Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium has been recognized as the USCHO Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
Voting was conducted among USCHO.com staff members.
Buium was named a First Team All-American, the NCHC Player of the Year and led all NCAA defensemen in scoring this season with 48 points while ranking second among all skaters with 35 assists. One of two unanimous selections on the NCHC All-Conference First Team, Buium recorded a career-high 13 goals this season and registered multiple points 13 times. He picked up points in 30 of 41 games he played and tallied 38 points (13 goals, 25 assists) in the final 31 outings.
The San Diego, Calif., native, also a Hobey Hat Trick finalist, ranked third on the Pioneers in scoring and blocked shots (50), second in penalty minutes (44), and his plus-17 rating was tied for the fourth highest on the squad.
Named the NCAA Northeast Regional Most Outstanding Player, Buium combined for five points on two goals and three assists in victories against No. 2-seed Providence and No. 1 Boston College on March 28-30 to help Denver secure its second 24straight Frozen Four berth and its sixth trip to the final weekend in the last nine seasons. The rearguard tallied in both outings of regionals to stretch his goal streak to a personal-best three games. Denver eventually fell in double overtime to Western Michigan in the national semifinals.
He helped the United States win its second straight gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. Serving as an alternate captain on Team USA, Buium averaged the second-most ice time among all players at the tournament (25:13) and had assists on both the game-tying and overtime-winning goals in the championship final against Finland.
A repeat winner of the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year award in 2024-25, Buium ranks 10th all-time in scoring by a Pioneers blueliner with 98 career points (24 goals, 74 assists).
Buium was picked in the first round (12th overall) by the Minnesota Wild in the NHL Draft in June 2024, two months after helping Denver win its NCAA-record 10th national championship. He signed his entry-level deal with Minnesota last week.
