1970 Ice Hockey World Championships Poster
Stockholm, Sweden
Pool A March 14 - 30, 1970

1st - Soviet Union
2nd - Sweden
3rd - Czechoslovakia
4th - Finland

NOTE
Canada was originally going to host the 1970 championships, but would withdraw from international play, as they were not allowed to use their best players, some of which were professionals (NHL), yet the Soviet players who were employees of military operations were allowed to play, also playing in the Izvestia Tournament, which had allowed professional players to participate.

Canada perceived the situation to be a double standard in international Hockey since players on European national teams were believed to be state-sponsored professionals labeled as amateurs. Canadian Amateur Hockey Association / CAHA and it's president Earl Dawson took stand against what they perceived as hypocrisy by European members of the IIHF. Dawson withdrew the Canadian national team from international competitions against European Hockey teams until Canada was allowed to use its best players. This lasted from 1970 to 1977.

This unfortunate development had a detrimental effect on the progress of Hockey in the world. The eight years without Canadian participation was with no doubt the darkest period in the history of the IIHF. It could be compared to soccer's World Cup without Brazil or international basketball without the USA. During this period Canada forfeited participation in seven World Championships as well as in the 1972 and 1976 Winter Olympics.