When could Zayne Parekh join the Calgary Flames?

Zayne Parekh just finished another dominant season in the OHL, scoring an astonishing 107 points in 61 games. He will not be back in the OHL next season, as he has proven that he will be ready to make the jump to pro hockey. The question is, when will Zayne Parekh join the Calgary Flames? With how things currently stand, it could be sooner than expected.

Zayne Parekh had an awesome junior career

Throughout his time in the OHL, Zayne Parekh proved to be one of the best defencemen the OHL has seen in a while. Across his three seasons with the Saginaw Spirit, Parekh put up 240 points in 177 career regular season games. In the playoffs, he was still a force on the back end. He currently has 23 points in 26 playoff games. The Saginaw Spirit are currently down in their playoff series two games to nothing. Parekh and Michael Misa will need to step it up if they want their season to continue.

Putting up points has always been a standout for Parekh. He is the pure offensive defenceman that the Calgary Flames have needed for years. To this point in his career, his standout moment was when he helped the Saginaw Spirit win the 2024 Memorial Cup. They won a thrilling championship game against the London Knights, where Josh Bloom scored the game-winning goal with 22 seconds remaining. Parekh went on to win the CHL Defenceman of the Year award, adding to his memorable season. Afterward, the Flames drafted him ninth overall in the 2024 NHL draft.

One of the disappointing parts of Parekh’s junior career was not getting selected to represent Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship. This was by far one of the hottest topics when Team Canada released their roster. Leaving star players like Zayne Parekh, Carter Yakemchuk, and Beckett Sennecke ended up being a massive mistake for Team Canada. They failed to make the semifinals in back-to-back tournaments for the first time since 1981. Parekh surely would have been an offensive boost for Team Canada, who struggled to score throughout the tournament.

Can Parekh start with the Wranglers?

Unfortunately, no. Due to Parekh’s age and OHL experience, he does not qualify to play in the AHL next season. The eligibility criteria states that a player must be either 20 years old, or or complete four years in major junior hockey before being eligible for the AHL. Parekh will not be 20 until February next season, and only has three OHL seasons under his belt. Therefore, he can’t go to the Wranglers at all.

The only way he can not be in the OHL next year is if he makes the Flames team out of training camp.

However, we might see him wearing the Flaming C sooner than that.

Parekh could be in the NHL soon

With the Saginaw Spirit being down two games to nothing in the first round, Flames fans could see Parekh in the NHL soon. If the Erie Otters eliminate the Saginaw Spirit in round one of the OHL playoffs, Parekh could make his NHL debut this season. He would slide into the lineup, taking out one of the third pairing defencemen in Daniil Miromanov or Brayden Pachal.

After the loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, the playoff hopes for the Calgary Flames are pretty much gone. The St. Louis Blues have won nine straight games, making it extremely tough for the Flames to keep up. This makes it much more likely for Parekh to join the Flames if his OHL season ends early. Ryan Huska probably will not let him play if the Flames remain in the playoff race for the remainder of the season.

Whether Parekh joins the Flames this season or not, he is the most valuable prospect this team has had since Matthew Tkachuk. The hype around him in Calgary has been exciting to follow. He is an offensive-minded player that the Flames desperately need.

The Flames currently sit in the bottom three of the NHL in goals scored. Aside from Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Matt Coronato, there is not much scoring. Parekh will help drive the play and consistently join the rush, which will give the Flames an asset they lack. He will also be the future quarterback for a Flames power play that currently sits 19th in the NHL.

Do you think Zayne Parekh will join the Calgary Flames this season?