1977 World Ice Hockey Championships
Encyclopedia
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.
Canada
returned after an eight year absence with a team comprised completely of NHL players from teams that had missed the playoffs. Their play was inconsistent and unprofessional. While being competitive most games, they had the top three leaders in penalties, and snubbed post game celebrations when they did not win.
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. But the Swedes, by beating the Soviets for a second time, saved the Czechs, and at the same time pushed themselves into second and Canada into fourth.
Romania
was relegated to Group B.
March 10-21. Played with nine countries because Group A had relegated two nations the previous year to make room for Canada.
} || 8 || 3 || 0 || 5 || 27 - 46 || 6
|-style=
| 15 || || 8 || 2 || 1 || 5 || 30 - 46 || 5
|-style="background:#ffcccc"
| 16 || || 8 || 1 || 2 || 5 || 23 - 39 || 4
|-style="background:#ffcccc"
| 17 || || 8 || 0 || 0 || 8 || 19 - 47 || 0
|-
|}
East Germany was promoted to Group A, both the Netherlands
and Austria
were relegated to Group C.
and Hørsholm
, march 12-20. 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.
Italy
was promoted to Group B.
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
took place in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
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
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
European Championship. Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
won for the fifth time, and second in a row.
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
returned after an eight year absence with a team comprised completely of NHL players from teams that had missed the playoffs. Their play was inconsistent and unprofessional. While being competitive most games, they had the top three leaders in penalties, and snubbed post game celebrations when they did not win.
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. But the Swedes, by beating the Soviets for a second time, saved the Czechs, and at the same time pushed themselves into second and Canada into fourth.
First round
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points Difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 39 - 09 | 12 | |
| 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 65 - 16 | 12 | |
| 3 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 46 - 20 | 11 | |
| 4 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 31 - 25 | 9 | |
| 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 22 - 37 | 6 | |
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 18 - 35 | 3 | |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 17 - 45 | 3 | |
| 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 - 63 | 0 |
Final Round 1-4 place
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 54 - 32 | 15 | |
| 2 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 43 - 19 | 14 | |
| 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 77 - 24 | 14 | |
| 4 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 47 - 35 | 13 |
Consolation Round 5-8 place
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 45 - 43 | 10 | |
| 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 29 - 43 | 7 | |
| 7 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 23 - 58 | 5 | |
| 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 20 - 84 | 2 |
Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
was relegated to Group B.
World Championship Group B (Japan)
Played in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
March 10-21. Played with nine countries because Group A had relegated two nations the previous year to make room for Canada.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 57 - 16 | 16 | |
| 10 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 39 - 22 | 12 | |
| 11 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 30 - 21 | 11 | |
| 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 30 - 30 | 10 | |
| 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 35 - 33 | 8 | |
| 14 |
|-style=
| 15 || || 8 || 2 || 1 || 5 || 30 - 46 || 5
|-style="background:#ffcccc"
| 16 || || 8 || 1 || 2 || 5 || 23 - 39 || 4
|-style="background:#ffcccc"
| 17 || || 8 || 0 || 0 || 8 || 19 - 47 || 0
|-
|}
East Germany was promoted to Group A, both the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
were relegated to Group C.
World Championship Group C (Denmark)
Played in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and Hørsholm
Hørsholm
Hørsholm Kommune is a municipality in the Copenhagen Capital Region in the northern part of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 31 km², and has a total population of 24,197...
, march 12-20. 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
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
left them in second place.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 64 - 06 | 11 | |
| 19 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 61 - 15 | 11 | |
| 20 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 47 - 25 | 8 | |
| 21 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 34 - 24 | 6 | |
| 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 17 - 61 | 2 | |
| 23 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 24 - 89 | 2 | |
| 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 17 - 47 | 2 | |
Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
was promoted to Group B.
World Championship medal table
| 1977 World Championships | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | |
| Silver | |
| Bronze | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 |
European Championship Medal Table
| 1977 European Championships | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | |
| Silver | |
| Bronze | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 |