Last trade deadline, the Boston Bruins traded veteran center Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche. In that deal, the Bruins acquired a promising prospect who set his sights on attending the University of North Dakota this season. Forward Will Zellers has had a solid freshman year with the Fighting Hawks, which has earned the skilled winger All-Rookie honors in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
Zellers leads all NCHC freshmen with 18 goals in 34 games this season, while his 30 points are second in the league. The Bruins prospect has six game-winning goals to lead NCHC rookies, while also dishing out 12 assists. In conference play, Zellers finished second in freshman points behind teammate Cole Reschny with 20, while tying with Miami forward David Deputy for the rookie goal lead with 13, including five of his six game-winners. Zellers was named NCHC November Rookie of the Month and also earned Rookie of the Week another time.
Zellers was acquired by Boston with forward Casey Mittelstadt and a 2025 second-round draft pick, which the Bruins used to draft Swedish defenseman Liam Pettersson. Zellers is a 6-foot, 180-pound wing who was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft by the Avalanche. Zellers played one season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL and tallied 71 points in 52 games before committing to North Dakota.
