 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Switzerland |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Dates | December 26, 1996 – January 4, 1997 |
| Teams | 10 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  |  Canada (10th title) |
Runner-up  |  United States |
Third place  |  Russia |
| Fourth place |  Czech Republic |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 204 (6.58 per game) |
| Attendance | 31,336 (1,011 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Mike York (10 points) |
The 1997 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held in Geneva and Morges, Switzerland. The tournament was won by Canada, who won their record fifth-straight gold medal with a 2–0 victory over the United States in the gold-medal match. Mike York of the United States was the top scorer in the tournament, with five goals and five assists for ten points.
The tournament all-star team selected upon the conclusion of the tournament included forwards Mike York (United States), Sergei Samsonov (Russia) and Christian Dube (Canada); defencemen Mark Streit (Switzerland) and Chris Phillips (Canada); and goaltender Brian Boucher (United States).
Notable future National Hockey League (NHL) stars that played in this year's tournament included Joe Thornton (Canada), Daniel Brière (Canada) and Marián Hossa (Slovakia).