PENS PROSPECT YAGER HEADLINES 2024 MEMORIAL CUP

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The 2024 Memorial Cup kicks off tonight, and one of the players in the spotlight will be Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Brayden Yager.

Yager was Pittsburgh’s first-round draft choice last summer, taken 14th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. This season, he boosted all of his offensive numbers, tying for second on the Moose Jaw Warriors in points (95) and taking sole possession of second in assists (60). Yager then unloaded 27 points (11G-16A) in 20 playoff games for Moose Jaw en route to winning the WHL Championship.

The Memorial Cup is an annual tournament that pits the champions of the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Québec Major Junior Hockey League and a host team against one another to crown the top team in major junior hockey. The tournament begins in a round-robin format, then becomes single-elimination for the semifinal and final.

Yager and the Warriors play in the opening contest of the event, taking on the host Saginaw Spirit. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on NHL Network. The full Memorial Cup schedule is included below.

Current Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward Raivis Ansons lifted the Memorial Cup in 2022 as a member of the host Saint John Sea Dogs. Including Ansons’ entry, the QMJHL has won the last four Memorial Cups. The WHL, the league Yager and Moose Jaw represent as Champions, haven’t won the Memorial Cup since 2014 when Tristan Jarry backstopped the Edmonton Oil Kings to the title.