1977 Ice Hockey World Championships
The 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Vienna, Austria from 21 April to 8 May. Eight teams took part, first playing each other once, then the four best teams advancing to a new round. The tournament was also the 55th ice hockey European Championship. Czechoslovakia won for the fifth time, and second in a row, claiming their 14th and final European title as well.
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Austria |
| Dates | 21 April – 8 May |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |  Czechoslovakia (5th title) |
Runner-up  |  Sweden |
Third place  |  Soviet Union |
| Fourth place |  Canada |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 40 |
| Goals scored | 338 (8.45 per game) |
| Attendance | 171,900 (4,298 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Vladimir Petrov 21 points |
Canada returned after an eight-year absence with a team comprised completely of NHL players from teams that had missed the Stanley Cup playoffs.[1] While being competitive in most games, many people were reportedly upset by the Canadians' conduct on the ice and after the games. The team refused to listen to the opposing teams' national anthems when they lost, and the coach, Johnny Wilson, explained their multiple misconduct penalties by saying, "We just couldn't compete with the Soviets, and ... it is natural to try to get revenge."[2]
The tournament itself was very close for the medals, with a spectacular last day. Canada, with a chance still to get a bronze, set a record by defeating the eventual champions eight to two. Never before had a first place team lost a game that badly.[3] But the Swedes, by beating the Soviets for a second time, saved the Czechoslovaks, and at the same time pushed themselves into second and Canada into fourth.
World Championship Group A (Austria)
editFirst round
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden
|
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 9 | +30 | 12 |
| 2 | Soviet Union
|
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 65 | 16 | +49 | 12 |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia
|
7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 46 | 20 | +26 | 11 |
| 4 | Canada
|
7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 31 | 25 | +6 | 9 |
| 5 |  Finland
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 37 | −15 | 6 |
| 6 |  United States
|
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 35 | −17 | 3 |
| 7 |  West Germany
|
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 45 | −28 | 3 |
| 8 |  Romania
|
7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 63 | −51 | 0 |
| 21 April | Canada | 4–1 | United States |
| 21 April | Czechoslovakia | 11–3 | Finland |
| 21 April | Soviet Union | 10–0 | West Germany |
| 21 April | Sweden | 8–1 | Romania |
| 22 April | Sweden | 4–2 | Canada |
| 22 April | United States | 7–2 | Romania |
| 22 April | Soviet Union | 11–6 | Finland |
| 22 April | Czechoslovakia | 9–3 | West Germany |
| 24 April | Soviet Union | 11–1 | Canada |
| 24 April | Czechoslovakia | 13–1 | Romania |
| 24 April | Sweden | 5–1 | Finland |
| 24 April | United States | 3–3 | West Germany |
| 25 April | Soviet Union | 18–1 | Romania |
| 25 April | Sweden | 7–1 | West Germany |
| 26 April | Finland | 3–2 | United States |
| 26 April | Canada | 3–3 | Czechoslovakia |
| 27 April | Canada | 5–1 | Finland |
| 27 April | West Germany | 6–3 | Romania |
| 28 April | Soviet Union | 6–1 | Czechoslovakia |
| 28 April | Sweden | 9–0 | United States |
| 29 April | Canada | 9–3 | West Germany |
| 29 April | Finland | 4–2 | Romania |
| 30 April | Czechoslovakia | 3–1 | Sweden |
| 30 April | Soviet Union | 8–2 | United States |
| 1 May | Finland | 4–1 | West Germany |
| 1 May | Canada | 7–2 | Romania |
| 2 May | Sweden | 5–1 | Soviet Union |
| 2 May | Czechoslovakia | 6–3 | United States |
Final Round 1–4 place
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechoslovakia
|
10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 32 | +22 | 15 |
| 2 | Sweden
|
10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 19 | +24 | 14 |
| 3 | Soviet Union
|
10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 77 | 24 | +53 | 14 |
| 4 | Canada
|
10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 47 | 35 | +12 | 13 |
| 4 May | Canada | 7–0 | Sweden |
| 4 May | Czechoslovakia | 4–3 | Soviet Union |
| 6 May | Czechoslovakia | 2–1 | Sweden |
| 6 May | Soviet Union | 8–1 | Canada |
| 8 May | Canada | 8–2 | Czechoslovakia |
| 8 May | Sweden | 3–1 | Soviet Union |
Consolation round 5–8 place
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Finland
|
10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 45 | 43 | +2 | 10 |
| 6 | United States
|
10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 29 | 43 | −14 | 7 |
| 7 | West Germany
|
10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 58 | −35 | 5 |
| 8 | Romania
|
10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 20 | 84 | −64 | 2 |
Romania was relegated to Group B.
| 3 May | Finland | 14–1 | Romania |
| 3 May | United States | 4–1 | West Germany |
| 5 May | Romania | 5–4 | United States |
| 5 May | Finland | 7–2 | West Germany |
| 7 May | United States | 3–2 | Finland |
| 7 May | West Germany | 3–2 | Romania |
World Championship Group B (Japan)
editPlayed in Tokyo 10–21 March. Played with nine countries because Group A had relegated two nations the previous year to make room for Canada.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |  East Germany
|
8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 16 | +41 | 16 |
| 10 |  Poland
|
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 22 | +17 | 12 |
| 11 |  Japan
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 21 | +9 | 11 |
| 12 |  Norway
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 30 | 0 | 10 |
| 13 |  Switzerland
|
8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 35 | 33 | +2 | 8 |
| 14 |  Hungary
|
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 27 | 46 | −19 | 6 |
| 15 |  Yugoslavia
|
8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 30 | 36 | −6 | 5 |
| 16 |  Netherlands
|
8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 39 | −16 | 4 |
| 17 | Austria
|
8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 19 | 47 | −28 | 0 |
East Germany was promoted to Group A, both the Netherlands and Austria were relegated to Group C.
| 10 March | Poland | 4–2 | Netherlands |
| 10 March | Norway | 4–2 | Yugoslavia |
| 10 March | East Germany | 7–1 | Austria |
| 10 March | Japan | 5–2 | Hungary |
| 11 March | Austria | 4–7 | Hungary |
| 11 March | Norway | 4–3 | Switzerland |
| 12 March | East Germany | 7–6 | Yugoslavia |
| 12 March | Poland | 5–2 | Switzerland |
| 12 March | Japan | 8–2 | Netherlands |
| 13 March | Yugoslavia | 6–4 | Austria |
| 13 March | Netherlands | 2–8 | Hungary |
| 13 March | Japan | 2–2 | Norway |
| 14 March | East Germany | 9–2 | Hungary |
| 14 March | Poland | 7–3 | Norway |
| 14 March | Switzerland | 10–3 | Austria |
| 15 March | Poland | 1–7 | East Germany |
| 15 March | Yugoslavia | 5–5 | Netherlands |
| 15 March | Japan | 3–2 | Switzerland |
| 16 March | Netherlands | 4–3 | Austria |
| 16 March | Norway | 8–2 | Hungary |
| 16 March | Japan | 4–1 | Yugoslavia |
| 17 March | East Germany | 10–3 | Switzerland |
| 17 March | Norway | 4–2 | Austria |
| 17 March | Poland | 10–0 | Hungary |
| 18 March | East Germany | 4–2 | Netherlands |
| 18 March | Switzerland | 5–3 | Yugoslavia |
| 18 March | Japan | 2–5 | Poland |
| 19 March | Norway | 4–4 | Netherlands |
| 19 March | Yugoslavia | 1–3 | Hungary |
| 19 March | Japan | 6–2 | Austria |
| 20 March | Switzerland | 7–3 | Hungary |
| 20 March | East Germany | 8–1 | Norway |
| 20 March | Poland | 3–0 | Austria |
| 21 March | Switzerland | 3–2 | Netherlands |
| 21 March | Japan | 0–5 | East Germany |
| 21 March | Poland | 4–6 | Yugoslavia |
World Championship Group C (Denmark)
editPlayed in Copenhagen and Hørsholm, 12–20 March. The hosts did not lose a game, outscored their opponents by forty-six, but it was not enough to win. Only one team was promoted this year so that Group B could return to having eight clubs, and their tie on the last day against Italy left them in second place. Spain made its debut in the World Championships, not having competed since the European Championships of 1926.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 |  Italy
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 6 | +58 | 11 |
| 19 |  Denmark
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 61 | 15 | +46 | 11 |
| 20 |  Bulgaria
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 47 | 25 | +22 | 8 |
| 21 |  France
|
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 6 |
| 22 |  Spain
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 61 | −44 | 2 |
| 23 |  Belgium
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 89 | −65 | 2 |
| 24 |  Great Britain
|
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 47 | −30 | 2 |
Italy was promoted to Group B.
| 12 March | Denmark | 9–2 | Great Britain |
| 12 March | France | 12–3 | Belgium |
| 12 March | Italy | 12–0 | Spain |
| 13 March | Great Britain | 3–6 | France |
| 13 March | Spain | 2–14 | Bulgaria |
| 13 March | Belgium | 1–21 | Italy |
| 14 March | Denmark | 6–3 | Bulgaria |
| 15 March | France | 2–8 | Italy |
| 15 March | Great Britain | 6–5 | Belgium |
| 15 March | Denmark | 14–3 | Spain |
| 16 March | France | 4–6 | Bulgaria |
| 17 March | Belgium | 4–17 | Bulgaria |
| 17 March | Great Britain | 1–15 | Italy |
| 18 March | France | 12–1 | Spain |
| 18 March | Denmark | 27–4 | Belgium |
| 19 March | Italy | 6–0 | Bulgaria |
| 19 March | Great Britain | 2–5 | Spain |
| 19 March | Denmark | 3–1 | France |
| 20 March | Belgium | 7–6 | Spain |
| 20 March | Great Britain | 3–7 | Bulgaria |
| 20 March | Denmark | 2–2 | Italy |
Ranking and statistics
edit
| 1977 IIHF World Championship winners |
|---|
 Czechoslovakia 5th title |
Tournament Awards
edit- Best players selected by the directorate:
- Best Goaltender:
Göran Högosta - Best Defenceman:
Valeri Vasiliev - Best Forward: Helmut Balderis
- Best Goaltender:
- Media All-Star Team:
- Goaltender: Göran Högosta
- Defence:
František Pospíšil, Valeri Vasiliev - Forwards: Helmut Balderis, Vladimír Martinec, Vladimir Petrov
- Goaltender:
Final standings
editThe final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:
 |
Czechoslovakia
|
 |
Sweden
|
 |
Soviet Union
|
| 4 | Canada
|
| 5 | Finland
|
| 6 | United States
|
| 7 | West Germany
|
| 8 | Romania
|
European championships final standings
editThe final standings of the European championships according to IIHF:
 |
Czechoslovakia
|
 |
Sweden
|
 |
Soviet Union
|
| 4 | Finland
|
| 5 | West Germany
|
| 6 | Romania
|
Citations
edit- ^ Duplacey page 506
- ^ Tournament summary
- ^ Duplacey page 506
References
edit- Complete results
- 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. pp. 145–6.