Zeev Buium Brings a Rare Winning Resume to Vancouver
The end of December always pulls hockey fans toward the World Juniors, that brief annual window where the future shows itself without apology. For the Canucks, this year’s tournament comes with familiar intrigue — Braeden Cootes, Wilson Björck, and Basile Sansonnens are all set to represent their countries in 2026 — but it also casts a brighter light backward, toward a player Vancouver has already secured. Winning even one World Junior gold is hard. Winning two is rarer still. Very few players manage it, and even fewer defencemen do. Zeev Buium belongs to that small, exclusive group.
Buium’s Resume Includes World Junior Gold - Twice
Buium’s résumé at the international level is quietly staggering. Gold medals at the 2024 and 2025 World Juniors, points in big moments, and a habit of being on the ice when games tilt the right way. Add in gold at the U18S and a historic World Championship win for Team USA in 2025 — their first since 1933 — and a pattern starts to emerge. This isn’t just about talent; it’s about a player who seems comfortable inside pressure and expectation. Among active NHL defencemen, only Kris Letang, Olen Zellweger, and Ethan Del Mastro share the double–World Junior gold distinction. That’s thin company.
Will Buium’s Success Transfer to the Canucks?
The real question, of course, is whether that winning instinct travels. International tournaments are not the NHL, and banners don’t carry over. But at just 20, Buium is already handling serious minutes at the highest level, and Vancouver didn’t just acquire a prospect — they acquired someone accustomed to responsibility and outcomes. The Canucks can use more of that. Winning habits are fragile things, but when they take root early, they tend to matter later. And in a period where the organization is searching for direction and identity, having a young defenceman who has only ever known how to finish on top is no small thing.