SAINT PAUL, Minn. – University of Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium has been selected to the Hobey Hat Trick of finalists for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, as the three finalists were revealed on Thursday. Joining Buium in the Hobey Hat Trick up for men’s college hockey’s top player are Michigan State junior forward Isaac Howard and Boston College sophomore forward Ryan Leonard.
 
Buium becomes the 11th Hobey Hat Trick finalist in National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) history and marks the second straight year the NCHC has had a Hobey Hat Trick finalist. Former North Dakota forward and 2023-24 NCHC Player of the Year Jackson Blake was one of the top three finalists last year. Buium is the fourth Pioneer to be named to the Hobey Hat Trick since the NCHC began play in 2013 and first since forward Bobby Brink in 2022.
 
Buium (San Diego Calif.) has already racked up several awards this season, including NCHC Player of the Year and unanimous First-Team All-NCHC honors. He was also named to College Hockey News’ All-CHN First Team on Monday and was a unanimous repeat selection for NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year. The Minnesota Wild first round draft pick was tabbed Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Manchester Regional after scoring two goals, totaling five points in two games and leading DU back to the NCAA Frozen Four as defending National Champions. He helped Denver defeat Leonard and the Eagles in the regional final last Sunday. Buium was also selected to the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team, scoring in the title game.
 
After setting an NCHC record for a defenseman with 50 points as a freshman, Buium leads all NCAA defensemen with 48 points in 40 games this season, with his point total tied for 11th nationally among all skaters. His 1.20 points per game are second among blueliners and 18th in the NCAA. Buium’s 13 goals rank third in the country among rearguards, while his 35 assists lead defensemen nationally and are second in the NCAA among all skaters (behind only his own teammate and Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist Jack Devine). Of his 13 goals, four are game-winners, tying for third among NCAA defensemen, and three came on the power play.
 
Buium carries a +17 plus/minus on the season, while averaging 26:26 time on ice, which is third nationally. He has also blocked 48 shots this year, which ranks 11th in the NCHC, and fired 87 shots on goal. In conference play, his eight goals and 20 assists both led all NCHC blueliners, while he became only the third NCHC defenseman ever to record a hat trick, doing so Nov. 15 at North Dakota. Buium was a three-time NCHC Defenseman of the Week this season. He also won a gold medal for the second straight year on the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in January. Buium was the NCHC Rookie of the Year last season.

Buium and the Pioneers head to the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four next week looking for a second straight national title. DU will face fellow NCHC foe Western Michigan in the National Semifinals on Thursday, April 10 at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT.
 
The 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced on Friday, April 11 during the Men’s NCAA Frozen Four weekend in St. Louis, Mo. The announcement will be televised live on NHL Network from the Stifel Theatre in St. Louis and streamed on the Hobey Baker website at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT. 
 
The three Hat Trick Finalists for this year’s Hobey Baker Award were selected from the initial list of Top 10 finalists by the 30-member Selection Committee and an additional round of online fan balloting. Along with Buium, Denver senior forward Jack Devine was a Top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for the second straight season, as the NCHC had a pair of Top-10 Finalists this year.
 
Criteria for the Hobey Baker Award includes: displaying outstanding skills in all phases of the game; strength of character on and off the ice; sportsmanship; and scholastic achievements.
 
The NCHC is home to two previous Hobey Baker Award winners in former Denver defenseman Will Butcher, who won in 2017, and former Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich, who captured the honor in 2020. The Pioneers are also home to two Hobey Baker Award winners, both defensemen, in Butcher and fellow blueliner Matt Carle, who won the award in 2006 and is the brother of DU head coach David Carle.