Zayne Parekh (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

By Tony Ferrari, Features Writer

At the 2024 Memorial Cup, held last spring in Saginaw, players from each team were captivated by the skill that opponents brought to the CHL’s tournament of champions.

Whether it was Brayden Yager complimenting the work ethic of players on the London Knights, Michael Simpson talking about facing off against high-skilled skaters such as Jagger Firkus or Sam Dickinson heaping praise onto a certain Saginaw defender who he’d been measured up against for the NHL draft, the mutual admiration among peers seemed to be unending.

Katie Gaus, Ryan Kennedy and Michael Traikos discuss Mikko Rantanen being traded to the Dallas Stars.

The defender Dickinson was talking about just so happened to be a player who was completely unfazed by the talent assembling around him, Zayne Parekh. When asked about the talent on opposing teams, Parekh was quick to explain that he wasn’t paying much attention to them. It wasn’t that he was dismissive of their games. It was just that he was confident that when he was on the ice, he would be the one dictating play, and they would have to be aware of him.

Before almost every game at that tournament, just as he regularly has throughout his junior career, Parekh went out on the ice in flip-flops, shorts and a T-shirt well before fans were even in the building. He was working alone with a puck on the blueline, dangling it around and getting a feel for it. A few minutes later, he was firing a few shots on net from the blueline, shaking his head when he missed the cage.

"I plan on forcing the other team to play in their own zone."

- Zayne Parekh

The blend of confidence that borders on cockiness and habitual introspection has allowed Parekh to become one of junior hockey’s most divisive and impressive players. “I don’t really worry about what others are doing,” Parekh said. “I know my job is to go out there and make a difference whenever I’m on the ice, and I plan on forcing the other team to play in their own zone.”

Parekh has always been driven and passionate. He fast-tracked his education, graduating high school at 16 so he could focus on hockey while taking courses with the University of Toronto. He wears his heart on his sleeve on the ice, jawing at opponents and playing the kind of daring, creative hockey that makes him a difference-maker.

That same fire has landed him into trouble a few times as well. He’s been suspended on multiple occasions in his OHL career for various infractions. But as the saying goes: it’s easier to rein in an intense kid than it is to light a fire under an apathetic one.

Last season, Parekh won a gold medal at the U-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Then, once back in Saginaw, he led all CHL defenders in goals and points en route to being named CHL defenseman of the year, and he helped his Spirit capture their first Memorial Cup.

All of that success culminated on draft day, when he was selected ninth overall by the Calgary Flames. It was another accomplishment to add to his resume, but as he always has, Parekh was looking to get ahead of the curve. One of the first things he mentioned after being drafted was his desire to make the jump immediately. “I want to make an NHL lineup, try and start the season in Calgary,” Parekh said. “I know I have a lot of work to do, and I know I have some weight to put on, but that’s that plan for me.”

Although he didn’t accomplish that goal – one that was likely unattainable from the outset – he impressed in rookie camp, as well as in Calgary’s main camp, and showed again why he was so highly touted.

"I want to make an NHL lineup...I know I have a lot of work to do...but that's that plan for me."

- Zayne Parekh

Parekh’s drive to reach the highest levels of the sport is fuelled by his appreciation for those in his family who made sacrifices to allow him to pursue such lofty dreams.

Nothing would have been possible for Parekh without parents who embraced the sport despite having no background in hockey and grandparents who put everything on the line for a better life.

Zayne’s paternal grandfather, Casim, came to Canada from India in the early 1970s, looking to build a life for his family. A year later, he brought his family, including Zayne’s father, Azim, to Oshawa, Ont., where they could start their new life. With hockey everywhere around them, and Hockey Night In Canada a fixture on the television for almost every family in Canada, Azim and his siblings began to develop their love for the game.

Zayne’s maternal grandparents, Choon Yul and Mi Soon Lee, survived the Korean War and eventually immigrated to Germany in 1964, looking for work as South Korea went through post-war economic struggles. The couple then moved to Canada, where they settled in Sault Ste. Marie. Three years later, they had Zayne’s mother, Mona, before eventually moving to Toronto.

No story of immigration is the same, but almost all have a similar end goal. Zayne and his two brothers, Aydin and Isa, are the results of two separate journeys across the world with a common goal in mind: making life better for their children and the generations to come.

Parekh’s understanding of his family’s trials and tribulations has grown as he has. His appreciation for their sacrifices and struggles helps make him the person and player he is today.

The journey that Parekh is on now is nothing like the journey that got him to where he is today. The skill and creativity that he displays on the ice are only possible because of the difficult endeavors his family took to give him the life he has. Now, Parekh is determined to show his gratitude for what they’ve gone through by working even harder to pursue his dreams of winning at the NHL level and representing his family along the way. “There is that saying,” Parekh said, “‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and I have so many people to thank for getting me here.”

This article appeared in our 2025 Future Watch issue. Our cover story focuses on Ducks prospect Beckett Sennecke, who is tearing it up with the OHL's Oshawa Generals this season. We also include features on other exceptional NHL prospects, including: Zayne Parekh, Porter Martone, Gavin McKenna and more. In addition, we look at the top-10 prospects in the pipeline for each of the 32 NHL clubs.

It's available on newsstands now, or you can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.

Burning Flame: Calgary Prospect Zayne Parekh Intent On Becoming Dominant At NHL Level