The “Miracle on Ice”—that legendary 1980 Olympic semifinal in which the U.S. hockey team stunned the Soviet Union en route to a gold medal—remains deeply etched in American sports lore. The reason is simple: Ice hockey is hugely popular in North America, the NHL is the sport’s professional pinnacle, and American players are elite.
But the U.S. national team has never been dominant globally. The sport has long been ruled by Canada, Russia, the Czech Republic and the Scandinavian countries. But in this year’s Ice Hockey World Championships, a surprise ingredient may have helped shift the balance—an Israeli.
For the first time since 1933, Team USA won the Ice Hockey World Championship, held this year in Sweden and Denmark.
A surprise early exit by Canada and a stunning win over host Sweden paved the way to the final, where the Americans edged Switzerland 1–0 in overtime, avenging a 0–3 loss to the Swiss earlier in the group stage. The 92-year drought was especially notable given that the championship is held annually, unlike other sports where major tournaments are spaced out over several years. That means the U.S. team endured dozens of failed attempts, in both the amateur and professional arenas, before finally reclaiming gold.
While Team Israel was relegated this year to Division IIB—effectively the fifth tier—one young player made sure the Israeli flag was represented at the very top. Ze'ev Buium, a 19-year-old defenseman for the Minnesota Wild, was the youngest player on Team USA. Born in San Diego to Miriam, a former basketball player, and Sorin, both immigrants from Ashdod, Buium impressed throughout the tournament, recording two assists and a critical goal in the 5–2 quarterfinal win over Finland.
Rooted in heritage
Building national rosters for the World Championship is notoriously complicated. The tournament runs concurrently with the NHL playoffs, and players still competing for the Stanley Cup are unavailable. Only those whose teams are eliminated can join their national squads. Minnesota’s early exit in the first playoff round against the Vegas Golden Knights cleared the way for Buium’s inclusion.
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His connection to Israel runs deep. October 7, 2023, was supposed to be a celebratory day for the Buium family: the joint college hockey debut of Ze'ev and his older brother, Shai, for the University of Denver. But just hours before the game, their mother informed them of the horrific news unfolding in Israel. The emotional weight made the game even more significant. That season, the brothers helped Denver capture the NCAA championship.
Later that summer, extended family members traveled from Israel to join Ze'ev at the NHL Draft, where he was selected 12th overall by the Wild and quickly emerged as a rising star. Tattooed on his arm are three Hebrew dates, marking milestones: the college championship and two junior world gold medals. Now he’ll need to make room for another—27 Iyar, 5785.