Zeev Buium (born December 7, 2005) is an American college ice hockey defenseman for the University of Denver of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He was drafted 12th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2024 NHL entry draft.[1]
| Zeev Buium | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Buium playing with the NTDP at the Kohl Center in January 2023 | |||
| Born |
December 7, 2005 San Diego, California, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 186 lb (84 kg; 13 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NCAA team | University of Denver | ||
| NHL draft |
12th overall, 2024 Minnesota Wild | ||
Playing career
editJunior
editBuium played two seasons for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. During the 2021–22 season, he recorded four goals and nine assists in 49 games for the Under-17 team, and two goals and three assists in 32 USHL games. During the 2022–23 season, he led all team defensemen with 40 points in 63 total games for the Under-18 team, and two goals and ten assists in 23 USHL games.[2]
College
editBuium began his collegiate career for the Denver Pioneers during the 2023–24 season. He was the second-youngest player in NCAA Division I hockey during his freshman year.[3] He was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Player of the Month and the HCA National Co-Player of the Month for November 2023. He became the first freshman defenseman to ever win NCHC Player of the Month.[4] He led all NCHC players in points (14), points-per-game (1.75), assists (11) and plus/minus (+13) during the month.[5] With three assists in a game against Western Michigan on December 9, 2023, he extended his scoring streak to 12 games, surpassing Lane Hutson's record for the longest point streak by a freshman defenseman in the last 21 years.[6] He was named the NCHC Rookie of the Month for December 2023. During the month he recorded one goal and six assists in four games. His 1.75 points per game was tied for the most in the NCHC during the month, and his seven points led all league freshmen and defensemen in scoring in that time.[7] Buium led all NCHC freshmen and NCHC defensemen and ranked second behind Jackson Blake with 31 points in 24 conference games, the second-most points ever in NCHC play by a defenseman, trailing only Scott Perunovich's 32 points during the 2019–20 season. His 25 assists in conference play were also second among all skaters and first among defensemen. Following the season he was named to the All-NCHC First Team and All-NCHC Rookie Team.[8] He was also named NCHC Rookie of the Year and NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year.[9]
International play
edit| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  United States
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 |
2024 Sweden | |
| World U18 Championships | ||
| |
2023 Switzerland | |
Buium represented the United States at the 2023 IIHF World U18 Championships where he recorded one goal and five assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[10][11]
On December 16, 2023, Buium was named to the United States men's national junior ice hockey team to compete at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[12][13] He recorded three goals and two assists in seven games and won a gold medal.[14][15]
Personal life
editBuium was born to Israeli immigrants Sorin and Miriam Buium. His mother, Miriam, played professional basketball in Israel before an injury ended her playing career and she transitioned to a general manager.[16][17] Buium's older brother, Shai, also played college ice hockey at Denver and was drafted 36th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021 NHL entry draft.[18] Buium has a tattoo on his left forearm commemorating the dates he won two gold medals and an NCAA title in Hebrew.[19]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2021–22 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 32 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 23 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | University of Denver | NCHC | 42 | 11 | 39 | 50 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 42 | 11 | 39 | 50 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
edit| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | United States | U18 | 
|
7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2024 | United States | WJC |
|
7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 14 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 4 | ||||
Awards and honors
edit| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-NCHC Rookie Team | 2024 | [8] |
| All-NCHC First Team | 2024 | |
| NCHC Rookie of the Year | 2024 | [20] |
| NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year | 2024 | |
| AHCA West First Team All-American | 2024 | [21] |
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2024 | [22] |
References
edit- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (December 21, 2023). "Celebrini, Buium among top 2024 NHL Draft prospects to watch at World Juniors". NHL.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Zeev Buium". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Knabenbauer, Ron (August 10, 2023). "Denver Hockey Adds 10 Freshmen for 2023-24 Season". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ KnabenbauerWeisman, Michael (November 28, 2023). "Denver, Western Michigan Nab NCHC November Monthly Honors". nchchockey.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ KnabenbauerWeisman, Michael (December 1, 2023). "Denver's Zeev Buium Named HCA Men's National Co-Player of the Month for November". nchchockey.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Knabenbauer, Ron (December 9, 2023). "Rizzo Scores in OT to Lift No. 4 DU Past No. 13 Western Michigan". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Knabenbauer, Ron (January 3, 2024). "Zeev Buium Named NCHC Rookie of the Month for December". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Weisman, Michael (March 13, 2024). "NCHC Unveils 2023-2024 All-Conference Teams". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- ^ Knabenbauer, Ron (March 21, 2024). "Zeev Buium, Sean Behrens Win 2023-24 NCHC Awards". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Team USA Captures Gold Medal at U18 Men's World Championship". usahockeyntdp.com. May 8, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Scifo, Dan (May 11, 2023). "Golden Look-Back: U18 Team Forever Linked with Gold-Medal Win". usahockeyntdp.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (December 16, 2023). "Gauthier leads United States 2024 World Junior roster". NHL.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Knabenbauer, Ron (December 18, 2023). "Zeev Buium Named to Team USA for 2024 World Juniors". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Zeev Buium and Team USA win World Junior Championship". competeperformance.com. January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ King, Tyler (January 11, 2024). "DU Pioneers' David Carle, Zeev Buium reflect on winning gold at World Junior Championships". denvergazette.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Twaro, Chad (January 11, 2024). "Sacrifice and Commitment: Buium Brothers' Unlikely Hockey Journey Pays Off". nchchockey.com. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Newman, Kyle (October 8, 2023). "For Buium brothers and DU hockey, this season is all about becoming college hockey's undisputed juggernaut". The Denver Post. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Pike, Jordan (July 29, 2021). "Son of Israeli immigrants, hockey player Shai Buium to be drafted to NHL". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Morreale, Mike G. (June 8, 2024). "10 things learned from 2024 NHL Scouting Combine". NHL.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Weisman, Michael (March 21, 2024). "NCHC Unveils 2023-2024 Individual Award Winners". nchchockey.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Top 25 men's college hockey players earn distinction as CCM/AHCA Hockey All-Americans for 2023-24 season". USCHO.com. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Blankenship, Niko (April 13, 2024). "Perfect 10: Denver Wins Record-Breaking 10th National Championship". denverpioneers.com. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database