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The Carolina Hurricanes secured their second Stanley Cup championship behind an unlikely contributor in net.
Brandon Bussi stepped in to save Carolina's season midway through the series against the Vegas Golden Knights to turn the Stanley Cup Final around. At this time last year, Bussi hadn't even made his NHL debut, and now he is one of the most important names in Hurricanes history.
Once Carolina was able to settle down in goal, the team's defense picked up and slowly stifled the Golden Knights offense. In Game 6, Vegas had no space and nowhere to turn as the Hurricanes denied them every step of the way.
Here's how Bussi saved the Hurricanes' season at the most important time.
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How Brandon Bussi went from Hurricanes backup to starter
Brandon Bussi made his NHL debut in October of 2025 and spent the entire season as a Hurricanes backup behind Frederik Andersen. Bussi played in 39 games during the year, going an impressive 31-6-2 and securing his spot on the Carolina roster.
As Andersen struggled in the Stanley Cup Final, and seemingly got banged up, Bussi stepped in to finish the job. The 27-year-old relieved Andersen in Game 3 and had a nice performance in a Hurricanes overtime loss before starting the next three games.
With Bussi as the starter, the Hurricanes went 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final. The team let up just five goals in the final three games compared to 14 in the first three games.
MORE: How Rod Brind'Amour is responsible for nearly every playoff win in Hurricanes history
Brandon Bussi shutout
In Game 6, Bussi held the Golden Knights off the scoreboard as he led a 3-0 shutout to clinch the Stanley Cup Final. Carolina's defense was strong, but Bussi made a few huge saves on Vegas to make sure the Golden Knights never got any momentum.
BRANDON BUSSI ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!? pic.twitter.com/9tkFobW5sO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 15, 2026BRANDON BUSSI CONTINUES TO SHINE IN GAME 6 pic.twitter.com/AC1KDTABfn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 15, 2026Bussi ended up saving all 22 shots that he faced on Sunday night, but he also got a little help from the crossbar.
JACK EICHEL COULDN'T BELIEVE HE MISSED THIS SHOT! #StanleyCupFinal pic.twitter.com/dtIwuhAKiP
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 15, 2026MORE: When is the Hurricanes championship parade?
Brandon Bussi Stanley Cup Final stats
Bussi made his playoff debut in the Stanley Cup Final, and he led Carolina to three straight wins from Games 4-6. That culminated in his best performance coming in Game 6, when he produced a shutout against the Golden Knights in Vegas.
- Games: 4
- Saves: 6
- Goals allowed: 59
- Save percentage: .908
What happened to Frederik Andersen?
Frederik Andersen struggled to begin the Stanley Cup Final, allowing 13 goals in the first three games before he was benched midway through Game 3. When Rod Brind'Amour made Bussi the starter for Game 4, he demoted Andersen to third-string, a sign that the veteran wasn't in the right space to play.
Frederik Andersen is Carolina’s EBUG tonight, in case you were curious.
Don’t think he is necessarily fully “healthy” but team has not made an injury declaration.
FWIW, #SoundTheSiren have had goalie get full rest (not dress) few times this season to prepare for a game ahead.
Brind'Amour confirmed after Game 6 that Andersen wasn't 100 percent healthy, so the team needed to turn to Bussi to turn the series around.
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