Calgary Flames' top prospect being held out of World Juniors camp with injury
The Calgary Flames are taking the cautious route with top prospect Zayne Parekh.
After being snubbed by Team Canada in last year’s World Juniors tournament, Parekh was invited to participate in the Canadian summer camp intended to evaluate potential players for the 2026 tournament.
The 19-year-old defenceman has already participated in two practices with Team Canada at the summer showcase earlier this summer, but he will not hit the ice for the camp due to an injury.
“For precautionary reasons, Zayne Parekh will not participate in the Team Canada World Junior camp due to a lower-body injury,” the Flames said in a social media statement. “He has returned to Calgary, where he will follow up with Flames medical staff.
“He is expected to be a full participant at Calgary Flames camp in September.”
For precautionary reasons, Zayne Parekh will not participate in the Team Canada World Junior camp due to a lower body injury. He has returned to Calgary where he will follow up with Flames medical staff. He is expected to be a full participant at Calgary Flames camp in September.
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 29, 2025
It’s never good news to hear that your team’s top prospect is injured, but Flames fans should find some relief in the last sentence of that statement. While Parekh will miss the World Juniors camp, it doesn’t sound like the injury is serious enough to put him at risk of missing Flames training camp in September.
Parekh is expected to make a serious push for an NHL roster spot this season. The Markham, Ontario native made his NHL debut with Calgary in last year’s regular season finale against the LA Kings, where he recorded his first NHL goal in a 5-1 victory.
That came after yet another impressive season in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit, notching 33 goals and 107 points to lead all CHL defenders.
If he winds up cracking the Flames roster out of training camp, that could cause Parekh to miss the upcoming World Juniors altogether, unless Calgary permits him to leave the team in late December/early January.
While there must’ve been some bitter feelings about being left off Canada’s roster last year, Parekh seems to have gotten over it. Earlier this summer, he called the snub a “blessing in disguise” as it helped motivate him to get better.