Calgary Flames prospect Parekh calls World Juniors snub a 'blessing in disguise'
Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh seems to have a great head on his shoulders at the young age of 19.
The right-shot defenceman, who was taken ninth overall in the 2024 draft, has spoken before about his desire to grow as a person, which you don’t often hear from somebody his age. It’s a clear reflection of how mature he already is.
That maturity was on full display in a recent interview with the Empty Netters podcast, where he discussed a number of topics, including being snubbed from Canada’s World Junior roster. Instead of being bitter over the decision, he’s found a way to spin it into a positive.
“It was good motivation, for sure,” Parekh admitted. “Tried to prove to myself that I was good enough to play there. I would’ve loved to help the team, and maybe it’s a different outcome, maybe not.
“I think the best thing that came from it was that I texted my family group chat right after I got cut, like, ‘Hey, let’s go on vacation.’ We went on a family vacation, and I think that was kind of the best reset button for me. It made you appreciate other things more and allowed me to spend some time with the family. Maybe a little bit of a blessing in disguise.”
Having scored 33 goals in back-to-back OHL seasons, Parekh is not just the best prospect in the Flames system, but one of the best throughout the entire NHL. He’s expected to crack the Flames roster this coming season after being able to participate in last year’s training camp while also dressing for the regular season finale.
Parekh has spoken up about several veterans who made him feel comfortable right away, and one name he’s mentioned plenty is Ryan Lomberg. As Flames fans know, Lomberg recently took part in a hilarious video previewing the 2025-26 regular season schedule, a video which Parekh watched and had a very similar reaction to all others who saw it.
“That was all time,” said a laughing Parekh. “My brother sent it to me on Twitter, and I couldn’t even open it because it was age-restricted. I’m like, ‘What is my brother sending me right now?’ I had to go on Instagram to find it, and I was just dying for a good two minutes. … That was hilarious.”
Expect Lomberg and many other Flames to look to take Parekh under their wing this coming season as the young blue liner looks to make what he and the organization hope to be a seamless transition to the NHL.
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