Zayne Parekh (born February 15, 2006) is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a prospect to the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected ninth overall by the Flames in the 2024 NHL entry draft.
| Zayne Parekh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
February 15, 2006 Nobleton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Calgary Flames Saginaw Spirit (OHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
9th overall, 2024 Calgary Flames | ||
Playing career
editWhile playing AAA hockey for the Markham Majors in the Greater Toronto Hockey League, Parekh was selected 19th overall in the 2022 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft by the Saginaw Spirit.[1] He signed with the Spirit on May 19 and made his OHL debut on October 1, in a 10–6 victory over the Guelph Storm.[2]
In his first full OHL season in 2022–23, Parekh recorded 21 goals and 37 points across 50 games, breaking the record for most goals by a 16-year-old defenceman.[3] He was named to the CHL All-Rookie Team and the OHL First All-Rookie Team.[4][5]
The 2023–24 season saw Parekh continue as a prolific scorer and attract considerable notice from commentators and scouts. On January 20, 2024, Parekh tied the Saginaw Spirit club record set by Patrick McNeill for most goals by a defenseman in a single season,[6] and not long after was selected as one of 40 draft-eligible prospects to attend the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[7] He was suspended for two games following an incident after a stoppage in play during a game against the Windsor Spitfires on January 21, 2024.[8] He finished the season with 33 goals and 96 points, becoming only the second defenceman in league history to score at least thirty goals in their first season of NHL draft eligibility.[9]
Following the season, he received the Max Kaminsky Trophy as OHL defenceman of the year, and finished second in voting for the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL's most valuable player, behind Easton Cowan.[10][11] As well, he was named to the First All-Star Team.[12] Parekh was ultimately given the CHL Defenceman of the Year Award as the best defenceman of the three CHL component leagues,[13] and named to the CHL First All-Star Team.[14] In the postseason, Parekh was a key figure in the Spirit's deep playoff run, but injury caused him to miss the opening game of the team's Western Conference Final series against the London Knights.[15] He returned thereafter, but The Hockey News opined that he remained "a little banged up" and did not perform to his former standard.[16] The Knights ultimately defeated the Spirit in six games.[17]
Entering the 2024 NHL entry draft, Parekh's strengths such as his skating, strong shot, and puckhandling were applauded, while concerns were raised about his decision making and positioning, drawing comparisons to Erik Karlsson and Quinn Hughes.[18][19][20]
On July 5, 2024, after being drafted ninth overall, Parekh signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames.[21]
International play
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | ||
 |
2023 Czechia/Slovakia | |
Parekh represented Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, recording three assists in five games to help claim a gold medal.[22]
Personal life
editParekh is of Indian and South Korean heritage and the youngest of three hockey-playing brothers.[23] He graduated high school at 15 years old, after which he took classes at the University of Toronto.[24]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | North York Rangers | OJHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 50 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 32 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 14 | ||
| 2023–24 | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 66 | 33 | 63 | 96 | 64 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 12 | ||
| OHL totals | 116 | 54 | 79 | 133 | 96 | 24 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 26 | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Canada | HG18 | 
|
5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honours
edit| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| CHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2023 | [4] |
| CHL Defenceman of the Year | 2024 | [13] |
| First All-Star Team | 2024 | [14] |
| Memorial Cup champion | 2024 | [25] |
| OHL | ||
| First All-Rookie Team | 2023 | [5] |
| Max Kaminsky Trophy | 2024 | [10] |
| First All-Star Team | 2024 | [12] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bernreuter, Hugh (May 1, 2022). "Saginaw Spirit finish off 2022 draft after notable No. 1 pick". mlive.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ "NEWS: Spirit announce signings of Zayne Parekh, Bode Stewart". CHL.ca. Saginaw Spirit. May 19, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Kennedy, Ryan (July 21, 2023). "2024 NHL Draft Sneak Peek: Zayne Parekh Finds Footing with Spirit". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Tidcombe, Matt (June 1, 2023). "2022-23 CHL All-Star Teams announced". CHL.ca. Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Malone, Mark (June 2, 2023). "Four Sting players chosen OHL all-stars". theobserver.ca. The Sarnia Observer. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Szumowicz, Austin (January 21, 2024). "Parekh ties McNeill as Spirit defeat Petes 3-1". WNEM. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ Spiker, Brianne (January 24, 2024). "Top prospects in spotlight at CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on TSN". tsn.ca. The Sports Network. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Stockl, Joely (January 26, 2024). "Zayne Parekh Suspended for Two Games by OHL After Game Versus Kingston". thehockeynews.com. The Hockey News. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- ^ McKenzie, Bob. "McKenzie's Final Draft Ranking: Many attractive and diverse options after Celebrini". TSN. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Sweetland, Josh (April 30, 2024). "Spirit's Parekh awarded Max Kaminsky Trophy as OHL Defenceman of the Year". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Sweetland, Josh (May 2, 2024). "Knights' Cowan awarded Red Tilson Trophy as OHL's Most Outstanding Player". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ a b Sweetland, Josh (May 28, 2024). "OHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Séguin, Christopher (June 1, 2024). "Jagger Firkus named Player of the Year as the best & brightest from the CHL are recognized at the 2024 CHL Awards". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Séguin, Christopher (June 2, 2024). "CHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams presented by CCM". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ Stockl, Joely (April 26, 2024). "Saginaw's Zayne Parekh & Andrew Oke to Miss Game One of Western Conference Finals vs. London Knights Due to Injury". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Stockl, Joely (May 5, 2024). "Western Conference Finals Game 6 Preview; London Knights vs. Saginaw Spirit". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Stockl, Joely (May 5, 2024). "The London Knights Advance to the OHL Finals After Beating Saginaw & Winning Series 4-2". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Orth, Jordan (February 25, 2024). "Catching Up with Saginaw Spirit Defenseman Zayne Parekh". thehockeywriters.com. The Hockey Writers. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Kalakeche, Hadi (February 16, 2024). "DobberProspects' Mid-Season Top 64 for the 2024 NHL Draft". dobberprospects.com. DobberProspects. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ Kennedy, Ryan (March 1, 2024). "Future Watch Weekly: In Defense of Zayne Parekh – The Next Erik Karlsson?". The Hockey News. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ "Parekh, Gridin each sign 3-year, entry-level contract with Flames". NHL. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ "Misa, Parekh take gold at 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup". CHL.ca. August 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Douglas, William. "Color of Hockey: Parekh already breaking scoring records as OHL rookie". NHL. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ NHL Public Relations [@PR_NHL] (June 17, 2024). "Zayne Parekh is a defenseman for @SpiritHockey . He is the youngest of three hockey-playing sons from Canadian-born parents with Indian and South Korean heritage. #NHLDraft" (Tweet). Retrieved June 19, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Séguin, Christopher (June 3, 2023). "Spirit win their first-ever CHL championship title by defeating the Knights 4-3 in the final of the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow". Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database