Team Canada has four players from Saskatchewan on the 2025 World Junior team, Brayden Yager, Berkly Catton and Caden Price are from Saskatoon whereas Tanner Howe is from Prince Albert.
"With all that green, wearing red in Ottawa, chances are it could turn to gold," TSN's Craig Button told SportsCage host Barney Shynkaruk.
At the 2023 World Junior tournament, Team Canada had two players from Saskatchewan: Nolan Allan and Kevin Korchinski. Last year, Team Canada only had one player from Saskatchewan, which was Yager, who is the captain for this year's team.
"No surprise to me that he's the captain of this team," Button said. "He leads because, and I use this term when I talk about Brayden, there is nothing beneath him in the game."
"Whatever needs to happen, whatever is necessary, whether it be winning a face-off, whether it be blocking a shot, whether it be standing in front of the net, whether it be taking the puck and trying to draw a penalty, score a goal, make a play, take a hit -- Brayden Yager embodies all of those qualities.That's why he'll be an instrumental part of this team."
Yager is currently a Winnipeg Jets prospect. He was originally selected in the first round, 14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 NHL Draft and traded last August for Rutger McGroarty. The 19-year-old used to play for the Moose Jaw Warriors until he was traded with his teammate Jackson Unger to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in December. Through 23 WHL games this season, he has scored 12 goals and recorded 22 assists.
Button praised the other Saskatchewan players on Team Canada at the World Junior tournament: Catton, Howe and Price.
"Berkly's in the guts of the action," Button said. "Wherever the guts of the action are, wherever blood is being spilled, Berkly's in there paying a price and he is going to do everything.
"He's going to play in that energy role area, that's where Tanner has excelled when you have this depth of talent, It's one that he embraces," Button explained about Howe’s fit to the team.
"I don't know if Caden will have a prominent offensive role, but offence gets created by ensuring you don't spend a lot of time in your zone -- Caden's going to be really instrumental in that regard."
Howe is a Penguins prospect as he was selected in the second round, 46th overall by Pittsburgh in the 2024 NHL Draft. Catton was in the same draft as Howe and was selected in the first round, eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken. As for Price, the Kraken selected him in the 2023 NHL Draft in the third round, 84th overall.
All three play in the WHL, Howe was originally with the Regina Pats but was traded to the Calgary Hitmen, Catton plays for the Spokane Chiefs as captain and Price is with the Kelowna Rockets.
Howe has played 16 games in the WHL this year, scoring nine goals and seven assists. Catton has played 28 games with the Chiefs, scoring 14 goals and 33 assists. For Price he has played 26 games, scoring six goals and registered 26 assists.
"Canada shouldn't have a real challenge in the quarterfinal. Then it ramps up in the semifinal and the gold medal game," Button detailed. "Sweden is a notch below, in my view, the USA and Canada. I think Finland will be the other team playing in the medal round.
"Slovakia is on a downturn right here, Czechia could be, I guess, the fly in the ointment for these other teams. It'll be interesting to watch how they get their game going early in the tournament and if they can be a threat."
Team Canada’s first preliminary round game will be against Finland on December 26 at 6:30 p.m.
