Teams 16 | ||
Dates 29 January – 9 February Champions Soviet Union (2nd title) | ||
The men's ice hockey tournament (women's was added in 1998) at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, was the 10th Olympic Championship, also serving as the 31st World Championships and the 42nd European Championships. The games were held at the Olympiahalle Innsbruck. The Soviet Union won its second Olympic gold medal, fourth World Championship and eighth European Championship. Canada, represented for the first time by a purpose built national team organized and coached by Father David Bauer, was shut out of the medals for the first time in Olympic ice hockey history—still in contention for the gold medal on the last day until a loss to the Soviets, the Canadians were controversially denied a bronze medal as the rules were hastily changed by the IIHF late in the final period of the final game, where the Czechoslovakians were being dramatically outscored by Sweden just minutes prior to the medals presentation.
Contents
Medalists
¹The tie-breaking procedures for the Olympics were changed in the few minutes between the end of the final game and the medals presentation. By the rules that were being used until the end of the final game (goal difference between the top four teams), Canada was the bronze medal winner, but just before the medal ceremony this was changed, and Czechoslovakia won bronze by the new rules (goal difference in all games of the Olympics). In 2005, the International Ice Hockey Federation attempted to alter the results of World Championship, awarding Canadians a bronze medal, but then it changed its mind, and in September 2005 the IIHF finally rejected Canada's appeal to be awarded 3rd place.
Qualification
Prior to the tournament it was determined that there would be a spot allocated for an Asia/Oceanic representative. Also, for the third (and final time) East played West to decide the German representative in the Olympic hockey tournament.
First Round (A/B)
Winners (in bold) qualified for the Group A to play for 1st–8th places. Teams which lost their qualification matches, played in Group B for 9th–16th places. Countries were seeded (roughly) from their placement at the 1963 World Ice Hockey Championships. Switzerland was the only 'B' pool team to win, defeating Norway who was also from the 'B' pool.
Final Round
First place team wins gold, second silver and third bronze.
Consolation Round
Teams in this group play for 9th–16th places.
Final ranking
- Soviet Union
- Sweden
- Czechoslovakia
- Canada
- United States
- Finland
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Poland
- Norway
- Japan
- Romania
- Austria
- Yugoslavia
- Italy
- Hungary
European Championship final ranking
- Soviet Union
- Sweden
- Czechoslovakia
- Germany
- Finland
- Switzerland
Tournament awards
Originally Boris Mayorov was selected as best forward, but the Soviet coaches chose to present the award to Ivanov despite the fact that he was actually a defenseman.