The 16th Ice Hockey World Championships and 27th European Hockey Championships was held from February 12 to 20, 1949, in Stockholm, Sweden. In the initial round, the ten teams participating were divided into three groups: two groups of three and one of four. In the second round, the top two teams in each group advanced to the medal round (for positions 1 through 6) with the remaining four teams advancing to the consolation round for places 7 through 10.
Czechoslovakia overcame tragedy to winn their second world championship and ninth European Championship. In November 1948 six Czechoslovak players(Ladislav Troják, Karel Stibor, Zdeněk Jarkovský, Vilibald Šťovík, Miloslav Pokorny and defensemas Svarc) were lost when their plane went missing crossing the English Channel. Despite the key losses to their roster, they defeated the Sudbury Wolves, Canada's representative, three to two. It was only the third defeat for the Canadians at a World Championship. The Americans were the only nation able to top the Czechs, which earned them a bronze medal, and kept the host Swedes off the podium.
Famous quotes containing the words world and/or ice:
“The rhetorician would deceive his neighbours,
The sentimentalist himself; while art
Is but a vision of reality.
What portion in the world can the artist have
Who has awakened from the common dream
But dissipation and despair?”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“In entertainment value, the Democratic clambake usually lays it over the Republican conclave like ice cream over parsnips.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)