Will Zellers
| Will Zellers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
April 4, 2006 Maple Grove, Minnesota, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NCAA team | North Dakota | ||
| NHL draft |
76th overall, 2024 Colorado Avalanche | ||
| Playing career | 2024–present | ||
William Zellers (born April 4, 2006) is an American ice hockey forward who is currently committed to play college ice hockey for the University of North Dakota of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He was drafted 76th overall in the third round of the 2024 NHL entry draft by the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently a prospect for the Boston Bruins after his rights were traded during the 2025 NHL trade deadline.
Playing career
[edit]Amateur
[edit]Zellers committed to play college ice hockey at Boston University in 2023, however, he later reopened his recruitment and committed to University of North Dakota starting in the 2025-26 season.[1]
After playing high school hockey at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, Zellers started playing for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) full-time starting in 2024-25. Despite losing the beginning of the season due to injury, Zellers impressed in his first full season in the USHL, leading the league in goals, with 44, and being third in the league with 71 overall points.[2] His 44 goals were also the most in a single-season in Gamblers franchise history. His efforts led him to being named the USHL Player of the Year and USHL Forward of the Year, as well as to the All-USHL First Team.[3]
Before playing for the Gamblers, Zellers was drafted 76th overall, in the third round of the 2024 NHL entry draft by the Colorado Avalanche. On March 7, 2025, Zellers' rights were traded, along with Casey Mittelstadt and second round pick in the 2025 NHL entry draft, to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Charlie Coyle and a 2026 fifth round pick.[4]
Personal
[edit]Zellers grew up a fan of North Dakota, going to games there as a kid, influencing his decision to commit there after decommitting from Boston University. He cites former Fighting Hawks and NHLers Zach Parise and Brock Boeser as his idols.[1]
Will's father, Kurt Zellers, is a former Minnesota politician who served as Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013, and minority leader from 2009 to 2011.
International play
[edit]| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  United States
| ||
| Hlinka Gretzky Cup | ||
 |
2023 Czechia/Slovakia | |
| World Junior A Challenge | ||
 |
2024 Camrose | |
Zellers represents the United States at the international stage, and has had success, both personally and as a team, in multiple tournaments at the junior level. He helped the U.S. to a bronze medal at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, scoring five goals and two assists in seven games, with the two assists coming in the bronze medal match.[5] He also preformed at a point per game level during the 2024 World Junior A Challenge, where he helped the U.S. win the tournament, scoring two goals and three assists in five games, including two goals in the gold medal game.[6]
Career statistics
[edit]Regular season and playoffs
[edit]| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Green Bay Gamblers | USHL | 52 | 44 | 27 | 71 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| USHL totals | 53 | 44 | 27 | 71 | 59 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||||
International
[edit]| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | United States | HG18 | 
|
5 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 | |
| 2024 | United States | WJAC | 
|
5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 10 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 12 | ||||
Awards and honors
[edit]| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| USHL | ||
| USHL Player of the Year | 2024-25 | [3] |
| USHL Forward of the Year | 2024-25 | [3] |
| All-USHL First Team | 2024-25 | [3] |
References
[edit]- ^ a b McAlpine, Jordan (2025-02-19). "Will The Thrill". Minnesota Hockey Magazine. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "USHL Scoring Leaders 2024-2025". QuantHockey. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ a b c d Hamilton, Kelly (2025-04-29). "Will Zellers named USHL Player, Forward of the Year; Three Gamblers earn All-USHL team honors". WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Bailey, Curtis (2025-03-07). "BREAKING TRADE NEWS: Bruins Forward Charlie Coyle to the Avalanche in Exchange for Casey Mittelstadt". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "Statistics | 2023 U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup | United States America U18 vs. Finland U18". www.hockeyslovakia.sk. 2023-08-05. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "Game Summaries | 2023 Men's U18 National Club Championship". www.hockeycanada.ca. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com