Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

1939 Ice Hockey World Championships

1939 Ice Hockey World Championships
Tournament details
Host country  Switzerland
Venue(s)2 (in 2 host cities)
Dates3–12 February
5 March
Teams14
Final positions
Champions  Canada (11th title)
Runner-up  United States
Third place   Switzerland
Fourth place Czechoslovakia
Tournament statistics
Games played48
Goals scored267 (5.56 per game)
Attendance299,600 (6,242 per game)
Scoring leader(s)Czechoslovakia Josef Maleček,
Switzerland Pic Cattini 12 goals
← 1938
1947 →

The 1939 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between February 3 and February 12, 1939, in Zürich and Basel, Switzerland. Austria had been annexed by Germany in 1938, and four Austrians played this tournament in German jerseys.[1] The fourteen teams participating in the 1939 World Championship were initially divided into four preliminary groups: two groups of four and two groups of three. The top two teams in each group advanced to the second round. The eight teams in the second round played in two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the third (final) round. The six teams not advancing to the second round played a consolation round in two groups of 3 teams with the winners of each group playing a one-game play-off for 9th place. The four teams not advancing from the second round played a consolation round for placed 5 through 8.

Canada won its eleventh world championship winning all their games while only giving up one goal in the entire tournament. The USA had lost to the Swiss in the semi-final round, but defeated them in the final to claim silver. The host, Switzerland, won its third European championship by winning a one-game playoff against Czechoslovakia well after the World Championship had concluded. Both teams had earned one point in the final round and decided to play tie-breaking game.[1]

The games were held at Kunsteisbahn Margarethen in Basel and Dolder Kunsteisbahn in Zürich.

The 8-1 victory over the Belgian side would be the last victory for Hungary at the World Championships highest level until 2016

World Ice Hockey Championship (in Basel and Zurich, Switzerland)

First round

Group A

3. February 1939 Basel Germany Finland 12:1 (2:0,7:1,3:0)
3. February 1939 Basel USA Italy 5:0 (3:0,1:0,1:0)
4. February 1939 Basel Italy Finland 5:2 (1:0,1:0,3:2)
4. February 1939 Basel USA Germany 4:0 (2:0,0:0,2:0)
5. February 1939 Basel USA Finland 4:0 (0:0,1:0,3:0)
5. February 1939 Basel Germany Italy 4:4 ET (0:1,2:3,2:0,0:0,0:0,0:0)[2]

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 USA 3 3 0 0 13: 0 +13 6:0
2 Germany 3 1 1 1 16: 9 + 7 3:3
3 Italy 3 1 1 1 9:11 - 2 3:3
4 Finland 3 0 0 3 3:21 -18 0:6
  • The Executive Board voted to have Italy and Germany replay their game (February 6 at Zurich), which ended as a scoreless draw, after which goal differential was used to decide second place.[1][3]

Group B

3. February 1939 Basel Czechoslovakia Yugoslavia 24:0 (10:0,7:0,7:0)
3. February 1939 Zürich Switzerland Latvia 12:0 (5:0,3:0,4:0)
4. February 1939 Zürich Switzerland Yugoslavia 23:0 (7:0,7:0,9:0)
4. February 1939 Zürich Czechoslovakia Latvia 9:0 (3:0,3:0,3:0)
5. February 1939 Zürich Latvia Yugoslavia 6:0 (0:0,3:0,3:0)
5. February 1939 Zürich Switzerland Czechoslovakia 1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Switzerland 3 3 0 0 36: 0 +36 6:0
2 Czechoslovakia 3 2 0 1 33: 1 +32 4:2
3 Latvia 3 1 0 2 6:21 -15 2:4
4 Yugoslavia 3 0 0 3 0:53 -53 0:6

Group C

3. February 1939 Basel Canada Netherlands 8:0 (1:0,4:0,3:0)
4. February 1939 Basel Poland Netherlands 9:0 (3:0,2:0,4:0)
5. February 1939 Basel Canada Poland 4:0 (2:0,1:0,1:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Canada 2 2 0 0 12: 0 +12 4:0
2 Poland 2 1 0 1 9: 4 + 5 2:2
3 Netherlands 2 0 0 2 0:17 -17 0:4

Group D

3. February 1939 Zürich Hungary Belgium 8:1 (2:0,4:1,2:0)
4. February 1939 Zürich Great Britain Belgium 3:1 (0:0,0:1,3:0)
5. February 1939 Zürich Great Britain Hungary 1:0 (1:0,0:0,0:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Great Britain 2 2 0 0 4: 1 +3 4:0
2 Hungary 2 1 0 1 8: 2 +6 2:2
3 Belgium 2 0 0 2 2:11 -9 0:4

Consolation Round – Places 9 to 14

Group A

6. February 1939 Basel Netherlands Finland 2:1 (1:1,1:0,0:0)
7. February 1939 Basel Italy Netherlands 2:1 (0:0,0:0,2:1)
8. February 1939 Basel Italy Finland 2:1 (0:0,1:1,1:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Italy 2 2 0 0 4:2 +2 4:0
2 Netherlands 2 1 0 1 3:3 0 2:2
3 Finland 2 0 0 2 2:4 -2 0:4

Group B

6. February 1939 Zürich Latvia Belgium 5:1 (2:0,1:1,2:0)
7. February 1939 Zürich Belgium Yugoslavia 3:3 (2:1,1:0,0:2)
8. February 1939 Zürich Latvia Yugoslavia 4:0 (2:0,0:0,2:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Latvia 2 2 0 0 9:1 +8 4:0
2 Belgium 2 0 1 1 4:8 -4 1:3
3 Yugoslavia 2 0 1 1 3:7 -4 1:3

Consolation round 9–10 Place

9. February 1939 Basel Italy Latvia 2:1 (1:1,1:0,0:0)

Second round

Group A

7. February 1939 Zürich Czechoslovakia Germany 1:1 ET (0:0,1:0,0:1,0:0,0:0,0:0)
7. February 1939 Zürich Canada Great Britain 4:0 (0:0,0:0,4:0)
8. February 1939 Zürich Great Britain Germany 0:1 (0:0,0:0,0:1)
8. February 1939 Basel Canada Czechoslovakia 2:1 (0:1,0:0,2:0)
9. February 1939 Basel Great Britain Czechoslovakia 0:2 (0:1,0:1,0:0)
9. February 1939 Zürich Canada Germany 9:0 (2:0,5:0,2:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Canada 3 3 0 0 15: 1 +14 6:0
2 Czechoslovakia 3 1 1 1 4: 3 +1 3:3
3 Germany 3 1 1 1 2:10 - 8 3:3
4 Great Britain 3 0 0 3 0: 7 - 7 0:6

Group B

7. February 1939 Basel USA Hungary 3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0)
7. February 1939 Basel Switzerland Poland 4:0 (0:0,4:0,0:0)
8. February 1939 Basel Poland Hungary 5:3 (1:1,2:0,2:2)
8. February 1939 Basel Switzerland USA 3:2 (0:0,2:2,1:0)
9. February 1939 Basel USA Poland 4:0 (0:0,2:0,2:0)
9. February 1939 Basel Switzerland Hungary 5:2 (2:1,2:0,1:1)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Switzerland 3 3 0 0 12: 4 +8 6:0
2 USA 3 2 0 1 9: 3 + 4 4:2
3 Poland 3 1 0 2 5:11 - 6 2:4
4 Hungary 3 0 0 3 5:13 - 8 0:6

Consolation Round -- Places 5 to 8

10. February 1939 Basel Poland Hungary 3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0)
11. February 1939 Zürich Germany Hungary 6:2 (0:2,3:0,3:0)
12. February 1939 Basel Germany Poland 4:0 (1:0,3:0,0:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
5 Germany 2 2 0 0 10: 2 +8 4:0
6 Poland 2 1 0 1 3: 4 -1 2:2
7 Hungary 2 0 0 2 2: 9 -7 0:4
8 Great Britain 0 0 0 0 0: 0 0 0:0

Final Round – Places 1 to 4

10. February 1939 Zürich USA Czechoslovakia 1:0 ET (0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,1:0)[4]
10. February 1939 Basel Switzerland Canada 0:7 (0:2,0:4,0:1)
11. February 1939 Basel Switzerland USA 1:2 (0:1,0:0,1:1)
11. February 1939 Basel Canada Czechoslovakia 4:0 (0:0,1:0,3:0)
12. February 1939 Basel Canada USA 4:0 (3:0,1:0,0:0)
12. February 1939 Zürich Switzerland Czechoslovakia 0:0 ET (0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0)

Standings

Pos. Team G.P. Wins Ties Losses Goals Goal Diff Pts.
1 Canada 3 3 0 0 15: 0 +15 6:0
2 USA 3 2 0 1 3: 5 - 2 4:2
3 Switzerland 3 0 1 2 1: 9 - 8 1:5
4 Czechoslovakia 3 0 1 2 0: 5 - 5 1:5

Playoff for 3rd place (and European Championship)

5. March 1939 Basel Switzerland Czechoslovakia 2:0 (0:0,1:0,1:0)

Final Rankings – 1939 World Championships

 Canada
 United States
  Switzerland
4  Czechoslovakia
5  Germany
6  Poland
7  Hungary
8  Great Britain
9  Italy
10  Latvia
11  Belgium
11  Netherlands
13  Finland
13 Yugoslavia

World Champion 1939
Canada

Team Members

Trail Smoke Eaters

Pos. Country Members
1 CAN Bunny Dame, Benny Hayes, Joe Benoit, Tom Johnston, Jim Haight, Mel Snowdon, Duke Scodellaro, Mickey Brennen, Dick Kowcinak, Ab Cronie, Jim Morris, John McCreedy, Buck Buchanan; Trainer: Elmer Piper

Final Rankings – 1939 European Championships

  Switzerland
 Czechoslovakia
 Germany
4  Poland
5  Hungary
6  Great Britain
7  Italy
8  Latvia
9  Belgium
9  Netherlands
11  Finland
11 Yugoslavia

European Champion 1939
Switzerland

Citations

References