Penguins First-Round Pick Bill Zonnon Snubbed by Team Canada for World Juniors

The Pittsburgh Penguins used three first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and while all three have great potential, many within the Penguins organization believe that Bill Zonnon could be the best pick of the lot, with the defenseman having genuine star potential at the NHL level.

While 2024 second-round pick Harrison Brunicke was invited to a World Juniors Showcase for Team Canada, the same can't be said about Zonnon, despite the belief that he could genuinely push for a spot at the 2026 World Juniors tournament.

While there are many talented defenseman ahead of Zonnon including Brunicke, Sam Dickinson, Henry Mews, Matthew Schaefer and others ahead of him, Zonnon has the X-factor that teams need in a World Juniors tournament, and while he may not have made the team, an invite here would have made sense.

Last season in the QMJHL, Zonnon posted 28 goals and 83 points in 64 games played, and with his great size and swagger, he's beloved by his teammates, with many in the Penguins organization believe he will be a genuine impact maker at the top level.

For now though, he'll have to keep proving himself in the QMJHL, as he likely isn't going to get a shot on the World Juniors stage unless injury strikes, but given the very high potential that many in the organization believes comes with Zonnon, it's safe to say that this snub won't be the end of his career at the next level.