World Juniors Bring Back Memories for Wahlstrom and Parise

When the World Junior Hockey Championships start on Dec. 26, the eyes of the hockey world will be focused on the best U20 players in the world.
When Zach Parise was growing up, the World Juniors weren't even really on his radar.
It was far from the spectacle that it is today, appointment TV during a period where pretty much all other appointments are suspended in the week between Christmas and New Years.

"We don't really know anything about it honestly until like you to start playing like under 18s," Parise said. "I didn't know much about it because it just didn't get any coverage at all the US."
Perhaps Parise, and the 2004 gold medal winning team he played on, played a part in making the World Juniors a bigger deal in the US.
"I think it brought a lot of attention to it [in the US]," Parise said. "It was on TV, but like you really had to try really try hard to get it. o I think after we did it we got a little a little notoriety and then I think it just picked up after that."

Parise was a force during Team USA's run to the gold medal in 2004, leading Team USA and tying for the tournament lead with 11 points (5G, 6A). The Islanders forward was named the tournament's most valuable player, along with the tournament's top forward.
It was gratifying to be part of the first American team to win a gold medal and beating Canada, especially after falling to the Canadians in the semis the year prior and finishing fourth. Parise said there was a lot of preexisting chemistry from that group winning U18s in 2002, which he thinks keyed the win. When he looks back, it still brings a smile to his face.
"It was awesome," Parise said. "It was the pinnacle of being an under 20 player in the world. As you move on there's bigger things you want to do, but for that age group, I mean it really just doesn't get any bigger than that."
Oliver Wahlstrom is too young to remember watching Team USA in 2004, but by the time he came of hockey-watching age, the World Juniors were a much bigger deal and much more accessible.
However, if you ask Wahlstrom, who has represented Team USA on the international stage, including two World Juniors and a Youth Olympics, his memories of watching the tournament may surprise you.
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The Islanders winger spent part of his childhood in Sweden, so Mika Zibanejad's OT gold medal clinching goal in 2012, when Sweden beat Russia 1-0, is the memory of watching the tournament that sticks out.
"I was in Sweden a lot," Wahlstrom said, "so I had some older guys that I kind of knew playing World Juniors, so I always watched them on Team Sweden."
"It was the most exciting thing," he said of following the tournament as a kid. "We'd wake up early if it was over in Europe and watch it and then have fun during Christmas."
The Zibanejad goal was his first big World Juniors memory, but he's made plenty of his own since then. Wahlstrom took home a silver medal at the 2019 World Juniors and played a significant role in the knockout round, scoring a goal against Russia in a 2-1 win in the semifinals.
"Playing the Russians is super fun they have so much skill and we always had battles against them," Wahlstrom said. "It was just fun to get a goal especially in an NHL rink when you're that age. We never really played in front of that many fans before, a sold out arena in Vancouver, so it was special."

Wahlstrom also scored in the gold medal game, a 3-2 loss to Finland, and had another goal disallowed to a crease violation. That still stings a bit for Wahlstrom. The next season Wahlstrom had five points (1G, 4A) in five games - and was the most penalized player in the tournament - and while Team USA didn't medal that year, Wahlstrom said the experience of playing in the two tournaments is one of the top three highlights of his still budding career.
"It's got to be top three," Wahlstrom said. "I also got the chance to play in the Youth Olympics. That was probably the most fun experience I've ever had playing hockey. To be involved in that and see you know, kids your age doing other sports like skiing, ski jump and things like that was very cool."
He still keeps in touch with a lot of his World Junior teammates, like New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes and Philadelphia Flyers forward Joel Farabee. A lively group chat and a fantasy football league helps keep them connected.
With the tournament right around the corner, it's a safe bet that Parise and Wahlstrom will be keeping tabs on Team USA and it'll stir some memories.
"It's a special time of year," Wahlstrom said. "This time of year it's fun to watch on TV."