# 1939 Ice Hockey World Championships

The 1939 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between February 3 and February 12, 1939, in Zürich and Basel, Switzerland. Austria had been annexed by Germany in 1938, and four Austrians played this tournament in German jerseys. The fourteen teams participating in the 1939 World Championship were initially divided into four preliminary groups: two groups of four and two groups of three. The top two teams in each group advanced to the second round. The eight teams in the second round played in two groups of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the third (final) round. The six teams not advancing to the second round played a consolation round in two groups of 3 teams with the winners of each group playing a one-game play-off for 9th place. The four teams not advancing from the second round played a consolation round for placed 5 through 8.
Canada won its eleventh world championship winning all their games while only giving up one goal in the entire tournament. The USA had lost to the Swiss in the semi-final round, but defeated them in the final to claim silver. The host, Switzerland, won its third European championship by winning a one-game playoff against Czechoslovakia well after the World Championship had concluded. Both teams had earned one point in the final round and decided to play tie-breaking game.
The games were held at Kunsteisbahn Margarethen in Basel and Dolder Kunsteisbahn in Zürich.
The 8-1 victory over the Belgian side would be the last victory for Hungary at the World Championships highest level until 2016

## World Ice Hockey Championship (in Basel and Zurich, Switzerland)
### First round
#### Group A

| 3. February 1939 | Basel | Germany | – | Finland | 12:1 (2:0,7:1,3:0) |
| 3. February 1939 | Basel | USA | – | Italy | 5:0 (3:0,1:0,1:0) |
| 4. February 1939 | Basel | Italy | – | Finland | 5:2 (1:0,1:0,3:2) |
| 4. February 1939 | Basel | USA | – | Germany | 4:0 (2:0,0:0,2:0) |
| 5. February 1939 | Basel | USA | – | Finland | 4:0 (0:0,1:0,3:0) |
| 5. February 1939 | Basel | Germany | – | Italy | 4:4 ET (0:1,2:3,2:0,0:0,0:0,0:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | USA | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 13: 0 | +13 | 6:0 |
| 2 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16: 9 | + 7 | 3:3 |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9:11 | - 2 | 3:3 |
| 4 | Finland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3:21 | -18 | 0:6 |
* The Executive Board voted to have Italy and Germany replay their game (February 6 at Zurich), which ended as a scoreless draw, after which goal differential was used to decide second place.

#### Group B

| 3. February 1939 | Basel | Czechoslovakia | – | Yugoslavia | 24:0 (10:0,7:0,7:0) |
| 3. February 1939 | Zürich | Switzerland | – | Latvia | 12:0 (5:0,3:0,4:0) |
| 4. February 1939 | Zürich | Switzerland | – | Yugoslavia | 23:0 (7:0,7:0,9:0) |
| 4. February 1939 | Zürich | Czechoslovakia | – | Latvia | 9:0 (3:0,3:0,3:0) |
| 5. February 1939 | Zürich | Latvia | – | Yugoslavia | 6:0 (0:0,3:0,3:0) |
| 5. February 1939 | Zürich | Switzerland | – | Czechoslovakia | 1:0 (0:0,1:0,0:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Switzerland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 36: 0 | +36 | 6:0 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 33: 1 | +32 | 4:2 |
| 3 | Latvia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6:21 | -15 | 2:4 |
| 4 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0:53 | -53 | 0:6 |

#### Group C

| 3. February 1939 | Basel | Canada | – | Netherlands | 8:0 (1:0,4:0,3:0) |
| 4. February 1939 | Basel | Poland | – | Netherlands | 9:0 (3:0,2:0,4:0) |
| 5. February 1939 | Basel | Canada | – | Poland | 4:0 (2:0,1:0,1:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Canada | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12: 0 | +12 | 4:0 |
| 2 | Poland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9: 4 | + 5 | 2:2 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0:17 | -17 | 0:4 |

#### Group D

| 3. February 1939 | Zürich | Hungary | – | Belgium | 8:1 (2:0,4:1,2:0) |
| 4. February 1939 | Zürich | Great Britain | – | Belgium | 3:1 (0:0,0:1,3:0) |
| 5. February 1939 | Zürich | Great Britain | – | Hungary | 1:0 (1:0,0:0,0:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Great Britain | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4: 1 | +3 | 4:0 |
| 2 | Hungary | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8: 2 | +6 | 2:2 |
| 3 | Belgium | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2:11 | -9 | 0:4 |

### Consolation Round – Places 9 to 14
#### Group A

| 6. February 1939 | Basel | Netherlands | – | Finland | 2:1 (1:1,1:0,0:0) |
| 7. February 1939 | Basel | Italy | – | Netherlands | 2:1 (0:0,0:0,2:1) |
| 8. February 1939 | Basel | Italy | – | Finland | 2:1 (0:0,1:1,1:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4:2 | +2 | 4:0 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3:3 | 0 | 2:2 |
| 3 | Finland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2:4 | -2 | 0:4 |

#### Group B

| 6. February 1939 | Zürich | Latvia | – | Belgium | 5:1 (2:0,1:1,2:0) |
| 7. February 1939 | Zürich | Belgium | – | Yugoslavia | 3:3 (2:1,1:0,0:2) |
| 8. February 1939 | Zürich | Latvia | – | Yugoslavia | 4:0 (2:0,0:0,2:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Latvia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9:1 | +8 | 4:0 |
| 2 | Belgium | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4:8 | -4 | 1:3 |
| 3 | Yugoslavia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3:7 | -4 | 1:3 |

#### Consolation round 9–10 Place

| 9. February 1939 | Basel | Italy | – | Latvia | 2:1 (1:1,1:0,0:0) |

### Second round
#### Group A

| 7. February 1939 | Zürich | Czechoslovakia | – | Germany | 1:1 ET (0:0,1:0,0:1,0:0,0:0,0:0) |
| 7. February 1939 | Zürich | Canada | – | Great Britain | 4:0 (0:0,0:0,4:0) |
| 8. February 1939 | Zürich | Great Britain | – | Germany | 0:1 (0:0,0:0,0:1) |
| 8. February 1939 | Basel | Canada | – | Czechoslovakia | 2:1 (0:1,0:0,2:0) |
| 9. February 1939 | Basel | Great Britain | – | Czechoslovakia | 0:2 (0:1,0:1,0:0) |
| 9. February 1939 | Zürich | Canada | – | Germany | 9:0 (2:0,5:0,2:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15: 1 | +14 | 6:0 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4: 3 | +1 | 3:3 |
| 3 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2:10 | - 8 | 3:3 |
| 4 | Great Britain | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0: 7 | - 7 | 0:6 |

#### Group B

| 7. February 1939 | Basel | USA | – | Hungary | 3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0) |
| 7. February 1939 | Basel | Switzerland | – | Poland | 4:0 (0:0,4:0,0:0) |
| 8. February 1939 | Basel | Poland | – | Hungary | 5:3 (1:1,2:0,2:2) |
| 8. February 1939 | Basel | Switzerland | – | USA | 3:2 (0:0,2:2,1:0) |
| 9. February 1939 | Basel | USA | – | Poland | 4:0 (0:0,2:0,2:0) |
| 9. February 1939 | Basel | Switzerland | – | Hungary | 5:2 (2:1,2:0,1:1) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Switzerland | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12: 4 | +8 | 6:0 |
| 2 | USA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9: 3 | + 4 | 4:2 |
| 3 | Poland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5:11 | - 6 | 2:4 |
| 4 | Hungary | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5:13 | - 8 | 0:6 |

### Consolation Round -- Places 5 to 8

| 10. February 1939 | Basel | Poland | – | Hungary | 3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0) |
| 11. February 1939 | Zürich | Germany | – | Hungary | 6:2 (0:2,3:0,3:0) |
| 12. February 1939 | Basel | Germany | – | Poland | 4:0 (1:0,3:0,0:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 5 | Germany | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10: 2 | +8 | 4:0 |
| 6 | Poland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3: 4 | -1 | 2:2 |
| 7 | Hungary | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2: 9 | -7 | 0:4 |
| 8 | Great Britain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0: 0 | 0 | 0:0 |

### Final Round – Places 1 to 4

| 10. February 1939 | Zürich | USA | – | Czechoslovakia | 1:0 ET (0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,1:0) |
| 10. February 1939 | Basel | Switzerland | – | Canada | 0:7 (0:2,0:4,0:1) |
| 11. February 1939 | Basel | Switzerland | – | USA | 1:2 (0:1,0:0,1:1) |
| 11. February 1939 | Basel | Canada | – | Czechoslovakia | 4:0 (0:0,1:0,3:0) |
| 12. February 1939 | Basel | Canada | – | USA | 4:0 (3:0,1:0,0:0) |
| 12. February 1939 | Zürich | Switzerland | – | Czechoslovakia | 0:0 ET (0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0,0:0) |
Standings
| Pos. | Team | G.P. | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals | Goal Diff | Pts. |
| 1 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15: 0 | +15 | 6:0 |
| 2 | USA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3: 5 | - 2 | 4:2 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1: 9 | - 8 | 1:5 |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0: 5 | - 5 | 1:5 |

### Playoff for 3rd place (and European Championship)

| 5. March 1939 | Basel | Switzerland | – | Czechoslovakia | 2:0 (0:0,1:0,1:0) |

### Final Rankings – 1939 World Championships

| | Canada |
| | United States |
| | Switzerland |
| 4 | Czechoslovakia |
| 5 | Germany |
| 6 | Poland |
| 7 | Hungary |
| 8 | Great Britain |
| 9 | Italy |
| 10 | Latvia |
| 11 | Belgium |
| 11 | Netherlands |
| 13 | Finland |
| 13 | Yugoslavia |
World Champion 1939 Canada

#### Team Members

Trail Smoke Eaters
| Pos. | Country | Members |
| 1 | CAN | Bunny Dame, Benny Hayes, Joe Benoit, Tom Johnston, Jim Haight, Mel Snowdon, Duke Scodellaro, Mickey Brennen, Dick Kowcinak, Ab Cronie, Jim Morris, John McCreedy, Buck Buchanan; Trainer: Elmer Piper |

### Final Rankings – 1939 European Championships

| | Switzerland |
| | Czechoslovakia |
| | Germany |
| 4 | Poland |
| 5 | Hungary |
| 6 | Great Britain |
| 7 | Italy |
| 8 | Latvia |
| 9 | Belgium |
| 9 | Netherlands |
| 11 | Finland |
| 11 | Yugoslavia |
European Champion 1939 Switzerland

## Citations

* 1 2 3 Summary
* ↑ Austrian Nationallibrary, Vienna Newest News: 6. February 1939, Seite 11
* ↑ Austrian Nationallibrary, Vienna Newest News: 7. February 1939, Seite 10
* ↑ Austrian Nationallibrary, Vienna Newest News:11. February 1939 Seite 10