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What Zayne Parekh said after season debut with Calgary Flames

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Oct 11 2025, 11:45 pm
What Zayne Parekh said after season debut with Calgary Flames
Sergei Belski/Imagn Images

After sitting as a healthy scratch for the first two games, Zayne Parekh made his season debut in the Calgary Flames’ home opener this afternoon.

The outing didn’t go as the Flames had hoped, as, despite a solid effort, they fell to the St. Louis Blues by a 4-2 final.

Despite the frustrating loss, it was a solid debut for Parekh, who logged 17:21 of ice time, 4:31 of which came on the power play.

While he appeared calm and composed throughout, the 19-year-old admitted that he had plenty of nerves heading in.

“I was pretty nervous actually,” Parekh said. “I felt way more nervous going into this one than my first one. I just tried to have fun with it. The worst thing that could happen is maybe I end up not playing next game. There’s bigger things than hockey, so [I] just tried to have fun with it.”

Parekh, who has been the top prospect in the organization since being selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft, is already a favourite amongst Flames fans. That was very evident during the intros prior to puck drop, where he received a very loud ovation.

“It means a lot,” Parekh said of the ovation. “Obviously it’s a hockey city, and they love it. I appreciate it. It puts a smile on my face. It’s nice to have the fans behind your back.”

While Parekh made it clear he understood why he sat out the first two games of the season, he seemed confident that he rose to the challenge when called upon this afternoon.

“I thought it was a step in the right direction,” Parekh explained. “I didn’t really have my game all preseason. I thought I played a pretty good game. It kind of brings my confidence back, actually a lot. We didn’t win, but I thought it was a good start for me, at least.”

Head coach Ryan Huska has continued to preach patience when it comes to Parekh’s development and admitted that he felt he wasn’t at his best late in the preseason. In this one, however, he seemed relatively pleased by the play of his young blueliner.

“I thought Zayne was good. I thought he was fine,” Huska said. “There were a few plays in his own zone that, the more he gets in, you’ll see a little bit more composure with the puck. But I thought he had a fine game.”

The Flames will be back in action at the Saddledome on Tuesday night, before heading out to take on the Utah Mammoth the following evening.

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