1978 Ice Hockey World Championships

The 1978 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Prague, Czechoslovakia from 26 April to 14 May. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once in the first round, and then the four best teams meeting in a new round. This was the 45th World Championships, and also the 56th European Championships. The USSR won for the fifteenth time, narrowly defeating the incumbent Czechoslovaks.

1978 Ice Hockey World Championships
Tournament details
Host country Czechoslovakia
Dates26 April – 14 May
Teams8
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions  Soviet Union (15th title)
Runner-up  Czechoslovakia
Third place  Canada
Fourth place Sweden
Tournament statistics
Matches played40
Goals scored322 (8.05 per match)
Attendance362,642 (9,066 per match)
Scoring leader(s) Erich Kühnhackl 16 points
← 1977
1979 →

On the final day, there was essentially a gold medal game, and a bronze medal game. The Soviets played the Czechoslovaks and needed to win by at least two to win the Championship.[1] They took a three nothing lead, and hung to win by two, capturing gold by being even head to head with the Czechoslovaks, but having a cumulative two goal advantage against everyone else. Canada and Sweden came into the final game even, so the winner would claim the bronze. Pat Hickey scored with a minute left in the game to give Canada a three to two victory, and the medal.[2]

Because of the allowance of professionals from the NHL into the tournament, a peculiar (and new) situation arose during this year's tournament. The Minnesota North Stars had players representing Canada (2), Sweden (3), and the United States (4).[3]

World Championship Group A (Czechoslovakia)

First round
Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points Difference Points
1 Czechoslovakia770044 - 1514
2 Soviet Union760146 - 2312
3 Canada740332 - 268
4 Sweden740335 - 218
5 West Germany721423 - 355
6 United States711525 - 423
7 East Germany711513 - 453
8 Finland711523 - 343
26 AprilSweden 6–2 West Germany
26 AprilCzechoslovakia 8–0 East Germany
26 AprilSoviet Union 9–5 United States
27 AprilFinland 6–4 Canada
27 AprilSoviet Union 7–4 West Germany
27 AprilSweden 5–1 United States
28 AprilCzechoslovakia 6–4 Finland
28 AprilCanada 6–2 East Germany
29 AprilSweden 10–1 East Germany
29 AprilCzechoslovakia 8–2 West Germany
30 AprilCanada 7–2 United States
30 AprilSoviet Union 6–3 Finland
1 MayCanada 6–2 West Germany
1 MaySoviet Union 10–2 East Germany
2 MayCzechoslovakia 8–3 United States
2 MaySweden 6–1 Finland
3 MayWest Germany 7–4 United States
3 MayEast Germany 4–3 Finland
4 MayCzechoslovakia 5–0 Canada
4 MaySoviet Union 6–1 Sweden
5 MayWest Germany 5–3 Finland
5 MayUnited States 7–3 East Germany
6 MayCzechoslovakia 6–4 Soviet Union
6 MayCanada 7–5 Sweden
7 MayEast Germany 1–1 West Germany
7 MayFinland 3–3 United States
8 MayCzechoslovakia 3–2 Sweden
8 MaySoviet Union 4–2 Canada

Final Round 1–4 place
Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1 Soviet Union1090161 - 2618
2 Czechoslovakia1090154 - 2118
3 Canada1050538 - 3610
4 Sweden1040639 - 378
10 MaySoviet Union 5–1 Canada
10 MayCzechoslovakia 6–1 Sweden
12 MayCzechoslovakia 3–2 Canada
12 MaySoviet Union 7–1 Sweden
14 MayCanada 3–2 Sweden
14 MaySoviet Union 3–1 Czechoslovakia

Consolation Round 5–8 place
Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
5 West Germany1033435 - 439
6 United States1022638 - 586
7 Finland1022637 - 446
8 East Germany1013620 - 575

East Germany was relegated to Group B.

9 MayFinland 4–4 West Germany
9 MayUnited States 5–5 East Germany
11 MayWest Germany 0–0 East Germany
11 MayUnited States 4–3 Finland
13 MayWest Germany 8–4 United States
13 MayFinland 7–2 East Germany

World Championship Group B (Yugoslavia)

Played in Belgrade 17–26 March.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
9 Poland761051 - 1913
10 Japan751126 - 1711
11  Switzerland741242 - 329
12 Romania731341 - 297
13 Hungary730421 - 366
14 Norway721429 - 345
15 Italy711532 - 413
16 Yugoslavia710614 - 482

Undefeated Poland was promoted to Group A, and both Italy and Yugoslavia were relegated to Group C.

17 MarchItaly 4–5 Japan
17 MarchSwitzerland  1–8 Poland
17 MarchRomania 6–4 Norway
17 MarchYugoslavia 2–4 Hungary
18 MarchHungary 4–3 Norway
18 MarchYugoslavia 2–5 Poland
19 MarchRomania 5–5 Italy
19 MarchJapan 1–6  Switzerland
20 MarchHungary 1–2 Japan
20 MarchRomania 3–7  Switzerland
20 MarchNorway 4–9 Poland
20 MarchYugoslavia 3–12 Italy
21 MarchPoland 7–2 Hungary
21 MarchYugoslavia 1–7 Norway
22 MarchJapan 5–2 Romania
22 MarchItaly 4–7  Switzerland
23 MarchHungary 0–8 Romania
23 MarchSwitzerland  6–6 Norway
23 MarchItaly 2–12 Poland
23 MarchYugoslavia 1–6 Japan
25 MarchSwitzerland  12–5 Hungary
25 MarchNorway 4–3 Italy
25 MarchPoland 2–2 Japan
25 MarchYugoslavia 0–11 Romania
26 MarchNorway 1–5 Japan
26 MarchItaly 2–5 Hungary
26 MarchYugoslavia 5–3  Switzerland
26 MarchPoland 8–6 Romania

World Championship Group C (Spain)

Played in the Canary Islands (Las Palmas) 10–19 March.

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
17 Netherlands761074 - 1713
18 Austria751165 - 3111
19 Denmark741259 - 259
20 China740347 - 308
21 Bulgaria731327 - 307
22 France730446 - 396
23 Spain710626 - 842
24 Belgium700713 - 1010

The Netherlands and Austria were both promoted to Group B. China and Denmark also ended up being promoted to alleviate a political situation between the Chinese and the South Koreans.[4]

10 MarchChina 8–4 France
10 MarchNetherlands 18–3 Belgium
10 MarchAustria 7–4 Denmark
10 MarchSpain 2–7 Bulgaria
12 MarchChina 3–2 Denmark
12 MarchAustria 9–7 France
12 MarchSpain 11–4 Belgium
12 MarchBulgaria 0–8 Netherlands
13 MarchChina 12–1 Belgium
13 MarchDenmark 7–6 France
13 MarchSpain 0–19 Netherlands
13 MarchAustria 3–3 Bulgaria
15 MarchBulgaria 10–3 Belgium
15 MarchNetherlands 12–3 France
15 MarchAustria 9–4 China
15 MarchSpain 2–10 Denmark
16 MarchNetherlands 3–3 Denmark
16 MarchFrance 9–0 Belgium
16 MarchSpain 4–14 Austria
16 MarchChina 2–4 Bulgaria
18 MarchAustria 19–1 Belgium
18 MarchDenmark 8–3 Bulgaria
18 MarchSpain 3–13 France
18 MarchChina 4–6 Netherlands
19 MarchDenmark 22–1 Belgium
19 MarchBulgaria 0–4 France
19 MarchAustria 4–8 Netherlands
19 MarchSpain 4–14 China

Ranking and statistics
 


 1978 IIHF World Championship Winners 

Soviet Union
15th title

Tournament Awards

Final standings

The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:

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

European championships final standings

The final standings of the European championships according to IIHF:

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

Citations
  1. Tie breaker
  2. Tournament summary
  3. Duplacey page 506
  4. Group B and C summaries 1979

References
  • 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. 146–7.
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