Zayne Parekh Finds Out Personality Has Limits in the NHL

Calgary Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh spoke again after Canada’s bronze-medal victory at the World Juniors, his first media availability since his New Year’s Day comments describing NHL players as “robots” with “no personality” in the media.

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Related: Flames Players Not Thrilled with Zayne Parekh’s Recent Remarks

Asked to reflect on those remarks, Parekh acknowledged his poor choice of words.

“I think some things got spun out of proportion … probably worded things wrongly,” Parekh said. “But obviously it wasn’t my intent in the words I said, and I sincerely apologize to the Flames organization and my teammates. At the end of the day, that’s not acceptable and that can’t happen.”

In short: apology issued, lesson learned, personality temporarily shelved.

That response came after Parekh had previously explained his belief that personality helps grow the game, and the NHL wasn’t overflowing with it. He wanted to be different. He also hinted that it was nice not to be silenced during media interviews.

“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,” he said earlier in the tournament. “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 Can One Day Speak His Mind… Just Not Yet?

Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar reached out to Parekh after the comments to give him a little teammate advice. He offered perspective, pointing out that Parekh’s comments had reached the locker room and some of his teammates didn’t love the remarks.

“I think he does feel a little bit bad about it, which is OK,” Weegar said. “I knew it wasn’t a personal shot. I don’t like when NHL players are robots either. There’s just a way to show your personality.” In other words, you can speak your mind, but be careful what you say and when you say it. For Parekh, he’s not necessarily paid enough dues in the NHL to make sweeping comments about the players he’s trying to keep up with.

Give it time.

Despite the noise, Parekh’s on-ice performance continued to do the talking. He recorded his 13th point of the tournament, setting the all-time Canadian record for points by a defenceman at a single World Juniors.

Nazem Kadri understands what it’s like to get caught up in a moment, especially when everyone wants to talk to you. Parekh has arguably been Team Canada’s best player. “Everybody’s excited at the World Juniors,” Kadri said. “He’s a confident kid. I like the swagger. I wouldn’t make a huge deal of it.”

In light of the apology, the situation appears far less dramatic than initially framed. That said, the Flames are going to have a little fun with Parekh. “We won’t let him off the hook that easy,” Weegar laughed. “There will be some jokes flying around.”

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