1974 World Championship

The 1974 Ice Hockey World Championships were the 41st Ice Hockey World Championships and the 52nd European Championships in ice hockey. The tournament took place in Finland from 5 April to 20 April and the games were played in the capital, Helsinki. Six teams took part in the main tournament, all playing each other twice. The Soviet Union won the world championships for the 13th time, and also won their 16th European title. For the first time in ice hockey World Championship history, two players were suspended for doping. They were the Swede Ulf Nilsson and the Finn Stig Wetzell who tested positive for the forbidden substance ephedrine. Both players were suspended for the rest of the tournament. Nilsson tested positive after Sweden's game against Poland, which Sweden won 4-1. The game was awarded to Poland as a 5-0 walkover. The Finn, Wetzell, tested positive after Finland's match against Czechoslovakia, which Finland won 5-2, which was also awarded to Czechoslovakia as a 5-0 walkover.

World Championship Group A (Finland)
East Germany was very unlucky to be relegated to Group B, Poland's only win was the awarded default for a doping violation against Sweden.

World Championship Group B (Yugoslavia)
Played in Ljubljana March 21-30. The USA was promoted to Group A, and bothe Norway and Austria were relegated to Group C.

World Championship Group C (France)
Played in Grenoble, Gap and Lyon, March 8-17. This was North Korea's first World Championship. Switzerland and Italy were promoted to Group B.