Confident, skilled Zayne Parekh is showing why NHL teams love him at the Memorial Cup

Top players often shine in the spotlight. That’s exactly what Zayne Parekh is doing with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit as hosts of the 2024 Memorial Cup.

Over the past year, the Nobleton, Ontario native has gone from a quiet yet exceptional young prospect to one of the top “can’t miss” options heading into the draft. He’s one of the premier puck-moving options with excellent hockey IQ and incredible numbers, and it’s why he’s making so much noise on the big stage.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis has Parekh as the fifth-best prospect available, up there with the likes of other talented blueliners like Michigan’s Artyom Levshunov and London Knights d-man Sam Dickinson. NHL Central Scouting has Parekh listed as the No. 5 North American skater.

But the 18-year-old isn’t focused on next month’s draft. He’s trying to stay in the moment and closing the season out in style.

“At the end of the day, there’s going to be a time that I’m going to have to worry about the draft,” Parekh said. “But that’s not right now…just focusing on winning here.”

Parekh started the tournament with a bang, scoring a goal and two assists to help the host team grab a 5-4 win over the Western Hockey League champion Moose Jaw Warriors last Friday. This past Sunday, he followed that up by picking up another assist in a 4-3 victory over the Drummondville Voltigeurs, the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League champions.

He admits playing in the Memorial Cup is a dream come true for him.

“I got something special right in my view,” Parekh said. “You can see it, it’s pretty close. Two wins and our dreams will be fulfilled.”

Heading into the tournament, there was plenty of hype around Parekh. He led the Spirit in scoring during the regular season, scoring 33 goals and 96 points. He became the first defenseman in the Ontario Hockey League to reach the 80-point mark since Ryan Ellis scored 89 with the Windsor Spitfires back in 2008-09.

Parekh cites that his offensive prowess comes from the ever-changing role of blueliners in today’s game.

“It’s a new age of defensemen,” Parekh said. “You need to have a defenseman involved in the play, and I haven’t shown that this tournament, but I think next game, that will change. I think that’s from a bit of my confidence, a bit of my skill.”

Parekh is not shy about expressing that on-ice confidence, which shows his faith in what he can do on the ice.

“I mean, if I didn’t, why would I be playing?” Parekh sai.d “I’ve never not thought I could do something. If I think I can do something, I’m going to go get it. That’s the type of kid I am. It’s not be being cocky or arrogant, I really believe in my ability, I really believe in myself. Even when things aren’t going well, I’m going to trust my instincts and my reads to make plays. I’m not going to deviate from what I’m used to doing.”

Saginaw head coach, Chris Lazary says Parekh is doing a tremendous job handling the pressure of being a top prospect.

“I’ve never been in his shoes, but when you’re projected to be a top-five or top-10 pick, all eyes are on you and everyone’s ripping apart your game,” Lazary said. “He’s just come in and be able to perform but he also has a chip on his shoulder. At the end of the day, he’s an 18-year-old with the weight of the world on his shoulders in the biggest tournament in junior hockey and I think he’s done phenomenal.”

While everyone boasts about Parekh’s scoring touch, Lazary is quick to point out that Parekh is also good defensively, too.

“Where he excels is, as soon as we turn a puck over in the offensive zone, he’s on defense,” Lazary said. “His ability to gap, his ability to get nice and tight on his gapping angles…He’s got a phenomenal stick. He hides it well, puts it out at the right time. He’s able to close on if a player bobbles the puck. He’s a fast skater with good edges, and he defends the line well.”

After losing to the London Knights in the final round-robin game on Wednesday, Parekh and the Spirit have to face the Warriors in Friday’s semifinal to earn a rematch with London in the final. So this could be his last chance to show scouts why he deserves to be drafted early.

“I think I’m a unique player,” Parekh said. “I don’t think there’s many players that play the same way I do. You look at guys like [Luke] Hughes, [Cale] Makar and [Adam] Fox. I think I can get there. I’m really far away, there’s a lot I need to do in terms of development, but I’ve seen progression in my game every year. It’s not going to stop just because I get drafted.”