For the 11th time, the DU Pioneers have secured a national championship in men’s hockey. The team faced Wisconsin on April 11 for the “Frozen Four” title, winning 2-1. A local celebration was scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, at Magness Arena on the DU campus.
The path to the title was dramatic, with the semifinal win against stalwart Michigan coming in double overtime.
One of the players on the ice was forward Sam Harris, who hails from a Jewish Montreal family, though Harris was born and raised in San Diego.
Harris was part of the Pioneer team that won the championship two years ago, with the Buium brothers on the roster.
Harris, a DU junior, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 2023.
Speaking to the IJN after the 2023-2024 championship, Harris described visiting Montreal that year. “Both of my grandparents on my dad’s side are from Montreal . . . walk through the neighborhoods where they were and where they grew up as kids is really awesome.” He also recalled meeting Zeev Buium, today with the Vancouver Canucks, at a Hebrew class at DU.
“I knew Ani ohev l’sachek hockey — ‘I love to play hockey,’ which is the only thing I know in Hebrew,” Harris said.
