Zayne Parekh throws shade at Flames teammates while dominating WJC

Zayne Parekh is turning heads at the World Junior Championship, and not just for what he’s doing on the ice.

The 19-year-old Flames prospect has been one of Team Canada’s most electric players, finishing the preliminary round as the tournament’s top-scoring defenseman. Parekh racked up eight points (four goals, four assists) in four games, tying him with Gavin McKenna, Michael Hage, and Tomas Chrenko for the overall scoring lead. Offensively, there’s no debate: his game is elite.

But it was what Parekh said away from the ice that raised eyebrows in Calgary.

Speaking candidly on Thursday, the young defenseman admitted that with the Flames organization, he feels he can’t truly be himself when speaking to the media. Parekh revealed that people around the team have encouraged him to keep his answers “simple” — a stark contrast to the freedom he feels representing Canada at the World Juniors, where he says he can “do what he wants.”

“I think it’s more watching NHL guys be robots and having no personality,” Parekh said. “I think you need some personality, it’s the best way to grow the game.”

That honesty may resonate with fans, but it likely didn’t sit as well with the Flames. Parekh, who has one assist in 11 NHL games this season, essentially challenged hockey’s long-standing culture of conformity, something some organizations across the NHL still fiercely protect, especially with young players.

Parekh backed up his words with another standout performance, scoring a goal and adding two assists as Canada defeated Finland 7-4 to finish first in Group B. Canada now turns its attention to a quarterfinal matchup with Slovakia on Friday.

This morning, he added to TSN’s Mark Masters: “It’s been so much fun. I wish I could stay here all year … I’m sad. I’m kind of counting the days down. It’s coming to an end. It’s been great for me. It’s a refresher. I really needed this and I’m loving every second.”

Parekh is clearly having fun and thriving by being himself. The question now is whether the Flames are ready to let their future star do the same at the NHL level.