The main venue of the 1991 World Ice Hockey Championships; Turkuhalli. |
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The 1991 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Finland 19 April - 4 May. The games were played in Turku, Helsinki and Tampere. The main venue was Turkuhalli. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once. The four best teams then played each other once more. This was the 55th World Championships, and at the same time was the 66th and last Ice Hockey European Championships. Sweden became world champions for the fifth time, and the Soviet Union won their 27th European title. In the European Championships, only matches between European teams in the first round were counted towards scoring.
There were three significant 'lasts' in this years championships. This would be the last year that a separate European title would be awarded. It seems fitting that the Soviets captured it yet again, in their final appearance as a united nation. Their position in Group A would be inherited by Russia, with Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine all beginning play in 1993 in qualification tournaments for Group C.The tournament itself would change significantly after this year as well. This was the last time the top level was contested by eight teams. Beginning in 1992 it would expand to twelve, requiring both Groups B and C to promote four nations each.
The final round was a very tight battle, except for the Americans. Finding their way there ahead of a disappointing Czech team, and by narrowing defeating the host Finns, the USA fell out of contention, and then embarrassed themselves. The Canadians, having tied both the Swedes and the Soviets needed to win, and hope, in their final game. If they won by five and the Swedes tied the Soviets, they would capture gold. Winning seven to four in the final minute, and playing short-handed, they miraculously got the two goals they needed. American coach Tim Taylor, knowing that his team could achieve nothing without a win, actually pulled his goalie without bothering to replace him on the ice. In danger of validating this maneuver, the USSR and Sweden took a one all tie into the third period. Fortunately, Mats Sundin scored at 9:37, and the Swedes held on to capture gold.[1][2]
Contents |
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 41 - 16 | 13 |
| 2 | Sweden | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 30 - 21 | 10 |
| 3 | Canada | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 24 - 20 | 9 |
| 4 | United States | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 23 - 28 | 8 |
| 5 | Finland | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 22 - 15 | 7 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 19 - 19 | 6 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13 - 26 | 2 |
| 8 | Germany | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 13 - 40 | 1 |
| 19 April | Finland | 2-0 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 19 April | Canada | 4-3 |
United States |
| 19 April | Soviet Union | 3-1 |
Switzerland |
| 19 April | Sweden | 8-1 |
Germany |
| 20 April | Canada | 3-0 |
Switzerland |
| 20 April | Finland | 4-4 |
Sweden |
| 20 April | Germany | 3-7 |
Soviet Union |
| 20 April | United States | 4-1 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 22 April | Canada | 3-2 |
Germany |
| 22 April | Finland | 0-3 |
Soviet Union |
| 22 April | Czechoslovakia | 4-1 |
Switzerland |
| 22 April | Sweden | 4-4 |
United States |
| 23 April | Germany | 1-7 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 23 April | Finland | 3-5 |
Canada |
| 23 April | Sweden | 4-3 |
Switzerland |
| 23 April | United States | 2-12 |
Soviet Union |
| 25 April | Sweden | 2-1 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 25 April | Switzerland | 2-4 |
United States |
| 25 April | Soviet Union | 5-3 |
Canada |
| 25 April | Finland | 6-0 |
Germany |
| 26 April | Canada | 3-3 |
Sweden |
| 26 April | Germany | 4-4 |
United States |
| 26 April | Czechoslovakia | 2-6 |
Soviet Union |
| 26 April | Finland | 6-1 |
Switzerland |
| 28 April | Finland | 1-2 |
United States |
| 28 April | Switzerland | 5-2 |
Germany |
| 28 April | Soviet Union | 5-5 |
Sweden |
| 28 April | Czechoslovakia | 4-3 |
Canada |
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 - 08 | 5 |
| 2 | Canada | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 15 - 10 | 4 |
| 3 | Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 - 09 | 3 |
| 4 | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 - 23 | 0 |
| 30 April | Soviet Union | 6-4 |
United States |
| 30 April | Sweden | 3-3 |
Canada |
| 02 May | United States | 4-8 |
Sweden |
| 02 May | Canada | 3-3 |
Soviet Union |
| 04 May | United States | 4-9 |
Canada |
| 04 May | Sweden | 2-1 |
Soviet Union |
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Finland | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 35 - 21 | 13 |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 28 - 27 | 8 |
| 7 | Switzerland | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 22 - 38 | 5 |
| 8 | Germany | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 19 - 51 | 2 |
No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.
| 29 April | Germany | 2-4 |
Finland |
| 29 April | Switzerland | 4-3 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 01 May | Czechoslovakia | 4-1 |
Germany |
| 01 May | Finland | 6-2 |
Switzerland |
| 03 May | Finland | 3-2 |
Czechoslovakia |
| 03 May | Germany | 3-3 |
Switzerland |
Played in Ljubljana March 28th to April 7th. With the expansion of Group A impending, promotion was available to the top four finishers. As well, the top three qualified directly for the Olympics, with fourth place needing to defeat the winner of Group C.[1][3]
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Italy | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 49 - 11 | 14 |
| 10 | Norway | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 26 - 13 | 10 |
| 11 | France | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 28 - 18 | 10 |
| 12 | Poland | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 24 - 15 | 8 |
| 13 | Austria | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 21 - 18 | 7 |
| 14 | Yugoslavia | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 18 - 36 | 4 |
| 15 | Netherlands | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 09 - 40 | 2 |
| 16 | Japan | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10 - 34 | 1 |
Italy, Norway, France, and Poland all were promoted to Group A, no one was relegated.
| 28 March | Austria | 2-2 |
Japan |
| 28 March | France | 4-2 |
Poland |
| 28 March | Italy | 13-0 |
Netherlands |
| 28 March | Norway | 5-1 |
Yugoslavia |
| 29 March | Poland | 2-1 |
Austria |
| 29 March | Netherlands | 0-4 |
Norway |
| 29 March | France | 4-2 |
Yugoslavia |
| 29 March | Japan | 2-7 |
Italy |
| 31 March | France | 9-1 |
Netherlands |
| 31 March | Italy | 2-1 |
Poland |
| 31 March | Austria | 6-1 |
Yugoslavia |
| 31 March | Norway | 6-1 |
Japan |
| 01 April | Austria | 6-4 |
Netherlands |
| 01 April | Italy | 13-3 |
Yugoslavia |
| 02 April | Japan | 3-5 |
France |
| 02 April | Poland | 2-4 |
Norway |
| 03 April | Italy | 5-1 |
Austria |
| 03 April | Yugoslavia | 3-6 |
Poland |
| 04 April | Japan | 1-2 |
Netherlands |
| 04 April | France | 2-3 |
Norway |
| 05 April | Yugoslavia | 5-1 |
Japan |
| 05 April | France | 1-5 |
Italy |
| 06 April | Netherlands | 1-4 |
Poland |
| 06 April | Austria | 3-1 |
Norway |
| 07 April | Norway | 3-4 |
Italy |
| 07 April | Yugoslavia | 3-1 |
Netherlands |
| 07 April | Poland | 7-0 |
Japan |
| 07 April | Austria | 2-3 |
France |
Played in Brondby March 23rd to April 3rd. With the expansion of Group A, four openings in Group B were available. In addition, the winner got to play off for the last Olympic spot against the fourth place Group B finisher.[1]
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Denmark | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 71 - 13 | 15 |
| 18 | China | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 44 - 24 | 13 |
| 19 | Romania | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 51 - 22 | 12 |
| 20 | Bulgaria | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 35 - 26 | 9 |
| 21 | Great Britain | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 45 - 25 | 9 |
| 22 | Hungary | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 37 - 32 | 7 |
| 23 | North Korea | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 29 - 35 | 5 |
| 24 | South Korea | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 19 - 64 | 2 |
| 25 | Belgium | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 - 101 | 0 |
Denmark, China, Romania and Bulgaria were all promoted. With no Group D in existence at this time, there was no relegation.
| 23 March | Hungary | 11-1 |
Belgium |
| 23 March | Denmark | 15-1 |
South Korea |
| 23 March | China | 6-5 |
Great Britain |
| 24 March | Romania | 14-0 |
Belgium |
| 24 March | Great Britain | 7-2 |
North Korea |
| 24 March | Bulgaria | 3-4 |
China |
| 25 March | South Korea | 4-9 |
Hungary |
| 25 March | Romania | 7-2 |
North Korea |
| 25 March | Denmark | 7-3 |
Bulgaria |
| 26 March | South Korea | 7-2 |
Belgium |
| 26 March | Hungary | 3-4 |
China |
| 26 March | Denmark | 3-2 |
Great Britain |
| 27 March | Bulgaria | 1-3 |
Romania |
| 27 March | Belgium | 0-11 |
Great Britain |
| 27 March | North Korea | 2-3 |
China |
| 28 March | Denmark | 11-1 |
North Korea |
| 28 March | Bulgaria | 4-3 |
Hungary |
| 28 March | Romania | 11-3 |
South Korea |
| 29 March | Denmark | 17-1 |
Belgium |
| 29 March | China | 9-1 |
South Korea |
| 29 March | Hungary | 3-3 |
Great Britain |
| 30 March | Belgium | 0-12 |
North Korea |
| 30 March | Great Britain | 4-5 |
Bulgaria |
| 30 March | Romania | 3-1 |
China |
| 31 March | Denmark | 8-2 |
Romania |
| 31 March | South Korea | 2-4 |
Bulgaria |
| 31 March | North Korea | 2-6 |
Hungary |
| 01 April | Denmark | 8-1 |
Hungary |
| 01 April | Great Britain | 7-1 |
South Korea |
| 01 April | Belgium | 5-15 |
China |
| 02 April | Romania | 5-6 |
Great Britain |
| 02 April | North Korea | 1-1 |
Bulgaria |
| 03 April | Romania | 6-1 |
Hungary |
| 03 April | Belgium | 2-14 |
Bulgaria |
| 03 April | South Korea | 0-7 |
North Korea |
| 03 April | Denmark | 2-2 |
China |
| 1991 World Championships | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | Sweden |
| Silver | Canada |
| Bronze | Soviet Union |
| 4 | United States |
| 5 | Finland |
| 6 | Czechoslovakia |
| 7 | Switzerland |
| 8 | Germany |
| 1991 European Championships | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | Soviet Union |
| Silver | Sweden |
| Bronze | Finland |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia |
| 5 | Switzerland |
| 6 | Germany |