Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Calgary Flames Select Defenceman Zayne Parekh at Ninth Overall

Originally posted on Calgary Hockey Now
By Trevor Neufeld | Last updated Jun 28, 2024 10:07 PM ET

Welcome to the Calgary Flames, Zayne Parekh.

With off the board player selections such as Beckett Sennecke and Carter Yakemchuk making waves throughout the first half of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, fans and media alike clamoured at the potential players falling within the Flames reach at ninth overall.

That pick ended up being used to select offensive defenceman Zayne Parekh.

Zayne Parekh

Playing a brand of hockey that is entirely his own, Parekh combines a sequence of elusive puck management to create offence along the blue line. Bringing a toolset of fakes, dekes and patience, Parekh has drawn comparisons to Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes as a comparable at the same age.

Courtesy of EliteProspects:

Zayne Parekh (EP's 6th-ranked prospect for #2024NHLDraft) tied for second in points among all OHLers in January:

• 11 games
• 9 goals
• 7 primary assists, 5 secondary assists
• 31 shots on goal
• Opponents outscored 19-5 while on the ice at even-strength pic.twitter.com/7s9mmBfwXr

— Lassi Alanen (@lassialanen) February 7, 2024

A right shot that weighs in at six feet and 183 pounds, Parekh recorded 33 goals and 63 assists for 96 points in 66 games with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL in 2023-2024.

The Nobleton, Ontario, native will likely suit up for his third OHL season in 2024-2025 with a Saginaw Spirit group that won the Memorial Cup in 2024 after defeating their archrival, the London Knights. Zayne finished the round-robin tournament with a goal and four assists for five points in five games to go with a Memorial Cup-leading +6 even-strength goal differential.

In a moment of possible foreshadowing, the Flames invited Zayne’s older brother, Isa, 20, to the Flames Development Camp in the summer.

NHL NEWS |
Clippers defenceman Isa Parekh has been invited to Calgary Flames
development camp this summer!

Congratulations,
Isa!

Details –> https://t.co/KT1EJ1OsX2
#BCHL
pic.twitter.com/Tu8hSDatiL

—
Nanaimo Clippers (@ClippersHockey) June
28, 2024