Jersey of Canada's 1952 Olympic Gold Medal team, the Edmonton Mercurys
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Tournament details | |
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Host country | Norway |
Dates | 15–25 February |
Teams | 9 |
Venue(s) | Jordal Amfi Arena, Dælenenga, Kadettangen, Marienlyst and Lillestrøm |
Final positions | |
Champions | Canada (6th title) |
Runner-up | United States |
Third place | Sweden |
Fourth place | Czechoslovakia |
Tournament statistics | |
Matches played | 37 |
Goals scored | 335 (9.05 per match) |
Scoring leader(s) | Billy Gibson 19 points |
The men's ice hockey tournament (women's was added in 1998) at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway, was the 7th Olympic Championship, also serving as the 19th World Championships and the 30th European Championships. The tournament was mainly played at the Jordal Amfi Arena, as well as the stadiums at Dælenenga (in Oslo), Kadettangen (Sandvika), Marienlyst (Drammen) and Lillestrøm (Lillestrøm). Canada, represented by the Edmonton Mercurys, won its sixth Olympic gold medal and 15th World Championship. Highest finishing European team Sweden won the bronze medal and its sixth European Championship.
The tournament was nearly not played at all. In 1951 it was decided to drop hockey from the olympic program because of the controversies surrounding the 1948 games. However, at the IOC congress in Romania the same year, it was reinstated.
Teams from Germany and Czechoslovakia rejoined the top level of international hockey this year. Nine nations played a round-robin with the top three nations receiving medals at the end. Canada won their fifth Olympic title, and fifteenth World title. The USA tied their final game against Canada to finish one point ahead of both Sweden and Czechoslovakia, clinching the silver medal. Czechoslovakia and Sweden both finished with six wins and two losses, additionally, they had an equal goal differential of +29. The Czechs had defeated the Swedes four to nothing on the final day, and believed that they had won the Olympic bronze, and the European Championship. However, organizers decided that they should play a final tie-breaking game, in which the Swedes overcame a three-goal deficit to win five to three.