Jerusalem, Tel Aviv make Israel hockey history with North America debut

ELMONT, N.Y. -- The first professional hockey game played in North America between two teams from Israel ended with the Jerusalem Capitals' 7-6 overtime win against HC Tel Aviv in the IEHL USA Challenge Cup at UBS Arena on Sunday.

The game featured a breakneck pace that saw Tel Aviv outshoot Jerusalem 61-57. It was also another coming out party for 16-year-old Capitals forward Nikita Zitserman, who could be the first Israel-born player chosen in the NHL Draft when he's eligible in 2026.

Denis Zaychik scored 2:14 into the 3-on-3 overtime to win it after Tel Aviv rallied from down 5-2 in the second period to take a 6-5 lead in the third.

The game was played on NHL ice at the home of the New York Islanders, in an NHL atmosphere with the Islanders logo at center ice, goal horns, sound effects and signage. It drew about 8,000 fans, many wearing Tel Aviv and Capitals jerseys, the Israel flag draped over the shoulders of others.

It was something never seen by Jerusalem assistant coach David Warsofsky, an NHL defenseman from 2013-18 and the younger brother of San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky.

"I think it was a moment everyone remembers the rest of their lives," Warsofsky said. " A lot of these guys haven't been able to play in an arena like this. It's a historic moment for Israeli hockey."

To suggest that the presentation exceeded the wildest of dreams and expectations of league players, coaches and executives is more than fair.

"This is a dream," HC Tel Aviv coach Stuart Gourdji said. "Coaching in front of, I think we had 8,000 people. Truly incredible hearing Hebrew songs at a hockey game, the music, the spirit, the atmosphere."

Ivan Gluck, an 87-year-old survivor of the Holocaust, struck the first of many emotional chords, and the most powerful. Jerusalem's honorary captain skated shortly before the opening ceremonies wearing No. 18. He took fist bumps with players and left the ice to a rousing ovation.

Capitals coach Neil Glasberg was particularly touched. His late father was part of the Jewish Brigade of 1948, the year that the head of the Jewish Agency, David Ben-Gurion, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, with United States President Harry S. Truman recognizing the new nation on the same day.

"What [Gluck] went through and what he's gone through his whole life is everything to us," Warsofsky said. "So, it's important to recognize him and what he's been through. In the grand scheme of things, stuff that he had to go through is way more difficult than what we're able to do on the ice."

Following a moment of silence for victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel and IEHL co-commissioner Marc Brunengraber's message that fans will be pleasantly surprised at the level of competition, the players went to work. Evgenii Kozhevnikov (Capitals) and Kirill Polozov (Tel Aviv) took the opening face-off. Forward Chris Blake scored the opening goal at 2:03 of the first for Tel Aviv, which went 0-6 last season but got the first six shots on goal and outshot the Capitals 13-4 nearly six minutes into the game.

That's when Ziv Deener's holding penalty at 5:58 put Jerusalem on the power play and began the Zitserman show. The Tel Aviv native helped Israel win silver at the 2024 IIHF World Championship Division II in Belgrade, Serbia, and Sofia, Bulgaria, one year after the country finished fifth. He has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in eight games for Dusseldorf in Germany's U17 league.

Zitserman was named most valuable player of the game after a hat trick -- his third goal at 12:42 of the third tied the game 6-6 -- known in Israel as the kippah trick.

"Four years ago, we played 4-on-4 and now an NHL arena," Zitserman said. "I think you're just going to go higher from here. It was my dream since I was kid I can remember."

Zitserman's hockey career is trending toward extraordinary, two years after founder and co-commissioner Tom Avneri wrote in a fundraising note, "This is Israel, and Israel is anything but ordinary."

"We keep building, building, building, until who knows where we go?" Tel Aviv defenseman Joey Finfer said.

For one night, their phones blew up with ticket requests. This was a big deal to pro hockey in Israel, proof that talent can be found anywhere, the Capitals and HC Tel Aviv leaving confident there's a lot more to give.

"Tonight, basically opened the floodgates," Gourdji said. "Hopefully we'll be back here next year and instead of having 8,000 people, we'll sell the building out."