RALEIGH, N.C. — On Feb. 12, 2023, there was a surprising person manning one of the Carolina Hurricanes’ net.
Goalie coach Paul Schonfelder was filling in, wearing one of Pyotr Kochetkov’s masks and Antti Raanta’s backup set of gear. There was one problem: Schonfelder — who played primarily second-tier junior hockey in Ontario in the late 1990s and early 2000s, followed by a couple dozen professional games in the ACHL, UHL and CHL — is left-handed. Raanta is not.
Up the East Coast, another lefty was just coming off an AHL All-Star Game performance.
Brandon Bussi, less than a year after he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bruins, had been part of a who’s who of goalie prospects from Laval, Quebec. First-round draft pick Jesper Wallstedt was named as an all-star from the Central Division, as were rising stars Lukas Dostal and Dustin Wolf from the Pacific. Joseph Woll, Joel Hofer and Nico Daws, NHL draft picks who have found their way to the NHL, were all there.
“The Bus,” however, hit a roadblock. Boston had an embarrassment of riches in net with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Bussi was called up to the NHL eight times by the Bruins, including three times in April 2023. His stay was often for a day, though he did get eight days once and six another. What he didn’t get was into a game.
“While I didn’t play,” Bussi said, “I was up a handful of times.”
He signed with the Florida Panthers this past offseason, perhaps seeing a clearer path to the NHL with new Florida addition Daniil Tarasov not entrenched behind Sergei Bobrovsky.
Fate, however, had other plans. Bussi was placed on waivers for assignment to the AHL a day after the Hurricanes had made the same move with Cayden Primeau, intending to assign him to the Chicago Wolves. Concerned that Primeau would be lost to another team, Carolina’s front office claimed Bussi, who coincidentally was headed to North Carolina anyway to join the Checkers, the Panthers’ affiliate, in Charlotte.
The dominos that hadn’t fallen for Bussi during his time in Boston started to topple in succession. Primeau was claimed by Toronto, and then Kochetkov was injured near the end of training camp.
Suddenly, Bussi was in the NHL, and Carolina’s commitment to not overworking oft-injured 36-year-old Andersen meant Bussi got the nod in San Jose in the third game of the season, for his first NHL start.
Bussi earned the win, stopping 16 of 17 against the Sharks, and hasn’t stopped winning since. Bussi, who did not start Carolina’s loss to San Jose on Sunday, has a 8-1 record with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.
“Things happen at random times,” said Bussi, who has looked just as worthy of being in the NHL as those big-name prospects he shared the ice with at the AHL All-Star Game in 2023. “You can’t predict it. It just happens, especially for goalies. So I’m just fortunate that I’ve been able to help the team out.”
Perhaps most impressive about Bussi has been the poise with which he’s handled finally getting his opportunity.
“I think it helps anybody when you’ve been through it, and he’s been through, especially a goalie, the ups and downs of that position, and in an organization where you’re maybe the third guy,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Bussi. “And it’s just knowing that you’ve got to be ready for whenever that start comes through and take advantage of it. And clearly, he’s done that.”
Bussi, 27, said being a bit older when he finally got his chance helped.
“I think not being young and new to this is beneficial in a way,” he said. “But at the same time, you learn new things every day. … What’s the study? You hit your prime at 27 or whatever? I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but you’re constantly building and working hard, trying to achieve a goal. So it took me longer than some guys, than it does for some other people, but I feel good about the way I’m playing right now.”
He should. According to NHL EDGE statistics, Bussi has the best high-danger save percentage (.886) of any goalie in the league, and his ability to make big saves at key moments is what has stood out the most to Brind’Amour.
“I think he’s come up with the timely save,” Brind’Amour said after Bussi’s 16-save performance in Carolina’s 1-0 overtime win on Nov. 30 against the Flames, the goalie’s first career NHL shutout. “That’s kind of, for me, how I sum it up because it’s not like you’ve been leaving him out to dry and we’re giving up 40 shots a night. It’s not really that, but there’s a breakaway here or there all of a sudden. Those are huge moments in tight games.”
While many would probably be nervous about having their first career shutout hanging in the balance after neither team scored in regulation, Bussi said “those are the games that are fun for goalies.”
“Maybe when he’s at home, maybe he’s like, ‘Holy crap,’” Hall said of Bussi’s poise. “The cream always rises to the top, right? And it doesn’t matter if you’re 22 or 26. Especially if you’re a goalie, there’s no direct path to being what you are. And when you’re big and you’re athletic, like he is in the net, just keep going. And like I said, I think he’s only going to get better and better.”
Bussi seems to be doing his best to soak in finally proving he’s worthy of being in the NHL while also knowing his ultimate goals are team-related and not personal.
“Anytime you hear your name being chanted by the crowd,” he said after the win over the Flames, “it’s really cool. … Obviously I appreciate it, so I don’t want to understate that — it is cool. But the most important thing is kind of what we’re doing here and trying to keep it going.”
With eight wins in nine starts, the 6-foot-4 lefty who started playing goalie as a 7-year-old on Long Island is trying to do just that. And if he ever needs a day off, at least there’s left-handed equipment available to Schonfelder.
“Well, if he ever wants to hop back out,” Bussi said, “he’s got an extra set of my gloves.”
