Jets Prospect Brayden Yager Named Captain of Canada’s 2025 WJC Team

Winnipeg Jets prospect Brayden Yager has been named Team Canada’s captain for the 2025 World Junior Championship (WJC) in Ottawa.

Meet the captains! / Voici nos capitaines! ????????

C: Brayden Yager (@WHLHurricanes)
A: Tanner Molendyk (@BladesHockey)
A: Calum Ritchie (@Oshawa_Generals)#WorldJuniors | #MondialJunior pic.twitter.com/LqJoREpnFz

— Hockey Canada (@HockeyCanada) December 19, 2024

The 19-year-old centre, who turns 20 on Jan. 3, will play a top-six role for a Canadian squad looking to rebound from a disappointing 2024 WJC performance, where they were bounced in the quarterfinal by Czechia and lacked overall chemistry and cohesion.

The Jets acquired Yager from the Pittsburgh Penguins in August for disgruntled prospect Rutger McGroarty, who would not sign an entry-level contract with the Jets organization.

The 14th-overall 2023 Penguins selection was traded earlier in the month from the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors — a team he was named captain of before this season began — to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 22 games between the two clubs, he has 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points.

Yager also represented Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and played a key role in them capturing a gold medal by recording five goals and four assists for nine points in five games.

The 2025 WJC begins Boxing Day and runs through Jan. 5. Be sure to stay tuned to The Hockey Writers for extensive coverage of every WJC team leading up to and during the tournament.