OTTAWA — Of the endless series of hugs being offered up by Zayne Parekh as he waded through a crowd of 50 friends and family members Tuesday night, none could possibly have meant more than the lengthy embrace with his mother.

Three years after the Calgary Flames’ first rounder left home to play junior, there they were, celebrating his first NHL homecoming in the bowels of the same Scotiabank Arena in which his big-league dreams were formed.

And while the money, the spotlight, the pressure, the expectations and the size of her son have all grown exponentially since Mona Lee first offered up those post-game hugs at local arenas around Markham, Ont., the comfort a mom’s unconditional support is still as essential as it is cherished.

After all, he’s still just a kid.

“I was doing his laund

See Full Page