Previous Leagues Called Allsvenskan
During seasons 1948–49 through 1974–75 Allsvenskan was the semi-official name of the first-level league, the official name being Division 1 norra (north) and södra (south), comprising six teams each until 1955–56 and eight teams each from 1956–57 to 1973–74. In 1974–75 it was played as one Division 1 league with sixteen teams, leading up to the start in 1975–76 season of the present Elitserien.
The second highest-level league had been called Division 2 since 1941–42, and was divided into eight groups from 1957–58 on. The winners of these groups played in two qualification leagues, a northern and a southern one, from which two teams each were promoted. In the 1974–75 season the grouping was changed to have six groups. Each qualification league contained the winners of three groups and one each of the teams on places nine and ten in the sixteen-team league Allsvenskan.
When Elitserien started in 1975–76 as the top level with ten teams, the new second highest-level league was called Division 1, in four groups. After a couple of years, it was settled into ten teams each in these. Until the 1981–82 season the Division 1 leagues were played over the entire season and followed by play-offs and Kvalserien, the qualification league for the Elitserien.
In 1982–83, however, the name Allsvenskan came back, for a league starting after the Christmas and New Year's break of the season. The top two teams of each Division 1 league were promoted to the new Allsvenskan. The top two teams in the Allsvenska played a best of five final for promotion to Elitserien. The teams 3–6 in the Allsvenska continued with play-offs and possibly Kvalserien for the second open spot in the Elitserien.
For the 1987–88 season the Elitserien was expanded from ten to twelve teams, and now also the two last teams in Elitserien by the end of the year were moved down for play in the Allsvenskan together with the top eight Division 1 teams. Still with a best of five final between the top two teams, and play-offs for teams 3–8.
From the 1996–97 season, the Elitserien changed and played with all twelve teams for the entire season. The Allsvenskan changed back to the eight top teams from Division 1 only. The best of five final was also abandoned. From here on, the top two teams were promoted directly to Kvalserien, while the teams finishing 3-6 played play-offs for two more spots in Kvalserien.
In the 1999–2000 season, Allsvenskan Norra (north) and Södra (south) was inaugurated as a completely new second-level league, consisting of twelve teams each. The top four teams from each of them were promoted for the later half of the season to the same kind of league as recent years Allsvenska, but the name of that league was changed to SuperAllsvenskan.
For the 2005–06 season the number of teams was decreased from 2x12 to 16 (currently 14), and the present HockeyAllsvenskan was born.
Read more about this topic: Hockey Allsvenskan
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