1978 Ice Hockey World Championships
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Czechoslovakia |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 26 April – 14 May |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |  Soviet Union (15th title) |
Runner-up  | Czechoslovakia |
Third place  |  Canada |
| Fourth place |  Sweden |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 40 |
| Goals scored | 322 (8.05 per game) |
| Attendance | 362,642 (9,066 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) |  Erich Kühnhackl 16 points |
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.
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 USA (4).[3]
World Championship Group A (Czechoslovakia)
First round
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points Difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechoslovakia |
7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 44 - 15 | 14 |
| 2 | Soviet Union |
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 46 - 23 | 12 |
| 3 | Canada |
7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 32 - 26 | 8 |
| 4 | Sweden |
7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 35 - 21 | 8 |
| 5 | West Germany |
7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 23 - 35 | 5 |
| 6 |  United States |
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 25 - 42 | 3 |
| 7 |  East Germany |
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 - 45 | 3 |
| 8 |  Finland |
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 23 - 34 | 3 |
| 26 April | Sweden | 6-2 | West Germany |
| 26 April | Czechoslovakia | 8-0 | East Germany |
| 26 April | Soviet Union | 9-5 |  United States |
| 27 April | Finland | 6-4 | Canada |
| 27 April | Soviet Union | 7-4 | West Germany |
| 27 April | Sweden | 5-1 | United States |
| 28 April | Czechoslovakia | 6-4 | Finland |
| 28 April | Canada | 6-2 | East Germany |
| 29 April | Sweden | 10-1 | East Germany |
| 29 April | Czechoslovakia | 8-2 | West Germany |
| 30 April | Canada | 7-2 | United States |
| 30 April | Soviet Union | 6-3 | Finland |
| 1 May | Canada | 6-2 | West Germany |
| 1 May | Soviet Union | 10-2 | East Germany |
| 2 May | Czechoslovakia | 8-3 | United States |
| 2 May | Sweden | 6-1 | Finland |
| 3 May | West Germany | 7-4 | United States |
| 3 May | East Germany | 4-3 | Finland |
| 4 May | Czechoslovakia | 5-0 | Canada |
| 4 May | Soviet Union | 6-1 | Sweden |
| 5 May | West Germany | 5-3 | Finland |
| 5 May | United States | 7-3 | East Germany |
| 6 May | Czechoslovakia | 6-4 | Soviet Union |
| 6 May | Canada | 7-5 | Sweden |
| 7 May | East Germany | 1-1 | West Germany |
| 7 May | Finland | 3-3 | United States |
| 8 May | Czechoslovakia | 3-2 | Sweden |
| 8 May | Soviet Union | 4-2 | Canada |
Final Round 1-4 place
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union |
10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 61 - 26 | 18 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia |
10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 54 - 21 | 18 |
| 3 | Canada |
10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 38 - 36 | 10 |
| 4 | Sweden |
10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 39 - 37 | 8 |
| 10 May | Soviet Union | 5-1 | Canada |
| 10 May | Czechoslovakia | 6-1 | Sweden |
| 12 May | Czechoslovakia | 3-2 | Canada |
| 12 May | Soviet Union | 7-1 | Sweden |
| 14 May | Canada | 3-2 | Sweden |
| 14 May | Soviet Union | 3-1 | Czechoslovakia |
Consolation Round 5-8 place
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | West Germany |
10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 35 - 43 | 9 |
| 6 | United States |
10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 38 - 58 | 6 |
| 7 | Finland |
10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 37 - 44 | 6 |
| 8 | East Germany |
10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 20 - 57 | 5 |
East Germany was relegated to Group B.
| 9 May | Finland | 4-4 | West Germany |
| 9 May | United States | 5-5 | East Germany |
| 11 May | West Germany | 0-0 | East Germany |
| 11 May | United States | 4-3 | Finland |
| 13 May | West Germany | 8-4 | United States |
| 13 May | Finland | 7-2 | East Germany |
World Championship Group B (Yugoslavia)
Played in Belgrade March 17–26.
| Team | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |  Poland |
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 51 - 19 | 13 |
| 10 |  Japan |
7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 26 - 17 | 11 |
| 11 |  Switzerland |
7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 42 - 32 | 9 |
| 12 |  Romania |
7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 41 - 29 | 7 |
| 13 |  Hungary |
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 21 - 36 | 6 |
| 14 |  Norway |
7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 29 - 34 | 5 |
| 15 |  Italy |
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 32 - 41 | 3 |
| 16 |  Yugoslavia |
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 14 - 48 | 2 |
Undefeated Poland was promoted to Group A, and both Italy and Yugoslavia were relegated to Group C.
| 17 March | Italy | 4-5 | Japan |
| 17 March | Switzerland | 1-8 | Poland |
| 17 March | Romania | 6-4 | Norway |
| 17 March | Yugoslavia | 2-4 | Hungary |
| 18 March | Hungary | 4-3 | Norway |
| 18 March | Yugoslavia | 2-5 | Poland |
| 19 March | Romania | 5-5 | Italy |
| 19 March | Japan | 1-6 | Switzerland |
| 20 March | Hungary | 1-2 | Japan |
| 20 March | Romania | 3-7 | Switzerland |
| 20 March | Norway | 4-9 | Poland |
| 20 March | Yugoslavia | 3-12 | Italy |
| 21 March | Poland | 7-2 | Hungary |
| 21 March | Yugoslavia | 1-7 | Norway |
| 22 March | Japan | 5-2 | Romania |
| 22 March | Italy | 4-7 | Switzerland |
| 23 March | Hungary | 0-8 | Romania |
| 23 March | Switzerland | 6-6 | Norway |
| 23 March | Italy | 2-12 | Poland |
| 23 March | Yugoslavia | 1-6 | Japan |
| 25 March | Switzerland | 12-5 | Hungary |
| 25 March | Norway | 4-3 | Italy |
| 25 March | Poland | 2-2 | Japan |
| 25 March | Yugoslavia | 0-11 | Romania |
| 26 March | Norway | 1-5 | Japan |
| 26 March | Italy | 2-5 | Hungary |
| 26 March | Yugoslavia | 5-3 | Switzerland |
| 26 March | Poland | 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 |  Netherlands |
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 74 - 17 | 13 |
| 18 |  Austria |
7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 65 - 31 | 11 |
| 19 |  Denmark |
7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 59 - 25 | 9 |
| 20 |  China |
7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 47 - 30 | 8 |
| 21 |  Bulgaria |
7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 27 - 30 | 7 |
| 22 |  France |
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 46 - 39 | 6 |
| 23 |  Spain |
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 26 - 84 | 2 |
| 24 |  Belgium |
7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 - 101 | 0 |
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 Koreans.[4]
| 10 March | China | 8-4 | France |
| 10 March | Netherlands | 18-3 | Belgium |
| 10 March | Austria | 7-4 | Denmark |
| 10 March | Spain | 2-7 | Bulgaria |
| 12 March | China | 3-2 | Denmark |
| 12 March | Austria | 9-7 | France |
| 12 March | Spain | 11-4 | Belgium |
| 12 March | Bulgaria | 0-8 | Netherlands |
| 13 March | China | 12-1 | Belgium |
| 13 March | Denmark | 7-6 | France |
| 13 March | Spain | 0-19 | Netherlands |
| 13 March | Austria | 3-3 | Bulgaria |
| 15 March | Bulgaria | 10-3 | Belgium |
| 15 March | Netherlands | 12-3 | France |
| 15 March | Austria | 9-4 | China |
| 15 March | Spain | 2-10 | Denmark |
| 16 March | Netherlands | 3-3 | Denmark |
| 16 March | France | 9-0 | Belgium |
| 16 March | Spain | 4-14 | Austria |
| 16 March | China | 2-4 | Bulgaria |
| 18 March | Austria | 19-1 | Belgium |
| 18 March | Denmark | 8-3 | Bulgaria |
| 18 March | Spain | 3-13 | France |
| 18 March | China | 4-6 | Netherlands |
| 19 March | Denmark | 22-1 | Belgium |
| 19 March | Bulgaria | 0-4 | France |
| 19 March | Austria | 4-8 | Netherlands |
| 19 March | Spain | 4-14 | China |
Ranking and statistics
|
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
- ^ Tie breaker
- ^ Tournament summary
- ^ Duplacey page 506
- ^ 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.
