There are more women and girl players in ice hockey: "Very gratifying"

In April 2021, there were 7,034 registered women's hockey players in Sweden.

Now that number is up to 9,063, an increase of 28.8 percent in just one year.

- This increase feels very gratifying.

We are not satisfied and want to become more, but we look positively at the girls getting their own platforms in the associations, which means that more girls are attracted to start playing ice hockey, says Sara Ridderlund, project manager for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's women's and girls' initiative.

The number of boys playing ice hockey went from 56,670 in April 2021 to 61,830 in April 2022, an increase of 5,160 players or 9.1 percent.

- Since it was the group we lost the most during the pandemic years, it is gratifying that that number also increased last season, says Anders Wahlström, development manager at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association.