The 2011âÂÂ12 Elitserien season was the 37th season of Elitserien. The regular season began on 13 September 2011 and ended on 6 March 2012. The following playoffs began on 10 March 2012 and ended on 19 April. Färjestad BK were the defending Swedish Champions. Brynäs IF won their first Swedish Championship title since 1999, as well as their 13th in history, after defeating SkellefteÃÂ¥ AIK in six games.
The regular season was won by LuleÃÂ¥ HF, for the first time since 1996, while DjurgÃÂ¥rdens IF and TimrÃÂ¥ IK were forced to play in the 2012 Kvalserien for survival in the highest division.
In Kvalserien, TimrÃÂ¥ IK requalified and Rögle BK qualified for the 2012âÂÂ13 Elitserien season at the expense of DjurgÃÂ¥rdens IF.
To allow for local music events as well as other ice hockey ones, this season had three mid-season breaks: the first between 8âÂÂ14 November 2011, the second between 12âÂÂ20 December, and the third between 5âÂÂ14 February 2012. To increase interest for Elitserien, the 2011âÂÂ12 season's schedule was more active: from 14âÂÂ29 November 2011 and 16âÂÂ31 January 2012, there were Elitserien games every day (except for two days, 20 November and 22 January). Also, in the playoffs, there were quarterfinals every day (the four quarterfinal series were split into two quarterfinals per day).
A significant change in this Elitserien season was that the clubs wouldn't be fined for supporter incidents as long as the clubs correctly followed the security rules.
On 17 October 2011, the Swedish Police Authority decided that the police should be economically compensated for their efforts during sports events held by joint-stock companies (JSC). This mainly affected the league's two Stockholm clubs DjurgÃÂ¥rdens IF and AIK. As a result, AIK were forced to sell forward Linus Videll to Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on 24 October 2011.
The local derby games between AIK and DjurgÃÂ¥rdens IF were played in the Ericsson Globe, which has a capacity of 13,850 spectators.
The first game of the season was played on 13 September 2011 between Frölunda HC and the Elitserien newcomers Växjö Lakers. The game counted as round 6 and was won by Frölunda 2âÂÂ0 in front of an outsold Scandinavium, with Frölunda defenceman Christian Bäckman scoring the first goal of the season.
The first SmÃÂ¥land derby game in Elitserien history was played on 8 October 2011 between reigning regular-season champions HV71 and Växjö Lakers, at Kinnarps Arena in Jönköping. In front of a sold out Kinnarps ArenaâÂÂexactly 7,000 spectatorsâÂÂVäxjö Lakers came out with a 3âÂÂ2 victory in a shootout. Växjö Lakers forward Mike Iggulden scored three penalty shot goals in the game, two of them counted in the statistics.
On 22 September 2011, Linköpings HC forward Mikael HÃÂ¥kanson played his 912th Elitserien gameâÂÂregulation and playoff games includedâÂÂand thus wrote history as he surpassed previous record holder Roger àkerström. However, SkellefteÃÂ¥ AIK wiped out Linköping in that game with a 4âÂÂ0 shutout win.
On 23 November 2011, Linköpings HC forward Andreas Jämtin became the most penalized player in Elitserien history. He received a penalty of five minutes for elbowing and a match penalty after a hit on LuleÃÂ¥ HF's Daniel Mannberg to reach a total of 1088 penalty minutes, surpassing Thomas Berglund's 1083.
Like the previous season, an outdoor game was played. It was played between HV71 and Linköpings HC (known as the E4 rivalry) on 10 December 2011, in a temporary arena at Elmia. The outdoor game was played as part of HV71 celebrating its 40th anniversary as a club. For the first time since the start of the yearly tradition of Elitserien outdoor games in 2009, the road teamâÂÂthis year LinköpingâÂÂcame out on top with a 1âÂÂ0 overtime win in a tight game. 18,884 spectators attended the game, setting a new record for the most spectators at a single sports event in Jönköping; the previous record was 18,582 spectators, set at Stadsparksvallen in 1950.
Certain chosen games were broadcast in 3D, marking the first time in history that Elitserien was broadcast in 3D. The local derby game on 20 September 2011, between Stockholm rivals DjurgÃÂ¥rdens IF and AIK at the Ericsson Globe, was the first game to have a 3D broadcast. In front of a soldout Ericsson Globe, the game ended 4âÂÂ2 in DjurgÃÂ¥rden's favour.
As a result of the 2011 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash, where Swedish former HV71 goaltender Stefan Liv and the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team were killed, the premier round games between 13 and 15 September 2011 began with a one-minute silence. In honour of Stefan Liv, his No. 1 jersey was retired and raised to the rafters by HV71 in Kinnarps Arena prior to HV71's home game against TimrÃÂ¥ IK on 10 January 2012.
DjurgÃÂ¥rdens IF legend Sven Tumba died on 1 October 2011. As a result, Tumba was honoured in all Elitserien arenas that day. The biggest honours were held in DjurgÃÂ¥rden's home game against Växjö Lakers at Hovet, which was won by DjurgÃÂ¥rden 2âÂÂ1.
On 24 January 2012, former five-time DjurgÃÂ¥rden Swedish champion Charles Berglund's No. 2 jersey was retired and raised to the rafters in Hovet prior to a game against Färjestad. DjurgÃÂ¥rden won 2âÂÂ1 after a shootout.
Updated as of the end of the regular season.<br> GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/â = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
These are the leaders in GAA among goaltenders who have played at least 40% of the team's minutes. 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
In the first round, the top-seeded team chose which of the four lowest remaining seeds to be matched against; the 2nd-seed chose any of the three remaining seeds; the 3rd-seed chose any of the two remaining seeds; and the 4th-seed was automatically matched against the remaining seed. In the second round, the highest remaining seed was matched against the lowest remaining seed, while two remaining seeds matched up against each other. In each round the higher-seeded team was awarded home ice advantage. Each best-of-seven series 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).
LuleÃÂ¥ entered the playoffs as the regular-season champions for the first time since 1996, with 100 points. AIK finished the regular season as the seventh seed with 82 points. This was the second playoff series between these teams; in 1997, LuleÃÂ¥ defeated AIK in three games to advance to the finals. In the regular season, LuleÃÂ¥ won four of the five games against AIK, allowing no goals in either of these four games.
SkellefteÃÂ¥ finished second in the regular season with 95 points. Modo finished eighth and managed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2007. The teams previously met in the 1978 semifinals, where Modo were swept in two games by SkellefteÃÂ¥. SkellefteÃÂ¥ won all five games against Modo in the regular season, although each game was decided by only one goal.
HV71 finished third with 92 points and failed to make the top two spots for the first time since 2009. Färjestad finished sixth with 87 points, marking the team's worst regular season since 2000. The teams had previously faced each other six times; HV71 had only come out on top once. The most recent meeting was in the 2009 finals, when Färjestad won in five games to become the Swedish Champions.
Brynäs' fourth-place finish in the regular season was the team's best since 2001. Frölunda finished fifth and made their best regular season since 2009. This was the fifth playoff series between the teams; the two most recent ones had been won by Frölunda. The previous meeting occurred in 2006, when Frölunda swept Brynäs in four games to advance to the semifinals.
<small>All times are local (UTC+2).</small>
SkellefteÃÂ¥ won four of the five regular-season meetings against AIK, only one of which was decided by more than one goal. In the playoffs, the teams had previously faced each other in the 1978 finals; SkellefteÃÂ¥ came out on top and clinched the championship in three games that time.
Brynäs won three of the five regular-season games against Färjestad. The teams had previously met each other in the playoffs eight times; Färjestad had come out on top in the six latest occasions. The most recent meeting occurred in 2011, when Färjestad knocked Brynäs out in the quarterfinals, winning in five games.
Brynäs won three of the five regular-season games between the two teams. This was only the second playoff series between these teams. The first playoff meeting took place in the 1976 semifinals, when Brynäs defeated SkellefteÃÂ¥ two games to zero and advanced to the finals.
Updated as of 19 April 2012.<br> GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/â = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
These are the leaders in GAA and save percentage 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 season.
GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; Sv% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average