CALGARY — Zayne Parekh‘s junior days could be numbered.
The 19-year-old defenseman, the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, will have “every opportunity” to make the Calgary Flames this fall, according to general manager Craig Conroy.
“It’s the same thing that Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan did when they came in as young guys … they just took a spot,” Conroy said. “They played so well we could not send them back. That’s the message for all our young guys. That’s the best way to do it — come in and earn a spot — but he’s going to be given every opportunity, obviously.
“He’s a special, special player for us and we have high expectations, but we don’t want to rush him to rush him. He is going to get a really good look at camp.”
Parekh had 107 points (33 goals, 74 assists) in 61 games with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League last season, fifth in the league in scoring, following up the 96 points (33 goals, 63 assists) in 66 games (tied for sixth in the OHL in scoring) he had a year prior in his draft season.
His totals are two of the three most productive seasons by an OHL defenseman since 2000, and he is the first OHL/OHA defenseman to score at least 30 goals in multiple seasons since Bobby Orr did so with Oshawa from 1964-66.
“I mean, everyone knows that for me, I’m trying to play in the NHL,” said Parekh, who doesn’t turn 20 until Feb. 15. “All my peers know that. I have a great support group and everybody’s pushing me every day and I’m pretty hard on myself, too. I’m going to keep working so that in the fall, it’s pretty far away, but I’ve got to have a big camp.”
The Flames are hoping so, too.
Parekh, due to his age, isn’t eligible to play in the American Hockey League this season, and is ineligible to play in the NCAA after signing his three-year, entry-level contract last summer.
After two standout seasons in junior, the goal is to make sure he’s ready to make the jump to Calgary on a full-time basis.
“It would make it better for us and everybody and himself,” Conroy said. “We all would love him to come in and make the team. That’s the No. 1 priority moving into the season. We don’t want to rush him, but he’s going to get an extended look. That’s just part of the plan moving forward. Going back to junior, for sure he could have another 100-point season, but that’s probably not the best thing for his development.
“I do think he’s going to come in with definitely more of a comfort level and he’s got a swagger and he’s got a cockiness that we like … not in a bad way but in a good way … he told me his goal is to make the team and to be a regular-time NHL player. That’s his one mindset going into next year.”
Training camp, ultimately, will decide.
It was at training camp last year, his first, that Parekh was reassigned to juniors after 10 days in what he at the time called “a very humbling week.”
Parekh, who closed out last season with a recall to Calgary on April 8 after Saginaw’s season ended, feels better poised to take advantage of his opportunity this time around.
“I think there was an opportunity last year too, but I wasn’t ready for it,” he said.