| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  France |
| Venue(s) | Palais des Sports |
| Dates | 9–17 March |
| Teams | 7 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |  Canada (14th title) |
Runner-up  |  Sweden |
Third place  |  Switzerland |
| Fourth place |  Norway |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 21 |
| Goals scored | 180 (8.57 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Stan Obodiac (10 goals) |
The 1951 Ice Hockey World Championships was the 18th World Championship and the 29th European Championship in ice hockey for international teams. The tournament took place in France from 9 to 17 March and the games were played in the capital city, Paris. Thirteen nations took part, and were first split into two groups. The seven best teams were placed in the first group, and the six others were placed into the "Criterium Européen", which would later become the B Pool. Each group was played in a round robin format, with each team playing each other once.
Canada, represented by the Lethbridge Maple Leafs, became world champions for the 14th time. Highest ranking European team Sweden finished second, winning their fifth European Championship, finishing ahead of the Swiss on goal differential by three.
This tournament would be the last time France hosted the elite division of the World Championships until 2017, when Paris co-hosted the championship alongside Cologne in Germany.