With their 6-3 loss to the Erie Otters on Saturday night, the Saginaw Spirit have been eliminated from the Ontario Hockey League playoffs after just five games — but it doesn&#8217;t look like Zayne Parekh&#8217;s season is over just yet.
Parekh, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/06/28/calgary-flames-select-zayne-parekh-2024-nhl-draft/">who the Flames selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft</a>, is now eligible to enter the organization&#8217;s pro ranks at any time. But while it&#8217;s technically possible for him to join the AHL&#8217;s Calgary Wranglers, it&#8217;s far more likely he jumps right from the frying pan and onto the Flames&#8217; roster.
Prior to the end of Saturday&#8217;s series-clinching win for Erie, Sportsnet&#8217;s Elliotte Friedman and Ron MacLean discussed Parekh&#8217;s future during the &#8220;Saturday Headlines&#8221; segment on Hockey Night in Canada. At the time they recorded the segment, Saginaw was leading Erie by a 3-2 score in the second intermission of Game 5.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> have a plan to bring Zayne Parekh to Calgary if Saginaw is eliminated in the playoffs.
The Spirit are currently down 3-1 in their series against Erie. 
But Saginaw is winning 3-2 tonight heading into the 3rd period. <a href="https://t.co/dPJ9gB77AV">pic.twitter.com/dPJ9gB77AV</a>
&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908684035897123109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;He&#8217;s having a marvellous season, 107 points in 61 games. His team, Saginaw, was down 3-1 to Erie in this series but they are playing tonight as we speak,&#8221; Friedman said. &#8220;The Flames are just waiting here patiently. I do believe there is a plan to bring him to Calgary and how that would all look.
&#8220;We&#8217;ll see how it plays out. The Flames are prepared to welcome him, but they&#8217;ll be more than happy if the [Spirit] keep winning and he keeps playing.&#8221;
To his credit, Parekh recorded two assists and six shots on goal in the series finale, but he also finished with a minus-3 rating and was in the penalty box for Martin Misiak&#8217;s game-tying goal in the third period. Parekh finished the series with two goals, nine points, and 21 shots in five games.
The Flames made Parekh the third defenceman off the board when they nabbed him with the No. 9 pick in 2024, following Chicago selecting Artyom Levshunov at No. 2 and Ottawa taking Carter Yakemchuk at No. 7. After being snubbed from Team Canada&#8217;s roster at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/02/13/could-zayne-parekh-be-the-flames-best-defensive-prospect-ever/">Parekh went on a ridiculous tear in the second half of the 2024-25 season, collecting 75 points in his final 32 games</a>.
With seven games to go in the 2024-25 NHL season, the Flames currently sit five points back of the Minnesota Wild for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Parekh&#8217;s arrival could give them a huge boost in their chase, but it remains to be seen if he&#8217;ll be given a spot over the likes of experienced NHLers like Jake Bean, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal.
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With their 6-3 loss to the Erie Otters on Saturday night, the Saginaw Spirit have been eliminated from the Ontario Hockey League playoffs after just five games — but it doesn't look like Zayne Parekh's season is over just yet.

Parekh, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/06/28/calgary-flames-select-zayne-parekh-2024-nhl-draft/">who the Flames selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft</a>, is now eligible to enter the organization's pro ranks at any time. But while it's technically possible for him to join the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, it's far more likely he jumps right from the frying pan and onto the Flames' roster.

Prior to the end of Saturday's series-clinching win for Erie, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Ron MacLean discussed Parekh's future during the "Saturday Headlines" segment on Hockey Night in Canada. At the time they recorded the segment, Saginaw was leading Erie by a 3-2 score in the second intermission of Game 5.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908684035897123109

"He's having a marvellous season, 107 points in 61 games. His team, Saginaw, was down 3-1 to Erie in this series but they are playing tonight as we speak," Friedman said. "The Flames are just waiting here patiently. I do believe there is a plan to bring him to Calgary and how that would all look.

"We'll see how it plays out. The Flames are prepared to welcome him, but they'll be more than happy if the [Spirit] keep winning and he keeps playing."

To his credit, Parekh recorded two assists and six shots on goal in the series finale, but he also finished with a minus-3 rating and was in the penalty box for Martin Misiak's game-tying goal in the third period. Parekh finished the series with two goals, nine points, and 21 shots in five games.

The Flames made Parekh the third defenceman off the board when they nabbed him with the No. 9 pick in 2024, following Chicago selecting Artyom Levshunov at No. 2 and Ottawa taking Carter Yakemchuk at No. 7. After being snubbed from Team Canada's roster at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/02/13/could-zayne-parekh-be-the-flames-best-defensive-prospect-ever/">Parekh went on a ridiculous tear in the second half of the 2024-25 season, collecting 75 points in his final 32 games</a>.

With seven games to go in the 2024-25 NHL season, the Flames currently sit five points back of the Minnesota Wild for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Parekh's arrival could give them a huge boost in their chase, but it remains to be seen if he'll be given a spot over the likes of experienced NHLers like Jake Bean, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal.

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<h1>This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi</h1>
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This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at <a href="http://www.mitsu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsu.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737766788077000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IDdhb5Us0lSTEz-MS7q_U">www.mitsu.ca</a>.

Zayne Parekh watch begins in Calgary as Saginaw eliminated from OHL playoffs

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