๐จ๐ฆ Canada 5-1 Soviet Union ๐ท๐บ
World Championship Final Round
Patinoire des Vernets, Geneva ๐จ๐ญ
Sunday, 12 March 1961
The names might seem familiar, but the era was different and the game even more different from the 21st century we now live in. There was Legace and Tambellini, Martin, Jones, Smith, and Kromm, but their first names are from a time long removed: Mike Legace, Addy Tambellini, Seth Martin, Hal Jones, Harry Smith, and Bobby Kromm (who was also the coach) all played for Canadaโs 1961 entry at the World Championships, the Trail Smoke Eaters.
At the time, this tournament was not seen as the end of an era or the final win or a turning point in hockey history, but in retrospect it was all three. During these years, Canada and the Soviets were the two favourites to win the tournament, and the final game between the two often provided the difference between Gold and Silver. This year was no exception.
During the eight-team, seven-game round robin, the two top nations were nearly invincible, but when the Czechs beat the Soviets 6-4 and tied Canada 1-1, they made it a three-team race for Gold. Canada finished first and claimed the Gold thanks to a 5-1 romp over the Soviets, and although the Smoke Eaters and Czechs were tied with 6-1-0 records, Canada finished first because of a superior goal differential.
Indeed, the final game was dominated by the Canadians. Smith gave the team an early 1-0 lead, and then Jackie McLeod and Jones made it 3-0 after two periods. Yet as the players poured off the bench after the final horn, how could they have known the importance of this moment? The next year, Canada abandoned club representation in international hockey and adopted Father David Bauerโs proposal of a National Team.
The Soviets went on to win every tournament for nearly a decade, and then Canada withdrew from competition. The next time Canada won Gold was in 1994, some 33 years after the Smoke Eaters returned home to British Columbia to a heroโs welcome. Players from that โ94 team are more familiar to the modern reader: Kariya, Sakic, Shanahan, Arnott, Ranford, Sydor, Ricci. By 1994, there was checking allowed in the offensive zone; overtime and shootouts decided tie games; and, the team was composed almost entirely by players from the NHLโall unthinkable changes in 1961. The Trail Smoke Eaters truly were the last amateur champions, replaced over time, to be sure, but never forgotten.
BOXSCORE
1st Period
00:25 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Sly
03:10 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Legace
08:20 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – Smith (McLeod)
08:55 ย – ๐ท๐บย PEN – Sologubov
12:10 – ๐ท๐บย PEN – Starshinov
18:30 – ๐ท๐บย PEN – team
2nd Period
27:45 – ๐ท๐บย PEN – Ragulin
30:05 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Rusnell, major
30:05 – ๐ท๐บย PEN – Starshinov, major
30:35 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – McLeod (Jones)
32:40 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – Jones (Fletcher)
35:23 – ๐จ๐ฆย PEN – Smith
3rd Period
40:33 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – McLeod (Jones)
51:50 – ๐ท๐บย GOAL – B. Maiorov (Starshinov)
58:00 – ๐จ๐ฆย GOAL – Lenardon
GOALTENDERS
W: ๐จ๐ฆย Martin (17-18)
L: ๐ท๐บย Chinov (21-26)
SHOTS ON GOAL
๐จ๐ฆ 8+7+11 = 26
๐ท๐บ 9+6+3 = 18
ROSTERS
๐จ๐ฆ Goaltenders: Seth Martin. Defence: George Ferguson,ย Don Fletcher, Darryl Sly, Harry Smith. Forwards: Cal Hockley, Harold Jones, Mike Legace, Norm Lenardon, Hugh McIntyre, Jack McLeod, Walt Peacosh, David Rusnell, Adolphe Tambellini.
๐ท๐บ Goaltenders: Vladimir Chinov.ย Defence: Alexander Ragulin, Genrikh Sidorenkov, Nikolai Sologubov, Ivan Tregubov.ย Forwards: Veniamin Alexandrov, Alexander Almetov, Konstantin Loktev, Boris Maiorov, Yevgeni Maiorov, Nikolai Snetkov, Vyacheslav Starshinov, Viktor Yakushev, Vladimir Yurzinov.
๐จ๐ฆ CANADA (C) | vs. | SOVIET UNION ๐ท๐บ |
current champion (since 26 Feb 1961) |
Last Title |
27 Feb 1960 |
152 | All-Time Wins |
48 |
4 wins | Head-To-Head |
2 wins |
First IHLC Meeting (CAN vs. URS) ๐ท๐บ URSย 7-2 CAN ๐จ๐ฆ โ 07 Mar 1954 โ WC โ Stockholm ๐ธ๐ช |
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Previous IHLC Meeting (CAN vs. URS) ๐จ๐ฆ CAN 3-1 URS ๐ท๐บ โ 11 Mar 1959 โ WC โ Prague ๐จ๐ฟ |
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Last IHLC Game ๐จ๐ฆ CAN 12-1 FIN ๐ซ๐ฎ โ 11 Mar 1961 โ WC โ Lausanne ๐จ๐ญ |
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Next IHLC Game ๐จ๐ฆ CAN 4-1 GDR ๐ฉ๐ช โ 21 Dec 1961 โ EX โ Weisswasser ๐ฉ๐ช |
Article Credit: IIHF 100 Top Stories Of The Century
Photo Credit: The Provinceย โ IIHF โ HHOF โ IOC