Despite facing some challenges in recent months, Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh remains confident in his abilities and focused on his future.
The Flames selected Parekh ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, instantly making the 6-foot-defenceman the organization’s top prospect. Many believe Markham, Ontario, could be ready for NHL action as soon as next season.
Parekh had the opportunity to attend Flames training camp last fall, where the 18-year-old observed the daily routines of professional players and had the opportunity to interact with several of them. Among them was fan-favourite Ryan Lomberg, who he said left a lasting impression on him during an exclusive interview with Daily Hive.
“I was a little in awe of the guys I was around, but they were super nice and super welcoming,” Parekh said. “A guy like Lomberg, who’s pretty scary, was one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. Really good people there.”
That experience only fuelled Parekh’s excitement about being a part of the Flames. The right-shot blueliner had a strong sense Calgary was going to be the team to select him following some positive conversations with management during the combine. When it was made official, he couldn’t have been happier.
“I knew heading into draft day that there was a really good chance [to go] there. It wasn’t much of a surprise.
“I was getting really anxious; there was [some] anxiety that was creeping in. It wasn’t the best feeling when I was sitting there, but when my agent told me that it was going to end up being Calgary, it really took a lot of stress off of me.
“It was like a big weight being lifted off my shoulders.”
“That was kind of a gong show. There’s no better impression to have for a kid than going to the Stampede.” – #Flames prospect Zayne Parekh = big Calgary Stampede fan 🤠 pic.twitter.com/5nWoqAWkRv
— Colton Pankiw (@Coltonpankiw) January 21, 2025
Parekh has been embracing the city ever since. He wasn’t only able to make his way out in the fall but also came out in early July for development camp. During that time he was also able to truly experience Calgary by visiting the Stampede, which left a great early impression.
“I’ve been in that area, but it was a little while ago. I think I’ve been out there for a tournament or two when I was super young, but [the] Stampede was kind of the first taste of the city. That was kind of a gong show,” Parekh chuckled.
“There’s no better impression to have for a kid than going to the Stampede and buzzing around to all the concerts. It was a super fun time. I got recognized a little bit while I was there. It shows you how much the city loves hockey. I had a lot of really good interactions and met a lot of really good people.”
A 🚨🚨🚨🍎🍎 night from #Flames prospect Zayne Parekh took him to the top of @SpiritHockey‘s record books as his 184 points are the most by a d-man in team history! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PEDUbWN66D
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 19, 2025
Despite all the success Parekh has had in his playing career to this point, he was a notable omission from Canada’s World Junior camp when the rosters were first released. He wound up getting a late invite as an injury replacement but failed to crack the roster.
“It sucks that I wasn’t on that team. I’ve always dreamed of playing in the World Juniors; [I have] it on every Christmas. Getting left off sucked, but I’m just trying to do my best and prove to the people around me how capable I am.
“I’m not trying to prove any of the people there wrong because of the decision they made. I’m just trying to prove to myself what type of player and what type of person I am and continue to get better.”
Parekh has already done more than enough to prove himself offensively, leading all OHL defencemen with 96 points a season ago. He’s up to 16 goals and 51 points through 36 games in 2024-25. While the stats are continuing to pile up, he’s focused hard on rounding out the rest of his game in order to become NHL-ready.
Zayne Parekh Mixtape
I love this pick#Flames pic.twitter.com/OAPSsqvfM3
— Drew (@ajayissock) June 29, 2024
“I’ve been working on rounding out all parts of my game. I’m trying to get better every day. This year I think I’ve taken a huge step in gapping off the line, closing with my stick, and then going through hands. That’s been the focus. Around the net I’m trying to gain some strength and get better at my box outs.”
Parekh is one of several great young prospects the Flames currently have in the pipeline. They, along with the likes of Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, and Dustin Wolf, are starting to create quite a buzz in this city.
While Parekh does still have room to grow, his elite-level talent paired with his relentless work ethic points toward a very bright NHL future in the years to come.