Flames Prospect Raises Eyebrows With Possible Social Media Post Like

If no one was near a TV or social media on Friday night, they may have missed one of the most historic upsets in World Juniors history. Latvia earned a 3-2 shootout win over Canada, their first victory over the hockey superpower.

Hockey experts and fans took to social media to discuss the construction of Canada's lineup for this year's tournament, which did not include Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh.

Parekh, a Flames first-round draft pick (19th overall) from the 2024 Draft, has 11 goals and 36 points in 28 games with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL. Initially left off the training camp roster, he joined the team late, only to be one of the first cut.

On Friday night, when several social media accounts started to share the news about the Latvia upset, Parekh appeared to have liked a Sportsnet post about "Latvia Stuns Canada."

However, Parekh may not have been alone. Someone screenshotted a post that Carter Yakemchuk liked. Yakemchuk is no stranger to Calgary fans, as he's currently with the Hitmen in the WHL.

He was drafted two spots ahead of Parekh and was also cut from this year's Canada team despite having 12 goals and 29 points in 26 games.

At the 2024 World Juniors, Canada came home without a medal. With the tournament in Ottawa this year, they hope to win gold again, as they did in 2009 when the city last hosted the event.

Related: Top Performances By A Flames Prospect At World Juniors

Canada has medalled in four of the past five tournaments and opted not to construct the best possible lineup for the 2025 World Juniors. Instead, they approached the project looking for players who fit specific roles.

After two games, the host country is 1-0-1-0 and sits atop the Group A standings. However, it is in the same division as the reigning champions, the United States. The two North American hockey clubs meet on New Year's Eve in one of the tournament's marquee matchups.