'You need some personality': Zayne Parekh doing things his way for Canada at world juniors

Zayne Parekh started off by calling his shot.

The slick defenceman told friend and teammate Michael Hage he was going to score low to the blocker side early in Canada's game against Finland on New Year's Eve at the men's world junior hockey championship in Minneapolis.

Parekh did exactly that moments later before showing off his passing ability with a tape-to-tape breakaway feed to Tij Iginla for the go-ahead goal in a 7-4 victory that secured top spot in Group B and a quarterfinal date with Slovakia.

The 19-year-old from Nobleton, Ont., who played 11 games with the Calgary Flames this season, is a special talent. He might be even more unique off the ice, especially playing a sport with buttoned-down traditions, for being unapologetically himself in all situations.

"I think it's more watching NHL guys be robots and not having any personality," Parekh said Thursday when asked why he's comfortable baring his soul to the media in both good times and bad. "I think you need some personality, and it's the best way to grow the game. I don't want to come in here and be a robot. When I'm in Calgary, I definitely have a lot of guys that are telling me to give really simple answers.

"But here I could kind of do what I want."

Parekh has probably had a similar feeling — doing what he wants — when the puck drops at the world juniors. His eight points are tied for the tournament lead, top all defencemen and are the most by a Canadian blueliner in the preliminary round since Ryan Ellis in 2011.

Hage, who grew up alongside Parekh at rinks in and around Toronto, said the No. 9 overall selection at the 2024 draft always had his own style.

"A pretty laid-back guy, even in games," said Hage, a first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens.