1976 Ice Hockey World Championships

The 1976 Ice Hockey World Championships were the 43rd Ice Hockey World Championships and the 54th European Championships in ice hockey. The tournament took place in Poland from 8 to 25 April, and the games were played in Katowice. Eight teams took part in the main tournament, with each team first playing each other once. The four best teams then took part in a medal play off, and the teams placed 5–8 took part in a relegation play-off. The teams took the results from the first round through to the second round with them.

1976 Ice Hockey World Championships
Tournament details
Host country Poland
Dates8–25 April
Teams8
Final positions
Champions  Czechoslovakia (4th title)
Runner-up  Soviet Union
Third place  Sweden
Fourth place United States
Tournament statistics
Matches played40
Goals scored289 (7.23 per match)
Attendance219,000 (5,475 per match)
Scoring leader(s) Vladimír Martinec 20 points
1975
1977

In response to charges of the rules regarding amateurism being unfair[1][2] a change was implemented for this year. The 1976 IHWC tournament was first to feature major league professionals from the NHL and WHA, although in the end only the United States made use of the new rule, recalling eight pros from the Minnesota North Stars and Minnesota Fighting Saints.[3][4] The Americans promptly made the medal play off for the first time since 1962 after beating Sweden and tying Finland in the first round.

The Czechoslovakia national ice hockey team won nine games and were unbeaten, becoming world champions for the fourth time. The defending champions from the USSR finished 2nd after sensationally losing the opening game 4–6 to hosts Poland.[5] Sweden won the bronze after beating the Americans 7-3 in the medal round. In the European standings Sweden moved up one position leaving the Soviets with the bronze for the first time ever.

World Championship Group A (Poland)

First round

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points Difference Points
1 Czechoslovakia770054 - 0714
2 Soviet Union750237 - 1510
3 Sweden740322 - 188
4 United States731319 - 237
5 Poland721421 - 365
6 West Germany720519 - 354
7 Finland712417 - 294
8 East Germany720511 - 374
8 AprilWest Germany 1-4
(0-1, 0-1, 1-2)
 Sweden
8 AprilCzechoslovakia 10-0 East Germany
8 AprilUnited States 3-3
(0-2, 2-0, 1-1)
 Finland
8 AprilPoland 6-4
(2-0, 3-2, 1-2)
 Soviet Union
9 AprilPoland 0-12
(0-2, 0-2, 0-8)
 Czechoslovakia
9 AprilSoviet Union 4-0
(1-0, 1-0, 2-0)
 East Germany
10 AprilWest Germany 2-5
(1-0, 1-3, 0-2)
 Finland
10 AprilSweden 0-2
(0-1, 0-0, 0-1)
 United States
11 AprilPoland 6-4
(3-0, 2-2, 1-2)
 East Germany
11 AprilFinland 1-8
(0-1, 1-3, 0-4)
 Soviet Union
11 AprilCzechoslovakia 3-1
(0-0, 2-0, 1-1)
 Sweden
12 AprilPoland 3-5
(1-2, 1-1, 1-2)
 West Germany
12 AprilEast Germany 2-1
(0-0, 0-0, 2-1)
 United States
13 AprilCzechoslovakia 7-1
(1-1, 4-0, 2-0)
 Finland
13 AprilSoviet Union 6-1
(2-0, 2-0, 2-1)
 Sweden
14 AprilPoland 2-4
(0-2, 1-1, 1-1)
 United States
14 AprilEast Germany 1-7 West Germany
15 AprilFinland 3-4 Sweden
15 AprilUnited States 2-10 Czechoslovakia
15 AprilWest Germany 2-8 Soviet Union
17 AprilSweden 8-2 East Germany
17 AprilPoland 3-3 Finland
17 AprilSoviet Union 2-3 Czechoslovakia
18 AprilUnited States 5-1 West Germany
18 AprilFinland 1-2 East Germany
19 AprilCzechoslovakia 9-1 West Germany
19 AprilPoland 1-4 Sweden
19 AprilSoviet Union 5-2 United States

Final Round 1–4 place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1 Czechoslovakia1091067 - 1419
2 Soviet Union1061350 - 2313
3 Sweden1060436 - 2912
4 United States1031624 - 427
21 AprilCzechoslovakia 5-1 United States
21 AprilSoviet Union 3-4 Sweden
23 AprilSweden 3-5 Czechoslovakia
23 AprilUnited States 1-7 Soviet Union
25 AprilSweden 7-3 United States
25 AprilCzechoslovakia 3-3 Soviet Union

Consolation Round 5–8 place

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points Tie
H2H Points
5 Finland1024435 - 4185
6 West Germany1032526 - 4185
7 Poland1032532 - 4782
8 East Germany1021719 - 525

East Germany was relegated to Group B. Poland was also relegated to make room for the return of team Canada.

20 AprilPoland 5-4 East Germany
20 AprilFinland 4-4 West Germany
22 AprilPoland 5-5 Finland
22 AprilEast Germany 1-1 West Germany
24 AprilFinland 9-3 East Germany
24 AprilPoland 1-2 West Germany

World Championship Group B (Switzerland)

Played in Aarau and Bienne 18–27 March.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
9 Romania751140 - 2311
10 Japan750234 - 1710
11 Norway740329 - 218
12  Switzerland740325 - 288
13 Yugoslavia740337 - 268
14 Netherlands730422 - 306
15 Italy721423 - 415
16 Bulgaria700723 - 470

Romania was promoted to Group A, and both Italy and Bulgaria were relegated to Group C.

18 MarchNetherlands 4-3 Norway
18 MarchSwitzerland  5-1 Bulgaria
18 MarchItaly 2-8 Yugoslavia
18 MarchRomania 7-5 Japan
19 MarchItaly 8-3 Bulgaria
19 MarchSwitzerland  5-4 Yugoslavia
20 MarchJapan 4-0 Netherlands
20 MarchRomania 2-1 Norway
21 MarchYugoslavia 5-2 Romania
21 MarchSwitzerland  4-2 Netherlands
21 MarchItaly 4-2 Norway
21 MarchBulgaria 3-4 Japan
22 MarchYugoslavia 9-7 Bulgaria
22 MarchSwitzerland  4-1 Italy
23 MarchRomania 8-1 Netherlands
23 MarchNorway 3-2 Japan
24 MarchRomania 5-5 Italy
24 MarchJapan 3-2 Yugoslavia
24 MarchNetherlands 5-3 Bulgaria
24 MarchSwitzerland  3-7 Norway
26 MarchJapan 10-0 Italy
26 MarchNorway 7-2 Bulgaria
26 MarchNetherlands 1-5 Yugoslavia
26 MarchSwitzerland  2-7 Romania
27 MarchNorway 6-4 Yugoslavia
27 MarchSwitzerland  2-6 Japan
27 MarchRomania 9-4 Bulgaria
27 MarchNetherlands 9-3 Italy

World Championship Group C (Poland)

Played in Gdańsk 8–13 March.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
17 Austria440038 - 098
18 Hungary430130 - 096
19 France420214 - 184
20 Denmark410316 - 242
21 Great Britain400406 - 440

Both Austria and Hungary were promoted to Group B.

8 MarchAustria 4-3 Denmark
8 MarchHungary 11-0 Great Britain
9 MarchGreat Britain 2-21 Austria
9 MarchHungary 6-1 France
10 MarchFrance 7-4 Denmark
11 MarchDenmark 7-3 Great Britain
11 MarchAustria 6-3 Hungary
12 MarchFrance 5-1 Great Britain
13 MarchHungary 10-2 Denmark
13 MarchAustria 7-1 France

Ranking and statistics

 


 1976 IIHF World Championship Winners 

Czechoslovakia
4th title

Tournament Awards

Final standings

The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:

 Czechoslovakia
 Soviet Union
 Sweden
4 United States
5 Finland
6 West Germany
7 Poland
8 East Germany

European championships final standings

The final standings of the European championships according to IIHF:

 Czechoslovakia
 Sweden
 Soviet Union
4 West Germany
5 Poland
6 Finland
7 East Germany

References

  1. NYTimes on status of Soviet Athletes
  2. Salming-less Sweden skips
  3. Podnieks page 145
  4. Duplacey page 506
  5. IIHF (2008). "Poland scores biggest shocker in World Championship history". IIHF.com. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
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