A restructuring of HockeyEttan intended to provide a financial boost to clubs has instead yielded declining attendance figures for many teams. Fifteen of the teams that competed in the league last year have experienced a drop in attendance of over eight percent, according to recent reports.
“It’s a problem on several levels that needs to be taken into account. But attendance hasn’t improved,” said Andreas Kristensson, chairman of Karlskrona HK.
For Karlskrona HK, the average attendance for the season landed at 1,772, a decrease of 2.8 percent. The club has recently undergone an “economic steel bath” and is currently competing in HockeyEttan, aiming to return to the top levels of Swedish hockey, according to a report in Aftonbladet.
Kristensson outlined a vision for the club that includes attracting larger crowds, stating, “I want the chaos with traffic jams out on the E22,” suggesting a return to a period of high demand for tickets.
The club’s board currently consists of Andreas Kristensson as chairman, Mats Blomgren as vice-chairman, and Anders Cronholm, Linda Jakobsson, Rickard Karlsson, Peter Persson, and Carin Steen Wahlqvist as board members. The current board was established at the annual meeting held on June 12, 2024, in NKT Arena Karlskrona.
Despite the on-ice success at the start of the HockeyEttan season, questions have been raised about the internal state of Karlskrona HK following the resignation of the entire youth board last week. Kristensson expressed surprise at the resignations, stating he had not received any prior indication of dissatisfaction.
Linda Blomqvist, the former chair of the youth board, and her three colleagues stepped down from their positions. The club announced the resignations on its website.
Karlskrona HK is also pursuing a new reconstruction plan, with the intention of submitting it to authorities by the end of the week or early next week, according to Kristensson. This follows a previous attempt at reconstruction.
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