The Calgary Flames have been searching for that spark on the blue line ever since Mark Giordano won the Norris Trophy in 2019. He was a defenseman who didn’t just block shots and eat minutes but one who could tilt the ice, run a power play, and inject a little danger from the blue line. Well, the Flames might have just found another like him in 19-year-old Zayne Parekh.
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This isn’t your typical cautious rookie story. Parekh is stepping into camp with confidence, poise, and the kind of swagger that makes coaches lean forward on the bench. He’s already got an NHL goal to his name—scored in his debut last April. Furthermore, he spent last season terrorising the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with 33 goals and 107 points for the Saginaw Spirit. He’s a defenseman putting up forward numbers.
Head coach Ryan Huska isn’t one for overblown praise, but even he can’t help smiling when he speaks about the youngster, as demonstrated in the video below.
Huska’s Confidence in Parekh Is Growing
Huska has been clear: every game Parekh plays, he looks sharper. The preseason is supposed to be where rookies dip a toe in and test the water. Instead, Parekh is skating like he owns the pool. Huska pointed out how the rookie is walking the blue line with ease, moving the puck on the power play, and finding ways to look calmer each night.
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“He continues to get better,” Huska said, adding that Parekh is showing the kind of confidence the Flames were hoping would emerge. It’s why they’ve been giving him heavy minutes in exhibition games—over 23 in one night alone. The team wants him to feel the weight of NHL responsibility and still move the puck like it’s nothing.
And so far, Parekh’s handled it like a veteran.
Huska Has a Skillset Calgary Hasn’t Had in a Long Time
The Flames’ back end has leaned on grinders, battlers, and stay-at-home types for years. There’s nothing wrong with that—you need those guys. But Calgary hasn’t had a true quarterback back there in ages. Parekh brings that missing dimension.
Watch him on the blue line and you’ll see something Flames fans have been craving: creativity. He isn’t just dumping pucks in or firing low shots into shin pads. He’s reading plays, sliding across the line to open up lanes, and threading passes that turn possession into scoring chances.
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It’s the kind of skillset that makes teammates better. For a young Flames squad trying to re-establish an identity, that’s gold.
Parekh Also Has What Can Be Called the Jam Factor
Huska used the word “confidence.” But another word for it is ‘swagger’, or what can be called jam. Parekh plays like a guy who knows what he can do and isn’t shy about doing it. He’s not intimidated by facing seasoned NHLers in preseason, and he doesn’t shy away from responsibility. He wants the puck, wants the ice time, and seeks the pressure.
That’s rare in a rookie defenceman, especially one who missed part of the World Junior Summer Showcase with a lower-body injury. Instead of setting him back, it seems to have made him even hungrier. Parekh looks like he’s making up for lost reps by squeezing every ounce out of camp.
What’s Next for the Flames?
So here’s the big question: Does Parekh crack the Opening Night roster? If you ask Huska, the safe answer is “we’ll see.” But the way he keeps loading the kid with minutes says more than words. Calgary’s blue line has room for a new voice, and Parekh might be ready to take it.
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Flames fans should expect that he’ll experience growing pains. He’s young, still adjusting to the NHL pace, and will make mistakes. But what Parekh brings—vision, puck movement, power-play presence—fills a gap this franchise has carried for years.
Every preseason has its hopefuls. Few show up with this much jam. Parekh might be the kind of player Calgary builds around, not the kind they ease in slowly.
The fact is that Parekh isn’t just here to audition. He has the chance to change the look of the Flames’ defence. How soon is the only question.
