ST. PAUL, Minn. -- 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."