Yager eager for first NHL training camp
Photo credit: NHL
Winnipeg Jets general manager, Kevin Cheveldayoff, said that pride came through in the initial conversation he and Yager had.
«A kid from the prairies to get to play for a prairie team, something he was pretty proud of,» said Cheveldayoff. «It will be different, I'm sure, for him changing organizations. Again, that's kind of why you have the development side of things and the team services side of things and whether it's trainers or whether it's travel people, the logistics of all that is going to start moving very, very quickly. I assume it's a whirlwind for him today. I talked to him, like I say he was pretty excited.»
Yager was acquired via trade that saw Winnipeg's 14th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft, Rutger McGroarty, head to Pittsburgh.
This marks the first time in Yager's young career, which has spanned 211 Western Hockey League regular season games with the Moose Jaw Warriors, that he's felt the emotions of being traded.
«The first reaction is a little bit of shock. You don't obviously expect to get traded, but once you find out - you talk to your agents, you talk to Winnipeg's staff - you start to get excited and you look into the future,» Yager said. «You get anxious to get started. Obviously camp is coming up pretty quick, so I'm really excited to get there and meet everybody and get on the ice.»
«Individually, I'm trying to be a player that can rise to the occasion and play on big stages,» he said. «That's something I got the chance to do this year was learn about the pressure games and learn how to still play my best in those situations.»
It won't be long before Jets fans get to see Yager in Jets colours.
«I look forward to seeing him in Penticton, our first chance to see him in a Jets uniform,» said Cheveldayoff. «He's a very talented player in a very skilled position at centre where he can certainly make other players better around him.»
The countdown to training camp is always filled with excitement for players and organizations after the summer.
After Thursday's trade, it's even more exciting for Yager.
«Playing in the WHL the last three years, I got to go to Winnipeg and play against the Winnipeg ICE,» said Yager. «You see the fan base in Winnipeg, it's pretty special and especially in the playoffs - the whiteout and everything - it's crazy. So I'm super excited.»
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1 SEPTEMBRE | 53 ANSWERS Yager eager for first NHL training camp Is Brayden Yager the Jets top prospect? | ||
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