The leadership group for Canada's 2025 World Junior Championship team has been announced and Colorado Avalanche prospect Calum Ritchie will wear an "A"

We are a week away from the start of the 2025 World Junior Championship and Canada's highly anticipated match against Finland on Boxing Day. 

As Team Canada gears up for its tournament exhibition games and solidifies its forward lines and defense pairings, they have announced its leadership group for the tournament. 

This year's captain is Winnipeg Jets prospects and WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes forward Brayden Yager. He represented Canada at last year's World Juniors, recording two goals and five points in five games. 

Before he was traded to Lethbridge this season, he wore the "C" for the Moose Jaw Warriors and was an assistant captain for them in their Championship-winning season last year. 

Previously, Yager also wore an "A" for Canada at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, in which they won the gold medal. 

Calum Ritchie has been a top performer for Canada whenever he has represented them in international competitions and gets the honor of being an assistant captain for his nation at this year's World Juniors.  

At the 2023 U18 World Junior Championship, he finished with nine points in seven games en route to a bronze medal win. He was also the tournament's leading scorer at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (10 points in five games), and you guessed it, Canada won gold at that event. 

He'll be expected to not only lead the team with his leadership but also through his stellar offensive play. 

The other player who wears an "A" for Canada is defenseman Tanner Molendyk, who is a Nashville Predators prospect. 

The Saskatoon Blades defenseman has only represented Canada once. That was on that 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup team that featured the two fellow men in his leadership group. 

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