<ELIMINATION> 2-3 2-4 TCH – JPN SWE – YUG USA – SUI GER – POL FIN – NOR ※ 16:01 ※ 19:03 ※ 14:04 ※ 19:02 19:04 <GROUP A> 2-5 SWE – USA TCH – POL URS – FIN ※ 10:05 ※ 14:04 ※ 19:05 2-7 2-8 URS – SWE TCH – USA FIN – POL TCH – FIN ※ 11:32 16:03 19:32 ※ 14:04 2-9 2-10 SWE – POL URS – USA URS – POL TCH – SWE FIN – USA ※ 14:00 ※ 19:03 ※ 14:02 ※ 19:03 19:00 2-12 2-13 POL – USA SWE – FIN URS – TCH ※ 19:34 ※ 09:04 ※ 12:33 <GROUP B> 2-6 2-7 NOR – YUG SUI – GER SUI – JPN GER – YUG 12:30 16:03 ※ 14:44 12:32 2-9 2-10 YUG – JPN GER – NOR NOR – JPN SUI – YUG ※ 10:02 14:05 ※ 10:03 14:04 2-12 GER – JPN SUI – NOR ※ 16:02 14:04 Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink (※) ∙ Tsukisamu Indoor Skating Rink PARTICIPANTS: France, Romania and East Germany all qualified but withdrew due to high expenses. Canada did not participate, boycotting ice hockey over amateurism rules, maintaining that professional ice hockey players from Communist nations were allowed to compete with no restrictions. The IOC did not agree. Of the 11 countries, the defending IIHF World Champions (Soviet Union) were placed in Group A (medal group). The remaining 10 countries played a single elimination game, the winners moving into Group A, the losers into Group B. Each group would play a single round-robin, 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie (no overtime). VENUES: Two indoor rinks were built for the Olympics. The main venue was the Makomanai Indoor Rink, with room for a crowd of 12,000, while the Tsukisamu rink could host half that number. For the first time, team rosters were allowed to feature up to 20 players (15 skaters and 2 goalies were allowed to dress for each game). USSR TRIUMPH TARASOV’S LAST Tarasov, whose first Olympic adventure ended with a bronze STAND medal for the Soviet Union at A 5-2 defeat of Eastern-bloc rival Squaw Valley in 1960, totaled 22 Czechoslovakia at Sapporo in 1972 wins and two ties from 27 games For the world-wide audience, it clinched a third successive Olympic at the Winter Olympic Games for would have been difficult to know title for the Soviet Union. the USSR. that the Sapporo Games would be the last for the man referred to as The triumph resulted in a fourth In Sapporo, Tarasov even the Father of Soviet Hockey. But, set of gold medals for the USSR experimented with his well-oiled alas, despite another successful national ice hockey team in only machine by separating the great run to the gold medal, the 1972 five trips to the Winter Games. troika of Valery Kharlamov, Boris Winter Olympic Games marked the Mikhailov and Vladimir Petrov. end of the line for a legend in the Whereas the 19-year-old USSR Instead he tried a revolutionary 2- USSR. Not before, however, Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak 2-1 system – known as the Union national team coach Anatoli pocketed his first-ever Olympic Torpedo – with 2 forwards, two Tarasov had the chance to chalk up gold medal in Japan, three other midfielders (for the lack of a better a third Olympic championship. veteran Soviet internationals hockey term) and one defender. became champions at the Winter An integral part of hockey in the Games for no less than a third A pay dispute led to Tarasov’s USSR since the country had been time. dismissal as the national team playing the sport seriously, Tarasov coach shortly following the 1972 actually had led the Soviet elite High-scoring CSKA Moscow left Sapporo Games. Soviet hockey league with 14 goals for air force wing Anatoli Firsov (30) in addition players received not only gold club VVS MVO Moscow that to CSKA Moscow defensemen medals from International Olympic inaugural 1946-47 season. The Aleksandr Ragulin (30) and Viktor Committee officials, but cash next winter, the 29-year-old Kuzkin (31) as well as Dynamo bonuses from USSR authorities, as forward transferred to CDKA (later Moscow rearguard Vitali Davydov well. Tarasov felt that the time had CSKA) Moscow to become the (32) accomplished that which no come for coaches to collect a player-coach of the army club. other ice hockey player has been monetary reward, too. The officials Tarasov, who ceased playing after able to surpass since. in the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation, the 1952-53 schedule, remained if not those in the Politburo, as rooted behind the bench for CSKA The four skaters competed on well, disagreed. until the conclusion of the 1974- three Soviet teams which compiled 75 campaign. a record of 18 wins against but one loss and a single tie at the Winter Olympic Games from 1964 thru XI WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES - STANDINGS 1972. W L T GF GA Pts 1 Soviet Union 5 4 0 1 33 13 9 Despite Tretiak’s early success, he 2 United States 5 3 2 0 18 15 6 was still unknown. That would 3 Czechoslovakia 5 3 2 0 26 13 6 change drastically a few months 4 Sweden 5 2 2 1 17 13 5 after the Olympics at a little 5 Finland 5 2 3 0 14 24 4 international tournament known as 6 Poland 5 0 5 0 9 39 0 the 1972 Summit Series. 7 West Germany 4 3 1 0 22 10 6 8 Norway 4 3 1 0 16 14 6 9 Japan 4 2 1 1 17 16 5 10 Switzerland 4 0 2 2 9 16 2 11 Yugoslavia 4 0 3 1 9 17 1 THE SECOND MIRACLE ON ICE? Without question, the 1972 the tournament thought to be fired on target. Harder to predict Sapporo Games produced a capable of seriously challenging would have been that the monumental single-game the Soviet Union, whom diminutive Mike Curran, the U. S. goaltending performance that Czechoslovakia defeated at goaltender, would be able to rightly takes its place in Olympic Grenoble, for the Olympic title. adequately deal with 51 of those history as one of, if not the, all- attempts. Taking advantage of time best. The United States, meanwhile, both the fine work from the former finished in last place at the 1971 University of North Dakota It is the second day of the six-team IIHF WC and, thus, were relegated netminder and an off-day from round-robin finals in Sapporo with to the B pool for the 1972 edition. Holecek in the Czechoslovak goal, Czechoslovakia scheduled to meet The U. S. only qualified for the final the Americans skated off 5-1 the United States. round-robin at Sapporo with a winners. less-than-overwhelming 5-3 The Czechoslovaks are the regining defeat of perennial B poolers Czechoslovakia and the United silver medalists from Grenoble Switzerland. A 5-1 loss to medal States both finished the final 1968 and enter as runners-up to favorites Sweden did not exactly round-robin with 3-2 records. the USSR at the 1971 IIHF World get the final round-robin off to a After the Finns upset the Swedes Championships. The line-up is flying start for the Americans. on the final day, the United States, chock full of international class on the strength of their head-to- players such as forward Vaclav It should have come as no surprise, head result with the Nedomansky, defenseman then, that the Czechoslovaks would Czechoslovaks, moved into second Frantisek Pospisil and goalie Jiří lay absolute siege to the American place behind the unbeaten Soviet Holecek. This is the one team in goal with a total of 52 shots being Union. KHARLAMOV LEADS SCORERS Soviet legend Valeri Kharlamov is With his debut at the 1972 Sapporo The 23-year-old followed with a the last player in the history at the Games, Kharlamov announced his pair of lamp-lighters at the Winter Olympic Games to average arrival on the Olympic stage by expense of Sweden and another three points per game over the notching a hat trick on opening hat trick against Poland. The CSKA course of final-round competition. day opposite Finland. Moscow left wing scored goals in four of five contests in Japan as the POINTS TABLE (Group A) USSR breezed their way through to G G A P the gold medal. Altogether, Valeri Kharlamov (URS) 5 9 6 15 Kharlamov amassed nine goals and Václav Nedomanský (TCH) 5 6 3 9 added six assists in Japan. Vladimir Vikulov (URS) 5 5 4 9 Craig Sarner (USA) 5 4 5 9 Kharlamov easily finished as the Aleksandr Maltsev (URS) 5 4 3 7 leading scorer at Sapporo with 15 Kevin Ahearn (USA) 5 4 3 7 points for the Soviet Union. Anatoli Firsov (URS) 5 2 5 7 No other player from any team in Yuri Blinov (URS) 5 3 3 6 the 1972 Olympic tournament so Jiří Kochta (TCH) 5 3 3 6 much as reached double-digits in Richard Farda (TCH) 5 1 5 6 the five-game final round-robin. UPSET OF THE “DEAR ENEMY” Sweden and Finland first met at a THE FINNISH DIASPORA major international tournament for ice hockey in 1949 at the Lauri Mononen scored the goal for Finland that wrecked arch-rival Sweden's International Ice Hockey Federation medal hopes at the 1972 Winter Olympic Games. Mononen later skated two World Championships held in seasons in the World Hockey Association for the Phoenix Roadrunners in the Stockholm.