The Winnipeg Jets will have an extra skater at their disposal for however long their run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs lasts.
The Jets recalled forward Brayden Yager from the Western Hockey League’s Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday prior to Game 6 against the St. Louis Blues.
Yager’s Hurricanes were eliminated from the WHL Playoffs by the Medicine Hat Tigers with a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Final earlier in the week.
The 20-year-old scored 25 goals with 57 assists in 54 games after being traded mid-season by the Moose Jaw Warriors. He also played for Canada at the World Junior Championship.
This will give Yager a chance to practice with the pros and while he’s eligible to play in the playoffs, it’s extremely unlikely he sees any game action barring a rash of injuries.
The Saskatoon product was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, 14th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.
He signed a three-year entry level deal with the Pens before being traded to the Jets for Rutger McGroarty in a swap of first round draft picks in August of 2024.
