AIK’s new managers about the fights: Just get sad
Three seconds.
AIK’s CEO doesn’t need to see more of the junior graduation in 2024 before he’s had enough.
– We work hard not to stand for these things, with where we draw our guidelines and boundaries. But yes… You just get sad, says Stefan Gustavson.
The hockey juniors are fighting – on orders from the management
0:42
Lasse Johansson is one of Swedish hockey’s most high-profile sports managers. During his time in Skellefteå AIK 2008-2016, he built a team that made it to six straight SC finals and won two golds. Since then he has also worked in Swiss and – before the war of aggression against Ukraine – also in a Russian professional club.
Now he suddenly doesn’t want to be in the picture.
– I don’t want to be associated with this.
By his side at AIK’s office in Solna sits the legendary Stefan “Myran” Gustavson, with over 400 elite league matches for AIK and Linköping on the merit list.
None of the gentlemen worked in AIK hockey when the incident that brought us together today took place. Gustavson was elected CEO four months after the junior graduation in June 2024 and Lasse Johansson became the new sports director only in January 2025.
But it is still this duo that stepped forward when Sportbladet asked for a comment on the events in Ritorp.
– But then we need to see the films. We’ve only seen one, but you might have ten, says Lasse Johansson.
We turn the computer over and press play.
“Don’t think we need to see more”
The AIK leaders see two youngsters hump each other in a full-contact fight, without head protection, in the middle of a ring of cheering teammates.
They hear the music from the boxing movie Rocky 3 and the shouts of the youngsters.
“Strike then!”
“Dare to fight!”
“Kick!”
Just seconds into the film, Stefan Gustavson sighs loudly. Then he puts his palm to his face in sorrow.
– I think it is inconsiderate. For me, it takes three seconds to see that this is not an activity we should be doing. That is nothing AIK should stand for.
After 46 seconds, the first clip is over.
Do you want to see another one?
– No, I don’t think we need it.
When we meet at the office, ten days have passed since Sportbladet sent the first interview request to the club. We have attached a short information about the junior graduation, and a still from one of the films.
Ten days when a lot has already happened.
New value base work
Lasse Johansson tells how the club contacted the players they were able to identify on their film, and also a number of guardians. The day before we meet, they also had a meeting with the leaders who organized the fights.
Stefan Gustavson describes the work as ongoing, and compares it to an internal investigation where the ambition is to get to the bottom of the incident. Above all, to understand how AIK will avoid something like this happening again.
The duo also talks about how they previously launched a new values-based work in AIK hockey. How the ambition was to cable out much of the work in August, but that after all resources are small and delays an unavoidable part of everyday life.
The films from 2024 will be a new reminder of the need, and a motivation to speed up the work.
– Then it’s about reaching out from youth all the way up to the top, and preferably parents too. What is AIK DNA? What are we supposed to stand for? The most important thing there will be to not only acquire values that lie in a drawer, but that they are implemented in the business. We have to live with it, says Gustavson.
So far, everything is pretty simple after all.
Because everyone in the room agrees that full contact fights for hockey youth is not a good idea. That a clear value base with clear guidelines is needed.
But how will they gain a foothold in youth and junior hockey?
“Will get to the bottom of this”
The AIK duo talk about the need for well-educated leaders, clear communication and learning to speak to young people in young people’s ways. That it is at least as important to create good people as it is to nurture elite players – and that sports here play a decisive role in today’s social structure.
“Myran” now raises the idea of recruiting a handful of old elite players as mentors, to bring out visions and good behavior to the young people in the association, and says that the former national team captain Pär Mårts has already been hired to help the club build safe and competent leaders.
Together with Lasse Johansson, he also airs thoughts about reprioritizing resources, putting greater focus on the psychological and reviewing everything from recruitment to selection in the club. Everything with the goal that what AIK does must be bulletproof against criticism and render in a pride of the business.
But more in the short term then. The leaders who were responsible for this activity remain in the club. How do you work with them today?
– We will get to the bottom of this, and then we will work harder. We have things in this larger presentation we’re working on that we may need to bring forward. Because now we have to talk about all these things and be much more thorough all the way in our responsibility, says Gustavson and continues:
– This happened before we got here but I can’t sit here and say it couldn’t have happened a month ago. But I still feel like we’re on a different journey today and that’s why it’s so important to talk about these things to get them out. But we probably need to be even clearer about that. That as soon as there is a feeling that “is this right or wrong” we have to talk about it. It is important that we draw boundaries.
At the same time, they talk about a process that cannot be rushed through.
– When we change things in youth and junior, we have to do it all the way. We have to work with the leaders so that they become involved and feel that they are involved in building this. It will take a little more time but that is our plan.
When I show this video to people with no connection to ice hockey, they react like you did now. At the same time, players who were with this day describe the whole thing as “a fun thing”.
Is there something in the culture surrounding ice hockey that creates a challenge here, do you think?
– I still think we are moving forward, and there is no talk of it. We’ve been around a long time and seen much worse things. So we’re moving a lot forward, I’d say. But then there is perhaps something in young people and especially in boys. You can’t completely remove boy hormones and this macho thing. But there we have a responsibility to be nurturing. We leaders must show where the line is, and we must create the security that is needed.
Gustavson once again talks about the importance of being open and discussing these types of challenges. That sport is so important to the building of society that it cannot fail the nurturing responsibility.
– We want to be successful and move up in the series, but at the same time we should feel proud of our business. You should feel in your chest that we are doing something good. Then we have to get these things out. It costs too much.
At the same time, there may be another challenge in openness and discussion.
Working to get a new culture
None of the players Sportbladet has been in contact with since the junior final has dared to come forward by name. When we contacted parents, we were met with short text messages such as “no comments”, while others referred to the club.
Common between everyone I spoke to is that they testify to a fear of being identified and burned in ice hockey as uncomfortable. One described hockey as “mafia”…
– It’s sad to hear that. We do not want to create such an environment. Then we don’t grow as an organization. We are not responsible for anyone, so we have to look at that as well. It’s bits like that that have to come out so it’s good. But it’s not a good feeling. Really not, says Lasse Johansson.
– We have to make sure that the ceiling is high, and I think it’s a leadership issue. If you feel that you do not dare to say things, then you do not have the right leadership. There we also have to try to break the bank, says Stefan Gustavson.
They talk about how in their new roles they want to be “developers and not just managers” and that they are now working on building a new AIK “from the basement”. An AIK style everyone is committed and involved in which creates a continuity of good behavior throughout the organization.
A new culture simply.
– I think that is the key. But it takes some time, says Gustavson.
This is not just about ethics and morality either. It is about a business idea.
– If we get stronger individuals for the future, it will also help us. Not everyone will play hockey all their lives, but if we have good leadership and work with people who are growing, they might come back and watch our games later. Or they build up a business and want to put money into the business. It’s a win-win situation in all parts of how we behave and work with people, says Lasse Johansson before Stefan Gustavsson steals the final word:
– This is what creates the attractiveness of the brand. What we stand for.
