It’s been a while since there’s been genuinely exciting news around the Calgary Flames, but finally, there may be something on the horizon worth looking forward to. As reported by Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, the club has indicated that, if healthy, top prospect Zayne Parekh will be loaned to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship in Minnesota.

An NHL team loaning a player to the World Juniors is anything but common. Typically, if an under-20 player is already in the NHL, it’s for good reason. You won’t see a Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini or Matthew Schaefer released to Team Canada because they’re already impactful, everyday NHL contributors.

It does happen from time to time — maybe a couple of instances each year. A couple of years ago, the Boston Bruins loaned forward Matthew Poitras to Team Canada after he had appeared in 27 NHL games. Other recent examples include Seattle’s Shane Wright and Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke in 2023. Go back further and you’ll find a notable case in 2004, when the Pittsburgh Penguins loaned a young Marc-André Fleury to Canada.

For the Flames, though, this is essentially uncharted territory. With their history of finishing in the “mushy middle” and rarely committing to a true rebuild, Calgary has seldom been in a position where loaning a valuable young player to his national team made sense. The Flames have typically been too close to the playoff picture to justify sending away their top young players. Perhaps that will change this year if all goes to plan.

While Calgary has had several notable prospects compete at the World Juniors, the organization’s track record of actually loaning players is almost non-existent. Only a few examples stand out.

Oliver Kylington is the most recent. Although he wasn’t on the Flames’ NHL roster at the time, he was playing full-time in the AHL when Calgary loaned him to Sweden for the 2017 tournament. He recorded four assists in seven games as Sweden finished fourth after losing the bronze-medal game in overtime.

Going further back, fans might remember 1998 sixth-overall pick Rico Fata. He began his first pro season with Calgary, appearing in 20 NHL games before the Flames loaned him to Team Canada, who went on to lose to Russia in the final. Fata never returned to the Flames that season; instead, he was loaned back to the OHL’s London Knights to finish out the year.

There are also several instances of Flames prospects competing at the World Juniors and then making their NHL debuts later that season. These are not technically loans but they are still worth noting. These include Trevor Kidd (1991–92), Jarome Iginla (1995–96) and Mikael Backlund (2008–09).

The Flames haven’t had a prospect represent Team Canada since 2021, when both Connor Zary and Jakob Pelletier suited up. If all goes well, Calgary could have two more Canadians at the tournament this year: 2025 first-round pick Cole Reschny and, of course, Parekh.

For Parekh in particular, the opportunity could be huge for him. It would be a chance at redemption after being snubbed off last year’s roster, and a chance to rebuild confidence after an early-season injury and a rocky start in Calgary. A strong World Junior performance could kick-start his development and reaffirm the promise that made him one of the Flames’ most exciting prospects.