Calgary Flames defence prospect Zayne Parekh is headed to Canada’s world junior selection camp after all.
Snubbed from the initial list of invitees, which was released earlier this week, Parekh is back in the mix due to an injury to Calgary-raised Harrison Brunicke.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie was first to report the news.
Team Canada’s hopefuls will gather Tuesday in Ottawa for final auditions and tournament prep. Since the brass didn’t have his name on the original list of 10 blue-line candidates, Parekh knows he will need to turn heads at camp. If he does make the cut, the 18-year-old from Nobleton, Ont., would be the frontrunner to quarterback the top power-play unit.
The ninth-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft and the reigning winner of the CHL’s Defenceman of the Year Award, Parekh has notched eight goals and 30 points in 23 outings this fall with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. His defensive-zone work has been the focal point in his regular check-ins with the Flames’ development staff and will also be key to his chances of representing Canada at the world juniors.
It’s a tough break for Brunicke, who was born in South Africa, moved to Calgary at age two and now skates for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers. McKenzie reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins pick was not medically cleared to participate in selection camp.
Another of the Flames’ blossoming blue-liners, Axel Hurtig, has already been selected to represent Sweden at the annual holiday tournament. The 19-year-old Hurtig was a seventh-rounder in 2023 and is a stay-at-home sort for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.