Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager has become well-known in Hockey Canada circles for his dedication to the game at both ends of the ice.
That’s also a major reason the Pittsburgh Penguins made him a first-round NHL draft pick this past summer, with Yager’s commitment to defensive side of the game making him a valuable commodity in a world where forwards are often offence-first above all.
For all that, there was still a question mark when it came to landing a spot on Team Canada for the World Junior Hockey Championship -- an event that has seen many an elite player not crack the roster despite fantastic starts to the season, especially when they’re only 18 years old.
So Yager simply went through his paces and did what he does during selection camp, all hoping it would be enough.
And then it was time to wait.
“They just told us to wait in our room and that we’d get a phone call or a knock on the door,” Yager said after practice on Thursday afternoon. “Then they ended up knocking on our door and told me and Dents (Denton Mateychuk) that we’d be playing for our country. It was pretty good feeling obviously, it’s always awesome to be able to represent Canada.
“There are so many nerves and texting other people and seeing if anything has been heard or there was any news, so I was just happy to hear that I’d made it.”
In the end, Yager didn’t just make the team as a warm body, he ended up as one of their key contributors, finishing second in team scoring while also playing significant minutes as one of Canada’s top penalty killers.
While his role as a defensive specialist wasn’t much of a surprise given his aforementioned style of play, the points were.
“It probably wasn’t really my role to put up points, they wanted me to be a responsible 200-foot player and I thought I did a pretty good job of that,” Yager said. “I bounced around playing centre and there was a bit of an adjustment playing on the bigger ice, but I thought I adjusted pretty well and played pretty well and the points just came.”
Of course, things didn’t quite play out like Team Canada hoped, with their loss in the final minute of the quarter-final against Czechia a heartbreaking moment.
“It’s just one of those games, playoffs and Game 7s, you just throw the puck on net and sometimes one will go in, and you saw that on their goal in the last minute,” Yager said. “That’s just how it works out sometimes.”
Outside of that loss, the tournament was the experience of a lifetime, featuring all sorts of support from Team Canada fans despite the event being in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“The atmosphere was incredible, there were a ton of Canadian fans there and they were so supportive, really loud every game,” Yager said with a tone of awe. “Then every time you throw on that jersey, it’s a special feeling. We wanted to represent as best we could, it was kind of disappointing it ended the way it did and it was definitely an honour to be a part of.”
Now, it’s on to the remainder of the WHL season.
The Warriors traded for fellow Team Canada forward Matthew Savoie shortly after their tournament ended, adding to the excitement surrounding a team with definite championship aspirations.
“When you get a player like him, it’s a big help to the team, especially offensively.” Yager said. “Savs is a pretty good 200-foot player as well, I got to meet him and he was one of the guys I hung around with most, and I think any team is lucky to get a player like him. We’re super fortunate that he’s coming here.”
The trade is also a sign that there is little question the team is expected to take a serious run at things.
“It makes us feel good that Ripper (general manager Jason Ripplinger) has confidence in us to do something special here,” Yager said. “He did his job, now it’s up to us to do ours, come to play every night and show why he had so much faith in us. It’s in our hands now and we’re going to try and do something special.”
