1981 World Ice Hockey Championships

1981 World Ice Hockey Championships
Tournament details
Host country  Sweden
Dates 12–26 April 1981
Teams 8
Venue(s) 1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions   Soviet Union (17th title)
Runner-up   Sweden
Third place   Czechoslovakia
Fourth place  Canada
Tournament statistics
Matches played 32
Goals scored 288 (9 per match)
Attendance 171,675 (5,365 per match)
Scoring leader(s) West Germany Holger Meitinger 20 points
← 1979
1982 →

The 1981 Ice Hockey World Championships took place at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg, Sweden 12–26 April 1981. Eight teams took part, firstly splitting into two groups of two, with the best two from each group advancing to the final group. These teams then play each other in the final round. This was the 47th World Championships, and also the 58th European Championships. The Soviet Union became World Champions for the 17th time, and also won their twentieth European title. Don Cherry commented, "This is the best Russian team I've ever seen."[1]

The Dutch team had won Group C and Group B in successive years to play in this tournament, but did not fare well. Their best game was a narrow one goal loss to the Americans, a goal scored on a penalty shot by Dave Christian with eleven seconds left.[1] It was their first appearance at the top level since 1950 and they have not returned since.[2]

World Championship Group A (Sweden)

Group 1

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Soviet Union 3 3 0 0 25 - 04 6
2  Canada 3 2 0 1 14 - 12 4
3  Finland 3 1 0 2 16 - 14 2
4  Netherlands 3 0 0 3 05 - 30 0
12 April Canada  4-3
  Finland
12 April Soviet Union  10-1
  Netherlands
13 April Canada  8-1
  Netherlands
13 April Soviet Union  7-1
  Finland
15 April Soviet Union  8-2
  Canada
15 April Finland  12-3
  Netherlands

Group 2

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Czechoslovakia 3 2 1 0 20 - 07 5
2  Sweden 3 2 1 0 11 - 07 5
3  United States 3 1 0 2 14 - 21 2
4  West Germany 3 0 0 3 10 - 20 0
12 April Czechoslovakia  11-2
  United States
12 April Sweden  4-2
  West Germany
14 April Sweden  4-2
  United States
14 April Czechoslovakia  6-2
  West Germany
15 April Czechoslovakia  3-3
  Sweden
15 April United States  10-6
  West Germany

Final Round

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1  Soviet Union 6 4 2 0 38 - 12 10
2  Sweden 6 3 1 2 16 - 26 7
3  Czechoslovakia 6 2 2 2 20 - 22 6
4  Canada 6 0 1 5 16 - 30 1
18 April Czechoslovakia  7-4
  Canada
18 April Soviet Union  4-1
  Sweden
20 April Sweden  3-1
  Canada
20 April Soviet Union  8-3
  Czechoslovakia
22 April Canada  4-4
  Soviet Union
22 April Sweden  4-2
  Czechoslovakia
24 April Czechoslovakia  4-2
  Canada
24 April Soviet Union  13-1
  Sweden
26 April Sweden  4-3
  Canada
26 April Soviet Union  1-1
  Czechoslovakia

Consolation Round

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
5  United States 6 4 1 1 35 - 28 9
6  Finland 6 3 2 1 33 - 21 8
7  West Germany 6 3 1 2 40 - 30 7
8  Netherlands 6 0 0 6 22 - 51 0

The Netherlands were relegated to Group B.

17 April United States  7-6
  Netherlands
17 April Finland  6-3
  West Germany
19 April West Germany  9-2
  Netherlands
19 April United States  6-4
  Finland
21 April West Germany  6-2
  United States
21 April Finland  4-2
  Netherlands
23 April United States  7-3
  Netherlands
23 April West Germany  4-4
  Finland
25 April West Germany  12-6
  Netherlands
25 April Finland  3-3
  United States

World Championship Group B (Italy)

Played in Urtijëi March 20-29. The hosts went undefeated to win, led by former Pittsburgh Penguin and Edmonton Oiler Wayne Bianchin and backstopped by former Oiler Jim Corsi.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
9  Italy 7 6 1 0 38 - 18 13
10  Poland 7 5 1 1 49 - 25 11
11   Switzerland 7 4 2 1 28 - 20 10
12  East Germany 7 4 1 2 37 - 25 9
13  Romania 7 2 0 5 25 - 30 4
14  Norway 7 2 0 5 21 - 39 4
15  Yugoslavia 7 1 1 5 23 - 44 3
16  Japan 7 1 0 6 18 - 38 2

Italy was promoted to Group A, both Yugoslavia and Japan were relegated to Group C.

20 March East Germany  4-3
  Japan
20 March Romania  5-6
  Poland
20 March Switzerland   5-2
  Norway
20 March Italy  6-4
  Yugoslavia
21 March Switzerland   3-3
  Poland
21 March Japan  0-2
  Norway
21 March East Germany  11-3
  Yugoslavia
21 March Italy  3-2
  Romania
23 March Romania  1-6
  East Germany
23 March Poland  13-4
  Norway
23 March Japan  7-3
  Yugoslavia
23 March Italy  4-2
   Switzerland
24 March Japan  2-11
  Poland
24 March Yugoslavia  3-2
  Romania
24 March Italy  6-1
  Norway
24 March Switzerland   2-1
  East Germany
26 March Yugoslavia  4-4
   Switzerland
26 March Romania  5-1
  Japan
26 March East Germany  6-3
  Norway
26 March Italy  4-1
  Poland
28 March Norway  6-2
  Yugoslavia
28 March Switzerland   8-3
  Romania
28 March East Germany  3-7
  Poland
28 March Italy  9-2
  Japan
29 March Yugoslavia  4-8
  Poland
29 March Norway  3-7
  Romania
29 March Switzerland   4-3
  Japan
29 March Italy  6-6
  East Germany

World Championship Group C (China PR)

Played in Beijing March 6–15.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
17  Austria 7 7 0 0 43 - 05 14
18  China 7 6 0 1 46 - 14 12
19  Hungary 7 4 1 2 38 - 22 9
20  Denmark 7 3 1 3 36 - 27 7
21  France 7 3 0 4 48 - 36 6
22  Bulgaria 7 3 0 4 22 - 32 6
23  North Korea 7 1 0 6 18 - 66 2
24  Great Britain 7 0 0 7 11 - 60 0

Both Austria and China were promoted to Group B.

6 March Austria  10-0
  North Korea
6 March Hungary  8-0
  Great Britain
6 March France  7-0
  Bulgaria
6 March China  5-1
  Denmark
7 March Great Britain  2-11
  France
7 March China  6-2
  Bulgaria
7 March North Korea  5-9
  Denmark
7 March Austria  7-0
  Hungary
9 March Hungary  10-3
  North Korea
9 March Denmark  4-6
  Bulgaria
9 March France  1-7
  Austria
9 March China  12-2
  Great Britain
10 March Hungary  11-6
  France
10 March North Korea  2-9
  Bulgaria
10 March Great Britain  2-13
  Denmark
10 March China  0-3
  Austria
12 March Bulgaria  4-2
  Great Britain
12 March France  17-1
  North Korea
12 March Austria  4-2
  Denmark
12 March China  3-1
  Hungary
13 March China  10-3
  France
13 March Great Britain  1-5
  North Korea
13 March Hungary  2-2
  Denmark
13 March Austria  5-0
  Bulgaria
15 March Austria  7-2
  Great Britain
15 March Bulgaria  1-6
  Hungary
15 March France  3-5
  Denmark
15 March China  10-2
  North Korea

Ranking and statistics

 


 1981 IIHF World Championship Winners 

Soviet Union
17th title

Tournament Awards

Final standings

The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:

 Soviet Union
 Sweden
 Czechoslovakia
4  Canada
5  United States
6  Finland
7  West Germany
8  Netherlands

European championships final standings

The final standings of the European championships according to IIHF:

 Soviet Union
 Sweden
 Czechoslovakia
4  Finland
5  West Germany
6  Netherlands

Fanfare Of The Championships

The fanfare for the Championships was written by Benny Andersson (from ABBA) in 1981. It was later used as the jingle/opening theme for the television special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA aired later in 1981. Reference - Palm, Carl Magnus: ABBA - The Complete Recordings Sessions, page 106. Verulam Publishing Ltd (October 13, 1994). ISBN 0-907938-10-8. ISBN 978-0-907938-10-1.

Citations

  1. 1 2 Summary
  2. ↑ Ponieks page 95

References

External links

See also: World Juniors
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