The2010–11 Elitserien season was the 36th season ofElitserien.[3] The regular season ran from 15 September 2010 to 5 March 2011, and the followingplayoffs ended on 14 April.[4]HV71 won the regular season, scoring the game-winning empty net goal againstSödertälje SK in the final round.Färjestads BK won the playoffs and thus became Swedish champions, beatingSkellefteå AIK 4–1 in the finals. All of thelocal derby games betweenAIK andDjurgårdens IF were played in theEricsson Globe.
On 26 December 2010, a game was held outdoors betweenFärjestads BK andFrölunda HC inKarlstad, continuing a tradition of outdoor games started in theprevious season.[5] Like last season, the home team won the game, this time in front of 15,274 spectators.[6]
In the first round, the highest remaining seed chose which of the four lowest remaining seeds to be matched against. In the second round, the highest remaining seed is matched against the lowest remaining seed. In each round the higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage. Each best-of-seven series follows an alternating home team format: the higher-seeded team will play at home for games 1 and 3 (plus 5 and 7 if necessary), and the lower-seeded team will be at home for game 2, 4 and 6 (if necessary).
For this season, a team receiving a penalty shot had to use the player fouled to perform the shot. Previously, the team could choose any player to take the shot.
A player on the ice must be within 1.5 metres of the bench before his replacement could step on the ice.
A player losing his helmet during play must leave the ice immediately.
When a team with a player already in the penalty box has adelayed penalty and the opposing team scores, the player already in the box will exit and the player with the delayed penalty will serve his penalty. Previously, the goal would negate the delayed penalty.
A goal scored with the shaft of thestick would stand, even were the stick blade above the crossbar.
The number of non-players allowed in the bench area was increased from six to eight.
For the first time since the2004–2005 season, the 2010–2011 season re-introducedshootout in regulation games. Games tied after the first 60 minutes went to a 5-minute overtime period, and to a shootout if no goals were scored in the overtime. If the teams scored equally with three penalty shots, a sudden-death shootout would result: if the first team scored, the second team would lose unless it could score in its next shot. The player who gave his team the winning lead in the shootout was awarded a goal point in the protocol. The first game to go into a shootout was in round 3, aTimrå IK victory overLuleå HF.
^Daniel Grefve/Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå (9 August 2010)."Lagen får inte välja straffskytt" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet.Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved9 August 2010.
Joakim Lindström
Mikko Lehtonen
Byron Ritchie
Per-Åge Skrøder
Jaroslav Hlinka
Media related to2010-2011 Swedish Elite League season at Wikimedia Commons