Parekh of Flames heating up for Canada at World Junior Championship

MINNEAPOLIS -- Zayne Parekh getting sick the day of the biggest game of his junior career was the latest pothole in what's felt like the bumpiest road his hockey career has taken him down.

But playing for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship could be the cure for what's ailed him as a Calgary Flames defenseman still adjusting to life as NHL rookie.

"It's been a tough season," Parekh said on Friday. "I haven't found my groove, and that's why I'm here. So, I'm looking to find it."

Parekh scored twice in Canada's 7-5 win against Czechia at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Friday, despite feeling ill.

"It was a grind this morning to get up, feeling really under the weather," he said. "I pumped a bunch of electrolytes into me and some meds and felt great. Just some cold and flu symptoms.

"My legs were dead, and I had some body aches. But a little bit of Tylenol, put some back, and felt good."

He certainly looked healthy and much like the player who completed his junior hockey career with his second-straight 30-goal season for Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League in 2024-25.

Then after his junior season ended, he joined the Flames for their season finale and scored his first NHL goal.

It's been a bit of a tougher time for the 19-year-old this season. Parekh has one assist and is averaging 14:46 of ice time in 11 NHL games, but he hasn’t played for Calgary since Nov. 7 after taking a hit into the boards by Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno. He was placed on injured reserve and when he was activated Dec. 12, Parekh was assigned to Canada's WJC training camp.

So when he scored his first goal Friday, a wrist shot from the top of the right face-off circle that beat goalie Michal Orsulak (2026 NHL Draft eligible) to the far side over his glove, it felt like a reminder of the player Parekh was and believes he still can be.

"Kind of just like a weight lifted off my shoulders," Parekh said. "It's been a tough year for me. I've dealt with a lot, and for me, it's a confidence builder, and I know I still got it."

Parekh’s second goal was even nicer. During a Canada power play, he reached up to glove a pass by Gavin McKenna (2026 draft eligible) that deflected off stick of a Czechia player, skated through the offensive zone and beat Orsulak with a shot high to the far side from the left face-off dot.

"He's a great player," McKenna said. "He can shoot the puck and score big goals. That's why he's at where he is. ... He's just so calm and so poised. He's so smooth and he makes those risky plays, but they seem to always work. I love playing with him on the power play.

“He's a lot of fun to play with, and he's a great player."

Canada coach Dale Hunter said he and his staff have been able to remind Parekh of how good he could be as well, including by playing him a game-high 22:27 against Czechia. He played a game-high 23:11 in a 2-1 overtime win against Latvia on Saturday.

"It's tough in the National Hockey League for young kids to go up and play, and you're in and out of the lineup," Hunter said. "It's tough. You're not used to it either, because when you play junior or college, you're in every day and you're playing 30 minutes a night. So, it's a big change when you drop your minutes down. So here, we're relying on him. He knows it, and he's been a big part of it from the get-go here, and he just proved it [against Czechia]."

Parekh also has gotten support from his Flames teammates, several of whom reached out Friday.

"Johnny (Huberdeau) just texted me," Parekh said. "And then 'Frosty' (Morgan Frost), 'Beezer' (Joel Farabee) and (Matt) Coronato all have a group chat together, and they just texted me. ... Johnny sent me a good text. So, it's nice that I know they're watching and their support means the world to me."

The goal for Parekh is a deep run with Canada, and the kind of play that gives him some confidence to work his way into a larger role with the Flames moving forward.

"Even NHL hockey players that have been around there for 10 years, they lose their confidence," Hunter said. "So by doing this, getting [to feel] good about yourself, doing the plays that you used to do, hopefully you can continue it with Calgary."