Inducted into the Burrillville Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006
Inducted into the St. Lawrence University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011
Ed Zifcak is considered by many to have been the greatest hockey talent and, perhaps, the best athlete ever to come out of Burrillville High School, winning multiple All-State and league honors in baseball and football, as well.
Born in Pascoag, RI, the powerful six-foot wing led his hockey Broncos to twin state championships and New England Tournament finals in the early 50’s, playing for RI Hockey Hall of Fame coach Tom Eccleston Jr. His exceptional play earned him a scholarship to then-juggernaut St. Lawrence University where he debuted as a freshman on the line of All-American, Brian McFarlane, future host of Hockey Night in Canada.
Ed led the Saints 1954-55 and 1955-56 teams to two NCAA championship appearances in what today is referred to as hockey’s Frozen Four. He and his teammates from both squads were later inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a junior, Ed scored 20 goals and added 26 assists during regular season play and was named a United Press International All-American. After his senior season as Co-Captain, he was an All-American selection of the American Hockey Coaches Association.
Following graduation, Ed made the roster of the first of his two US National Teams. In protest of the Soviet Union’s suppression of the Hungarian Revolution, the U.S. government barred the team from the 1957 World Championships in Moscow. Shortly after the World’s, Ed’s squad turned in a sterling 23-3-1 record, including a defeat of World Champion, Sweden. Ed’s roommate and center, was Bill Cleary Jr., future hero of the 1960 Olympic Games and Harvard’s winningest coach in the modern era.
With the 1957-58 U.S. National Team, Ed played alongside the famed Christian brothers, Bill, Roger and Gord, and Minnesota’s legendary John Mayasich. He netted 10 goals and handed out 14 assists before heading to the IIHF World Championships in Oslo, Norway. A month later Ed’s powerful team wound up its overseas play in a fierce battle against the World’s runner-up USSR squad before a crowd of 14,000 in Moscow.
After his U.S. National Team experience, Ed’s pro ambitions were circumscribed by the limited opportunities available in the six-team NHL, still with few Americans. He continued playing and starring at the top U.S. amateur level for several seasons. His 1962 Rockland Estes team won the National Amateur Hockey Association championship, and his 1963 Hingham Estes team captured the National runners-up trophy.
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