By: Daniel Halickman

The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is coming up and there is one name that should be on the tip of the tongues of those who are interested in Jews in Sports and that is defenseman Zeev Buium.

This past April 13th, Buium led the University of Denver Pioneers to their 10th NCAA hockey championship, upsetting Boston College 2-0.  

Zeev happens to be the son of Israelis Sorin and Miriam Buium and was born on San Diego. His mother played professional basketball in Israel so it should come as no surprise that not only Zeev but also his brother Shai would venture into the realm of sports. Zeev was able to share the championship with his older brother Shai, who scored 36 points in 43 games for Denver this season and was drafted 36th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021.

“We’re just excited for this moment,” Shai told NHL.com. “We’ve dreamed of this since we were kids.”

Zeev said, “He’s the best big brother in the world. I love him and owe him a lot.”

Zeev, who is a projected top 10 pick or perhaps even a top 5 selection in this June’s NHL draft led all NCAA defensemen with 50 points for the Pioneers this season and he also made a great play to set up the second goal of the game.

Last year he put up 40 points in 63 games for the U.S. National Development Program Under-18 team.

His coach David Carle lauded his abilities and told NHL.com, “To me, it’s hard to find a more impactful player shift in, shift out, game in, game out, that’s available in the draft.”

Many teams are lining up to snag the talented rearguard and add him to their lineup in the near future. Buium has a promising career in front of him and the hockey world as well as the Jewish people as a whole are looking forward to his exploits. Stay tuned to the NHL draft that will be held on June 28, 2024 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada to see where Zeev will begin his professional career.