Youngsters Ondrej Becher (80th, 2024) and Shai Buium (36th, 2021) are the only players listed as injured heading into the start of Detroit Red Wings’ training camp on Thursday.

“Becher has a sprained ankle that he did prior to coming to Detroit,” Detroit GM Steve Yzerman said. “I think skating on his own, so he’ll be out for a little while.”

Buium, projected to be a regular in Grand Rapids this season, was injured blocking a shot in Game 2 of Red Wings’ prospect series against the Dallas Stars.

“He’s kind of day to day,” Yzerman said. “We’re doing some more tests at this stage. It doesn’t look like it’s anything serious, and hopefully it’s not. But still, he potentially might miss a few days.”

The Becher injury is disappointing because the Red Wings only drafted him two months ago. They wanted to get a look at him because no decision has been made about where he will play next season. He’s too old for junior hockey, but is he ready for pro hockey? A full training camp would have helped the Red Wings determine what stage he’s at in his development.

Ready or Not

It’s an unlucky turn of events for San Diego native Buium. Detroit’s director of player development Dan Cleary said Buium worked extremely hard this summer in Detroit to be ready. After helping Denver win its second NCAA championship in three season, Buium signed with the Red Wings with enough time to play one AHL game.

Buium is a big, strong defenseman who can skate a puck out of trouble. He should get a true opportunity to play in Grand Rapids because Simon Edvinsson and Albert Johansson are projected to play in Detroit this season.

“At the end of the day I watched how he played quite a bit,” Cleary said. “Obviously a very successful career in Denver. He can certainly run a power play. He’s smart — makes his good hockey sense work for him. He’s got a good little feel. He can find the middle of the ice well. And he certainly knows what he’s got to work on. But he’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten quicker, he’s in better shape, but the pro game’s tough. American League is a tough league. It’s hard. So it’s gonna be growing (pains) for sure.

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The Detroit Red Wings happen to think that it’s very important to encounter the culture of winning during a hockey player’s development case. That being the case, Detroit defensive prospect Shai Buium is the owner of a PhD in winning.

Twice in the past three years, he was part of an NCAA championship squad with the Denver Pioneers.

Oh my goodness, Shai Buium (DET) follows his younger brother's goal with an absolute missile of his own. 3-2 Pios pic.twitter.com/dfKFaHCHh3

— Ryan Sikes (@ryan_sikes10) November 18, 2023

“He knows how to win,” Grand Rapids coach Dan Watson told DHN’s Kevin Allen about Buium. “He’s done it, he’s a big-game player.”

For his part, Buium thinks capturing those two titles gives him an astute understanding of what really matters if you want to be a success in this game.

“I think it just gives you perspective,” Buium said. “How much you have to buy in to the team and how we need to play. You don’t play for yourself, you play for the guy next to you and the logo.

“You learn that stuff, you learn how to be a better leader, you learn how to win hockey games. That’s what you want to do, you want to be a winner.”

Red Wings In Case You Missed It

Kevin Allen rates the defensive prospects in the Detroit system.

The newest member of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Gabriel Seger combines hockey IQ with book smarts.

UPDATE: The Griffins signed forward Gabriel Seger to a one-year contract for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign #GoGRG

DETAILS >> https://t.co/7YHrh0grXu pic.twitter.com/5LVVRtvC2m

— x – Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) June 11, 2024

Here’s why the Red Wings could regress during the 2024-25 NHL season.

Red Wings Offseason

Another former Red Wings player is on the move in Europe. Center Dominic Turgeon is leaving Sweden’s Sodertalje SK to join EC Kassel Huskies of Germany’s DEL2. Turgeon would play nine games for Detroit between 2017-19. Meanwhile, former Griffins winger Marek Tvrdon is returning home. He’ll be joining HC Nove Zamky of the Slovakian League after playing last season with HC Poruba 2011 of Czechia2. Tvrdon, a 2011 Red Wings draftee, played in Grand Rapids from 2013-15.

Hockey Now Network

Florida: Victim of a Leon Draisaitl elbow, Panthers captain Sasha Barkov skated Wednesday, but isn’t a confirmed starter for Game 3 of the Stanley cup final. Florida Panthers

Boston: Jay Leach is rejoining Jim Montgomery’s coaching staff with the Bruins. Boston Bruins

Montreal: Should the Canadiens explore options to move Carey Price’s dead cap space in a trade? Montreal Canadiens

New Jersey: The Devils may want Jacob Markstrom, but there’s no guarantee that the Calgary Flames will be trading him. New Jersey Devils

Philadelphia: Why a Flyers reunion with Wade Allison makes perfect sense. Philadelphia Flyers

Colorado: Wade Klippenstein, director of amateur scouting for the Avalanche, is leaving the club. Colorado Avalanche

San Jose: Zeev Buium was chirping Macklin Celebrini as the top prospects for the 2024 NHL entry draft were attending the Stanley Cup final. San Jose Sharks

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The post Red Wings Prospect Comes Equipped With Winner’s Mentality (+) appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

It’s been a very busy April for Red Wings prospect Shai Buium.

It started when his University of Denver hockey team qualified for the NCAA’s Frozen Four.

Last Saturday, the Pioneers won their second NCAA title in three seasons.

Wednesday, Buium signed a three-year entry-level ($925,000 per season) contract with the Red Wings. It includes a $92,500 per year signing bonus. His AHL salary will be $80,000.

Tonight, his pro career begins when the Griffins take on the Iowa Wild in the next-to-last game of the regular season.

Buium Rejoins Ex-College Teammates

Shai Buium  (pronounced shy BOO-yuhm).rejoins former Denver teammates Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto, who he played with on Denver’s 2022 national title team.

“They’e some of my best friends,” Buium said. “I lived with Maz  for a year when I first got here, so we’re really close. They’re really happy for me and I’m really excited.”

Buium, a 6-foot-4, 210- pound defenseman, was the No. 36 overall pick by the Red Wings in 2021. He had his best season in 2023-24, recording seven goals and 29 assists in 43 games.

It’s hard to know exactly where Buium fits on Detroit’s prospect list until he plays regularly for the Grand Rapids next season. He could be at the level where Tuomisto and William Wallinder are at.

“I think I just took my game to another level,” Buium said. “I worked on my defensive game a lot the last two seasons, and it all came together for me this year.”

Winning a national championship was enhanced by doing do with his younger brother Zeev.

“I love that kid,” Buium said. “I love playing hockey, and I’d never had a chance to be ion the same team before and I may not get the opportunity again. I’m lucky to have had the opportunity.”

Turning Pro Came After NCAA Title Won

Buium said he considered returning for his senior season, but didn’t really consider turning pro until after winning the national title.

“Then we talked about it and I felt (turning pro) was a good idea for me,” he said,

“I don’t like to think too far ahead,” he said.”I’ve noticed that the more you think about the future, it affects you mentally. I think just going day-to-day, eager to learn, eager to get better every day, and good things will happen.”

To that end, Buium says he has not settled on where he will be this summer, although he likely will be at this summer’s NHL Draft, where Zeev Buium is expected to be a high draft choice.

What he will be doing is much more clear.

“I’m always working on my skating,” he said. “Getting stronger and getting the best shape I can, put on some muscle, work on my shot and keep getting better at the little things in my game.”

For Buium, winning second NCAA title is a goal accomplished. The road to achieving the next goal, getting to the NHL, begins tonight.

The post Red Wings’ Buium Ready For Next Challenge appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

The Detroit Red Wings added Shai Buium to their stable of young defensemen, signing him to a three-year deal that will start next season.

The Grand Rapids Griffins announced they signed Buium to an amateur tryout offer (ATO) that will allow him to play with the team this week. The Griffins play Wednesday and Friday against the Iowa Wild, and Sunday against the Milwaukee Admirals.

Buium (drafted 36th overall in 2021) recently helped Denver win its second NCAA championship in the last three seasons. Buium assisted on one of the goals in a 2-0 win against Boston College in the title game in Minnesota.  The 6-foot-3, 220-pound San Diego native posted seven goals and 36 points in 43 goals this season.

Shai Buium(2nd round’21 for Denver)
•1 Assist +1 2 shots missed 2 shot blocks in a 2-0 win
•Assisted on the GWG+was absolutely crucial defensively killing off penalties+shutting it down
•2 national championships in 3 years
•ELC watch starts now#LGRW

pic.twitter.com/ZAIn1bZGf8

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) April 14, 2024

At Grand Rapids, Buium (pronounced shy BOO-yuhm) will rejoin former Denver teammates Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto.  They played with him on the Denver team that won the NCAA title in 2021.

The Griffins team is loaded with Detroit prospects on defense, including Albert Johansson, Tuomisto, William Wallinder, Eemil Viro and Wyatt Newpower. It’s possible the Red Wings will send Simon Edvinsson back to Grand Rapids.

By all accounts, Buium improved significantly in his junior season at Denver. He played impressively well for Denver down the stretch and in the NCAA tournament. He skates well for a bigger defenseman. The presumption is Buium will spend next season in Grand Rapids. With his improvement this season, Buium is probably on Detroit’s list of top 10 prospects.

His brother, Zeev, will be picked in the first round of the NHL draft in June. Zeev Buium is also a defenseman.

The post Red Wings Sign Denver D Man, joining Grand Rapids This Week appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

Make that two titles for Shai Buium.

Buium became a national champion for the second time in three seasons. It happened when the University of Denver beat Boston College 2-0 on  Saturday night. The big defenseman was taken in the second round by the Red Wings (No. 36 overall) in the 2021  NHL Draft.

It’s the 10th NCAA national title for Denver, breaking a tie with Michigan, and the fifth title for the Pioneers in the last 20 years.

“It’s what we go for, why you come to Denver —  to win championships,” Buium said in a postgame interview on ESPN. ‘There’s no better feeling, especially playing with my brother, I’m so happy right now.”

Buium Brothers Assist On Goals

Shai Buium assisted on Denver’s first goal and brother Zeev assisted on Denver’s second goal. The game was scoreless after one period. The Pioneers (32-9-3) got goals from Jared Wright and Rieger Lorenz in the second period, then turned things over to their defense.

Goalie Matt Davis allowed only three goals in the tournament.  He turned in a virtuoso performance in net in the third period. The veteran stopped 25 shots in the period, some in spectacular fashion, as the Pioneers held off a Boston College team that led the NCAA in scoring this season.

Denver won at least 30 games for the third season in a row.  Boston College (34-6-1) had won 15 in a row.

https://t.co/RNfeZBWjgg

— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) April 14, 2024

Zeev Buium, expected to go early in this year’s NHL Draft, was named to the All-Tournament team. Davis was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

A pair of Red Wings prospects were on the Denver team that won the 2022 title. Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto were busy Saturday night as the Griffins played Chicago.

‘It’s always fun to talk talk about about Denver and our experiences there and how they’re doing right now,” Mazur said earlier this month. ‘”So it’s been really fun to follow.”

They have more to talk about now.

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Red Wings prospect Shai Buium is a junior at the University of Denver, but has the equivalent of a master’s degree in winning college hockey.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound defenseman played a strong game Thursday to help Denver down Boston University 2-1 in overtime at the Frozen Four to earn a spot in the NCAA championship game against Boston College. That game will be played Saturday at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Michigan, with Detroit prospect Kienan Draper, lost to Boston College in the semifinal.

San Diego native Buium was a member of the Denver team that won the 2022 NCAA championship. That team also included Detroit prospects Carter Mazur and Antti Tuomisto who are currently playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins.  In Buium’s three seasons at Denver, the school’s cumulative record is 92-28-4.

This has been Buium’s best season at Denver: he posted seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points for Denver’s high powered offense.  Buium (drafted 36th overall by Detroit in 2021) was also second on the team with a plus-32 plus-minus

"We're gonna go win this thing"

After their thrilling Overtime win, Shai Buium of @DU_Hockey is as confident as can be for the NCAA title game #9sports pic.twitter.com/PDSKQgfpmg

— Scotty Gange (@Scotty_G6) April 12, 2024

Buium Impressive vs. BU

A strong skater, Buium was a force defensively for the Pioneers in the win against Boston University. He was plus-2 in the semifinal with one shot on goal.

Buium’s younger brother Zeev also plays for Denver. He is a Luke Hughes-style, puck carrying defenseman who is projected to land in the middle of the first round. Bob McKenzie ranked him 13th in his TSN mid-season rankings. Craig Button, also of TSN, has him fourth. Zeev Buium is also fourth among North American skaters in the NHL Central Scouting rankings. Sportsnet has Zeev ranked 20th.

According to tankathon.com, the Red Wings this morning have a 94.7% of picking  14th in the June draft.  The Red Wings do seem to have more prospects on defense than forward.

The post Red Wings Boast One Prospect in NCAA Championship Game appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

And then there were two.

Two Red Wings prospects will be playing in the NCAA’s Frozen Four in 10 days after their teams won regional titles over the weekend.

After four losses in a row to their rivals, Michigan scored four goals in the third period to beat Michigan State on Sunday, 5-2. Dylan Duke scored twice for the Wolverines in the third period, U-M broke a 2-2 tie on goals 12 seconds apart. The first was by Duke with 7:18  remaining, followed by Gavin Brindley scoring with 7:06 remaining.

Duke ended the scoring on a power-play goal with 2:19 remaining. Ethan Edwards and Marshall Warren also scored for Michigan.

How Red Wings Prospects Fared

Red Wings prospect Kienan Draper (drafted No. 187 in 2020) had two shots on goal and had a penalty for the Wolverines.

Michigan State got power-play goals from Gavin O’Connell and Joey Larson. Red Wings prospect Red Savage (No. 114, 2021) had a shot on goal for the Spartans.

MSU goalie Trey Augustine (No. 41, 2023) faced 35 shots and made 30 saves. It gave him 1,119  saves on the season, tops in the nation. The Spartans had won four in a row against their rivals going into Sunday. It marked the first time U-M and MSU had met in a regional final.

Michigan will play Boston College in St. Paul, Minn., in a Frozen Four semifinal on April 11.

Denver University advanced with help from the Buium brothers. Shai Buium, drafted No. 36 in 2022, had an assist on a power-play goal with 4.8 seconds left in the second period. It lifted Denver to a 2-1 win over Cornell in Springfield, Mass., on Saturday. Buium’s brother, Zeev, had the other assist on Sam Harris’ goal. Denver will play Boston University in a semifinal on April 11.

Denver is in the Frozen Four for the second time in three years. The Pioneers won the national title in 2022.

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