“Not to put too much pressure” – Brayden Yager looks for learning experiences from Moose Jaw teammates ahead of important season

“Not to put too much pressure” – Brayden Yager looks for learning experiences from Moose Jaw teammates ahead of important season

Brayden Yager

Young ice hockey centre Brayden Yager knows he still has a long road ahead in his sporting career. However, the 17-year-old already has an idea of what to expect in the lead-up ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Yager, who plays for Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League (WHL), must be looking forward to the experiences of teammates Denton Mateychuk, who was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 12 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and Jagger Firkus, who was drafted by the Seattle Kraken in the second round (No. 35).

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“I would look at some of the questionnaires and some of the stuff [Firkus] had, and he’d tell me about the meetings he’d have and the combine and some things to expect,” Yager said, as quoted by NHL.com. “Same thing with Denton.

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“You get a little hint of what it’ll be like and the experience. They just said to enjoy it all and that it’d be a fun experience and not to put too much pressure on yourself.”

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“Think of myself as one of the top guys” 

Brayden Yager
Brayden Yager

The 5-foot-11, 193-pound Yager, who is a potential first-round pick in the 2023 draft, commenced his journey on Sunday at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as an under-18 International tournament that runs through August 6 in Red Deer, Alberta. He had 59 points (34 goals, 25 assists) in 63 games during the last season which helped him win the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL Rookie of the Year.

“I think I’d like to think of myself as one of the top guys,” Yager said. “I want to be confident and have some faith in myself. There are obviously lots of things that can change and that happens in this big year that’s coming up. I’d like to think of myself as one of the top guys.”

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