NCDC Die-Hards: Worcester Railers JHC’s Ezra Zizmor
The NCDC Die-Hards profile series focuses on NCDC players from the 2024-25 season who have re-signed and registered with the same team for the 2025-26 season.
By Joshua Boyd / USPHL.com
In a couple weeks, Ezra Zizmor will once again pack his bags – especially his hockey gear bag – and leave his home city known as the Big Apple for his hockey home of Worcester, Mass. Zizmor, a 2005-born defenseman, has re-signed with the Worcester Railers Junior Hockey Club.
The New York City native never thought twice about playing for another team. Last year, he hit the ice for 50 regular season games and all six of the Railers’ playoff games. Zizmor registered 13 points from the blue line over the 56 games.
“Returning to the Railers for my final junior season was a no-brainer for me. Our coaching staff, led by Coach Sean Bertoni, made it a really easy decision for me to continue my development in Worcester. Coaching is arguably the most important factor in where a player wants to play, and my relationship with our coaches and the way they have made me a better person and a player is the main reason I wanted to stay in Worcester,” said Zizmor.
“We had a great season as the only expansion team to make the playoffs last year. We were able to get through the first round versus IHC,” he said. “We are confident to come back even stronger this year with the majority of our core coming back, and make a run for the Dineen Cup. I am excited to be part of this continued success and hard work.”
It’s not hard for Zizmor to clearly see the difference between where he was last summer and where he is going into this second NCDC season.
“I was able to really improve my defensive game with the Railers, learning how to read and play in all situations, and to be a physical presence that makes it hard to play against me every night,” added Zizmor, who stands 6-feet-1-inch and weighs in at 192 pounds. “Coach Bertoni and the rest of our coaching staff do a phenomenal job of teaching all the players the correct technique in all aspects of the game, and teach us how to play a detailed system which will prepare all of us for higher levels of hockey.”
Zizmor likes the level of play and the overall intensity of play in the NCDC’s New England Conference. As aforementioned, Worcester was a new team in the league last year and certainly made their presence known.
“I had a great experience playing in the NCDC in the New England Conference. A lot of the top teams in the league are in our division and every game is a test, and there is no win that comes easily,” said Zizmor. “Being in the Northeast specifically gives us such an advantage with so many NCAA teams being close by to watch our games in person, and to evaluate all the players without too much travel. You can’t ask for a better situation in terms of exposure to the next level.
“The other teams in our division are pretty close to us, which makes travel among the conference quite easy,” he added. “The New England conference has always been strong, and with the addition of more teams for this upcoming season, we are ready for a bigger test, and we are excited to prove what we can do!”
As a player who will age out of junior hockey after the 2025-26 season, Zizmor knows he’ll have a big spotlight on him for advancement to NCAA college hockey.
“I want to stay true to my defensive style of play, and show the scouts how impactful my contribution is on the ice day-in and day-out. I want to put on display in each game how I play my role on the ice with precision and confidence as part of the team,” he added. “I believe scouts are looking for players who compete and will do anything to help the team win, and I can confidently say that I fit that mold. I want to show them just how pivotal a strong defenseman can be to the team’s success. I want to also display that I can take a bigger step offensively from the blue line while still focusing on my dependability defensively.”