The 2025-26 NHL season begins with its media showcases, together with the Nationwide Hockey League Participant’s Affiliation (NHLPA) Rookie Showcase in Washington, DC. For the Calgary Flames, this 12 months’s Rookie Showcase invitee is Zayne Parekh. The Flames had no invitee final season.
Parekh was picked ninth overall in 2024 from the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and signed his entry-level contract shortly after his draft. He performed one sport with the Flames final season after being referred to as up following the Spirit’s elimination from the OHL playoffs. In that one sport, he scored a purpose and helped his staff to a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings within the final sport of the common season. Because the Flames didn’t make the playoffs, his season ended there.
Parekh put up unimaginable numbers within the OHL, particularly for a defenceman. In his rookie season, he scored 21 targets and had 16 assists for 37 factors in 50 video games, and within the seasons main as much as and following his draft he scored 33 targets every time, a feat not achieved by an OHL defender since Bobby Orr. In truth, because the OHL was then referred to as the Ontario Hockey Affiliation (OHA), Parekh is the primary ever participant to drag this off. In his remaining season in Saginaw, he recorded 107 factors, the fifth-highest scoring participant within the league and 16 factors forward of the subsequent defenceman (Sam Dickinson of the San Jose Sharks, who can also be a Rookie Showcase invitee).
Parekh Separates Himself From Flames’ Different Picks
The group of rookies invited to the showcase is elite, that includes 20 first-round picks and together with 2025 first-overall decide Matthew Schaefer. Parekh’s choice from the Flames signifies that the NHLPA sees him nearly as good firm to the remainder of the intriguing younger gamers within the group.
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The Flames have among the finest prospect swimming pools within the NHL, however Parekh stands out because the crown jewel. There’s a motive he was chosen to the Showcase and 2025 first-round decide Cole Reschny wasn’t; Parekh is way more able to play on the NHL degree within the rapid future. In contrast to Reschny or fellow defensive prospect Hunter Brzustewicz, Parekh is straight away prepared not simply to play video games with the large membership, however to be an affect participant – his offensive prowess means he’s prone to be a giant contributor for Calgary and doubtlessly compete for the 2026 Calder Trophy. As he prepares to develop into a possible future face of the staff, the Rookie Showcase is a superb alternative for him to observe his abilities in entrance of a digicam.
