Sweden Extends Body Checking Pilot Project

The SDHL, NDHL, and next season, Sweden's junior leagues for women's hockey will all allow body checking.

For the first time ever, Sweden's top two women's hockey divisions, the SDHL and NDHL both allowed body checking during the 2022-2023 season. After evaluating the success of the program, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association announced they would be extending the project.

"A big and important decision for Swedish women's hockey. We broke new ground for the 22/23 season when we allowed tackles in the SDHL and NDHL and it is a project closely followed by other nations and the IIHF," said Johan Stark, Secretary General of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. "We think that the evaluation that has been made and the attitude that players and managers have expressed is a strong argument for pushing the project forward."

That positive feedback among players included 86% of players across both leagues reporting a "very positive" or "positive" experience playing with the new body checking rules, according to a study conducted by Tobias Stark from Linné University.

Among reported benefits were better competition and entertainment, and less injuries.

There is belief the rule change resulted in stronger competition from Sweden and Finland at the recent IIHF World Championships as the two nations were better prepared to face the traditionally more physical Canadian and USA teams.

"The overall picture is that a more physical game and tackles are appreciated," said Morgan Johansson, one of the project leaders.

With the success at Sweden's top two levels, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association will now expand the program to include training within the nation's four regional junior leagues.

The expansion is to help prepare youth for the physical game that now awaits at the professional level in Sweden.

The rule allows for body checking along the board and while travelling in the same direction in open ice, but restricts against open ice hits in the direction opposing play.