WORCESTER — Worcester Railers rookie defenseman David Quenneville comes from a family of hockey players, but he didn’t always enjoy the sport. When he began playing at age 4 or 5, he hated it.

“The first couple of times I went out there,” Quenneville said after practice Wednesday at the Fidelity Bank Worcester Ice Center, “I was crying my eyes out. From stories that my mom and my grandmother were telling me, I was just doing snow angels on the ice and screaming, begging to get off.”

It didn’t take long, however, for him to fall in love with the game. He grew up playing with his older brothers on a rink that his father and grandfather built in the backyard.

His brother, Peter, 24, plays professional hockey in Norway, and his brother, John, 22, plays center for the New Jersey Devils.

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk, the former Bruin, is related by marriage, and Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is his father’s cousin. Quenneville doesn’t know the Blackhawks’ head coach well, but he’s close with Boychuk. They worked out together the past couple of years, and he stayed with him during the beginning of Islanders — the Railers’ NHL affiliate — training camp this year.

Quenneville’s mother’s sister married Boychuk’s brother, so Quenneville calls him his “uncle in-law.”

“Johnny’s probably the coolest person I know,” Quenneville said. “Just the way he treats people. It doesn’t matter if you’re making one dollar or a hundred million dollars, he treats everyone the same, and he’s just such a great person to be around. You want to build your team around guys like him.”

Quenneville’s age and sweater number are the same — 20.

“Any number’s good for me,” Quenneville admitted. “I just want to go out and play.”

He’s the youngest player on the Railers, but he’s the only Railer who is signed to an NHL contract. The Islanders selected him in the seventh round in 2016.

In junior hockey last year, Quenneville played for Medicine Hat and led Western Hockey League defensemen in goals with 26 and points with 80. He’s known for his hard shot that he developed in his backyard years ago.

Last Sunday in a 6-4 loss at Reading, Quenneville scored his first goal as a professional on a one-timer on the power play. He admitted he was so upset that the Railers were losing, he didn’t think to grab the puck as a souvenir, but fortunately one of his teammates did.

Last weekend, Quenneville was paired with Kyle McKenzie on defense. McKenzie played with Quenneville’s brother, Peter, six years ago in Dubuque, Iowa.

“David’s a very smart hockey player,” McKenzie said. “He’s fun to play with. I’m more of a stay-at-home defenseman, I’m not very offensive at all, and the game is starting to adapt where you need that offensive side of the game if you want to make it to the next level, and David has that, and he has youth on his side as well. We have guys here willing to help him out.”

The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Quenneville is 4 inches shorter than the Railers’ next shortest defenseman, and he’s even with forward Barry Almeida for shortest player on the team.

Being a smaller defenseman presents challenges while battling in front of your own net against bigger opponents, but the NHL has begun to stress speed over size, and Quenneville looks to Bruins defenseman Torey Krug as an inspiration. Krug is an offensive defenseman who is only 5-9, 185 pounds.

“He reads the play very well,” Railers general manager/coach Jamie Russell said of Quenneville. “He’s got good puck skills. He knows when to jump and get involved offensively.”

Believe it or not, he was the biggest player on his team when he was growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, and used to overpower his opponents. But he stopped growing at 13 or 14 years old.

Quenneville brought a Los Angeles Lakers jacket to practice on Wednesday. He’s been a big fan of LeBron James since he played for Miami, so he’s rooting for the Lakers this season.

He admitted he didn’t stop to think that he’s in Celtics territory now.

“Probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” he said, “but I’ll still wear it.”