Yager Hungry to Improve After Stellar Rookie Season
Published on May 31, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release
Brayden Yager entered the 2021-22 season with lofty expectations and the rookie forward more than lived up to those expectations.
Yager put together a season for the ages during his first full campaign with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
"There's a lot of pressure on guys when they go that high and he's exceeded expectations," Warriors head coach Mark O'Leary said.
The Saskatoon product got his feet wet in the Western Hockey League by playing in 24 games, scoring seven goals and 18 points, during the Subway WHL Hub in 2021.
That gave him a good base to build off heading into the 2021-22 season.
Yager started with a bang, posting a hat trick in his first game at Mosaic Place, and he was off and running after that.
He finished his rookie campaign with 34 goals, setting a new franchise record for goals by a 16-year-old, which had been held by Theo Fleury for 38 years.
Yager also posted 59 points in 63 games and a plus-18 rating, showing his strong two-way game.
Despite putting together one of the best 16-year-old seasons in Warriors' history, Yager isn't satisfied.
"I thought I had a pretty good season, but there's things that I want to work on," he said. "I was a little bit streaky sometimes, and improving my strength and speed, stuff like that, so I'm going to have a real good offseason here."
After helping the Warriors into the second round of the WHL Playoffs and posting three goals and seven points in 10 games during that run, Yager said he's getting right back to work to prepare for next season.
"I'm not going to be taking any time off, I'm going to get back home and start working out," he said. "I'm going to be working real hard and hopefully come into the season ready to go.
"You've got to get better every year, so I'm looking forward to having a real big year next year."
O'Leary said that hunger for Yager is what separates him for other players.
"The standard has been set and you have to exceed that again and there's no doubt with a guy that is as driven as he is that he'll take it up another notch next year," he said.
O'Leary added that he expects Yager will improve in all areas of the game heading into his second season with the Warriors.
"I see leadership qualities there, how he attacks the day and wants to be a player and is willing to do anything that needs to be done," he said. "His play is one thing, but it's that drive that he has that makes him special."
While Yager is focused on next season, he's also has his sights set on representing Team Canada again on the international stage this summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup at the end of July.
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