Moose Jaw Warriors forward Brayden Yager and goaltender Jackson Unger have faced Connor Bedard plenty of times in the Trans Canada Clash over the last couple of seasons.
Now they’ll be playing against him in one of the highest-profile games of the year.
The Canadian Hockey League recently announced that Yager and Unger are two of 10 Western Hockey League players taking the ice for Team White in the Kubota Top Prospects Game on Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Langley, B.C.
And sure enough, one of their opponents will be the Regina Pats superstar, who is among nine WHLers suiting up for Team Red.
It’s been a solid season for Yager heading into the NHL Draft this June. The Saskatoon product has put up 18 goals and 50 points in 40 games for the Warriors this season, and is already closing in on the 59 points he put up during the 2021-22 campaign.
Yager is currently 12th in WHL scoring and has 13 points, all assists, in the Warriors’ last nine games.
The reigning CHL Rookie of the Year has been ranked as a potential top-10 draft pick by scouts all season and is an ‘A’ ranked skater by the Central Scouting Bureau, meaning he’s expected to be a first-round selection.
Unger has had an up-and-down campaign but has had flashes of brilliance throughout the first half. He currently has a 4.14 goals against average and .867 save percentage for the Warriors and sports a 5-9-0-0 record.
Like Yager, Unger has been on NHL scouts’ radar for quite some time and is listed as a ‘C’ prospect, meaning he’ll likely be selected in the later rounds of the draft.
Neither player has to look very far into the past to see what Moose Jaw Warriors are capable of in the Top Prospects Game.
Both Jagger Firkus and Denton Mateychuk played in the contest last season, with Firkus scoring a goal and an assist and being named Player of the Game for Team White, while Mateychuk picked up an assist and drew rave reviews for his steady play throughout the contest.
That summer, Mateychuk was selected in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Firkus was picked in the second round by the Seattle Kraken.
The 2023 Kubota Top Prospects Game airs on TSN on Wednesday, Jan, 25, with puck drop at 9 p.m. Moose Jaw time.
