2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Saturday, January 3, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
The Cowboys' turnaround season under coach Bill Parcells came to a crashing halt. The Panthers outgained the Cowboys in total yards 380–204 and held the ball for 34:23. Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter threw for only 154 yards and an interception, while being sacked three times. Meanwhile, Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme threw for 273 yards and a touchdown to Steve Smith, who had five receptions for 135 yards and added 22 return yards on special teams. Stephen Davis ran for 104 yards and another touchdown, while Muhsin Muhammad caught four passes for 103 yards. John Kasay kicked five field goals for Carolina.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Saturday, January 3, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
On the Panthers third play of the game, Delhomme completed a 70-yard pass to Smith on the Cowboys 1-yard line, setting up Kasay's first field goal. Later in the first quarter, Toby Gowin's 31-yard punt gave the Panthers the ball at the Cowboys 41-yard line, and they scored another field goal to take a 6–0 lead. On the Cowboys ensuing drive, Carter completed a 28-yard pass to Joey Galloway and Troy Hambrick ran for 16 yards, giving Dallas a first down at the Panthers 20-yard line. But two plays later, fullback Richie Anderson fumbled the ball and Carolina safety Mike Minter recovered it.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Saturday, January 3, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
Later in the second quarter, Gowin once again gave the Panthers great field position with a 17-yard punt to the Carolina 49-yard line, and this time they managed to get the ball into the end zone with a 23-yard touchdown run by Davis, giving them a 13–0 lead. Carter managed to respond on the Cowboys ensuing drive, completing an 18-yard pass to Galloway, a 21-yard pass to Terry Glenn, and a 12-yard pass to Anderson. Billy Cundiff finished the drive with a 37-yard field goal to cut the score to 13–3 with 1:03 left in the second quarter. But after the ensuing kickoff, Delhomme's 57-yard completion to Muhammad set up Kasay's third field goal on the last play of the half.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Saturday, January 3, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
The Panthers continued to dominate the game in the second half. Smith returned a Gowin punt seven yards to the Panthers 37-yard line. Then after a 24-yard reception by Muhammad, he caught a 7-yard pass and capped the drive with a 32-yard touchdown catch. Later on, he returned a punt to his own 40-yard line, setting up a 38-yard drive that ended with Kasay's fourth field goal, increasing the Panthers lead to 26–3.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Saturday, January 3, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
Dallas receiver Michael Bates returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Panthers 47-yard line, sparking a desperate rally. Carter then completed six consecutive passes and finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 26–10. Dallas' defense managed to force a punt on Carolina's next drive, but two plays later, Panthers lineman Julius Peppers intercepted a screen pass from Carter and returned it 34 yards to the Cowboys 11-yard line. Four plays later, Kasay kicked his fifth field goal with 3:04 left in the game to close out the scoring.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Saturday, January 3, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, Dallas Cowboys 10
This was the second postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Panthers. Carolina won the only previous meeting.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Packers defensive back Al Harris returned an interception 52 yards for the game-winning touchdown 4:25 into overtime, making this the first playoff game ever to be won in overtime with a defensive touchdown. The game is memorable for Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's ironic comment after winning the coin toss for the start of overtime, telling the microphoned referee, and thus the crowd at Lambeau Field and the national television audience, "We want the ball, and we're going to score."


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
After forcing a punt, the Seahawks scored on their opening drive, with Hasselbeck completing two passes to Koren Robinson for 25 yards and Shaun Alexander rushing for 22 on the way to a 30-yard field goal by Josh Brown. In the second quarter, Tom Rouen's 38-yard punt gave the Packers the ball at midfield. Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre then completed a 29-yard pass to fullback William Henderson to set up a 31-yard field goal from Ryan Longwell.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Seattle struck back with a 51-yard drive, featuring a 28-yard reception by Bobby Engram, and scored another Brown field goal to retake the lead. But on the first play of the Packers ensuing drive, Favre completed a 44-yard pass to Javon Walker. Then after a 13-yard run from Ahman Green, Favre threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bubba Franks. Seattle was forced to punt from their own 7 on their next drive, and receiver Antonio Chatman returned the ball six yards to the Seahawks 39-yard line. Two plays later, Favre's 23-yard completion to Donald Driver set up Longwell's 27-yard field goal with 41 seconds left in the half, giving the Packers a 13–6 lead.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Seattle took the second half kickoff and stormed down the field, driving 74 yards in 10 plays. Hasselbeck started out the drive with a 25-yard pass to Darrell Jackson, followed it up with a 15-yard completion to Itula Mili, and later completed a 14-yard pass to Mili. Alexander finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down to tie the game. Then after forcing a punt, Hasselbeck completed five of seven passes for 72 yards, including a 33-yard pass to Robinson, and Alexander scored with another 1-yard touchdown run to give his team a 20–13 lead.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Green Bay fullback Nick Luchey returned the ensuing kickoff 12 yards to his own 40-yard line, and Favre subsequently led the Packers 60 yards in 11 plays, taking over seven minutes off the clock. At the end of the drive, Green's 1-yard touchdown run tied the game with 9:56 left in the fourth quarter.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Seattle went three-and-out on their next drive, and Chatman returned Rouen's punt 21 yards to the Seahawks 49-yard line. Favre once again led the Packers on another long scoring drive, moving the ball 49 yards in 12 plays and consuming 6:51 off the clock. Green finished the drive with another 1-yard touchdown run, and Longwell's extra point gave the Packers a 27–20 lead with 2:39 left in regulation. But Hasslbeck responded by completing three of five passes for 59 yards, including a 34-yard pass to Engram, on the way to Alexander's third 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Favre's 27-yard completion to Walker on the Packers ensuing drive gave them a chance to win, but Longwell missed a 47-yard field goal attempt on the last play of regulation, and it went into overtime.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
After the Seahawks won the overtime coin flip, Hasselbeck inadvertently spoke into the referee's microphone, "We want the ball and we're gonna score!" After both teams went three-and-out on their first drives of the extra period, Seattle drove to their own 45-yard line before Harris intercepted Hasselbeck's pass and returned it 52 yards for the winning touchdown.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
Favre completed 26 of 38 passes for 319 yards (his second highest post season total) and a touchdown. This was his 14th consecutive postseason game with a touchdown pass, a postseason record. Walker caught five passes for 111 yards. This would be the final game for John Randle in his Hall of Fame career.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, NFC: Green Bay Packers 33, Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)
This was the first postseason meeting between the Seahawks and Packers.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning earned his first playoff victory as he completed 22 of 26 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns, giving him a perfect passer rating of 158.3 as the Colts crushed the Broncos, scoring on every possession until running back Edgerrin James lost a fumble with 14:14 left in the fourth quarter. Manning passed for four touchdowns in the first half alone, including one to Marvin Harrison where he got up and scored after falling down untouched. Both Harrison and Brandon Stokley scored two touchdowns for Indianapolis, with Reggie Wayne added the fifth. Meanwhile, the Colts defense picked off two passes from Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer and recovered a fumble. Harrison recorded a career postseason high seven receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns, while Stokley caught four passes for 144 yards and two scores.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
The Colts took the opening kickoff and stormed down the field. James gained 39 yards on the first five plays of the drive, and then Manning finished it with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Denver responded on their ensuing drive, advancing the ball 49 yards in 12 plays and taking 8:13 off the clock. Jason Elam capped off the drive with a 49-yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7–3, but it was as close as Denver would ever get for the rest of the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
After the kickoff, Harrison caught three passes for 70 yards, including a pass in which he made a diving catch around three Denver players. All of them thought Harrison was down by contact and started to leave the field, but no one had actually touched him, and Harrison got back up and ran 46 yards for a touchdown.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
After forcing a punt, the Colts drove 80 yards in nine plays. James rushed for 17 yards on the drive, while Manning started it off with a 25-yard completion to tight end Marcus Pollard and finished it with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Harrison, giving the Colts a 21–3 lead with 11:07 left in the second quarter. Denver managed to move the ball to the Colts 36-yard line on their ensuing drive, but a 15-yard penalty on guard Dan Neil pushed them out of field goal range and forced them to punt.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
Micah Knorr managed to pin Indianapolis back at their own 13-yard line with his punt, but on the first play after that, Manning threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Plummer's 18-yard completion to Rod Smith helped the Broncos advance to the Indianapolis 37-yard line on Denver's next possession, but then he threw an interception to defensive back David Macklin, who returned it 21 yards to the Colts 45-yard line. After the turnover, Manning completed four passes for 48 yards, moving the ball to the Broncos 10-yard line where Mike Vanderjagt made a 27-yard field goal on the last play of the half, giving the Colts a 31–3 halftime lead.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
The Colts defense stepped up in the third quarter, forcing three turnovers. Denver took the second half kickoff and drove to the Colts 23-yard line, featuring a 34-yard reception by Smith. But then Plummer was sacked on third down and Elam's 46-yard field goal attempt was blocked. After the botched field goal, the Colts drove 64 yards and scored with Manning's fifth touchdown pass, a 7-yard toss to Wayne. Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Colts linebacker Rob Morris recovered a fumble from Plummer on the Broncos 20-yard line, setting up a 20-yard field goal from Vanderjagt. Then four plays after the ensuing kickoff, Macklin recorded his second interception from Plummer and returned it 32 yards to the Broncos 49-yard line.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
This time, the Colts were unable to get any points. Three plays after the interception, Broncos linebacker Reggie Hayward recovered a fumble from James on the Broncos 38-yard line. After that, the Broncos drove 62 yards in 12 plays and scored with Plummer's 7-yard touchdown pass to Smith, cutting their deficit to 41–10. But by then, there was only seven minutes left in the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, January 4, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 41, Denver Broncos 10
This was the first postseason meeting between the Broncos and Colts.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
The Panthers stunned the favored Rams in double-overtime, the fifth longest game in NFL history, in a thrilling finish to a game that featured big swings in momentum.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
St. Louis scored on their first drive of the game, with Marc Bulger completing passes to Dane Looker and Isaac Bruce for gains of 24 and 17 yards on the way to a 20-yard Jeff Wilkins field goal. They went on to add another field goal on their first drive of the second quarter, set up by Tommy Polley's 37-yard interception return to the Panthers 22-yard line.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Carolina managed to take the momentum with a 65-yard run by Stephen Davis, giving them a first down on the Rams 4. Eventually faced with third and goal from the 5, quarterback Jake Delhomme was tackled behind the line and fumbled the ball while attempting a shovel pass, but it rolled into the end zone where receiver Muhsin Muhammad recovered it for a touchdown that gave the Panthers a 7–6 lead.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
The Rams got the ball back on their own 46 due to a 15-yard face mask penalty by Mike Minter while tackling Arlen Harris at the end of a 30-yard return, and retook the lead with a third field goal from Wilkins. However, the Panthers also received good field position to start their next series, as Brad Hoover returned the next kickoff 19 yards to the Carolina 41. Delhomme then led the Panthers to the St. Louis 27 where John Kasay kicked a 45-yard field goal, giving the team a 10–9 lead at the end of the half.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
For the third time in three quarters, St. Louis scored a field goal on their first drive, this one a franchise playoff record 51-yard kick from Wilkins that was set up by Bruce's 24-yard reception. However, the Panthers stormed back with three unanswered scoring drives. Kasay soon responded with a franchise playoff record field goal of his own, this one from 52 yards, to retake the Panthers lead at 13–12. Following a Rams punt, Carolina drove 64 yards in 14 plays and scored again on Kasay's 34-yard kick. Then in the fourth quarter, Minter intercepted a pass from Bulger on the Panthers 27. Carolina subsequently drove 73 yards, including a 36-yard catch by Steve Smith, to score on Hoover's 7-yard touchdown run and increase their lead to 23–12.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
Carolina now seemed to be in control of the game, especially when Deon Grant intercepted Bulger's pass on the first play after the ensuing kickoff and returned it 16 yards to the Rams 28. But the Panthers went three and out, and on their third down play, defensive tackle Tyoka Jackson's 11-yard sack pushed them to the outer limits of field goal range, where Kasay missed a 53-yard kick attempt with 6:26 left in regulation.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
St. Louis took the ball back and drove 57 yards in 15 plays, featuring a 22-yard reception by Marshall Faulk on fourth down and two, and scored with Faulk's 1-yard touchdown run. Bulger's subsequent 2-point conversion pass to Looker cut the score to 23–20 with 2:39 to go. Then Wilkins recovered his own onside kick, setting up a 43-yard drive that ended with his 33-yard field goal. The field goal would cause some controversy, as the Rams held the ball inside the Carolina 20-yard line with less than a minute remaining, and one timeout.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
But Rams coach Mike Martz elected to play for the tie, allowing the clock to run down and kick the tying field goal, rather than let his quick-scoring offense try for the winning touchdown. Wilkins sent the game into overtime when he booted his fifth field goal of the afternoon through the uprights to tie the score at 23 as time expired in regulation.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
Both teams blew scoring chances in the first overtime period. The Panthers would march down to the Rams 22-yard line on their first drive in overtime, and Kasay made a 40-yard field goal that would have won the game. But the Panthers were flagged for delay of game, and Kasay's second attempt from 45 yards was wide right. On the Rams ensuing possession, Wilkins attempted a 53-yard field goal, but it fell short. On the first play after Wilkins' miss, Muhammad caught a 22-yard pass on the Rams 35. But two sacks and a false start penalty pushed the Panthers all the way back to their own side of the field and they ended up punting the ball away.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
The Rams took the ball back and drove into Carolina territory, however an errant Bulger pass was intercepted by Carolina cornerback Ricky Manning. On the first play of the second overtime period, Delhomme needed only ten seconds to throw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Smith to win the game. It marked the first double-overtime game and longest NFL game since the 1986 playoffs.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
Delhomme completed 16 of 26 passes for 290 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Smith caught six passes for 163 yards and a touchdown. Bulger threw for 332 yards, but was intercepted three times. Bruce caught seven passes for 116 yards. Panthers kick returner Rod Smart returned five kickoffs for 123 yards, while Harris returned five for 124. Rams defensive lineman Brian Young had two sacks.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
This turned out to be the last hurrah for The Greatest Show on Turf, as the Rams would head into a steady decline over the next several seasons. It was also the last playoff game for the Rams in St. Louis before returning to Los Angeles in 2016 and their last home playoff game overall until 2017.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 29, St. Louis Rams 23 (2OT)
This was the first postseason meeting between the Panthers and Rams.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
In one of the coldest games in NFL history, with temperatures reaching 4 °F (−16 °C), the Patriots survived the cold and NFL co-MVP Steve McNair, relying on yet another game-winning field goal from kicker Adam Vinatieri late in the fourth quarter and a key defensive stand.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
Tom Brady stormed out the gates with a 19-yard completion to Kevin Faulk with his first pass attempt. A few plays later, the Titans defensive scheme confused him and caused him to burn a timeout, but it was well spent. On the next play, he threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Bethel Johnson. McNair struck back with a 15-yard completion to Derrick Mason and a 24-yard pass to running back Eddie George, moving the ball to the Patriots 22-yard line.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
Roman Phifer almost ended the drive by intercepting a pass from McNair, but lineman Richard Seymour was penalized for roughing the passer and the Titans got the ball back with a first down on the New England 9-yard line. Two plays later, Chris Brown scored a 5-yard touchdown run to tie the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
After the ensuing kickoff, Brady completed a pass to Dedric Ward for 22 yards on a 38-yard drive to the Titans 26-yard line. The drive ended with no points when Vinatieri missed a 44-yard field goal attempt, but on the next play, safety Rodney Harrison intercepted a pass from McNair and returned it seven yards to the Patriots 43-yard line. Brady subsequently completed four of six passes for 49 yards and rushed for three on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run by Antowain Smith to retake the lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. Later in the quarter, the Titans drove 51 yards in nine plays to the Patriots 13-yard line, featuring a 29-yard completion from McNair to Mason. But New England's defense kept them out the end zone and blocked Gary Anderson's 31-yard field goal attempt.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
Early in the third quarter, McNair led the Titans on a 70-yard scoring drive, completing five consecutive passes for 59 yards and capping it off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Mason. The rest of the third quarter was scoreless, but midway through the fourth quarter, Troy Brown's 10-yard punt return gave the Patriots great field position at the Titans 40-yard line. The Patriots gained only 13 yards on their ensuing possession (including a critical 4-yard completion from Brady to Brown on fourth down and 3), but it was enough for Vinatieri to make a 46-yard field goal, giving New England a 17–14 lead with 4:02 left in regulation.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
The Titans took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Patriots 33-yard line. But two penalties, a 10-yard intentional grounding call and a holding penalty, pushed them back 20 yards. McNair threw an 11-yard completion on the next play, but after that, Drew Bennett had the ball knocked out of his hands on fourth down and 12, and the Titans turned the ball over on downs with 1:38 left.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, January 10, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 17, Tennessee Titans 14
This was the second postseason meeting between the Titans and Patriots. The Titans won the only prior meeting as the Houston Oilers.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
This offensive shootout became the second puntless game in NFL playoff history. For the second game in a row, Colts punter Hunter Smith took the day off while quarterback Peyton Manning completed 22 of 30 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns (to Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley and Tom Lopienski respectively), while Edgerrin James ran for a career postseason high 125 yards and two scores.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
On the Kansas City side, Dante Hall caught a touchdown and returned seven kickoffs for 207 yards and another score, and Priest Holmes, who set the regular-season rushing touchdown record in 2003, rushed for 176 yards, caught five passes for 32 yards, and scored twice. Kansas City's 33-year-old quarterback Trent Green threw for 212 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 18 yards in his first career postseason game. A touchdown pass called back by a penalty and Holmes' third-quarter fumble, which set up a Colts' field goal, turned out to be too much for the Chiefs to overcome.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
Kansas City defensive coordinator Greg Robinson resigned the following week in disgrace. "He is the master," defensive end Eric Hicks said of Manning. "That was an amazing performance. I never would have thought a quarterback would play two games in a row like that. They took us behind the woodshed and just beat us. It was embarrassing."


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
Manning started off the day leading the Colts 70 yards and finished the opening drive with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Kansas City responded with a 73-yard drive, with Holmes gaining 44 yards on five carries before Morten Andersen kicked a 22-yard field goal to cut the score to 7–3. The Colts stormed right back, driving 76 yards in six plays. Manning completed a 38-yard pass to Marvin Harrison on the drive, and James finished it with an 11-yard touchdown run. But then Kansas City came back, driving 77 yards in 12 plays, converting three third downs, and finishing the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Green to Hall in the second quarter.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
After that, Manning led the Colts 71 yards and scored with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tom Lopienski, giving them a 21–10 lead. Once again, the Chiefs drove deep into Colts territory, but this time they failed to score. First, Tony Gonzalez's 27-yard touchdown catch was called back by a pass interference penalty, and then Andersen missed a 31-yard field goal attempt.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
The end of the first half briefly interrupted the barrage of scoring, but it quickly resumed in the second. On the second play of the half, Holmes' 48-yard run moved the ball to the Colts 22-yard line. But on the next play, Indianapolis defensive back David Macklin stripped the ball from Holmes and recovered it.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
After that, the Colts drove to the Chiefs 22-yard line before Kansas City's first key defensive play of the game, defensive tackle Shawn Barber tackling James for a 5-yard loss on third down, forced them to settle for a Mike Vanderjagt field goal, increasing their lead to 24–10. But the Chiefs were not about to go down. Hall returned the ensuing kickoff 26 yards to his own 44-yard line.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
Then Holmes made up for his earlier mistake by carrying the ball on six of the eight plays of Kansas City's possession, gaining 44 yards and finishing the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Not to be outdone, Manning responded with five consecutive completions for 57 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Wayne to put the Colts back up by 14 points. But this margin turned out to be short lived; Hall returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
But once again, the Chiefs defense had no ability to stop the Colts. Manning led them on a 10-play, 81-yard drive that ended with James' 1-yard touchdown run with 10:38 left in the game. The Chiefs responded with a touchdown of their own, but it took too long. By the time Holmes finished the 17-play, 76-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, only 4:16 remained in the game. The Colts then put the game away by running the clock down to eight seconds on their ensuing drive. This game is known among Chiefs fans in the pantheon of great Chief playoff losses as "The No Punt Game".


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, AFC: Indianapolis Colts 38, Kansas City Chiefs 31
This was the second postseason meeting between the Colts and Chiefs. Indianapolis won the only prior meeting.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Ahman Green's franchise postseason record 156 rushing yards and an early 14–0 lead was not enough to lift the Packers to victory. Facing fourth down and 26 yards to go, with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter and the Packers leading 17–14, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb completed a 28-yard pass to Freddie Mitchell on a famous play now known as "4th and 26". The play set up David Akers' 37-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, an interception by Brian Dawkins set up another Akers field goal to win the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Midway through the first quarter, Packers lineman Nick Barnett recovered a fumble from McNabb on the Eagles 40-yard line, and Brett Favre threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Robert Ferguson on the next play. James Thrash returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the 44-yard line. Then McNabb made up for his mistake with a 41-yard run to the Packers 15. But the drive stalled at the 14-yard line and ended with no points when Akers missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. After the missed field goal, Green rushed three times for 31 yards before Favre threw his second touchdown pass to Ferguson, giving the Packers a 14–0 lead with 1:16 left in the first quarter.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
In the second quarter, McNabb led the Eagles on a scoring drive, completing five consecutive passes for 77 yards, including a 45-yard pass to Todd Pinkston. On the last play, his 7-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley cut the deficit to 14–7. Green Bay took the kickoff and drove 67 yards to the Eagles 1-yard line, featuring a 33-yard run by Green, but on fourth down, Green was stuffed by linemen Jerome McDougle and Mark Simoneau for no gain and the Packers turned the ball over on downs.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Late in the third quarter, the Eagles drove 88 yards in eight plays to tie the game, despite two 10-yard penalties against them on the drive. McNabb was responsible for all of the yards on the drive, rushing for 37 yards and completing four passes for 72, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Pinkston that tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Later on, Antonio Chatman's 10-yard punt return gave the Packers great field position on their own 49-yard line. On the next play, Favre threw a 44-yard completion to Javon Walker. Philadelphia's defense kept Green Bay out of the end zone, but Ryan Longwell kicked a 21-yard field goal to give them a 17–14 lead. After an exchange of punts, the Eagles got the ball on their own 20-yard line with 2:22 left in regulation.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Staley started out the drive with a 22-yard run. Over the next three plays, McNabb was sacked for a 16-yard loss and threw two incompletions, bringing up 4th and 26 to go with just 1:16 left in the game. But he managed to overcome the situation with a 28-yard completion to Mitchell to keep the drive alive. He then added a 3-yard run, a 9-yard pass to Mitchell, and a 10-yard completion to Pinkston to get his team into field goal range, where Akers' 37-yard field goal sent the game into overtime.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Philadelphia won the coin toss in overtime, but they were forced to punt after three plays and Chatman returned the ball 15 yards to the 42-yard line. However, Dawkins intercepted Favre's first pass of the ensuing drive and returned it 35 yards to the Packers 34-yard line. An 11-yard run by Staley and an 8-yard reception by Pinkston then set up a 31-yard field goal from Akers to win the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
Although he was sacked eight times and lost a fumble, McNabb had a solid performance in the game, completing 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 107 yards on 11 carries. His 107 rushing yards were a postseason record for a quarterback. Pinkston caught seven passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, while Thrash returned five kickoffs for 125 yards.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
This was the second postseason meeting between the Packers and Eagles. Philadelphia won the only prior meeting.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, January 11, 2004, NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Green Bay Packers 17 (OT)
| bg = #fff| nflseason = 2010| awayteam = Green Bay Packers | score1=21| hometeam = Philadelphia Eagles | score2= 16| playoffround = Wild Card Playoffs}}|}


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
New England's defense dominated the Colts, only allowing 14 points, intercepting four passes from Peyton Manning (3 of them by Ty Law), recording four sacks (three by Jarvis Green), and forcing a safety. Although New England's offense fared no better and only scored one touchdown, Vinatieri's five field goals made up for the difference as the Patriots won, 24–14, to advance to their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
The Patriots took the opening kickoff and scored on their first drive, advancing the ball 65 yards in 13 plays. Tom Brady completed four passes to receiver David Givens for 40 yards on the drive, including a 7-yard touchdown pass, and converted a fourth down on his own 44-yard line with a 2-yard run. Manning seemed ready to counter, driving the Colts 68 yards to the New England 5-yard line, but on third down and 3, his pass was intercepted by Rodney Harrison in the end zone. After the interception, the Patriots drove 67 yards to the Colts 13-yard line where Vinatieri's 31-yard field goal increased their lead to 10–0.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
The Patriots defense continued to dominate the Colts in the second quarter. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Law intercepted a pass from Manning and returned it six yards to the 41-yard line. The Patriots then drove 52 yards and increased their lead to 13–0 with a second Vinatieri field goal. Brady completed three passes for 42 yards on the drive, including a 17-yarder to Givens and a 16-yard completion to Troy Brown on fourth down and 8. For the first time in the entire postseason, the Colts were forced to punt on their next drive. Apparently, they were very out of practice, because the snap from center Justin Snow sailed over the head of punter Hunter Smith. The ball went into the end zone, and Smith was forced to knock it out of bounds for a safety, making the score 15–0.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
The Colts had a great opportunity to score when defensive back David Macklin recovered a fumble from receiver Bethel Johnson three plays after the free kick, giving Indianapolis a first down on the Patriots 41-yard line. But five plays later, Harrison forced a fumble while tackling Marvin Harrison, and cornerback Tyrone Poole recovered it.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
Trailing 15–0 at halftime, the Colts finally managed to build some momentum in the third quarter. First, Dominic Rhodes gave them great field position by returning the second half kickoff 35 yards to the 49-yard line. Then running back Edgerrin James spearheaded a 52-yard scoring drive, carrying the ball on seven of 12 plays for 32 yards and capping it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the score to 15–7. But the Patriots took over the rest of the quarter.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
After Patrick Pass returned the ensuing kickoff 21 yards to the 43-yard line, Brady completed passes to Larry Centers for 28 yards, Brown for 17, and Kevin Faulk for 8, setting up Vinatieri's third field goal to increase their lead to 18–7. Three plays after the ensuing kickoff, Indianapolis was forced to punt. Antowain Smith then rushed four times for 53 yards on New England's next possession, advancing the ball to the Colts 3-yard line where Vinatieri kicked his fourth field goal. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, Law recorded his second interception from Manning on the Colts 31-yard line. But this time, the Patriots failed to score because defensive back Walt Harris picked off a pass from Brady in the end zone.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
After the turnover, the Colts drove 57 yards to the New England 31-yard line. But then Manning threw his third interception to Law with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter. After forcing a punt, Manning led the Colts back, completing eight of nine passes for 64 yards and finishing the drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Pollard with 2:22 left in regulation. The Colts failed to recover their ensuing onside kick attempt, but forced a punt with 2:01 left.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
However, the Patriots defense limited Manning to four consecutive incompletions, causing the Colts to turn the ball over on downs. Then after making Indianapolis use up all of their timeouts, Vinatieri's fifth field goal increased the Patriots lead to 24–14. The Colts attempted one last desperation drive, but ended up turning the ball over on downs again with seven seconds left in the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
Brady completed 22 of 37 passes for 237 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Smith rushed for 100 yards. Pollard caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Rhodes returned five kickoffs for 121 yards, rushed for 16 yards, and caught two passes for 17 yards.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
Colts players would later publicly complain that the game officials did not properly call illegal contact, pass interference, and defensive holding penalties on the Patriots' defensive backs. This, and similar complaints made by other NFL teams, would prompt the NFL during the 2004 offseason to instruct all of the league's officials to strictly enforce these types of fouls.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, AFC: New England Patriots 24, Indianapolis Colts 14
This was the first postseason meeting between the Colts and Patriots.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 3
Carolina's defense shut down the Eagles offense, only allowing a field goal and holding Donovan McNabb to just 10 of 22 completions for 100 yards. Rookie cornerback Ricky Manning intercepted McNabb three times, while the Panthers defense recorded a total of five sacks. McNabb also sustained a lower-rib injury early in the game but stayed in until the second half. Although Carolina's offense only scored 14 points, it was more than enough for the team to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl with a 14–3 win. For the Eagles, it was their third straight NFC Championship Game loss.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 3
After a scoreless first quarter, the Panthers mounted the only long scoring drive of the game, advancing the ball 79 yards and scoring with Jake Delhomme's 24-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad. The Eagles responded by driving 44 yards and scoring with a 41-yard field goal from David Akers. Philadelphia then forced a punt and drove to their own 44-yard line, but McNabb was intercepted by Manning and the score remained 7–3 at halftime.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 3
The Eagles took the second half kickoff and drove to the Panthers 18-yard line before Manning ended the drive with his second interception. Then after a punt, Manning recorded his third interception and returned it 13 yards to the Eagles 37-yard line. Four plays later, DeShaun Foster's 1-yard touchdown run increased Carolina's lead to 14–3.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 3
In the fourth quarter, the Eagles had one last chance to come back, driving 74 yards in 11 plays to the Panthers 11-yard line. But linebacker Dan Morgan picked off a pass from backup quarterback Koy Detmer in the end zone with 5:16 left. The next time Philadelphia got the ball back, they turned the ball over on downs and Carolina ran out the clock to win the game.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 18, 2004, NFC: Carolina Panthers 14, Philadelphia Eagles 3
This was the first postseason meeting between the Panthers and Eagles.


2003–04 NFL playoffs, Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29
This was the first Super Bowl meeting between the Panthers and Patriots.


2003–04 NHL season
The 2003–04 NHL season was the 87th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup champions were the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the best of seven series four games to three against the Calgary Flames.


2003–04 NHL season
For the fourth time in eight years, the all-time record for total shutouts in a season was shattered, as 192 shutouts were recorded. The 2003–04 regular season was also the first one (excluding the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season) since 1967–68 in which there was neither a 50-goal scorer, nor a 100-point scorer. This was the final season that ABC and ESPN televised NHL games until 2021-22. It was also the final NHL season before the 2004–05 NHL lockout with games resuming in the fall of 2005 as part of the 2005–06 season, and the final season in which games could end in ties.


2003–04 NHL season, League business
The schedule of 82 games was revamped. The 30 teams played 82 games in a revamped format that increased divisional games from five to six per team (24 total), conference games from three to four (40 total), and decreased inter-conference games to at least one per team, with three extra games (18 in total).


2003–04 NHL season, League business
The alternating of jerseys was changed. For the first season since the 1969–70 season, teams would now wear their colored jerseys at home and white jerseys away.


2003–04 NHL season, League business
The Phoenix Coyotes moved to a new arena in Glendale, Arizona, after playing their first seven seasons at America West Arena.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
The 2003–04 season was one overhung by concern over the expiry of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. It led to the cancellation of the League's games for the entirety of the next season. During the entire season, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) head Bob Goodenow waged a war of words with no agreement being signed.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
On September 26, just before the season was to begin, young Atlanta Thrashers star Dany Heatley crashed his Ferrari in suburban Atlanta. The passenger, Thrashers teammate Dan Snyder, was killed. Heatley himself was badly injured and eventually charged with vehicular homicide.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
Entering the season, the two Stanley Cup favorites were the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference, who had won the Presidents' Trophy and come within a win of the Stanley Cup Finals the year before, and the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference, who, despite losing legendary goaltender Patrick Roy to retirement, added both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya to an already star-studded lineup. Neither of these teams, however, were as successful as expected, with Ottawa finishing fifth in their conference and Colorado finishing fourth, losing the Northwest Division title for the first time in a decade when the franchise was still known as the Quebec Nordiques.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
The greatest disappointments were the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who, despite making it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals the year prior and adding both Sergei Fedorov and Vaclav Prospal, failed to make the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings failed to make the playoffs in large part due to a season-ending 11-game losing streak. In the East, the star-studded New York Rangers again failed to make the playoffs. The Washington Capitals, who were regarded as a contender, also stumbled early in the season and never recovered.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
The end of the season saw two of the most extensive housecleanings in League history, as the Rangers and Capitals traded away many of their stars and entered "rebuilding mode." The Capitals traded away Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra, Sergei Gonchar, Robert Lang and Anson Carter, while the Rangers moved Petr Nedved, Brian Leetch, Anson Carter and Alexei Kovalev to other NHL teams.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
The most surprising teams were the Tampa Bay Lightning in the East and the San Jose Sharks in the West. The Lightning, who had a remarkable season with only 20 man-games lost to injury, finished atop the Eastern Conference, while the Sharks, who were firmly in rebuilding mode after a disastrous 28–37–9–8 campaign the last season, came second in the West and won the Pacific Division.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
Two other teams that did better than expected were carried by surprising young goaltenders. The Calgary Flames ended a seven-year playoff drought backed by the solid play of Miikka Kiprusoff, and the Boston Bruins won the Northeast Division by a whisker over the Toronto Maple Leafs with the help of eventual Calder Memorial Trophy-winning goaltender Andrew Raycroft.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
Goaltending was also the story of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings as the return from retirement of legend Dominik Hasek bumped Curtis Joseph to the minor leagues. At the same time, long-time back up Manny Legace recorded better numbers than both veterans and won the starting job in the playoffs.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
Of note is the fact that the Nashville Predators made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, though they were dispatched by a star-studded Detroit Red Wings team in the first round.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season
The regular season ended controversially, when in March 2004, the Vancouver Canucks' Todd Bertuzzi infamously attacked and severely injured the Colorado Avalanche's Steve Moore, forcing the latter to eventually retire.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings
Detroit Red Wings won the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings
For rankings in conference, division leaders are automatically ranked 1–3. These three, plus the next five teams in the conference standings, earn playoff berths at the end of the season.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings, Eastern Conference
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings, Eastern Conference
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings, Eastern Conference
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings, Western Conference
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings, Western Conference
Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest


2003–04 NHL season, Regular season, Final standings, Western Conference
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs
The 2004 playoffs were considered to be wide open, with no clear favorite. All of the top teams had weaknesses. Tampa Bay and Boston were both young teams with no history of recent postseason success. Detroit, Ottawa, Colorado, and Philadelphia all had major questions in goal. New Jersey was marred by injuries to Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski, while Vancouver was missing the suspended Todd Bertuzzi.


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs
The first-round Eastern Conference matchups featured a number of historic rivalries. The Ottawa Senators met the Toronto Maple Leafs for the fourth time in five years in the always passion-filled Battle of Ontario. The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens met in a resumption of the most common of all NHL playoff series, and one which the Canadiens have thoroughly dominated, including an upset win two years prior. The Devils–Flyers rivalry added another playoff chapter with their series. The only non-rivalry was the Tampa Bay-New York Islanders series.


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs
The West saw the resumption of the Vancouver-Calgary rivalry, which had been somewhat dormant as the Flames made the playoffs for the first time since 1996. Detroit played division rival Nashville (whom they had struggled against during the regular season) in Nashville's first ever franchise visit to the playoffs. San Jose met the St. Louis Blues, while the always difficult four-five matchup saw Colorado and Dallas meet.


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs
The Calgary Flames, a sixth seed, defeated the Canucks in seven, the Red Wings in six and the Sharks in six games to become the first Canadian team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals in ten years, since the Canucks lost to the Rangers in 1994. They faced the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated the Islanders in five, swept the Canadiens and defeated the Flyers in seven games.


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs
For the first time since 1994, neither the Avalanche, Devils, Red Wings or Stars played in the Stanley Cup Finals.


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
The Lightning beat the Flames in the Stanley Cup Finals, four games to three. With the Flames having a 3–2 series lead and the series going back to Calgary for Game 6, with the Stanley Cup in the building and with the game tied 2–2 in the third, Martin Gelinas of the Flames (who scored the series-winning goals in the Flames' three previous series) appeared to have scored the go-ahead goal. Gelinas redirected a pass towards the Tampa net using his skate that was kicked out by Lightning goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin.


2003–04 NHL season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
It appeared that before Khabibulin kicked the puck out, it had already crossed the goal line. The play was not reviewed. To this day, many Flames fans argue that the puck was in. The game eventually went into double overtime, where Lightning winger and former Flame Martin St. Louis scored the overtime winner. The Lightning went on to win Game 7 by a score of 2–1 and captured their first championship in franchise history. Brad Richards, with 12 goals and 26 points in the playoffs, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.


2003–04 NHL season, Player statistics, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points


2003–04 NHL season, Player statistics, Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average


2003–04 NHL season, Milestones, Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 2003–04 (listed with their first team):


2003–04 NHL season, Milestones, Last games
The following is a list of players of note who played their last NHL game in 2003-04, listed with their team:


2003–04 NHL transactions
The following is a list of all team-to-team transactions that have occurred in the National Hockey League during the 2003–04 NHL season. It lists what team each player has been traded to, or claimed by, and for which players or draft picks, if applicable.


2003–04 NK Dinamo Zagreb season
This article shows statistics of individual players for the football club Dinamo Zagreb It also lists all matches that Dinamo Zagreb played in the 2003–04 season.


2003–04 NK Dinamo Zagreb season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 NOFV-Oberliga
The 2003–04 season of the NOFV-Oberliga was the tenth season of the league at tier four (IV) of the German football league system.


2003–04 NOFV-Oberliga
The NOFV-Oberliga was split into two divisions, NOFV-Oberliga Nord and NOFV-Oberliga Süd. The champions of each, Hertha BSC II and VFC Plauen, entered into a play-off against each other for the right to play in the 2004–05 Regionalliga Nord. Hertha BSC II won 6–5 over two legs and thus gained promotion.


2003–04 NSW Premier League season
The 2003–04 NSW Premier League season was the fourth season of the revamped NSW Premier League.


2003–04 NSW Premier League season
The Belconnen Blue Devils took out the minor premiership on 47 competition points, after having a superior goal difference over second placed St George Saints. However, the Devils lost two of three games in the finals series, including the grand final 2–0 to Bankstown City Lions. Thus, the Lions were the premiers for the 2003–04 NSW Premier League season.


2003–04 NSW Premier League season
Throughout the season many Premier League, Super League, Division One and Division Two teams competed in a newly formed FA Cup-style knockout competition called the Continental Tyres Cup in which the Sydney Crescent Star were crowned champions after defeating Bonnyrigg White Eagles in a penalty shootout at Gabbie Stadium.


2003–04 NSW Premier League season, Clubs
Teams promoted from Super League:(After the end of the 2003 season.)


2003–04 NSW Premier League season, Clubs
Teams relegated to Super League:(After the end of the 2002–03 season.)


2003–04 NSW Premier League season, Gold Medal Dinner
At the end of the season, Football NSW hosted the Gold Medal Dinner, where players, coaches and referees were awarded for their work throughout the Premier League season.


2003–04 NTFL season
The 2003/04 NTFL season was the 83rd season of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL).


2003–04 NTFL season
St Marys have won there 24th premiership title while defeating the Nightcliff Tigers in the grand final by 19 points.


2003–04 NWHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.


2003–04 NWHL season, Playoffs
The Calgary Oval X-treme won the Championship of the NWHL.


2003–04 Nashville Predators season
The 2003–04 Nashville Predators season was the Nashville Predators' sixth season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history, losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round.


2003–04 Nashville Predators season, Regular season
The Predators had the most power-play opportunities of all 30 teams in the League, with 428.


2003–04 Nashville Predators season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 Nashville Predators season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest


2003–04 Nashville Predators season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 Nashville Predators season, Player stats, Playoffs
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T/OT = Ties/overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;


2003–04 Nashville Predators season, Draft picks
Nashville's draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.


2003–04 National Division One
The 2003–04 National Division One was the seventeenth full season of rugby union within the second tier of the English league system, currently known as the RFU Championship. New teams to the division included Bristol Shoguns who had been relegated from the Zurich Premiership 2002-03 while Penzance & Newlyn and Henley Hawks were promoted from the 2002–03 National Division Two. In terms of ground changes Plymouth Albion had a new home - moving from Beacon Park to newly built Brickfields which at 6,500 had twice the capacity of the original ground.


2003–04 National Division One
After three consecutive seasons finishing second, Worcester became champions and were promoted to the Zurich Premiership for season 2004–05. Orrell were runners–up, and Wakefield and Manchester were relegated to the 2004–05 National Division Two. Wakefield's final match was on 26 April 2004 against Coventry, who won the match 15–11 and with that defeat, consigned Wakefield, after fourteen consecutive seasons in National Division One, to relegation; while Coventry finished above Wakefield only on points difference. Wakefield folded during the summer for financial reasons.


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Team
85 - 6 Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Team
54 - 0 Exeter Chiefs away to Wakefield on 13 March 2004


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Team
Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Team
Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Player
Leigh Hinton for Orrell at home to Bedford Blues on 6 December 2003


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Player
Dan Ward-Smith for Plymouth Albion at home to Henley Hawks on 20 March 2004 Richard Welding for Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004 Lee Carruthers for Otley at home to Manchester 13 December 2003


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Player
Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs at home to Manchester on 28 February 2004 Leigh Hinton for Orrell at home to Manchester on 10 April 2004


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Player
Tony Yapp for Exeter Chiefs away to Otley on 20 September 2003


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Attendances
Worcester at home to Pertemps Bees on 24 April 2004


2003–04 National Division One, Season records, Attendances
Manchester at home to Pertemps Bees on 3 April 2004


2003–04 National Division Three North
The 2003–04 National Division Three North was the fourth season (sixteenth overall) of the fourth division (north) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three North. New teams to the division included Fylde and Kendal who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted teams included Longton who came up as champions of Midlands Division 1 while Darlington (champions) and Macclesfield (playoffs) came up from North Division 1.


2003–04 National Division Three North
The league system was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw with the promotion system changing for this season with a playoff system being introduced. The champions of both National Division Three North and National Division Three South would automatically go up but the runners up of these two divisions would meet each other in a one off match (at the home ground of the side with the superior league record) to see who would claim the third and final promotion place to National Division Two for the following season.


2003–04 National Division Three North
After two seasons spent in the division Waterloo would pip Halifax to the title by the narrowest of margins finishing dead level on points but going up to the 2004–05 National Division Two by virtue of a massively better for and against record. Halifax would suffer a double disappointment by missing out on their second stab at promotion as they lost narrowly at home to 2003–04 National Division Three South runners up Launceston in the promotion playoff. Relegated teams included newly promoted Longton (who gained only 4 points all season), Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers. Longton would drop back down to Midlands Division 1 while Liverpool St Helens and Preston Grasshoppers would fall to North Division 1.


2003–04 National Division Three North, Results, Promotion play-off
The league runners up of National Division Three South and North would meet in a playoff game for promotion to National Division Two. Halifax were the northern divisions runners up and as they had a superior league record than southern runners-up, Launceston, they hosted the play-off match.


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Team
91 - 5 Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Team
53 - 3 Waterloo away to Fylde on 17 January 2004


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Team
Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Team
New Brighton at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 13 September 2003


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Team
Longton at home to Fylde on 8 November 2003Fylde away to Halifax on 24 January 2004


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Player
Alistair J Murray for Tynedale at home to Longton on 18 October 2003


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Player
Jamie Bloem for Halifax at home to Darlington on 13 December 2003


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Player
John Broxson for Waterloo at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 28 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Player
Anthony Birley for New Brighton at home to Preston Grasshoppers on 13 September 2003


2003–04 National Division Three North, Season records, Player
Mike Scott for Fylde away to Halifax on 24 January 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South
The 2003–04 National Division Three South was the fourth season (17th overall) of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included Launceston who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted clubs included Southend (champions) and Haywards Heath (playoffs) coming up from London Division 1 and Dings Crusaders as champions of South West Division 1. The league system was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw with the league champions going straight up into National Division Two and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from National Division Three North for the final promotion place.


2003–04 National Division Three South
The season saw an incredibly tight title race between Blackheath and Launceston. Both sides would finish dead level on 44 points each but Blackheath finished as champions thanks to a better for and against record. Launceston would join the London side in the 2004–05 National Division Two, making an instant return by defeating 2003–04 National Division Three North runners up Halifax in their promotion playoff in what was a very tight game played at the Yorkshire-based club. At the other end of the table the relegation battle was much less close with Old Colfeians and Basingstoke being the two sides to be relegated. Both Old Colfeians and Basingstoke would be demoted to London Division 1 for the next season.


2003–04 National Division Three South, Results, Promotion play-off
The league runners up of National Division Three South and North would meet in a playoff game for promotion to National Division Two. Halifax were the northern divisions runners up and as they had a superior league record than southern runners-up, Launceston, they hosted the play-off match.


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Team
76 - 10 Westcombe Park at home to Dings Crusaders on 20 March 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Team
60 - 6 Westcombe Park away to Basingstoke on 20 December 2003


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Team
80 - 25 Launceston at home to Old Colfeians on 7 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Team
Rosslyn Park at home to Basingstoke on 11 January 2003


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Team
Launceston at home to Old Colfeians on 7 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Team
Blackheath away to Launceston on 22 November 2003Blackheath away to Old Colfeians on 17 April 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Player
James O'Brien for Old Patesians at home to Old Colfeians on 27 March 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Player
Simon Porter for Launceston at home to Old Colfeians on 7 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Player
Derek Coates for Blackheath away to Launceston on 22 November 2003 Derek Coates for Blackheath away to Old Colfeians on 17 April 2004


2003–04 National Division Three South, Season records, Attendances
As only two attendances were listed due to poor media and club tracking it is therefore impossible to give any insight into attendances for this season.


2003–04 National Division Two
The 2003–04 National Division Two was the fourth version (seventeenth overall) of the third division of the English rugby union league system using the name National Division Two. New teams to the division included Moseley and Rugby Lions who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division One while promoted teams included Nuneation who came up as champions of the 2002–03 National Division Three North with Rosslyn Park (champions) and Lydney (playoffs) coming up from the 2002–03 National Division Three South. This season would be the last using the league points system of 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.


2003–04 National Division Two
In what was a very tight title race, Sedgley Park Park pipped Nottingham to the league championship by just one point – with both sides winning promotion to the 2004–05 National Division One. It was quite a turn around in Nottingham's case as the club had gone from just escaping relegation the previous season to gaining promotion as the league's runner up. At the other end of the table, promoted Lydney finished bottom with easily the worst record of just two wins and a draw from their twenty-six games.


2003–04 National Division Two
Joining them in the second relegation spot were Rugby Lions who went down on the last day of the season by losing heavily to champions Sedgley Park whilst relegation rivals Rosslyn Park stayed up by virtue of their win against Newbury Blues. Lydney would go into the 2004–05 National Division Three South while Rugby Lions dropped to the 2004–05 National Division Three North in what would be the Lions second successive relegation.


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Team
91 - 0 Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Team
58 - 15 Nottingham away to Lydney on 20 December 2003


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Team
Stourbridge at home to Rosslyn Park on 25 October 2003


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Player
Sam Howard for Rosslyn Park at home to Bracknell on 3 January 2004


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Player
John Carter for Doncaster at home to Lydney on 7 February 2004


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Player
Peter Glackin for Nuneaton at home to Lydney on 24 January 2004


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Player
Ben Harvey for Stourbridge at home to Rosslyn Park on 25 October 2003


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Player
Neil Hallett for Bracknell away to Sedgley Park on 29 November 2003


2003–04 National Division Two, Season records, Attendances
Bracknell at home to Rugby Lions on 6 September 2003


2003–04 National Football League (India)
The 2003–04 National Football League was the eighth season of National Football League, the top Indian league for association football clubs, since its inception in 1996.


2003–04 National Football League (India), Overview
The fixtures for the first phase of the season (till round 11) were announced on 20 November 2003. It was contested by 12 teams, and East Bengal won the championship, in the month of April under the coach Subhas Bhowmick. Dempo came second and Mahindra came third. Indian Bank and Mohammedan were relegated from the National Football League next season.


2003–04 National Soccer League
The 2003–04 National Soccer League season was the 28th and final season of the National Soccer League in Australia. Perth Glory were crowned both premiers and champions after winning both the league and grand final.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
The season was remembered as the end of an era for the national league, following the announcement in 2003 that the national competition would be wholly scrapped in response to the Crawford Report into soccer in Australia. The end of the NSL led to the formation of the A-League, a new national competition that began in 2005.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
The season was played as a single league, home-and-away format with top six teams qualifying for a finals series. Adelaide City withdrew from the competition shortly before the start of the season, leading to the hasty formation of Adelaide United to take their place.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
At the beginning of the season, it became obvious that the title would be fought between Perth Glory and Parramatta Power. The Champions Glory lost several of their title-winning squad, most notably their dominant midfield, most of whom to the Power. Parramatta, backed by the Leagues Club, bought big for the last year including notably Ante Milicic and Sasho Petrovski, looking to simply buy the title.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
This tactic seemed to be working for a large part of the season, as Power held off major challengers Perth, including a memorable 6–0 hiding, Glory's worst-ever loss. However, a turning point came and Perth began to close the gap both in results and performance terms, and won the Premiership by 6 points in the end. Neither of these sides were ever really matched by other sides during the season.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
Perhaps the surprise of the season was Adelaide United, who surprised all by making the finals and nearly breaking Perth's all-time average season record attendance in the process, with the biggest crowds of the season. This was most notable as the club was thrown together just a few weeks before the season to take the place of former heavyweight Adelaide City.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
In the finals series, notably Perth were comprehensively beaten in both legs of the major semi-final, while Adelaide progressed to the minor semi-final in their first ever season, only to be thrashed by Glory, just highlighting the gap between the top two sides and the rest of the league.


2003–04 National Soccer League, Overview
The last ever NSL Grand Final was held at Parramatta Stadium, due to Power winning the major semi-final. The Final was attended by a very measly crowd of just over 9,000, and played in thick rain from kick-off. Power's slick passing game was somewhat hurt by the poor conditions, and the game turned into something of a scrap. No goals were scored in 90 minutes of football, so the game went to extra-time where young Glory striker Nik Mrdja slotted to give Glory their fifth National League title and second NSL Championship, while Power finished the season with nothing to show for their quality and dominance.


2003–04 Nationalliga A season
The 2003–04 NLA season was the 66th regular season of the Nationalliga A, the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland.


2003–04 Nationalliga A season, Regular season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points;  PIM = Penalty Minutes


2003–04 Nationalliga A season, Playoffs, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points;  PIM = Penalty Minutes


2003–04 Nationalliga A season, Playout round
Teams ranked from 9 - 13 after regular season, played 2 games against each other.


2003–04 Nationalliga B season
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Marauder09 (talk | contribs) at 05:06, 19 November 2019. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


2003–04 Nationalliga B season
The 2003-04 Nationalliga B season was the 57th season of the Nationalliga B, the second tier level of ice hockey in Switzerland. 10 teams participated in the league, and EHC Biel-Bienne won the championship. They were not promoted to Nationalliga A.


2003–04 Nemzeti Bajnokság I
The 2003–04 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, also known as NB I, was the 102nd season of top-tier football in Hungary. The league was officially named Arany Ászok Liga for sponsoring reasons. The season started on 25 July 2003 and ended on 27 May 2004.


2003–04 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and Ferencvárosi TC won the championship.


2003–04 Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team
The 2003–04 Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Reno during the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wolf Pack, led by fifth-year head coach Trent Johnson, played their home games at the Lawlor Events Center on their campus in Reno, Nevada as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).


2003–04 Nevada Wolf Pack men's basketball team
After finishing atop the conference regular season standings, Nevada won the WAC Tournament to receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as No. 10 seed in the St. Louis Region. The Wolf Pack defeated Michigan State and No. 2 seed Gonzaga to reach the first Sweet Sixteen in program history. In the Regional semifinal, No. 3 seed and eventual national runner-up Georgia Tech ended Nevada's run, 72–67. The team finished with a record of 25–9 (13–5 WAC).


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season
The 2003–04 New Jersey Devils season was the team's 22nd season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey.


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season
Like the 2001–02 NHL season, the Devils finished 6th in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The team started the season really impressive, winning 17 of their first 30 games. However, in the 2004 calendar year, they were 24–19–4–1, causing them to finish sixth in the conference, second in the division and lose to one of their division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers in five games in the quarterfinals. They were also marred by injured defenseman Scott Stevens and Brian Rafalski which also caused them to be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Regular season
The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Devils only allowed 164 goals, the lowest total ever allowed by a team under the 82-game regular-season format. The Devils also shut out their opponents 14 times, a league-high. Furthermore, they were the most disciplined team in the League, finishing with the regular season with the fewest power-play opportunities against (266) and the fewest power-play goals allowed (39).


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Playoffs, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (E6) New Jersey Devils vs. (E3) Philadelphia Flyers
The series opened at Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, and the Flyers won both games 1 and 2 3-2 over New Jersey. Games three and four were played at Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey. The Devils won game three 4-2, but the Flyers were victorious in game four by a score of 3-0. Game five was played back in Philadelphia, and the Flyers won that game 3-1 and won the series 4 games to 1.


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Media
Television coverage was still on Fox Sports Net New York with commentators Mike Emrick and Chico Resch as usual with Matt Loughlin hosting in the studio. Radio coverage remained on WABC 770 with John Hennessy calling the play-by-play with Randy Velischek providing color commentary.


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Player statistics, Playoffs
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T/OT = Ties/overtime losses; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;


2003–04 New Jersey Devils season, Draft picks
The Devils' draft picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee.


2003–04 New Jersey Nets season
The 2003–04 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 37th season in the National Basketball Association, and 28th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. After speculating that he would sign with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the off-season, Jason Kidd signed a 6-year, $99 million deal to stay with the Nets.


2003–04 New Jersey Nets season
The team acquired All-Star center and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning, who missed all of last season due to his worsening kidney condition. However, after just twelve games, Mourning retired on November 25, 2003, due to complications from his kidney disease.


2003–04 New Jersey Nets season
After a 22–20 start to the season, Byron Scott was fired as head coach and was replaced with Lawrence Frank, as the Nets went on a 14-game winning streak at midseason. With Frank as interim head coach, the Nets overcame adversity, ending the season with a 47–35 record. Despite this, the Nets still managed to repeat as Division Champions and earn the number 2 spot in the Eastern Conference.


2003–04 New Jersey Nets season
After sweeping the New York Knicks in the opening round of the playoffs, the second round pitted the Nets against the Detroit Pistons in last year's Conference championship rematch. However, Detroit would get revenge this time, and would eventually win the series in seven games, ending the 2003–04 season for the Nets. The Pistons would go on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals to win their third NBA championship.


2003–04 New Jersey Nets season
Following the season, Kenyon Martin was traded to the Denver Nuggets, Kerry Kittles was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Rodney Rogers signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Hornets. Martin and Kidd both represented the Eastern Conference at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game, which was held in Los Angeles. This was Kenyon Martin's only All-Star game appearance.


2003–04 New Orleans Hornets season
The 2003–04 NBA season was the Hornets' second season in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Hornets signed free agent Steve Smith. Despite losing Jamal Mashburn for the first 44 games due to a knee injury, the Hornets got off to a solid 17–7 start to the season under new head coach Tim Floyd. However, they would struggle posting a losing record in January, and only managed to play .500 ball in February. Mashburn would return to play just 19 games averaging 20.8 points per game, but then re-injured his knee sitting out the rest of the season. The Hornets struggled losing 11 of their 16 games in March, but would rebound in April winning 4 of 7 games.


2003–04 New Orleans Hornets season
Despite posting an average record of 41–41, the Hornets finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for their fifth straight playoff appearance. This was also the team's final season in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Baron Davis was again hampered by injuries and he played just 67 games. Despite another injury-plagued season, Davis and teammate Jamaal Magloire both represented the Eastern Conference at the 2004 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles.


2003–04 New Orleans Hornets season
In the playoffs, they faced the Miami Heat in the first round, but lost in seven games. Following the season, the Hornets moved to the new Southwest Division of the NBA's Western Conference. Also following the season, Floyd was fired as coach after just one season, Smith left in the 2004 NBA Expansion Draft, Stacey Augmon signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic, and Robert Traylor re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.


2003–04 New York Islanders season
The 2003–04 New York Islanders season was the 32nd season in the franchise's history.


2003–04 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 New York Islanders season, Draft picks
New York Islanders' had 9 picks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.


2003–04 New York Knicks season
The 2003–04 New York Knicks season was the 58th season for the Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the offseason, the Knicks signed All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo in free agency. The Knicks started the season by losing seven of their first nine games as fans at the Garden chanted "Fire Layden", in reference to general manager Scott Layden. Knicks fans would get their wish as Layden was fired and replaced by former Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas.


2003–04 New York Knicks season
In January, the Knicks traded Antonio McDyess and Charlie Ward to the Phoenix Suns for All-Star guard Stephon Marbury and Anfernee Hardaway. Ward was released by the Suns, and later signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs. At midseason, Thomas made more moves, trading Keith Van Horn to the Milwaukee Bucks for Tim Thomas. After a 15–24 start, the Knicks fired head coach Don Chaney, and played one game under assistant Herb Williams before signing Lenny Wilkens as their new coach. With a 39–43 record, which placed them third in the Atlantic Division, the Knicks qualified for the NBA playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Allan Houston averaged 18.5 points per game, but played just 50 games due to injury.


2003–04 New York Knicks season
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Knicks were swept in four games by the New Jersey Nets. New York did not return to the playoffs until the 2010–11 season. Following the season, Mutombo was traded to the Chicago Bulls, who then dealt him to the Houston Rockets. Longtime Knicks play-by-play announcer Marv Albert was not retained by the MSG Network, having criticized poor play by the team on-air. He remained an NBA on TNT broadcaster.


2003–04 New York Rangers season
The 2003–04 New York Rangers season was their 78th in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team finished with one of the worst records in the league despite bringing in future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr midway through the season. The team would eventually trade away most of its major acquisitions, including their long-time defensive stalwart Brian Leetch. This would prove to be the final season for team captain Mark Messier.


2003–04 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2003–04 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2003–04 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2003–04 New York Rangers season, Playoffs
The Rangers failed to qualify for the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.


2003–04 New York Rangers season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.


2003–04 New York Rangers season, Draft picks
New York's picks at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Gaylord Entertainment Center.


2003–04 New Zealand Figure Skating Championships
The 2003–04 New Zealand Figure Skating Championships was held at the Paradice in Botany Downs, Auckland from 6 through 9 October 2003. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles and ladies' singles across many levels, including senior, junior, novice, adult, and the pre-novice disciplines of juvenile, pre-primary, primary, and intermediate.


2003–04 New Zealand V8 season
The 2003–04 New Zealand V8 season (the leading motorsport category in New Zealand) consisted of seven rounds beginning on 7–9 November 2003 and ending 27–38 March 2004. The championship was won by Andy Booth, for the first time in his career.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season
During the 2003–04 season, Newcastle United participated in the FA Premier League. This season saw the club reach the semi-finals of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season
Newcastle finished 5th in the Premiership at the end of the season, which ensured qualification for the UEFA Cup once again for the 2004–05 season. Many fans were left disgruntled that United did not make it into the Champions League.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
Newcastle had finished the 2002–03 season third in the Premier League, entering the qualification rounds for the Champions League.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
However, Newcastle did not qualify for the Champions League. They beat Partizan Belgrade 1–0 away from home, but then lost 1–0 at St James' Park and were eliminated via the penalty shootout. This defeat dropped Newcastle into the first round of the UEFA Cup.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
Newcastle reached the semi finals of the UEFA Cup, defeating Breda, Basel, Vålerenga, Mallorca and PSV in the competition. Newcastle were knocked out by Olympique Marseille in the semi-finals 2–0 on aggregate.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
In the league, the team were unable to repeat the success of the previous two seasons as Liverpool pipped them to the fourth Champions League spot in the last week of the season. Newcastle were able to nip in ahead of Aston Villa and Charlton Athletic to take fifth place and qualify for the UEFA Cup.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, Season summary
The club could have finished higher if they hadn't started and ended the season with terrible runs. Newcastle failed to win until October in the league and ended the season by winning only one of their last seven league games. The club's away form was a major Achilles heel, with the club registering only 2 away wins (at Middlesbrough and Fulham in the space of 4 days) and a staggering 12 away draws.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, Team kit
The team kit for the 2003–04 season was produced by Adidas and the main shirt sponsor was Northern Rock.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Newcastle United F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 Newcastle United Jets FC season
The 2003–04 Newcastle United season was the final season of the National Soccer League. Newcastle finished 11th on the table, failing to qualify for the NSL finals.


2003–04 Newcastle United Jets FC season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 2003–04 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Roy Williams. No team captains were selected for this season, the first, and so far, only time this has happened in program history. The team played its home games in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Roster
Wes Miller was not eligible to play this season because he transferred from James Madison.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Roster
After playing as a walk-on in the previous season, David Noel received a basketball scholarship to play beginning with this season.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
After Matt Doherty resigned from the men's basketball coaching position at the end of the previous season, Dean Smith once again persuaded Roy Williams to once again take the vacant position. This time Williams accepted, becoming the head coach of the Tar Heels on April 14, 2003.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
After the annual Blue-White Scrimmage and two exhibition games against North Carolina Central (then playing in NCAA Division II conference CIAA) and Team Nike, Williams' first game with the Tar Heels was against Old Dominion on November 22, 2003. Williams received a standing ovation as he stepped onto the court of the sold out Smith Center. With Smith and Bill Guthridge in attendance, the Tar Heels beat Old Dominion 90-64. The win was Williams' 419th career win.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The 115 points scored against George Mason were the most points Tar Heel team had scored against an opponent since 1994.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The triple-overtime loss to Wake Forest at home set several program records. The 114 points scored in this game are the most points scored in a Tar Heel loss. The Wake Forest loss was only the fifth time a game went into triple overtime in program history. The last time a game went into triple overtime prior to this season was in the 1982-83 season against Tulane (also the team, albeit in 1976, that the Tar Heels played against to set the program and ACC record of four overtimes).


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The 119 points that Wake Forest scored are the most points an opponent has scored over the Tar Heels, breaking the 112 points Maryland scored at Cole Field House in the previous season. Those points are also the most an opponent has scored against the Tar Heels in the Smith Center.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
Both teams scored 16 points in the first overtime. The Tar Heels' 16 points are the Tar Heels' third most points in an overtime period, and Wake Forest's 16 points are the second most points a Tar Heel opponent has scored in halftime. In the second overtime, both teams only scored two points, respectfully the fewest points the Tar Heels and one of their opponents have scored in a halftime. The 13 points Wake Forest scored in the third overtime are the third most points a Tar Heel opponent has scored in an overtime.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The win against Miami was the 200th win in the Smith Center.


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The Tar Heels beat Connecticut for the second consecutive year. The win was also the Tar Heels' tenth win over a number one ranked team (according to the AP Poll). At the time, the Tar Heels tied UCLA for most wins over a number one ranked team. (The Tar Heels now own this record outright, with 13 wins over number one ranked teams to UCLA's 12.)


2003–04 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team, Schedule and results
The Tar Heels finished with their first winning record in two seasons, 17-10, but only finished fifth in ACC play with a conference record of 8-8. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2004 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament by Georgia Tech. However, their overall record by the time of their loss in the ACC Tournament allowed them to play in the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Tar Heels' NCAA tournament run ended with a defeat against Texas in the tournament's Second Round.


2003–04 North West Counties Football League
The 2003–04 North West Counties Football League season was the 22nd in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions: Division One and Division Two.


2003–04 Northern Counties East Football League
The 2003–04 Northern Counties East Football League season was the 22nd in the history of Northern Counties East Football League, a football competition in England.


2003–04 Northern Counties East Football League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 18 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with two new clubs:


2003–04 Northern Counties East Football League, Division One
Division One featured 14 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with four new clubs.


2003–04 Northern Football League
The 2003–04 Northern Football League season was the 106th in the history of Northern Football League, a football competition in England.


2003–04 Northern Football League, Division One
Division One featured 18 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with three new clubs, promoted from Division Two:


2003–04 Northern Football League, Division Two
Division Two featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs.


2003–04 Northern Premier League
The 2003–04 Northern Premier League season was the 36th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into two divisions; the Premier and the First. This season was the last before the formation of the Conference North and the Conference South, so most of the Premier Division teams were promoted to the Conference North for next season.


2003–04 Northern Premier League
Subsequently, the First Division had most of its teams promoted to the Premier Division, with new teams admitted from the leagues just below the Northern Premier in the English football league system, although the league reform meant that the "promoted" clubs remained in the same tier within the English football league system, and further meant that while there was no relegation within the NPL itself, those clubs that missed out on promotion nevertheless had their position within the league system downgraded by one tier.


2003–04 Northern Premier League
During this season, Radcliffe Borough's Jody Banim broke the English record for the most consecutive games where a player has scored at least one goal, which ran from 9 September to 4 November.