CALGARY — Two centrepieces of the Flames future provided a preview on Tuesday night of what’s to come.
Zayne Parekh’s tying goal late in the third was assisted by fellow 2024 first-round pick Matvei Gridin as Calgary came from behind for a 3-2 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings.
“Hopefully we’ll play for 15 more years together and generate a lot,” said Gridin with a smile.
Trailing 2-1 with less than eight minutes to go, Calgary got a two-man advantage when Blake Coleman was tripped by Cody Ceci with 25 seconds remaining on a one-man advantage.
With the game on the line, coach Ryan Huska sent his two 20-year-olds over the boards for the pivotal 5-on-3 — and it paid off. Gridin and Matt Coronato combined to set up Parekh, who zipped a shot past Darcy Kuemper.
“At that moment in the game when we’re thinking about winning games and trying to maintain, establish, push a standard that we want to have, you have to find a way to score that goal,” said Huska. “So, happy for Zayne, I know he’s probably been waiting a long time for that.”
After 96- and 107-point seasons to wrap up his junior career, Parekh has managed just four points in 26 NHL games this season.
“I think he’s frustrated, or he was, we’ve had some conversations about that,” Huska said. “For him, he just needs to remember that he’s doing a lot of great things away from the puck. He’s learning how to play the game at the NHL level, which is crazy. He’s a smaller defenceman that’s a skilled guy, and it’s hard to break in as a 19-year-old. I think he’s doing an excellent job.”
Huska is not concerned whatsoever about his young blueliner’s stats.
“The points are going to come for him, that’s just a matter of time,” said the Flames bench boss. “It’s starting to feel comfortable and figuring out how to play in the NHL.”
It’s a youth movement that’s on in Calgary after general manager Craig Conroy committed to a rebuild in trading away veterans Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri before this year’s trade deadline.
For Parekh, it’s been a challenging season. Too young to be eligible to play in the American Hockey League, yet too good to return to the OHL where dominated the last two seasons. He started the season in and out of the Flames lineup, then he got injured. He returned to health in time to play for Canada at the world juniors.
With the departure of Andersson and Weegar from the right side of the Flames blue line, he’s finally settling into some regular playing time.
“I miss Weegs, I miss Raz,” said Parekh. “Those guys were great mentors to me and were always teaching me the ins and outs, but it’s nice that we continue to get younger and we’re trying to build something here.”
After scoring in his NHL debut last season in Calgary’s final game of the season, it took 26 NHL games this season to finally notch his first goal.
It’s a different feeling considering last season with Saginaw (OHL), he joined hall-of-fame defenceman Bobby Orr as just the second defenceman in OHL/OHA history to score 30-plus goals in multiple seasons.
“I was accepting that I wasn’t gonna score this year, so it was nice to find one,” said Parekh. “I like the way I’m playing. I like the way my game is trending, and I’m having fun.”
The younger, new-look Flames are enjoying success of late, too, having won four games in a row for the first time this season.
“Confidence is sky high,” said Gridin, who has six points (one goal, five assists) in his last nine games and against the Kings played 18:44, his second-highest ice time, including two shifts in overtime. “I appreciate the coach trusts me in that situation.”
It’s trust that he’s earned.
“Matvei has really good sense, he moves the puck really well, so it’s on and off his stick very quickly, and that’s something that our power play has struggled with all year. Matvei is not that way, he’s wired a little differently, and I think that’s why, when he’s out there, it seems to have a little bit more success now,” said Huska.
The Flames will try to make it five straight on Thursday when the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks visit the Scotiabank Saddledome.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.
Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press
