1959 Ice Hockey World Championships

The 1959 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between 5 March and 15 March 1959, in Prague, and six other cities in Czechoslovakia. Canada, represented by the Belleville McFarlands, won their 18th World championship, winning every game but their last. The Soviet Union finished second, claiming their fifth European title followed by the host Czechoslovaks. In the consolation round, West Germany played against East Germany for the first time in a World Championship, winning easily, 8–0. The Canadian games were broadcast on CJBQ radio by Jack Devine.^[1]

1959 Ice Hockey World Championships

Tournament details
Host country	Czechoslovakia
Dates	5–15 March
Teams	12
Final positions
Champions	Canada (18th title)
Runners-up	Soviet Union
Third place	Czechoslovakia
Fourth place	United States
Tournament statistics
Games played	48
Goals scored	397 (8.27 per game)
Attendance	406,601 (8,471 per game)
Scoring leader(s)	Red Berenson (13 points)
← 1958 1960 →

Trophy awarded for the 1959 World Championships

World Championship Group A (Czechoslovakia)

First round

Twelve teams played in three groups where first and second place advanced to the final round, while the 3rd and 4th place teams competed in a consolation round.

Group 1

Played in Bratislava.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Canada	3	3	0	0	39	2	+37	6
2	Czechoslovakia	3	2	0	1	24	8	+16	4
3	Switzerland	3	1	0	2	8	35	−27	2
4	Poland	3	0	0	3	4	30	−26	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

5 March

Czechoslovakia

9–0

Switzerland

5 March

Canada

9–0

Poland

6 March

Canada

23–0

Switzerland

6 March

Czechoslovakia

13–1

Poland

7 March

Poland

3–8

Switzerland

7 March

Canada

7–2

Czechoslovakia

Group 2

Played in Brno.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Soviet Union	3	3	0	0	24	5	+19	6
2	United States	3	2	0	1	22	10	+12	4
3	Norway	3	1	0	2	10	26	−16	2
4	East Germany	3	0	0	3	6	21	−15	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

5 March

Soviet Union

6–1

East Germany

5 March

Norway

3–10

United States

6 March

United States

9–2

East Germany

6 March

Norway

1–13

Soviet Union

7 March

East Germany

3–6

Norway

7 March

Soviet Union

5–3

United States

Group 3

Played in Ostrava.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Sweden	3	2	1	0	21	5	+16	5
2	Finland	3	1	1	1	13	12	+1	3
3	West Germany	3	1	0	2	11	13	−2	2
4	Italy	3	1	0	2	7	22	−15	2

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

5 March

Sweden

11–0

Italy

5 March

Finland

5–3

West Germany

6 March

Italy

2–7

West Germany

6 March

Sweden

4–4

Finland

7 March

Italy

5–4

Finland

7 March

West Germany

1–6

Sweden

Final Round

Canada - Soviet Union

Played in Prague. Canada finished first by virtue of a better goal differential, 14 to 10. The Czechoslovaks captured bronze in dramatic fashion, they needed to win against the previously undefeated Canadians in the final game and by enough of a margin to beat out the Americans on tie-breakers. By scoring an empty net goal in the dying moments of the final game^[2] the Czechoslovaks equaled the Americans on points (6 each), and goal differential (8 each). The final tie-breaker was goal average, in which the Czechoslovaks had the advantage 1.57 to 1.53.^[2]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Canada	5	4	0	1	21	7	+14	8
2	Soviet Union	5	4	0	1	20	10	+10	8
3	Czechoslovakia	5	3	0	2	22	14	+8	6
4	United States	5	3	0	2	23	15	+8	6
5	Sweden	5	1	0	4	6	21	−15	2
6	Finland	5	0	0	5	7	32	−25	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

9 March

Canada

6–0

Finland

9 March

Soviet Union

5–1

United States

9 March

Czechoslovakia

4–1

Sweden

10 March

Czechoslovakia

8–2

Finland

10 March

United States

7–1

Sweden

11 March

United States

10–3

Finland

11 March

Soviet Union

1–3

Canada

12 March

Canada

5–0

Sweden

12 March

Czechoslovakia

3–4

Soviet Union

13 March

Sweden

2–1

Finland

13 March

Czechoslovakia

2–4

United States

14 March

United States

1–4

Canada

14 March

Finland

1–6

Soviet Union

15 March

Soviet Union

4–2

Sweden

15 March

Czechoslovakia

5–3

Canada

Consolation round

Played in Kladno, Mladá Boleslav and Kolín.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
7	West Germany	5	4	1	0	30	9	+21	9
8	Norway	5	3	1	1	20	20	0	7
9	East Germany	5	3	0	2	20	21	−1	6
10	Italy	5	2	1	2	20	17	+3	5
11	Poland	5	1	0	4	11	20	−9	2
12	Switzerland	5	0	1	4	8	22	−14	1

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

9 March

Poland

1–5

East Germany

9 March

Norway

4–4

Switzerland

9 March

West Germany

2–2

Italy

10 March

Italy

3–4

Norway

10 March

Poland

3–5

West Germany

10 March

East Germany

6–2

Switzerland

11 March

West Germany

8–0

East Germany

11 March

Switzerland

1–4

Italy

11 March

Norway

4–3

Poland

13 March

East Germany

8–6

Italy

13 March

West Germany

9–4

Norway

13 March

Switzerland

1–2

Poland

14 March

Switzerland

0–6

West Germany

14 March

Poland

2–5

Italy

14 March

Norway

4–1

East Germany

World Championship Group B (Czechoslovakia)

Three other nations played a secondary tournament in Plzeň. A Czechoslovakia 'B' (junior) team also participated in the tournament. Had their games counted, they would've finished first.

Final Round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
13	Romania	2	2	0	0	12	4	+8	4
14	Hungary	2	1	0	1	5	9	−4	2
15	Austria	2	0	0	2	4	8	−4	0

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

5 March

Hungary

3–2

Austria

6 March

Czechoslovakia  B

3–0

Romania

7 March

Romania

5–2

Austria

8 March

Czechoslovakia  B

7–1

Austria

9 March

Czechoslovakia  B

17–2

Hungary

10 March

Romania

7–2

Hungary

European Championship medal table

	Soviet Union
	Czechoslovakia
	Sweden
4	Finland
5	West Germany
6	Norway
7	East Germany
8	Italy
9	Poland
10	Switzerland
13	Romania
14	Hungary
15	Austria

Tournament awards

• Best players selected by the directorate:
  • Best Goaltender: Nikolai Puchkov
  • Best Defenceman: Jean Lamirande
  • Best Forward: Bill Cleary^[3]