| Djurgårdens IF | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Stockholm, Sweden |
| League | SHL |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Home arena | Hovet andAvicii Arena |
| Colors | |
| General manager | Niklas Wikegård |
| Head coach | Robert Kimby |
| Captain | Marcus Krüger |
| Website | www |
| Franchise history | |
| 1922–1934 | Djurgårdens IF |
| 1938–present | Djurgårdens IF |
| Championships | |
| Le Mat Trophy | (16) (1926, 1950, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2001) |
Djurgårdens IF Ishockeyförening, commonly known asDjurgårdens IF,Djurgården Hockey, orDjurgården (IPA:[ˈjʉ̂ːrˌɡoːɖɛn]), is a professionalice hockey team based inStockholm, Sweden, affiliated with theDjurgårdens IF umbrella organisation. Djurgården compete in theSwedish Hockey League, which is the top tier Swedish ice hockey league. The men's team is the most successful Swedish ice hockey team of all time, as 16-timeSwedish champions, 12-time runners-up, 26-time finalists, and third in themarathon table for the top flight of Swedish hockey. The ice hockey section was first established in 1922 and has since been playing in the Swedish league system, with the exception of four years in the 1930s when the hockey section was temporarily dissolved.
Djurgården primarily play their home games atHovet, an older arena built in the 1950s with a capacity of 8,094, but high-profile matches such as derbies againstAIK andplayoff games may be played inAvicii Arena with its larger capacity of 13,950.
Djurgården have retired nine players' jerseys in their history, and have retired the number 2 twice, since bothRoland Stoltz andCharles Berglund had worn the number before retiring jerseys became well-established in Sweden. The most common nicknames for the team are "Järnkaminerna" (The Iron Stoves), "Stockholms stolthet" (The Pride of Stockholm) and "Mesta mästarna" (The Winners of Most Championships). Djurgården also has a supporters' club calledJärnkaminerna, which it shares with thefootball section.
Djurgårdens IF was founded on 12 March 1891 at a café at the address of Alberget 4A on the islandDjurgården.[1]Ice hockey was introduced in Sweden in 1921, and the club's ice hockey section was founded in 1922 with the help ofIK Göta playerWilhelm Arwe.[2][3] The ice hockey team participated in its first Swedish championship the same year, being beaten byHammarby in the semi-finals. The team's roster consisted of only six players but was reinforced with five new players for the following season. Djurgården managed to reach the final during this season against IK Göta, which proved to be too hard and Djurgården lost 3–0 atStockholm Olympic Stadium. The procedure was repeated in 1924 and Djurgården had to wait until 1926 to finally lift theLe Mat trophy for the first time, after a 7–1 victory againstVästerås IK. This was also the very first time the Le Mat trophy was awarded to the winning team.[4] The club was successful early on and four Djurgården players were named for the Swedish roster in the1924 Winter Olympics. At the 1926 Swedish Championship, the team contained three of those players, Wilhelm Arwe,Ernst Karlberg andRuben Allinger.[5]
In the beginning of the 1930s, the success Djurgården had during the 1920s began to fade. High costs and low attendance figures took their toll on the hockey section, and the main club itself. At the same time, no new leaders or players joined Djurgården. When the team was relegated to the second division in 1934, having only won two games during the season, the hockey section was dissolved.[6][7] Instead, focus was moved to thebandy section and given the hockey section's resources.[8]
The section was restarted in 1938 in the sixth division (Klass VI) and the team consisted of former players likeEinar "Stor-Klas" Svensson andGustaf "Lulle" Johansson.[8] The team only played three league games during this season; but this was enough to win the sixth division and get the team promoted to the fifth division.[9] Problems arose when the club tried to recruit new players. Those who were asked to join the team thought the inquiry was some kind of joke.[10] However, the club managed to gather enough players to take part in the following season's matches. These players had mainly played bandy and football prior to joining the hockey team.[11] The plan for the coming seasons was to get promoted every year until the club reached the highest division again.[10] Thus the 1940s consisted mainly of climbing in the league system.
For three consecutive seasons from the fifth division, Skuru IK was always ahead of Djurgården in the league table. However, as two teams were promoted from every division, this was of no concern. The 1942–43 season was never completed due to warm weather, but since the national division 2 were expanded to six leagues for the 1943–44 season, both Djurgården and Skuru were promoted anyway. This meant that Djurgården now had left the local Stockholm leagues and advanced to the national leagues. Djurgården would have to wait until 1947 to finally win a division again, only to be beaten by Atlas Diesel and Västerås SK in the promotion playoffs.[11] For the 1948–49 season, the team was finally back in the highest league, and finished second behind Hammarby. No Swedish championship was played this season due to warm weather, and the only available hockey rink at Stockholm Olympic Stadium could not suffice.[11] The hockey section had now trained their own talents, who began to replace many of the players still playing for either the bandy or the football section.[12]
The 1950s began well for Djurgården. While the team couldn't beat Hammarby in the league, the Swedish Championship was a different matter. After winning onwalkover against Forshaga IF, the team advanced to the semi-finals to meet Hammarby. The dominants of the 1930s and the 1940s were beaten 3–1 after one goal each by twinsHans andStig Andersson, and one goal by Karl-Erik Andersson. Djurgården's final opponentMora IK proved to be an easy task.Gösta "Lill-Lulle" Johansson scored three goals and in the end, Mora was beaten 7–2.[13] This was the first Swedish Championship for the club in 24 years.
The Swedish championship was remade for the 1952–53 season. Instead of asingle-elimination tournament with a total of eight teams, the winners of the south and north divisions met each other twice to decide the championship. Djurgården's opponent in the final wereGävle GIK; the first game ended with a 5–1 victory, and the second game ended with a 1–1 draw.[14] Led bySven "Tumba" Johansson's 19-goal season, Djurgården went on to win the south division by winning all ten league games in the 1954–55 season. Both finals in 1955 were played at Johanneshovs IP and Djurgården won both games againstHammarby IF, 6–3 in the first and 11–2 in the second final.[15] The second final is still a record for the number of goals scored in a Swedish championship final.[15] The Swedish championship was again changed as of the 1955–56 season to be decided by a four team championship series, which qualified through the two top positions of the Division I north and south respectively. Djurgården followed up the Swedish championship with two runner-up positions in the championship series behind Södertälje SK and Gävle Godtemplares IK in 1956 and 1957 respectively.[16] Three Djurgården players; Sven "Tumba" Johansson,Lasse Björn, andRoland Stoltz was part of the1957 world championship team, which was Sweden's second championship title of the tournament.[17]
In 1958, the club claimed itsfifth Swedish championship title by winning four of six games in the championship series, with Sven "Tumba" Johansson leading the scoring with nine goals and twelve points.[18] This was the start of a period of six consecutive titles until 1963.[19] Between the start of the1958–59 season until 8 November 1962, Djurgården went unbeaten in 57 consecutive regular season games.[20] Three members of Djurgården's 1959 ice hockey championship team; Sven "Tumba" Johansson,Gösta Sandberg, andHans Mild, also played for the club's football department, which won theSwedish championship in the same year.[21] Djurgården secured the championship title in 1960, finishing four points ahead of Södertälje SK, and repeated the feat in 1961 with the same margin over runner-up Skellefteå AIK.[22] The championship series were expanded as of the 1962 season, and Djurgården was for the first time in several seasons challenged for the Swedish championship, byVästra Frölunda IF. The two teams finished level on 13 points, with Djurgården claiming the championship on goal difference after their final meeting ended 4–4, Sven Tumba scoring the equaliser.[22][23] After missing out on the regular season title in the1962–63 season season, Djurgården bounced back in the championship series. They won again on goal difference, finishing tied for first place with Skellefteå AIK at 11 points.[22] During the 1950s and early 1960s, Djurgården emerged as the most consistently successful team in Swedish ice hockey. Between the 1953–54 and 1962–63 seasons, the team played 128 regular season games, achieving 115 wins, five ties, and only eigth losses, a record that underscored its dominance during this golden era.[21]
In the 1950s and the early 1960s, Djurgården's ice hockey team was known for its consistent lineup, with most players hailing from the Stockholm area.[24] However, the club underwent a generational shift in the early 1960s, as several veteran players includingGösta Sandberg,Stig Andersson-Tvilling, andHans Mild retired from ice hockey.[25] This transition marked the end of an era, and Djurgården missed out on medal positions in the 1963–64 Swedish championship. The following season,1964–65, was the first time since 1953 that the team failed to qualify for the championship, finishing fifth in Division I South.[22][26] In response, the club began to move away from its local roots and initiated a broader recruitment strategy, signing three promising players fromModo AIK. The transfer sparked controversy, as Modo's leadership refused to approve the move, resulting in the players being suspended for most of the 1965–66 season.[25] The episode exemplified a broader shift during the late 1960s and into the 1970s, when Djurgården increasingly brought in players from other parts of Sweden. These players were also traded more frequently, often staying only for short periods. This reflected a growing lack of continuity in the team's player roster and less locally anchored team composition.[24][27]
Djurgården was left outside the championship series from 1969 to 1971, and when the team managed to qualify they were never close to winning the championship series, often ending up in the middle or the lower end in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[28] Djurgården nearly failed to qualify for the inaugural season of the new top-tier league, Elitserien, after a poor regular season performance, but secured their spot by winning the following qualification series.[29] The team also experienced a difficult1975–76 season in the Elitserien, finishing 9th and subsequently moving down to the second tier Division I, after 28 consecutive seasons at the top level of the Swedish hockey league system.[30][31] Thefollowing season, the team showed strong form in Division I Östra, recording 28 wins in 33 games and a goal difference of +189. They went unbeaten in the playoffs and ended up first in the1977 Kvalserien, thus earning promotion back to Elitserien.[32]
Following the 1977–78 season, in which Djurgårdens IF avoided relegation but failed to qualify for the playoffs, head coachHans Mild was replaced byEilert Määttä. The club also acquired forwardAnders Kallur from Modo AIK, who went on to lead the league in scoring during the regular season. Djurgården won the opening match of the finals, but Modo, Kallur's former team, secured the title in the subsequent games.[33]Bert-Ola Nordlander succeeded Määttä as head coach for two seasons, during which Djurgården remained in the lower half of the standings and failed to reach the playoffs.[34]Leif Boork replaced Nordlander ahead of the 1981–82 season. Under his leadership, Djurgården earned a reputation for a physical and controversial style of play, and narrowly avoided relegation via the1982 Kvalserien.[35][36]
Boork's second season as head coach was a successful one. The team finished second in the regular season standings, just behind Färjestad BK, but went on to win the Swedish championship through a strong playoff performance. In the semi-finals, Djurgården defeated Björklöven by 2–1 in games, and in the finals, they beat Färjestad with 3–2 in games after trailing 2–1 in the series following the third game.[37] The championship-winning goal in game five was scored byThomas Eriksson, marking his sole playoff goal and securing the first championship in 20 years.[38] Boork led the team to another final series the following season, this time ending in a 3–0 sweeping loss in games to arch rivals AIK.[39]Gunnar Svensson took charge after Boork headed on to coach the Swedish national team, leading the team to another final series, this time against Södertälje SK which ultimately won in five games.[39] Djurgården stuggled in the1985–86 season and spent much of the season battling relegation. Svensson was sacked in January 1986, despite having signed a five-year contract as the head coach just a few months earlier.[40] Although the team reached the championship finals three times in the mid-1980s, the overall financial situation remained unstable. The club, whose finances were consolidated across all different sporting sections, faced a debt burden of more than 15 million Swedish krona, contrasted with assets amounting to only three million. The club avoided collapse through a debt settlement, leading to efforts to restructure its economy.[41]
Djurgården secured their 12th Swedish Championship title in the1988–89 Elitserien season under the leadership of head coachTommy Boustedt and assistant coachLasse Falk. The team finished first in the regular season standings, one point ahead ofLeksands IF, withKent Nilsson leading Djurgården in scoring.[42] Notably, Leksand had won all regular season games against Djurgården, setting the stage for a competitive final series between the two clubs.[42] Despite losing the opening game of the finals, Djurgården responded by winning three consecutive games, thereby clinching the championship with a 3–1 series victory.[43] The finals was played during the inaugural year of theStockholm Globe arena.[42]The following season, Djurgården successfully defended their title, becoming the first team to do so since Brynäs IF in the1976–77 season.[44] They defeated Färjestad in the finals with a 3–1 series win.[45]
In 1989,Mats Sundin became the first European-born player to be selected first overall in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft, shortly before making his debut season with Djurgården in the Elitserien.[46] Despite a multi-year contract and public statements that he would stay, Sundin left Djurgården in September 1990 to joinQuebec Nordiques.[47][48] The transfer, valued at over six millionSwedish krona, made him the most expensive Swedish player sold to the NHL at the time.[49] His departure, along withJohan Garpenlöv's, weakened Djurgården's top lines just before the start of the 1990–91 season.[50] Nontheless, Djurgården won both the regular season and the continuation round of the1990–91 Elitserien season, finishing first overall. The team remained unbeaten throughout the playoffs, defeating Södertälje SK and Västerås IK in the quarterfinals and semi-finals respectively, and Färjestad BK in the finals. This marked Djurgården's third consecutive Swedish Championship title, a feat unmatched since the formation ofElitserien in 1975.[51] Djurgården also achieved success on the European stage by winning theIIHF European Cup in both 1990 and 1991, beatingHC Dynamo Moscow andDüsseldorfer EG respectively in the finals.[52] Djurgården were unable to secure a fourth consecutive title the following season after losing in the finals in five games againstMalmö IF.[53]
In early 1993, Djurgården suffered a substantial financial loss following allegations of financial mismanagement involving the club's accounts, where funds were reportedly used for personal and speculative purposes.[54][55] Djurgården lost over five million Swedish krona excluding interest, and was saved from bankruptcy by a loan provided by the other clubs in the Elitserien.[56] The1994–95 season saw the return of Mats Sundin during to the1994–95 NHL lockout.[57] Despite winning the regular season, Djurgården were unexpectedly defeated in the quarterfinals against HV71, who went on to win their first Swedish championship. Djurgården played well during the 1995–96 and 1996–97 regular seasons, but struggled in the playoffs and were eliminated in the quarterfinals in both of those years.[58] Djurgården won the1997–98 Elitserien regular season, andPatric Kjellberg was the top goal scorer with 30 goals.[59][60] The team reached the finals against Färjestad, and ultimately lost in five games, the last being decided bysudden death.[59]
Djurgården won back-to-back Swedish championships in 2000 and 2001. Led by coachesHardy Nilsson andMats Waltin, the team played a fast, attacking hockey using thetorpedo system and defeated Modo in the2000 finals, then overcame Färjestad in the2001 finals. These titles marked the club's 15th and 16th national championships.[61]
In the early 2000s, Stockholm's ice hockey teams saw a clear drop in attendance, also affecting Djurgården despite recent Swedish championships. The sport faced increasing competition from local football teams, whose popularity and crowd numbers grew significantly during the same period.[62][63][64] Under Swedish Ice Hockey Association regulations, Stockholm's elite teams were limited to playing in approved arenas, Hovet and the Globe arena. The former lacked the commercial benefits of modern venues, while the latter was criticized for its high rental costs.[65][66] Meanwhile, clubs in smaller cities built modern venues with support from the local municipalities, secured better sponsorships, and boosted revenue through in-arena sales, gaining stronger financial footing.[65][66][67]
Djurgården suffered from economical problems after the 2004–05 Elitserien season and lost 16 players before the following season. The club had to rely players from the junior teams and could only acquire new players who were rejected by other clubs due to the poor economy.[68] The club's goal for the 2005–06 season was to stay clear of the relegation positions in the league table, which was accomplished. However, for the first time in 20 years, Djurgården was left outside the playoffs.[69]
For the 2007–08 season, they changed their official home ice from theStockholm Globe Arena to their smaller, former home arena,Hovet. However, a portion of games remained in the larger venue.[70] Djurgården reached the playoffs, finishing seventh in the regular season. The runner-up of the regular season,Linköping HC, chose Djurgården and knocked them out of the playoffs, 4–1 in games.[69] In the following 2008–09 season, Djurgården was often close to the relegation spots. Five straight wins after new year put Djurgården on safe ground. Although as the teams on the last playoff-spots kept winning, the team ended up on 10th position in the league table.[61] The 2009–10 season began with theNordic Trophy pre-season tournament, which Djurgården won. Djurgården finished second in the league and lost the finals to HV71, Djurgården won the first final 4–3 but lost 4–2 in matches. Five of six finals went to overtime.[61] This was the first finals for Djurgården since the 2001 playoffs.
After struggling through the 2011–12 season, Djurgården finished eleventh and had to play in the2012 Kvalserien. Subsequently, the team was relegated to the second-tier leagueHockeyAllsvenskan for the2012–13 season after failing to make the top two spots in the Kvalserien. This ended a 35-year run of consecutive Elitserien seasons for Djurgården.[61] As a result, Djurgården fired general manager Jan Järlefelt and replaced him byCharles Berglund.[71] Big budget cuts were also made, the player salary budget was cut in half.[72] Djurgården set the goal to return to Elitserien immediately the following season. The team reached fifth place in the regular season, and Djurgården had to play qualification games for the2013 Kvalserien. However, Djurgården failed to reach the top position in the playoff series and the season was over.
The team was renewed for the 2013–14 season, with veteran playersKristofer Ottosson,Jimmie Ölvestad,Fredrik Bremberg andChristian Eklund retiring.[73] Despite a rough period in November with six straight losses, Djurgården finished the regular season on third place in the league table, which guaranteed a spot in the2014 Kvalserien. The fight for second place after already qualifiedÖrebro was close, and had to be decided in the last round of Kvalserien. Djurgården managed to grab the spot with 17 points, the same number asRögle but with better goal difference due to a 6–2 win againstVästerås IK in the final game of the season. Djurgården was once again a team of Sweden's top tier league. The Swedish Hockey League board stirred up a controversy with the decision to redistribute 6 million Swedish krona of TV sponsorship from Djurgården to newly relegated rival clubAIK in May 2014. AIK received the money to ease the transition from Swedish Hockey League (SHL) to HockeyAllsvenskan. This was widely criticised by Djurgården, fans and clubs in HockeyAllsvenskan.[74]
Djurgården re-established themselves in the SHL during the following season, and successfully avoided relegation. Nevertheless, they were eliminated in the first round of the championship playoffs. It was not until the2017–18 season that Djurgården achieved a top placement, finishing second in the regular season and subsequently reaching the semi-finals, where they were eliminated in six games by Skellefteå AIK.[75] Djurgården reached the finals of the2018–19 SHL season after beating Skellefteå AIK in the quarterfinals and Färjestad BK in the semi-finals. This was the first finals for Djurgården since 2010. They faced Frölunda HC in the finals, and ultimately lost in six games.[76]
After a weak2021–22 SHL season, Djurgården ended up on 13th place in the regular season table, and was forced to play a relegation play-off against Timrå IK. Djurgården fell through and lost in four games, resulting in their relegation to the second tier HockeyAllsvenskan.[77] As a result, the following season marked the first time in the history of the Swedish Hockey League that no team from Stockholm participated.[78]
The following two seasons, Djurgården played promotion finals from the HockeyAllsvenskan and losing against Modo Hockey and Brynäs IF respectively. In the2024–25 season, Djurgården won the regular season and won against Mora IK in four games in the promotion quarter finals, and against Södertälje SK in seven games in the semi-finals.[79] The promotion finals were played against arch rivals AIK, which ultimately was won by Djurgården in five games, securing their promotion to the2025–26 SHL season.[80]
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Djurgården. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Djurgårdens IF Hockey seasons. Code explanation;GP—Games played,W—Wins,L—Losses,T—Tied games,GF—Goals for,GA—Goals against,Pts—Points. Top Scorer:Points (Goals+Assists)
| Season | League | Regular season | Post season results | Top scorer (regular season) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | ||||
| 2020–21 | SHL | 10th | 52 | 17 | 26 | 9 | 139 | 151 | 65 | Lost in eighth-finals, 1–2 (Frölunda HC) |  B. Nardella33 (7+26) |
| 2021–22 | SHL | 13th | 52 | 14 | 27 | 11 | 130 | 169 | 58 | Lost in eighth-finals, 0–4 (Timrå IK) |  M. Sörensen44 (20+24) |
| 2022–23 | HockeyAllsvenskan | 4th | 52 | 25 | 13 | 14 | 162 | 121 | 95 | Lost in SHL qualifier finals, 3–4 (Modo Hockey) | M. Krüger49 (12+37) |
| 2023–24 | HockeyAllsvenskan | 4th | 52 | 25 | 15 | 12 | 159 | 136 | 93 | Lost in SHL qualifier finals, 0–4 (Brynäs IF) | L. Klasen47 (19+28) |
| 2024–25 | HockeyAllsvenskan | 1st | 52 | 32 | 7 | 13 | 188 | 124 | 116 | Won SHL qualifier finals, 4–1 (AIK) |  P. Thoresen41 (14+27) |
Updated 27 November 2025[81][82]
Djurgården has honoured a total of nine player numbers.[87] The number2 worn byRoland Stoltz, who spent 15 seasons with Djurgården between 1955 and 1970. As well, the number2 worn byCharles Berglund was also retired by Djurgården, on 24 January 2012. Berglund played 12 seasons with Djurgården and won theSwedish Championship with them five times. He was the team'scaptain in his four final seasons before retiring in 2001. He also won theWorld Championship gold medal two times (1991, 1992) as well as theOlympic gold medal once (1994).[88][89]
The number5 worn bySven "Tumba" Johansson, who spent 16 seasons with Djurgården between 1950 and 1966. The number11 worn byJens Öhling, who spent 18 seasons with Djurgården between 1979 and 1997. His number was retired on 24 January 2002.[90] The number12 worn byLasse Björn, who spent 18 seasons with Djurgården between 1949 and 1966. The number16 worn byNichlas Falk, who played a total of 16 seasons and 751 games with Djurgården between 1995 and 2011. Falk's number was retired on 12 October 2017.[91] The number22 worn byHåkan Södergren, who played 14 seasons with Djurgården between 1977 and 1991. The number25 worn byMikael Johansson, who joined the club in 1985. Johansson played seven seasons before joiningEHC Kloten in the SwissNational League A. He returned to Djurgården in 1997 and played eight more seasons in the club. Johansson's number was retired on 15 February 2007.[92] The number27 worn byThomas Eriksson, who joined Djurgården in 1976 and played four seasons before joiningPhiladelphia Flyers. He returned in 1981 and played two seasons before moving back to Philadelphia once more. In 1986, Eriksson returned to Djurgården and played an additional eight seasons.
Four Djurgården players and two builders has been inducted into theIIHF Hall of Fame.[93]Arne Grunander, longtime chairman of the club, was inducted in 1997. Grunander was also the chairman ofSwedish Ice Hockey Association between 1978 and 1983.[94]Arne Strömberg, head coach of the team between 1957 and 1960, and head coach ofteam Sweden between 1960 and 1971.[95] Forward Sven "Tumba" Johansson was inducted the same year, and represented team Sweden in four Olympic Games and 14IIHF World Championships. He played a total of 245 games and scored 186 goals for the national team, which makes him team Sweden's scoring leader of all time.[96] Defenceman Lars Björn was inducted in 1998, representing Sweden in three Olympic Games and nine World Championships. He played a total of 217 games for the national team.[97] Defenceman Roland Stoltz was inducted in 1999, representing team Sweden in three Olympic Games and 12 World Championships. He played a total of 218 games for the national team.[98] ForwardKent Nilsson was inducted in 2006. He joined Djurgården in 1973 and played for the team during three seasons. After 11 seasons in North America and a short stint in Italy and Switzerland, Nilsson returned to Djurgården for one season in 1988, winning the Swedish championship. He had another stint in Switzerland before playing his last and fifth season in Djurgården in 1992. Nilsson represented team Sweden in 94 games.[99]
Djurgården operates junior teams at under-16 (U16), under-18 (J18), and under-20 (J20) levels in the national leagues. The club primarily recruits players from the Stockholm region, which is the largest ice hockey district in Sweden by number of registered youth and junior players.[100] Since autumn 2004, Djurgården has collaborated with local upper secondary schools to offer a hockey-focused education program.[101] The program is designed to integrate upper secondary academic studies in social science, natural science, or economics with specialized hockey training. The upper secondary school provide the academic education, while Djurgården is responsible for the athletic components.[101] From the 2019–2020 school year, a dedicated girls' program has been included operating in parallel to the boys' program.[102] Players from Djurgården's junior teams are regularly promoted to the senior squad.
Djurgården plays in the top tier Swedish U16 league and has won the Swedish championship 12 times: 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2022.[103]
Djurgården's J18 team plays in the top under-18 league in Sweden, calledJ18 Region. Djurgården has won the Swedish J18 Championship four times: in 2008, 2018, 2022, and 2025.[104]The 2008 team included future NHL players such asJacob Josefson,Marcus Krüger, andGabriel Landeskog.[105]
Djurgården's J20 team competes in the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden,J20 Nationell. Djurgården's J20 team has won the Swedish championship five times, in 1953, 1988, 2015, 2016 and 2025, and received theAnton Cup on each occasion.[106] Notable players from these championship-winning teams includeMats Sundin andTommy Söderström from the 1988 team,[107] andAxel Jonsson-Fjällby andAndreas Englund, from the 2016 team.[108][109]
By 2025, 82 players from Djurgården's organisation had been selected in the NHL entry draft. Many of these players developed through the club's junior teams.Sören Johansson was the first Djurgården player to be selected in a NHL draft, when Kansas City Scouts selected him in the1974 NHL amateur draft, and the third Swede overall.[110] Of the 82 players, 14 have been drafted in the first round as of 2025, as listed in the tables below.
| Player | Draft year | Overall pick |
|---|---|---|
| Anton Frondell | 2025 | 3rd |
| Mika Zibanejad | 2011 | 6th |
| William Eklund | 2021 | 7th |
| Alexander Holtz | 2020 | 7th |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2013 | 14th |
| Jonathan Lekkerimäki | 2022 | 15th |
| Noah Östlund | 2022 | 16th |
| Player | Draft year | Overall pick |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Eklund | 2025 | 16th |
| Michael Holmqvist | 1997 | 18th |
| Liam Öhgren | 2022 | 19th |
| Jacob Josefson | 2009 | 20th |
| Marcus Nilson | 1996 | 20th |
| Tobias Björnfot | 2019 | 22nd |
| Niklas Kronwall | 2000 | 29th |
Notably, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Noah Östlund and Liam Öhgren were all drafted in the first round of the 2022 NHL entry draft.Marcus Nilson was selected in the first round, 20th overall, in the 1996 NHL entry draft. Nearly three decades later, his sonEric Nilson was drafted 45th overall in the second round of the 2025 NHL entry draft.[111]
Mats Sundin was drafted 1st overall in the1989 NHL entry draft.[46] Although officially on loan to the lower-league affiliateNacka HK during the 1988–89 season, he remained part of Djurgården's organisation prior to the draft.[112] He became the first European player ever selected first overall.[46]
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In the team's early years, Djurgården usedÖstermalms IP as its ice hockey arena, as well as Lindarängen ice palace, the first indoor artificial ice rink in Sweden which was established in 1931.[113][10] In 1938,artificial ice rink was built atStockholm Olympic Stadium and replaced the ice palace's artificial ice rink. This was used during 1940s as this was the onlyartificial ice rink in Sweden.[113][11] The natural ice rink at Östermalms IP was used by Djurgården until 1954.[114]
Hovet, previously known as Johanneshovs Isstadion, opened in 1955 as an outdoor arena and Djurgården began playing there starting with the championship finals the same year.[15] A roof was completed in 1962, making it the largest indoor arena in Sweden at the time.[115] From its opening, Djurgården played their home games at Hovet, which served as their primary venue for over three decades. This continued until the construction of the Stockholm Globe Arena, later known as Avicii Arena, which broke ground in 1986 and was completed two and a half years later on 19 February 1989.[115] Djurgården's first game in the new arena was played just two days later against archrival AIK, resulting in a 3–2 victory for Djurgården.[116] The Globe Arena was then used throughout the 1990s and early 2000s as the main arena.
For the 2007–08 season, Djurgården changed their official home ice from theStockholm Globe Arena to their smaller, former home arena,Hovet. This was much due to Djurgården being unable to fill the 13,850 seat Globe Arena.[70] Hovet, on the other hand, seats 8,094 spectators.[117] Nevertheless, a significant minority of the games was scheduled for the larger arena, just like some games were played on Hovet during the Globe era.[70] For the 2008–09 season all games were played at Hovet.[118] With few exceptions, such as derbies and playoff games, Hovet has since been the main arena for Djurgården.
The Globe arena underwent an overhaul during 2024, and the arena reopened in early 2025, with a slightly expanded capacity, increasing by 100 seats to a total of 13,950.[119][120] Hovet was planned to be demolished, with only a practice rink remaining in its place.[121] In October 2025, the previous decision was reversed, and Hovet is now set to remain in use until sometime in the 2030s.[122]
The following is a list of the top ten-point scorers for Djurgårdens IF in the regular season since the 1975–76 season, which was the inaugural Elitserien season.[123] Figures are updated after each completed season.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game
| Fredrik Bremberg[124] | RW | 688 | 197 | 337 | 534 | .78 |
| Mikael Johansson | C | 700 | 174 | 346 | 520 | .74 |
| Jens Öhling | LW | 665 | 216 | 214 | 430 | .65 |
| Nichlas Falk[125] | C | 816 | 107 | 276 | 383 | .47 |
| Håkan Södergren | LW | 465 | 144 | 212 | 356 | .76 |
| Peter Nilsson | C | 510 | 140 | 201 | 341 | .67 |
| Kristofer Ottosson[126] | C | 649 | 163 | 170 | 333 | .51 |
| Jan Viktorsson | C | 584 | 163 | 167 | 330 | .56 |
| Charles Berglund | C | 584 | 105 | 212 | 317 | .54 |
| Thomas Eriksson | D | 512 | 129 | 146 | 275 | .54 |
Coach of the Year
Swedish junior player of the year
