Visby Roma secured a historic promotion to the Hockeyallsvenskan this season after a strong playoff run. Hans Särkijärvi, known as Säcken, returned as head coach in December 2025 and helped turn the team's fortunes around.
The club from Gotland earned its first-ever spot in the league after defeating Tranås, Tingsryd and Hudik each in best-of-seven series by 3-1 margins. Särkijärvi had stepped away after six seasons but rejoined following the departure of Fredrik Mälberg.
He credited the players for maintaining focus during a demanding postseason that featured several close contests. The team averaged more than two points per game after his return and finished the regular season strongly.
Särkijärvi will now serve as assistant coach to Jens Gustafsson for the upcoming Hockeyallsvenskan campaign. He emphasized the need to integrate new signings such as Joona Voutilainen and Giorgio Estephan with the existing core group while aiming higher than simply avoiding the bottom two places.
