1988–89 Division 1 season (Swedish ice hockey)

1988–89 was the 14th season that Division 1 operated as the second tier of ice hockey in Sweden, below the top-flight Elitserien (now the Swedish Hockey League).

Format
Division 1 was divided into four starting groups of 10 teams each. The top two teams in each group qualified for the Allsvenskan, while the remaining eight teams had to compete in a qualifying round. The teams were given zero to seven bonus points based on their finish in the first round. The top two teams from each qualifying round qualified for the playoffs. The last-place team in each of the qualifying groups was relegated directly to Division 2, while the second-to-last-place team had to play in a relegation series.

Of the 10 teams in the Allsvenskan - in addition to the eight participants from Division 1, the two last place teams from the Elitserien also participated - the top two teams qualified directly for the Allsvenskan final, from which the winner was promoted directly to the Elitserien. The second place team qualified for the Kvalserien, which offered another opportunity to be promoted. The third and fourth place teams in the Allsvenskan qualified for the third round of the playoffs, while teams that finished fifth through eighth played in the second round. The three playoff winners qualified for the Kvalserien, in which the first-place team qualified for the following Elitserien season.

Final

 * Västerås IK - Västra Frölunda HC 3:2 (5:3, 3:6, 8:3, 3:10, 4:2)

First round

 * Bodens IK - Väsby IK 1:2 (6:4, 3:8, 1:8)
 * Huddinge IK - Timrå IK 1:2 (6:0, 4:5 OT, 0:4)
 * Mora IK - Mölndals IF 1:2 (7:5, 2:8, 5:6 OT)
 * Malmö IF - Grums IK 2:0 (7:2, 6:0)

Second round

 * IK Vita Hästen - Timrå IK 2:1 (4:5, 1:0, 5:4 OT)
 * Örebro IK - Mölndals IF 2:1 (7:6 OT, 4:7, 10:3)
 * Hammarby IF - Väsby IK 0:2 (2:7, 4:5 OT)
 * IF Sundsvall - Malmö IF 0:2 (1:3, 3:10)

Third round

 * Rögle BK - Örebro IK 1:2 (8:2, 3:8, 2:4)
 * IF Björklöven - Väsby IK 2:0 (5:1, 6:3)
 * IK Vita Hästen - Malmö IF 1:2 (4:3, 2:8, 1:3)