Forshaga has decided to pull out of Hockeyettan following the league's format change. Norrtälje IK sport chief Jonatan Jonasson used the news to highlight financial pressures on clubs.
The withdrawal came after Värmlands Folkblad reported that Forshaga would leave the northern division. Jonatan Jonasson posted on X that the move underscored the difficult economics facing many teams. Jonasson noted that clubs receive 50,000 kronor per season from the league, an amount that does not cover television production costs they must handle themselves. He added that the league expects clubs to spend around 900,000 kronor on required travel. The format shift for the 2025/26 season replaced four ten-team groups with two twenty-team divisions that run for the full campaign. This adjustment increased travel distances and overnight stays, particularly for northern clubs. Jonasson said Hockeyettan ranks as Sweden's toughest league from an economic standpoint. He described Norrtälje IK as relatively stable thanks to sponsorship growth and strong home attendance but stressed that longer bus trips and hotel stays have raised expenses compared with division 2.