Minnesota Wild rookie Zeev Buium preparing for potential NHL debut
Call it the Brock Faber model.
Zeev Buium went from the Frozen Four to, a few days later, joining the Minnesota Wild and a potential playoff push. Monday was his first practice with the team.
"Just a lot of emotions. It's tough to wrap your head around everything," said the Wild's 2024 first-round draft pick. "Obviously, this is the NHL. This is where I've wanted to be my entire career. So, very excited."
Buium plans to lean on Faber. At just 19, he's younger than Faber was when he debuted in 2023.
Buium's accomplished a lot so far in his hockey career, including a college national championship played in St. Paul in 2024, and a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.
But now, he's a rookie. Future Hall of Famer Marc-André Fleury won't let him forget, tossing a jersey on Buium's head during his first interview session after practice.
"That's nice," laughed Buium. "He pranked me earlier. I was sitting in the theater room. He told me to sit somewhere, and then he pointed at the seat and I sat there and he walked up and was like 'that's my seat.'"
"He's a good skating defenseman," said John Hynes. "I think he moves the puck well. He's got good instincts. He's got a competitive nature to him. He's very good on the power play."
The left-shot defenseman who played a portion of his prep career at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, could be thrown right in and play in the Wild's regular season finale, with the playoffs on the line.
"The last two years I had at Denver, I don't think there's much more development-wise for me in college hockey," said Buium. "I can always get bigger, stronger, faster. But I think taking this next step and pushing myself even more, it's the right moment."
