Wild development camp pulls together prospects with dreams, none more than Zeev Buium

Zeev Buium’s teams had their seasons end in elimination, but Buium’s didn’t.

He finished with a gold medal.

After Buium and the University of Denver were knocked out of the Frozen Four in April one game shy of competing for a second straight national championship, the defenseman turned pro and joined the Wild before they were bounced from the playoffs by Vegas in six games. Days later, Buium was en route to Europe to represent the United States at the World Championship, where he helped the Americans win the tournament for the first time since 1933.

That was the second gold he’d picked up just this year; Buium also claimed his second World Junior Championship gold in January.

“There’ll always be enough room,” he said when asked if he had space in his trophy case for another medal.

Buium was back in the Twin Cities this week for a retooled development camp hosted by the Wild.

Prospects stayed off the ice, instead working out, attending meetings and bonding away from the rink by riding go-karts and going to an escape room. That was the best part of the experience for recent second-round draft pick Theodor Hallquisth.

“I came out on the winning side,” said Hallquisth, a defenseman chosen 52nd overall by the Wild last Saturday.

He and fourth-round pick Adam Benak were visiting Minnesota for the first time, Benak having traveled after watching the draft in Czechia.

“It’s been fun,” the center said.

Defenseman Aron Kiviharju could be back for redemption for the World Juniors when it takes over Minneapolis and St. Paul in December after Finland lost in overtime during the gold medal game at the last tournament.

“Silver for Finland is maybe just as big as gold for the U.S.,” said Kiviharju, a 2024 draft pick who resumed a normal schedule last season after injury sidelined him for most of 2023-24. “I’m happy about it, but we got one more year to try to get the gold for us.”

Kiviharju’s World Juniors teammate Rasmus Kumpulainen is turning pro stateside after the winger went back to Finland last season to compete in the top league following a stint in juniors in Canada.

“It was a challenging year, especially with the team,” Kumpulainen said. “We faced relegation. It wasn’t, obviously, how you always plan it to go, but I think I was still happy that I went there, going through those challenges.”

The Wild’s other second-rounder from 2023, Riley Heidt, is also graduating, and the center can already sense a “huge difference” in his readiness compared to last year.

“Being a bit more experienced, just having maybe not as much nerves and being able to really show my game a little bit more,” Heidt said. “I’m super excited to come in and prove myself.”

Ryder Ritchie could similarly put a bow on his junior career if the winger decides to play in college, a level now available to Canadian Hockey League players after the NCAA granted them eligibility going into next season.

Ritchie, a 2024 second-round pick, is considering his options but believes the college schedule, including more time to work out, would benefit him.

“It’s obviously appealing. A lot of guys are leaving, so it’s going to be a tough decision,” said Ritchie, who is coming off “the time of my life” winning a Western Hockey League title and getting to the final of the Memorial Cup.

For Buium, the next step is clear.

The Wild haven’t added to their NHL defense this offseason, reinforcing the chance Buium has to return a regular after he made his NHL debut in the playoffs and logged four games total, and the 19-year-old recognizes the opportunity. His focus this summer is preparing to play an 82-game season and raising his weight by 10-15 pounds.

“Being able to play in those couple games at the end of the year and then going to World Championships and just kind of getting those experiences around NHL players, you learn a lot,” Buium said. “I thought it’s really helped me and helped me understand certain things about the NHL, about how guys carry themselves and what you need to do.

“So, yeah, I feel very, very confident.”