Elitserien

Elitserien is the highest level hockey league in Sweden.  The league consists of 12 teams with no division seperation.  The teams are:

 

 Färjestad BK

 

Linköpings HC

 

Frölunda HC

 

HV71

 

Luleå HF

 

Skellefteå AIK

 

Brynäs IF

 

Timrå IK

 

MODO Hockey

 

Djurgårdens IF

 

Rögle BK

 

Södertälje SK

The regular season consists of 55 games where each team plays each other team 5 times.  At the end of the regular season, the top 8 teams earn a spot in the playoffs while the 11^th and 12^th place teams enter Kvalserien tournament with 4 teams from HockeyAllsvenskan (the second highest league), and the top 2 teams of the tournament earn a spot in Elitserien for the following season.

 

The playoffs have a unique format with the first place team getting to choose which between the 2 lowest seeded teams it wants to play.  The second place team chooses between the remaining 2 lowest seeded teams, and third place then chooses between the next 2 lowest remaining teams.  Fourth place plays the team that is left unpicked.  The following rounds put highest and lowest ranked teams still remaining against each other.  The winner of the playoffs receives the Le Mat Trophy.

Färjestad BK are the 2008/09 champions