1991 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships

The 1991 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships was the 55th such event sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), and at the same time served as the 66th and last Ice Hockey European Championships. Teams representing 25 countries participated in several levels of competition. The competition also served as qualifications for group placements in the 1992 competition.

1991 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships
The main venue of the 1991 World Ice Hockey Championships; Turkuhalli.
Tournament details
Host country Finland
Dates19 April – 4 May
Teams8
Venue(s)3 (in 3 host cities)
Final positions
Champions  Sweden (5th title)
Runner-up  Canada
Third place  Soviet Union
Fourth place United States
Tournament statistics
Matches played40
Goals scored272 (6.8 per match)
Attendance310,627 (7,766 per match)
Scoring leader(s) Mats Sundin 14 points
← 1990
1992 →

The top Championship Group A tournament took place in Finland from 19 April to 4 May 1991, with games played in Turku, Helsinki and Tampere. Eight teams took part, with each team playing each other once. The four best teams then played each other once more. Sweden became world champions for the fifth time, and the Soviet Union won their 27th European title. In the European Championships, only matches between European teams in the first round were counted towards scoring.

There were three significant 'lasts' in this year's championships. This would be the last year that a separate European title would be awarded, which the Soviets captured in their last appearance before the dissolution of the Soviet Union seven months later. Their position in Group A would be inherited by Russia, while newly independent former Soviet member states Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine began play in 1993 in qualification tournaments for Group C. The tournament itself would change significantly after this year as well. This was the last time the top level was contested by eight teams; beginning in 1992 it would expand to twelve, requiring both Groups B and C to promote four nations each.

The final round of four teams was a very tight battle, except for the United States. Getting only a tie against the last place Germans, the Americans only advanced to the final round by narrowly defeating the host Finns. The USA were easily defeated by the three other teams in the final round, but were involved in a controversial finish. The Canadians, having tied both the Swedes and the Soviets, needed to win their game against the US by five goals, then hope that the Swedes and Soviets tied, ensuring Canada the gold. Winning 7–4 in the final minute, and despite playing short-handed, they miraculously got the two goals they needed. American coach Tim Taylor, trailing 9–4, pulled his goalie in the final minute, later claiming that he was trying to score the necessary number of goals to win the bronze medal. It was the last of many questionable finishes over the years that hastened the IIHF to change the format of the tournament.

The Soviets and Swedes took a 1–1 tie into the third period of the last game, which would have given the gold medal to Canada had it held up. However, Mats Sundin scored at 9:37, and the Swedes held on to capture gold.[1][2]

World Championship Group A (Finland)

First round
Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1 Soviet Union761041 - 1613
2 Sweden734030 - 2110
3 Canada741224 - 209
4 United States732223 - 288
5 Finland731322 - 157
6 Czechoslovakia730419 - 196
7  Switzerland710613 - 262
8 Germany701613 - 401
19 AprilFinland 2–0 Czechoslovakia
19 AprilCanada 4–3 United States
19 AprilSoviet Union 3–1  Switzerland
19 AprilSweden 8–1 Germany
20 AprilCanada 3–0  Switzerland
20 AprilFinland 4–4 Sweden
20 AprilGermany 3–7 Soviet Union
20 AprilUnited States 4–1 Czechoslovakia
22 AprilCanada 3–2 Germany
22 AprilFinland 0–3 Soviet Union
22 AprilCzechoslovakia 4–1  Switzerland
22 AprilSweden 4–4 United States
23 AprilGermany 1–7 Czechoslovakia
23 AprilFinland 3–5 Canada
23 AprilSweden 4–3  Switzerland
23 AprilUnited States 2–12 Soviet Union
25 AprilSweden 2–1 Czechoslovakia
25 AprilSwitzerland  2–4 United States
25 AprilSoviet Union 5–3 Canada
25 AprilFinland 6–0 Germany
26 AprilCanada 3–3 Sweden
26 AprilGermany 4–4 United States
26 AprilCzechoslovakia 2–6 Soviet Union
26 AprilFinland 6–1  Switzerland
28 AprilFinland 1–2 United States
28 AprilSwitzerland  5–2 Germany
28 AprilSoviet Union 5–5 Sweden
28 AprilCzechoslovakia 4–3 Canada

Final Round
Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
1 Sweden321013 - 085
2 Canada312015 - 104
3 Soviet Union311110 - 093
4 United States300312 - 230
30 AprilSoviet Union 6–4 United States
30 AprilSweden 3–3 Canada
2 MayUnited States 4–8 Sweden
2 MayCanada 3–3 Soviet Union
4 MayUnited States 4–9 Canada
4 MaySweden 2–1 Soviet Union

Consolation Round
Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
5 Finland1061335 - 2113
6 Czechoslovakia1040628 - 278
7  Switzerland1021722 - 385
8 Germany1002819 - 512

No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.

29 AprilGermany 2–4 Finland
29 AprilSwitzerland  4–3 Czechoslovakia
1 MayCzechoslovakia 4–1 Germany
1 MayFinland 6–2  Switzerland
3 MayFinland 3–2 Czechoslovakia
3 MayGermany 3–3  Switzerland

World Championship Group B (Yugoslavia)

Played in Ljubljana, Bled and Jesenice 28 March to 7 April. With the expansion of Group A impending, promotion was available to the top four finishers. As well, the top three qualified directly for the Olympics, with fourth place needing to defeat the winner of Group C.[1][3]

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
9 Italy770049 - 1114
10 Norway750226 - 1310
11 France750228 - 1810
12 Poland740324 - 158
13 Austria731321 - 187
14 Yugoslavia720518 - 364
15 Netherlands710609 - 402
16 Japan701610 - 341

Italy, Norway, France, and Poland all were promoted to Group A, no one was relegated.

28 MarchAustria 2–2 Japan
28 MarchFrance 4–2 Poland
28 MarchItaly 13–0 Netherlands
28 MarchNorway 5–1 Yugoslavia
29 MarchPoland 2–1 Austria
29 MarchNetherlands 0–4 Norway
29 MarchFrance 4–2 Yugoslavia
29 MarchJapan 2–7 Italy
31 MarchFrance 9–1 Netherlands
31 MarchItaly 2–1 Poland
31 MarchAustria 6–1 Yugoslavia
31 MarchNorway 6–1 Japan
1 AprilAustria 6–4 Netherlands
1 AprilItaly 13–3 Yugoslavia
2 AprilJapan 3–5 France
2 AprilPoland 2–4 Norway
3 AprilItaly 5–1 Austria
3 AprilYugoslavia 3–6 Poland
4 AprilJapan 1–2 Netherlands
4 AprilFrance 2–3 Norway
5 AprilYugoslavia 5–1 Japan
5 AprilFrance 1–5 Italy
6 AprilNetherlands 1–4 Poland
6 AprilAustria 3–1 Norway
7 AprilNorway 3–4 Italy
7 AprilYugoslavia 3–1 Netherlands
7 AprilPoland 7–0 Japan
7 AprilAustria 2–3 France

World Championship Group C (Denmark)

Played in Brøndby 23 March to 3 April. With the expansion of Group A, four openings in Group B were available. In addition, the winner got to play off for the last Olympic spot against the fourth place Group B finisher.[1]

Team Games Won Drawn Lost Points difference Points
17 Denmark871071 - 1315
18 China861144 - 2413
19 Romania860251 - 2212
20 Bulgaria841335 - 269
21 Great Britain841345 - 259
22 Hungary831437 - 327
23 North Korea821529 - 355
24 South Korea810719 - 642
25 Belgium800811 - 1010

Denmark, China, Romania and Bulgaria were all promoted. With no Group D in existence at this time, there was no relegation.

23 MarchHungary 11–1 Belgium
23 MarchDenmark 15–1 South Korea
23 MarchChina 6–5 Great Britain
24 MarchRomania 14–0 Belgium
24 MarchGreat Britain 7–2 North Korea
24 MarchBulgaria 3–4 China
25 MarchSouth Korea 4–9 Hungary
25 MarchRomania 7–2 North Korea
25 MarchDenmark 7–3 Bulgaria
26 MarchSouth Korea 7–2 Belgium
26 MarchHungary 3–4 China
26 MarchDenmark 3–2 Great Britain
27 MarchBulgaria 1–3 Romania
27 MarchBelgium 0–11 Great Britain
27 MarchNorth Korea 2–3 China
28 MarchDenmark 11–1 North Korea
28 MarchBulgaria 4–3 Hungary
28 MarchRomania 11–3 South Korea
29 MarchDenmark 17–1 Belgium
29 MarchChina 9–1 South Korea
29 MarchHungary 3–3 Great Britain
30 MarchBelgium 0–12 North Korea
30 MarchGreat Britain 4–5 Bulgaria
30 MarchRomania 3–1 China
31 MarchDenmark 8–2 Romania
31 MarchSouth Korea 2–4 Bulgaria
31 MarchNorth Korea 2–6 Hungary
1 AprilDenmark 8–1 Hungary
1 AprilGreat Britain 7–1 South Korea
1 AprilBelgium 5–15 China
2 AprilRomania 5–6 Great Britain
2 AprilNorth Korea 1–1 Bulgaria
3 AprilRomania 6–1 Hungary
3 AprilBelgium 2–14 Bulgaria
3 AprilSouth Korea 0–7 North Korea
3 AprilDenmark 2–2 China

Ranking and statistics
 


 1991 IIHF World Championship Winners 

Sweden
5th title

Tournament Awards

Final standings

The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:

 Sweden
 Canada
 Soviet Union
4 United States
5 Finland
6 Czechoslovakia
7  Switzerland
8 Germany

European championships final standings

The final standings of the European championships according to IIHF:

 Soviet Union
 Sweden
 Finland
4 Czechoslovakia
5  Switzerland
6 Germany

Scoring leaders

List shows the top skaters sorted by points, then goals.

Player GP G A Pts +/− PIM POS
Mats Sundin107512+212F
Jari Kurri106612+12F
Valeri Kamensky106511+810F
Joe Sakic106511+60F
Teemu Selänne106511+82F
Jeremy Roenick95611+48F
Mika Nieminen105611+32F
Pavel Bure103811+52F
Christian Ruuttu107310+310F
Danton Cole106410+114F
Thomas Rundqvist106410+24F

Source:

Leading goaltenders

Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played 50% of their team's minutes are included in this list.

Player MIP GA GAA SVS% SO
Markus Ketterer420121.71.9392
Sean Burke479212.63.9230
Renato Tosio420273.86.8950
Petr Bříza480232.88.8930
Rolf Ridderwall479212.63.8920

Source:

Citations
  1. Summary at Passionhockey.com
  2. video of Sundin's goal
  3. Olympic Qualifier

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. pp. 154–5.
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