The 1976 World Ice Hockey Championships were the 43rd Ice Hockey World Championships and the 54th European Championships in ice hockey. The tournament took place in Poland from 8 April to 25 April, and the games were played in Katowice. Eight teams took part in the main tournament, with each team first playing each other once. The four best teams then took part in a medal play off, and the teams placed 5-8 took part in a relegation play-off. The teams took the results from the first round through to the second round with them.
The 1976 IHWC tournament was first to feature major league professionals from the NHL and WHA although in the end only the United States made use of the new rule, recalling eight pros from the Minnesota North Stars and Minnesota Fighting Saints.[1][2] The Americans promptly made the medal play off for the first time since 1962 after beating Sweden and tying Finland in the first round.
The Czechoslovakia national ice hockey team won nine games and were unbeaten, becoming world champions for the fourth time. The defending champions from the USSR finished 2nd after sensationally losing the opening game 4-6 to hosts Poland. Sweden won the bronze after beating the Americans 7-3 in the medal round.
Contents |
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points Difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechoslovakia | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 54 - 07 | 14 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 37 - 15 | 10 |
| 3 | Sweden | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 22 - 18 | 8 |
| 4 | United States | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 19 - 23 | 7 |
| 5 | Poland | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 21 - 36 | 5 |
| 6 | West Germany | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 19 - 35 | 4 |
| 7 | Finland | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 17 - 29 | 4 |
| 8 | East Germany | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 11 - 37 | 4 |
| 08 April | West Germany | 1-4 |
Sweden |
| 08 April | Czechoslovakia | 10-0 |
East Germany |
| 08 April | United States | 3-3 |
Finland |
| 08 April | Poland | 6-4 |
Soviet Union |
| 09 April | Poland | 0-12 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 09 April | Soviet Union | 4-0 |
East Germany |
| 10 April | West Germany | 2-5 |
Finland |
| 10 April | Sweden | 0-2 |
United States |
| 11 April | Poland | 6-4 |
East Germany |
| 11 April | Finland | 1-8 |
Soviet Union |
| 11 April | Czechoslovakia | 3-1 |
Sweden |
| 12 April | Poland | 3-5 |
West Germany |
| 12 April | East Germany | 2-1 |
United States |
| 13 April | Czechoslovakia | 7-1 |
Finland |
| 13 April | Soviet Union | 6-1 |
Sweden |
| 14 April | Poland | 2-4 |
United States |
| 14 April | East Germany | 1-7 |
West Germany |
| 15 April | Finland | 3-4 |
Sweden |
| 15 April | United States | 2-10 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 15 April | West Germany | 2-8 |
Soviet Union |
| 17 April | Sweden | 8-2 |
East Germany |
| 17 April | Poland | 3-3 |
Finland |
| 17 April | Soviet Union | 2-3 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 18 April | United States | 5-1 |
West Germany |
| 18 April | Finland | 1-2 |
East Germany |
| 19 April | Czechoslovakia | 9-1 |
West Germany |
| 19 April | Poland | 1-4 |
Sweden |
| 19 April | Soviet Union | 5-2 |
United States |
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechoslovakia | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 67 - 14 | 19 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 50 - 23 | 13 |
| 3 | Sweden | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 36 - 29 | 12 |
| 4 | United States | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 24 - 42 | 7 |
| 21 April | Czechoslovakia | 5-1 |
United States |
| 21 April | Soviet Union | 3-4 |
Sweden |
| 23 April | Sweden | 3-5 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 23 April | United States | 1-7 |
Soviet Union |
| 25 April | Sweden | 7-3 |
United States |
| 25 April | Czechoslovakia | 3-3 |
Soviet Union |
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | Tie H2H Points |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Finland | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 35 - 41 | 8 | 5 |
| 6 | West Germany | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 26 - 41 | 8 | 5 |
| 7 | Poland | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 32 - 47 | 8 | 2 |
| 8 | East Germany | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 19 - 52 | 5 |
East Germany was relegated to Group B. Poland, despited defeating the USSR to open the tournament, is also relegated to make room for the return of team Canada.
| 20 April | Poland | 5-4 |
East Germany |
| 20 April | Finland | 4-4 |
West Germany |
| 22 April | Poland | 5-5 |
Finland |
| 22 April | East Germany | 1-1 |
West Germany |
| 24 April | Finland | 9-3 |
East Germany |
| 24 April | Poland | 1-2 |
West Germany |
Played in Aarau and Bienne March 18-27.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Romania | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 40 - 23 | 11 |
| 10 | Japan | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 34 - 17 | 10 |
| 11 | Norway | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 29 - 21 | 8 |
| 12 | Switzerland | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 25 - 28 | 8 |
| 13 | Yugoslavia | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 37 - 26 | 8 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 22 - 30 | 6 |
| 15 | Italy | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 23 - 41 | 5 |
| 16 | Bulgaria | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 23 - 47 | 0 |
Romania was promoted to Group A, and both Italy and Bulgaria were relegated to Group C.
| 18 March | Netherlands | 4-3 |
Norway |
| 18 March | Switzerland | 5-1 |
Bulgaria |
| 18 March | Italy | 2-8 |
Yugoslavia |
| 18 March | Romania | 7-5 |
Japan |
| 19 March | Italy | 8-3 |
Bulgaria |
| 19 March | Switzerland | 5-4 |
Yugoslavia |
| 20 March | Japan | 4-0 |
Netherlands |
| 20 March | Romania | 2-1 |
Norway |
| 21 March | Yugoslavia | 5-2 |
Romania |
| 21 March | Switzerland | 4-2 |
Netherlands |
| 21 March | Italy | 4-2 |
Norway |
| 21 March | Bulgaria | 3-4 |
Japan |
| 22 March | Yugoslavia | 9-7 |
Bulgaria |
| 22 March | Switzerland | 4-1 |
Italy |
| 23 March | Romania | 8-1 |
Netherlands |
| 23 March | Norway | 3-2 |
Japan |
| 24 March | Romania | 5-5 |
Italy |
| 24 March | Japan | 3-2 |
Yugoslavia |
| 24 March | Netherlands | 5-3 |
Bulgaria |
| 24 March | Switzerland | 3-7 |
Norway |
| 26 March | Japan | 10-0 |
Italy |
| 26 March | Norway | 7-2 |
Bulgaria |
| 26 March | Netherlands | 1-5 |
Yugoslavia |
| 26 March | Switzerland | 2-7 |
Romania |
| 27 March | Norway | 6-4 |
Yugoslavia |
| 27 March | Switzerland | 2-6 |
Japan |
| 27 March | Romania | 9-4 |
Bulgaria |
| 27 March | Netherlands | 9-3 |
Italy |
Played in Gdansk March 8-13.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Austria | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 38 - 09 | 8 |
| 18 | Hungary | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 30 - 09 | 6 |
| 19 | France | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 - 18 | 4 |
| 20 | Denmark | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 - 24 | 2 |
| 21 | Great Britain | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 06 - 44 | 0 |
Both Austria and Hungary were promoted to Group B.
| 08 March | Austria | 4-3 |
Denmark |
| 08 March | Hungary | 11-0 |
Great Britain |
| 09 March | Great Britain | 2-21 |
Austria |
| 09 March | Hungary | 6-1 |
France |
| 10 March | France | 7-4 |
Denmark |
| 11 March | Denmark | 7-3 |
Great Britain |
| 11 March | Austria | 6-3 |
Hungary |
| 12 March | France | 5-1 |
Great Britain |
| 13 March | Hungary | 10-2 |
Denmark |
| 13 March | Austria | 7-1 |
France |
| 1976 World Championships | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | Czechoslovakia |
| Silver | Soviet Union |
| Bronze | Sweden |
| 4 | United States |
| 5 | Finland |
| 6 | Germany |
| 7 | Poland |
| 8 | East Germany |
| European Championships 1976 | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | Czechoslovakia |
| Silver | Sweden |
| Bronze | Soviet Union |
| 4 | West Germany |
| 5 | Poland |
| 6 | Finland |
| 7 | East Germany |