Zeev Buium is chasing not one but two pieces of hardware next week in St. Louis.
The University of Denver defenseman was named a Hobey Baker Award Hat Trick Finalist on Thursday afternoon, making him one of three vying for college hockey’s most prestigious award.
Buium and the defending national champion Pioneers face NCHC rival Western Michigan next Thursday at 3 p.m. in the first of two Frozen Four semifinals at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
A day later, Buium will be joined by fellow finalists Ryan Leonard of Boston College and Isaac Howard of Michigan State at the Hobey Baker Award ceremony. It will be broadcast live on NHL Network at 4 p.m.
He can become the third DU player to win the award, following in the footsteps of Matt Carle in 2006 and Will Butcher in 2017. The 19-year-old is the third Pioneer Hat Trick finalist since ’17, joining Henrik Borgstrom (2018) and Bobby Brink (2022).
Already named the NCHC player of the year, Buium is the top scoring defenseman in the nation with 48 points and is second among all skaters with 35 assists. He trails only teammate Jack Devine (44) in the latter.
He was taken with the 12th overall pick by Minnesota in last summer’s NHL draft, and there’s a chance he could join the Wild in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs after DU finishes up its season in the Frozen Four.
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