1981 Ice Hockey World Championships

Tournament details
Host country	Sweden
Venue(s)	1 (in 2 host cities)
Dates	12–26 April 1981
Teams	8
Final positions
Champions	Soviet Union (17th title)
Runner-up	Sweden
Third place	Czechoslovakia
Fourth place	Canada
Tournament statistics
Games played	32
Goals scored	288 (9 per game)
Attendance	171,675 (5,365 per game)
Scoring leader(s)	Holger Meitinger 20 points
← 1979 1982 →

The 1981 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Sweden between 12 and 26 April 1981, with games being played in the arenas of Scandinavium in Gothenburg and Johanneshovs isstadion in Stockholm. Eight teams took part, first splitting into two groups of four, with the best two from each group advancing to the final group. These teams then play each other in the final round. This was the 47th World Championships, and also the 58th European Championships. The Soviet Union became World Champions for the 17th time, and also won their 20th European title. Don Cherry commented, "This is the best Russian team I've ever seen."^[1]

The Dutch team had won Group C and Group B in successive years to play in this tournament, but did not fare well. Their best game was a narrow one goal loss to the Americans, a goal scored on a penalty shot by Dave Christian with eleven seconds left.^[1] It was their first appearance at the top level since 1950 and they have not returned since.^[2]

World Championship Group A (Sweden)

First round

Group 1

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Soviet Union	3	3	0	0	25	4	+21	6
2	Canada	3	2	0	1	14	12	+2	4
3	Finland	3	1	0	2	16	14	+2	2
4	Netherlands	3	0	0	3	5	30	−25	0

12 April

Canada

4–3

Finland

12 April

Soviet Union

10–1

Netherlands

13 April

Canada

8–1

Netherlands

13 April

Soviet Union

7–1

Finland

15 April

Soviet Union

8–2

Canada

15 April

Finland

12–3

Netherlands

Group 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Czechoslovakia	3	2	1	0	20	7	+13	5
2	Sweden	3	2	1	0	11	7	+4	5
3	United States	3	1	0	2	14	21	−7	2
4	West Germany	3	0	0	3	10	20	−10	0

12 April

Czechoslovakia

11–2

United States

12 April

Sweden

4–2

West Germany

14 April

Sweden

4–2

United States

14 April

Czechoslovakia

6–2

West Germany

15 April

Czechoslovakia

3–3

Sweden

15 April

United States

10–6

West Germany

Final Round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Soviet Union	6	4	2	0	38	12	+26	10
2	Sweden	6	3	1	2	16	26	−10	7
3	Czechoslovakia	6	2	2	2	20	22	−2	6
4	Canada	6	0	1	5	16	30	−14	1

18 April

Czechoslovakia

7–4

Canada

18 April

Soviet Union

4–1

Sweden

20 April

Sweden

3–1

Canada

20 April

Soviet Union

8–3

Czechoslovakia

22 April

Canada

4–4

Soviet Union

22 April

Sweden

4–2

Czechoslovakia

24 April

Czechoslovakia

4–2

Canada

24 April

Soviet Union

13–1

Sweden

26 April

Sweden

4–3

Canada

26 April

Soviet Union

1–1

Czechoslovakia

Consolation round

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
5	United States	6	4	1	1	35	28	+7	9
6	Finland	6	3	2	1	33	21	+12	8
7	West Germany	6	3	1	2	40	30	+10	7
8	Netherlands	6	0	0	6	22	51	−29	0

The Netherlands were relegated to Group B.

17 April

United States

7–6

Netherlands

17 April

Finland

6–3

West Germany

19 April

West Germany

9–2

Netherlands

19 April

United States

6–4

Finland

21 April

West Germany

6–2

United States

21 April

Finland

4–2

Netherlands

23 April

United States

7–3

Netherlands

23 April

West Germany

4–4

Finland

25 April

West Germany

12–6

Netherlands

25 April

Finland

3–3

United States

World Championship Group B (Italy)

Played in Urtijëi 20–29 March. The hosts went undefeated to win, led by former Pittsburgh Penguin and Edmonton Oiler Wayne Bianchin and backstopped by former Oiler Jim Corsi.

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
9	Italy	7	6	1	0	38	18	+20	13
10	Poland	7	5	1	1	49	25	+24	11
11	Switzerland	7	4	2	1	28	20	+8	10
12	East Germany	7	4	1	2	37	25	+12	9
13	Romania	7	2	0	5	25	30	−5	4
14	Norway	7	2	0	5	21	39	−18	4
15	Yugoslavia	7	1	1	5	23	44	−21	3
16	Japan	7	1	0	6	18	38	−20	2

Italy was promoted to Group A, both Yugoslavia and Japan were relegated to Group C.