From Rollerblading Rink Rat to NHL Star: Zeev Buium's Unlikely Hockey Journey
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium skates with a fluid grace that suggests a lifetime dedicated to ice hockey, but his early years tell a different story. According to Craig Sterling, his first minor hockey coach, Buium was initially more interested in rollerblading than hitting the ice.
"He was six or seven, and his older brother, Shai, had started playing more and more, and I couldn't get him on the damn ice," recalled Sterling, the hockey director at the San Diego Ice Arena. "Zeev drove me nuts. His parents had given him roller blades and that's what he wanted to do. I tried to talk him into going on the ice. I'd offer him a quarter or 50 cents to come out there for our Learn to Play program but he wouldn't budge."
A Reluctant Start and a Clever Trick
Sterling described Buium as a "little rink rat" who would rollerblade endlessly around the rink, both inside and outside, showing no interest in traditional ice hockey. "He just wanted to roller blade around the whole rink like a little rink rat. Just roller blading, roller blading, roller blading," Sterling said.
The breakthrough came when Sterling finally managed to coax Buium onto the ice for a Saturday morning Learn to Play class. "I finally tricked him into doing Learn to Play. I'm not sure how I did it," Sterling admitted. "Once he got out there, he'd just go and go. Then he was on the ice way more than anybody."
From that point on, Buium was hooked. He began skating five days a week, developing the skills that would eventually lead him to the NHL. "Zeev wasn't the best one on the team when he was young. He wasn't a standout," Sterling noted. "He would just go like a crazy rabbit and he would go and go and go, and he wouldn't get off the ice."
San Diego Roots and Canucks Connections
The San Diego Ice Arena, a single-sheet complex that opened in 1978, has become an unexpected breeding ground for NHL talent. In addition to Buium, Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko also grew up playing minor hockey at the same rink.
"The kids at our rink know those guys. The kids probably know Zeev more than Demko, but the dads who play in my men's league had kids who played with Demko and they cheer for him," Sterling explained.
Demko, who will miss the rest of the season due to hip surgery, showed early dedication to his craft. "After 10 and under, he started to focus on goalie. He lived five minutes from the rink, so he was here all the time," Sterling recalled. "He was here three, four days a week. I'd see him all the time. He just started developing. He was getting shutouts all the time. He was facing 40, 50 shots a game."
Family Ties and Professional Development
Buium comes from a hockey family. His brother Shai, 22, is a defenseman in the Detroit Red Wings organization after being selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL draft. Sterling had an instant connection with the Buium family through his son Nicholas, who played minor hockey with the Buiums' cousin Gilad.
Sterling was present at the 2024 NHL draft in Las Vegas when the Minnesota Wild selected Zeev Buium with the No. 12 overall pick. The Canucks later acquired Buium from the Wild on December 12, 2025, as part of the Quinn Hughes trade.
Buium recently suffered a facial injury during Vancouver's final game before the Olympic break, breaking a bone when hit by a puck in a 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 25. The NHL hiatus for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics provided recovery time, and he has returned to practice with a full cage on his helmet, expected to play when Vancouver resumes action against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Importance of Fun and Passion
Reflecting on Buium's development, Sterling emphasized the role of enjoyment in the young player's progression. "He wasn't forced to do it. He was just having fun. It wasn't a job. It wasn't the parents pushing him," Sterling said. "It was Zeev wanting to do it and having fun. And he was always smiling. The kid was always smiling."
Buium himself credits Sterling with teaching him to love the game. "Craig's not someone who's going to give you the path to the NHL, but he's going to teach you the game and show you what it means to love hockey and what work ethic means," Buium explained. "I think the biggest thing he taught me was the fun part."
When asked about those early days of resistance to ice hockey, Buium acknowledged Sterling's persistence with a smile. "Maybe a little bit," he said about being coaxed onto the ice. "It was more like I was so young. I wanted to play roller hockey and roll around. Then I got on the ice and I loved it. It's funny how it works out."
From rollerblading enthusiast to NHL defenseman, Zeev Buium's journey demonstrates that sometimes the most unlikely beginnings can lead to remarkable destinations in professional sports.
