The Calgary Flames, the second Canadian team to choose from the emerging talent in the 2024 NHL Draft, capped off the seven-round process with 10 new players.
Those picks include first-round pick defencemen Zayne Parekh from the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Saginaw Spirit on Friday and Calgarian Andrew Basha from the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Parekh, who was ninth overall and predicted by Sportsnet to be seventh, had 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games in 2023-24.
“Leading up to the pick, I had a feeling that I might end up in Calgary,” said the six-foot, 178-pound blueliner. “Those 30 seconds leading up to it, I just smiled. It feels great.”
Along with Parekh, the Flames snagged Matevi Gridin from the United States Hockey League (USHL) at No. 28, who had a 38-goal, 83-point showing in 60 contests with the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
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The Flames’ second-round picks included Basha, who came in 41st overall. He led the Tigers in goals (30), assists (55), and points (85) last season, all in just 63 games.
Kingston Frontenacs’ Jacob Battaglia was the team’s second pick in the second round, coming in 62nd overall. He posted a team-leading 31 goals and 34 assists in 65 games.
The third round saw OHL Ottawa 67’s defenceman Henry Mews joining Calgary 74th overall, and the team’s first goaltender in Kirill Zarubin from the Moscow Hockey League’s AKM Tula at 84th. Zarubin has a 1.99 goals-against average in 29 games.
Trevor Hoskin from the Cobourg Cougars of the OJHL donned the flaming C in the fourth round and 107th overall in the draft. The team had a 107th pick but traded it to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 150th and 177th overall picks.
The fifth round saw the Flames use its 150th pick to select Luke Misa from the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL. He managed 26 goals and 55 assists for a team-leading 81 points during the 2023-24 regular season.
Hunter Laing was called up as part of the 170th pick. The 6’6” blueliner comes from the Prince George Cougars. During the regular season, Laing picked up 25 points from 11 goals and 14 assists and played 10 games in the WHL playoffs.
And finally, the Calgary Flames snagged another Calgary native 177th overall in the seventh round. Defensemen Eric Jamieson from the Everett Silvertips led the team in plus/minus with a +34 rating while netting 10 pucks and 22 assists for 32 points in 66 games.
With files from The Canadian Press