Two Flames prospects are on Canada’s radar for World Juniors

Jul 16 2024, 9:04 pm

The Calgary Flames had two top prospects named to Hockey Canada’s roster for the upcoming World Junior Summer Showcase.

Defencemen Zayne Parekh and Etienne Morin both received the fantastic news earlier today. The six-day event, which will feature a series of practices, along with exhibition games versus Finland, Sweden, and the United States, will give both Parekh and Morin a shot to impress Canada’s coaching staff as they attempt to crack Canada’s roster for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Parekh, who the Flames selected ninth overall in late June, is the organization’s top prospect. The 18-year-old, who has drawn comparisons to Erik Karlsson, was one of the top defencemen in the 2024 draft. He’s coming off of a season with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL in which he scored a team-leading 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games.

Morin is no slouch of his own. The 19-year-old, who, like Parekh, recently signed his entry-level contract, was selected by the Flames in the second round of the 2023 draft. His offensive numbers for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL dipped this past season as he looked to focus on his defensive play, but were still solid nonetheless, with 12 goals and 49 points in 58 outings.

The two blue liners were a part of 42 total players selected to represent Canada at the summer event, which will take place from July 28 through August 3.

The Canadians will be looking for revenge at the upcoming World Junior tournament, as they shockingly failed to medal at the 2024 event. Instead, it was the United States who won gold, while Sweden won silver and Czechia took home bronze. It ended Canada’s chances of a three-peat, having won the event in 2022 and 2023.

Colton PankiwColton Pankiw

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