Bruins prospect Will Zellers added to USA World Junior preliminary roster

One of the top prospects in college hockey might be playing on one of the biggest stages in the game.

On Tuesday, USA Hockey announced that Boston Bruins prospect Will Zellers has been added to the preliminary roster for the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Zellers is off to a great start in his freshman season at the University of North Dakota. Through 16 games, the 19-year-old has 10 goals and five assists for 15 points, sitting third on the team in scoring behind Cole Reschny (Calgary Flames) and Ben Strinden (Nashville Predators), with his 10 markers sitting as the most among the Fighting Hawks.

If Zellers were to make the roster for the World Juniors, it would be a nice homecoming for the Maple Grove, Minn. native, as he would get the chance to play in front of family and friends in St. Paul later this month.

Zellers was taken in the third round, 76th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2024 NHL Draft. Yet his signing rights were traded to the Bruins last March as part of the deal that sent Charlie Coyle from Boston to the Avs. Zellers only went to build on his stock with an impressive performance with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League last season. In 52 games, he scored 44 goals and 27 assists for 71 points, earning USHL Player of the Year honors while leading the league in goals.

On top of that, Zellers is looking to expand his international resume. He played for the U.S. at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, helping the team win the bronze medal with seven points in five games. He also won gold at the 2024 World Junior A Challenge.

Zellers joins a preliminary roster that includes loads of future talent, including Max Plante (Detroit Red Wings), Will Horcoff (Pittsburgh Penguins) and last year’s WJC hero, Teddy Stiga (Predators).

The Americans open up the WJC on Boxing Day against Germany.