By Tony Abbott -
Zach Parise is everything that the ideal American image is on the ice. Relentless, gritty, goal-oriented, and really good at everything. So let's see what he's done in the past, and look ahead to see if he has what it takes to lead Team USA to Gold.
World Junior Championships
Parise's only U-18 appearance was a good one, as he scored 7 goals and 10 points in 8 games. Not bad, right?
Not bad, but he went on to do better in the U-20 WJCs. In 2003, he got his feet wet with 4 goals and 4 assists in 7 games, which was also very good, but not as good as his 2004. He absolutely went off, scoring 5 goals and 11 points during his 8 games, carrying Team USA to their first WJC Gold medal, and winning a ton of hardware for himself as the Tournament MVP.
World Championships
Parise's first two years of World Championship play saw him ride the pine a lot- he only played in 4 games over those years. But in 2008, he finally got regular playing time, as well as assistant captainship, and rewarded Team USA with a 5 goal, 3 assist performance in 7 games. The USA didn't medal, or even get close, however.
Olympics
Outlook for Sochi
You will see Parise in the Olympics- quite possibly as a captain- and he's got an outside shot at looking like the best player there.
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