Zarin Mehta, a senior at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, is in his third season on defense for co-op Chicago Central in the Varsity Champions League of the IHSHL North-Central Division.
The 17-year-old Chicago resident, in uniform No. 49, is the team’s captain this season – and an internationally acclaimed award-winner off the ice with about 40,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel and more than 1.1 million views in less than two years.
Mehta is an acclaimed classical pianist and composer, winner at the 2024 Kaufman International Piano Competition. His piano accolades include first prize last year in senior piano and twice he has won second prize in composition in the national finals of the Music Teachers National Association Competitions. He also has claimed prizes in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the International Young Artist Concerto Competition (three times), the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition, the Rembrandt Young Artist Chamber Competition, and more.
“The overlap between the hockey and piano communities is, not surprisingly, low, though I have a couple friends who do both at a high level,” Mehta said. “There have been times where I’ve had to go straight from a piano performance to a hockey game, and vice versa. These are two activities that require completely different mindsets and preparation, so I’ve learned how to quickly shift my focus from one to the other.
“There have been a few skills I’ve developed (that help in hockey and on the piano), first being the one about shifting my mindset (between the two activities). The second is about time management. On a typical school day, I must squeeze in at least two hours of piano practice, hockey practice and homework. So, I’ve learned how to optimize my time and be the most efficient I can. I’ve also discovered that I perform the best in both hockey and piano when I am the most confident and willing to take risks.
“On the contrary, if I am having a bad game or performance, I cannot give up in the middle of a piano performance, just how I can’t give up when I’m down 5-0 in a hockey game. I’ve learned to keep fighting until the very end, even if the result does not go the way I want.”
Mehta played for the Chicago Jets before joining Chicago Central and, as a freshman, was the team captain for the Jets. As a seventh grader playing for the Jets, they won their divisional finals and, despite being ranked as underdogs in state playoffs, made it to the semifinals.
Mehta is a balanced defenseman who brings strong skating, puck work and deception to the ice. “While I enjoy rushing the puck and joining offensive plays, my strengths are on the defensive side, particularly on breakouts and odd-man rushes,” he said. “I am a smaller defenseman, so my style is more as a balanced, intelligent player rather than a rougher, physical one.”
Chicago Central wrapped 2024 with a 4-15-1 league record, including back-to-back losses. The team has been steadily improving this season after losing most of its roster from last season to graduation. “I’m really excited by the hard work and chemistry we’ve cultivated going into the final stretch of the season,” Mehta said.
Mehta is still looking for his first league goal this season. In fact, he’s looking for his first-ever regular season North-Central goal.
“As the captain, I want to make sure I’m being an effective and constructive leader, setting the example for the ethic and culture for our team,” he said. “It’s a unique opportunity to play on a team with players from six schools. Coming from a small school that has only 80 people per grade, I’m grateful that I can even play high school hockey. But there are also some challenges. I’m the only one on my team that goes to Francis Parker, for instance, so there are a lot of teammates who I rarely ever see outside of the hockey rink, whereas people on single-school teams can see each other at school and inherently build chemistry with each other. Many of us can’t do that with our teammates. However, this only makes me prouder of the chemistry our team has built and the way we’ve come together in such a short amount of time.
“Playing on a combined hockey team has led me to great friends and teammates across different schools, as well as people I’ve made good connections with on other teams in our division.”
Mehta started playing the piano when he was 4, following the path paved at that age by his older sister who is now a sophomore at Columbia University. Mehta quickly advanced from basic sight-reading exercises to formal pieces, studying works by Bach and Mozart at age 5.
“Since then, I’ve grown consistently as a pianist, tackling some of the most advanced pieces in the piano repertoire,” said Mehta, who has participated in small chamber music groups. He also has performed as a soloist with professional orchestras in Chicago.”
Mehta has competed on the piano at national and international events, playing in New York, South Carolina, California, Canada, Italy and elsewhere.
Several summers ago, he opened for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with a 45-minute concert at the Ravinia Festival, “which was probably the highlight of my piano career so far,” he said.
“Music is so special because it is a way to tell stories through sound. I perform best when I attach a story or narrative to a piece, as I can more directly appeal to the listener’s emotions. After all, a piece is much more compelling and effective from a listener’s perspective when a performer asks, ‘How can I portray the feeling of elation, or heartbreak?’ as opposed to ‘How can I play the notes right?’
“I’ve found that getting the notes right is the first step, but the true beauty of music lies in the emotional narrative of the music, rather than the accuracy.
“Piano is done mostly on my own. Pianos aren’t typically featured in orchestras, so most of my work is done solo. As such, hockey has been particularly meaningful in balancing my activities, as I am able to receive the teamwork and camaraderie of a sport that doesn’t come as readily in piano.”
Mehta is a straight-A student and a national merit semifinalist. He also has a strong interest in mathematics and recently conducted an undergraduate-level independent study on linear algebra and wrote a research paper about Fibonacci Sequences.
He also is a music composer, primarily for piano. “Having perfect pitch has served me somewhat for piano but has especially helped me for composition and being able to ideate compositions in my mind,” he said.
Slapshots With … Chicago Central Defenseman Zarin Mehta
At School: Serves as executive advisor of the student government
Hobbies: “I spend a lot of time listening to music, ranging from Mozart and Beethoven to Kendrick Lamar and Lucki. I also watch a lot of NHL and NFL. I cherish spending time with family and friends.”
College Plans: Attend a four-year university and continue his piano studies either through a dual program with a music school or through the university’s music offerings. “I also would love to continue playing hockey at the club level.”
Piano Playing: “I spend on average two hours of practice a day, often three or four hours (per day) over the summer. I participate in numerous competitions and performances throughout the year, as well as music festivals during the summer.”
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Quinn Hughes
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Friday Night Lights
Favorite TV Show: Arrested Development
Favorite Pre-game Meal: Chicken and pasta
Favorite app: Weather
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Jake from State Farm: “He seems like a good neighbor.”
Best Hockey Tip: “Body on body, stick on stick.” — Zarin Mehta’s dad, Neil
Influences: “My dad has been my strongest influence. Growing up, he played hockey in the Chicago area; he was the one who got me into hockey. Since then, I have enjoyed having him at most of my games and receiving his post-game feedback, what I did well and what I could improve. Also, coaches throughout my career have all shaped my game in many ways.”
Best High School Uniform (other than Chicago Central): New Trier Blue