As the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship unfolds in Minnesota, one of the emerging stories is centered around a Boston Bruins prospect who just keeps finding the back of the net. Will Zellers’ emergence for Team USA has quickly become one of the most exciting narratives of the tournament and should have Bruins fans excited about the future.
For most Bruins fans, the first time they would have heard Zellers’ name would have been last March when the team acquired him, forward Casey Mittelstadt and a 2025 second-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for long time Bruins’ forward Charlie Coyle. Zellers was a third-round pick of the Avalanche in 2024 and immediately proved to be a name worth monitoring. In 52 games with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL during the 2024-25 season, Zellers scored 44 goals and 71 points. He’s followed that up with 10 goals and 15 points through 18 games at the University of North Dakota this season and looks as potent a goal-scorer as they come.
Zellers Making a Name for Himself With Team USA
Though Zellers has proven to be an offensive force since being drafted, he wasn’t even originally supposed to play on the United States’ squad at the World Juniors. A late addition to the team, Zellers wasted no time in showcasing why he was the right pick by scoring two goals in his squad’s first game of the tournament. He followed that up with another goal in the following game, bringing his total up to three goals and four points through just two games.
“He’s just a greasy goalscorer. He gained more confidence at North Dakota as he was going – that’s why we added him,” Bob Motzko, head coach of the 2026 U.S. National Junior team, said of Zellers. “And right from day one, we saw it.”
What’s really stood out about Zellers is that he hasn’t necessarily needed a lot of ice time or opportunity to capitalize on the moment.
“he’s got great spirit, nothing is going to phase him,” said Motzko. “If he gets shorted a few shifts, he’s ready to go. Guys like that score goals like that.”
Related: 3 Takeaways From USA’s 2-1 Win Over Switzerland in 2026 World Juniors
Scoring is always a premium in the NHL and if Zellers’ game translates to the NHL, they may have made out like bandits in the Coyle trade. For reference, Coyle has already been traded by the Avalanche. Zellers is just 19 years old and the sky is the limit for his potential; if he can maintain his work ethic and continue to find open spots on the ice at the next level, he could be an impact player on the Bruins’ NHL roster within a few seasons.
The Bruins need as much talent as they can get and Zellers, as well as his teammate at the tournament, James Hagens, both look like promising pieces who have the potential to be focal points for the Bruins for years to come.
A natural goal-scoring winger is obviously a good asset to have, but Zellers’ tenacity and motor are almost just as exciting. He’s decisive on the ice and that goes a long way in being successful; the game is faster at the NHL level and any hesitation could be the difference between a positive play and one that lands you squarely on the bench or in the press box. Zellers’ confidence is an asset, and in turn, should make him an asset for the Bruins.
