WINNIPEG — The circumstances leading up to Brayden Yager’s arrival were less than ideal for the Winnipeg Jets.
It was the final chapter in a summer-long standoff that saw the Jets’ 2022 first-round pick, Rutger McGroarty — who was traded in a 1-for-1 deal for Yager with the Pittsburgh Penguins — refuse to sign an entry-level contract with Winnipeg. McGroarty’s departure cut deep around these parts. Jets fans are no strangers to players wanting out but this one was different. McGroarty became a fan favourite at development camp two summers ago, going out of his way to take several pictures and sign autographs after on-ice sessions. The way he conducted himself — speaking to reporters about the team’s prospects evolving together and being destined to become best friends — made it seem like he was all-in on Winnipeg. Until he wasn’t.
But yet again, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff pulled a rabbit out of a hat in acquiring Yager, the 14th selection in the 2023 draft, despite having little leverage. Not only is the 19-year-old an impressive prospect in his own right — having recorded 95 points last year en route to leading the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors to a Memorial Cup berth — but he genuinely wants to be a Jet.
“I don’t know too much about [McGroarty’s] situation but all I know is that I’m super excited. I hope that the fans are excited, too,” Yager said in a 1-on-1 interview with Sportsnet following a Jets skate on Sept. 21. “I want to be here. It’s really cool seeing how the fans are and the reaction to the city when camp gets going. Being a Canadian kid and getting to play in a Canadian market — it’s such a great opportunity.”
Yager’s enthusiasm is a breath of fresh air for a market that struggles to attract free agents and sits atop most NHL players’ no-trade lists.
“The day we made the trade and I gave him a call, I [thought] he was going to come through my phone. He was so excited,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “His mom and dad, in the background, were so excited. He’s a kid that’s pretty thrilled about staying in Canada.”
Those who know Yager well describe him as having ‘zero ego.’
Warriors coach Mark O’Leary remembers being struck by how excited Yager was to come to Moose Jaw after they selected him third overall in the 2020 Bantam Draft. Moose Jaw is one of the WHL’s smallest markets, with a population of just under 34,000 people.
“Moose Jaw is sometimes not for everyone, either, especially if you’re coming from certain weather standards in the winter time, I mean, we have some pretty rough winters here,” O’Leary told Sportsnet. “But in his WHL draft year, there was zero hesitation from him when it came to being part of Moose Jaw. I see that as no different than with Winnipeg.”
But when O’Leary thinks back to those early days with Yager, the main thing that pops up is his work ethic and determination to be a complete player. Players with Yager’s toolkit — which is highlighted by his quick-release wrist shot, strong skating stride and instincts — aren’t always keen on being 200-foot players. But Yager was different.
“He has the physical tools to do it. It starts with his skating. You watch his first two or three strides and he’s got that pop that allows him to separate off the rush but it also allows him to jump checks quick when he’s down low. His ability is one thing but really, it’s just about his willingness and determination to play on both sides of the puck,” O’Leary explained. “We even saw it when he was 15 and 16 years old. Everybody has the ability to play both sides of the puck. There’s good players that are smart enough to do it, have the speed to do it and know how to do it but they don’t have that willingness to do it. Brayden has that. He made a decision a long time ago that he wants to be a guy that’s relied upon in any situation.”
Yager’s complete game played a big part in him representing Canada at the 2023 World Juniors. Alan Letang, Canada’s bench boss, had coached Yager the previous summer at the U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where Yager recorded nine points in five games. In six tournament games, he carved out a role as a trusted bottom-six forward, recording two goals, five points, a team-high +6 rating and while he predominantly played on the wing, he was clutch in the faceoff dot.
“That tournament is such a 19-year-old tournament. But as an 18-year-old, he was such a reliable player for us on our third line,” Letang told Sportsnet. “He knew he had to be good on faceoffs and in his own end. He’s got that professionalism in him.”
Letang calls Yager a ‘hockey junkie.’
“He would seek one of the coaches out daily. Whether it was an assistant coach to drop pucks so he could work on faceoffs, or asking a coach about a little detail on the power play,” Letang said. “He seeks out information and help to grow his game. He’s one of those players you don’t get all the time.”
It’s no wonder Yager hit it off with Jets forward Mark Scheifele early into camp. The latter is always staying out late after practice to hone his craft and on the second day of Jets training camp, the two stayed out on the ice well after practice ended.
“He was working with (Josh) Morrissey on some deception work on the flanks. I was kind of just lurking around and he asked me if I wanted to join in,” Yager said. “When you get an opportunity to learn from guys like that, you can’t turn that down. I ended up staying out there for a while with him and working on different things. I was just trying to pick his brain and learn as much as I can.”
Scheifele and Morrissey — two long-time clients of skills guru and Hall of Famer Adam Oates — don’t just share a passion for skill development with Yager. The two are staples in the community. Morrissey sits on the board of the True North Youth Foundation and Scheifele runs the Mark Scheifele Hockey Club & Golf Classic, which raises money for families in need of financial assistance to register their children in sports.
Yager is cut from the same cloth.
“I remember taking Brayden and his parents to meet his new billets when he was 16-years-old. I’ll never forget this. His dad pulled me aside and asked about Brayden getting involved in the local minor hockey. He wanted to make sure that there was humility to everything,” O’Leary said. “Brayden was coming in as a highly touted prospect but it was important to him and his family that he gave back. Over the next couple of years, Brayden was heavily involved in Moose Jaw minor hockey. He went out on the ice with kids regularly. And you can imagine the type of impact that has on kids around Moose Jaw.”
With Yager not being AHL-eligible this season, odds are he’ll be back with the Warriors for the 2024-25 season. Yager has fared well with the Jets in two pre-season games — recording one goal, one assist and winning 51.28 per cent of his faceoffs — but he doesn’t appear to have an inside track on an NHL job, especially with the emergence of Brad Lambert.
But Yager’s not far off from becoming an NHL regular. And he says the prospect of playing in front of one of the league’s most passionate fanbases only adds more motivation.
“I’ve seen some of the videos of the whiteout and it’s probably one of the coolest atmospheres in sports,” Yager said. “I really am going to strive to be a part of that one day and be on the ice when everyone’s dressed up in white.”