Willis named to U.S. National Junior Team’s preliminary roster

Colorado Springs, Colo. – Spirit forward Joey Willis will attend USA Hockey’s World Junior Selection camp, USA Hockey announced Monday afternoon. The Elmhurst, Ill. native was a part of Team USA’s Summer Showcase roster this past August.

Willis currently sits third on the Spirit in scoring through 23 games this season (16G-16A—32P). Fresh off a string of three hat tricks in five games, Willis was named the Cogeco OHL Player of the week for two weeks running.

On November 13th, Willis became the first player in Spirit history to record a five-goal game, doing so in a 7-5 come-from-behind victory in Flint. The Nashville Predators selected Willis in the 4th round, 111th overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. In 157 career OHL games in Saginaw, Willis has recorded 45 goals and 81 assists for 126 points. He helped the Spirit to their 2024 Memorial Cup Championship with two goals and two assists in the tournament, including a goal in the championship game.

Along with the rest of the preliminary roster, Willis will begin training camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. on December 16th. The U.S. National Junior Team will send a final roster of 25 players to the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ont. from December 26th, 2024 – January 5th, 2025.

Willis joins fellow OHL representatives Carey Terrance (Erie), AJ Spellacy (Windsor), and Sam Hillebrandt (Barrie) among Team USA’s preliminary picks.