Canada chose Jets prospect Brayden Yager as captain for the 2025 world juniors, while Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie and Predators pick Tanner Molendyk are alternates.

Team Canada selected three first-round NHL draft picks for the leadership group heading into the 2025 world juniors in Ottawa.

Brayden Yager was named captain for this edition of the annual holiday U-20 tournament. Tanner Molendyk and Calum Ritchie are the alternate captains.

"I am honored to be named captain of Team Canada for the world juniors on a team with so many great leaders, and I am excited for our group to take the ice in Ottawa and continue working towards our goal of winning a gold medal on home ice," Yager said in Hockey Canada's announcement. 

"Tanner and Calum are great players and teammates that are deserving of this honor, and I look forward to serving on the leadership group with them and wearing the Maple Leaf with pride in front of Canadian fans."

Thursday's news comes ahead of Team Canada and Team Switzerland's pre-tournament exhibition at TD Place in Ottawa at 7 p.m. ET. 

Yager, 19, began the WHL season as captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors, where he played for the past five seasons before they traded him to the Lethbridge Warriors. He has 12 goals and 34 points in 23 games, with his 1.48 points per game ranking 17th in the WHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Yager, a center, 14th overall in 2023. But in August, Pittsburgh traded him to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for 2024 Team USA captain Rutger McGroarty, who wanted a move. While McGroarty is a physical tactician, Yager is a smoother skater who creates offense on the fly.

Yager played on Team Canada at last year's world juniors, recording two goals and five points in five games. After Canada was eliminated in the quarterfinal, Yager and the squad will aim to return to gold medal glory this time.

Ritchie, 19, started this season in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche. The No. 27 pick in the 2023 draft earned a seven-game trial in The Show, recording one goal. Since rejoining the Oshawa Generals, Ritchie has eight goals and 26 assists for 34 points in 18 games. The center's 1.89 points per game rank fourth in the OHL.

While Ritchie wasn't on last year's world juniors squad, he did get three goals and nine points for Canada at the World Men's Under-18 tournament in 2023, winning bronze. He also had four goals and 10 points in five games en route to gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2022.

Molendyk, who had four points on that Hlinka Gretzky Cup squad, is also making his world juniors debut. The Nashville Predators drafted the defenseman 24th overall in 2023.

The 19-year-old has four goals and 21 points in 21 games for the Saskatoon Blades as an alternate captain.

The 2025 World Junior Championship runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2025.

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