CALGARY — The last time we heard about Zayne Parekh, he was heading to the mall to buy jeans.
Having been teased by Flames players MacKenzie Weegar and Mikael Backlund for wearing joggers to a late-season dinner, the first-round rookie responded after his impressive NHL debut in the final game of the season by promising to immediately go get some denim.
Given how closely the defenceman`s every move has been watched since he was drafted ninth overall last summer, an update on his wardrobe seemed a fitting topic on Wednesday at WinSport, following the start of the Flames` development camp.
“I actually went to the mall to buy some. I wanted to get dress shoes too, but I didn`t end up getting anything,” laughed Parekh, who surprised his Flames teammates by insisting he had never owned jeans before.
“I have to go [get them]. Eventually, I will have to. Probably best to do it now.”
Whether he gets fitted for a pair of Wranglers in time for the Stampede or not, the more pressing question around here is if he`ll be ready to join the Flames this fall.
Asked if he felt better prepared to stick with the big club compared to last year, the confident Saginaw star smiled.
“Well, if I didn`t feel confident, I probably wouldn`t believe in myself,” stated Parekh, who felt “humbled” after his first training camp in Calgary before being sent back for another strong junior season.
“Last year, I didn`t have much time to prepare for camp, and I felt out of my depth. Especially when you`re nervous and [thinking] `I hope I don`t screw up or make a mistake,` you kind of attract those negative thoughts, and they are bound to happen.”
“So, I think this time around, I feel much more confident. At the end of last season, I got a taste of what it takes to play in the NHL. I got a bit of a feel for it, so hopefully, that will help.”
And indeed, he did get that experience, becoming the sixth-youngest defenceman in NHL history to score in his debut game. This capped his brief late-season call-up to the main team, which gave him ten days of playing at the top level.
