Hockey history

Previous Next

The 1928 World Ice Hockey Championship coincided with the Winter Olympic Games in the Swiss resort of St Moritz. Switzerland took the bronze medal. (Keystone/Photopress)

A Canadian player tries to beat a British goalie at the 1935 championships in Davos. (Keystone/Photopress)

The 1935 world tournament in the Swiss resort of Davos saw one particular trainer give out orders in a most inconspicuous manner. (Keystone/Photopress)

Swiss players Trauffer and Cattini helped secure a win over Czechoslovakia in 1939. It was Switzerland's third championship. (RDB)

The tournament in 1939, before the invention of the Zamboni ice-resurfacing vehicle, saw manual labour used to resurface the ice between play. (RDB)

Players at the 1939 tournament took a break to warm up with some Ovaltine. (RDB)

The 1948 Winter Olympic Games featured a match between Switzerland and the United States. Switzerland would go on to finish third. (RDB)

Switzerland played Czechoslovakia in the final of the 1948 Winter Olympic Games in St Moritz. (Keystone/Photopress)

The match-up between Canada and Czechoslovakia at the 1948 Olympic Winter Games in St Moritz brought plenty of excitement to fans at the resort's outdoor arena. (Keystone/Photopress)

Switzerland took the bronze at the 1953 world championships, held in Zurich and Basel. (RDB)

Children take in the 1953 championships, which were held in Basel and Zurich. (RDB)

East Germany were set to play West Germany during group play at the 1961 championships. West Germany refused because East Germany had its own anthem and flag. The game was decided by bureaucrats, who handed the East a 5-0 victory. (RDB)

The 1961 tournament in the French-speaking cities of Lausanne and Geneva featured the classic match between the Soviets and Czechoslovakia. (RDB)

Jura separatists disrupted the game between Sweden and Czechoslovakia at the 1971 world championships in Bern. They were dragged off the ice by police and players (Keystone/Photopress)

Switzerland's Michael Tuerler celebrates a goal against East Germany during the 1971 world championships. Switzerland won the game 3:1. (Keystone/Photopress)

Switzerland won Pool B at the 1971 championships and ended up placing seventh.

Canada faced the Soviet Union at the 1990 World Ice Hockey Championship in Bern.

Fribourg-Gottéron players Vyacheslav Bykov and Andrei Khomutov played on the 1990 Soviet team. (Keystone)

The Soviet squad celebrates with coach Viktor Tikhonov after winning the 1990 World Ice Hockey Championship in Bern (Keystone)

Sweden's Niclas Heavelid (left) and Ulf Dahlen (right) celebrate after winning the 1998 World Ice Hockey Championship in Zurich. Sweden beat Finland 1-0. (Electronic Image)

Switzerland's Petr Jaks (left) wipes his tears after Switzerland lost to the Czech Republik 4-0 in their match for third place at the 1998 Ice Hockey World Championship. (EPA/ Anja Niedringhaus)

Switzerland's David Aebischer lays dejected after Sweden scored their third goal during the semi-final of the World Ice Hockey Championship match in Zurich in 1998. (AP Photo/ Dusan Vranic)

• Picture 1
• Picture 2
• Picture 3
• Picture 4
• Picture 5
• Picture 6
• Picture 7
• Picture 8
• Picture 9
• Picture 10
• Picture 11
• Picture 12
• Picture 13
• Picture 14
• Picture 15
• Picture 16
• Picture 17
• Picture 18
• Picture 19
• Picture 20
• Picture 21
• Picture 22

Each year since 1910 the world's best hockey nations have squared off against each other.

For several decades in the 1900s the tournament, which now includes 16 teams, was incorporated into the Winter Olympic Games. During Switzerland’s glory years, the country won nine medals but never a gold. It has not finished on the podium since 1953.