Shai Buium (born March 26, 2003) is an American professional ice hockey

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...

for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey at the University of Denver.

Playing career

Buium played two seasons for the

Sioux City Musketeers The Sioux City Musketeers are a junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League (USHL). The Musketeers' home ice is Tyson Events Center. The team was founded in 1972, and has won three Anderson Cups a ...

. During the 2019–20 season, he recorded one assist in four games. During the 2020–21 season, in his first full season with the Musketeers, he recorded four goals and 22 assists in 50 regular season games and one goal and two assists in four playoff games. Following the season he was named to the USHL All-Rookie Second Team. On July 24, 2021, he was drafted in the second round, 36th overall, by the

in the

2021 NHL entry draft The 2021 NHL Entry Draft was the 59th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on July 23–24, 2021, delayed by one month from its normally scheduled time of June due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the later-than-normal finish of the 2020–21 NHL se ...

. Buium began his collegiate career for the Denver Pioneers during the 2021–22 season. During his freshman year he recorded three goals and 15 assists in 39 games and helped Denver win the national championship. He ranked third among defensemen in shots with 65 and added seven power-play assists, third-most among team defensemen. Following the season he was named to the All-NCHC Rookie Team. During the 2022–23 season, in his sophomore year, he recorded four goals and 17 assists in 38 games. He ranked fourth on the team with 32 blocked shots. During the 2023–24 season, in his junior year, he recorded a career-high seven goals and 29 assists in 43 games. He ranked fifth on the team in scoring and tied for third in assists, both of which were the second-most by a Denver defenseman, trailing only his brother Zeev Buium. His 36 points ranked eighth in the NCAA among defensemen while his 29 assists tied for sixth. He finished the season with a +33 plus/minus rating, tied with his brother Zeev for the highest ever by a Pioneer since the statistic first began being tracked in 2005–06. During the national championship game at the

2024 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament The 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the national championship tournament for men's college ice hockey in the United States held from March 28-April 13, 2024. The tournament involved 16 teams in single-elimination play to dete ...

he assisted on the game-winning goal against

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

. Following the season he was named to the All-NCHC Second Team. He was also named a finalist for the

NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year The NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year was an annual award given out at the conclusion of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference formed on Jul ...

and

NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year The NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year is an annual award given out at the conclusion of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference formed on Jul ...

. He finished his collegiate career with 14 goals and 61 assists with a plus-61 rating in 120 games and won two national championships in three years with the Pioneers. On April 17, 2024, Buium signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the

. He also signed an amateur tryout (ATO) with the Red Wings' AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He made his professional debut for the Griffins on April 19, 2024, in a game against the Iowa Wild.

Personal life

Buium 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. Buium's younger brother, Zeev, is also a college ice hockey player at Denver and a draft pick of the Minnesota Wild.

Career statistics

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Buium, Shai 2003 births Living people American people of Israeli descent Denver Pioneers men's ice hockey players Detroit Red Wings draft picks Grand Rapids Griffins players Ice hockey players from California NCAA men's ice hockey national champions Sioux City Musketeers players Sportspeople from San Diego