Having registered 90-plus points during the 2024-25 campaign, Saginaw Spirit defenceman Zayne Parekh (33G-74A in 61 GP) and London Knights blueliner Sam Dickinson (29G-62A in 55 GP) placed themselves among the Top-10 scoring defencemen in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in the 21st century (see complete list below).

Parekh and Dickinson put together what was just the 10th and 11th campaigns of 90-plus points by a blueliner in the CHL since 2000. Moreover, having recorded 96 points (33G-63A) in 66 games a year ago, Parekh is the first defenceman from the CHL in this century to break the 90-point plateau on more than one occasion – having done so over consecutive seasons.

Specifically, with 107 points in 61 games this season, Parekh registered the highest point total by a defenceman in 23 years. His 107 points trail only Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) alumnus Danny Groulx (112 points) among rearguards in the CHL since the turn of the century (see complete list below). The Calgary Flames prospect is also the only defenceman to rank among the CHL’s top-10 scorers in a single season over the last 25 years – as his 107 points sat eighth among all skaters in the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, with 91 points in 55 games played in 2024-25, Dickinson recorded the 10th highest point total by a defenceman since 2000 (see complete list below). The San Jose Sharks prospect also set a new London Knights single-season record for the most points (91) by a blueliner, surpassing the previous mark (87) that was held by Edmonton Oilers rearguard Evan Bouchard (2017-18) and Rick Corriveau (1990-91).

This latest campaign has been a particularly special one for both Parekh and Dickinson, two players who, a little less than a year ago, met in the 2024 Memorial Cup final, as Parekh’s Saginaw Spirit edged Dickinson’s London Knights in a dramatic 4-3 victory to secure Saginaw’s first-ever CHL championship title.

In addition to becoming just the fifth CHL defenceman to record 100 points since 2000, Parekh put together a second straight 30-goal campaign, making him just the second defenceman in OHL/OHA history to achieve the feat, following in the footsteps of Oshawa Generals alumnus Bobby Orr (34 goals in 1964-65 & 38 goals in 1965-66). Moreover, Parekh became just the second defenceman in the CHL to have registered multiple 30-goal seasons in the 21st century, doing so after Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL) alumnus Jonathan Gauthier scored 30-plus goals over consecutive campaigns in 1999-00 and 2000-01. 

The latter is a feat that has seldom been achieved by defencemen in the CHL. In addition to the likes of Bobby Orr and Jonathan Gauthier, Parekh joined other blueliners such as Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) alumnus David Hazard and Kamloops Blazers (WHL) alumnus Greg Hawgood to put together a pair of 30-plus goal campaigns.

Meanwhile, Dickinson has played a key role in helping the London Knights put together 50-plus wins and 100-plus points in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2012-14. The 55 wins that Dickinson and the Knights earned in 2024-25 are the most the franchise has earned in a single season in 20 years (ie. since the 2004-05 London Knights / CHL Team of the Century won 59 times).

In addition to helping the Saginaw Spirit to their first-ever Memorial Cup title in 2023-24, Parekh became the first Spirit player to be named the CHL Defenceman of the Year last June. At year’s end, the Spirit blueliner was selected to the 2023-24 CHL’s First All-Star Team after amassing 96 points (33G-63A) in 66 games. By going ninth overall to the Calgary Flames at the 2024 NHL Draft last summer, Parekh became the highest-drafted player in Saginaw Spirit history.

The 18-year-old was originally taken by Saginaw with the 19th overall pick of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection. During his rookie season in 2022-23, Parekh scored 21 goals, the most ever scored by a 16-year-old rookie OHL blueliner, surpassing the previous mark of 19 set by Rick Corriveau of the 1988 London Knights. Parekh has also enjoyed success internationally over his career, as he helped Canada win gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Parekh also previously competed for Team Red at the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton, N.B., in January of last year.

Acquired by the London Knights from the Niagara IceDogs after he was the fourth overall pick of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Dickinson has gone on to be named to the OHL’s first all-rookie team in 2022-23 and a second team all-star in 2023-24 while winning an OHL championship. He was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the 11th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft and he captained Team Red at the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton, N.B.

Earlier this season, Dickinson was one of three London Knights who represented Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Dickinson previously earned gold for his country at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and he captained Canada Black at the 2022 World U17 Hockey Challenge, where he was voted to the World U17 All-Star Team. An 18-year-old from Toronto, Dickinson has put up 56 goals, 128 assists, and 184 points over 185 career regular-season games with the Knights. He’s also recorded 21 points (8-13–21) over 39 career games in the OHL Playoffs.

DEFENCEMEN IN THE CHL SINCE TO TOP 90-PLUS POINTS SINCE 2000
2024-25 – Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 107 points
2024-25 – Sam Dickinson – London Knights / OHL – 91 points
2023-24 – Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 96 points
2023-24 – Hunter Brzustewicz – Kitchener Rangers / OHL – 92 points
2023-24 – Luca Cagnoni – Portland Winterhawks / WHL – 90 points
2013-14 – Guillaume Gélinas – Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL – 92 points
2010-11 – Ryan Ellis – Windsor Spitfires / OHL – 101 points
2001-02 – Danny Groulx – Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL – 112 points
2000-01 – Marc-André Bergeron – Shawinigan Cataractes / QMJHL – 101 points
2000-01 – Chris Lyness – Val-d’Or Foreurs & Montréal Rocket / QMJHL – 99 points
1999-00 – Michel Périard – Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL – 100 points 

MOST POINTS IN THE CHL BY A DEFENCEMEN SINCE 2000
1. Danny Groulx – Victoriaville Tigres / QMJHL – 112 points (2001-02)
2. Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 107 points (2024-25)
T3. Marc-André Bergeron – Shawinigan Cataractes / QMJHL – 101 points (2000-01)
T3. Ryan Ellis – Windsor Spitfires / OHL – 101 points (2010-11)
5. Michel Périard – Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL – 100 points (1999-00)
6. Chris Lyness – Val-d’Or Foreurs & Montréal Rocket / QMJHL – 99 points (2000-01)
7. Zayne Parekh – Saginaw Spirit / OHL – 96 points (2023-24)
T8. Hunter Brzustewicz – Kitchener Rangers / OHL – 92 points (2023-24)
T8. Guillaume Gélinas – Val-d’Or Foreurs / QMJHL – 92 points (2013-14)
10. Sam Dickinson – London Knights / OHL – 91 points (2024-25)
11. Luca Cagnoni – Portland Winterhawks / WHL – 90 points (2023-24)