Romania men's national ice hockey team

Lore & Background

Romania began Olympic ice hockey in 1964 in the B division, finishing 12th out of 16 teams with three wins against Austria, Italy, and Hungary, and a tie against Yugoslavia. In 1968, they lost a qualification match to West Germany 7–0 and again competed in the B division, beating Austria and host France before losing three straight games to finish 12th out of 14. After skipping the 1972 tournament, Romania returned in 1976, losing a qualification round to Poland 7–4, but then winning four of five games in the B division, with the only loss against Yugoslavia, to finish 7th out of 12 teams.

Reader's Guide

Romania's most notable Olympic performance came in 1980, their last appearance. Placed in the Blue Division with Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and the United States, they opened with a 6–4 comeback win over West Germany, a former bronze medalist. After being shut out 8–0 by Sweden and losing 7–2 to Czechoslovakia, they faced the United States, trailing 4–1 after two periods but scoring a goal in the third despite being outshot 15–3, losing 7–2. In their final game against winless Norway, Romania led 3–1 in the third period but allowed two late goals, including a tying goal with 29 seconds left, settling for a 3–3 tie. They finished with a 1–3–1 record, ranked 8th out of 12 teams, ahead of the Netherlands, West Germany, Norway, and Japan. This tournament marked Romania's last Olympic appearance. The team also earned a silver medal at the 1966 Winter Universiade and a bronze in 1983.

Did You Know?

• Romania's best Olympic finish was 7th place in 1976.
• In 1980, Romania defeated West Germany 6–4 after trailing 4–2.
• Romania tied Norway 3–3 in their final Olympic game in 1980, with Norway scoring the equalizer with 29 seconds left.