By: Neil Simmons | Follow me on Twitter / X: @NSimmz
Few Bruins prospects have hit the ground running in college hockey quite like Will Zellers did at North Dakota last season. The Minnesota-born winger carried his USHL Player of the Year form straight into the toughest conference in the NCAA, and almost immediately became an impact forward for one of the nation’s bluest of blue-blood programs.
He found instant chemistry on a line with seniors Ellis Rickwood and Dylan James, and recorded 18-16-34 in 38 games, finishing second on the team in goalscoring, while leading in shots (122), power play goals (7), and game-winning goals (6), helping the Fighting Hawks reclaim the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions.
Doubly inspiring for Bruins fans, Zellers’ performance in the first half of his freshman year turned enough heads to play his way onto Team USA for the World Juniors, despite not being included on their preliminary roster. He climbed from the fourth line to a spot alongside James Hagens by the playoff round, racking up a team-high 5-3-8 in five games. Back in Grand Forks, Zellers made the deepest postseason run of any Boston prospect, putting up seven points en route to North Dakota’s first Frozen Four berth in a decade, eliminating Max Lundgren, Chris Pelosi, and Elliott Groenewold in the process.
Speaking to the media at development camp, Zellers spoke about his freshman year and what he took away from his first season with the Fighting Hawks. “It’s so hard to play against grown men. So I’m kind of proving to myself, not to everyone, but also to myself, that I can play in college and still score goals. It helped my confidence, made me kind of realize the NHL isn’t too far of a reach away.”
He added that the Frozen Four loss to Wisconsin has given him more motivation heading into his sophomore year. “At North Dakota, the only goal is to hang one of those national championship banners,” Zellers said. “To get so close and lose like that, it’s pretty tough,” but he expressed optimism for the upcoming season. “We’ve got a lot of young guys coming back who have been through that process. It hurt pretty bad, but it also is going to help us in the long run.”
Just as last summer, Zellers drew the crowd’s attention at Warrior Ice Arena for his blistering wrist shot and offensive skill. Black n Gold’s Tom Calautti lauded him as a “triple threat” shooter with improved playmaking abilities, and Bruins Director of Player Development Adam McQuaid singled him out for having “really good moments” throughout the week.
Zellers is expected to shoulder a larger role within the Fighting Hawks’ offense in his sophomore year, following the departure of four of their top six scorers, including both of his linemates. It’s the kind of opportunity head coach Dane Jackson believes Zellers and his “big-game mentality” are built for. “He’s got a real knack and real presence with the puck on his stick,” Jackson added, “that combination of his athletic ability and poise and mindset is really what allowed him to be such a good player in college this year.”
He’ll most likely reassume his role on the top-line right wing that he held for the bulk of the second half, presumably to be centered by 2025 18th overall pick Cole Reschny, who won NCHC Rookie of the Year with 6-29-35 in 36 games. While not a guarantee, there is a chance that fellow Bruins prospect Cooper Simpson could join Zellers’ line. The duo has formed a strong relationship both on and off the ice, with Simpson noting that he is “kind of following in his (Zellers’) footsteps.” They will certainly make North Dakota hockey appointment viewing for Boston Bruins fans.
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