Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Denver Athletics

2025-26 Men's Ice Hockey Roster

Jim Rosvold
Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography
Isaac Wasserman/Clarkson Creative Photography
Russell Hons
Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative Photography
Tyler Schank/Clarkson Creative Photography

9 Boston Buckberger

  • Position Defenseman
  • Ht./Wt. 6-0 / 190
  • Class Junior
  • Hometown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
  • Last Team Lincoln Stars (USHL)

Biography

Honors and Awards: 2024 NCAA National Champion … 2025 NCAA Elite 90 Award ... 2024 NCAA Northeast Regional All-Tournament Team … NCHC Rookie of the Month (October 2023) ... 2x AHCA All-American Scholar (2023-24, 2024-25) ... 2x NCHC Academic All-Conference Team (2023-24, 2024-25) … 2x NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete (2023-24, 2024-25) … 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team ... 2x NCHC Defenseman of the Week (Oct. 23, 2023; Feb. 24, 2025) … NCHC Rookie of the Week (Oct. 30, 2023) ... DU’s Dr. Art Mason Top Scholar-Athlete Award (2024-25)
 
2025-26: Took part in the Columbus Blue Jackets' development camp in July 2025 as a free-agent invitee.

2024-25: Recorded career bests with nine goals and 30 points while also adding 21 assists … Ranked in the top 10 in each of the three scoring categories on the team and was third among defensemen in those areas during the year … Skated in each of the first 41 games of the year before suffering a season-ending upper-body injury on March 22 vs. Western Michigan in the NCHC Championship Game … He had played in each of the first 85 games of his career prior to getting hurt … Was tied for fifth in the NCAA with a +30 plus/minus rating, ranking second on the squad and was leading the team in plus/minus at the time of his injury … Had 71 shots on goal, blocked 36 shots, produced 22 penalty minutes and contributed five power-play points (0g/5a) … Had seven multi-point games, including tying a career best with three points (1g/2a) on Feb. 14 vs. North Dakota … Registered nine points (2g/7a) in his first nine games of the season from Oct. 5-Nov. 8 … Went on a career-long four-game assist streak from Oct. 26-Nov. 8 (1g/4a) … Played his 50th career game on Oct. 26 vs. Wisconsin … Tallied his first career game-winning goal on Nov. 16 at North Dakota … Had four penalty minutes on Dec. 13 at Colorado College, a career high … Tied a career best and team season high with a +4 plus/minus rating on Feb. 1 vs. Omaha … Blocked a career-high three shots twice during the year (Nov. 2 at Yale, Feb. 21, at Miami) … Picked up his second career NCHC Defenseman of the Week award on Feb. 24 after totaling two assists and five blocks in the series at Miami (Feb. 21-22) … Recorded his 50th career point with an assist on Feb. 28 vs. St. Cloud State … Fired a career-high five shots on March 8 at Colorado College … Tied a personal best with three points (1g/2a) on Feb. 14 vs. North Dakota … Registered 17 points (6g/11a) in his final 16 games he played … Scored three goals and had three assists in a six-game stretch from March 7-21 … Recorded four points (2g/2a) in five NCHC Tournament Games, including scoring just 1:29 into the first period in the Frozen Faceoff Semifinals on March 21 vs. Arizona State for the fastest Denver goal to begin a game during the season … Suffered a lower-body injury in overtime in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship on March 22, missing the final three games of the year … Named the 2025 recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 award for having the highest GPA at the Frozen Four (4.0) ... Attended Colorado Avalanche development camp in July 2024 as an invitee.

2023-24: Was the only Denver freshman to appear in all 44 games during the season and ranked fourth among team defensemen with 27 points on five goals and 22 assists … Finished with a +32 plus/minus rating, third-highest on the squad … Added 79 shots, 39 blocks and 27 penalty minutes … Picked up six multi-point games … Made his NCAA debut and recorded his first career point with a goal while also adding an assist on Oct. 7 at Alaska Fairbanks in the season opener … Began his collegiate career with 14 points (2g/12a) in his first 15 games from Oct. 7-Nov. 24 … Had a season-long six-game point streak from Oct. 20-Nov. 4 (2g/5a) … Picked up his first two-assist contest on Oct. 28 vs. Air Force … Recognized with consecutive NCHC weekly awards as Defenseman of the Week on Oct. 23 (0g/2a) and Rookie of the Week on Oct. 30 (1g/2a) … Named NCHC Rookie of the Month for October after leading all league freshmen with seven points (2g/5a) in six games, becoming the first DU defenseman to earn the honor and the then-fourth different NCHC blueliner to ever be recognized with the award (Zeev Buium was later recognized as well) … Registered a career-high three assists/points on Feb. 24 vs. Miami … Recorded a personal-long three-game assist streak during the postseason from March 23-30 (1g/3a)  … Contributed a helper in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game vs. Omaha on March 23 … Scored and added an assist on the overtime-winner in the NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinals vs. Massachusetts in his NCAA Tournament debut on March 28 … Earned Regional All-Tournament Team honors after also contributing an assist in the final vs. Cornell on March 30 … Finished the NCAA Frozen Four on April 11-13 with a combined +2 plus/minus rating and four blocked shots.

Before Denver: Skated in 2022-23 with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, serving as an alternate captain of the squad … Was named a USHL Third-Team All-Star with Lincoln after producing 45 points (9g/36a) in 62 games … His 36 assists ranked tied for 13th in the league during the year … Added eight points (1g/7a) in nine USHL playoff games … Helped the Brooks Bandits win the Alberta Junior Hockey League Championship in 2021-22 and was named to the AJHL South All-Rookie Team after compiling 31 points (13g/18a) in 59 games … Registered nine points (2g/7a) in 13 AJHL playoff contests en route to the 2022 championship … Product of the Saskatoon Maniacs, Riverkings and Blazers organizations … Registered 40 points (14g/26a) in 43 games with the Saskatoon Blazers U18 AAA in 2019-20.
 
Personal: Has three siblings, including a twin brother ... Father played professional hockey for six years in the American Hockey League, International Hockey League and West Coast Hockey League … Graduated from Centennial Collegiate school in 2021 … Hopes to play professional hockey after his time at DU … Hobbies include golf, Spikeball, tennis and baseball.
 
Why DU: "I chose DU as it is an unbelievable campus that has plenty of options academically. Also, the hockey team is very sought after and it will be a pleasure to play on the team.”

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 9

    2023-24Freshman

    Defenseman
    5'11" 180 lbs
    9
  • 9

    2024-25Sophomore

    Defenseman
    6'0" 190 lbs
    9
  • 9

    2025-26Junior

    Defenseman
    6'0" 190 lbs
    9