Before tonight's final round in Hockey Allsvenskan, three teams were on the same points: Östersund, Tingsryd, and Vimmerby.
After tonight's results, it is clear that Östersund will stay up, and Vimmerby and Tingsryd will face each other in a qualifying game where the loser will be relegated to Division 1.
But before the matches, the drama began when the ice in Mora, where the home team faced Tingsryd, was too poor in some areas. In the end, the problems were resolved – but only half an hour after the start of the other matches.
Images on TV4 Play showed a player acting "suspiciously" where holes in the ice were discovered.
To be investigated
Hockey Allsvenskan's sports manager Erik Ryman confirms that the incident will be investigated as suspected sabotage, and that a report will be written to the competition committee and the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.
I received pictures that something had happened in Mora and that it was suspected sabotage. Then we got more pictures and evidence, so it's been full on, said Erik Ryman in TV4.
Despite the delay in Mora-Tingsryd, it was never considered to stop Östersund and Vimmerby's matches.
We had the discussion, but we made a decision with the referees to let the matches go and then we'll submit a report, says Erik Ryman and continues:
This is the first time I've experienced something like this, that someone sabotages. I don't really understand the gain in it if you want to postpone a match.
"I know nothing"
Tingsryd lost to Mora with 0-4 and will have to qualify against Vimmerby, which won its match against Karlskoga but fell on goal difference to Östersund on the same points.
Jacob Svensson, captain of Tingsryd, is not aware of any sabotage.
I know nothing, I know there were two holes in the ice. I have no idea at all about it (the suspected sabotage), if that's the case, it's regrettable, says Svensson in TV4.
The playoffs:
Teams 1-10 in Hockey Allsvenskan's final table will play in the playoffs. Teams 1-6 (Djurgården, Bik Karlskoga, Södertälje, Björklöven, AIK, and Kalmar) are directly qualified for the quarterfinals, and teams 7-10 (Mora, Oskarshamn, Nybro, and Västerås) will play in the eighth finals.
The eighth finals will be decided in best-of-three matches and will begin on Monday as follows:
Mora-Västerås, Oskarshamn-Nybro.
The highest-ranked teams in the table have home advantage.
Before the quarterfinals, the series winner Djurgården will choose their opponent among the four lowest-ranked teams (AIK and Kalmar, as well as the winners of the eighth finals). Then Karlskoga will choose their opponent, and so on. The quarterfinals will be decided in best-of-seven matches, and the highest-ranked teams in the table have home advantage.
Before the semifinals, the highest-ranked team will choose their opponent among the two lowest-ranked teams, based on the basic series. The semifinals will also be decided in best-of-seven matches, and the highest-ranked teams have home advantage.
The final will also be played in best-of-seven matches, where the highest-ranked team has home advantage. The winner will play in the SHL season 2025-26.
The relegation playoffs:
Vimmerby (13th place) and Tingsryd (14th) will face each other in the relegation playoffs in best-of-seven matches. Vimmerby, the highest-ranked team in the final table, has home advantage. The winner will play in Hockey Allsvenskan 2025-26, and the loser will be relegated to Division 1.
They have finished playing:
Almtuna (11th place) and Östersund (12th) in Hockey Allsvenskan's table have finished playing for the season.
