For the tenth year in a row, Ernst & Young (EY) has released the report "How is Swedish elite hockey doing".
Economically, the clubs are doing well compared to previous years, says Carlos Esterling.
It looked very bad last year. Now the clubs have increased costs, but there are fewer clubs that are doing as badly, says Esterling.
Positive trend break
In line with the league setting a spectator record for the third year in a row, the clubs' economy has stabilized.
It's a trend break in some way and we hope that this trend break will hold, says Esterling.
The largest cost increase was salary costs, which increased by 102.1 million kronor - equivalent to seven percent - compared to the previous season.
Highest salary costs for the 2024-2025 season had Färjestad with 136.4 million kronor, but it is the lowest of all SHL clubs in relation to the club's total costs. Malmö also had the lowest salary costs this year with just over 78.3 million kronor.
What we have previously been critical of is that SHL clubs must take responsibility. The fact that the clubs are investing heavily in salary costs must not come at the expense of not being able to manage the economy. Now they have actually become much better at it, says Esterling.
Not all clubs are doing well, but there is a big difference compared to previous years, which is very positive and gratifying.
"Must not fool themselves"
During the year, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association decided to lower the requirements for granted elite license. Now it was only required that the clubs would show their own capital of five percent instead of previously ten.
If the license requirement had remained at ten percent, six clubs would have been below the limit. Now all clubs manage.
It must not be that the clubs fool themselves, but that they continue to work with these issues and in the long term, says Esterling.
The SHL season starts on Saturday.
