Zayne Parekh, center, poses after being selected by the Calgary Flames during the first round of the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Steve Marcus
CALGARY – The Calgary Flames have signed 2024 first-round draft picks Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin to three-year entry-level contracts.
The average annual value for both contracts will be US$975,000.
The 18-year-old Parekh was taken ninth overall after a 2023-24 campaign that saw him score 33 goals and dish out 63 assists in 66 regular-season games before helping lead the Saginaw Spirit to a Memorial Cup title.
His 1.45 points per game was the highest by a blue liner in the Ontario Hockey League since 2009, earning him OHL and Canadian Hockey League defenceman of the year honours.
Gridin, selected 28th overall, had a career year with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, scoring 38 goals and 45 assists to lead the USHL in scoring and earning first-team all-star honours.
The Flames also signed second-round pick Etienne Morin to a three-year entry-level deal that carries an AAV of $903,400.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2024.
