1997 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships

1997 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships

Tournament details
Host country	Finland
Venue(s)	3 (in 3 host cities)
Dates	26 April – 14 May
Teams	12
Final positions
Champions	Canada (21st title)
Runner-up	Sweden
Third place	Czech Republic
Fourth place	Russia
Tournament statistics
Games played	52
Goals scored	302 (5.81 per game)
Attendance	526,000 (10,115 per game)
Scoring leader(s)	Martin Procházka 14 points
← 1996 1998 or 1998 Group A only →

The 1997 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships was the 61st such event sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Teams representing 36 countries participated in several levels of competition, while three other teams competed in an exhibition tournament to gain experience before joining on an official basis in the 1998 competition. The competition also served as qualifications for group placements in the 1998 competition.

The top Championship Group tournament took place in Finland from 26 April to 14 May 1997, with matches played in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku. Twelve teams took part, with the first round being split into two teams of six, and the six best teams going to a further group stage. Canada beat Sweden in the final game, best of three, where they won 2–1 in games, and became world champions for the 21st time.