'Exciting To Be Here'

Talk about a solid start for the Class of 2024!

Not one, but two Flames first-rounders from two Junes ago will start their new season on the NHL roster, with that season-opening Battle of Alberta just two days away in Edmonton.

After making - and scoring in - his NHL debut last April, defenceman Zayne Parekh made the squad as did forward Matvei Gridin, who led the team with three preseason goals just months after being named the QMJHL’s Rookie of the Year.

“I'm happy to make the team,” Gridin smiled after the group practiced Monday morning at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “We’ll see how it goes, but yeah, happy for now.”

Parekh, the No. 9 selection in the 2024 Draft, conceded that making the big club is only the start.

“There's a lot of work to be done,” he said. “The goal for me wasn't to be just an NHL player, but to be a pretty good one, and play for a long time.

“So, you know, I’ve got a lot of years ahead, but it's exciting to be here.”

While Parekh was one of four Flames to take a rookie lap during last season’s finale in Los Angeles, Gridin is hoping for a similar experience come Wednesday night at Rogers Place.

The pair will be sporting new sweater numbers, too, each opting to go with their junior digits: Parekh will sport the No. 19, while Gridin has changed from No. 51 to 92.

An exciting time, no doubt, as the duo take the next steps in their respective pro careers.

But for head coach Ryan Huska, the fact that both are still here is a testament to how well they showcased themselves over the past weeks of training camp.

“I think both - at different times - had good camps for us, Matvei was consistent all the way through,” Huska explained Monday. “He’s got a special skill-set, and we’ve talked about his frame; even as a 19-year-old, he’s a bigger, heavier guy and we feel like he can handle it.

“Zayne, much the same, earlier in the camp towards the middle of it, kept getting better and better, saw the two teams that we played last, there was a bit of a step back, but for a defenceman when you’re learning, that’s normal.

“We’re excited about both of these young guys, and we’re looking forward to having them around.”

While Parekh and Gridin are each forging their own path - one on the wing, one at the blue line - they’re taking in the comfort of shared experiences, too.

As the youngest players on the team, they share a common bond, and both have spent the past month or so breaking bread with one another as they embark on this journey - after first meeting as Flames back on that late June night 16 months ago inside the Sphere in Las Vegas.

“(He’s) a guy who’s a similar age and a guy I could hang out with and get along with,” explained Parekh. “You know, a lot of these guys are older and they have lives with from the rink.

“As a 19-year-old, I don't really have a life, it’s just kind of hockey right now. So I was spending time with him and getting to know him pretty well.”

“It’s way easier and when you get two (players that are) 19 years old,” Gridin added. “We have a good relationship.

“(We’re) like together pretty much all the time, so it's nice.”