Empire State native Jeremy Wilmer hones his 200-foot game with U.S. NTDP

Jeremy Wilmer has a stat line of 9-14-23 with the U.S. U-18 team this season. (Rena Laverty/USA Hockey)

For a moment, Jeremy Wilmer thought about saying his transition to playing in USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program was the toughest challenge he’s had to overcome so far in his hockey journey. But the 17-year-old center from Rockville Centre, N.Y., prefers to be specific. He instead states that it was recovering from the impact fracture in the heel of his left foot, an injury he suffered with the NTDP Under-17 team early in the 2019-20 season.

“I was really excited to be at the NTDP and had never missed a game before joining it,” Wilmer said. “Then to have my first-ever injury, it was tough trying to stay positive and find ways to get better away from the rink. Going to the rink every day and seeing all the boys practicing and wanting to be out there was tough.”

Wilmer leaned on his parents, Yvette and Fred, and his adviser, John Osei-Tutu, to lift his spirits.