1977 Ice Hockey World Championships

1977 Ice Hockey World Championships

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
← 1976 1978 →

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.

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.