Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh spoke to members of the media Friday afternoon at the NHL Draft Combine
Fresh off a win at the Memorial Cup where he helped bring Saginaw their first-ever Memorial Cup Championship, Zayne Parekh made the trip from Michigan to Buffalo for the NHL Draft Combine. He mentioned when speaking to the media on Friday that it has been a quick turnaround for him and flew in on Tuesday.
Considering the fact that the Nobleton, Ontario native just wrapped up his season last Sunday, there had been talks that he wasn’t going to participate in the fitness testing portion of the Combine. He even mentioned to the media that because he’s been busy still playing, he hadn’t thought of the NHL Draft until this past Wednesday night.
However, he told reporters that he will be testing tomorrow and wants to show how big of a competitor he is. Parekh chuckled when saying he may not do the best since he hasn’t started his off-season training yet, but NHL teams will appreciate his desire to take part in the fitness testing portion of the NHL Combine despite his quick turnaround.
As a person of color, Parekh recognizes the impact he is making on young hockey players of color who look up to him as a role model.
“There are kids who look up to me every day, I want to set a good example and conduct myself in the right way all the time. For kids out there, it doesn’t matter what race you are, this sport is for everyone.”
The 2024 NHL Draft is loaded with talent on the blueline and Parekh is amongst the top of his class. NHL Central Scouting ranked him the fifth-best North American skater in their final rankings and most public scouting agencies have him in the top 10.
“There’s a lot of good defensemen honestly, for myself I think I play a different style of hockey from most of them. The way I play I like to drive pace and make plays and try and be creative in the way I play.”
Parekh is one of the smoothest skaters of the draft with his effortless mobility and shifty edgework. Mix that in with his elite offensive creativity and you have a potential top pairing offensive defenseman. He believes the way he plays is a translatable style to the NHL, but also wanted to show scouts in the second half of the year his ability to defend and his competitiveness in board battles.
Parekh mentioned that the most popular question that has been asked by NHL teams when is if he can defend at the NHL level.
“My answers have been the same. I truly believe I will get to the point where I am a capable defender, it may take a little bit for me, but I believe in myself and I believe in my abilities,” said Parekh.
The London Knights and Saginaw Spirit rivalry was must-watch hockey this season. The two teams played each other a total of 12 times. The Knights got the better of Saginaw in the OHL’s Western Conference Finals, but ultimately the Spirit got their sweet revenge defeating them in the Memorial Cup Final.
Parekh said that one of the most challenging players he’s had to play against in his career has been the OHL’s regular season and playoffs MVP, Easton Cowan.
“He drives pace for that London team and he’s a heck of a player. It’s always tough competing against him. He’s a competitor and he wants to win. But I love that challenge. I love playing him.”
He also mentioned former Windsor Spitfires forward, Matthew Maggio, was a player that was tough to play against in his rookie year, crediting the New York Islanders prospect on his quickness to get behind the defense and get breakaways.
When asked if there’s a specific player he likes to model his game after, Parekh mentioned that he watches a lot of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. He said Makar’s ability to control the play from the backend is impressive and called him a ‘Deception King’ with his ability to make opponents bite and fetch them going the wrong way.
Parekh won’t have to wait long to hear his name called on Jun. 28 at the Vegas Sphere. A right-shot defenseman with his offensive skills, skating, and competitive edge are not easy to come by. His NHL ceiling is becoming another version of New York Rangers blueliner, Adam Fox.