Zayne Parekh Parents The Immigrant Journey Behind Hockey’s Rising Star

Zayne Parekh was born and raised in the sleepy town of Nobleton, Ontario, and his rise to prominence in professional hockey has been quick and incredibly motivating. Beneath the skate marks and stat sheets, however, is a family tale based on perseverance and cultural diversity. Despite coming from very different parts of the world, his parents, Dr. Azim Parekh and Mona Lee, came together in Canada to create a home that fostered not only talent but also ambition rooted in identity.

Born in India, Dr. Azim Parekh lived in England for a portion of his early years before relocating to Canada. In addition to being a personal calling, his pursuit of dentistry served as a springboard for creating stability across generations. Extremely motivated, he made sure his kids knew the importance of discipline in both academics and on the ice. Zayne’s choice to complete high school at the age of fifteen and enroll in classes at the University of Toronto was not arbitrary; rather, it was a reflection of the disciplined support Azim had given him from an early age. His strategy was especially helpful in assisting Zayne in striking a balance between intellectual development and elite athletics, which is still uncommon among top prospects.

Zayne’s mother, Mona Lee, offers an intriguing counterpoint and enhancement to Azim’s path. Born in Seoul, her parents, Choon Yul and Mi Soon, experienced the turmoil of the Korean War before relocating to Germany and then Canada in 1967. The survival and resiliency lessons learned during this cross-continental voyage were instilled in Mona at a young age and subsequently passed on to her children. Zayne has a dual lens of precision and expression, which is evident in the way he handles a puck. She encouraged creativity and focus at home and is now a successful interior designer with her own company.

There are other Parekhs who find meaning in hockey besides Zayne. Both of his older brothers, Isa and Adyin, have established themselves as successful defensemen. Isa has committed to play for Bemidji State University in Minnesota, while Adyin is currently a member of Georgetown’s OJHL team. Ice time, early mornings, and game tape are the foundations of this family ecosystem, so it’s not merely a coincidence. Because of their shared passion for hockey, they have developed an incredibly strong and emotionally supportive support network.

Zayne’s skill on the ice is widely known, but his cultural background gives him more depth in the NHL. In a league that has long struggled with representation, he joins a still-small group of multicultural athletes as a player of South Korean and Indian heritage. In addition to bringing diversity, his presence quietly questions conventional notions of what great Canadian hockey players should look like. In many respects, he is remarkably similar to basketball player Rui Hachimura or tennis player Naomi Osaka, both of whom successfully negotiate their dual heritages while dominating the world stage.

Zayne wasn’t merely representing his country at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he assisted Team Canada in winning gold. He was speaking for a story, a story of two immigrant families who gave up familiarity and comfort in favor of opportunity. Zayne’s success in international competition magnified a story that was much larger than himself.

Zayne has continuously raised the bar during the last two years. His OHL record-breaking performance—he became just the second defenseman to score over 30 goals in a season during which he was eligible for the NHL draft—was incredibly successful in changing the way that young defensemen are assessed. His aggressive mentality and precise skating earned him comparisons to Quinn Hughes and Erik Karlsson, but his upbringing and background put him in a different lane.

When Zayne signed his rookie contract with the Calgary Flames in July 2024, he had already attained a level of recognition that is uncommon for 18-year-olds. His family, however, continued to be remarkably grounded. Even when trophies and headlines began to pile up, the Parekhs maintained their emphasis on humility, as friends and local coaches frequently recall. One of the reasons Zayne is regarded as so dependable on and off the ice may be due to his attitude, which is so frequently lacking in sports prodigies.

The Parekh family’s strategy provides a noticeably better model for early-stage prospects hoping to take a similar route. They placed a higher value on leading a well-rounded life rather than concentrating only on sports. Culture was not eradicated, nor was education sacrificed. In addition to being successful, this model is especially novel when it comes to sports parenting.

Zayne’s trajectory coincides with the growing momentum in hockey circles for discussions about diversity and inclusion. Not only does his journey deserve praise, but it also demands that media narratives, developmental structures, and scouting biases be reexamined. After all, he is a single, incredibly nimble defenseman who is the result of multiple identities and worldwide movements.