Jets prospect Brayden Yager to captain Canada at world juniors
Team Canada has selected their on-ice leaders for the upcoming world junior hockey championship in Ottawa.
Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager will don the “C” for Canada while Tanner Molendyk (Nashville Predators) and Calum Ritchie (Colorado Avalanche) will serve as alternates, Hockey Canada announced Thursday.
Yager, 19, has experience with the duties of captaincy, having worn the “C” with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL earlier this season before being shipped off in a trade to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
He’s also used to the ice at the world juniors, coming second in points for Team Canada at the 2024 competition in Sweden with two goals, three assists and a team-high plus-6.
“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 release from Hockey Canada. “Tanner and Calum are great players and teammates that are deserving of this honour, and I look forward to serving on the leadership group with them and wearing the Maple Leaf with pride in front of Canadian fans.”
The 14th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023 has tallied 12 goals and 22 assists in 23 games split between Moose Jaw and Lethbridge this season.
In August, Yager’s NHL rights were traded from the Penguins to the Jets in exchange for fellow prospect Rutger McGroarty.
Ritchie, 19, is also a first-time player in the competition. Picked 27th overall by the Avalanche in 2023, the Oakville, Ont., native had one goal in seven appearances in Colorado this season but was loaned back to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. He has eight goals and 26 assists in 18 games with the Generals. His 26 helpers are the 14th most in the league despite being the only player in the top 20 to have played less than 25 games.
Molendyk is also an alternate for the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL. The 19-year-old has four goals and 17 assists in 21 games for the Blades. It’s the first time the McBride, B.C., native has been selected to the roster for the world juniors.
The puck drops on the world juniors on Boxing Day, with Canada starting its campaign against Finland.
