1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships

1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
1996
1998

The 1997 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Finland from 21 April to 5 May 1997. The matches were played in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

Twelve teams took part, with the first round being split into two teams of six, and the six best teams going to a further group stage. This was the 61st World Championships, and Canada beat Sweden in the final game, best of three, where they won 2-1 in games, and became world champions for the 21st time.

Contents

World Championship Group A (Finland)

First Round

Group 1

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Czech Republic 5 4 0 1 18 - 09 8
2  Finland 5 4 0 1 25 - 09 8
3  Russia 5 3 1 1 19 - 16 7
4  Slovakia 5 1 1 3 10 - 14 3
5  France 5 1 0 4 13 - 26 2
6  Germany 5 1 0 4 04 - 15 2
26 April Czech Republic  2-1
 Germany
26 April Finland  6-1
 France
27 April Russia  2-2
 Slovakia
27 April Finland  1-2
 Czech Republic
28 April Slovakia  5-3
 France
28 April Germany  1-5
 Russia
29 April Finland  6-0
 Germany
30 April Russia  5-4
 France
30 April Czech Republic  3-1
 Slovakia
01 May Czech Republic  2-3
 Russia
02 May France  2-1
 Germany
02 May Finland  5-2
 Slovakia
03 May France  3-9
 Czech Republic
03 May Slovakia  0-1
 Germany
03 May Finland  7-4
 Russia

Group 2

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Sweden 5 4 1 0 20 - 08 9
2  Canada 5 3 1 1 23 - 11 7
3  United States 5 3 0 2 14 - 15 6
4  Latvia 5 1 2 2 18 - 17 4
5  Italy 5 1 1 3 12 - 21 3
6  Norway 5 0 1 4 07 - 22 1
26 April Canada  7-0
 Norway
26 April Sweden  5-3
 Italy
27 April United States  5-4
 Latvia
27 April Sweden  7-2
 Canada
28 April Italy  5-4
 Latvia
28 April Norway  1-3
 United States
29 April Sweden  4-1
 Norway
30 April Canada  3-3
 Latvia
30 April United States  4-2
 Italy
01 May Canada  5-1
 United States
02 May Italy  2-2
 Norway
02 May Sweden  1-1
 Latvia
03 May Italy  0-6
 Canada
03 May United States  1-3
 Sweden
03 May Latvia  6-3
 Norway

Second Round 1-6 Place

Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Sweden 5 4 0 1 17 - 09 8
2  Canada 5 3 0 2 13 - 14 6
3  Russia 5 2 1 2 13 - 13 5
4  Czech Republic 5 2 0 3 12 - 12 4
5  Finland 5 2 0 3 12 - 12 4
6  United States 5 1 1 3 07 - 14 3
05 May Czech Republic  3-4
 United States
05 May Sweden  1-4
 Russia
06 May Finland  0-1
 Canada
06 May Russia  1-1
 United States
07 May Canada  3-5
 Czech Republic
07 May Finland  2-5
 Sweden
08 May Czech Republic  0-1
 Sweden
09 May Canada  2-1
 Russia
09 May United States  0-2
 Finland

Consolation Round 7-12 Place

Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. Last place was not relegated to Group B, instead they had to play against three qualifiers from Group B for the last two openings in the 1998 Group A tournament. This was Germany's lowest finish since 1965.[1]

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
7  Latvia 5 4 0 1 29 - 14 8
8  Italy 5 3 1 1 23 - 13 7
9  Slovakia 5 3 0 2 15 - 13 6
10  France 5 2 0 3 12 - 23 4
11  Germany 5 2 0 3 08 - 17 4
12  Norway 5 0 1 4 11 - 18 1

Norway was sent to 1998 Group A Qualifier.

06 May Slovakia  2-1
 Norway
06 May Latvia  8-0
 Germany
07 May Norway  3-4
 France
07 May Italy  5-2
 Germany
08 May Italy  3-4
 Slovakia
08 May Latvia  6-2
 France
09 May Germany  4-2
 Norway
10 May Slovakia  4-5
 Latvia
10 May France  1-8
 Italy

Final Round

Match for third place

10 May Russia  3-4
 Czech Republic

Final

11 May Canada  2-3
 Sweden
13 May Sweden  1-3
 Canada
14 May Canada  2-1
 Sweden

World Championship Group B (Poland)

Played April 12-21 in Katowice and Sosnowiec. With the announcement that Group A would be expanding from twelve to sixteen nations, Group B would also undergo significant changes. The winner and next year's host (Switzerland) were promoted. In addition, the remaining three best teams would win the opportunity to play in a qualifying tournament against the last place team from Group A, where the top two would be included in the Group A tournament.[1]

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
13  Belarus 7 7 0 0 48 - 21 14
14  Kazakhstan 7 5 1 1 31 - 21 11
15  Switzerland 7 3 2 2 26 - 22 8
16  Austria 7 2 3 2 22 - 22 7
17  Poland 7 2 2 3 19 - 24 6
18  Great Britain 7 2 1 4 28 - 22 5
19  Netherlands 7 2 1 4 21 - 38 5
20  Denmark 7 0 0 7 19 - 44 0

Belarus, as winner, was promoted to Group A. Switzerland, as host, was also promoted to Group A. Kazakhstan, Austria, and Poland were all promoted to the Qualifying tournament for Group A, along with Norway. No one was relegated.

12 April Switzerland  8-3
 Netherlands
12 April Poland  4-3
 Great Britain
12 April Kazakhstan  5-3
 Austria
12 April Belarus  9-3
 Denmark
13 April Switzerland  6-4
 Denmark
13 April Kazakhstan  4-2
 Great Britain
13 April Austria  2-2
 Netherlands
13 April Poland  2-7
 Belarus
15 April Belarus  4-3
 Kazakhstan
15 April Poland  0-0
 Switzerland
15 April Austria  3-1
 Denmark
15 April Great Britain  8-2
 Netherlands
16 April Kazakhstan  5-2
 Switzerland
16 April Great Britain  9-1
 Denmark
16 April Poland  4-6
 Austria
16 April Belarus  10-2
 Netherlands
18 April Switzerland  5-6
 Belarus
18 April Poland  3-3
 Kazakhstan
18 April Austria  2-2
 Great Britain
18 April Netherlands  6-4
 Denmark
20 April Belarus  6-4
 Austria
20 April Kazakhstan  6-4
 Denmark
20 April Switzerland  3-2
 Great Britain
20 April Poland  1-3
 Netherlands
21 April Belarus  6-2
 Great Britain
21 April Kazakhstan  5-3
 Netherlands
21 April Switzerland  2-2
 Austria
21 April Poland  5-2
 Denmark

World Championship Group C (Estonia)

Played March 22-28 in Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve. Along with the expansion of Group A, a provision was made to allow the best "Far East" team to qualify directly. Beginning in 1999 there would be a tournament to decide who that would be. But for now, the top placing "Far East" hockey nation was able to proceed directly from Group C to Group A. For this year, as well, promotion to Group B was available to the top three European teams, and there was no relegation.[1]

First Round

Group 1

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Japan 3 2 1 0 11 - 03 5
2  Estonia 3 1 2 0 18 - 12 4
3  Hungary 3 1 1 1 11 - 11 3
4  Lithuania 3 0 0 3 05 - 19 0
22 March Japan  3-0
 Lithuania
22 March Hungary  5-5
 Estonia
23 March Hungary  5-0
 Lithuania
23 March Estonia  2-2
 Japan
25 March Japan  6-1
 Hungary
25 March Lithuania  5-11
 Estonia

Group 2

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Ukraine 3 3 0 0 17 - 03 6
2  Slovenia 3 2 0 1 18 - 04 4
3  Romania 3 1 0 2 06 - 17 2
4  China 3 0 0 3 07 - 24 0
22 March Ukraine  7-1
 China
22 March Romania  0-5
 Slovenia
23 March Slovenia  11-1
 China
23 March Romania  0-7
 Ukraine
25 March China  5-6
 Romania
25 March Ukraine  3-2
 Slovenia

Final Round 21-24 Place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
21  Ukraine 3 2 1 0 07 - 05 5
22  Slovenia 3 1 1 1 09 - 07 3
23  Estonia 3 0 2 1 06 - 07 2
24  Japan 3 0 2 1 05 - 08 2

Japan was promoted to Group A as the "Far East Qualifier", the Ukraine, Slovenia, and Estonia were all promoted to Group B.

27 March Japan  1-4
 Slovenia
27 March Estonia  1-2
 Ukraine
28 March Japan  2-2
 Ukraine
28 March Estonia  3-3
 Slovenia

Consolation Round 25-28 Place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
25  Romania 3 3 0 0 15 - 08 6
26  Hungary 3 2 0 1 12 - 05 4
27  China 3 1 0 2 14 - 16 2
28  Lithuania 3 0 0 3 06 - 18 0
27 March Hungary  7-3
 China
27 March Romania  7-3
 Lithuania
28 March China  6-3
 Lithuania
28 March Hungary  0-2
 Romania

World Championship Group D (Andorra)

Played April 7-14 in Canillo. With Group A expansion, four nations were promoted to Group C.

First Round

Group 1

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Croatia 3 2 0 1 10 - 04 4
2  South Korea 3 2 0 1 12 - 08 4
3  Belgium 3 2 0 1 07 - 07 4
4  Australia 3 0 0 3 09 - 19 0

Croatia and South Korea were promoted to Group C.

07 April Australia  2-7
 Croatia
08 April Belgium  1-4
 South Korea
10 April Belgium  4-2
 Australia
10 April Croatia  2-0
 South Korea
11 April Australia  5-8
 South Korea
11 April Belgium  2-1
 Croatia

Group 2

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Spain 3 2 0 1 17 - 13 4
2  Yugoslavia 3 1 1 1 11 - 11 3
3  Bulgaria 3 1 1 1 10 - 10 3
4  Israel 3 1 0 2 10 - 14 2

Spain and Yugoslavia were promoted to Group C.

07 April Spain  4-5
 Bulgaria
08 April Israel  3-4
 Yugoslavia
10 April Bulgaria  2-2
 Yugoslavia
10 April Spain  7-3
 Israel
11 April Bulgaria  3-4
 Israel
11 April Spain  6-5
 Yugoslavia

Final Round 29-32 Place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
29  Croatia 3 2 1 0 08 - 05 5
30  South Korea 3 2 0 1 07 - 03 4
31  Spain 3 1 0 2 10 - 11 2
32  Yugoslavia 3 0 1 2 07 - 13 1
13 April Spain  3-4
 Croatia
13 April Yugoslavia  0-5
 South Korea
14 April Croatia  2-2
 Yugoslavia
14 April Spain  1-2
 South Korea

Consolation Round 33-36 Place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
33  Israel 3 2 0 1 12 - 14 4
34  Australia 3 1 1 1 13 - 10 3
35  Bulgaria 3 1 1 1 10 - 09 3
36  Belgium 3 1 0 2 09 - 11 2
13 April Bulgaria  3-3
 Australia
13 April Belgium  3-5
 Israel
14 April Israel  3-8
 Australia
14 April Belgium  2-4
 Bulgaria

Unofficial Group E

Three men's teams that were going to be included in Group D in 1998 played a tournament in Ankara Turkey from February 19 to 24 1997.[1]

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
NR  South Africa 4 3 1 0 36 - 8 7
NR  New Zealand 4 2 1 1 23 - 20 5
NR  Turkey 4 0 0 4 14 - 45 0
Turkey  1-14
 South Africa
Turkey  7-9
 New Zealand
South Africa  4-4
 New Zealand
South Africa  5-1
 New Zealand
Turkey  2-13
 South Africa
Turkey  4-9
 New Zealand

Medal table

VM 1997 Land
Gold  Canada
Silver  Sweden
Bronze  Czech Republic
4  Russia
5  Finland
6  United States
7  Latvia
8  Italy
9  Slovakia
10  France
11  Germany
12  Norway

Citations

References

See also: World Juniors, Women's Championships