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Calgary Flames getting the version of Zayne Parekh they expected

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Apr 9 2026, 7:09 pm
Calgary Flames getting the version of Zayne Parekh they expected
Jerome Miron/Imagn Images

Zayne Parekh’s rookie season with the Calgary Flames has been a bit chaotic, to say the very least.

The 20-year-old was healthy scratched plenty and often early in the season, was forced to miss significant time due to a shoulder injury, and was struggling at both ends of the ice when thrown into the lineup. That, at least, partially, was to be expected.

After all, adapting to the NHL right after junior hockey can have its challenges, particularly for defencemen. When you factor in that Parekh stands at just 6-foot, 179 pounds, it’s easy to understand why there would be some growing pains early on.

While his defensive play wasn’t up to snuff in the early going, the real concern was his lack of offence. After all, this is a player who had a combined 203 points over his final two OHL seasons.

Nobody expected Parekh to jump right into the Flames lineup and dominate offensively, though most would have envisioned 20+ points ā€” hence the concern when he had just two assists through his first 24 games of the season.

Perhaps the best news of Parekh’s rookie season came at the trade deadline, when it was announced that MacKenzie Weegar had been traded to the Utah Mammoth. By no means was the young blueliner happy to see his teammate and mentor go, but it has allowed him to get plenty more opportunities, and he’s making the most of it.

Parekh, who has suited up for 12-straight games, has racked up three goals and five points over his last nine games. That included a tally on Tuesday night in what was a 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars.

With Joel Hanley out for the season and Kevin Bahl set to miss at least the next two games, Parekh is expected to continue to get plenty of opportunity, which, in turn, could see him start to pile up even more points.

Though this may not have been the rookie season Flames fans had envisioned for Parekh, it’s been fantastic to see the strides he’s taken as of late. This recent stretch of play should help both his confidence and motivation heading into the summer ahead of what could be a breakout 2026-27 season.

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