1977 World Ice Hockey Championships

The 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Vienna, Austria from 21 April to 8 May. Eight teams took part, first playing each other once, then the four best teams advancing to a new round. The tournament was also the 55th ice hockey European Championship. Czechoslovakia won for the fifth time, and second in a row.

Canada returned after an eight year absence with a team comprised completely of NHL players from teams that had missed the playoffs.[1] Their play was inconsistent and unprofessional. While being competitive most games, they had the top three leaders in penalties, and snubbed post game celebrations when they did not win.[2]

The tournament itself was very close for the medals, with a spectacular last day. Canada, with a chance still to get a bronze, set a record by defeating the eventual champions eight to two. Never before had a first place team lost a game that badly.[3] But the Swedes, by beating the Soviets for a second time, saved the Czechs, and at the same time pushed themselves into second and Canada into fourth.

Contents

World Championship Group A (Austria)

First round

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points Difference Points
1  Sweden 7 6 0 1 39 - 09 12
2  Soviet Union 7 6 0 1 65 - 16 12
3  Czechoslovakia 7 5 1 1 46 - 20 11
4  Canada 7 4 1 2 31 - 25 9
5  Finland 7 3 0 4 22 - 37 6
6  United States 7 1 1 5 18 - 35 3
7  West Germany 7 1 1 5 17 - 45 3
8  Romania 7 0 0 7 12 - 63 0
21 April Canada  4-1
  United States
21 April Czechoslovakia  11-3
  Finland
21 April Soviet Union  10-0
  West Germany
21 April Sweden  8-1
  Romania
22 April Sweden  4-2
  Canada
22 April United States  7-2
  Romania
22 April Soviet Union  11-6
  Finland
22 April Czechoslovakia  9-3
  West Germany
24 April Soviet Union  11-1
  Canada
24 April Czechoslovakia  13-1
  Romania
24 April Sweden  5-1
  Finland
24 April United States  3-3
  West Germany
25 April Soviet Union  18-1
  Romania
25 April Sweden  7-1
  West Germany
26 April Finland  3-2
  United States
26 April Canada  3-3
  Czechoslovakia
27 April Canada  5-1
  Finland
27 April West Germany  6-3
  Romania
28 April Soviet Union  6-1
  Czechoslovakia
28 April Sweden  9-0
  United States
29 April Canada  9-3
  West Germany
29 April Finland  4-2
  Romania
30 April Czechoslovakia  3-1
  Sweden
30 April Soviet Union  8-3
  United States
01 May Finland  4-1
  West Germany
01 May Canada  7-2
  Romania
02 May Sweden  5-1
  Soviet Union
02 May Czechoslovakia  6-3
  United States

Final Round 1-4 place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Czechoslovakia 10 7 1 2 54 - 32 15
2  Sweden 10 7 0 3 43 - 19 14
3  Soviet Union 10 7 0 3 77 - 24 14
4  Canada 10 6 1 3 47 - 35 13
04 May Canada  7-0
  Sweden
04 May Czechoslovakia  4-3
  Soviet Union
06 May Czechoslovakia  2-1
  Sweden
06 May Soviet Union  8-1
  Canada
08 May Canada  8-2
  Czechoslovakia
08 May Sweden  3-1
  Soviet Union

Consolation Round 5-8 place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
5  Finland 10 5 0 5 45 - 43 10
6  United States 10 3 1 6 29 - 43 7
7  West Germany 10 2 1 7 23 - 58 5
8  Romania 10 1 0 9 20 - 84 2

Romania was relegated to Group B.

03 May Finland  14-1
  Romania
03 May United States  4-3
  West Germany
05 May Romania  5-4
  United States
05 May Finland  7-2
  West Germany
07 May United States  3-2
  Finland
07 May West Germany  3-2
  Romania

World Championship Group B (Japan)

Played in Tokyo March 10-21. Played with nine countries because Group A had relegated two nations the previous year to make room for Canada.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
9  East Germany 8 8 0 0 57 - 16 16
10  Poland 8 6 0 2 39 - 22 12
11  Japan 8 5 1 2 30 - 21 11
12  Norway 8 4 2 2 30 - 30 10
13  Switzerland 8 4 0 4 35 - 33 8
14  Hungary 8 3 0 5 27 - 46 6
15  Yugoslavia 8 2 1 5 30 - 46 5
16  Netherlands 8 1 2 5 23 - 39 4
17  Austria 8 0 0 8 19 - 47 0

East Germany was promoted to Group A, both the Netherlands and Austria were relegated to Group C.

10 March Poland  4-2
  Netherlands
10 March Norway  4-2
  Yugoslavia
10 March East Germany  7-1
  Austria
10 March Japan  5-2
  Hungary
11 March Austria  4-7
  Hungary
11 March Norway  4-3
  Switzerland
12 March East Germany  7-6
  Yugoslavia
12 March Poland  5-2
  Switzerland
12 March Japan  8-2
  Netherlands
13 March Yugoslavia  6-4
  Austria
13 March Netherlands  2-8
  Hungary
13 March Japan  2-2
  Norway
14 March East Germany  9-2
  Hungary
14 March Poland  7-3
  Norway
14 March Switzerland  10-3
  Austria
15 March Poland  1-7
  East Germany
15 March Yugoslavia  5-5
  Netherlands
15 March Japan  3-2
  Switzerland
16 March Netherlands  4-3
  Austria
16 March Norway  8-2
  Hungary
16 March Japan  4-1
  Yugoslavia
17 March East Germany  10-3
  Switzerland
17 March Norway  4-2
  Austria
17 March Poland  10-0
  Hungary
18 March East Germany  4-2
  Netherlands
18 March Switzerland  5-3
  Yugoslavia
18 March Japan  2-5
  Poland
19 March Norway  4-4
  Netherlands
19 March Yugoslavia  1-3
  Hungary
19 March Japan  6-2
  Austria
20 March Switzerland  7-3
  Hungary
20 March East Germany  8-1
  Norway
20 March Poland  3-0
  Austria
21 March Switzerland  3-2
  Netherlands
21 March Japan  0-5
  East Germany
21 March Poland  4-6
  Yugoslavia

World Championship Group C (Denmark)

Played in Copenhagen and Hørsholm, march 12-20. The hosts did not lose a game, outscored their opponents by forty-six, but it was not enough to win. Only one team was promoted this year so that Group B could return to having eight clubs, and their tie on the last day against Italy left them in second place.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
18  Italy 6 5 1 0 64 - 06 11
19  Denmark 6 5 1 0 61 - 15 11
20  Bulgaria 6 4 0 2 47 - 25 8
21  France 6 3 0 3 34 - 24 6
22  Spain 6 1 0 5 17 - 61 2
23  Belgium 6 1 0 5 24 - 89 2
24  Great Britain 6 1 0 5 17 - 47 2

Italy was promoted to Group B.

12 March Denmark  9-2
  Great Britain
12 March France  12-3
  Belgium
12 March Italy  12-0
  Spain
13 March Great Britain  3-6
  France
13 March Spain  2-14
  Bulgaria
13 March Belgium  1-21
  Italy
14 March Denmark  6-3
  Bulgaria
15 March France  2-8
  Italy
15 March Great Britain  6-5
  Belgium
15 March Denmark  14-3
  Spain
16 March France  4-6
  Bulgaria
17 March Belgium  4-17
  Bulgaria
17 March Great Britain  1-15
  Italy
18 March France  12-1
  Spain
18 March Denmark  27-4
  Belgium
19 March Italy  6-0
  Bulgaria
19 March Great Britain  2-5
  Spain
19 March Denmark  3-1
  France
20 March Belgium  7-6
  Spain
20 March Great Britain  3-7
  Bulgaria
20 March Denmark  2-2
  Italy

World Championship medal table

1977 World Championships Country
Gold  Czechoslovakia
Silver  Sweden
Bronze  Soviet Union
4  Canada
5  Finland
6  United States
7  Germany
8  Romania

European Championship Medal Table

1977 European Championships Country
Gold  Czechoslovakia
Silver  Sweden
Bronze  Soviet Union
4  Finland
5  Germany
6  Romania

Citations

  1. ^ Duplacey page 506
  2. ^ Tournament summary
  3. ^ Duplacey page 506

References

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