Ice hockey at the 1952 Winter Olympics

The 1952 Olympic tournament, also the 1952 World Championship, "Category A," was open to all teams assigned by the IIHF to Category A for 1952. This was the first Olympic tournament with any type of qualification procedure. For the purpose of maximizing fan interest and minimizing lopsided games, the IIHF announced in September 1950 a new system to separate teams into Categories A and B for the World Championships, starting in 1951. If not otherwise qualified, the Olympic host nation was guaranteed assignment to Category A for 1951 and 1952. Teams were assigned to Category A for 1951 that • Earned a minimum of three points at both the 1949 and 1950 World Championships. • Earned a minimum of three points at either the 1949 or 1950 World Championships and did not play in the other. • Did not play at the 1949 and 1950 World Championships, but were selected at IIHF discretion upon entering the 1951 World Championship. All other teams that played at any of the World Championships from 1949 to 1951 were assigned to Category B for 1951. Because of a rule that required a team to win two consecutive Category B tournaments to earn promotion to Category A, all of these 1951 Category B teams were eliminated from Olympic qualification. Teams were assigned to Category A for 1952 that • Earned a minimum of two points at the 1951 World Championship, Category A. • Earned entry into the 1951 World Championship, Category A, but did not play. • Did not play at the 1949, 1950 or 1951 World Championships, but were selected at IIHF discretion upon entering the 1952 World Championship. Teams were assigned to Category B for 1952 that • Were assigned to Category B for 1951. • Earned less than two points at the 1951 World Championship, Category A. • Did not play at the 1949, 1950 and 1951 World Championships and were not selected for Category A at IIHF discretion upon entering the 1952 World Championship. Great Britain qualified for the 1952 Olympic tournament according to this procedure, but announced they would not play in late 1951, and instead requested entry into the Category B tournament. They planned to enter a team composed of English players only and did not expect them to be competitive at the Olympics. ==Medalists==