Zayne Parekh was initially not invited to attend Team Canada’s world junior camp—a decision that made many people scratch their heads. In fact, Parekh was not the only snub from the 2024 NHL Draft class. Carter Yakemchuk, Beckett Sennecke, and Tij Iginla were also not invited. However, Harrison Brunicke was not medically cleared to attend camp, and as a result, Zayne Parekh ended up getting an invitation later on.
Parekh will be battling it out to make the team, and as he didn’t receive an invite initially, it’s clear that a roster spot is definitely not guaranteed. So that begs the question, will Zayne Parekh make the Canadian world juniors team? We asked, you answered.
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Do readers think Parekh makes the team?
Below are our reader’s responses to whether they think Parekh makes the team.
Does Zayne Parekh make Canada’s National Junior Team?
— The Win Column (@wincolumnCGY) December 7, 2024
Parekh is currently ranked fourth among defencemen in the OHL, scoring 32 points in 24 games. Last season, he led the league in points by defencemen with 96 points in 66 games.
Parekh makes the team
There’s no doubt about it. Parekh should make the team. In fact, he should be a lock. There is no other defenceman who can wear the Canadian jersey that has Parekh’s offensive instincts and abilities. Parekh has drawn comparisons to Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes.
It’s clear that those of our readers who chose yes for this poll recognize his special abilities. Parekh was also the OHL defenceman of the year during the 2023–24 season, and he led the Saginaw Spirit to become Memorial Cup champions. All signs point to Parekh making the team when we take a look at his past accomplishments and his ability on the ice.
So why is it that Parekh didn’t even receive an initiation initially, and that there is uncertainty about him cracking the roster? Well, let’s explore that.
Parekh does not make the team
Again, Parekh should make the team. But, that doesn’t mean he will. The fact is, Team Canada didn’t send him an invitation initially, which shows that the front office does not think as highly of Parekh as most in the hockey community do.
They may want a more balanced defensive lineup, favouring players who are more defensive-minded first rather than offensive-minded. Is that the right choice? Only time will tell, but if I could guess, my answer would be no.
Sure, my answer may come with some bias, but I firmly believe that to put the best team together on the ice, you need to select the best players for your team. In this case, Team Canada should prioritize a defenceman with generational offensive talent over another defenceman who can play a decent two-way game. If I were to bet, I would bet that Parekh does not make this team. Not because he isn’t qualified to, but because I think the staff has already made up their mind.
An uphill battle for Parekh
Parekh has a major uphill battle to make this team, that’s no secret. However, on paper, Parekh is one of the best, if not the best, defenceman at camp. If Parekh just plays his game and shows off his elite skill, there’s a chance that the staff recognize that he is too good to leave off the roster.
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