# 1959 Ice Hockey World Championships

The 1959 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between 5 March and 15 March 1959, in Prague, and six other cities in Czechoslovakia. Canada, represented by the Belleville McFarlands, won their 18th World championship, winning every game but their last. The Soviet Union finished second, claiming their fifth European title followed by the host Czechoslovaks. In the consolation round, West Germany played against East Germany for the first time in a World Championship, winning easily, 8–0. The Canadian games were broadcast on CJBQ radio by Jack Devine.

## World Championship Group A (Czechoslovakia)
### First round

Twelve teams played in three groups where first and second place advanced to the final round, while the 3rd and 4th place teams competed in a consolation round.

#### Group 1

Played in Bratislava.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 2 | +37 | 6 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 8 | +16 | 4 |
| 3 | Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 35 | −27 | 2 |
| 4 | Poland | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 30 | −26 | 0 |

#### Group 2

Played in Brno.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 5 | +19 | 6 |
| 2 | United States | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 10 | +12 | 4 |
| 3 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 26 | −16 | 2 |
| 4 | East Germany | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 21 | −15 | 0 |

#### Group 3

Played in Ostrava.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 5 | +16 | 5 |
| 2 | Finland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 12 | +1 | 3 |
| 3 | West Germany | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 13 | −2 | 2 |
| 4 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 22 | −15 | 2 |

### Final Round

Played in Prague. Canada finished first by virtue of a better goal differential, 14 to 10. The Czechoslovaks captured bronze in dramatic fashion, they needed to win against the previously undefeated Canadians in the final game and by enough of a margin to beat out the Americans on tie-breakers. By scoring an empty net goal in the dying moments of the final game the Czechs equaled the Americans on points (6 each), and goal differential (8 each). The final tie-breaker was goal average, in which the Czechs had the advantage 1.57 to 1.53.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Canada | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 7 | +14 | 8 |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 10 | +10 | 8 |
| 3 | Czechoslovakia | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 14 | +8 | 6 |
| 4 | United States | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 15 | +8 | 6 |
| 5 | Sweden | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 21 | −15 | 2 |
| 6 | Finland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 32 | −25 | 0 |

### Consolation round

Played in Kladno, Mladá Boleslav and Kolín.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 7 | West Germany | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 9 | +21 | 9 |
| 8 | Norway | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | East Germany | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 21 | −1 | 6 |
| 10 | Italy | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 17 | +3 | 5 |
| 11 | Poland | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 20 | −9 | 2 |
| 12 | Switzerland | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 22 | −14 | 1 |

## World Championship Group B (Czechoslovakia)

Three other nations played a secondary tournament in Plzeň. A Czechoslovakia 'B' (junior) team also participated in the tournament. Had their games counted, they would've finished first.

### Final Round

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Romania | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 4 |
| 14 | Hungary | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 2 |
| 15 | Austria | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 0 |

## European Championship medal table

| | Soviet Union |
| | Czechoslovakia |
| | Sweden |
| 4 | Finland |
| 5 | West Germany |
| 6 | Norway |
| 7 | East Germany |
| 8 | Italy |
| 9 | Poland |
| 10 | Switzerland |
| 13 | Romania |
| 14 | Hungary |
| 15 | Austria |

### Tournament awards

* Best players selected by the directorate:
** Best Goaltender: Nikolai Puchkov
** Best Defenceman: Jean Lamirande
** Best Forward: Bill Cleary

## Citations

* ↑ Boyce, Gerry (2008). Belleville: A Popular History. Toronto, Ontario: Natural Heritage Books. pp. 218–219. ISBN 978-1-55002-863-8.
* 1 2 Ottawa Citizen March 16, 1959, page 13.
* ↑ "Bill Cleary". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 26 July 2022.