At the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation's 2017 meeting, the current licensing rules were decided. The rules include a requirement for equity for the clubs in SHL, the hockey general and the hockey team, which is increasing year by year. Next season, the SHL clubs will have at least SEK 6 million in equity, the Swedish hockey club SEK 2.5 million and the clubs in the hockey league SEK 0.3 million.

By 2022, the capital requirement will increase to SEK 10 million for the SHL clubs, SEK 4 million for the hockeyall Swedish clubs and in the hockey club the clubs will have SEK 0.5 million.

Can change the rules

But with the corona crisis, the Swedish ice hockey association now opens to change the rules.

- We have now started work on how to apply the licensing rules for the summer, and especially linked to the economy. The signal is clear from the clubs that they want us to do that homework. So far, there is no formal proposal or decision, but we have the issue on the agenda and will return to Hockey Sweden soon, says Anders Larsson, chairman of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, to SVT Sport and continues:

- Of course we have to do something when we are facing major financial consequences that no one can overlook today.

Several dispensers

Last year, Malmö Redhawks, IF Björklöven, Almtuna IS, Karlskrona HK, Västerviks IK and HC Vita Hästen failed to meet the capital requirement in SHL and hockeyall Swedes. Add 14 clubs to the hockey team that did not meet the requirement.

All clubs still managed the license, given that they were granted exemption from the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. According to current regulations, a club can only receive an exemption at one point during a five-year period.

- This is a very unique and extraordinary situation that nobody could ever foresee when the regulations were formulated and decided. There is no final proposal, but we will review how the rules will be applied.

In mid-April Anders Larsson hopes that the union will have made a decision on the issue of the licensing rules.