The Calgary Flames have added a very exciting player to their roster. As rumoured for a few days, the Flames have recalled defenceman Zayne Parekh from the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit, following the conclusion of the Spirit’s run in the OHL post-season.

The 19-year-old Parekh is a product of scenic Nobleton, Ontario. He came up through Ontario-area high-end hockey, most recently completing his third full season with the OHL’s Spirit. He was the Flames’ first-round pick, ninth overall, in the most recent NHL Draft, and last season he was named the top defenceman in both the OHL and the broader Canadian Hockey League (as a 17-year-old) and he helped lead the Spirit to a Memorial Cup championship. He signed his entry-level deal with the Flames back in July.

He’s coming off a pretty solid 2024-25 season, all things considered, posting 33 goals and 107 points in his 18-year-old season. It’s his second consecutive campaign with 30-plus goals – something that was last done when Bobby Orr completed that feat in the old Ontario Hockey Association in 1964-65 and 1965-66. His 100-plus points is a feat not pulled off since Ryan Ellis did it in 2010-11.

If we’re trying to dial back the hyperbole, Parekh is a very good young defenceman. If we’re allowing ourselves a bit of levity, he’s a really exciting young defenceman, perhaps the most exciting the Flames have had in their system since Al MacInnis, and he’s somebody that’s done, frankly, historic things. In terms of his offensive output in the OHL, Parekh is nearly unparalleled.

Over at Sportsnet 960 The Fan, our pal Pat Steinberg has been discussing Parekh’s future over the last little while – Friday’s Flames Talk is probably the best summary of where things were at – and more recently Elliotte Friedman has joined the chorus. We would not expect Parekh to play unless the Flames fall out of the playoff picture, as the club doesn’t really want to rush Parekh into anything.

However, much like they’re doing with Aydar Suniev, the Flames want to give Parekh exposure to the big club’s environment as they push for the post-season with an eye towards giving him a head start towards 2025-26’s training camp (where he’s expected to be given a long, long look at an NHL job).

Parekh is probably the most exciting player in the Flames system. They really like him. They want him to succeed. This stint with the Flames should be seen as a preview – for Parekh, for the Flames staff and for their fans – of what he could do at the NHL level.

The Flames are back in action on Wednesday night when they face the Anaheim Ducks.