| Nationella Damhockeyligan | |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Teams: | 27 |
| Promotion: | SDHL |
| Champion: | Norra: Skellefteå AIK Södra: Södertälje SK |
| Champ Season: | 2023–24 |
| Founder: | SIF |
Nationella Damhockeyligan or NDHL is the second-highest women's ice hockey league in Sweden. It was previously known as the Damettan or Damettan i ishockey during 2015 to 2021, and Division 1 during 2007 to 2015. The league engages in active promotion and relegation with the top-tier Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) and the third-tier Damtvåan.
Beginning with the first official women's ice hockey Swedish Championship in 1988, the Division 1 served as the premier league for women's ice hockey and the winner of its playoffs was named Swedish Champion. During the 2007–08 season, the best Division 1 teams qualified for a newly created premier league, the Riksserien (renamed SDHL in 2016), at which point Division 1 was reconfigured as the second-tier league.
Bodychecking was allowed for the 2022–2023 season.[1]
The current NDHL season structure was first implemented in the 2021–22 season and minor modifications have subsequently been made. Unlike the SDHL, which is governed entirely by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIF), or the Damtvåan, which is governed entirely by regional ice hockey associations, the governance of the NDHL is split between regional associations and the SIF. Regional associations oversee their respective the NDHL DamEttan divisions until teams have been selected for the regional qualifier. The SIF oversees the Dam HockeyAllsvenskan, the regional qualifier, the Dam HockeyAllsvenskan playoffs, and the .
The season begins with four regional series, collectively called the . Teams are sorted into one of four geographical divisions: NDHL Damettan Norra (North), NDHL Damettan Östra (East), NDHL Damettan Södra (South), and NDHL Damettan Västra (West). Each Damettan division is administered locally by a regional sub-organ of the SIF, which results in some structural and regulatory differences between divisions, for example, the number of games played and the manner in which teams are selected for the regional qualifier.
The two top-ranking teams from each Damettan division qualify for the, which is administered directly by the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and is generally played during February. Damettan divisions are partially merged for the Damhockeyallsvenskan to form two groups of four teams: Norr/Väst, called Damhockeyallsvenskan Norra, and Syd/Öst, called Damhockeyallsvenskan Södra. Each group is played as a double round-robin; the top-three teams progress to the NDHL playoffs, while the teams placing fourth qualify for the next NDHL Damettan season.
In mid-February, the top teams from the NDHL Damettan Östra, Södra, and Västra compete for the remaining playoff berths in a regional qualifier (Swedish: regionalt förkval). Each division used a different method for determining its top team The series is played as a single round-robin; the top two teams earn positions in the NDHL playoffs and the third-place team qualifies for the next NDHL Damettan season.
The NDHL playoffs feature the top-three teams from the two divisions of the Dam HockeyAllsvenskan and the top-two teams from the regional qualifier. The divisions from the Dam HockeyAllsvenskan – Norra and Södra – remain in place and one team from the regional qualifier is added to each of the divisions. Each round is played using a best-of-three format.
The Dam HockeyAllsvenskan playoff champions earn the opportunity to compete in the ('qualification series for the SDHL'), in which they play against the two bottom ranked teams from the SDHL regular season. The teams ranking first and second in the earn placement in the SDHL for the following season, meaning one or both NDHL teams can gain promotion to the SDHL and one or both of the SDHL teams can be relegated to the NDHL DamEttan.
| Team | Location | Home venue | Head coach | Captain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IF Björklöven | Umeå | Winpos Arena | |||
| Luleå HF 2 | Luleå | Lulebohallen | |||
| MoDo Hockey 2 | Örnsköldsvik | Hägglunds Arena | |||
| Skellefteå AIK | Skellefteå | Skellefteå Kraft Arena | |||
| Timrå IK | Timrå | Lill-strimma Hallen |
| Team | Location | Home venue | Head coach | Captain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIK 2 | Solna | Ulriksdals IP | |||
| Hammarby IF | Stockholm | Zinkensdamms IP | |||
| Haninge Anchors HC | Haninge | Torvalla Ishall | |||
| SDE HF 2 | Stocksund | Enebybergs Ishall | |||
| SHK Hockey | Skärplinge | PEK-Hallen | |||
| Södertälje SK | Södertälje | Scaniarinken | |||
| Team Uppsala HC | Uppsala | Gränby Ishall |
| Team | Location | Home venue(s) | Head coach | Captain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hvidovre IK | Hvidovre | Frihedens Idrætscenter | |||
| Karlskrona HK | Karlskrona | NKT Arena Karlskrona | |||
| Linköping HC 2 | Linköping | Stångebro Ishall & Saab Arena | |||
| IF Malmö Redhawks | Malmö | Malmö Isstadion | |||
| Rögle BK | Ängelholm | Catena Arena | |||
| Rödovre SoIK | Rödovre | Rödovre Centrum Arena | |||
| IF Troja-Ljungby | Ljungby | Ljungby Arena |
| Team | Location | Home venue(s) | Head coach | Captain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brynäs IF 2 | Gävle | Monitor ERP Arena | |||
| Falu IF | Falun | Lugnets Ishall | |||
| Färjestad BK | Karlstad | Löfbergs Arena | |||
| Hedesunda IF | Hedesunda | Hedesunda Ishall | |||
| Leksands IF 2 | Leksand | Clas Ohlson Foundation Arena | |||
| Mora IK/Hällefors IK | Mora | Smidjegrav Arena | |||
| Västerås IK | Västerås | Mimerhallen | |||
| Örebro HK | Örebro | Behrn Arena |
Source: [6]
Source: [7]