The 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held between December 26, 2003, and January 5, 2004, in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland. The United States won their first ever gold medal, defeating Canada 4–3 in the final.

Zachary Justin Parise is an American professional ice hockey left winger for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild, and New York Islanders. Parise captained the Devils to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.