2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
# 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

The 2004 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (2004 WJHC) 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.

## Venues

| Helsinki Ice Arena Capacity: 8,200 | Hameenlinna Ice Arena Capacity: 5,360 |
| - | - |
| Finland – Helsinki | Finland – Hämeenlinna |

## Top Division

### Preliminary round

**Group A**

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | United States | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 4 | +17 | 8 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Slovakia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 5 | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | Russia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 5 | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | Sweden | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 2 | Relegation round |
| 5 | Austria | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 24 | −23 | 0 | Relegation round |

All times local (EET/UTC+2).

**Group B**

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Canada | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 4 | +21 | 8 | Semifinals |
| 2 | Finland | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 6 | +13 | 6 | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 4 | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | Switzerland | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 2 | Relegation round |
| 5 | Ukraine | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 43 | −42 | 0 | Relegation round |

All times local (EET/UTC+2).

### Relegation round

Results from any games played during the preliminary round were carried forward to the relegation round.

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 6 | |
| 2 | Switzerland | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 4 | |
| 3 | Austria | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 1 | Relegated to the 2005 Division I |
| 4 | Ukraine | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 17 | −15 | 1 | Relegated to the 2005 Division I |

(all games at Hämeenlinna)

**January 2**

* Sweden 4–0 Ukraine
* Switzerland 6–2 Austria

**January 3**

* Austria 2–2 Ukraine
* Sweden 4–3 Switzerland

### Playoff round

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | | A1 | United States | 2 | | | |
| B2 | Finland | 4 | B2 | Finland | 1 | | | |
| A3 | Russia | 3 | | | | A1 | United States | 4 |
| | | | | | | B1 | Canada | 3 |
| | | | B1 | Canada | 7 |
| A2 | Slovakia | 2 | B3 | Czech Republic | 1 |
| B3 | Czech Republic | 4 | | | | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | | | | B2 | Finland | 2 |
| | | | | | | B3 | Czech Republic | 1 |

**Final**

The victory gave the United States its first WJC gold medal ever, and its first medal since a silver medal in 1997 when it lost 2–0 to Canada in the final.

### Scoring leaders

| Pos | Player | Country | GP | G | A | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Nigel Dawes | Canada | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 2 | Zach Parise | United States | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 2 | Anthony Stewart | Canada | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | Valtteri Filppula | Finland | 7 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 5 | Sami Lepistö | Finland | 7 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 6 | Patrik Bärtschi | Switzerland | 6 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Sergei Anshakov | Russia | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 7 | Jeff Carter | Canada | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 7 | Gianni Ehrensperger | Switzerland | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| 7 | Alexander Ovechkin | Russia | 6 | 5 | 2 | 7 |

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes

### Goaltending leaders

Minimum 40% of team's ice time.

| Rank | Player | Country | TOI | SOG | GA | GAA | Saves | Sv % | SO |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Al Montoya | United States | 360:00 | 144 | 8 | 1.33 | 136 | 94.44 | 2 |
| 2 | Joakim Lundström | Sweden | 299:08 | 105 | 7 | 1.40 | 98 | 93.33 | 1 |
| 3 | Denis Khudyakov | Russia | 160:00 | 58 | 4 | 1.50 | 54 | 93.10 | 0 |
| 4 | Jaroslav Halák | Slovakia | 360:00 | 194 | 14 | 2.33 | 180 | 92.78 | 2 |
| 5 | Hannu Toivonen | Finland | 357:25 | 137 | 11 | 1.85 | 126 | 91.97 | 1 |

### Tournament awards

| | IIHF Directorate Awards | Media All-Star Team |
| - | - | - |
| Goaltender | Al Montoya | Al Montoya |
| Defencemen | Sami Lepistö | Dion Phaneuf Sami Lepistö |
| Forwards | Zach Parise | Valtteri Filppula Jeff Carter Zach Parise |

**Most Valuable Player**

Zach Parise

### Final standings

| | Team |
| - | - |
| | United States |
| | Canada |
| | Finland |
| 4 | Czech Republic |
| 5 | Russia |
| 6 | Slovakia |
| 7 | Sweden |
| 8 | Switzerland |
| 9 | Austria |
| 10 | Ukraine |

## Division I

The Division I Championships were played on December 14–20, 2003 in Berlin, Germany (Group A) and on December 13–19, 2003 in Briançon, France (Group B).

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Germany | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 10 | +19 | 8 | Promoted to the 2005 Top Division |
| 2 | Denmark | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 7 | |
| 3 | Slovenia | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 19 | −1 | 6 | |
| 4 | Latvia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 19 | +16 | 6 | |
| 5 | Kazakhstan | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 19 | −3 | 3 | |
| 6 | Hungary | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 46 | −38 | 0 | Relegated to the 2005 Division II |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Belarus | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 11 | +23 | 10 | Promoted to the 2005 Top Division |
| 2 | Norway | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 10 | +11 | 6 | |
| 3 | France | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 16 | +6 | 6 | |
| 4 | Italy | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 6 | |
| 5 | Estonia | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 33 | −24 | 2 | |
| 6 | Japan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 22 | −13 | 0 | Relegated to the 2005 Division II |

## Division II

The Division II Championships were played on December 28, 2003 – January 3, 2004 in Sosnowiec, Poland (Group A) and on January 5–11, 2004 in Kaunas and Elektrėnai, Lithuania (Group B).

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Poland | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 4 | +55 | 10 | Promoted to the 2005 Division I |
| 2 | Romania | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 16 | +28 | 7 | |
| 3 | Netherlands | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 19 | +13 | 6 | |
| 4 | Spain | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 32 | −11 | 5 | |
| 5 | Belgium | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 31 | −15 | 2 | |
| 6 | Iceland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 80 | −70 | 0 | Relegated to the 2005 Division III |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Great Britain | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 5 | +33 | 10 | Promoted to the 2005 Division I |
| 2 | South Korea | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 7 | +38 | 8 | |
| 3 | Croatia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Serbia and Montenegro | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 21 | −6 | 4 | |
| 5 | Lithuania | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 25 | −13 | 4 | |
| 6 | South Africa | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 56 | −52 | 0 | Relegated to the 2005 Division III |

## Division III

The Division III Championship was played on January 5–11, 2004 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Australia | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 13 | +29 | 10 | Promoted to the 2005 Division II |
| 2 | China | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 10 | +31 | 8 | Promoted to the 2005 Division II |
| 3 | Mexico | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 6 | |
| 4 | Turkey | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 38 | −28 | 2 | |
| 5 | Bulgaria | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 34 | −21 | 2 | |
| 6 | New Zealand | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 30 | −20 | 2 | |
