| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Czechoslovakia |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 7–22 April |
| Teams | 6 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  | Czechoslovakia (3rd title) |
Runner-up  |  Soviet Union |
Third place  |  Sweden |
| Fourth place |  Finland |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 30 |
| Goals scored | 288 (9.6 per game) |
| Attendance | 285,564 (9,519 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Alexander Maltsev 22 points |
The 1972 Ice Hockey World Championships was the 39th edition of the Ice Hockey World Championships. The tournament was held in Prague, Czechoslovakia from 7 to 22 April 1972, and the Czechoslovakia national team won the tournament, the third time they had done so and first since 1949, ending the Soviet Union's streak of nine consecutive titles.[1] In addition it was the Czechoslovaks' 12th European title.
For the first time, a separate tournament is held for both the World Championships and the Winter Olympics. Previously, the Olympic tournament was held in lieu of a world championships, with the winner being declared world champion for that year.[1] It also marked the first time in international ice hockey that all goaltenders were required to wear face masks.[1]
The American team, who had won the silver medal earlier in the year at the Olympics, failed to win the 'B' pool, losing to Poland in their final game.
- ^ a b c Szemberg & Podnieks 2007, p. 199