Team Movements For 2011-12

There have been some significant movements of teams to different divisions that will effect the 2011-12 Swedish hockey season. Växjö Lakers have moved from Allsvenskan up to the Elite Series. Kallinge Ronneby and Vimmerby have moved up from division 2 to division 1. Gislaved went from division 1 down to division 2. Södertälje went down from Elite Series to Allsvenskan. Helsingborg also went from D2 to D1 while Västervik went down from D1 to D2. A complete listing of next seasons series and teams coming soon.
Coke vs Pepsi video.

Free Swedish Hockey Jersey

I found a website that is holding a drawing to win an HV71 jersey. You can enter your email to be in the drawing. Here's the site... www.joehockeyfan.com
I think you can register until December 12, 2010.

Want To Play Hockey In Sweden?

If you are considering playing hockey in Sweden, I put this site together to provide some good information to you on how the system works, what the different levels of leagues are, how to go about finding a place to play and basically just what to expect. I have played hockey in Sweden for a few years after playing junior hockey in Canada and college and pro hockey in the US. When I first thought about playing in Europe and Sweden in particular I had a lot of questions that I now know the answers to. Sweden is a great place to live and play hockey and if that's something you're thinking about doing I hope this information can help you. If you have any further questions, feel free to put them in the comments and I will reply. Good Luck.

Levels of Swedish Hockey

There are basically 5 levels of hockey in Sweden. Starting from the top and going down they are:
Elitserien (The Elite Series), Hockey All-Svenskan, Division 1, Division 2 and Division3. Further down I have a section talking about each of these levels, how they operate, what quality level of player you should be if you are looking to play there, what type of contract you should expect, and the best way to go about contacting teams when you are looking for a place to play.

What Type of Visa Do You Need?

You do need a visa to play hockey in Sweden, but this is nothing that's too complicated, and your team should be able to help you obtain the correct one. There are a couple different types of visa that can be used. An Artist visa is good for up to 6 months and reduces the amount of tax the teams needs to pay on your salary. However, due to the time restraint, you will not be able to play the entire training season or playoffs with the Artist visa, and they are being used less often these days. The other way to go is with a work visa. They are good for a longer period of time and also allow you to have a part time job if you want. But again, this is an issue that your team can help resolve and likely pay the fee for as well.

Do You Need an Agent?

I'll put it this way, if you are a good enough player to play in one of the top 2 leagues in Sweden (Elitserien or Allsvenska) you more than likely have an agent already. But it is not uncommon for teams in Division 1 and 2 to have North American players as well. If you are looking to play in Division 1 or 2 and you do not have an agent, it is not necessary to obtain one to help you get a contract. It can help but for the amount of money you make at this level I do not believe it is worth it. I'd suggest that you contact clubs on your own, provide a resume and sell yourself to them. Not every club at these level take import players due to economic restraints, but you will be able to find some that do. I'll provide more info in the separate league sections.

Is the Language Barrier an Issue?

If you are coming from North America to play hockey in Sweden, the fact that you speak English and don't know any Swedish will really not pose any sort of a problem. Most people in Sweden speak passable to good English, especially the younger generations. So most of your coach and most of your team mates will probably speak English fairly well. A lot of hockey terms are the same in Swedish as they are in English also. You might have an older coach who struggles with English but someone will make sure you understand where to be on the powerplay. So language is not a big problem. There are also a lot of American shows on TV so that'll hlep you feel more at home.

What Is Typically Included In A Contract?

This can obviously vary a lot from team to team and especially from one level to the next. I'm not going to comment on salary amount in this section, I'll talk a little bit about that when I talk about the separate levels. However, when going to Sweden as an import you can expect some sort of a salary, an apartment, sometimes a car to use for yourself or maybe to share with another import player, sometimes the team will pay for your plane ticket, health insurance will be provided for the duration of your contract, equipment including skates and sticks should be provided, the team will most likely help you to set up a bank account and a cell phone. The cost of your transfer fee will be covered. In some situations the team will also get you a part time job. This can be nice not only to make some extra money but also to have something to do as almost every player has a part time job in every level except the Elitserien. Often there will be other benefits provided to you as an import such as free lunch at a sponsoring restaurant, but this can obviously vary a lot. But they are good things to request when negotiating your contract.