A new 1.7 μm fiber laser source based on stimulated Raman scattering of hydrogen in hollow photonic crystal fiber is reported. Simple steady-state coupled wave equations containing only pump light and first-order Stokes light are established and simulated. A homemade 1550 nm nanosecond pulse fiber amplifier is used to pump a commercial hollow photonic crystal fiber about 3 m long and filled with high-pressure hydrogen. The rotational stimulated Raman scattering of hydrogen molecules is used to realize the efficient conversion of Stokes waves at 1705 nm. When the air pressure is 1.2 MPa, the maximum average output power is about 0.5 W (the monopulse energy is about 2.5 μJ), and the maximum optic-to-optic conversion efficiency is about 32% (relative to the total pump power). Research results provide an effective new way to realize the output of high-power 1.7 μm-band near-infrared laser.