A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | |
| 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 |
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.
World Championship Group A (Finland)
First round
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Czech Republic
|
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 8 |
| 2 | Finland
|
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 9 | +16 | 8 |
| 3 | Russia
|
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 16 | +3 | 7 |
| 4 |  Slovakia
|
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 14 | −4 | 3 |
| 5 |  France
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 26 | −13 | 2 |
| 6 |  Germany
|
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 2 |
| 26 April | Czech Republic | 2-1 | Germany |
| 26 April | Finland | 6-1 | France |
| 27 April | Russia | 2-2 | Slovakia |
| 27 April | Finland | 1-2 | Czech Republic |
| 28 April | Slovakia | 5-3 | France |
| 28 April | Germany | 1-5 | Russia |
| 29 April | Finland | 6-0 | Germany |
| 30 April | Russia | 5-4 | France |
| 30 April | Czech Republic | 3-1 | Slovakia |
| 1 May | Czech Republic | 2-3 | Russia |
| 2 May | France | 2-1 | Germany |
| 2 May | Finland | 5-2 | Slovakia |
| 3 May | France | 3-9 | Czech Republic |
| 3 May | Slovakia | 0-1 | Germany |
| 3 May | Finland | 7-4 | Russia |
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden
|
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 8 | +12 | 9 |
| 2 | Canada
|
5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 11 | +12 | 7 |
| 3 |  United States
|
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 15 | −1 | 6 |
| 4 |  Latvia
|
5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 17 | +1 | 4 |
| 5 |  Italy
|
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 21 | −9 | 3 |
| 6 |  Norway
|
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 22 | −15 | 1 |
| 26 April | Canada | 7-0 | Norway |
| 26 April | Sweden | 5-3 | Italy |
| 27 April | United States | 5-4 | Latvia |
| 27 April | Sweden | 7-2 | Canada |
| 28 April | Italy | 5-4 | Latvia |
| 28 April | Norway | 1-3 | United States |
| 29 April | Sweden | 4-1 | Norway |
| 30 April | Canada | 3-3 | Latvia |
| 30 April | United States | 4-2 | Italy |
| 1 May | Canada | 5-1 | United States |
| 2 May | Italy | 2-2 | Norway |
| 2 May | Sweden | 1-1 | Latvia |
| 3 May | Italy | 0-6 | Canada |
| 3 May | United States | 1-3 | Sweden |
| 3 May | Latvia | 6-3 | Norway |
Second Round 1–6 Place
Teams that had played each other in the first round carried those results forward. First and second place played off for gold, third and fourth for bronze.