The 2019β20 SHL season was the 45th season of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The regular season began in September 2019 and ended in March 2020; it was scheduled to be followed by the Swedish Championship playoffs and the relegation playoffs. The league consisted of 14 teams; Leksands IF returned to the SHL after two seasons in HockeyAllsvenskan, having defeated Mora IK in the 2019 SHL qualifiers. IK Oskarshamn played in the SHL for the first time in franchise history, after defeating TimrΓ₯ IK in the SHL qualifiers.
On 3 March, LuleΓ₯ HF won the regular season title for the third time; after a 3β0 win over RΓΆgle BK, coupled with defeats for SkellefteΓ₯ AIK (0β1 versus FrΓΆlunda HC) and FΓ€rjestad BK (1β2 versus HV71), LuleΓ₯ HF held an unassailable 14-point lead with 4 matches remaining.[1]
After the playoffs were initially delayed following the conclusion of the regular season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, the season was curtailed on 15 March. No Swedish champions were determined, for the first time since 1952, and the SHL featured the same teams next season.[2]
Teams
Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
BrynΓ€s IF | GΓ€vle | Monitor ERP Arena | 7,909 |
DjurgΓ₯rdens IF | Stockholm | Hovet | 8,094 |
FrΓΆlunda HC | Gothenburg | Scandinavium | 12,044 |
FΓ€rjestad BK | Karlstad | LΓΆfbergs Arena | 8,647 |
HV71 | JΓΆnkΓΆping | Kinnarps Arena | 7,000 |
Leksands IF | Leksand | Tegera Arena | 7,650 |
LinkΓΆping HC | LinkΓΆping | Saab Arena | 8,500 |
LuleΓ₯ HF | LuleΓ₯ | Coop Norrbotten Arena | 6,300 |
MalmΓΆ Redhawks | MalmΓΆ | MalmΓΆ Arena | 13,000 |
IK Oskarshamn | Oskarshamn | Be-Ge Hockey Center | 3,275 |
RΓΆgle BK | Γngelholm | Catena Arena | 5,150 |
SkellefteΓ₯ AIK | SkellefteΓ₯ | SkellefteΓ₯ Kraft Arena | 6,001 |
VΓ€xjΓΆ Lakers | VΓ€xjΓΆ | Vida Arena | 5,700 |
Γrebro HK | Γrebro | Behrn Arena | 5,150 |
Regular season
Each team plays 52 games, playing each of the other thirteen teams four times: twice on home ice, and twice away from home. Points are awarded for each game, where three points are awarded for winning in regulation time, two points for winning in overtime or shootout, one point for losing in overtime or shootout, and zero points for losing in regulation time. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points is crowned the league champion.
Standings
Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | LuleΓ₯ HF | 52 | 30 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 151 | 98 | +53 | 106 | Qualification to Quarter-finals |
2 | FΓ€rjestad BK | 52 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 173 | 146 | +27 | 92 | |
3 | RΓΆgle BK | 52 | 25 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 149 | 123 | +26 | 92 | |
4 | SkellefteΓ₯ AIK | 52 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 149 | 122 | +27 | 90 | |
5 | HV71 | 52 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 17 | 158 | 130 | +28 | 89 | |
6 | DjurgΓ₯rdens IF | 52 | 24 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 137 | 135 | +2 | 88 | |
7 | FrΓΆlunda HC | 52 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 21 | 154 | 126 | +28 | 85 | Qualification to Eighth-finals |
8 | Γrebro HK | 52 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 137 | 133 | +4 | 85 | |
9 | MalmΓΆ Redhawks | 52 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 131 | 130 | +1 | 77 | |
10 | VΓ€xjΓΆ Lakers | 52 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 127 | 143 | −16 | 70 | |
11 | LinkΓΆping HC | 52 | 14 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 118 | 139 | −21 | 65 | |
12 | BrynΓ€s IF | 52 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 26 | 132 | 168 | −36 | 60 | |
13 | Leksands IF | 52 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 31 | 115 | 168 | −53 | 49 | Qualification to Relegation playoffs |
14 | IK Oskarshamn | 52 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 31 | 110 | 180 | −70 | 44 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
Statistics
Scoring leaders
The following shows the top ten players who led the league in points, at the conclusion of the regular season.[3] If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same number of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown.
Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | +/β | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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FΓ€rjestad BK | 50 | 12 | 42 | 54 | +9 | 60 |
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RΓΆgle BK | 48 | 12 | 37 | 49 | +8 | 67 |
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FrΓΆlunda HC | 48 | 12 | 36 | 48 | β4 | 38 |
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BrynΓ€s IF | 46 | 14 | 32 | 46 | +4 | 73 |
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LinkΓΆping HC | 48 | 24 | 21 | 45 | β4 | 14 |
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Γrebro HK | 52 | 17 | 26 | 43 | +10 | 22 |
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FΓ€rjestad BK | 52 | 16 | 25 | 41 | +11 | 45 |
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HV71 | 51 | 11 | 29 | 40 | +5 | 8 |
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SkellefteΓ₯ AIK | 47 | 16 | 23 | 39 | +8 | 45 |
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MalmΓΆ Redhawks | 52 | 14 | 24 | 38 | +9 | 65 |
Leading goaltenders
The following shows the top ten goaltenders who led the league in goals against average, provided that they have played at least 40% of their team's minutes, at the conclusion of the regular season.[4]
Player | Team | GP | TOI | W | T | L | GA | SO | Sv% | GAA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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LuleΓ₯ HF | 36 | 2151:57 | 27 | 2 | 7 | 57 | 6 | 92.81 | 1.59 |
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SkellefteΓ₯ AIK | 36 | 2121:27 | 24 | 3 | 7 | 63 | 6 | 93.52 | 1.78 |
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MalmΓΆ Redhawks | 37 | 2175:41 | 16 | 4 | 17 | 76 | 6 | 92.76 | 2.10 |
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RΓΆgle BK | 34 | 1984:56 | 22 | 1 | 10 | 70 | 4 | 92.13 | 2.12 |
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HV71 | 35 | 2094:31 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 75 | 5 | 91.53 | 2.15 |
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FrΓΆlunda HC | 25 | 1410:12 | 12 | 0 | 10 | 51 | 2 | 91.36 | 2.17 |
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Γrebro HK | 46 | 2653:40 | 24 | 1 | 20 | 100 | 4 | 91.77 | 2.26 |
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FΓ€rjestad BK | 31 | 1824:27 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 69 | 1 | 91.45 | 2.27 |
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DjurgΓ₯rdens IF | 35 | 2029:23 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 77 | 5 | 91.83 | 2.28 |
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LinkΓΆping HC | 33 | 1865:59 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 73 | 1 | 91.73 | 2.35 |
Playoffs
Ten teams qualified for the playoffs: the top six teams in the regular season were scheduled to have a bye to the quarterfinals, while teams ranked seventh to tenth met each other (7 versus 10, 8 versus 9) in a preliminary playoff round.[5] If the finals had occurred and led to a game seven, that game was intended to be played on 2 May 2020.[6]
In the first round the 7th-ranked team were scheduled to meet the 10th-ranked team and the 8th-ranked team were scheduled to meet the 9th-ranked team for a place in the second round. In the second round, the top-ranked team were scheduled to meet the lowest-ranked winner of the first round, the 2nd-ranked team were scheduled to face the other winner of the first round, the 3rd-ranked team were scheduled to face the 6th-ranked team, and the 4th-ranked team were scheduled to meet the 5th-ranked team. In the third round, the highest remaining seed was scheduled to matched against the lowest remaining seed. In each round the higher-seeded team was scheduled to be awarded home advantage.
The playoffs were scheduled to be held as a best-of-three series in the eighth-finals, with the remainder of the playoffs as a best-of-seven series that followed an alternating home team format: the higher-seeded team playing at home for games 1 and 3 (plus 5 and 7 if necessary), and the lower-seeded team at home for game 2 and 4 (plus 6 if necessary).[5] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden, the start of the playoffs was delayed from 14 March,[7] to 24 March.[8] As a result, the playoff format was altered; the eighth-finals were kept as a best-of-three series, but the remaining rounds were changed to a best-of-five series.[9]
On 14 March, the Swedish Hockey League, citing agreement with its fourteen member teams, formally requested that the playoffs be cancelled to the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.[10] Following a meeting the following day, the playoffs were cancelled.[2]
SHL awards
GuldhjΓ€lmen: Kodie Curran (RΓΆgle BK) |
Guldpucken: Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden |
Honken Trophy: Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden |
HΓ₯kan Loob Trophy: Broc Little (LinkΓΆping HC) |
Rookie of the Year: Jesper FrΓΆdΓ©n, (SkellefteΓ₯ AIK) |
Salming Trophy: Kodie Curran, (RΓΆgle BK) |
Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy: Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden |
Guldpipan: Patrik SjΓΆberg |
References
- ^ "LuleΓ₯ vinner grundserien efter ΓΆverkΓΆrning". SVT.se (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Svenska IshockeyfΓΆrbundets styrelse har enhΓ€lligt beslutat att avsluta sΓ€songen 2019/2020" [The Swedish Ice Hockey Association's Board of Directors unanimously decided to end the 2019/2020 season]. Via TT (in Swedish). TT NyhetsbyrΓ₯n. 15 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Statistik β Spelare 2019/2020" [Statistics β Players: Summary] (in Swedish). SHL. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ "Statistik β MΓ₯lvakter 2019/2020" [Statistics β Goalkeepers: Summary] (in Swedish). SHL. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ a b "SERIEBESTΓMMELSER och VERKSAMHETSPLAN SΓ€songen 2019/2020" (PDF). Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
- ^ Tomas Hedlund (15 November 2019). "SΓ₯ spelas slutspelet 2020" (in Swedish). Hockeybladet. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "TV-tider SHL slutspel" [TV Times SHL playoffs]. HockeySverige (in Swedish). Everysport Media Group AB. Archived from the original on 12 September 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "Beslut angΓ₯ende SM-slutspel senast den 20 mars" [Decisions regarding the SM playoffs by March 20]. SHL.se (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "SM-slutspelet i SHL skjuts upp till fΓΆljd av regeringens beslut kring publika evenemang" [The SHL playoffs are postponed due to the government's decision on public events]. SHL.se (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
- ^ "SHL begΓ€r att SM-slutspelet stΓ€lls in" [SHL requests that the SM playoffs be canceled]. SHL.se (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
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