Hockeyettan Hockeyettan , formerly named Division 1 between 1975 – 2014 , is the third - tier league of ice hockey in Sweden . From 1944 to 1975 , Division I was the name of the highest league in the Swedish ice hockey system , but prior to the 1975 – 76 season , Division I was scrapped and replaced by the Elitserien ( now known as the SHL ) , and Division 1 was created as the new second - tier league . Prior to the 1999 – 2000 season , Allsvenskan ( now named HockeyAllsvenskan ) was created as the new second - tier league , making Division 1 the third - tier league . The league was renamed " Hockeyettan " in April 2014 . Today , the league consists of 47 teams divided geographically into four groups ( Hockeyettan North , East , West , and South ) . The teams play half a season in the four groups , after which the highest ranked teams in each group form two new groups ( named " Allettan " ) , organized more broadly into Norra ( " North " ) and Södra ( " South " ) . In the meantime , the teams which failed to make it out of their groups from the first half - season continue playing with the remaining teams in their group . On 19 September 2012 , the clubs in the league at that time formed an interest group called Hockeyettan , which aims to promote the league in Sweden , and is also responsible for running the Hockeyettan . com website . In April 2014 , the league was renamed " Hockeyettan " . The name is a Swedish play on words with the league ' s original name " Division 1 " ; " ettan " means " one " in English , referring to the number 1 in the original league name . Hockeyettan is organized by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association ( SIHA ) . Promotion and relegation playoff format . At the end of the season , the lowest ranked teams from the continuation groups are forced to defend their spots against four challengers from Division 2 in the Hockeyettan qualifier ( Swedish : " Kvalserien till Hockeyettan " ) for their region , a double round - robin tournament . The Allettan winners go directly to the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier ( Swedish : " Kvalserien till HockeyAllsvenskan " ) , which determines promotion to the second - tier league HockeyAllsvenskan . The Allettan teams ranked 2 – 5 , as well as the top two teams from the continuation groups , play a playoff to determine which teams will also join the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier . The playoffs consists of three rounds — PlayOff 1 , 2 , and 3 — with each playoff team starting in PlayOff 1 . In PlayOff 1 , teams are matched up based on their ranking in their spring section , but in subsequent rounds , match - ups are determined by random draw . Each playoff series is a best - of - three , with the better - ranked team receiving home - ice advantage , i . e . two home games , if necessary to determine a winner of the series . The two surviving teams after Round 3 play the two Allettan winners and the two lowest - ranked teams from that season of HockeyAllsvenskan in the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier , a double round - robin tournament , with the top four teams in that tournament qualifying for the following season of HockeyAllsvenskan . Participating teams . 2014 – 15 . The 2014 – 15 season will feature 47 teams divided into four geographical groups : Norra ( " North " ) , Östra ( " East " ) , Västra ( " West " ) , and Södra ( " South " ) . At the conclusion of the four initial groups in December , the top teams from each group qualify for Allettan , which consists of Allettan Norra ( " North " ) and Allettan ( " Södra " ) with 8 teams each , depending on the teams ' geographical locations . The remaining teams in the starting groups have to continue in their starting groups ( " continuation groups " ) after Christmas . The Allettan winners go directly to the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier . The teams ranked 2 – 5 in the Allettan groups , and the top two teams in the four continuation groups , play in a three - round playoff — consisting of PlayOff 1 , 2 , and 3 — and battle for two spots in the HockeyAllsvenskan . Unlike previous seasons where group rankings affected whether a certain team started in PlayOff 1 , 2 or 3 , all playoff teams now start in PlayOff 1 . The two teams that survive PlayOff 3 join the two Allettan winners and the two worst - ranked teams from HockeyAllsvenskan in the HockeyAllsvenskan qualifier , the double round - robin tournament where the teams battle for four spots in HockeyAllsvenskan for the following season . The remaining teams from the continuation groups have to play against challengers from Division 2 in the Hockeyettan qualifiers , the double round - robin tournaments where the best teams qualify for the following season of Hockeyettan . 2013 – 14 . The Swedish Ice Hockey Association released a schedule for the 2013 – 14 Division 1 season which merged Divisions 1A and 1B into a larger Division 1 Norra ( " North " ) . That group consisted of 12 teams playing a double home - and - away series against each team in the group , for a total of 44 games per team . Unlike the traditional system used by the smaller groups which in January reorganized themselves into new groups based on their position in their group , the new Division 1 Norra continued playing into the spring , with relegation and playoff spots being decided directly from the new group . Reactions to this set - up were mixed , with Sollefteå HK for example suggesting that playing that many games would be strenuous for the clubs ' finances , and that playing each opponent three times instead of four might have been more appropriate . In total , the 2013 – 14 Division 1 season consisted of 53 teams . Note that Botkyrka HC merged with IFK Tumba Hockey during the off - season .