ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Zeev Buium was conducting his first media interview as a member of the Minnesota Wild on Monday, when a white practice jersey suddenly sailed over the circle of reporters and cameras and landed square in the rookie's face.
The rookie defenseman paused briefly to uncover his face, revealing a wide smile and an unfazed expression as he quickly resumed the conversation. While Buium's performance on the ice in the NHL has yet to unfold, the 2024 first-round draft pick with the unusual name and the unconventional pathway to the sport sure looks like he'll be able to more than hold his own.
After winning the NCAA championship as a freshman with Denver and returning to the Frozen Four last weekend, Buium decided to end his college career after two seasons and make the jump to Minnesota. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Sunday and joined the Wild at the rink for practice, meet-and-greets and more paperwork on Monday.
“Kind of like your first day school," coach John Hynes said.
Buium, for the record, e-mailed his Denver professors to inform them he wouldn't be in class this week.
“I don’t think there was much more, development-wise, for me in college hockey," said Buium, who was the country's highest-scoring defenseman and one of three finalists for the Hobey Baker player of the year award. “I can obviously get bigger, stronger and faster, but taking this next step and pushing myself even more, it’s the right moment.”
Wild defensemen Jake Middleton has missed the last four games with an injury, though he was on the ice on Monday. Another one of their top four defensemen, Jared Spurgeon, was recently banged up and didn't play in the last game. Even if they're both available for the critical final regular-season game on Tuesday against Anaheim, with a spot in the playoffs not yet secure, Buium could well find himself in the middle of the action.
“That’s the dream, playing in the NHL and taking that rookie lap, so if I’m fortunate enough to do it, then I’m going to be super pumped and ready to go,” Buium said. “But it’s just still a dream right now. It’s pretty awesome.”
Buium, whose last name is pronounced BOO-yum, grew up in San Diego where his parents emigrated from Israel in their mid-20s to be near family and start a heating, venting and air conditioning business. Once Buium and his two brothers found a passion and skill for hockey, his mother drove them to daily practices in the Los Angeles area — a 112-mile, one-way trip — while their father worked.
Buium eventually attended the prestigious prep school Shattuck St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota, where numerous NHL players have come through. One of his brothers, Shai Buium, is currently a Detroit Red Wings prospect playing in the AHL.
If the Wild win on Tuesday, they’re in the playoffs. Simply taking the Ducks to overtime would send them to the postseason as the first wild-card team, too, with one more point needed to ensure a finish ahead of St. Louis and Calgary. The Wild have the tiebreaker in hand with more regulation wins than both clubs.
But if the Wild were to lose in regulation, they’d be on thin ice. The Blues host Utah at the same time. The Flames host San Jose an hour later and also have an extra game remaining at Los Angeles on Thursday. If both St. Louis and Calgary win out, the Wild would be left out if they don’t gain at least one point against Anaheim.
After playing in the world juniors and, most recently, helping Denver reach the national semifinals, Buium has been on plenty of big stages. That bodes well for the situation he’s entering.
“He’s a really well-spoken kid," Buium said. "He’s been a captain at the levels he’s been at, so when you have that type of a person and his personality and the experiences he’s had, it certainly makes it a little bit easier.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber (7) celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem as he became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.
Chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” echoed through the arena as Avery Wilson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner," but they they gave way to boos moments later as Trump was displayed on the jumbo screens giving a military salute. The jeers ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also elicited vociferous boos.
Trump watched Game 3 from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum. He sat next to Dolan for the first quarter and spent part of the second talking to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman.
Trump’s Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying “Trump must go.”
He settled into Dolan's suite shortly afterward.
During the afternoon before Trump's arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year’s Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game.
They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with going through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security.
After traveling from his home in Florida for the game, Knicks fan Greg Weldon said the main inconvenience faced so far has been the lack of information.
“We’ve asked so many cops, secret service, guys with machine guns, what to do, where should we go,” he said. “Nobody knows.”
Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump.
“There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,” Johnson said.
With security stepped up, a watch party outside was canceled, and ticket-holders were not allowed to bring bags inside the Garden. Fans had gathered near the arena to watch games during this playoff run, during which the Knicks have won 13 games in a row to reach the final for the first time since 1999 and move two victories from their first NBA title since 1973.
“We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference Monday. "But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that’s what you’re going to see tonight at the Garden.”
This is the latest major sporting event Trump has attended during his time as president, and the security measures have created major hassles for fans.
Thousands of fans missed the start of last year’s U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner because of lengthy security lines. Even though the U.S. Tennis Association pushed back the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still couldn’t get in because added measures meant that they had to go through screening not only when they arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center but again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite.
Federal law enforcement officials have been reexamining Trump’s security in light of three incidents in the past two years: a shooting at a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania; the discovery of a man armed with a rifle as Trump played golf in West Palm Beach, Florida, later that year; and the recent shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Asked Sunday his thoughts on Trump attending, Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said: “Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries were also at the game, as were Yankees Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning of the Giants.
It was already hard enough for Knicks fans to get inside Madison Square Garden because of astronomical ticket prices. The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, surging over $5,000.
The best seats were listed for tens of thousands of dollars. Mamdani said he bought his ticket, which he said was standing-room-only, for about $1,000 directly from Madison Square Garden.
The difficulty of seeing the game in-person has prompted fans to crowd bars, streets and watch parties all over the city. The watch party near the Garden has become a major event all through the playoffs, but with Trump attending, that event was moved a few blocks away outside the security perimeter, at Bryant Park.
“We improvise,” said Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who is a New York native. "We're New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.”
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
President Donald Trump talks with Knicks owner James Dolan during Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
U.S. Secret Service agents and a U.S. Marine brace against the downdraft as a support helicopter lands before Marine One with President Donald Trump aboard, at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at Pier 6 in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Kai Trump, left, Knicks owner James Dolan and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, right. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
NYPD officers escort the motorcade of President Donald Trump outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
New York Knicks fans wait in line to enter Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
Secret Service agents stand guard in front of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
The motorcade of President Donald Trump arrives to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Monday, June 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)
A Secret Service agent stands watch outside Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Security fencing is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Security is set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
FILE - President Donald Trump, center, attends the men's singles final at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sept. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
A traveler tries to navigate the area as stringent security measures are set up outside of Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, as President Donald Trump is set to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
FILE - Donald Trump, right, talks to an unidentified man from the stands at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 11, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
President Donald Trump speaks at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wis., Friday, June 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)
