2013–14 SHL season

The 2013–14 SHL season was the 39th season of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). The regular season began on 14 September 2013 and ended on 8 March 2014. The following playoffs began on 15 March 2014 and ended on 21 April 2014. It was the first season since the league changed name from Elitserien to Swedish Hockey League in June 2013.
Skellefteå AIK defended their 2013 Swedish Championship title by defeating Färjestad BK four games to zero in the Finals. Skellefteå AIK became the first team to defend the Swedish Championship title since Djurgårdens IF did so with their consecutive Swedish Championship titles in 2000 and 2001. Skellefteå AIK also became the first team since Brynäs IF in 1976–77 to win consecutive Swedish Championships by not losing a single game in both Finals series.
A number of format changes were introduced this season. Instead of the top eight teams in the regular season qualifying for the playoffs and the teams ranked 9–10 ending their season, the top six teams qualified for the playoffs directly, and the four teams ranked 7–10 played a best-of-three series and battled for the two remaining playoff spots. The two teams ranked 11–12 still had to play in the Kvalserien round-robin tournament in order to requalify for the SHL. Also, the top three teams no longer got to pick their opponents in the quarterfinals; instead, the 1st-ranked team faced the lowest-ranked winner of the two best-of-three series, the 2nd-ranked team faced the other winner of the two best-of-three-series, the 3rd-ranked team faced the 6th-ranked team, and the 4th-ranked team faced the 5th-ranked team.
In Kvalserien, Örebro HK requalified and Djurgårdens IF qualified for the 2014–15 SHL season at the expense of AIK.
== Participating teams ==
Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity
AIK 	Stockholm 	Hovet 	8,094
Brynäs IF 	Gävle 	Läkerol Arena 	8,585
Frölunda HC 	Gothenburg 	Scandinavium 	12,044
Färjestad BK 	Karlstad 	Löfbergs Arena 	8,647
HV71 	Jönköping 	Kinnarps Arena 	7,000
Leksands IF 	Leksand 	Tegera Arena 	7,650
Linköpings HC 	Linköping 	Cloetta Center 	8,500
Luleå HF 	Luleå 	Coop Norrbotten Arena 	6,300
Modo Hockey 	Örnsköldsvik	Fjällräven Center 	7,600
Skellefteå AIK	Skellefteå 	Skellefteå Kraft Arena	6,001
Växjö Lakers 	Växjö 	Vida Arena 	5,700
Örebro HK 	Örebro 	Behrn Arena 	5,200
== League changes ==
Similar to the system in the Finnish Liiga, only the top six teams qualified directly for the playoffs. The four teams ranked 7–10 played a best-of-three series, known as Play In, in order to qualify for the playoffs. The 7th-ranked team faced the 10th-ranked team and the 8th-ranked team faced the 9th-ranked team, with the better-ranked teams receiving home advantage in two games if necessary to determine a winner of the series. The winners of these two best-of-three series took the two remaining playoff spots. The teams ranked 11–12 were still forced to play in the Kvalserien in order to requalify for the next season of the SHL.
From this season, the ability for the top three teams to pick their opponents in the quarterfinals was dropped; instead, the 1st-ranked team faced the lowest-ranked winner of the two best-of-three series, the 2nd-ranked team faced the other winner of the two best-of-three series, the 3rd-ranked team faced the 6th-ranked team, and the 4th-ranked team faced the 5th-ranked team.
== Summary ==
This season's outdoor game was played on December 14, 2013, between Frölunda HC and Skellefteå AIK at Gamla Ullevi, Gothenburg. The game was won by Skellefteå 4–1 in front of 13,452 spectators. It was the second SHL outdoor game to be hosted in Gothenburg, Sweden's second largest city, as well as the second SHL outdoor game featuring Frölunda HC.
On February 8, 2014, Leksands IF defenceman Patrik Hersley scored his 22nd goal of the season. With this, he broke the previous record for the number of goals by a defenceman in an SHL regular season, set by Jan Huokko in the 1998–99 season with 21 goals. Hersley added another two goals to finish the regular season with 24 goals. He was awarded the Salming Trophy, as the SHL's best defenceman, for his performance.
Linköpings HC forward Pär Arlbrandt finished the season with 71 points, becoming the third player in league history (after Håkan Loob and Bud Holloway) to score 70 points in a regular season.
== Regular season ==
=== Standings ===
=== Statistics ===
==== Scoring leaders ====
 
List shows the ten best skaters based on the amount of points during the regular season. If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same amount of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown. Updated as of the end of the regular season.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes
Player 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
Arlbrandt, Pär Pär Arlbrandt 	Linköpings HC 	53	26	45	71	+5 	66
Lindström, Joakim Joakim Lindström 	Skellefteå AIK	55	23	40	63	+15	72
Klasen, Linus Linus Klasen 	Luleå HF 	54	28	29	57	+13	45
Hjalmarsson, Simon Simon Hjalmarsson	Linköpings HC 	55	27	30	57	0 	87
Kolarik, Chad Chad Kolarik 	Linköpings HC 	53	30	18	48	0 	64
Möller, Oscar Oscar Möller 	Skellefteå AIK	48	27	18	45	+13	14
Hillding, Joakim Joakim Hillding 	Färjestad BK 	55	18	23	41	+7 	22
Gunderson, Ryan Ryan Gunderson 	Brynäs IF 	54	8 	33	41	+13	14
Arvidsson, Viktor Viktor Arvidsson 	Skellefteå AIK	50	16	24	40	+4 	59
Rasmussen, Dennis Dennis Rasmussen 	Växjö Lakers 	52	16	24	40	+6 	20
==== Leading goaltenders ====
These are the leaders in GAA among goaltenders who played at least 40% of the team's minutes. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded. Updated as of the end of the regular season.
GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average
Player 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
Rautio, David David Rautio 	Luleå HF 	34	2019:02	60 	4	.922	1.78
Fernström, Linus Linus Fernström 	Frölunda HC 	32	1765:33	60 	2	.916	2.04
Johansson, Lars Lars Johansson 	Frölunda HC 	28	1533:01	52 	1	.912	2.04
Svensson, Markus Markus Svensson 	Skellefteå AIK	34	1904:41	65 	5	.919	2.05
Munroe, Scott Scott Munroe 	Växjö Lakers 	36	2107:37	72 	3	.913	2.05
Pettersson-Wentzel, Fredrik Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel	Färjestad BK 	37	2217:47	76 	5	.926	2.06
Ullmark, Linus Linus Ullmark 	Modo Hockey 	35	2043:30	71 	3	.931	2.08
Alsenfelt, Oscar Oscar Alsenfelt 	Leksands IF 	46	2707:24	106	4	.928	2.35
Larsson, Daniel Daniel Larsson 	AIK 	45	2604:10	114	0	.917	2.63
Sandberg, Tim Tim Sandberg 	Örebro HK 	38	2256:11	99 	1	.899	2.63
== Playoffs ==
This season, only the top six teams qualified directly for the playoffs. The four teams ranked 7–10 played a best-of-three series and battled for the two remaining playoff spots. Also, the top three teams no longer got to pick their opponents in the quarterfinals.
=== Play In ===
The teams ranked 7 and 10, and the teams ranked 8 and 9, respectively, faced each other in a best-of-three series in order to qualify for the playoffs. The better-ranked teams in the two series received home advantage, i.e. two home games, if necessary to determine a winner of the series. The two winners, HV71 and Linköpings HC, took the two remaining playoff spots.
==== (7) Leksands IF vs. (10) HV71 ====
==== (8) Modo Hockey vs. (9) Linköpings HC ====
=== Playoff bracket ===
In the first round, the top-ranked team faced the lowest-ranked winner of the two best-of-three series, the 2nd-ranked team faced the other winner of the two best-of-three series, the 3rd-ranked team faced the 6th-ranked team, and the 4th-ranked team faced the 5th-ranked team. In the second round, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed. In each round the higher-seeded team was awarded home advantage. Each series was a best-of-seven series that followed an alternating home team format: the higher-seeded team played at home for games 1 and 3 (plus 5 and 7 if necessary), and the lower-seeded team was at home for games 2 and 4 (plus 6 if necessary).
=== Quarterfinals ===
====(1) Skellefteå AIK vs. (10) HV71====
====(2) Frölunda HC vs. (9) Linköpings HC====
====(3) Växjö Lakers vs. (6) Luleå HF====
====(4) Brynäs IF vs. (5) Färjestad BK====
=== Semifinals ===
====(1) Skellefteå AIK vs. (9) Linköpings HC====
====(3) Växjö Lakers vs. (5) Färjestad BK====
=== Finals: (1) Skellefteå AIK vs. (5) Färjestad BK ===
Skellefteå AIK made their fourth consecutive appearance in the Finals, following Finals appearances in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Färjestad BK reached the Finals for the first time since 2011, and became the first team seeded lower than 4th in the regular season to reach the Finals since 6th-seeded Modo Hockey made it to the Finals in 2000.
Skellefteå AIK swept Färjestad BK four games to zero and secured their third Swedish Championship title in club history, following titles in 1978 and 2013, the year before. Skellefteå AIK became the first team to defend the Swedish Championship title since Djurgårdens IF did so with their consecutive Swedish Championship titles in 2000 and 2001. Skellefteå AIK also became the first team since Brynäs IF in 1976–77 to win consecutive Swedish Championships by not losing a single game in both Finals series. Their 8–1 crush in game three marked the biggest goal margin (7 goals) in a single Finals game in SHL history.
=== Statistics ===
==== Scoring leaders ====
 
List shows the ten best skaters based on the amount of points during the playoffs. If two or more skaters are tied (i.e. same amount of points, goals and played games), all of the tied skaters are shown. Updated as of the end of the playoffs.
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes
Player 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
Lindström, Joakim Joakim Lindström 	Skellefteå AIK	14	6 	12	18	+11	10
Möller, Oscar Oscar Möller 	Skellefteå AIK	14	5 	13	18	+10	2
Arvidsson, Viktor Viktor Arvidsson 	Skellefteå AIK	14	4 	12	16	+5 	4
Ericsson, Jimmie Jimmie Ericsson 	Skellefteå AIK	14	12	2 	14	0 	12
Bellemare, Pierre-Edouard Pierre-Édouard Bellemare	Skellefteå AIK	14	9 	5 	14	+4 	6
Karlsson, Melker Melker Karlsson 	Skellefteå AIK	14	4 	8 	12	+9 	12
Johansson, Alexander Alexander Johansson 	Växjö Lakers 	12	6 	4 	10	+5 	14
Rakhshani, Rhett Rhett Rakhshani 	Växjö Lakers 	12	3 	6 	9 	+1 	12
Holloway, Bud Bud Holloway 	Skellefteå AIK	11	3 	5 	8 	0 	6
Rosen, Robert Robert Rosén 	Växjö Lakers 	12	6 	1 	7 	+4 	2
==== Leading goaltenders ====
These are the leaders in GAA and save percentage among goaltenders who played more than 40% of the team's minutes. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion are bolded. Updated as of the end of the season. 
GP = Games Played; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes); GA = Goals Against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save Percentage; GAA = Goals Against Average
Player 	Team 	 	 	 	 	 	
Svensson, Markus Markus Svensson 	Skellefteå AIK	14	870:37	20	3	.943	1.38
Lassila, Teemu Teemu Lassila 	Växjö Lakers 	12	715:51	20	3	.929	1.68
Owuya, Mark Mark Owuya 	Luleå HF 	3 	174:04	6 	0	.891	2.07
Starkbaum, Bernhard Bernhard Starkbaum 	Brynäs IF 	5 	303:44	11	1	.936	2.17
Johansson, Lars Lars Johansson 	Frölunda HC 	5 	305:39	12	0	.904	2.36
Pettersson-Wentzel, Fredrik Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel	Färjestad BK 	15	876:06	36	0	.921	2.47
Högberg, Marcus Marcus Högberg 	Linköpings HC 	9 	488:10	25	1	.908	3.07
== SHL awards ==
Guldhjälmen: Joakim Lindström, Skellefteå AIK
Guldpucken: Joakim Lindström, Skellefteå AIK
Honken Trophy: Linus Ullmark, Modo Hockey
Håkan Loob Trophy: Chad Kolarik, Linköpings HC
Rookie of the Year: Andreas Johnson, Frölunda HC
Stefan Liv Memorial Trophy: Joakim Lindström, Skellefteå AIK
Guldpipan: Mikael Nord
== See also ==
* 2014 Kvalserien
* List of SHL seasons
== References ==
==External links==
Category:SHL Seasons
Category:2013–14 in European ice hockey leagues