Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics

Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics
Jersey of Canada's 1952 Olympic Gold Medal team, the Edmonton Mercurys
Tournament details
Host country  Norway
Dates 15–25 February
Teams 9
Venue(s) Jordal Amfi Arena, Dælenenga, Kadettangen, Marienlyst and Lillestrøm
Final positions
Champions   Canada (6th title)
Runner-up   United States
Third place   Sweden
Fourth place  Czechoslovakia
Tournament statistics
Matches played 37
Goals scored 335 (9.05 per match)
Scoring leader(s) Canada Billy Gibson (19 points)

The men's ice hockey tournament at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, was the 7th Olympic Championship, also serving as the 19th World Championships and the 30th European Championships. The tournament was mainly played at the Jordal Amfi Arena, as well as the stadiums at Dælenenga (in Oslo), Kadettangen (Sandvika), Marienlyst (Drammen) and Lillestrøm (Lillestrøm). Canada, represented by the Edmonton Mercurys, won its sixth Olympic gold medal and 15th World Championship. Highest finishing European team Sweden won the bronze medal and its sixth European Championship.

The tournament was nearly not played at all. In 1951 it was decided to drop hockey from the olympic program because of the controversies surrounding the 1948 games. However, at the IOC congress in Romania the same year, it was reinstated.[1][2]

Teams from Germany and Czechoslovakia rejoined the top level of international hockey this year. Nine nations played a round-robin with the top three nations receiving medals at the end. Canada won their sixth Olympic title, and fifteenth World title. The USA tied their final game against Canada to finish one point ahead of both Sweden and Czechoslovakia, clinching the silver medal. Czechoslovakia and Sweden both finished with six wins and two losses, additionally, they had an equal goal differential of +29. The Czechs had defeated the Swedes four to nothing on the final day, and believed that they had won the Olympic bronze, and the European Championship. However, organizers decided that they should play a final tie-breaking game, in which the Swedes overcame a three-goal deficit to win five to three.[1][2]

This would be Canada's last gold medal in men's Olympic ice hockey until the 2002 Winter Olympics when they would again play the United States, 50 years to the day (also a Sunday).

Medalists

Gold: Silver: Bronze:
 Canada
Eric Paterson
Ralph Hansch
John Davies
Don Gauf
Robert Meyers
Thomas Pollock
Al Purvis
Billy Gibson
David Miller
George Abel
Billy Dawe
Robert Dickson
Gordon Robertson
Louis Secco
Francis Sullivan
Robert Watt
 United States
Alfred Van Allen
André Gambucci
Arnold Oss
Clifford Harrison
Donald Whiston
Gerald Kilmartin
James Sedin
John Mulhern
John Noah
Joseph Czarnota
Kenneth Yackel
Len Ceglarski
Richard Desmond
Robert Rompre
Ruben Bjorkman
 Sweden
Göte Almqvist
Hans Andersson-Tvilling
Stig Andersson-Tvilling
Åke Andersson
Lars Björn
Göte Blomqvist
Thord Flodqvist
Erik Johansson
Gösta Johansson
Rune Johansson
Sven "Tumba" Johansson
Åke Lassas
Holger Nurmela
Lars Pettersson
Lars Svensson
Sven Thunman
Hans Öberg

World Championships Group A (Norway)

  • February 15
    • Norway 2–3 USA
    • Sweden 9–2 Finland
    • Czechoslovakia 8–2 Poland
    • Canada 15–1 Germany
  • February 16
    • Switzerland 12–0 Finland
    • USA 8–2 Germany
    • Norway 0–6 Czechoslovakia
    • Sweden 17–1 Poland
  • February 17
    • Norway 2–4 Sweden
    • Czechoslovakia 6–1 Germany
    • Canada 13–3 Finland
    • Switzerland 6–3 Poland
  • February 18
    • USA 8–2 Finland
    • Sweden 7–3 Germany
    • Canada 11–0 Poland
    • Norway 2–7 Switzerland
  • February 19
    • USA 8–2 Switzerland
    • Canada 4–1 Czechoslovakia
  • February 20
    • Norway 2–5 Finland
    • Poland 4–4 Germany
  • February 21
    • Sweden 4–2 USA
    • Norway 2–6 Germany
    • Canada 11–2 Switzerland
    • Czechoslovakia 11–2 Finland
  • February 22
    • USA 5–3 Poland
    • Finland 5–1 Germany
    • Canada 3–2 Sweden
    • Czechoslovakia 8–3 Switzerland
  • February 23
    • USA 6–3 Czechoslovakia
    • Poland 4–2 Finland
    • Norway 2–11 Canada
    • Sweden 5–2 Switzerland
  • February 24
    • Czechoslovakia 4–0 Sweden
    • Canada 3–3 USA
    • Norway 3–4 Poland
    • Switzerland 6–3 Germany

PLAYOFF

  • February 25 *
    • Sweden 5–3 Czechoslovakia

* Sweden and Czechoslovakia were tied with identical record and goal differentials, so a tie breaker game was played.

Final round

Team GP W L T GF GA Pts
 Canada 870171–1415
 United States 861143–2113
 Sweden 862048–1912
 Czechoslovakia 862047–1812
  Switzerland 844040–408
 Poland 825121–565
 Finland 826021–604
 West Germany 816121–533
 Norway 808015–460

World Championship Group B (Belgium)

Played in Liege 15–22 March 1952. British manager Johnny Murray won with a roster composed entirely with English players; no Scots or Canadians.[1]

Date Game Result Periods
15 March  France vs.  Netherlands 7–3 1–0, 3–1, 3–2
16 March  Belgium vs.  Italy 1–3 1–0, 0–0, 0–3
16 March  Austria vs.  Netherlands 5–5 1–2, 4–1, 0–2
17 March  Belgium vs.  Great Britain 5–1 4–1, 0–0, 1–0
17 March  Austria vs.  Italy 5–1 1–1, 0–0, 4–0
18 March  Great Britain vs.  Netherlands 8–1 3–0, 3–0, 2–1
18 March  Belgium vs.  France 3–3 0–2, 2–0, 1–1
19 March  Italy vs.  Netherlands 5–3 1–2, 1–0, 3–1
20 March  Great Britain vs.  France 10–0 4–0, 5–0, 1–0
20 March  Belgium vs.  Austria 7–10 2–2, 2–6, 3–2
21 March  Italy vs.  France 14–5 4–1, 5–1, 5–3
21 March  Great Britain vs.  Austria 2–1 0–0, 2–1, 0–0
22 March  Austria vs.  France 11–4 3–0, 0–4, 8–0
22 March  Great Britain vs.  Italy 7–3 2–1, 1–1, 3–1
22 March  Belgium vs.  Netherlands 1–7 1–3, 0–3, 0–1

Table

Place Team GP W T L GF GA Pts
10 Great Britain540128–108
11 Austria531132–197
12 Italy530226–216
13 Netherlands511319–263
14 Belgium511317–243
15 France511319–413

Top scorers

Team GP G A Pts
Canada Billy Gibson 812719

European Championship medal table

 Sweden
 Czechoslovakia
  Switzerland
4 Poland
5 Finland
6 West Germany
7 Norway

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Summary
  2. 1 2 Duplacey p. 503

References

  • Duplacey, James (1998). Total Hockey: The official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. Total Sports. pp. 498–528. ISBN 0-8362-7114-9.
  • Podnieks, Andrew (2010). IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2011. Moydart Press. p. 107.
  • Jeux Olympiques d'Oslo 1952
  • Ishockey VM OS 1947-1954
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