1976 World Ice Hockey Championships
Encyclopedia
The 1976 World Ice Hockey Championships were the 43rd Ice Hockey World Championships
and the 54th European Championships in ice hockey
. The tournament took place in Poland
from 8 April 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.
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
. 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. Sweden won the bronze after beating the Americans 7-3 in the medal round.
East Germany was relegated to Group B. Poland
, despited defeating the USSR to open the tournament, is also relegated to make room for the return of team Canada
.
and Bienne March 18-27.
Romania
was promoted to Group A, and both Italy
and Bulgaria
were relegated to Group C.
March 8-13.
Both Austria
and Hungary
were 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...
and the 54th European Championships in 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...
. The tournament took place in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
from 8 April to 25 April, and the games were played in Katowice
Katowice
Katowice is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, on the Kłodnica and Rawa rivers . Katowice is located in the Silesian Highlands, about north of the Silesian Beskids and about southeast of the Sudetes Mountains.It is the central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolis, with a population of 2...
. 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.
The 1976 IHWC tournament was first to feature major league professionals from the NHL and WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
although in the end only the United States made use of the new rule, recalling eight pros from the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
and Minnesota Fighting Saints
Minnesota Fighting Saints
The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...
. 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. Sweden won the bronze after beating the Americans 7-3 in the medal round.
First round
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points Difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 54 - 07 | 14 | |
| 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 37 - 15 | 10 | |
| 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 22 - 18 | 8 | |
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 19 - 23 | 7 | |
| 5 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 21 - 36 | 5 | |
| 6 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 19 - 35 | 4 | |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 17 - 29 | 4 | |
| 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 11 - 37 | 4 |
Final Round 1-4 place
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 67 - 14 | 19 | |
| 2 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 50 - 23 | 13 | |
| 3 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 36 - 29 | 12 | |
| 4 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 24 - 42 | 7 |
Consolation Round 5-8 place
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | Tie H2H Points |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 35 - 41 | 8 | 5 | |
| 6 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 26 - 41 | 8 | 5 | |
| 7 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 32 - 47 | 8 | 2 | |
| 8 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 19 - 52 | 5 |
East Germany was relegated to Group B. Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, despited defeating the USSR to open the tournament, is also relegated to make room for the return of team 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...
.
World Championship Group B (Switzerland)
Played in AarauAarau
Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aar, on the river's right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura...
and Bienne March 18-27.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 40 - 23 | 11 | |
| 10 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 34 - 17 | 10 | |
| 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 29 - 21 | 8 | |
| 12 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 25 - 28 | 8 | |
| 13 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 37 - 26 | 8 | |
| 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 22 - 30 | 6 | |
| 15 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 23 - 41 | 5 | |
| 16 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 23 - 47 | 0 | |
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 promoted to Group A, and both 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...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
were relegated to Group C.
World Championship Group C (Poland)
Played in GdanskGdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
March 8-13.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 38 - 09 | 8 | |
| 18 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 30 - 09 | 6 | |
| 19 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 - 18 | 4 | |
| 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 - 24 | 2 | |
| 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 06 - 44 | 0 | |
Both 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...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
were promoted to Group B.
World Championship medal table
| 1976 World Championships | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | |
| Silver | |
| Bronze | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 |
European Championship medal table
| European Championships 1976 | Country |
|---|---|
| Gold | |
| Silver | |
| Bronze | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 |