Sweden’s top two women’s hockey teams plan to allow Rigging next season. This is an experiment that will last next season.
In addition to SDHL, the experiment concerns the second highest series of Damettan.
In the previous four years, an increasingly physical game has been allowed in the Swedish main series.
Project manager for the Nollvision project, which focuses on hockey brain injury prevention Morgan Johansson according to injuries are likely to increase initially but then turn downward.
“We have to be patient.” If the injuries increase a bit, they will soon turn downwards. Hopefully. But I follow the situation really closely, Johansson assures. ** **
– I haven’t heard anyone say anything negative yet.
Traps on open ice are not allowed in the experiment.
Head coach of Sweden Ulf Lundberg believes the experiment will also help the women’s national team.
– International games are tough and to be closer to the level of other countries we need to get more toughness in the game. I think we get more creativity in the game. Players are required to do more and get more toughness in the duel, Lundberg comments to SVT.
The Swedish women’s hockey national team dropped out of Division B at the end of the 2019 World Championships in Finland. However, the team rose back to Division A when Russia was excluded from international hockey after the country invaded Ukraine.
Numerous key players in the Female Lions will also be hockeying in the Swedish SDHL next season.
In women’s hockey, tackling is prohibited in the rules and illegal tackling is punishable by ice.
This has not always been the case. Backgammon was still allowed at the 1989 European Championships and the 1990 World Championships, but was already banned at the 1992 World Championships.