The SHL is still hoping for an audience when the league starts in September. But if there is no audience, then it will be a difficult situation for all clubs. Färjestad has by far the largest equity in the SHL of SEK 120 million, but even there you will not escape the problems if it has not been possible to have an audience throughout the season.
- It would have been completely devastating, I would say, says Färjestad's CEO Stefan Larsson to SVT Sport.
Larsson is of the opinion that it is not only the income from ticket sales that disappears. It's everything from partners not getting as high exposure and paying less to be seen in the arena to restaurants and koisker. And even though Färjestad has a large equity capital, not all the money is variable, but a lot is in real estate. Then there may be a problem with liquidity.
- In our opinion, equity is not the challenge of an individual season, but it is liquidity that will be the big challenge, says Larsson.
"The hope is to have an audience"Färjestad has for some time set up a plan for how they could take in the audience in the arena, but at the same time follow recommendations from the Public Health Agency. Some countries have begun to let in crowds, and in South Korea it has begun to be allowed to fill ten percent of the arena. But in Karlstad, they think it goes with more than that.
- We would be able to do much more than ten percent and follow all guidelines to keep our distance.
And Larsson believes that it will be possible to get fans in already for the premiere on 19 September.
- The hope is to have an audience, and I believe in that too, he says.