Ice hockey at the 1976 Winter Olympics

At the 1976 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria, the USSR team won the Gold Medal in ice hockey. Star forward, Valery Kharlamov scored the game-winning goal in the final game. Games were held at the Olympiahalle Innsbruck.

Highlights

The main rivalry in the tournament was between the USSR and Czechoslovakian national teams. The Czechoslovakian team suffered from influenza throughout the tournament, and they finished the game against Poland with only twelve players on the bench. A doping test of one of the players was positive and a loss was recorded for the Czechoslovakian team, although Poland did not receive points.

In the final, Czechoslovakia was up 2-0 after the first period. In the second the score was tied by Vladimir Shadrin and Vladimir Petrov. Eight minutes before the end of the game Edouard Novak scored the third goal for the Czechoslovakian team. But subsequent goals by Aleksandr Yakushev and one minute later by Valery Kharlamov lead to the victory of the USSR.

Medalists

*February 5
**Yugoslavia 6-4 Switzerland
**Romania 3-1 Japan
**Austria 6-2 Bulgaria

*February 7
**Yugoslavia 4-3 Romania
**Switzerland 8-3 Bulgaria
**Austria 3-2 Japan

*February 9
**Yugoslavia 8-5 Bulgaria
**Austria 3-4 Romania
**Japan 6-4 Switzerland

*February 11
**Romania 9-4 Bulgaria
**Austria 3-5 Switzerland
**Japan 4-3 Yugoslavia

*February 13
**Romania 4-3 Switzerland
**Japan 7-5 Bulgaria
**Austria 3-1 Yugoslavia

Leading scorers

Final ranking

#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#