LAS VEGAS – One current and two incoming National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) players heard their name called in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft Friday night at The Sphere in Las Vegas. The three NCHC skaters selected in the first round are the second-most in conference history, trailing only the NCHC’s four first-rounders in the 2016 NHL Draft.
 
Denver rising sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium was the first NCHC player selected at pick 12 by the Minnesota Wild, becoming the third-highest draft pick in NCHC history. Six picks later, North Dakota incoming freshman forward Sacha Boisvert was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks with pick 18. Boisvert’s future teammate, UND incoming defenseman EJ Emery, was taken 30th overall by the New York Rangers, with North Dakota becoming the first NCHC team to have two players drafted in the first round of the same NHL Draft.
 
The Wild traded up for Buium, who is familiar with Xcel Energy Center ice, helping the Pioneers win the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and NCAA National Championship in 2024 on the same surface the Wild call home. The San Diego, Calif. native was an AHCA First-Team All-American, the NCHC Rookie of the Year and NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year this past season, as well as First-Team All-NCHC and First-Team All-College Hockey News. The freshman phenom led all NCAA blueliners with 50 points (11g/39a) in 42 games this past season, an NCHC points record for a defenseman. His 39 assists ranked third in the NCAA among all players and first among rearguards, while his 11 goals finished fourth among all defensemen. Buium was a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Month in 2023-24 and was the HCA Co-National Player of the Month in November of 2023. He also won a gold medal with the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden.
 
Boisvert was next off the board to the Blackhawks at 18th overall. The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec native served as an assistant captain for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL this past season, posting 68 points (36g/32a) in 61 regular-season games. He also chipped in three helpers in eight playoff games. Boisvert was tabbed Third-Team All-USHL in 2023-24 after ranking fifth in the league in goals and 11th in points. In his first year with the Lumberjacks (2022-23), he compiled 45 points (17g/28a) in 57 games and was named to the USHL All-Rookie Second Team. Boisvert also helped Canada Red win a silver medal at the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
 
Emery rounded out the NCHC trio drafted in the first round, having his name called by the Rangers. The Compton, Calif. native was a shut-down defenseman for the U.S. Under-18 National Team this past season, dishing out 16 assists from the blue line and posting a +34 plus/minus in 61 games. Emery also represented Team USA at the 2024 IIHF U-18 Men’s World Championship in late April and early May. While in Finland for the U-18 Championship, he tallied six assists in seven games to help the Stars and Stripes snag a silver medal.
 
The NCHC has now had 14 current or incoming players selected in the first round of the NHL Draft since the conference began play in 2013-14.
 
The 2024 NHL Draft concludes Saturday with rounds 2-7. Day two of the NHL Draft begins at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT and will be televised on NHL Network and streamed on ESPN+ in the United States, as well as Sportsnet in Canada.
 
NCHC PLAYERS SELECTED IN 2024 NHL DRAFT
Rd.        Pick       Player                  NCHC Team        Pos.       NHL Team
1            12          Zeev Buium          Denver                 D            Minnesota Wild
1            18          Sacha Boisvert     North Dakota       F             Chicago Blackhawks
1            30          EJ Emery              North Dakota       D            New York Rangers
 
ALL-TIME NCHC PLAYERS SELECTED IN FIRST ROUND OF NHL DRAFT
Year      Pick       Player                                 NHL Team             NCHC Team
2014      20          Nick Schmaltz                     Chicago                 North Dakota
2015      23          Brock Boeser                      Vancouver             North Dakota
2015      25          Jack Roslovic                      Winnipeg               Miami
2016      10          Tyson Jost                           Colorado               North Dakota
2016      20          Dennis Cholowski                Detroit                  St. Cloud State
2016      23          Henrik Borgstrom                Florida                  Denver
2016      25          Riley Tufte                           Dallas                   Minnesota Duluth
2017      25          Ryan Poehling                     Montreal              St. Cloud State
2018      26          Jacob Bernard-Docker        Ottawa                 North Dakota
2020      5            Jake Sanderson                  Ottawa                 North Dakota
2022      31          Isaac Howard                      Tampa Bay           Minnesota Duluth
2024      12          Zeev Buium                         Minnesota            Denver
2024      18          Sacha Boisvert                    Chicago               North Dakota
2024      30          EJ Emery                             N.Y. Rangers       North Dakota