Saskatoon native Brayden Yager has been named Team Canada captain for the 2025 World Junior tournament.
Joining Yager on the leadership group are Tanner Molendyk (McBride, BC/Saskatoon, WHL) and Calum Ritchie (Oakville, ON/Oshawa, OHL) who will serve as alternate captains.
“I am honoured to be named captain of Team Canada for the World Juniors on a team with so many great leaders, and I am excited for our group to take the ice in Ottawa and continue working towards our goal of winning a gold medal on home ice,” Yager said in a statement.
“I look forward to serving on the leadership group and wearing the Maple Leaf with pride in front of Canadian fans.”
Yager scored two goals, recorded three assists and a team-high plus-6 at the 2024 tournament with Team Canada. He looks to lead the Red and White past the quarter-final when the team was knocked out by Czechia a year ago. The former Moose Jaw Warriors captain is one of four players returning from last year’s team.
He had a standout career in Moose Jaw, playing 232 career WHL regular season games, recording 280 points, including 115 goals and a plus-31 rating. The 19-year-old forward and two-time Brad Hornung Trophy winner as the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player was well on his way to another stellar season, as he led the Warriors in scoring with 11 goals and 30 points in 21 games until he was traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Yager was selected in the first round, 14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 NHL Draft. In August 2024, he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets.
Canada opens the tournament on Boxing Day taking on Finland at the Canadian Tire Centre at 6:30 p.m.
