The 14th Ice Hockey World Championships and 25th European Championship was the first after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. It was held from 15 to 23 February 1947 at Štvanice Stadium in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

. Eight teams participated, but the competition was notably missing the reigning world champion,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The world champion was decided for the first time by round robin league play.

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

won the world championship for the first time and the European championship for the seventh time. King Gustav V had sent a telegram of congratulations to the Swedish team after beating the Czechoslovaks, but they had barely finished celebrating when they were upset by the Austrians, costing them the gold medal.

History

The 1947 congress of the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) was the first meeting or the organization since

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. During the war, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) united with the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS) to form the

International Ice Hockey Association The International Ice Hockey Association was a governing body for international ice hockey. It was established in 1940 when the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association wanted more control over international hockey, and was in disagreement with the ...

, and invited the British Ice Hockey Association to join. The new group was led by CAHA president W. G. Hardy, and was a means of shifting the control of world hockey from Europe to Canada. The CAHA severed its ties to the LIHG in 1944, and pledged allegiance to the International Ice Hockey Association instead, and a closer relationship to AHAUS. The CAHA and AHAUS agreed in 1946 to propose a merger with the LIHG to oversee international ice hockey. The proposal sought for the Ice Hockey World Championships to alternate between Europe and North America, with the Olympic hockey tournaments played under the same rules as the CAHA and the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

. The CAHA attended the LIHG meeting during the 1947 championships, and pushed for the definition of amateur to be anyone not actively engaged in professional sport. The LIHG agreed to a merger where the presidency would alternate between North America and Europe every three years, and recognized AHAUS as the governing body of hockey in the United States instead of the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

. The CAHA was permitted to have its own definition of amateur as long as teams at the Olympic games adhered to existing LIHG rules. Many notable changes were made to the rules for this championship. The game was standardized to be played in three 20 minute periods, aligning with the Canadian practice. The net size was standardized as well. There would be no more one- and three-minute penalties, and penalty shots were instituted.Duplacey page 502 Japan and Germany were barred from participation, but the LIHG was careful to illustrate that it was the politics, not the people, who were at fault, and allies like Austria and Italy were admitted.Summary at Passionhockey.com
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1947 World Ice Hockey Championships (Prague, Czechoslovakia)

Game results

Final standings

World Champion 1947
Czechoslovakia

Team members

Final rankings -- European Championship

1947 European Champion
Czechoslovakia

Citations

References

* * {{IIHF Ice Hockey European Championships IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships International ice hockey competitions hosted by Czechoslovakia 1946–47 in Czechoslovak ice hockey February 1947 sports events in Europe Sports competitions in Prague 1940s in Prague