The Czechoslovak 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 Czechoslovak team, although Poland did not receive points.

But subsequent goals by Aleksandr Yakushev and one minute later by Valeri Kharlamov led to the victory of the USSR, 4–3.

After beating the Americans on the final day the German team celebrated what they believed to be a fourth place finish.

[5][6] Sweden, having several of their top players now playing in the NHL and WHA, chose to join Canada in protesting the amateur rules and boycotted the games.