“He’s unbelievable," how Zayne Parekh is driving play and expectations for Saginaw Spirit

SAGINAW, Michigan – Nolan Lalonde wasn’t expecting to get traded this season. 

On October 10, around 8 PM LaLonde got a call from Erie Otters general manager Dave Brown, who informed the goalie he’d been traded to the Sarnia Sting. Less than 30 minutes later, he got another call, this one from his agent, telling him he’d been traded again to the Saginaw Spirit. 

Trading for LaLonde was part of the Memorial Cup hosting build-up for Saginaw. The Spirit will be just the fourth non-Canadian team to host the CHL championship series in May, and by adding LaLonde, Saginaw is just one of three OHL teams with a goalie under NHL contract. 

For LaLonde, who signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets before last season, it was an opportunity to start practicing and playing with a defence core that is led by Z