1950 Ice Hockey World Championships

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1950 Ice Hockey World Championships
Tournament details
Host countryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Venue(s) Wembley Arena, Empress Hall and Harringay  (in 1 host city)
Dates13–22 March
Teams9
Final positions
Champions Gold medal blank.svgCanadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg  Canada (13th title)
Runner-up Silver medal blank.svgFlag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Third place Bronze medal blank.svgFlag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland
Fourth placeFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Tournament statistics
Games played27
Goals scored302 (11.19 per game)
Attendance127,700 (4,730 per game)
  1949
1951  

The 1950 Ice Hockey World Championships , were the 17th World Championships and 28th European Championships were held from 13 to 22 March 1950 in London, England. Canada, represented by the Edmonton Mercurys, won its 13th World Championship. Highest ranking European team Switzerland finished third, winning its fourth European Championship. Defending World and European champion Czechoslovakia was absent from the tournament.

Contents

History and political issues

Officially, the defending champion Czechoslovaks did not arrive in London because two of their journalists did not receive their visas. [1] In reality, communist authorities had become uneasy after the LTC Praha (LTC Prague) club team had suffered defections at the 1948 Spengler Cup in Davos, the death of six national team players in a plane crash a few months before the 1949 World Ice Hockey Championships, and the defection of former national hockey team player (and future Wimbledon tennis champion) Jaroslav Drobný in June 1949. The authorities arrested several members of the 1950 national team while they were awaiting their delayed flight at the Prague Airport. [2] On 7 October 1950, the players appeared in court charged with espionage and were named "state traitors." At issue was the claim that several players on the 1950 national team, who played their club hockey with LTC Praha, had discussed defecting in Davos in 1948though only Miroslav Sláma, two other players and one of the heads of the delegation had actually defected at that Spengler Cup tournament. [2] All twelve men were convicted, with sentences ranging from eight months to 15 years. Then current LTC Praha and former national team goaltender Bohumil Modrý, a delegate with the 1950 national team, was the one to receive the 15 year sentence, as he was mysteriously cast as the "main figure" in the potential defection plan. [2]

Despite the politics, International Ice Hockey Federation president W. G. Hardy stressed that the event was "to promote international amity". [3] Hardy credited the Sweden men's national ice hockey team for great improvements reflecting the growth of the game in Sweden. [4]

World Hockey Championships (in London, England)

In a format similar to the 1949 championships, in the initial round, the nine teams participating were divided into three groups with three teams each. In the second round, the top two teams in each group advanced to the medal pool (for positions 1 through 6) with the remaining three teams advancing to the consolation pool for places 7 through 9.

First Round

Group A

13 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Flag of France.svg France9:0 (4:0,3:0,2:0)
14 March 1950 London Flag of Norway.svg Norway Flag of France.svg France11:0 (7:0,2:0,2:0)
15 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Flag of Norway.svg Norway2:0 (0:0,0:0,2:0)

Standings

Pos.TeamG.PWinsTiesLossesGoalsGoal diff.Pts.
1 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain220011: 0+114:0
2 Flag of Norway.svg Norway210111: 2+ 92:2
3 Flag of France.svg France20020:20-200:4

Group B

13 March 1950 London Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium24:3 (5:1,7:1,12:1)
14 March 1950 London Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland13:2 (5:1,4:1,4:0)
15 March 1950 London Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium33:0 (14:0,10:0,9:0)

Standings

Pos.TeamG.PWinsTiesLossesGoalsGoal diff.Pts.
1 Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada220046: 2+444:0
2 Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland210126:16+102:2
3 Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium20023:57-540:4

Group C

13 March 1950 London Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden US flag 48 stars.svg USA8:3 (5:2,0:0,3:1)
14 March 1950 London Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands10:0 (3:0,1:0,6:0)
15 March 1950 London US flag 48 stars.svg USA Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands17:1 (7:0,2:0,8:1)

Standings

Pos.TeamG.PWinsTiesLossesGoalsGoal diff.Pts.
1 Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden220018: 3+154:0
2 US flag 48 stars.svg USA210120: 9+112:2
3 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands20021:27-260:4

Consolation round – places 7 to 9

20 March 1950 London Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium Flag of France.svg France8:1 (3:0,2:0,3:1)
21 March 1950 London Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Flag of France.svg France4:2 (1:0,3:1,0:1)
22 March 1950 London Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands4:2 (2:1,1:0,1:1)

Standings

Pos.TeamG.PWinsTiesLossesGoalsGoal diff.Pts.
7 Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium220012: 3+ 94:0
8 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands21016: 602:2
9 Flag of France.svg France20023:12- 90:4

Final Round – places 1 to 6

17 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Flag of Norway.svg Norway4:3 (1:0,2:2,1:1)
17 March 1950 London Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland11:1 (2:0,3:1,6:0)
17 March 1950 London Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden US flag 48 stars.svg USA2:4 (1:0,1:2,0:2)
18 March 1950 London Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland Flag of Norway.svg Norway12:4 (3:3,6:0,3:1)
18 March 1950 London Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada US flag 48 stars.svg USA5:0 (0:0,1:0,4:0)
18 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden5:4 (0:0,1:2,4:2)
20 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain US flag 48 stars.svg USA2:3 (2:1,0:0,0:2)
20 March 1950 London Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada Flag of Norway.svg Norway11:1 (3:0,4:1,4:0)
20 March 1950 London Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland2:3 (2:1,0:0,0:2)
21 March 1950 London US flag 48 stars.svg USA Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland10:5 (3:0,1:3,6:2)
21 March 1950 London Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Flag of Norway.svg Norway6:1 (2:0,3:0,1:1)
21 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada0:12 (0:5,0:3,0:4)
22 March 1950 London US flag 48 stars.svg USA Flag of Norway.svg Norway12:6 (5:0,4:3,3:3)
22 March 1950 London Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland3:10 (1:4,2:3,0:3)
22 March 1950 London Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden3:1 (1:0,2:0,0:1)

Standings

Pos.TeamG.PWinsTiesLossesGoalsGoal diff.Pts.
1 Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada550042: 3+3910: 0
2 US flag 48 stars.svg USA540129:20+ 98: 2
3 Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland530231:30+ 16: 4
4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain520314:32-184: 6
5 Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden510415:16- 12: 8
6 Flag of Norway.svg Norway500515:45-300:10

Final rankings – World Championship

Pos.Team
1 Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada
2 US flag 48 stars.svg USA
3 Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland
4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain
5 Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
6 Flag of Norway.svg Norway
7 Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium
8 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
9 Flag of France.svg France

World Champion 1950
Flag of Canada 1921.svg Canada

Team members

Edmonton Mercurys

Pos.CountryMembers
1 CAN Leo Lucchini, Hassie Young, Ab Newsome, Billy Dawe, Harry Allen, Doug Macauley, Don Stanley, Bob Watt, Marsh Darling, Al Purvis, John Davies, Jimmy Kilburn, Pete Wright, Don Gauf, Robert David, Jack Manson, Wilbur Delaney; Trainer: Jimmy Graham

Final rankings – European Championships

Pos.Team
1 Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland
2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain
3 Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden
4 Flag of Norway.svg Norway
5 Flag of Belgium.svg Belgium
6 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands
7 Flag of France.svg France

European Champions 1950
Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland

Citations

  1. Tournament Summary
  2. 1 2 3 Duplacey p. 462
  3. "Swedish Coach Favors Merks". Winnipeg Tribune. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 17, 1950. p. 18. Lock-green.svg
  4. "Hardy Likes Swedes". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. March 29, 1950. p. 24. Lock-green.svg

References