarded for each game, with a win in regulation time giving 3 points, an overtime/shootout win 2 points, an overtime/shootout loss 1 point, and a regulation loss 0 points. In the promotion playoffs, if a game is tied after regulation time, 20-minute overtime periods ensue until one team scores and wins the game.
Tiebreak In group play, if two or more teams end up tied in points, the following tiebreakers are used: Better goal difference; Higher number of goals scored; Results in games between the tied teams.
Participating clubs Per the playing format in the previous season, Hockeyettan would be contracted by 10 teams for the 2014–15 season. The SIHA originally planned to have 48 teams in this season but eventually decided to have only 11 teams in Hockeyettan North, giving a total of 47 teams. The East, West, and South groups all have 12 teams each. The previous season featured 53 teams divided into five groups. The SIHA promoted the four second-placed teams from Hockeyettan qualifiers C–F to get 47 teams in the 2014–15 season. However, two of those 47 qualified teams pulled out of the league during the preseason, resulting in two other teams being promoted from the qualifiers: Nyköpings HK, who had qualified by reaching Allettan Central and been placed in the West group, went bankrupt on 15 April 2014 and ceased to exist. In response, the SIHA promoted third-placed Varberg Vipers from qualifier F and placed them in the South group; moved HC Dalen from the West group to the South group; and moved Västerviks IK and Vimmerby HC from the South group to the West group. Falu IF, who won qualifier C and were seated in the West group, demanded relegation to Division 2 on 13 May 2014 due to financial problems. The SIHA responded by promoting third-placed Grästorps IK from qualifier E to replace Falu's spot in Hockeyettan West.
Hockeyettan North Hockeyettan East Hockeyettan West Hockeyettan South IF Sundsvall HockeyKalix UHCKiruna IFKovlands IshFÖrnsköldsviks HFÖstersunds IKPiteå HCSK LejonSollefteå HKTegs SKVännäs HC Åker/Strängnäs HCEnköpings SK HKHammarby IFHaninge Anchors HC (p)Huddinge IKHudiksvalls HCIF Vallentuna BKTierps HKVärmdö HC (p)Väsby IK HKVisby/Roma HKWings HC Arlanda Borlänge HFForshaga IFGrästorps IKIFK Arboga IK (p)Kumla HC Black BullsLindlövens IFMariestad BoIS HCSkövde IKSurahammars IFTranås AIF IFVästerviks IKVimmerby HC Halmstad HFHC Dalen (p)Helsingborgs HCIF Troja/Ljungby (r)IK PanternKallinge-Ronneby IFKristianstads IKMörrums GoIS IKNybro Vikings IFOlofströms IKTingsryds AIFVarberg Vipers (p)
r = Relegated from 2013–14 HockeyAllsvenskanp = Promoted from 2013–14 Division 2
Team map
Initial groups
Hockeyettan North * Teams 1–4 play the second half of the season in Allettan North.* Teams 5–11 continue in the same group.
#Team1IF Sundsvall2017308636+505510022Kalix UHC2013529043+474810313Piteå HC2014338038+424700214Östersunds IK2012267651+253900115Örnsköldsvik HF2011367653+233711016Kiruna IF207587365+82921117Tegs SK2062124861–132200208Vännäs HC2063114269–272103009Kovlands IshF2044124464–2018210110SK Lejon20221640103–638010111Sollefteå HK20201834106–7260000 Source:
Hockeyettan East * Teams 1–4 play the second half of the season in Allettan North.* Teams 5–12 continue in the same group.
#Team1Huddinge IK2214538748+395140012Visby/Roma HK2213368867+214420013Hudiksvalls HC2212467458+164301304Wings HC2213098259+233900005Åker/Strängnäs HC2211388485–13811106Väsby IK2210396566–13410027Haninge Anchors HC2292117288–163011008Enköpings SK2283115660–42920019Hammarby IF2283116064–428120010Tierps HK2256117080–1023131111Vallentuna BK2256116481–1723141012Värmdö HC22421656102–46140200 Source:
Hockeyettan West * Teams 1–4 play the second half of the season in Allettan South.* Teams 5–12 continue in the same group.
#Team1Västerviks IK2215438950+395121012Tranås AIF2215349764+335001203Vimmerby HC22134510061+394601304Skövde IK2213369360+334410115Mariestad BoIS2210487360+133611116Kumla HC Black Bulls229587363+103630117Borlänge HF2210488383±03600228Lindlövens IF2274117070±02601129IFK Arboga IK22631363102–3922110110Surahammars IF2252154598–5318001111Forshaga IF22361375106–3117240012Grästorps IK2226145195–44142202 Source:
Hockeyettan South * Teams 1–4 play the second half of the season in Allettan South.* Teams 5–12 continue in the same group.
#Team1Kristianstads IK22171410072+285300102IK Pantern2214358251+314810203IF Troja/Ljungby2213549056+344621024Tingsryds AIF2214178551+344410005Nybro Vikings IF2210486766+13503106Kallinge-Ronneby IF2275105751+63011307Halmstad HF2284106563+22902118Varberg HK227696075–152911139Helsingborgs HC2255125973–1424301110Mörrums GoIS IK2272135484–3023010111HC Dalen2261155984–2519000112Olofströms IK2235144799–52162201 Source:
AllEttan groups
AllEttan North * Team 1 continues directly to the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifiers * Teams 2–5 continue to the Playoffs
#Team1IF Sundsvall Hockey1411303919 +203701112 Östersunds IK147524430 +143021203Huddinge IK148334430 +142810024Piteå HC146444733 +142422005 Hudiksvalls HC145364545±01902106Kalix UHC143293448–141210017Wings HC142393254–221011018 Visby/Roma HK1421113359–2680010
AllEttan South * Team 1 continues directly to the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifiers * Teams 2–5 continue to the Playoffs
#Team1 IK Pantern149234422 +223010012 IF Troja/Ljungby147433724 +132820113Tingsryds AIF145634135 +62511314 Västerviks IK145634135+62211045 Kristianstads IK145363927+22011106 Tranås AIF145362938–91902107 Skövde IK142483148–171211118 Vimmerby HC143293558–23120110
Continuation groups
Hockeyettan North continuation * Teams 1–2 continue to the Playoffs * Teams 7–8 continue to the Division 1 qualifiers
#Team1 Örnsköldsvik HF129215825+333611002 Kovlands IshF129124232+103000013 Kiruna IF128045633 +232900004 Tegs SK124173435–11800105Vännäs HC123273755–181402006 Sollefteå HK124083153–221200007 SK Lejon121292752–2582000
Hockeyettan East continuation * Teams 1–2 continue to the Playoffs * Teams 7–8 continue to the Division 1 qualifiers
#Team1 Åker/Strängnäs HC149236146+153711002Haninge Anchors HC148246845 +233310103 Enköpings SK148155352 +12901004 Tierps HK147165552 +32510005 Hammarby IF146173841–32200016 Väsby IK145183852–142201007 Värmdö HC146175254–22010008 Vallentuna BK1421113962–2380100
Hockeyettan West continuation * Teams 1–2 continue to the Playoffs * Teams 7–8 continue to the Division 1 qualifiers
#Team1 Mariestad BoIS149235128+233700112 Kumla HC Black Bulls148244629+173420003 Lindlövens IF148065047 +32800004 Borlänge HF146265039 +112710105 Grästorps IK147252933–42302006 Forshaga IF147164046–62300017 IFK Arboga IK143294957–81401018 Surahammars IF1421112864–36100010
Hockeyettan South continuation