The Calgary Flames provided an update on blueliner Zayne Parekh on Thursday, with the club announcing that Parekh is out day-to-day with an upper body injury.

Parekh is thought to have suffered the injury on a big hit late in the third period of the World Juniors semi-final game between Canada and Czechia on Sunday. (He went back to Canada’s locker room area, but ended up returning to the game.) Parekh also played in the bronze medal game on Monday against Finland, posting a goal and an assist as Canada captured bronze.

Parekh rejoined the Flames on Wednesday in Montreal, the latest segment of a pretty eventful year for the 19-year-old defenceman. Parekh started the regular season with the Flames, and played in 11 games before suffering an upper body injury on a hit from Chicago forward Nick Foligno on Nov. 7. He was activated from the injury reserve list on Dec. 12 and loaned to the Canadian national junior team in order to participate at the World Juniors.

At the World Juniors, Parekh had a heck of a tournament. He posted five goals and 13 points during the tournament. Five goals surpassed Kris Russell (2007) and Thomas Chabot (2017) for most by a Canadian at a single tournament. 13 points surpassed surpassed Bryan McCabe (1995) and Alex Pietrangelo (2010) for most by a Canadian at a single tournament. He was also named by the media to the tournament all-star team. All-in-all, aside from getting banged up, Parekh had a superlative few weeks wearing the maple leaf.

Simply put: Parekh is a really good player and the Flames really, really like him. It’s in everyone’s best interests that he get back close to feeling 100% before they unleashed him back on the NHL.

Parekh remains on the active roster, which is currently carrying 23 players – two goalies, eight defencemen and 13 forwards. The Flames also have four players on the IR: Martin Pospisil, John Beecher, Jake Bean and Sam Honzek. Pospisil is thought to be the closest of that quartet to returning, though an exact timeline has yet to be revealed.

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