The 1938 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between February 11 and February 20, 1938, in Prague, Czechoslovakia. It marked the 30th anniversary of the IIHF, and a special celebration was held with famous hockey players from all over Europe in attendance. Also a yearbook was produced for the twenty-two member nations which documented which European country had the most hockey clubs (Czechoslovakia 361) and the most artificial rinks (Great Britain 21).[1]
Fourteen teams participated in this World Championship. It was first divided into three preliminary round groups — two groups of five and a group with four teams. In the preliminary round, the top three teams in each group advanced to the second round. The nine teams advancing to the second round were divided into three groups of three teams each. The three group winners and the best second-place team advanced to the semifinals.
The Canadians won the World Championship title for the tenth time beating Great Britain 3-1 in the final, leaving the British with their fourth European Championship title (the third in a row). In the bronze-medal game, Czechoslovakia defeated Germany 3-0, and in a match for fifth place Sweden defeated Switzerland 2-0. The Swiss were very unhappy with the IIHF's decision to pick Germany as the fourth semi-finalist, as the two of them, and Sweden, finished the second round in an absolute tie. The decision was made to advance Germany because they had lost to Canada, so they were the best European nation in their group.[2]
World Men's Hockey Championships (in Prague, Czechoslovakia)[]
First Round[]
Group A[]
11. February 1938
Prague
Switzerland
–
Hungary
1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0)
11. February 1938
Prague
Lithuania
–
Romania
1:0 (0:0,0:0,1:0)
12. February 1938
Prague
Switzerland
–
Romania
8:1 (2:0,1:1,5:0)
12. February 1938
Prague
Poland
–
Lithuania
8:1 (4:0,3:0,1:1)
13. February 1938
Prague
Poland
–
Romania
3:0 (1:0,2:0,0:0)
13. February 1938
Prague
Hungary
–
Lithuania
10:1 (2:0,4:0,4:1)
14. February 1938
Prague
Switzerland
–
Lithuania
15:0 (9:0,2:0,4:0)
14. February 1938
Prague
Poland
–
Hungary
3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0)
15. February 1938
Prague
Hungary
–
Romania
3:1 (1:1,1:0,1:0)
15. February 1938
Prague
Switzerland
–
Poland
7:1 (3:0,1:0,3:1)
Standings - Group A
Lithuania prior to their match against Romania. Lithuania won the game, 1–0.
Pos.
Team
GP
Wins
Ties
Losses
Goals
Diff.
Points
1
Switzerland
4
4
0
0
31: 2
+29
8:0
2
Poland
4
3
0
1
15: 8
+ 7
6:2
3
Hungary
4
2
0
2
13: 6
+ 7
4:4
4
Lithuania
4
1
0
3
3:33
-30
2:6
5
Romania
4
0
0
4
2:15
-13
0:8
Group B[]
11. February 1938
Prague
Latvia
–
Norway
3:1 OT (1:0,0:1,0:0,2:0)
11. February 1938
Prague
Great Britain
–
Germany
1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0)
12. February 1938
Prague
USA
–
Latvia
1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0)
12. February 1938
Prague
Great Britain
–
Norway
8:0 (2:0,1:0,5:0)
13. February 1938
Prague
USA
–
Norway
7:1 (3:0,4:0,0:1)
13. February 1938
Prague
Germany
–
Latvia
1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0)
14. February 1938
Prague
Great Britain
–
Latvia
5:1 (1:0,2:0,2:1)
14. February 1938
Prague
USA
–
Germany
1:0 (1:0,0:0,0:0)
15. February 1938
Prague
Germany
–
Norway
8:0 (2:0,1:0,5:0)
15. February 1938
Prague
Great Britain
–
USA
1:1 OT (0:0,0:0,1:1,0:0,0:0,0:0)
Standings - Group B
Pos.
Team
GP
Wins
Ties
Losses
Goals
Diff.
Points
1
Great Britain
4
3
1
0
15: 2
+13
7:1
2
USA
4
3
1
0
10: 2
+ 8
7:1
3
Germany
4
2
0
2
9: 2
+ 7
4:4
4
Latvia
4
1
0
3
4: 8
- 4
2:6
5
Norway
4
0
0
4
2:26
-24
0:8
Group C[]
11. February 1938
Prague
Canada
–
Sweden
3:2 (1:0,1:2,1:0)
11. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
Austria
1:0 (0:0,0:0,1:0)
13. February 1938
Prague
Canada
–
Austria
3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0)
13. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
Sweden
0:0 OT (0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0)
15. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
Canada
0:3 (0:2,0:0,0:1)
15. February 1938
Prague
Sweden
–
Austria
1:1 OT (0:1,1:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0)
Standings - Group C
Pos.
Team
GP
Wins
Ties
Losses
Goals
Diff.
Points
1
Canada
3
3
0
0
9:2
+7
6:0
2
Czechoslovakia
3
1
1
1
1:3
-2
3:3
3
Sweden
3
0
2
1
3:4
-1
2:4
4
Austria
3
0
1
2
1:5
-4
1:5
Second Round[]
Group A[]
16. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
USA
2:0 (0:0,1:0,1:0)
17. February 1938
Prague
Switzerland
–
USA
1:0 (0:0,0:0,1:0)
18. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
Switzerland
3:2 OT. (0:1,1:0,0:0,2:1)
Standings - Group A
Pos.
Team
GP
Wins
Ties
Losses
Goals
Diff.
Points
1
Czechoslovakia
2
2
0
0
5:2
+3
4:0
2
Switzerland +
2
1
0
1
3:3
0
2:2
3
USA
2
0
0
2
0:3
-3
0:4
Group B[]
16. February 1938
Prague
Great Britain
–
Sweden
3:2 (0:0,1:1,2:1)
17. February 1938
Prague
Sweden
–
Poland
1:0 (0:0,0:0,1:0)
18. February 1938
Prague
Great Britain
–
Poland
7:1 (3:1,4:0,0:0)
Standings - Group B
Pos.
Team
GP
Wins
Ties
Losses
Goals
Diff.
Points
1
Great Britain
2
2
0
0
10: 3
+7
4:0
2
Sweden +
2
1
0
1
3: 3
0
2:2
3
Poland
2
0
0
2
1: 8
-7
0:4
Group C[]
16. February 1938
Prague
Canada
–
Germany
3:2 OT. (1:1,0:1,1:0,1:0)
17. February 1938
Prague
Germany
–
Hungary
1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0)
18. February 1938
Prague
Canada
–
Hungary
1:1 OT. (1:1,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0)
Standings—Group C
Pos.
Team
GP
Wins
Ties
Losses
Goals
Diff.
Points
1
Canada
2
1
1
0
4:3
+1
3:1
2
Germany +
2
1
0
1
3:3
0
2:2
3
Hungary
2
0
1
1
1:2
-1
1:3
+ Germany, Switzerland and Sweden ended with identical records. The Organizing Committee awarded the semifinal position to Germany because it had to play Canada.
Consolation round 5–6 place[]
19. February 1938
Prague
Sweden
–
Switzerland
2:0 (1:0,0:0,1:0)
Final Round[]
Semifinals
19. February 1938
Prague
Canada
–
Germany
1:0 (0:0,0:0,1:0)
19. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
Great Britain
0:1 (0:0,0:0,0:1)
Game for 3rd place
20. February 1938
Prague
Czechoslovakia
–
Germany
3:0 (1:0,2:0,0:0)
Final
20. February 1938
Prague
Canada
–
Great Britain
3:1 (3:1,0:0,0:0)
Final Rankings – World Championships[]
The bronze medal match between Czechoslovakia and Germany. Czechoslovakia won 3–0.