Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec competing to quarterback Calgary Flames' power play

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeSportsHockeyNHLCalgary FlamesCalgary Wranglers Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec competing to quarterback Calgary Flames' power play Both defenceman have impressed head coach Ryan Huska as the Flames address a power-play unit that was second-worst in the NHL last season. Author of the article: By Daniel Austin Published Sep 18, 2026 Last updated 54 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Zayne Parekh skates during Calgary Flames training camp at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. PHOTO BY BRENT CALVER /Postmedia Article content It’s a competition that may not have one winner. Article content Or maybe everyone winds up winning, depending on how you want to look at it. Article content Article content Both Simon Nemec and Zayne Parekh want to be the defenceman who quarterbacks the Calgary Flames’ top power-play unit this season. It’s something they’ll say explicitly, like Parekh did on Thursday. Article content “I want to be an elite ‘power-play 1’ guy on this team, I think I want our power play clicking and I want to be the guy that’s driving that,” the 20-year-old said after Day 1 of training camp. “I think it’s going to be a good challenge for me and I think me and Nemo are going to compete there and it’s going to be good for both of us.” Article content Article content That’s a sentiment shared by Nemec, who took reps with the Flames’ top power-play unit of Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee and Matvei Gridin on Friday. The 22-year-old, who was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in June, has undeniable potential as a No. 1 option. It’s a big part of why he was drafted second overall in 2021. Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Just because he was playing with the top unit on Friday, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s written in ink that he’ll be there all year. Article content It’s going to be an ongoing competition that may not be sorted out by the end of training camp. Article content “They might be on different units tomorrow,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “Both of those guys, if someone’s having a really good night there could be a flip on a unit…