Mateychuk, Yager, Firkus ready to lead Warriors in second half
The Moose Jaw Warriors were almost back up to full strength at practice on Tuesday.
Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk and forward Brayden Yager returned to the ice with the team after getting a break following the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden.
“It’s good to be back with the guys, there’s been a lot of emotions the last couple of weeks, so it’s good to get back here, get back on the ice and skate with the guys,” Mateychuk said after practice.
Mateychuk and Yager, along with newly acquired Matthew Savoie and leading scorer Jagger Firkus, had the opportunity to wear the maple leaf over the Christmas holidays as part of Canada’s World Junior team.
While Team Canada came up short of its ultimate goal, falling in the quarterfinals to Czechia, Yager said there’s plenty to learn from that experience that can help the Warriors down the stretch run into the playoffs.
“Every game matters, it was much like playoffs where a lucky bounce can go in and when throw pucks to the net, anything can happen,” he said. “We can bring a few things back and hopefully bring it here and be a good mentor.”
Yager finished second on Team Canada in scoring with two goals and five points in five games at the tournament.
The Pittsburgh Penguins first round pick said he felt like he got stronger as the tournament went on.
“I thought I played pretty well, just playing a good, responsible game and playing with some pretty good players too, so that helped with the offence,” he said.
Mateychuk led Team Canada in ice time throughout the tournament, averaging 24:32 per game. He also added four assists in five games.
The Columbus Blue Jackets first round pick was named one of Canada’s top-three players during the tournament.
He said he’s pleased with how he played, but disappointed in the end result.
“I just wanted to go out there, play my game and not change anything, they know what type of player I was coming into it, so I just tried to be myself and I think I did a pretty good job of that,” Mateychuk said.
Firkus got a taste of the World Junior experience as well after being recalled by Team Canada to join the team’s 25-man roster in case of an injury.
While he didn’t get into a game, the Seattle Kraken second round pick said being around the team and the Hockey Canada program taught him a lot.
“Consistency is a big part, make sure you’re going there and no matter what, you’ve got to work your way into it,” Firkus said.
Firkus returned to the Warriors last weekend and posted three goals and eight points in two games.
Now that they’re back in Moose Jaw, the trio is looking forward to what’s in store for the second half with the Warriors.
Mateychuk said the addition of Savoie has the team excited about what it can accomplish.
“He’s a very special player, we’ve played against him a lot over the last couple of years and it’s a really big pickup for us,” he said. “He’s excited to get here and it gets everyone in the room excited and we know we’ve got a good team here.”
The Warriors currently sit third in the Eastern Conference, but have their sights set higher.
“We’ve got the team to do something really special here,” Yager said.
Mateychuk and Yager will return to the lineup for the Warriors on Wednesday when the team hosts the Victoria Royals, while Savoie is expected to join the team later this week.
