1981 Ice Hockey World Championships
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Sweden |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 2 host cities) |
| Dates | 12–26 April 1981 |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |  Soviet Union (17th title) |
Runner-up  | Sweden |
Third place  |  Czechoslovakia |
| Fourth place |  Canada |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 32 |
| Goals scored | 288 (9 per game) |
| Attendance | 171,675 (5,365 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) |  Holger Meitinger 20 points |
The 1981 Don Cherry commented, "This is the best Russian team I've ever seen."[1]
The Dutch team had won Group C and Group B in successive years to play in this tournament, but did not fare well. Their best game was a narrow one goal loss to the Americans, a goal scored on a penalty shot by Dave Christian with eleven seconds left.[1] It was their first appearance at the top level since 1950 and they have not returned since.[2]
World Championship Group A (Sweden)
First round
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 4 | +21 | 6 |
| 2 | Canada
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 4 |
| 3 |  Finland
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 2 |
| 4 |  Netherlands
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 30 | −25 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
| 12 April | Canada | 4–3 | Finland |
| 12 April | Soviet Union | 10–1 | Netherlands |
| 13 April | Canada | 8–1 | Netherlands |
| 13 April | Soviet Union | 7–1 | Finland |
| 15 April | Soviet Union | 8–2 | Canada |
| 15 April | Finland | 12–3 | Netherlands |
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czechoslovakia
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 7 | +13 | 5 |
| 2 | Sweden
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 7 | +4 | 5 |
| 3 |  United States
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 21 | −7 | 2 |
| 4 | West Germany
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 20 | −10 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
| 12 April | Czechoslovakia | 11–2 | United States |
| 12 April | West Germany |
| 14 April | Sweden | 4–2 | United States |
| 14 April | West Germany |
| 15 April | Czechoslovakia | 3–3 | Sweden |
| 15 April | West Germany |
Final round
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soviet Union
|
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 12 | +26 | 10 |
| 2 | Sweden
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 26 | −10 | 7 |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia
|
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 22 | −2 | 6 |
| 4 | Canada
|
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 30 | −14 | 1 |
Source: [citation needed]
| 18 April | Czechoslovakia | 7–4 | Canada |
| 18 April | Soviet Union | 4–1 | Sweden |
| 20 April | Sweden | 3–1 | Canada |
| 20 April | Soviet Union | 8–3 | Czechoslovakia |
| 22 April | Canada | 4–4 | Soviet Union |
| 22 April | Sweden | 4–2 | Czechoslovakia |
| 24 April | Czechoslovakia | 4–2 | Canada |
| 24 April | Soviet Union | 13–1 | Sweden |
| 26 April | Sweden | 4–3 | Canada |
| 26 April | Soviet Union | 1–1 | Czechoslovakia |
Consolation round
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | United States
|
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 9 |
| 6 | Finland
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 21 | +12 | 8 |
| 7 | West Germany
|
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 30 | +10 | 7 |
| 8 | Netherlands
|
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 22 | 51 | −29 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
The Netherlands were relegated to Group B.
| 17 April | United States | 7–6 | Netherlands |
| 17 April | West Germany |
| 19 April | West Germany | 9–2 | Netherlands |
| 19 April | United States | 6–4 | Finland |
| 21 April | West Germany | 6–2 | United States |
| 21 April | Finland | 4–2 | Netherlands |
| 23 April | United States | 7–3 | Netherlands |
| 23 April | West Germany | 4–4 | Finland |
| 25 April | West Germany | 12–6 | Netherlands |
| 25 April | Finland | 3–3 | United States |
World Championship Group B (Italy)
Played in Urtijëi 20–29 March. The hosts went undefeated to win, led by former Pittsburgh Penguin and Edmonton Oiler Wayne Bianchin and backstopped by former Oiler Jim Corsi.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |  Italy
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 18 | +20 | 13 |
| 10 |  Poland
|
7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 49 | 25 | +24 | 11 |
| 11 |  Switzerland
|
7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 10 |
| 12 |  East Germany
|
7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 9 |
| 13 |  Romania
|
7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 30 | −5 | 4 |
| 14 |  Norway
|
7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 21 | 39 | −18 | 4 |
| 15 |  Yugoslavia
|
7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 44 | −21 | 3 |
| 16 |  Japan
|
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 38 | −20 | 2 |
Source: [citation needed]
Italy was promoted to Group A, both Yugoslavia and Japan were relegated to Group C.
| 20 March | East Germany | 4–3 | Japan |
| 20 March | Romania | 5–6 | Poland |
| 20 March | Switzerland | 5–2 | Norway |
| 20 March | Italy | 6–4 | Yugoslavia |
| 21 March | Switzerland | 3–3 | Poland |
| 21 March | Japan | 0–2 | Norway |
| 21 March | East Germany | 11–3 | Yugoslavia |
| 21 March | Italy | 3–2 | Romania |
| 23 March | Romania | 1–6 | East Germany |
| 23 March | Poland | 13–4 | Norway |
| 23 March | Japan | 7–3 | Yugoslavia |
| 23 March | Italy | 4–2 | Switzerland |
| 24 March | Japan | 2–11 | Poland |
| 24 March | Yugoslavia | 3–2 | Romania |
| 24 March | Italy | 6–1 | Norway |
| 24 March | Switzerland | 2–1 | East Germany |
| 26 March | Yugoslavia | 4–4 | Switzerland |
| 26 March | Romania | 5–1 | Japan |
| 26 March | East Germany | 6–3 | Norway |
| 26 March | Italy | 4–1 | Poland |
| 28 March | Norway | 6–2 | Yugoslavia |
| 28 March | Switzerland | 8–3 | Romania |
| 28 March | East Germany | 3–7 | Poland |
| 28 March | Italy | 9–2 | Japan |
| 29 March | Yugoslavia | 4–8 | Poland |
| 29 March | Norway | 3–7 | Romania |
| 29 March | Switzerland | 4–3 | Japan |
| 29 March | Italy | 6–6 | East Germany |
World Championship Group C (China PR)
Played in Beijing 6–15 March.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 |  Austria
|
7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 5 | +38 | 14 |
| 18 |  China
|
7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 14 | +32 | 12 |
| 19 |  Hungary
|
7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 38 | 22 | +16 | 9 |
| 20 |  Denmark
|
7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 36 | 27 | +9 | 7 |
| 21 |  France
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 48 | 36 | +12 | 6 |
| 22 |  Bulgaria
|
7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 32 | −10 | 6 |
| 23 |  North Korea
|
7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 66 | −48 | 2 |
| 24 |  Great Britain
|
7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 60 | −49 | 0 |
Source: [citation needed]
Both Austria and China were promoted to Group B.
| 6 March | Austria | 10–0 | North Korea |
| 6 March | Hungary | 8–0 | Great Britain |
| 6 March | France | 7–0 | Bulgaria |
| 6 March | China | 5–1 | Denmark |
| 7 March | Great Britain | 2–11 | France |
| 7 March | China | 6–2 | Bulgaria |
| 7 March | North Korea | 5–9 | Denmark |
| 7 March | Austria | 7–0 | Hungary |
| 9 March | Hungary | 10–3 | North Korea |
| 9 March | Denmark | 4–6 | Bulgaria |
| 9 March | France | 1–7 | Austria |
| 9 March | China | 12–2 | Great Britain |
| 10 March | Hungary | 11–6 | France |
| 10 March | North Korea | 2–9 | Bulgaria |
| 10 March | Great Britain | 2–13 | Denmark |
| 10 March | China | 0–3 | Austria |
| 12 March | Bulgaria | 4–2 | Great Britain |
| 12 March | France | 17–1 | North Korea |
| 12 March | Austria | 4–2 | Denmark |
| 12 March | China | 3–1 | Hungary |
| 13 March | China | 10–3 | France |
| 13 March | Great Britain | 1–5 | North Korea |
| 13 March | Hungary | 2–2 | Denmark |
| 13 March | Austria | 5–0 | Bulgaria |
| 15 March | Austria | 7–2 | Great Britain |
| 15 March | Bulgaria | 1–6 | Hungary |
| 15 March | France | 3–5 | Denmark |
| 15 March | China | 10–2 | North Korea |
Ranking and statistics
| 1981 IIHF World Championship winners |
|---|
 Soviet Union 17th title |
Tournament Awards
- Best players selected by the directorate:
- Best Goaltender:
Peter Lindmark - Best Defenceman:
Larry Robinson - Best Forward:
Alexander Maltsev
- Best Goaltender:
- Media All-Star Team:
- Goaltender: Peter Lindmark
- Defence: Larry Robinson, Valeri Vasiliev
- Forwards: Sergei Kapustin, Sergei Makarov, Alexander Maltsev
- Goaltender:
Final standings
The final standings of the tournament according to
IIHF
:
 |
Soviet Union
|
 |
Sweden
|
 |
Czechoslovakia
|
| 4 | Canada
|
| 5 | United States
|
| 6 | Finland
|
| 7 | West Germany
|
| 8 | Netherlands
|
European championships final standings
The final standings of the
IIHF
:
 |
Soviet Union
|
 |
Sweden
|
 |
Czechoslovakia
|
| 4 | Finland
|
| 5 | West Germany
|
| 6 | Netherlands
|
Fanfare of the Championships
The fanfare for the Championships was written by Benny Andersson (from ABBA) in 1981. It was later used as the jingle/opening theme for the television special Dick Cavett Meets ABBA aired later in 1981. Reference - Palm, Carl Magnus: ABBA - The Complete Recordings Sessions, page 106. Verulam Publishing Ltd (13 October 1994).
ISBN 978-0-907938-10-1
.
Citations
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. p. 148.
- To hear the Fanfare of the Championships
External links
- IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships at SVT's open archive (including the 1981 tournament) (in Swedish)
