Red Wings sign defenseman Shai Buium to three-year entry-level contract
DETROIT, MI – The Detroit Red Wings today signed defenseman Shai Buium to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning with the 2024-25 season. Buium will report to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.
Buium, 21, recently completed his junior season at the University of Denver, helping the Pioneers capture their second NCAA Division I national championship in three years. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound defenseman earned NCHC Second All-Star Team honors after recording 36 points (7-29-36), a plus-33 rating and 14 penalty minutes in 43 games with the Pioneers during the 2023-24 campaign. Buium logged 21 points (4-17-21), a plus-eight rating and 18 penalty minutes in 38 games as a sophomore in 2022-23. Selected by the Red Wings in the second round (36th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Buium was selected to the NCHC All-Rookie Team after tallying 18 points (3-15-18), a plus-20 rating and 12 penalty minutes in 39 games in 2021-22, winning a national title along with Detroit prospects Carter Mazur (70th overall/2021) and Antti Tuomisto (35th overall/2019). In total, Buium compiled 75 points (14-61-75), a plus-61 rating and 44 penalty minutes in 120 games with the Pioneers.