MOOSE JAW, Saskatchewan — The Moose Jaw Warriors resumed for the 2020-21 season with a new forward.

Brayden Yager, who hails from Dundurn, was born on January 3, 2005, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He is a 5-foot-7 forward with a weight of 135 kg. As a result of being born into a family of hockey players, Yager started playing hockey at age 4. His granddad, Trevor, was a goalie and his dad, Cam Yager, was a member of the Battlefords North Stars as a Junior A hockey goalie. In addition, his brother, Connor, plays forward. 

The 16-year-old was once a goalie like his father and granddad – but not for long. He had wanted to follow the family’s goaltending line but only succeeded in playing as a goalie once, an experience he describes as “fun.” Since then, he has steered clear of that path and enjoys being a forward instead.

And he has been an exceptional forward.

Brayden played in his first tournament when he was about nine years old. As a Saskatchewan Jr. Pats “C” player, he participated in the Brick Invitational Tournament and had 9 points from 3 goals and 6 assists in 6 games. He also played 3 games in the playoffs and had 4 points from 2 goals and 2 assists.

At 13, the right shooter played with the Martensville Marauders in the 2017-18 regular season of the SAAHL U15 championship. In 31 games played, Brayden scored 35 goals with 24 assists to earn 59 points and 38 PIM. He added another 7 points from 5 goals and 2 assists in two playoffs. 

Brayden returned the following season (2018-19) for 31 games and earned the highest points in his career, 103 points, from 44 goals and 59 assists. After 9 playoff games, he got 28 points from 13 goals and 15 assists. By the end of his last season in the SAAHL U15 Championship, he had earned two awards – SAAHL U15 Champion and SAAHL U15 Most Points (103).

The Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA team was Brayden’s next point of call. He joined the team at the 2019-2020 SMAAAHL, where he played 44 games, during which he scored 18 goals, made 24 assists, and earned a total of 42 points. He scored an additional 2 goals and 6 assists at the playoffs, thereby earning 8 points by the end of 6 games. Then he went to the Macs Tournament with them and got 3 assists in 4 games.

Brayden returned for the 2020-21 season with the Contacts and played just 6 games at the League. He earned 11 points from 4 goals and 7 assists.

After facing the disappointment of being denied an exceptional-status request to play in the Western Hockey League at 15, Brayden Yager was selected in the 2020 Western Hockey League draft alongside his buddy, Riley Heidt, with whom he had played hockey for about four years. However, 15 years old Brayden was selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the first round as third overall, while the Prince George Cougars took Heidt. 

The forward is off to a great start in his new club. So far in Brayden’s career with the Warriors, he has only played 24 games in the 2020-21 Western Hockey League, where he got 18 points from 7 goals and 11 assists.

Expectations are high for the latest Warrior, who Colin Priestner, Blades GM, describes thus: “…extremely smart, highly skilled… High character. Great kid.” 

A healthy rivalry has begun between the Moose Jaw Warriors’ Brayden Yager and Regina Pats’ Connor Bedard, mainly after they played each other in March this year. Each player is a new acquisition in their respective clubs. Apparently, both players will be measured against each other throughout their junior years. For now, however, both players have mutual respect for their achievements and skills. The buddies engage in conversation and congratulate each other on goals scored. 

Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary praised both players after their first 2020-21 matches. Describing their competition as healthy, he said, “I’m excited to watch it unfold here in the coming years.”

Both players are future superstars to look out for in junior ice hockey.

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