1961 World Ice Hockey Championships facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
1961 World Ice Hockey Championships

Tournament details
Host country	Switzerland
Dates	1–12 March
Teams	8
Final positions
Champions	Canada (19th title)
Runner-up	Czechoslovakia
Third place	Soviet Union
Fourth place	Sweden
Tournament statistics
Matches played	28
Goals scored	236 (8.43 per match)
Attendance	141,300 (5,046 per match)
Scoring leader(s)	Boris Mayorov 17 points
← 1960 Olympics 1962 →

The 1961 World Ice Hockey Championships was a big ice hockey tournament. It was the 28th time this event was held. The games took place in Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland. This exciting championship ran from March 1 to March 12, 1961. The Canadian team won their nineteenth international title. This win was very special for Canada, as it would be their last championship for thirty-three years. The team that represented Canada was the Trail Smoke Eaters.

World Championship Group A: The Top Teams Compete

This group featured the best ice hockey teams from around the world. They played against each other to see who would become the champion.

Final Standings for Group A

Here's how the teams finished in the main championship group:

Place	Team	Matches	Won	Drawn	Lost	Difference	Points
1	Canada	7	6	1	0	45 - 11	13
2	Czechoslovakia	7	6	1	0	33 - 09	13
3	Soviet Union	7	5	0	2	51 - 20	10
4	Sweden	7	4	0	3	33 - 27	8
5	East Germany	7	2	0	6	21 - 33	4
6	United States	7	1	1	5	24 - 43	3
7	Finland	7	1	1	5	19 - 43	3
8	West Germany	7	0	2	5	10 - 50	2

World Championship Group B: Rising Teams Battle It Out

This group included teams that were aiming to move up in the world rankings. They played their own set of games.

Final Standings for Group B

Here are the final results for the teams in Group B:

Place	Team	Matches	Won	Drawn	Lost	Difference	Points
9	Norway	5	4	0	1	27 - 09	8
10	Great Britain	5	3	2	0	21 - 11	8
11	Switzerland	5	2	1	2	17 - 15	5
12	Italy	5	2	1	2	19 - 20	5
13	Poland	5	1	0	4	13 - 17	2
14	Austria	5	1	0	4	10 - 35	2

World Championship Group C: New Teams Join the Competition

Group C featured teams that were newer to the international ice hockey scene. They competed to improve their standing.

Final Standings for Group C

These are the final results for the teams in Group C:

Place	Team	Matches	Won	Drawn	Lost	Difference	Points
15	Romania	5	5	0	0	69 - 05	10
16	France	5	4	0	1	34 - 16	8
17	Yugoslavia	5	3	0	2	34 - 22	6
18	Netherlands	5	2	0	3	18 - 36	4
19	South Africa	5	1	0	4	18 - 47	2
20	Belgium	5	0	0	5	09 - 56	0

• The Hartford Courant, Feb 6, 1961, page 15
• New York Times, February 12, 1961, Page S6

Images for kids

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  This image shows a match between the Netherlands and Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia won this game with a score of 9–2.