1985–86 was the 11th 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 in which the results carried over from the first round. The top two teams from each qualifying round qualified for the playoffs. The last 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 eight teams in the Allsvenskan, the top two team qualified directly for promotion to the Elitserien (now the SHL), while the second place team qualified for the Kvalserien, which offered another opportunity to be promoted. The third to sixth ranked teams in the Allsvenskan qualified for the second round of the playoffs. The two playoff winners qualified for the Kvalserien, in which the first-place team qualified for the following Elitserien season.
Regular season
Northern Group
First round
Qualification round
Western Group
First round
Qualification round
Eastern Group
First round
Qualification round
Southern Group
First round
Qualification round
Allsvenskan
Playoffs
First round
Piteå HC - IK Vita Hästen 0:2 (1:8, 3:10) Västerås IK - CRIF 2:0 (6:1, 14:3) Mora IK - Malmö IF 0:2 (5:6, 5:10) Rögle BK - Sundsvall IF 2:0 (4:3, 5:4)
Second round
Strömsbro/Gävle - IK Vita Hästen 2:1 (5:8, 5:4, 4:3) Västra Frölunda HC - Västerås IK 1:2 (5:4, 5:8, 7:8) Örebro IK - Malmö IF 2:0 (8:0, 4:3) Hammarby IF - Rögle BK 2:1 (1:2, 2:1, 9:2)
Third round
Örebro IK - Västerås IK 0:2 (3:4, 4:9) Hammarby IF - Strömsbro/Gävle 2:0 (9:4, 4:2)