Hello! Our lead story this week is about Zeev Buium, a top-ranked prospect in tonight’s NHL Entry Draft. Buium is coming off a NCAA national title with Denver and is expected to go in the top 10 tonight.
But first, we need to talk about Zach Hyman. Again.
The Edmonton Oilers fell just short in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, who won Game 7 on Monday after taking a 3-0 series lead before the Oilers came back to tie the series 3-3. That brought an end to what is likely the greatest season by any Jewish goal-scorer in NHL history.
After a 54-goal regular season, Hyman led the league with 16 postseason goals. Add in his six postseason assists and 23 in the regular season, and Hyman tallied 99 points across 105 total games.
Bravo. 👏
A star in the making
It’s been a year of tragedy and triumph for Zeev Buium.
The 18-year-old star defenseman, whose parents and extended family are Israeli, made his NCAA DI debut on the evening of Oct. 7, hours after news broke of Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel.
Buium and his brother Shai, both of whom played for the University of Denver, called their mother, who began to fill them in. She told them one key detail that gave them enough comfort to take the ice that night.
“We knew the major details, but the biggest thing was she said she’s pretty sure all our family is safe and healthy,” Buium told me. “So that was the biggest thing for us, making sure that the people we love are safe.”
From there, the season couldn’t have gone much better. Denver won the national championship in April, with each Buium brother assisting on one of the Pioneers’ goals in a 2-0 win over Boston College.
Now, Buium will give his family another reason to celebrate: He is a consensus top-10 pick in tonight’s NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas. He’s expected to be selected in the No. 5-8 range.
“I think the biggest thing for me is seeing our family come over from Israel to Vegas to be with me and be with the rest of my family,” Buium said. “I couldn’t thank them enough for having made all the sacrifices they’ve made, what they’ve gone through to make a sacrifice to come to the States and be with me.”
Read my profile of the rising hockey star right here.
Halftime report
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